JR, thanks for the the intro... I did indeed mature in the area mentioned and know this bridge quite well. As you related there was still some railroad served industry left in the City of Tonawanda way back in the 1960's.
From Penn Central Timetable #1, Northeastern Region. Sunday, April 23, 1968:
"New York Central RR Bridge B18-A in North Tonawanda, New York. Crossing the New York State Barge Canal.
Note 2: Stop signs and red marker marker lights located 150 feet east of bridge and 118 feet west of bridge. Trains or engines operating in either direction over the bridge must stop and be certain bridge B-18A is lined for rail movement before proceeding."
Same info in Penn Central Timetable #6, Sunday, October 29,1972 updated by General Order 616, Saturday, December 1, 1973. This G.O. also reduces speeds on the entire Tonawanda Branch to 5 mph.
Weight restrictions show up in the 1972 ETT, no cars over 220,000 lbs (110 tons) allowed on the entire Tonawanda Branch.
Strangely enough the NYCRR ETT #20 from 1966 shows this bridge as an interlocking ? But then refers to a similar note for Bridge B18-C, about stop signs and red markers. Maybe a typo, or maybe there was an interlocking and it was OOSed between 1966 and 1968 ? Seems unlikely there would be a need for an interlocking on a stub end industrial spur ? Or maybe New York State demanded an interlocking for a bridge over the ever so important New York State Barge Canal. Also, this ETT refers to the area served by this bridge as “Goose Island” even though it was no longer an island after the Original Erie Canal was filled in.
Conrail ETT #2 from 1981 no longer lists this bridge, or the other swing bridge (B18-C) that spans a branch of the Niagara River over to Tonawanda Island. So between 1973 and 1981 these bridges were OOSed, or transferred out of PC/Conrail Ownership. When exactly this bridge was OOSed was probably determined by the Tonawanda Island RR. Story is that a Conrail Foreman was injured on the job and accepted the Tonawanda Branch in Lieu of a cash settlement for his injuries. Seems like maybe he should have held out for the cash ?
Interestingly enough Railroad Bridge B18-C was until sometime in the late 1960’s or early 1970’s also the only road bridge over to Tonawanda Island. This bridge was covered with planks and was essentially a one way road / rail bridge over to the Island. Sometime in the late 1960’s, or early 1970’s the planks caught fire and the bridge was OOS for road and probably rail traffic. It was rebuilt and the high road bridge (Taylor St) was built later. I have fond memories of fishing off of Bridge B18-C in the 1970's. Probably not allowed now.
Exact dates can probably be found in the Library or Historical Society. Not sure how they got back and forth to the Island while the bridge was OOS. Also, if you ever get to the Naval Park in Downtown Buffalo, you can find some pictures of newly built Landing Craft being launched from the shores of Tonawanda Island into the branch of the Niagara River during WWII.
An individual I worked with had the unfortunate luck to run his cabin cruiser under bridge B18-C thereby ripping the upper deck clean off. There is quite a current there. He was forever after known as the “ADMIRAL”.
Also, the large two track Bascule draw bridge that still carries the Niagara Branch over the canal is not listed as a drawbridge in the 1966 NYCRR ETT #20. This seems to confirm the old stories that New York State made the NYC RR put in that bridge because of Albany’s dreams of much more traffic on the barge canal. The story is that the bridge was built in the late 1920’s. It was operated once or twice for testing and then after a while the operating mechanism was removed and it became a fixed bridge in the 1930’s or 1940’s. I never ever saw it open while I grew up over there during the 1960’s, 1970’s or later.
Cheers, Kevin