Between Western New York and Ontario there are two active railroad bridges. One in Niagara Falls and the other in Buffalo / Ft Erie. Why does all freight traffic use the Buffalo / Ft Erie bridge at Black Rock as opposed to the bridge in Niagara Falls? Weight restrictions, logistics, other?
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One reason would be that there are no longer any through lines that go to Niagara Fall directly such as the Falls Road or the Lehigh Valley. Everything has to go through Buffalo to get there.
erie2521 wrote:One reason would be that there are no longer any through lines that go to Niagara Fall directly such as the Falls Road or the Lehigh Valley. Everything has to go through Buffalo to get there.63 and 64 still use that bridge in N.F.
Weren't there two bridges in NF at one time? I seem to think one was a Michigan Central bridge, the other was Canadian National?
BWP
BWP
I *think* both bridges are still there.......one being the Whirlpool bridge.
Charlie
Charlie
~Charlie Ricker
23kexpress wrote:Between Western New York and Ontario there are two active railroad bridges. One in Niagara Falls and the other in Buffalo / Ft Erie. Why does all freight traffic use the Buffalo / Ft Erie bridge at Black Rock as opposed to the bridge in Niagara Falls? Weight restrictions, logistics, other?I'd use the term "most" rather than "all" freight goes through Black Rock. I spent a late summer afternoon in Niagara Falls in 2010 and a couple CSX trains did use the Niagara Sub that day, as well as the eastbound Amtrak Maple Leaf.
Matt Langworthy
"It is highly likely that the 1990s were an overrated decade."
"It is highly likely that the 1990s were an overrated decade."
charlie6017 wrote:I *think* both bridges are still there.......one being the Whirlpool bridge.But only one is in use?
Charlie
I believe the Whirlpool Bridge is the one used by Amtrak and maybe a couple freights.........I don't think the
other bridge is used--maybe that one was used by CP Rail and connected to the now-severed line through downtown
Niagara Falls, Canada. Anyone, if I am incorrect, please say so and set the record straight.
Thanks,
Charlie
other bridge is used--maybe that one was used by CP Rail and connected to the now-severed line through downtown
Niagara Falls, Canada. Anyone, if I am incorrect, please say so and set the record straight.
Thanks,
Charlie
~Charlie Ricker
Whirlpool Bridge still in use, Michigan Central bridge (subsequently CP) not in use since 2001. Supposed to be torn down by 2012 by CP or the city of Niagara Falls.
See: http://www.niagarafrontier.com/bridges.html#b5
See: http://www.niagarafrontier.com/bridges.html#b5
Bring back the Slumbercoaches!!
charlie6017 wrote:I believe the Whirlpool Bridge is the one used by Amtrak and maybe a couple freights.........I don't think the
other bridge is used--maybe that one was used by CP Rail and connected to the now-severed line through downtown
Niagara Falls, Canada. Anyone, if I am incorrect, please say so and set the record straight.
Thanks,
Charlie
thats right.... CP use international bridge through buffalo now.
All freight goes over the international Bridge. This way, they don't need customs agents on duty all the time for both bridges. I believe they want to get rid of the remaining bridges in Niagara Falls, because no one wants to maintain them for one passenger train each way a day.
cr7535 wrote:All freight goes over the international Bridge. This way, they don't need customs agents on duty all the time for both bridges. I believe they want to get rid of the remaining bridges in Niagara Falls, because no one wants to maintain them for one passenger train each way a day.
How??? Both NF stations are right there..
and frieght trains might block lines whenever it runs into troubles with customs. then 64/63 get screwed
sd80mac wrote:In theory, if passenger trains switched to the International (Black Rock) bridge, they could still reach the Niagara Falls Ontario station..cr7535 wrote:All freight goes over the international Bridge. This way, they don't need customs agents on duty all the time for both bridges. I believe they want to get rid of the remaining bridges in Niagara Falls, because no one wants to maintain them for one passenger train each way a day.
How??? Both NF stations are right there..
and frieght trains might block lines whenever it runs into troubles with customs. then 64/63 get screwed
they would just go up the West side of the Niagara river to reach Niagara Falls Ontario rather than the East side of the river..
