Lancaster, NY

A view of the Erie Railroad station in Lancaster, NY from a postcard postmarked in 1939. Source unknown.

Lancaster is a town in Erie County, NY. It was a station on the Erie Railroad‘s Buffalo line, the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad‘s Main Line, the New York Central Railroad‘s Main Line, and the Lehigh Valley Railroad‘s Main Line.

Detail of a 1909 map of Lancaster, NY showing, from north to south, the lines of the New York Central Railroad, Lehigh Valley Railroad, Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, and Erie Railroad. The location of the stations on either side of Central Avenue are highlighted with red circles. Author’s illustration based on a map by Century Map Company. 1909. “Lancaster, Erie County.” Found on Historic Map Works.

Erie Railroad

An undated photo (but before 1908 when the station burned down) of the Erie Railroad station in Lancaster, NY. Erie Railroad station page on RootsWeb.

The Erie Railroad station was on the south side of the tracks just to the east of Central Avenue (previously known as Rail Road).

Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad

An undated postcard showing the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad station in front of the Malleable Iron Works factory in Lancaster, NY. Photo posted by Raymond Storey to the “Fans of the Delaware Lackawanna & Western Railroad (DL&W)” Facebook group.

An undated photo of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad station in Lancaster, NY. John Stewart collection on Flickr.

The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad station was on the south side of the tracks just to the east of Central Avenue (previously known as Rail Road).

The line through Lancaster was built in 1882 by the New York, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, which was leased by the DL&W immediately after the line was built. The DL&W operated the line until 1960 when the it merged with the Erie Railroad to form the Erie Lackawanna Railroad.

The last passenger train operated over the line on June 30, 1962.

The DL&W track from Lancaster east to Ray was abandoned in 1963. The track west of Lancaster was operated by the Erie Lackawanna (1960 – 1976), Conrail (1976 – 1989) and the Depew, Lancaster & Western Railroad (1989 – present).

New York Central Railroad

Undated photograph of the New York Central Railroad passenger station in Lancaster, NY. eBay.com.

The New York Central (NYC) station was on the south side of the tracks just west of Central Avenue (previously known as Rail Road). A 1909 map shows the NYC freight house on the north side of the tracks opposite the passenger station.

Clippings

Killed by the Cars

May 14, 1875

Other Photographs

An eastbound Erie Lackawanna train running on the former Erie Railroad line next to Erie Avenue in Lancaster, NY in 1976. Photo by Robert Seemueller who posted it to the Facebook “Erie Lackawanna Railroad” group.

Maps

Detail of a 1905 topographic map showing the routes of the Erie Railroad (green), Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (blue), Lehigh Valley Railroad (red), and New York Central Railroad (yellow) through Depew and Lancaster, NY. Author’s illustration based on a 1905 topographic map.

An 1866 map showing the New York Central Railroad and Buffalo and Erie Railroad (Erie Railroad) lines through the town of Lancaster, NY. The New York Central station is shown south of the tracks on the west side of Rail Road. The Erie station was on the south side of its tracks on the east side of the road. F. W. Beers & Co. 1880. “Lancaster, Erie County 1880.” Found on Historic Maps Works.

Timetables

A May 7, 1855 timetable of trains from Rochester, NY on the New York Central Railroad. Rochester [NY] Daily American, 8 June 1855, p. 1, NYS Historic Newspapers.

A newspaper timetable effective April 4, 1859 of trains running from Buffalo, NY on the New York Central Railroad Main Line. The Buffalo [NY] Daily Republic, 21 June 1859, p. 4. NYS Historic Newspapers.

Timetable of trains on the Erie Railway main line between Buffalo and Hornell effective June 1, 1881. The Nunda [NY] News, 3 June 1882.

Detail of an August 1887 Erie Railway timetable showing trains on the Buffalo line, original main line, and Niagara Falls branch. Erie Railway, August 1887, streamlinermemories.info.

A June 1898 timetable of local trains on the Erie Railroad Buffalo line between Buffalo and Hornell. “Travelers’ Official Railway Guide, July 1898.” Found on Google Books.

Two pages from a May 18, 1919 timetable published by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. These pages include the stations on the Main Line in New York State. Timetable found on www.jon-n-bevliles.net.