Below is an inspection report of the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railroad from the 1886/1887 Annual Report of the New York State Railroad Commissioners, Volume 1. It details the results of an inspection of the railroad in October 1886.
Note: The report refers to it as the “Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railway” but by 1886 it was actually the “Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railroad”
Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railway.
The inspection of this property, covering 318 miles of railroad in New York, was carefully made. The last inspection was made in 1884, and the report published in the first volume of the Commissioners’ report for that year.
The present inspection commenced at the city of Buffalo and thence over the
Pittsburgh Division
between Buffalo and the State line of Pennsylvania, via Brocton and Mayville. The passenger depot at Buffalo is the same as before reported. It is a frame structure, quite old and dilapidated, and too contracted for the requirements of the road. It was found cleanly kept, and the train shed adjoining was in fair condition. The station yard is well-covered with clean gravel, and the platforms are roomy and well maintained. A new terminal depot on lands of the company, nearer the center of the city, is contemplated. Adjoining and east of the passenger depot is a long brick local freight depot, which has recently been repaired. The engine house and repair shops are as before reported.
The Pittsburgh division uses about one mile of the main road, and then passes over about the same distance of the Union Terminal railroad to Buffalo Creek junction. From the junction to Brocton this line and the New York, Chicago and St. Louis form substantially a double-tracked road, although each is operated separately. Both lines were constructed together, and have been in operation about four years. From Brocton to the Pennsylvania State line, what was formerly the Buffalo, Corry and Pittsburgh railroad now forms the balance of this division. The Mayville extension, three and one-half miles in length, between Mayville and the grounds of the Chautauqua association, is very little used, as the railroad company own and operate the steamboats on Chautauqua Lake, and they perform the summer travel service.
The condition of the road between Buffalo and Brocton remains about the same as last reported, with proper allowance for the increased age of the very many timber and pile trestles and timber openings of single span. These form one structure, in connection with the adjoining road, and their renewal, or the filling in of the space they occupy must necessarily be the joint action of both companies, especially where the structures are of any considerable magnitude. At the crossing of Silver Creek, west of the iron structure, is a long trestle bridge about forty-five feet high. Both companies have joined in reconstructing this trestle, and have nearly completed a strong white pine structure, with bents resting upon masonry. All the trestle work, with the exception of pine stringers and oak- ties, are built of hemlock timber, which is now showing defects in life, and will soon require a thorough renewal or filling up. A number of them should be at once repaired. The New York, Chicago and St. Louis road was examined last year, and considerable work had been done in reinforcing and in part renewing their side of these common trestle or pile structures. The same to some extent may be said of that portion of these structures belonging to this road. It is a work that can be done independently where the openings are single spans or of little elevation. Originally the floors of openings, all of which are closely tied, had guard rails or ribbon pieces secured to the ends of the ties. These were removed, a work afterwards found to have been unnecessary, but they have not been restored. Where floors occur on sharp curves, and on truss bridges, an inside guard of railroad iron is generally used. There are many single span openings of ten feet, such as cattle passes, waterways and under farm crossings, constructed with timber bents for abutments, and a lagging of hemlock plank in rear to hold the adjoining embankment. These were all examined and occasionally one was found in poor condition, especially as to the caps upon which the track stringers rest. An additional post of oak, eight inches square, has been set up under the track stringers just inside the bent. These posts also serve to strengthen the stringers. Bridge 12, a trestle ninety- feet in length, has lately been renewed. Bridge 20 is a trestle of thirty-five bays, partly filled. The bents are inclined twelve inches out of perpendicular, the timber is old, and the filling of the structure should be completed. Bridge 21, crossing Cattaraugus Creek, is a two truss pin-connected bridge of three 150 feet spans. It should be painted. The long pile bridge and the short span of Howe truss over a highway need considerable repairs. Bridge 22, formerly a Howe truss, is now a pile bridge of twenty four bents. All the trestle and pile bents are spaced twelve and one-half feet between centres of caps. Bridge 25, over a highway at Silver Creek, is in poor life of timber, and shows too much action under stress. It should be rebuilt. The general appearance of the hemlock in all the trestles show that the life of the timber is fast going out, and decay is becoming too prominent. Possibly some of the material was old when the structures were built about four and one-half years ago. If any are to be filled it should be done at an early day and before the bents have become too old to withstand the burden of material in filling.
