Elmira Erie Station

Does anyone know the current status of the Erie station at Elmira,NY? Is there anything left of it?

The station still stands but was boarded up long ago. I don't know who owns it. The exterior looks like it's in good condition.

calorosome wrote:The station still stands but was boarded up long ago. I don't know who owns it. The exterior looks like it's in good condition.

The depot is currently serving as a warehouse for the company that is adjacent to it (wish I could remember the name). Just the headhouse remains, the freight house was removed sometime during the 1970's. I took quite a few photos of it in 2000, have not been back since. Wish I had gotten more accurate dimensional data on that trip, as I still intend to build a scale (albeit, compressed) model.

Note that old photos show an ornate tower structure, which I suspect was removed at the same time the mainline was elevated (@ 1934?). At least I have never seen photographic evidence of the tower and elevated track together.

Hilliard Corporation owns it, or at least did the last time I was down there. I may run over there and take some photos in the next few days if anyone wants some.

My father grew up in Elmira. He says the tower was intact after the elevation.

calorosome wrote:My father grew up in Elmira. He says the tower was intact after the elevation.

Any idea when it was removed, then? I'll be building a model of it as it appeared in 1956.

Conrail took it and the mast singaled postion light out some time in the early 80's not sure exacted year.My dad cant belive I dont remember them.So you know I live in Elmira.Any questions just ask I'll see if I can answer them to help with your modeling layout.

sallenparks wrote:My dad cant belive I dont remember them.So you know I live in Elmira.Any questions just ask I'll see if I can answer them to help with your modeling layout.

You don't happen have the blueprints, do you? Or dimensional data?

Don't feel so bad, I lived my first 20 years in the area, but it wasn't until I moved some 3,000 miles away and returned to visit (some 20 more years later) before I even saw the structure.

Actually, I question your dad on the time period. I have video of a special Erie train (can't remember the event) shot late 30's/early 40's with the depot in the background. There was no tower then.

Found an aerial photo of it on the web a couple of years ago. IIRC, it was in an online collection of USGS aerial survey photos. I've since lost the URL to that particular library, but those interested can look at it here:

http://www.west.net/~rbtwlyon/AerialElmiraErieDepot.jpg

I suspect that this was taken sometime during the 70's (judging by the automobiles). By the time I found it in 2000, the freight house was gone.

Last question about the depot (for today ): the structure taking folks from the ground level to track level... freight elevator, or stairs? Anyone recall?

Regards,

You want model dimensions for the elevator?

calorosome wrote:You want model dimensions for the elevator?

You know I do! You may email any data you may have to me off-list... [email protected]

Thanks!

Here's a pretty good aerial shot from the Library of Congress

http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/ny/n ... 5119pv.jpg

Here's the same shot in a HUGE .tif file

http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/ny/n ... 5119pu.tif

As I recall, most if not all the structures were still in place into the early 1980s, looking largely like they do in these photos. The platforms along with the canopies were still intact in 1982. You can see a walkway from the platform to the attic of the long building that did not get a second floor when the tracks were elevated.

By about 1988 or so, just about everything but the main station was gone.

LOL at your avatar!