CB Junction – New York Railroad Archive

CB Junction was the point where the Erie Railroad main line connected to the western end of the Erie’s River Line near Cuba, NY. The River Junction Line was a freight-only cutoff builtin 1910 to avoid some of the steep grades on the main line.

At Cuba Junction, a westbound Erie freight is coming off the River Line and onto the main line to Olean. In this 1949 photo taken from CB Tower the tracks into Cuba bear off to the right, and a water tank stands in the “Y” of the junction to supply steam engines on both sets of track. Facebook.

An eastbound Erie train from Olean, rolling through Cuba Junction in the 1940s and onto the River Line (right). On the left is CB tower whose operator controlled the track switches at the junction. Facebook.

A view of Cuba Junction from a locomotive’s cab in December of 1950. We are westbound toward Olean and nearing the west end of the River Line. The opposing eastbound train is waiting for ours to clear the junction so it can proceed toward Black Creek. The water tank is obvious, and just right of that we can see the roof of the “tower” beyond. The road on the right disappeared 20 years later into the wider corridor of the Southern Tier Expressway. Facebook.

The west end of the River Line at Cuba Junction in 2019, with the camera looking toward Hinsdale. In later years the tower’s second story was removed, leaving the first story housing remotely-controlled switching electronics. Facebook.

This September 1949 photo shows a westbound freight train is coming off the River Line, passing CB Tower and heading for Olean. Facebook.