Between Brocton and the State line the bridges and openings are generally in good order. Many of the trestles have been renewed, and seven of them have been filled and arch culverts constructed. The renewal of trestles have been substantially done with large members of white pine timber. They generally have a strong floor system, and some of the approaches have been widened. The older trestles and bridge floors have four-inch oak ties; some of the floors have inside guard-rails of railroad iron. The truss bridging is the same as before reported, and is in good condition. A number of highway crossings are without warning signs. The superstructure of this division is laid with steel, except about seven miles of iron rail from the Pennsylvania State line easterly. The steel rail between Buffalo and Brocton is in good order. Between Brocton and the State line a number of overworn rails were noticed, and the iron rail is frequently patched with short pieces, the whole too much worn, and should be renewed. The ties east of Brocton are mostly hemlock, and at many points are too old for a proper degree of safety. West of Brocton the ties are mostly of oak, and are generally in much better condition. There is very little ballast under the superstructure for the entire division, and especially is such the case west of Brocton where the general surface and line of track is very poor. Much of this part of the road appears not to have been worked over this season, at least not sufficiently to keep down the grass which at many points covers the entire road-bed. About three men and one foreman have five and six mile sections. Where work has been done the track is in fair condition. Between Buffalo and Brocton the surface and line of track is in better condition. Good gravel, suitable for ballast, is said not to exist to any amount along the division. The Lake Shore and Nickel Plate roads draw ballast over 100 miles. The station buildings along the line are as before reported. Each was examined, and with one or two exceptions found in good order and neatly kept. The cutting of weeds and underbrush has been to a great extent neglected. Generally, the division is in about the same condition as when before inspected.
River Division
Includes that portion of the road in New York following the valley of the Allegheny River from the Pennsylvania State line to Olean, and is now operated in connection with the Rochester division. The inspection began at the State line, between which point and Salamanca, a distance of thirteen miles, the track is of older construction and is laid with steel-capped iron rails more or less fractured between the steel and the iron forming the head of the rail ; the ends are much broken and rails often bent vertically, although it is said to have been in use only four years. In its present condition the rail is unsafe to operate with the usual speed of passenger trains, and should be thoroughly repaired or renewed. At Salamanca a branch about one mile in length connects the line with that village and the New York, Lake Erie and Western and the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh railroads. Between Salamanca and Olean the division is of much later construction, having been in operation only about three years. It is a very well-built line, especially the masonry and bridges. The rail is steel, ties in good life, and road-bed of ample width, except at a few points along the river where it is too narrow, and generally the super-structure is fairly surfaced. A few of the cuttings are not sufficiently drained, and in these the track is uneven. A coating of good ballast over the entire division, with a slight raise of track, would aid much in the maintenance of line and surface.
On the branch crossing the Allegheny River at Salamanca are three spans of through Howe truss, resting on pile abutments and piers, with pile bridge approaches. The whole is in good life of timber. With this exception all the truss bridges, seven in number, and from one to three spans, two plate girder decks, and a number of single span openings have substructures of excellent masonry. Slat cattle-guards are used, and connecting cross fences kept up and whitewashed. In all there is also about one-half-mile of pile bridging which is in good life of timber and has standard flooring. Off of the Indian reservation the weeds and underbrush have been mostly cut, and the roadway appears neat and orderly. The passenger stations are as before reported. Each were examined and found in good order and generally neatly kept.
Buffalo Division.
This division is the main line of the road, and extends from the State line, near the village of that name, to Olean and Buffalo. The inspection began at the monument in the State line of Pennsylvania, and thence northerly to East Aurora. Subsequently the division between Buffalo and East Aurora, a distance of about seventeen miles, was casually inspected from a regular train. This portion of the division is in much the same condition as when before reported, except that the shanty depots at Ebenezer and Elma have been replaced with good one waiting-room frame passenger and freight depots combined. They are of good design, well-furnished, and are improvements that were much needed. The main line division is laid with steel rail, nearly three miles of which have been renewed this season. The sleepers have depreciated greatly in strength since the previous inspection, and while the renewals have been considerable they have not been sufficient to maintain the track as strong as it really should be kept for the very large traffic passing over the road. The work of renewal was progressing, but it will hardly be possible with the limited force of men employed, to get in ties sufficient for the coming winter and spring. Three sleepers successively were often noticed that were scarcely able to hold a spike, and particularly was this observed between Olean and Ischua. Stub switches are mostly in use on this division.
