The Buffalo and Lake Erie Traction Company operated a fleet of electric interurban cars along the southern shore of Lake Erie between Buffalo, NY and Erie, PA, as well as operating street cars in Erie and Dunkirk, Fredonia, and Hamburg, NY. It was formed in 1906 and went bankrupt in 1925, The Buffalo and Erie Railway operated the former B&LE route between Buffalo and Erie, but only lasted until 1933.

History

On February 11, 1902 the Lake Erie Traction Company was chartered to build a line from Westfield to the NY-PA state line. In 1903 the company began building a line east from the state line and by late 1903 the line was completed to Westfield, a distance of just over 11 miles. In July 1904 S. F. Nixon, of Westfield, NY, was appointed Receiver after the company was foreclosed on by its creditors. On June 28, 1906 the Lake Erie Traction Company was merged with a number of electric railroads in an around Erie, PA to form the Lake Erie Electric Traction Company.

On December 28, 1906 the Buffalo and Lake Erie Traction Company (B&LE) was formed from the consolidation of the Lake Erie Electric Traction Company, the Buffalo, Dunkirk and Western Railroad, the Dunkirk and Fredonia Street Railway Company, the Hamburg Railway and the Erie Rapid Transit Street Railway.

When it formed in December 1906, the B&LE had of one line from the NY-PA state line to the western side of the Chautauqua Creek gorge in Westfield and was pushing construction of the line from Westfield east to Buffalo. In December 1908 the Main Street viaduct over the gorge was completed and the first train from Erie entered Westfield on January 1, 1909. On November 20, 1909 the company began through service between Buffalo and Erie.

When the Buffalo and Lake Erie Traction Company was formed, its owners also took control of the Jamestown, Chautauqua and Lake Erie Railroad (JC&LE), a steam railroad, but the JC&LE continued to operate independently. This arrangement lasted until 1913 when the B&LE sold the JC&LE to the Broadhead interests, owners of the Jamestown Street Railway and the Chautauqua Traction Company. On December 8, 1913 the Broadheads incorporated the Jamestown, Westfield and Northwestern Railroad which took over the line and soon began electrifying it.

As of 1909, the B&LE also owned all the stock of and operated the Dunkirk Street Railway Company and stated that they were planning to merge the street railway into the B&LE. In 1918, the receiver running the B&LE petitioned the NYS Public Service Commission to end some or all of the service of the Dunkirk Street Railway as it was losing significant money. The commission initially denied this petition but on December 10, 1918 approved the abandonment of some of the street railway operations.

In 1913, the Buffalo and Lake Erie Traction Company petitioned to the New York State Public Service Commission for permission to merge with the Buffalo, Lockport and Rochester Railway Company as part of a reorganization. The commission denied this request.

The B&LE saw a surge of passenger and freight business during World War I, but demand continued to fall after the war. In December 1918 George Bullock was named the Receiver for the B&LE and in September 1919 he petitioned the Public Service Commission to abandon the route between Fredonia and the NY-PA state line. This petition was not granted

In 1920, a group of bondholders divorced the Hamburg Railway from the Buffalo and Lake Erie Traction Company and began operating it independently.

On January 1, 1925 the Buffalo and Lake Erie Traction Company was dissolved and replaced by the Buffalo and Erie Railway Company. The new company quickly pulled most of the old interurban cars out of service and replaced them with cars that could be operated by a single person, which put many employees out of work but reduced the cost of operating the cars.

These efficiencies could not save the company from the larger trends for passengers and freight to be transported by road rather than rail. Service between Buffalo and Angola stopped on December 1, 1932 but service between Angola and Erie service continued until January 27, 1933.

Stations

Main Line

State Line * West Ripley * Ripley * East Ripley * Forsyth * Westfield * West Portland * Portland * Brocton * Lamberton * Fredonia * Dunkirk * Cookes Road * East Sheridan * Silver Creek * West Irving * Farnham * Angola * Evans * Derby * North Evans * Idlewood * Lake View * Weyer * Wanakah * Cloverbank * Hamburg-On-The-Lake * Locksley Park * Athol Springs * Bay View * Lackawanna Steel Works * Stoney Point * Buffalo

Hamburg Line

Stoney Point * West Seneca * Roland * Blasdell * Big Tree * Scranton * Hamburg

Clippings

Rolling Stock Photographs

Maps

Timetables

Stock Certificates

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Other Interesting Things

Learn More

• Gordon, William R. “Buffalo & Lake Erie Traction Co. 1906-1934.” This is the definitive book on the railroad. Out of print but can usually be fond on eBay at a reasonable price.