Machias Junction is located in the town of Machias in Cattaraugus County. The junction of the Buffalo Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Rochester line of the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh Railway was about 1.25 miles southeast of the business center of Machias.
The station was located on the north and west of the crossing. It was built in 1880 and demolished in 1982. Later photos of the station show a smaller building at the corner of the station closest to the crossing. I believe that was the “tower” that controlled the crossing. A 1908 photo shows it being made of wood and a 1930 photo shows a brick structure.
An 1884 report of an inspection of the BR&P line by the New York State Railroad Commissioners noted that “Machias junction is a joint depot, has a good-sized waiting-room well furnished ; the water-closets should be moved outside the building, as they often make the waiting- room untenantable”
History
The Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railway, formerly the Buffalo and Washington Railway, built the line through Franklinville in 1872. The line was operated by the BNY&P (1872 – 1887), the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad (1887 – 1895), the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railway (1895 – 1900), the Pennsylvania Railroad (1900 – 1968), the Penn Central Railroad (1968 – 1976), Conrail (1976 – 1999) and the Norfolk Southern Railroad (1999 – 2007). In 2007 the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad, a regional railroad, leased and began operating the line between Driftwood, PA and Machias, NY.
In late 1877 or early 1878 the Rochester and State Line Railroad reached Machias Junction from Rochester. The line was later operated by the Rochester and Pittsburgh Railroad (1881 – 1887), the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh Railway (1887 – 1932), the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (1832 – 1973), the Chessie System (1973 – 1987).
Clippings
Station Photographs
Other Photographs
Maps
