History
The Lockport and Niagara Falls Railroad was chartered on April 24, 1834 and was completed in 1837 between the two villages. This was sometimes called the “Strap Railroad” because it consisted of straps of iron on wooden rails. For the first year the line was operated by horse power which was quickly replaced by steam engines. The original line ran through Lockport’s Lowertown area, but in August 1851 the line was relocated to the upper area of the town which became the commercial center.
The Rochester and Lockport Railroad was chartered on May 15, 1837, but little was done except for some grading and bridge construction. A reorganized company, the Rochester, Lockport and Niagara Falls Railroad was granted a state charter in 1850 and the nearly 76 mile long railroad between Niagara Falls and Rochester by way of Lockport was opened to traffic in 1852. The following year the line came under the control of the New York Central Railroad where is was known as the Falls Branch or the Falls Road.
The Falls Branch closely paralleled the Erie Canal for much of its length which accounts for the many stations incorporating “Basin” and “port” in their name.
Stations
Niagara Falls * Suspension Bridge * Walmore * Sanborn * Cambria * Lockport Junction * West Lockport * Lockport * Gasport * Middleport * Medina * Knollsville/Knowlesville * Eagle Harbor * Albion * Fancher * Holley * Brockport * Adams Basin * Spencerport * South Greece * Center Park * Rochester
More Details
The table below lists the passenger stations on the line from a 1911 timetable and a January 14, 1951 timetable. Stations with no decimal point in the distance appear in the 1911 timetable but not in the 1951 version.
| Station | Distance |
| Rochester Center Park South Greece Spencerport Adams Basin Brockport Holley Fancher Albion Eagle Harbor Knollsville/Knowlesville Medina Middleport Gasport Lockport West Lockport Lockport Jct. Cambria Sanborn Walmore Suspension Bridge Niagara Falls | 0.0 0 8 10.9 14 17.9 22.5 26.1 31.4 34.3 37.1 41.2 45.7 50.7 56.6 58 61 65 67.3 70 75.7 77.5 |
Clippings
Timetables
Learn More
- Kostof, Robert. “All Aboard for History of Railroads in Niagara County“
- Kostof, Robert. “Area Rails Not Always Welcome“
- New York Central Railroad. 1917. New York Central Railroad, Valuation Number 86. A collection of 80 highly detailed maps showing the entire length of the line.
- New York Central Railroad. 1943. List of Officers and Representatives, Stations and Other Facilities.
- Wilson, Les. “The Greater Rochester Railfan Page, Falls Road Railroad“