Hinsdale, NY

Hinsdale is a town on the eastern border of Cattaragus County north of Olean, NY. The original main line of the Erie Railroad ran through Hinsdale east of Main Street.

Hinsdale was the point where the Rochester Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) connected with the railroad’s Buffalo Line.

The Erie tracks and those of the PRR Rochester Branch paralleled each other between Hinsdale and Cuba, NY and appear to have been on either side of Main Street.

The routes of the Pennsylvania Railroad Buffalo Line (red) and Rochester Line (blue) and the Erie Railroad Main Line (green) in the area of Hinsdale and Cuba, NY. Author’s illustration based on an 1898 topographic map.

Erie Railroad

The Erie Railroad station in Hinsdale, NY circa 1909. Steamtown National Historic Site archives, image #A-160.

The Erie Railroad station in Hinsdale was on the north/west side of the tracks between what are now N Depot Street and S Depot Street.

History

The New York and Erie Rail Road opened its line between Hornell and Dunkirk, NY on May 15, 1851 though it is likely that trains ran from Hinsdale as early as late 1850. The 1857 annual report for the New York and Erie Railroad listed the 24×74 foot passenger and freight depot and residence as being built in October 1850.

The line was operated by the New York and Erie (1851 – 1861), the Erie Railway (1861 – 1878), the New York, Lake Erie and Western Railroad (1787 – 1895), the Erie Railroad (1895 – 1960), the Erie Lackawanna Railroad (1960 – 1976) and Conrail (1976 – 1991). The section between Hornell and Olean was taken out of service in 1991. In 2003 the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad (a short-line railroad completely separate from the 1887-1895 railroad of the same name) leased and rehabilitated the line between Olean and Hornell and restarted service.

Pennsylvania Railroad

The Pennsylvania Railroad station in Hinsdale, NY at an unknown date. This photo is looking south from the junction between the Rochester Line and the Buffalo Line. The closer building is the station and the farther on was a tool house. Photo posted by Reed Edwards in the Facebook “Railroad Photos and Memories , Western NY and PA” group.

The Pennsylvania Railroad station was outside of downtown Hinsdale and I am not sure exactly where it was located. My best guess is that it was on the east side of the tracks north of the point where Gile Hollow Road crosses the tracks. The construction of the Southern Tier Expressway destroyed any traces of the railroad in that area.

History

The Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railway, formerly the Buffalo and Washington Railway, built the line through Hinsdale in 1872. The line was operated by the BNY&P (1872 – 1887), the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad (1887 – 1895), the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railway (1895 – 1900), the Pennsylvania Railroad (1900 – 1968), the Penn Central Railroad (1968 – 1976), Conrail (1976 – 1999) and the Norfolk Southern Railroad (1999 – 2007). In 2007 the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad, a regional railroad, leased and began operating the line between Driftwood, PA and Machias, NY.

Clippings

1886 Inspection Report of the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railroad

October 26, 1886

Station Photographs

The Erie Railroad station in Hinsdale, NY circa 1909. Steamtown National Historic Site archives, image #A-161.

The Erie Railroad station in Hinsdale, NY circa 1909. Steamtown National Historic Site archives, image #A-160.

The results of an undated derailment at the Pennsylvania Railroad station in Hinsdale, NY. The damaged building was the tool house that was located just south of the station. The eaves of the station are just visible on the left edge of the photo. The railroad cars in the distance on the left edge of the photo are on the Rochester Branch, which split from the Buffalo Line just north of this photo. Photo by Jim Woods posted by Reed Edwards in the Facebook “Railroad Photos and Memories , Western NY and PA” group.

Other Photographs

An Erie Railroad train near Hinsdale, NY in 1959. Brian Cudahy photo posted by Reed Edwards in the Facebook “OLEAN… MEMORIES BACK IN TIME…..” group.

Original Caption: Chuffing up to the Dalton Hinsdale town line on a beautiful, dramatic October morning with a heavy eastbound on the tough 1.4% grade. During this time the rare 10 unit order of ‘camels’ C32-8s could be found assigned in grouped sets or sandwiching a pair of C30-7As on the Framingham drag out of Selkirk; “SE-FR”/“FR-SE”. Photo by Gary R. Schermerhorn posted on railpictures.net.

A January 2009 photo of Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad M636 locomotive number 637 pulling an eastbound train at the Sherlock Hollow Road Overpass in Hinsdale, NY. Jerry Albertie photo posted on rrpicturesarchive.net.

Maps

Timetables

A November 24, 1851 timetable of the New York and Erie Railroad between Hornell and Dunkirk, NY. Mott, Edward Harold, 1908, “Between the Ocean and the Lakes – The Story of Erie”, p. 388. Found on the Internet Archive.

A May 16, 1881 timetable of trains on the New York, Lake Erie and Western Railroad (formerly the Erie Railway). Olean [NY] Daily Herald, October 13, 1881. NYS Historic Newspapers.

A July 3, 1881 timetable of trains between Eldred, PA and Buffalo, NY on the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railway. The Official Railway Guide, January 1882, p. 77. Found on Google Books.

An October 13, 1881 timetable of trains on the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railroad. Olean [NY] Daily Herald, October 13, 1881. NYS Historic Newspapers.

Timetable on the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railway’s Genesee Valley Canal Railroad line effective December 25, 1882. The Mount Morris (NY) Enterprise. March 31, 1883.

Timetable for the Lackawanna and Pittsburgh Railroad effective May 28, 1887. Olean Herald. Olean, NY. December 9, 1887.

A timetable of trains on the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad in Western New York State effective November 20, 1887. Olean Herald. Olean, NY. December 9, 1887

A May 3, 1891 timetable of trains on the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad Buffalo Division. Traveler’s Official Guide, June 1891. Google Books.

A June 14, 1891 timetable of trains on the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad Rochester Division. Traveler’s Official Guide, June 1891. Google Books.