The NYCRR, PC and Amtrak (for a while) made special accommodations for the New York State School for the blind. They would make special (non public timetable) stops to take the youngsters home (many from around the New York City area) for the holidays and bring them back to the school.
This was like a "private" flag stop for the school which is run by New York State. If you are a State Government who can make things very painful for a private railroad you get "special" treatment. Eventually PC did not want the "new" Batavia station open to the public at all so other accommodations were provided (buses via the Thruway I believe).
The school is still operating, My Brother has volunteered there in the past to be their Santa Claus for the holiday parties, the youngsters far away from home seem to really appreciate it.
And that 1971 timetable is pretty much the lowest point for passenger train service to / from Buffalo. Note; no service west of Buffalo (pre Amtrak Lake Shore Limited), no service to Niagara Falls or Toronto and only three train pairs a day (eastbound / westbound). All of the train sets would layover at BCT until the next day.
And no service at Rome NY.
I believe, but could be corrected, that at this time (1971) there was still one daily round trip over the TH&B using RDC's between Buffalo and Toronto. (edit by author) I found the info, in the 1972 Amtrak TImetable for Buffalo NY they list TH&B/CP trains # 371/376 which offered daily service from BCT over the International Bridge (Black Rock) to Fort Erie Ontario, then to Welland, Hamilton and Toronto. I remember seeing the TH&B RDC's in BCT that must have been for this service, I think they were painted for TH&B, but that was a long time ago. This service via Fort Erie was eventually halted and then the service via Niagara Falls (NY & ONT) was restored in the late 1970's.
I admit I am surprised there was still baggage car service from New York GCT to Buffalo BCT in 1971 (once a day on trains 71 & 74). Must have been down to 2 or 3 baggage men left on the seniority roster by then.
My first trips as a passenger out of BCT started a few years later, seeing service restored to Niagara Falls NY in ~ 1978/79 (after being gone for a decade or more) was exciting.
