The Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) was one of the largest and most influential railroads in American history.  It had a myriad of lines running from the east coast to Chicago.  Four of those lines operated in Western New York; two to Buffalo, one to Rochester, and one through Salamanca and Olean to Warren and Oil City Pennsylvania.

Like most railroads, the Pennsylvania reached Buffalo, at one time the second most important railroad city beside Chicago.  The PRR reached Buffalo through a route that went north from Corry, PA through Mayville, Brocton, and Dunkirk on its way to Buffalo along the shore of Lake Erie.  This is sometimes referred to as the Chautauqua Branch of the PRR.

History of the Chautauqua Branch

The Buffalo and Oil Creek Cross Cut Rail Road Company was organized on July 12, 1985 in the state of New York.  In 1866 the company began operating on the line from Brocton south to Corry, PA. On October 18, 1867 it merged with the Cross Cut Railroad Company (organized in Pennsylvania) to form the Buffalo, Corry and Pittsburgh Rail Road Company.  This company lasted until December 7, 1872 when it was sold at foreclosure.  The New York portion was reorganized on April 28 of that same year as the Dunkirk, Chautauqua Lake and Pittsburgh Railroad Company.  This company was consolidated on May 3, 1879 with the Corry and State Line Railroad Company (the Pennsylvania section of the former Buffalo, Corry and Pittsburgh) and was renamed the Buffalo, Chautauqua Lake and Pittsburgh Railway Company (note, "Railway" instead of "Railroad"). 

On February 17, 1880 the Buffalo, Chautauqua Lake and Pittsburgh Railway Company merged with the Pittsburgh, Titusville & Buffalo Railway Company and operated under the name of the latter company. 

Less than a year later, on January 22, 1881, the Pittsburgh, Titusville & Buffalo Railway Company merged with the Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Western Railway Company, the Salamanca, Bradford and Allegheny River Railroad Company, the Salamanca, Bradford and Allegheny River Railroad Company of New York, and the Titusville and Oil City Railway Company to form the Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Western Railroad Company.

The route north through from Corry to Buffalo through Chautauqua County and the routes through Olean to Buffalo and Rochester were combined under one company in 1883.  On February 14, 1883 the Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Western Railroad merged with the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railway Company, the Olean and Salamanca Railroad Company, and the Oil City and Chicago Railroad Company (of April, 1882) to form the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railroad Company.

The Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railroad Company went into receivership on May 20, 1885 and was sold at foreclosure on September 10, 1887.  The New York and Pennsylvania section were reorganized as the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railway Company of New York and Western New York and Pennsylvania Railway Company of Pennsylvania, respectively.  The two companies were consolidated on November 28, 1887 as the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad Company.

The Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad Company went into receivership on April 1, 1893, was sold at foreclosure on February 5, 1895, and was reorganized on February 25, 1895 as the Western New York Railway Company in New York and the Northwestern Pennsylvania Railway Company in Pennsylvania.  The two companies were consolidated on March 18, 1895 to form the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railway Company.  This company operated independently until July 31,1900 when the Pennsylvania Railroad began operating the company.

In 1968 the Pennsylvania Railroad merged with the New York Central Railroad to form the Penn Central Railroad.  This lasted until 1976 when the Penn Central was merged into the new Conrail system.

The Chautauqua Branch continued in operation until December 29, 1978 when the last train passed over the line.  The rails were removed the following year.

Lines and Stations

The following were the stations on the New York section of the line.

Station Mile
Blasdell
Bay View
Athol Springs
Cemetery
Clover Bank
Wanakah
Weyer
Lake View
North Evans
Derby
Pike's Crossing
Angola
Farnham
Irving
Silver Creek
Sheridan
Dunkirk
Van Buren
Brocton
Mayville
Summerdale
Sherman
Panama
Clymer
Corry, Pa. 		7.5
9.1
10.4
11.1
12.1
13.0
14.0
15.6
16.5
18.4
21.1
22.8
27.1
28.8
32.7
36.5
42.3
46.0
50.7
65.1
71.0
74.6
81.6
85.8
93.9

Mileage is from Buffalo.

Abandonments

References