Waterboro, NY is a hamlet on the far eastern edge of Chautauqua County east of Jamestown, NY. It was a location on the Erie Railroad‘s main line, originally the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad, and the Buffalo and Southwestern Branch, originally the Buffalo and Jamestown Railroad. On early railroad timetables it was listed as “Clear Creek.”
Clippings
Other Photographs
Maps
A 1905 map of Kennedy and Waterboro, NY showing the Erie Railroad lines in the area. The former Buffalo and Southwestern Railroad line branches to the north at Waterboro and the former Atlantic and Great Western Railroad main line continues east to Salamanca, NY. Author’s illustration from 1905 topographic map.
Map showing the Erie Railroad’s main line (green) and Buffalo and Southwestern Branch (red) near Waterboro, NY. Author’s illustration from a 1905 topographic map.
Timetables
An August 27, 1875 timetable for the Buffalo and Jamestown Railroad. Note that stop that was later referred to as “Waterboro” was called “Clear Creek” on this timetable. Jamestown [NY] Daily Journal, 23 December 1875.
A timetable, effective May 10, 1891, of trains on the Erie Railroad Buffalo and Southwestern Branch. Source Unknown.
Other Things
WO Junction
It is unclear if there was ever a passenger station in Waterboro, but it was listed on many Erie Railroad timetables because WO Tower in Waterboro was an important landmark along the line between Randolph and Kennedy, NY. According to a post by the Fenton History Center, the tower was shut down in October 1952.
A May 1950 photograph of the Erie Railroad’s WO Tower in Waterboro, NY. North American Interlockings.
An undated photograph of the Erie Railroad WO Tower in Waterboro, NY. Facebook.
An undated color photograph of the Erie Railroad WO Tower in Waterboro, NY. Facebook.
Clifford Lawson and the last tower operation at the Waterboro Tower for the Erie Railroad in October 1952. Fenton History Center Collection via Facebook.
An undated photo of Erie Railroad locomotive 1210 leading a freight train toward Jamestown, NY at WO Junction in Waterboro, NY. The Route 394 bridge over the train tracks and Conewango Creek is in the background. The signal pasts on the right side of the photo are on the Erie mainline tracks. R.S. Copeland photo from Facebook.
An undated photo of the caboose on an eastbound Erie Railroad train at WO Junction in Waterboro, NY. The Route 394 bridge over the train tracks and Conewango Creek is in the background. The train on the left is on the Buffalo and Southwestern Branch. R.S. Copeland photo from Facebook.
An undated photo of an Erie Railroad train near WO Tower in Waterboro, NY. R.S. Copeland photo from Facebook.
An undated photo, possibly in the late 1950s, showing a westbound freight train coming towards Jamestown on the Buffalo and Southwest Branch on the left and an eastbound passenger train on the Erie mainline on the right. R.S. Copeland photo found on Facebook.
A view looking west toward “WO” Junction in Waterboro, NY at milepost S 23.2 in October 1977. The B&SW Branch is on the right of the photo. Steven Timko collection posted to Facebook.
Learn More
- Wikipedia. “Waterboro, New York“
- “Erie Equips Complete Division with Signals and Interlockers” Railway Signaling magazine, Volume 22, Number 9, September 1929. This article talks about Waterboro as part of the installation of automatic color signals along the section between Salamanca, NY and Meadville, PA.