Railroads of Western New York
Western New York was served by many railroads, large and small. In 1900, seven major railroads operated in Western New York, including:
- Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh
Railway and predecessors, including
- Rochester and Pittsburg Railroad
- Pittsburgh and State Line Railroad
- Delaware, Lackawanna & Western
- Erie Railroad, predecessors and associated companies, including
- Lehigh Valley and predecessors, including
- New York Central Railroad and
predecessors, including
- Rochester and Syracuse
Railroad (1850 -1853)
- Auburn and Syracuse Railroad (1834 -1850)
- Auburn and Rochester Railroad (1836 - 1850)
- Rochester and Syracuse Direct Railroad (???? - 1850)
- Buffalo and Rochester
Railroad
- Tonawanda Railroad
- Attica and Buffalo Railroad
- Lake Shore and Michigan Southern
- Dunkirk, Allegheny Valley and Pittsburgh Railroad
- New York, Chicago & St. Louis (Nickel Plate)
- Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg
- Fall Brook Railway
(1892 - 1899)
- Corning, Cowanesque, and Antrim (1873 - 1892)
- Blossburg and Corning Railroad (1854 - 1873)
- Tioga Railroad (1840 - 1854)
- Wellsboro and Lawrenceville Railroad (???? - 1873)
- Blossburg and Corning Railroad (1854 - 1873)
- Geneva and Lyons Railroad (1878 - 1892)
- Syracuse, Geneva and Corning Railway (1875 - 1892)
- Pine Creek Railway (1884 - 1892)
- Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Railway (1870 - 1884)
- Corning, Cowanesque, and Antrim (1873 - 1892)
- West Shore Railroad
(1885 - 1952)
- New York, West Shore, and Buffalo Railroad (1881 - 1885)
- Rochester and Syracuse
Railroad (1850 -1853)
- Pennsylvania Railroad (????
- 1968) and predecessors, including
- Northern Central Railroad
(1861 - 1968)
- Williamsport and Elmira Railroad ( ? - 1863)
- Elmira and Lake Ontario (1886 -1956)
- Sodus Bay and Southern Railroad (1882 - 1886)
- Lake Ontario Southern Railway (1879 - 1882)
- Geneva, Hornellsville and Pine Creek Railway ( ? - 1879)
- Ontario Southern Railroad (1875 - 1879)
- Sodus Bay and Southern Railroad (1873 - 1875)
- Lake Ontario Southern Railway (1879 - 1882)
- Elmira, Jefferson and Canandaigua Rail Road
- Elmira, Canandaigua & Niagara Falls Rail Road
(1857 - 1859)
- Canandaigua and Elmira Rail Road (1852 - 1857)
- Canandaigua and Corning Railroad (1845 - 1852)
- Canandaigua and Elmira Rail Road (1852 - 1857)
- Elmira, Canandaigua & Niagara Falls Rail Road
(1857 - 1859)
- Chemung Railroad (1845 - 1886)
- Canandaigua Lake Railroad (1887 - 1888)
- Sodus Bay and Southern Railroad (1882 - 1886)
- Western New York & Pennsylvania
Railway (1887 - 1917)
- Buffalo, New York & Philadelphia
Railway (1871 - 1887)
- Olean, Bradford & Warren Railroad (1877 - 1898)
- Kendall & Eldred Railroad (1877-1883)
- Buffalo, New York & Philadelphia
Railway (1871 - 1887)
- Northern Central Railroad
(1861 - 1968)
- Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad (1883 - 1887)
- Bradford Railroad
- Kinzua Railroad
- Genesee Valley Canal Railroad
- Rochester, New York & Pennsylvania Railroad (1881 - 1916)
- Buffalo, Pittsburgh & Western
(1881 - 1883)
- Buffalo, New York, and Pennsylvania Railroad
- Buffalo, Corry & Pittsburgh Railroad
- Buffalo & Oil Creek Cross Cut Railroad
- Salamanca, Bradford & Alleghany
- Pittsburgh Titusville & Buffalo
- Titusville & Oil City
- McKean and Buffalo Railroad (1874 - 1911)
In addition to the major carriers, a number of small railroads operated in the area, including:
- Arcade and Attica Railroad and
predecessors, including
- Buffalo, Attica & Arcade
- Attica & Freedom Railroad
- Tonawanda Valley and
Cuba Railroad
- Attica and Arcade Railroad
- Attica and Alleghany
Valley Railroad
- Attica and Sheldon Railroad
- Attica and Alleghany
Valley Railroad
- Tonawanda Valley Railroad
- Tonawanda Valley Extension Railroad
- Attica and Arcade Railroad
- Tonawanda Valley and
Cuba Railroad
- Attica & Freedom Railroad
- Buffalo, Attica & Arcade
- Buffalo & Susquehanna
- Dansville & Mt. Morris
- Genesee & Wyoming
- Kanona and Prattsburgh Railroad
- Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern
and predecessors, including
- Central New York and Western Railroad
- Lackawanna and Southwestern Railroad
- Rochester, Hornellsville and Lackawanna Railroad
- Lackawanna and Pittsburg Railroad
- Allegany Central Railroad
- Olean Railroad
- Friendship Railroad
- Allegany Central Railroad
- Lackawanna and Southwestern Railroad
- Central New York and Western Railroad
Interurbans and street railways operated in and around cities throughout Western New York. These lines carried passengers and freight between cities and often paralleled steam lines from competing companies. Some of the electric lines in Western New York included
- Warren & Jamestown Street Railway
- Jamestown Street Railway Company
- Chautauqua Traction Company
- Jamestown, Westfield & Northwestern Railroad and predecessors, including
- Panama Traction Company
- Western New York & Pennsylvania Traction Company
- Olean, Bradford and Salamanca Railway Company
- Rochester and Sodus Bay
- Olean, Bradford and Salamanca Railway Company
- Buffalo and Erie Railway
I am not an electric railroad expert and there is a great deal I don't know. What I have learned came from the dean of Western New York electric lines, Mr. Shelden King and the books of William Reed Gordon and Felix Reifschneider. Anyone with more information they wish to contribute, please contact me.
