History

The Arcade and Attica Railroad is the latest in a long succession of railroads planned and built through the Tonawanda Valley in Wyoming County.  In 1836 the Attica and Sheldon Railroad was proposed, but no construction was even begun.  In 1852 the Attica and Alleghany Valley Railroad was incorporated to build a three-foot gauge line from Attica, through Arcade to the Pennsylvania state line.  In 1853 the contract was let for construction and most of the road was graded between Arcade and Attica.  In 1855 construction was discontinued and the property was sold at foreclosure on February 2, 1856.

On February 28, 1870 the Attica and Arcade Railroad was organized and began purchasing the right of way with construction of the line scheduled to be complete by October 1, 1876. The railroad went bankrupt in 1873 without ever completing the railroad.

This undated photo of Arcade and Attica #7 (formerly Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh #5) was probably taken at the company's facilities in Arcade.

On April 5, 1880 the Tonawanda Valley Railroad was incorporated with major financial backing from the Erie Railroad.  The company planned to utilize much of the right-of-way of the Attica and Alleghany Valley Railroad and Attica and Arcade Railroad and build a 24-mile, narrow-gauge line from Attica through Curriers Corners to Sardinia to connect with the Buffalo, New York and Pennsylvania Railroad.  On September 11, 1880 the first train ran on the line from Attica to Curriers Corners.  In October 1880 the Tonawanda Valley Extension Railroad was organized to extend the line from Curriers to Sardinia.  By that winter the company changed its mind and began building to Arcade, rather than Sardinia.  By May 1, 1881 the line had reached Arcade.

On July 14, 1881 the Tonawanda Valley and Cuba Railroad was formed to extend the line from Arcade to Cuba via Sandusky and Rushford. On August 27, 1881 the Tonawanda Valley Railroad, Tonawanda Valley Extension Railroad, and Tonawanda Valley and Cuba were merged into the new Tonawanda Valley and Cuba Railroad.  By September 4, 1882 the line was complete between Attica and Cuba.

The company built facilities to transfer to the standard-gauge Erie Railroad in Attica and Cuba.  In Cuba the company made a connection with the Bradford, Eldred and Cuba, another narrow-gauge railroad controlled by the Erie.

By September 1884 the company was defaulting on its bonds and November 29 the company was in receivership.  The company's fortunes further fell when the Bradford, Eldred and Cuba went bankrupt. The company limped along but on October 30, 1886 it stopped service from Cuba to Sandusky.  On January 19, 1891 the section from Attica to Freedom was sold to bondholders and in May of that year the Attica & Freedom Railroad was formed.  The line went bankrupt and was sold in April 1894.

Hope springs eternal and on October 13, 1894 the Buffalo, Attica and Arcade Railroad was formed to operate the line. The new management switched the line to standard gauge and by January 1895 the Attica to Curriers section was operating again. By December of that year the line was open and running from Attica to Arcade.  By December 1897 the company had laid a two-mile segment to connect with the Pennsylvania Railroad near Arcade.  By January 1902 the company had built a line from Arcade to Sandusky with the ultimate goal of reaching Crystal Lake. In August the that same year a flood washed out much of the line between Arcade and Sandusky and the connection to the Pennsylvania Railroad as well.

Another photo of Arcade and Attica #7 showing the other side of the locomotive.

In 1904 the BA&A was sold to the Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad which connected to the BA&A in Arcade.  The B&S operated the line until 1913 when it was sold to W. L. Kann of Pittsburgh.  Under Kann the railroad declined and lost money until operations were suspended in the Winter of 1916/1917.

On May 23, 1917 the Arcade and Attica Railroad was formed by local investors to operate the line.  The line had its ups and down, but survived.  It had the enviable distinction of not laying off a single employee during the Great Depression.  In 1941 the company purchased a 44-ton diesel locomotive from General Electric.  The diesel was more dependable and much less expensive to operate than the steam locomotives.  Many people credit the diesel for preventing the A&A from going bankrupt in 1941.

The Arcade and Attica operated passenger service until 1951 when the Erie stopped passenger service on the Buffalo-Hornell line, including the connection with the A&A in Attica. In 1957 the line was abandoned between Attica and North Java. The 15 mile section between Arcade and North Java are the only portions of the line still in operation.  The company uses a short section of the former Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad to connect with the former Pennsylvania Railroad (now Norfolk Southern) line going through Arcade.

The railroad operates to this day hauling agricultural products and passenger excursions.  The railroad's web site is http://www.arcadeandatticarr.com

Roster

Number Type Date Built Original Owner Date Purchased Disposition
1 2-6-0 1894 Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo #23 1917 Sold 1940
2 2-6-0 1901 New York Central #1653 1917 Sold 1928
3 4-6-0 1892 Lehigh and Hudson River #17 1917 Sold 1923
4 4-6-0 1894 Genesee and Wyoming #14 1922 Sold ????
5 4-6-0 1892 Louisville, Henderson and St. Louis Railroad #17 1926 Sold 1934
6 4-6-0 1907 Illinois Central #63 1928 Sold 1948
7 2-6-0 1900 Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh #5 1930 Sold 1942
8 2-6-0 1897 Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh #4 1930 Sold 1943
14 4-6-0 1917 Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad #14 1963 Stored out of service.
18 2-8-0 1920 Boyne City Railroad #18 1962  
110 Diesel 1941 Purchased new 1941  
111 Diesel 1947 Purchased new    
112 Diesel ??? City of Colorado Springs 1988 In Service

Note: Roster is from 1966 book with corrections/additions by the author.

Patrick Connors, Arcade and Attica Secretary, provided the following additional information on September 25, 2005:

A&A #14 was built new for the Escanaba and Lake Superior as #14, was retired in 1953 but retained for snow melting service (thus the boiler kept in good shape) and sold to the A&A in 1963. It is still currently stored out of service at Arcade.

A&A #4, the 4-6-0 Baldwin #14018, was originally Buffalo & Susquehanna #104 and was renumbered many times. It was transferred to the Wellsville and Buffalo and then to the Genesee and Wyoming as #14. It arrived on the A&A in 1922. It is thought that this loco may also have been leased for a few trips from the B&S by the Buffalo, Attica and Arcade RR.

A&A #6 was Illinois Central #63 (renumbered from acquired Alabama & Vicksburg #451).

A&A #18 was ex Boyne City Railroad #18

A&A 112, 65 Ton GE, could be added as primary power, Acquired in 1988 from City of Colorado Springs.

References