NE Junction was the eastern end of the Columbus and Erie Railroad, a 13 mile long line “paper railroad” incorporated by the Erie Railroad in New York State on September 5, 1905 to construct a low-grade cut-off between NE Junction, near Niobe, NY, and CE Junction east of Corry, NY. It was 4 miles longer than the original line, built in 1861 by the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad, but was 100 feet lower and reduced the ruling grade from 1% to 0.2% eastbound and 0.3% westbound.
NE Tower at NE Junction that controlled movement on both the C&E and the old main line, sometimes referred to as the Bear Lake line. Because it had lower grades, eastbound freight trains often used the C&E while passenger trains and westbound freight trains used the old main line.
The tower was presumably built when the C&E cutoff went into operation, but I have not verified it. I also don’t know when it was taken out of service. The original main line was taken out of service on April 24, 1977 and abandoned in 1981 while the C&E cutoff remained in service. The tower was destroyed by an arsonist on November 1, 1988.
The line was operated by the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad (1861 – 1880), the New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio Railroad (1880 – 1883), the New York, Lake Erie and Western Railroad (1883 – 1895), the Erie Railroad (1895 – 1960), the Erie Lackawanna Railroad (1960 – 1976), and the Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail).
Learn More
- Biernacki, Daniel G. “Erie Railroad Official Photography Volume 4: K to N (eBook)“. 2019. Morning Star Books, Inc.
- Railroad.net “Remains of NJ and NE?” thread.