BR&P Ellicottville

[SST]

As is customary for me, after skiing at Holiday Valley, I stop at the Depot Restaurant for a snack across the street. Being the end of Presidents Day and a late Monday night, it was pretty quiet. Only a handfull of people so not much distraction.

While sitting at the bar eating my snack, I noticed a picture on the other side of the bar. It was a picture of a rr station. I assume it was Ellicottville. I asked the bartender if I could see it. When I looked at it I was really surprised. It was an original photograph of the station where it was originally built. I have no idea how long this picture has been there but it is the first time I've seen it.

The caption in the picture states that the station was built in 1903 and the brick platform was built in 1913. It is double tracked in front of the station. One home viewable in the immediate background. Unfortunately, the picture is washed out so you can't really see much in the distant background. But back then, it probably doesn't look anything like it does now and difficult to make comparisons anyways. This is a b&w photo. Great photo but again kinda washed out. It is not the same photo as in the site of existing rr stations in NY.

Where did the station originally sit in Ellicottville? I know where some of the row is but not all.

[nydepot]

Here is a map that shows the old line (still connected at the north but disconnected at the south end). The original station location was the red rectangle I've made (from what I can tell from old maps).

new.jpg (91.43 KiB) Viewed 2433 times

I believe the station was still located there even after the main was moved. Passenger trains that needed to stop in E'ville would use the old line while freights could bypass the village on the old main. Maps through WWII show the line still connected on both ends.

Charles

[SST]

Well, I'm a bit surprised by the location on the map. The caption in the picture states that the picture is facing north. Assuming that the caption is correct, that would put the station on the north side of the track and the camera man on the south side of the track looking north.

While reviewing the map above and comparing them to other maps, I believe the photographer got his directions wrong. The camera man must be standing at the "jct" of Martha Rd where it crosses the track. With the tracks in view means he's actually looking in a ESE direction. Also, the house I mentioned above appears to still be there. I zoomed in on Google/Sat and there is a "structure" behind the ag center. Unfortunately there is no street view so when I go back I'll check it out. I also have the camera in the car so I'll snap a picture of the area and try to get the same angle as the original picture.This also explains why there is no view of the creek in the picture. It's behind him.

[erie2937]

The station was on the new line before it was moved south of the village. A number of years ago we worked on a Chessie employee special train that actually stopped there. The station was still there at that time. Now, it might have been on the old line originally, I'll concede that possibility, but it very definitely was on the new line most recently.

[SST]

Are you saying that the station was in its original location as of the above map, then moved to the new line [present trackage] and then moved again to HV? 2 relocations?

[nydepot]

Yes but it was not moved until sometime later (I believe after WWII).

Charles

Are you saying that the station was in its original location as of the above map, then moved to the new line [present trackage] and then moved again to HV? 2 relocations?

[SST]

When you say "most recently" what is your time frame? And when you say "new line" I assume you mean the curve?

[nydepot]

I have never found a specific date. The station was "downtown" on the old line. Then moved to the SE side of town on the relocated, new mainline. All of this was for railroad use. Then it moved again for private use, as in "Sure you can buy it but you have to move it."

Charles

[scottychaos]

Well, I'm a bit surprised by the location on the map. The caption in the picture states that the picture is facing north. Assuming that the caption is correct, that would put the station on the north side of the track and the camera man on the south side of the track looking north.

Its also possible the caption was written many decades after the photo was taken, and not written by the original photographer..
which would further support the "caption might be wrong" theory..

Scot

[SST]

I'm going back to Holiday Valley for some skiing tomorrow and I plan on stopping at the old line location to get a picture. After skiing I'll stop in at the depot and see if I can either borrow it, scan it or photograph it. We shall see.

[SST]

I didn't get a photograph of the original location like I wanted but I did get a picture of the picture. I stopped in at the Depot for a beer and asked to see the picture. I asked the bartender if the owner was in and he wasn't. I couldn't get permission to borrow it or get it scanned on location so I had to use my camera to get it. Amazingly it came out fairly well. Because they wouldn't let me take the picture home, I asked for a pen and paper and took notes to list here about the photo. I'm sure the guy thought I was nuts! haha

So, with a better pair of glasses, I found some new stuff in the picture. I didn't capture the caption in the photo. However, after examining the photo I determined that the caption is part of the picture. Not typed onto the picture after development. The photo is smooth. The caption reads as such:
"Ellicottville, NY
Passenger Station
Building Erected in 1903
Brick Platform Placed 1913
Looking North"

What I didn't see before but I did this time, is I found something written in-between the rails, inside curve, and to the right of center. In-between them is written, "To Rochester" with a little arrow pointed to the right. It’s not really readable in this photo but you’ll have to trust me…I had my glasses on and it said, “To Rochester.“ If the guy has it right, and Rochester is to the right, that means "To Rochester" is East which translates into, we are "Looking North." The depot is on the north side of the track. It has to be. If you look at the trackage, the depot is on the outside of the curve. Not the inside or even on a straight section. It's definitely on the northerly side. This photo doesn’t fit into the original location.

