The New York Central line between Canandaigua and North Tonawanda was officially referred to as the “Tonawanda Branch” and the “Batavia Branch” but was commonly known as the “Peanut Line.” It received this name after Dean Richmond, a New York Central Railroad vice-president, referred to the acquisition as “only a peanut of a line.”
History
On July 1, 1853 the Canandaigua and Niagara Falls Railroad was completed between the two cities and on July 28th the first train, an excursion train, ran the completed length of the line. The railroad was built with a six-foot gauge, the distance between the rails, which allowed the railroad to connect with the Erie Railroad system, which used the same gauge. This allowed the Erie access to Niagara Falls and the new Suspension Bridge across the Niagara River.
The Canandaigua and Niagara Falls Railroad was sold on May 15, 1857 and purchased by representatives of the creditors of the railroad. They reorganized the railroad and incorporated it as the Niagara Bridge and Canandaigua Railroad in 1858 and immediately leased it to the New York Central Railroad. The Central changed the track to standard gauge (four feet, eight and one-half inches) and in 1890 merged the railroad into the New York Central.
The New York Central merged with the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1968 to form the Penn Central Railroad. The Penn Central was merged with other northeaster railroads into the Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) in 1976.
Passenger train service on the line ended in 1933 and by 1939 segments of the line started being abandoned, as shown below:
- Holcomb-Caledonia, 23.15 miles, 14 January 1939
- North Tonawanda-Transit, 9.35 miles, 1956
- Brixment-Akron Jct., 1.78 miles, 1961
- Batavia-Pembroke, 12.82 miles, 1962
- Transit-Getzville, 3.56 miles, 1963
- Canandaigua-Holcomb, 8.07 miles, 1972
- Batavia–P&L Jct. February, 1975.*
- Akron Jct.-Transit, 8.6 miles, 07 January 1978
Stations
North Tonawanda * Getzville * Transit * Clarence Center * East Clarence * Parkers * Akron Junction * Akron Falls * Falkirk * Pembroke * Indian Road Crossing * Pembroke Center * East Pembroke * Batavia * Stafford * Le Roy * Lime Rock * Caledonia * Maxwells * Golah * West Rush * Honeoye Falls * West Bloomfield * Ionia * Holcomb * Wheeler’s Siding * Canandaigua
Clippings
Learn More
- New York Central and Hudson River Railroad. August 17, 1911 timetable of the Western, Rochester and Buffalo Divisions.
- Pierce, Preston. 2021. “Canandaigua history: Remembering the old Peanut Line.” Daily Messenger newspaper.
- Sheret, John G. 2007. “Mendon — The Early Years, The ‘Peanut Line’ of the New York Central Railroad.” Crooked Lake Review.
- TB Diamond. 2013. “Re: The Old NYC Peanut Line.” Posting on railroad.net.