Bridge 50, near State line, a 126 feet span through Howe truss, has been reinforced at bottom chords with additional members on each side of truss. A few of the floor timbers are partly decayed and should be renewed. Bridge 49 is a low through Howe truss. The first set of rods have been reinforced. It has a new standard floor. The trusses will soon require renewing. At Burnt Hills a change is being made in the road-bed and highway adjoining. A double intersected riveted lattice near has a good floor, but the iron work is in need of a coat of paint. An under highway bridge near Western has lately been rebuilt and has a strong floor. South of Hinsdale junction are two single spans of ten feet, the masonry of which is in poor condition. One is to be changed to a box culvert, which should be done immediately, and the masonry of the other should be rebuilt. North of the same point are a number of single span waterways and cattle-guards having ties in flooring which are too old, and one ten foot span has the rail spiked to the stringers. Bridges 45 and 44 are two spans of through riveted lattice, the iron work of which shows considerable rust, and should be painted. One of these has channel lower chords which should have drain holes in them. Adjoining the last bridge are twelve spans of trestle with sills resting upon piles. Water has flowed through the piling and washed out a bed for the stream eight feet in depth, leaving the piles insecure. It appears that an additional waterway is required, and a span of bridge should be added or the present flood bridge rebuilt before another winter. Bridge 43 is another iron structure same as the last, which requires painting. All these have excellent masonry substructures and good strong floors. At Ischua there is an open culvert about nine feet span found with one badly fractured wooden stringer. Temporary repairs were made and probably immediately after the stringers were renewed. A few more openings with open floors were noticed north of Ischua. In a cutting is a shallow two-span waterway with the channel nearly filled with gravel to the underside of the stringer. The stream is very rapid at times. Bridge 41 is a through riveted lattice with excellent masonry abutments. The lower chords want drain holes. North of Franklinville are a number of single span waterways, with good masonry abutments and stringers. Some of them are of iron, and most have strong floors. Two or three have open floors. Bridge 37 is a through Howe truss, only in fair life of timber, and should be renewed at an early day. Bridge 36 is a similar structure, but ap-pears in better condition. South of Machias are a number of waterways from eight to twelve feet span. Some of them are in strong life and well floored, others have quite poor stringers, and a few have open floors. Bridge 35 is a sixty feet span Howe truss in bad condition. A plate girder is now ready to take its place. Bridge 34 consists of about twenty bays of trestle work through the edge of a small lake. The structure is in good condition. Bridge 33 is a deck double intersected riveted lattice with T abutments. The abutments are in poor order and should be repaired, and the embankment widened at the approaches. Some of the floor timbers are too much decayed. North of this structure is a short span cattle pass, having stringers which are too old. Bridge 32 is a deck Howe truss, which has reinforced lower chords and truss rods. Adjoining is a long trestle about two years old -it has now a strong floor. Between Protection and East Aurora are a large number of open culverts which were not inspected in detail, owing to approaching darkness but they were sufficiently noticed to discover that a number of them wanted flooring, and needed a renewal of timber. It was stated to your inspector that requisition had been made to rebuild and modify all these openings between Olean and Buffalo this fall, and that the call for material had been made after a very careful examination by the company’s engineer. Forty thousand ties have been scattered, and part of them placed in the superstructure on this division this season; but as a whole the sleepers are not as strong, nor is the line and surface as good as when last inspected. The station buildings have been renewed at points as before stated. All of them were inspected and found in good order, with the exception of South Wales and Holland, both of which need repairs and better sittings. The roadway has had little work done on it this season, and generally the weeds and underbrush have not been removed. The fencing has received some re-pairs and renewals, but otherwise it is as before reported.
Narrow- Gauge Division.
(Three feet gauge. )This division in New York extends from Olean to the Pennsylvania State line, crossing a high range of hills through an oil territory to Bradford. Four and one-half miles of the road in New York is now laid with steel rails, mostly on the sharp curves. At least eighty per cent of the road is a curved alignment with maximum grades of two hundred feet per mile. The station buildings are rough in exterior, but the waiting rooms are clean and comfortable, as before reported. A great improvement has been made this season in the almost entire rebuilding of the trestle work, of which there is a large amount. These have been rebuilt in a substantial manner. They have strong floors and are well guard-railed. Those not entirely rebuilt have been repaired or filled. Over the Allegheny River where there was a light timber truss of three spans, is now three spans of Post combination truss, having lower chords and floor beams at panel points of iron. The whole rests upon new abutments and piers of strong oak piling. The pile bridge adjoining has also been rebuilt. All curves on trestles, and abrupt curves on road-bed, have inside guards of railroad iron. The iron rail is much worn and should be renewed in part, at least. The sleepers are generally in good life, and the road-bed well drained. There is little, if any, ballast under the superstructure, but for an ordinary earth road- bed, the track is in very good adjustment. As a whole the division shows considerable improvement.