Buffalo, Niagara Falls Ontario, and Toronto could still be linked by passenger rail..
Amtrak service to Niagara Falls NY would have to go away..
but I doubt enough people would care to prevent it from happening..
Scot
~ Scot Lawrence
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Moderator: Lehigh Valley
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Scot's railroad webpages
scottychaos wrote:I know that but NYS is going to pour millions of dollars into new station at NF....sd80mac wrote:In theory, if passenger trains switched to the International (Black Rock) bridge, they could still reach the Niagara Falls Ontario station..cr7535 wrote:All freight goes over the international Bridge. This way, they don't need customs agents on duty all the time for both bridges. I believe they want to get rid of the remaining bridges in Niagara Falls, because no one wants to maintain them for one passenger train each way a day.
How??? Both NF stations are right there..
and frieght trains might block lines whenever it runs into troubles with customs. then 64/63 get screwed
they would just go up the West side of the Niagara river to reach Niagara Falls Ontario rather than the East side of the river..
Buffalo, Niagara Falls Ontario, and Toronto could still be linked by passenger rail..
Amtrak service to Niagara Falls NY would have to go away..
but I doubt enough people would care to prevent it from happening..
Scot
the route from international bridge to NF is out of way and amtrak would have to back up and turn around to head to toronto... It would cost more time and not financial saving...
Scot,
If Amtrak moved to the International Bridge, the following is likely:
Amtrak Albany to NF NY would remain in some form as there is sufficient patronage at present.
Those wishing to continue from NF NY to NF Ontario (only) could be bused or cabbed across the main bridge in town or 190. (Advantage - that'd be an easier trip through customs)
In the absence of any freight traffic, both the Whirlpool bridge and the (old) CP access bridge (no longer used, fenced off, line ripped up through town. etc.) would be candidates for removal. If you recall, the Whirlpool bridge is rails topside, roadway underneath. That roadway is no longer open to the "general public" (my emphasis) - you need an enhanced license (or something similar, the term escapes me at the moment) to use. Road traffic has dropped like a rock.
Amtrak passenger access in NF Ontario would likely require a new station - for 63/64 to utilize the present NF Ontario station sans Whirlpool would require either a backup move or units on both ends - hardly desirable from either an operational or equipment utilization standpoint.
Via Rail and GO Transit would continue to use the present NF Ontario station - they won't miss 63/64. The easiest place to change trains among the three (Amtrak, VIA and GO) would remain Aldershot (Hamilton).
As info, the CN yard in NF Ontario (Stanley Ave.) is dead as a doornail - nothing but occasional storage cars and mill gons for the steel plants. There was just a single maintainer's truck at the office last time I drove though. Pretty sad considering it used to be a hotbed of activity.
If Amtrak moved to the International Bridge, the following is likely:
Amtrak Albany to NF NY would remain in some form as there is sufficient patronage at present.
Those wishing to continue from NF NY to NF Ontario (only) could be bused or cabbed across the main bridge in town or 190. (Advantage - that'd be an easier trip through customs)
In the absence of any freight traffic, both the Whirlpool bridge and the (old) CP access bridge (no longer used, fenced off, line ripped up through town. etc.) would be candidates for removal. If you recall, the Whirlpool bridge is rails topside, roadway underneath. That roadway is no longer open to the "general public" (my emphasis) - you need an enhanced license (or something similar, the term escapes me at the moment) to use. Road traffic has dropped like a rock.
Amtrak passenger access in NF Ontario would likely require a new station - for 63/64 to utilize the present NF Ontario station sans Whirlpool would require either a backup move or units on both ends - hardly desirable from either an operational or equipment utilization standpoint.
Via Rail and GO Transit would continue to use the present NF Ontario station - they won't miss 63/64. The easiest place to change trains among the three (Amtrak, VIA and GO) would remain Aldershot (Hamilton).
As info, the CN yard in NF Ontario (Stanley Ave.) is dead as a doornail - nothing but occasional storage cars and mill gons for the steel plants. There was just a single maintainer's truck at the office last time I drove though. Pretty sad considering it used to be a hotbed of activity.