Erie RR from Dayton Jct. to Dunkirk

[thebigham]

I've been traveling Rt. 39 and I've been crossing the former grade in Perrysburg.

When was the last train on the line?

When was it torn up?

Thanks!

[Cactus Jack]

Actually track ended in Dunkirk, not Fredonia.

Sometime in 1975 I believe, but I do not have an exact date.

If you are travelling down the NYS Thruway east of the Dunkirk - Fredonia exit - about MP 463 area, you can see the remains of the embankment where the railroad bridge went over the Thruway - EL MP 455.64 AAR/DOT Crossing # 265 683B. Not sure when the overhead bridge came out.

[thebigham]

^Thanks.

There is a "Dunkirk Branch" track chart, but I cannot open it:

https://www.railsandtrails.com/TC/EL/index.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's a djvu file? Huh?? lol

[thebigham]

Found this:

http://www.jon-n-bevliles.net/RAILROAD/ ... ett20.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

22.0
DAYTON

19.0
PERRYSBURG D

16.0
WEST PERRYSBURG

12.0
SMITH’S MILLS

8.2
FORRESTVILLE D

4.4
SHERIDAN
N.Y.C.&St.L. 4.4 N.Y.C

0.0
P.R.R.
DUNKIRK N

[nydepot]

Just look for a djvu plugin for your browser. That's the easiest. You can get a freeware standalone piece of software too.

^Thanks.

There is a "Dunkirk Branch" track chart, but I cannot open it:

https://www.railsandtrails.com/TC/EL/index.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's a djvu file? Huh?? lol

[Matt Langworthy]

I recall reading that EL removed the line from Dunkirk to Dayton Jct in March of 1976. In the pre-Staggers era, the ICC normally required a line to have no traffic for a year before it could abandoned or sold. However, this rule was apparently bent on occasion during the transition to Conrail. The guess of 1975 for the last train is a good one, regardless of whether the full year rule was observed or not.

[lvrr325]

So who picked up the remaining Erie track in Dunkirk prior to Conrail?

There's a little still there now. It seems to be tied into a segment of former PRR as well.

[TB Diamond]

E-L abandoned the Dunkirk Branch Dunkirk-Dayton, 21.9 miles, on 16 May 1975.

[pumpers]

Going the other way, from Dayton to Cattaraugus, how long has it been since anything ran? For a while there was a wood products company I think (?) in Cattaraugus occasionally using rail, but I seem to recall hearing they went away, or at least stopped using rail.
Also, was the connector in Dayton always there, or is that a "modern" (Conrail or later) development?

[TB Diamond]

Dayton-Cattaraugus, 9.3 miles, abandoned on 27 October 1970 account washouts.

[pumpers]

Dayton-Cattaraugus, 9.3 miles, abandoned on 27 October 1970 account washouts.

so the connector is from the EL era? Maybe I am dreaming about service to Cattaraugus in recent memory? Perhaps it was later reactivated?

[MP366]

IIRC NYLE ran excursions for a short period to Salamanca from Gowanda, but I’d have to dig through some slides to try to find the date. Will follow up as soon as I can

[pumpers]

Found it. See the NY&LE thread, on April 8 2012. viewtopic.php?f=128&t=60980&start=45#p1034968" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The customer was Setterstix in Cattaraugus, who makes paper sticks for popsicles, Q-tips etc. The thread isn't 100% clear, but the line might have been out of service since a washout in 2009. Looking at Google streetview, the 2 boxcars mentioned in the 2012 post are still there in the 2013 Streetview image.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3196513 ... 312!8i6656" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[nydepot]

Thanks pumpers.

Tying in to another thread here - try finding that info on Facebook. Searching is worthless there.

Found it. See the NY&LE thread, on April 8 2012. viewtopic.php?f=128&t=60980&start=45#p1034968" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The customer was Setterstix in Cattaraugus, who makes paper sticks for popsicles, Q-tips etc. The thread isn't 100% clear, but the line might have been out of service since a washout in 2009. Looking at Google streetview, the 2 boxcars mentioned in the 2012 post are still there in the 2013 Streetview image.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3196513 ... 312!8i6656" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[jr]

MP366 is correct on the NYLE excursions. I rode a couple of them out of Salamanca. One of these, was to the County Fairgrounds in Little Valley, in either 1981 or 1982. I believe there were several excursions that were run in conjunction with the Salamanca RR Museum.


My notes show Salamanca to Cattaraugus abandoned in 1990.