New York Railroad Archive

Portage, NY

A postcard mailed on December 7, 1907 showing the Erie Railroad bridge at Portage, NY. eBay.

Portage was the name of two railroad stations, one on the Erie Railroad Buffalo Line between Hornell and Buffalo and on the Pennsylvania Railroad Rochester Branch that ran between Hinsdale to Rochester. Both stations are now within the boundaries of Letchworth State Park.

Portage is home to the former Erie Railroad High Bridge over the Genesee River, one of the most photographed bridges in Western New York. While the Erie line crossed over the river, the Pennsylvania Railroad line followed the banks of the river below.

Clippings

Erie Railroad

The line through Portage was built between 1852 and 1854 by the Buffalo and New York City Railroad to extend their existing line between Buffalo and Attica to a connection with the Erie Railway in Hornell. In 1861 the Erie leased the company and it was operated as part of the Erie system from that point on.

Construction started on July 1, 1851, and the bridge opened on August 14, 1852. At the time, it was the longest and tallest wooden bridge in the world. In the early morning hours of May 6, 1875 the bridge was destroyed in a tremendous fire. The Erie moved quickly to replace the wooden bridge with one built of iron and steel. Construction began on June 8, 1875, and the bridge opened for traffic on July 31, 1875. It was used until December 10, 2017 when it was replaced by the current Genesee Arch Bridge.

The Erie Railroad station was just to the east of the bridge. A 1902 Erie Railroad map shows a passenger station, freight house, water tank and a few other structures.

Station Photographs

Other Photographs

Maps

Timetables

Pennsylvania Railroad

The Pennsylvania Railroad line through Portage was built in 1882 on the banks of the abandoned Genesee Valley Canal. In 1926, steam trains were replaced with gas electric cars called hoodlebugs or doodlebugs. Passenger service was reduced at this time as the railroad began to run mixed trains containing freight and passenger cars. Passenger service was eliminated in 1941 and, as the US postal service began to use trucks to distribute mail, freight business further declined. The PRR abandoned the line in 1963 and part of the line is now used by the Genesee Valley Greenway.

Station Photographs

Other Photographs

Maps

Timetables

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