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Cuba Patriot - February 21, 1883 -
Winter has proved too much for the Tonawanda Valley road, and the little railroad has had to lay down and take it. Wednesday night a train arrived at this station. This was the first train from the north since two weeks ago last Tuesday. At that time three locomotives were blockaded upon the northern end of the road and a relief train of two locomotives and a car of coal was started from this place. It managed to get beyond Fairview, when the ice and snow got hold of it and stopped further progress. The hands who went out with it then only managed to get back here with Wednesdays train.
This pioneer train had a hard time of it to work its passage. It started from Attica Tuesday morning, two engines and a flat car with a flanger attachment for clearing the ice from the rails. It reached Rushford Tuesday night. One engine was sent back and could only get as far as Johnsonburg before it again became stalled on the track but just cleared. After a hard day’s work the one engine worked its way to Cuba, getting here at 5 p.m.
It would have been full well for the people along the line, and much better for the owners of the road, if they had “hove to” at the commencement of the severe weather, and made no efforts to keep the road open. No preparations had been made for such a winter as we have enjoyed, nor could such a one in some respects be anticipated. It is actually stated that at many points in the fields along the line the snow has had a depth of fourteen feet, and the cuts have been filled to the level. The road has such a course that snow fences will never suffice to protect it from winter’s ravages in certain sections, and only snow sheds will do it.
The above article appears to me to be the editor suggesting that snow sheds would be the answer. They tended to add their view into the paper and could be quite boisterous when things weren't going their way. However the next one has much more concrete evidence in it about the snow sheds. One thing to keep in mind is the fact that much of the south end of the line was built on wood stilts. A contract for lumber would be expected for the numerous trestle work that needed to be fixed up. Much of the construction was light and quick. The TV&C had tried to run the heavy standard gauge cars over the line and no doubt took it's toll on the weak structures. By 1885, the management (now in receivership due to the Erie pulling out) were already considering the demise of the narrow gauge, and more specifically the southern end. Though snow sheds would probably be cheaper to put up then the labor to shovel out that quantity of snow. I'd guess where the TV&C went over Cream Ridge (or Fairview Hill) on the Rushford side where the horseshoe curves took the track down into town would have been the location. That hill is still a rough drive in a snow storm!
Rushford Spectator - February 26, 1885
-The T.V. R.R. Difficulty – No trains nave been run over the T.V. since Saturday, February 14th. When it was make known on Monday morning that the men refused to run the trains, a telegram to that effect was sent the superintendent, J.V.D. Loomis, who dispatched the men that they would be held responsible for the care of the engines, and Wednesday he came to town for the purpose of effecting a settlement, money having been received to pay the men for one month, but the road is back four and a half months pay, and the men demanded their pay in full before they resumed work.
A similar move was agitated some time in December, but was not carried into effect, owning to a report that the receiver would pay up, and about the first of January, one month’s wages were paid to the men and they continued to work with the hope that the receiver would soon pay the full amount due, until need of money made it necessary to do something positive.
The facts that the company spent a great deal of money during the summer in ballasting and repairing the road and later in putting up snow sheds, also within a few weeks have contracted with Cornelius Crawford of Java, for 30,000 feet of lumber, would plainly show that they have no intention of suspension and should the road change hands, the company purchasing it would probably not buy it to discontinue, Hence, we have no doubt but that a settlement will be made before long and trains running again.
Much inconvenience has been experienced since the delay by our merchants in receiving freight and express matter, which has come to Attica and then been sent around by way of Cuba.
- Superintendent Loomis was in town Tuesday and a settlement was made with the employees, by the terms of which trains will be running at once.
The only other place I could think of a long cut might be where the TV&C crossed the BR&P. Though they must have gone over the top of the BR&P, the valley does shrink some there. It would be north of Fairview Hill and just south of Crystal (or 'Fish' as it was called then) Lake. The other thought would be perhaps a little north of Cuba where the line cut through the Oil Springs Indian lands? Any other thoughts where they might have been?