In the picture you can make out the semaphore just in front of the depot. The chimney is on the side but today it is replaced by a vestibule. I don’t know if that was part of the original or an add-on. The current chimney is near the bay window up front. It is not part of the original.

You can see a house to the left with trees full of leaves so it was taken during the summertime. A unique driveway but I don’t’ see any creek. I’m wondering if this location is just around the sawmill.

If you look to the right of the picture [East] you’ll notice the terrain is beginning to rise and they cut through it for a level track bed. Maybe this is along Route 242/219.

What do you think that pole and box is for that appears to be connected to the inside track to the lower right quarter of the picture. It is not signage….it’s a box attached to the pole. By the way, that blotch of white is a lamp reflecting off the picture from behind me.

I guess my next venture will have to be to the historical society and see what documents they might have.

That’s all for now.
I tried to get the photo pasted into this posting but it isn't working or maybe the photo is too big. So you'll have to click here.

http://www.railfan.net/railpix/submit/s ... _Depot.jpg

[Train70]

I believe the station was on Mill St,near the intersection with Maple St,right where mill St ducks under the railroad,that placement would agree with the bar photo.

[SST]

I just tried Google street view for that location but no luck. I'll have to actually stop there and look around. That spot does look promising. Thanks.

[colorado]

Good to hear the Ellicottville Depot is still in business. We made a trip back to WNY this past summer for the first time in many years, took our teenagers around to see many of the places me and my wife used to go so they have a better picture of what life was life in WNY through our stories and visits. We stopped at the Depot and hoped to grab lunch but it was closed and it didn't look very hopeful that it was in business any longer.

The Depot was moved to it's present location in April of 1978 if I recall correctly, I have slides somewhere of the building sitting up on blocking being readied to be lowered on to the new foundation.

My wife and I used to ski at HV every Wednesday night after work and always go to the Depot after skiing for a bite and a drink or two (before kids). Those were the days I could ski hard for 5 hours, stay up for a drink and get to bed at 1 and be at work by 8 and be absolutely fine.....can't burn the wick like that any more though.

Is the christmas tree still hanging from the ceiling ? I remember back about 1990 we were sking and Glen Plake came in (Mohawk and all) as he knew people who owned the place. We were wathcing Greg Stumpf ski films that night and were watching plake ski cliffs on the big screen and he comes walking in the place for real !

Back in 93 on one of my last visits at HV and the depot before we moved West I went and skied alone, my wife was expecting our first and didn't want to risk it skiing. I remember the picture you speak of sitting at the bar, the barmaid was very freiendly and we got along and I was getting tempted but decided to try and be a good husband and not go any further though I might have liked to. Good thing. My wife decided she missed sking and had driven out on her own and skied, she walked in the door and surprised me, gald I decided to be a good boy. My son had been down his first slopes even before being born, I was out with him the other day at Loveland and he is hammering moguls on double blacks, far better than I ever was.

We're skiing Cooper Saturday which is actually over the Tennessee pass tunnels on the old Rio Grande. Next time you are at HV make a run down the wall for me and Tannembaum for my wife......regards

[SST]

You'll be happy to know that the Christmas tree is still hanging upside down.

After breaking my leg on Firecracker in 2001, I take it a bit easier than before. My leg randomly reminds me to take it easy and to quite when I'm tired. I have only gone to the Depot two times this year. Money is slow moving into my wallet so therefore it is slow moving back out. But the depot hasn't really changed since I started skiing at HV. It is pretty much decked out in Christmas cheer, Rolling Stones and RR stuff.

I have yet to master The Wall. But Tannembaum is where I usually make my first and last run especially when it's snowing hard. Like right now as I right this.

Have you ever spotted a train from HV? I have spotted low flying C-130's out of Niagara Falls but never any trains while skiing.