The PDF below is the section of the 1885 Poor’s Manual of Railroads report on the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railroad for 1885. Below is an excerpt with the history of the company:
In 1853 the Buffalo and Allegheny RR. Co. was chartered to build a line from Buffalo to Yorkshire, N. Y., 40 miles, and in 1865 the Buffalo and Washington RR. Co. was organized to extend that line from Yorkshire to the Pennsylvania line, a distance of 37 miles. These two companies were consolidated under the name of the latter in July, 1865. Shortly thereafter the Sinnemahoning and Portage RR. Co. was chartered in Pennsylvania to build an extension of the line in that State to Emporium, a distance of 43.55 miles, and in August, 1866, it was merged into the consolidated Buffalo and Washington RR. Co., the company then taking the name of the Buffalo and Washington Ry. Co. In April, 1871, this name was changed to the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Ry. Co. Under this name the line was completed in 1872, and opened for business in January, 1873.
The Buffalo and Oil Creek Cross-Cut and the Cross-Cut RR. Cos., both chartered July 19, 1865, and their roads were consolidated in August, 1867, under the name of the Buffalo, Corry and Pittsburgh RR. Co., their roads (both opened June 17, 1867) forming a continuous line between Brocton, N. Y., and Corry, Pa., 43.80 miles.
In April, 1879, the companies separated, the former taking the name of the Dunkirk, Chautauqua Lake and Pittsburgh RR. Co., and the latter that of the Corry and State Line RR. Co. Again consolidated May, 1879, under the name of the Buffalo, Chautauqua Lake and Pittsburgh Ry. Co. The Warren and Franklin Ry. Co. and the Farmers’ RR. Co. were consolidated under the name of the former in January, 1868. In February, 1868, the Oil Creek RR. Co. was admitted, the consolidation then assuming the title of Oil Creek and Allegheny River Ry. Co. Its line (built in 1865-66 by the several companies) formed an extension of the road above named, from Corry to Oil City, Pa., and thence northeasterly to Irvineton, Pa., a total distance of 95.80 miles. In December, 1871, the Union and Titusville RR. (Tryonville to Union, Pa., 16.30 miles) was absorbed. On May 1, 1874, the company defaulted in payment of interest on its consolidated bonds, and the road was placed in the hands of a receiver. Sold under foreclosure December 29, 1875, and reorganized as the Pittsburgh, Titusville and Buffalo Ry. Co. in February, 1876. In February, 1880, this reorganized company and the Buffalo, Chautauqua Lake and Pittsburgh Ry. Co., mentioned above, were consolidated under the name of the former. The Pittsburgh, Titusville and Buffalo Ry. Co., the Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Western Ry. Co., organized September 29, 1880, to build from Portland to Buffalo, N. Y., 51 miles ; the Salamanca, Bradford and Allegheny River RR. Co. of New York, organized December 11, 1880, to build from Salamanca, N. Y., to the Pennsylvania line, 16.40 miles ; the Salamanca, Bradford and Allegheny River RR. Co. of Pennsylvania, organized December 8, 1880, to extend the latter line to Warren, Pa., 22.70 miles ; and the Titusville and Oil City Ry. Co. (a reorganization December 20, 1878, of the Titusville and Petroleum Centre RR. Co., organized September 30, 1870), were consolidated in January, 1881, under the name of the Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Western RR. Co. Under the rights secured to the consolidated company by the charters of the Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Western Ry. Co., and the Salamanca, Bradford and Allegheny Cos., the line was extended in 1882 from Brocton to Buffalo, 48.80 miles, and from Warren to Salamanca, 39.10 miles.
The New Castle and Franklin RR. Co. was organized July 30, 1864; its road opened from Stoneboro to New Castle, Pa., a distance of 36 miles, in 1875. Default made in payment of bond interest and road placed in the hands of a receiver July 1, 1879. Sold under foreclosure April 13, 1881, and purchased for $834,465.66 by the Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Western RR. Co., by which a new company was organized under the name of the New Castle and Oil City RR. Co. The Oil City and Chicago RR. Co. was chartered March 10, 1882, to build a railroad from Oil City, Pa., to a point on the New Castle and Oil City RR., near Jackson Centre, Pa., a distance of about 40 miles. On April 20, 1882, the New Castle and Oil City RR. Co. and the Oil City and Chicago RR. Co. were consolidated under the name of the latter, and on the 20th of October, 1882, with the New Castle, Plain Grove and Butler RR. Co., chartered to build from Eastbrook to Burnet, on the Shenango and Allegheny RR., the consolidation still retaining the name of the Oil City and Chicago RR. Co.
On the 14th of February, 1883, the present consolidation was formed by the union of the above named Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia, Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Western and Oil City and Chicago Cos. with the Olean and Salamanca RR. Co., which latter was chartered early in the same year (1883), to build a line from Olean to Salamanca, N. Y., a distance of 20.60 miles, connecting the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia and Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Western lines. This line was completed by the consolidated company toward the close of 1883.
Source: Poor’s Manual of Railroads. 1885. Google Books.