• Model City NY military base

  • A general discussion about shortlines, industrials, and military railroads
A general discussion about shortlines, industrials, and military railroads

Moderator: Aa3rt

  by BR&P
 
Anybody have track charts and loco info on the Model City NY military base? I believe it was shut down sometime after WWII. I was only there once, in about 1976, but the remains of countless tracks were visible. Must have been quite a place in its day. (for those out of state, this is fairly near to Niagara Falls, and was served by the NYC.)
  by TB Diamond
 
BR&P:

Only personal experience with this military reservation was back in the mid-1970s while a member of a NYARNG aviation unit. We overflew the area several times and even utilized a portion of it for formation takeoff and landing exercises. Believe that it was a chemical and explosive manufacturing facility during WWII and that most of it was decommissioned after the war. Part of the facility may still be under government ownership. Seems that Shell had a chemical production facility set up there back in the 1970s and this was served by the Hojack. You are correct as to a large rail network within the confines of the reservation as noted from the previously mentioned aerial observation. Recall has it that the pilots referred to the facility as Area 15 (no, not Area 51).
  by BR&P
 
I believe there was a thread here years ago, maybe before the current configuration, that the place made nitroglycerin or other bomb ingredients, and the coming of nuclear bombs led to its demise. By the mid 1970s, there were two private companies back in there which received cars via the Hojack, one was Whitnor Chemical and the other was Chem-trol if I recall. Both took tank cars, and if you have seen photos of the last train eastbound before the line was abandoned it was heavy with all the remaining tanks from those places. Also think there was one or more cars left behind - probably the customer purchased one to use as storage.