The Buffalo and Southwestern Branch of the Erie Railroad provided service between Jamestown and Buffalo, NY. It allowed eastbound passengers on the Erie’s main line to connect at Jamestown for onward travel to Buffalo and provided freight and passenger service to the small, mainly agricultural, towns along the route.
Timeline of the Route
1872: The Buffalo and Jamestown Railroad was organized on March 4, 1872 to build a line between the two cities.
1875: The Buffalo and Jamestown Railroad was completed in October 1875.
1877: The Buffalo and Southwestern Railroad (B&SW) began operating the line.
1880: The New York, Lake Erie and Western (Erie) leased the B&SW on August 2, 1880 and began operating the line.
1895: The Erie Railroad purchased the NYLE&W and began operating the line.
1960: The Erie Lackawanna Railroad was formed by the merger of the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. The Kanona to Wayland segment was abandoned.
1976: Conrail was formed from the Erie Lackawanna, and other northeastern railroads, including the New York Central, Pennsylvania, and the Lehigh Valley.
Today
Some part of the line still sees use. The Buffalo Southern Railroad operates the portion from Buffalo to the Erie County line at Gowanda and the New York and Lake Erie Railroad operates the line south from Gowanda to South Dayton. The Buffalo Cattaraugus & Jamestown Scenic Railway operates passenger excursion trains out of Hamburg.
This line has been made famous by Hollywood in two feature films. In “The Natural”, the restored South Dayton depot is where Robert Redford embarks on the train at the beginning of the movie. In the film “Trains, Planes and Automobiles” the New York and Lake Erie is repainted as the fictional “Contrak” ridden by Steve Martin and the late John Candy.
Stations
Over time, stations along the line were added, removed, and renamed. The list below is a compilation of the stations mentioned in different timetables.
Buffalo * Buffalo Creek (BC) Junction * Tifft Street Junction * West Seneca * Blasdell * Big Tree * Abbott’s Road * Hamburg * Water Valley * Eden Valley * Eden Center * North Collins * Lawtons * Collins * Gowanda * Dayton * Markhams * South Dayton/Pine Valley * Cherry Creek * Conewango * Waterboro * Kennedy * Falconer * Jamestown
Clippings
Timetables
More Information
- Everts, L. H. . 1879. History of Cattaraugus Co., New York with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Philadelphia.
- Minor, George. 1911. The Erie System. New York, NY: Erie Railroad Company.
- Railway and Locomotive Historical Society. 1974. An Outline History of the Erie. Railroad History number 131.