Rochester Division
From Hinsdale junction to Rochester, and a branch road connecting with the New York Central, at Lincoln Park. There are but two miles of iron rail left on this division, and this is in fair condition. The steel rail is in good order, and recently the fastenings have been changed on sharp curves from fish-bars to angle-plates. This work was in progress at the time of inspection, and adds much to the strength and safety of joints, especially on abrupt curves. As a further precaution, both rails are strongly braced, and caution signs warn enginemen to reduce speed while passing over such curves. Each of the openings were carefully examined. There are eighteen Howe truss bridges from one to seven spans each. These have been built about four or five years, and the timber shows little if any loss of strength. Bridge 17 consists of two spans of low Howe truss, resting upon oak pile abutments and pier. The remaining truss bridges have masonry substructures and all have a strong floor system. Bridge 9, of eighty feet span, has additional truss rods at first panel point. Each of the pile and trestle bridges, nine in number, having from six to forty-five bays each, was examined and found in good order. They have a good floor system. An eight feet span water-way, lately rebuilt, has first-class masonry abutments, I-beam girders and standard floors. Several short openings have been rebuilt, and others where masonry is defective will be rebuilt this season. A few of the cattle-guards have a good floor system, but generally the rail is spiked on the stringers. On portions of the division the sleepers are in poor condition and should be renewed. The road-bed generally should have a coating of gravel, the tracks lightly raised and well lined and surfaced; especially is such the case on the southerly end where, at a number of points, the track was quite rough. On the Portage grade and portions of the north end of the road, the super-structure is in better order. Weeds and brush have not been cut, owing to the inability of the light force of section men to do more than keep the superstructure in safe condition. Houghton, Fillmore, Portage and Cuylerville have new passenger stations of good design, well furnished, and with water closets connecting with the buildings. Cuba, Belfast, Caneadea, Tuscarora, Mt. Morris, Piffard, York and Scottsville have good station buildings, and with two exceptions were found neatly kept. Black Creek, Rockwell and Fowlerville have very poor passenger accommodations. The others, excepting Oramel, which is a private building, are flag stations. At Rochester, an old building, formerly a dwelling, is used for a terminal depot. It is entirely unfit for the purpose. Generally this division shows little, if any improvement, except the new station buildings. The bridges are in good order, but the maintenance of superstructure is not as good as when last inspected. Of the whole system in New York the same must be said. The work of renewals and repairs do not appear to keep pace with the ravages of wear and time, but every effort is made to keep the road in safe condition by the officers of the line.
BUFFALO, N. Y. , November 2, 1886.
THOS. W. SPENCER, C. E., Inspector R. R. Com.
DEAR SIR – Reply to yours of the 25th October would have been made more promptly had I not been absent on inspection. Since you passed over the Buffalo division, the track generally has been brought to surface line and gauge, and is now much improved. Over ten thousand ties have been put in the track from State line to Buffalo. Portville culvert has been rebuilt. Ischua culvert has been reinforced, and timber on ground to rebuild. The Hinsdale culvert repaired. Ischua gravel pit open culvert repaired where stringers were burned. At Humphrey’s siding, two culverts repaired. North of Franklinville station stringers replaced with heavier stringers. New stone culvert near Napiers that you saw building is completed and filled over. Bridge 35, that was replaced with temporary trestle, is now an iron girder. (See strain sheet sent to Commission.) Near Machias, two culverts rebuilt. Wooley culvert, between Machias and Yorkshire, rebuilt. Two small openings replaced by oak plank boxes and filled up. Cattle-guards at county Line road repaired. Cattle-guard at Arcade filled up. Between Arcade and Sardinia Junction, repaired. Trestle at Steele, near Protection, filled up and banks in this vicinity widened. The ditches that were filled at this point have been opened. Between Protection and Holland, two culverts repaired. Between Holland and Wales, two culverts repaired. At Wales station, two timber culverts and two cattle-guards repaired. Between Wales and Aurora, three culverts repaired. Between Aurora and Buffalo, one trestle filled; six pipe culverts put in, in place of timber openings, and the openings filled up. Five trestles near Buffalo creek repaired with new stringers and ties on white oak piles, and timber on the ground for further rebuilding and repairs between State line and Buffalo.
On the Rochester and Pittsburgh division, the track force has been increased, many ties put in, and the track is generally in better condition than when you passed over it.
Yours very truly,
R. D. MCCREARY,
Engineer M. W.