Questions about CR Buffalo line

[fiend540]

Hey guys, I have a couple questions about Conrail's operations in NY. I am
wondering if anyone knows how Conrail used the Buffalo Line, specifically the
northern part through NY through the 90s? I grew up near CP Wales and can
remember trains full of autoracks/frame racks as well as general freight cars
but I am looking for more information on what type of trains Conrail ran on this
line, where the trains were going to or coming from ect.

[charlie6017]

Good morning,

Here is a good website for you.........you can look through the trains listed here and pretty much figure out which trains used the Buffalo Line and all other lines as well..........personally its in my "favorites".

Hope this helps.
Charlie

http://www.jalexlang.com/crsched/index.html

[fiend540]

Good morning,

Here is a good website for you.........you can look through the trains listed here and pretty much figure out which trains used the Buffalo Line and all other lines as well..........personally its in my "favorites".

Hope this helps.
Charlie

http://www.jalexlang.com/crsched/index.html

That's a big help and an awesome sight. Thank you

[lvrr325]

It was a secondary through route connecting Buffalo with Enola. Conrail didn't place a high priority on north-south ops, but it kept a few trains up until fairly recently when NS gave up and leased portions of it out to other operators. In fact it might have picked up a couple trains when Conrail closed the NYC Corning Secondary as a through route (about 1988), this line was kind of a parallell route from Williamsport north via Corning and Lyons.

[QB 52.32]

It was a very important line for handling fully-enclosed autoracks around the overhead clearance restrictions on the ex-PRR route across PA via Pittsburgh. Conrail raised overhead clearances on their ex-PRR line across PA in the mid-1990's eliminating the need to route autoracks via the Buffalo line, thereby eliminating probably its most important role.

[fiend540]

It was a very important line for handling fully-enclosed autoracks around the overhead clearance restrictions on the ex-PRR route across PA via Pittsburgh. Conrail raised overhead clearances on their ex-PRR line across PA in the mid-1990's eliminating the need to route autoracks via the Buffalo line, thereby eliminating probably its most important role.

That makes sense, I remember a lot of Autorack trains flying past my house. Now you're lucky to even see catch a train heading down the line. Is the line from Buffalo to Olean still connected and fully operable?

[lvrr325]

I'd forgotten the clearance issues, that's also how stack trains ran on the Tier at first.

It's all there, but the north end is leased to the B&P and the middle (like around Olean) to the WNY&P, no through NS trains on it. B&P used it to eliminate their original line, but they don't run a ton of trains over it.

[fiend540]

I'd forgotten the clearance issues, that's also how stack trains ran on the Tier at first.

It's all there, but the north end is leased to the B&P and the middle (like around Olean) to the WNY&P, no through NS trains on it. B&P used it to eliminate their original line, but they don't run a ton of trains over it.

Cool, so maybe there is a chance the line gets revived sometime in the future, but I won't hold my breath. It seems every time I catch the B&P going through East Aurora it is at nite, sure puts a damper on picture taking. There can't be much left traffic wise for the B&P, other than the Elevator in Arcade what else is left?

[lvrr325]

It's a through route for them, it's replaced the former B&O as their route from Buffalo to the south.

[Matt Langworthy]

There can't be much left traffic wise for the B&P, other than the Elevator in Arcade what else is left?

Besides the A&A traffic, there is occasional interchange traffic to/from the WNYP.

[Roscoe P. Coaltrain]

Before Bethlehem Steel in Lackawanna shut down, the line was used by northbound coal and coke trains. Also, the Hammermill log trains between Lock Haven and Erie also used to run via Buffalo, before the PRR branch via Warren was rehabilitated

The loss of the steel plant was a big blow to traffic levels on the north end. Its also why the B&O gave up on the BR&P.

Before the steel plant closed, Conrail began a welded rail program for the Buffalo Line, working south from Buffalo. It got as far as Delevan m.p. 40 when the program was halted in 1982 with the announced closure of the steel plant. The last remaining stick rail finally was replaced in 1988, to go along with increased tonnage due to the scrapping of the south end of the Corning Secondary.