New York & Lake Erie Railroad (NY&LE) Discussion

I've never personally heard or read anything about Bills game trains on the B&SW. Everything in the Buffalo media was about Amtrak specials from Southern Ontario & Rochester/Syaracuse to the stadium on the B&P. I'll have to dig through about 15 years of newspaper clippings, maybe tomorrow, & find that stuff.

There are two more stumbling blocks to think about in this discussion regarding trips to/from the Buffalo Bills' home games. Again, let's say my fairy godmother waves her magic wand and NYLE is whole again from Waterboro to the BSOR connection. Let's say she has coaches and motive power set aside for trips to the Buffalo Bills. The first stumbling block is snow. All of NYLE sits in the midst of one of the worst lake effect snow belts on the planet. Snow isn't much of a problem before Halloween most years, but it's a fact of life in western NY fro November to February or even March. Having effective snow removal equipment would add to the cost of the trips to/from Buffalo, and I shudder to think about a train handling a 2% grade in heavy snow.

Second, my shuttle to/from the train was maybe a mile in 1997 from the Bills' stadium. BSOR is a few miles further away. It might not seem like much, but driving just a few miles is very slow when 70,000 fans leave the stadium. Aside from being a railfan, I took the train in 1997 because it was the quickest way to get home. We were on the Water Level Route in snowy weather while those who drove had to crawl out to the Thruway. Any time savings from an excursion over NYLE might be lost if the patrons have a long wait to reboard the train for the trip home.

Don't get me wrong- I wish all the best to Bob Dingman, his employees and the volunteers at NYLE. They have treated me quite well on a couple of visits in recent years. Like some of the other posters, I'm just trying to keep my own expectations realistic.

I haven't seen any action at Ny&Le in a long time. It doesn't look like they are doing anything.

They've still got one customer getting freight about once a month. IDK what they do with their passenger operations tho, but we hand off a box car to them every once in a while.

December 1, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NY&LE RR to offer Christmas Train Rides GOWANDA, NY - The New York & Lake Erie Railroad will offer five, four- mile round-trip train rides on Saturday December 12th. Trains will depart hourly from the Gowanda Depot, 50 Commercial Street, Gowanda, with the first trip departing at 11 AM and the last at 3 PM. While on board, passengers can experience the nostalgia of riding in 1930’s vintage passenger cars while the train climbs the 2 ½ percent grade out of the valley. Santa is expected to make an appearance on-board each train. Due to the weather and the historic nature of the coach cars, it is recommended that passengers dress warmly.

Train ticket prices are $6 for Adults, $3 for children ages 3 – 11, and toddlers 2 and under ride free on the lap of a ticket holder. Train tickets can be reserved in advance by calling Love Inc at 716 532-3541 Monday, Wednesday, Thursdays or Friday 9 AM to 1 PM. Any remaining seats will be sold starting 30 minutes before each trip at the Gowanda Depot ticket window.

Contact: Melaina Koebler
Love Inc.
26 Main Street
P.O. Box 243
Gowanda, NY 14070
(716) 532-3541
###

One customer ??? Before they throw in the towel, why wouldn't they charge passengers $10 and $5 and make a few improvements. Seems like they are falling apart and allowing things to run away from them. That's really too sad.

Flat-Wheeler wrote:One customer ??? Before they throw in the towel, why wouldn't they charge passengers $10 and $5 and make a few improvements. Seems like they are falling apart and allowing things to run away from them. That's really too sad.

I'm not sure how you can indict railroad management for what is happening to the state's economy. Rail freight traffic often lives or dies on factors far beyond the control of the railroad itself. Taking pot shots at NYLE would seem unfair and ignorant.

"Carry passengers" sounds simple, but it's not. There are many costs ranging from insurance to servicing the air brake equipment on the cars to cleaning the cars (and paying the septic guy to pump the tanks). It has to be evaluated long-term. Also, the headaches involved in passenger operations are exponentially greater - a boxcar does not twist its ankle, complain because the windows are dirty, nor require parking and access to board.

I'm not up to speed with what is going on over there but one option might be to take in storage cars. A few miles of those would provide far more revenue and far less expense than trying to haul a couple passengers.

BR&P wrote:

Flat-Wheeler wrote:One customer ??? Before they throw in the towel, why wouldn't they charge passengers $10 and $5 and make a few improvements. Seems like they are falling apart and allowing things to run away from them. That's really too sad.

I'm not sure how you can indict railroad management for what is happening to the state's economy. Rail freight traffic often lives or dies on factors far beyond the control of the railroad itself. Taking pot shots at NYLE would seem unfair and ignorant.

"Carry passengers" sounds simple, but it's not. There are many costs ranging from insurance to servicing the air brake equipment on the cars to cleaning the cars (and paying the septic guy to pump the tanks). It has to be evaluated long-term. Also, the headaches involved in passenger operations are exponentially greater - a boxcar does not twist its ankle, complain because the windows are dirty, nor require parking and access to board.

I'm not up to speed with what is going on over there but one option might be to take in storage cars. A few miles of those would provide far more revenue and far less expense than trying to haul a couple passengers.

Forgive me If I came across too brash... it was late after midnight and I was upset upon hearing this news of "just one remaining freight customer." I agree, that passengers are more difficult and complicated than simply spotting a boxcar at a loading dock.

What I was saying is, if they have things so bad due to regional economy where they run (and weather problems exacerbated by poor drainage & runoff), then why wouldn't they charge the extra 2 or 3 bucks a ticket to help pay for the basic upkeep of minimal passenger service. Anybody who is coming to ride the NYLE train, isn't likely to go somewhere else "because it's $3 cheaper to ride their train." In my opinion anyway, $10 and $4 for a ride on a train like that isn't that overly expensive considering the cost of operations and maintaining assets.

Now a better idea is storing empty cars. Just park'em and collect per diem. It's not ideal, but it helps and is very easy. The hard part is finding a place to store them without losing them to a washout, interfering with essential operations, or pissing off nearby landowners.

Flat-Wheeler wrote:
The hard part is finding a place to store them without losing them to a washout, interfering with essential operations, or pissing off nearby landowners.

If you have any clue where you are apt to lose them to a washout, the prudent thing is to clear out the culvert, or install more culverts, before it happens. It sounds like "essential operations" on that line might not be much of an issue. And as for avoiding pissing off nearby NIMBY's, good luck with that, people will buy a home near tracks that have been there 125 years, and then complain because there are rail cars on the tracks. NOBODY wants car storage anywhere near them. And I guarantee if you park cars somewhere in the desert 50 miles from civilization, somebody will say you're disturbing the rattlesnakes or something! Don't get me started on moron railroad neighbors!

Sorry, I forgot to post this:

March 1, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NY&LE RR to offer Easter Bunny Train Rides

GOWANDA, NY - The New York & Lake Erie Railroad and Love, Inc. will offer four, six- mile round-trip “Easter Bunny Express” train rides out of Gowanda on Saturday March 19th, and two trips out of South Dayton, NY on Sunday March 20th.
Saturday’s trains will depart from the Gowanda Depot, 50 Commercial Street, Gowanda, at 10 AM, Noon, 2 PM and 4 PM.Sunday’s trains will depart from the South Dayton Depot, East Railroad Street, South Dayton, NY, at 1 PM and 3 PM. Mr. Peter Cottontail, a.k.a. the Easter Bunny, is expected to make an appearance on-board each train carrying treats for all children..

Train ticket prices are $15 per person for First Class seating, $10per person for Coach Class seating (toddlers 2 and under mayride free on the lap of a ticket holder). Train tickets can be purchased in advance until March 16th by calling Love Inc at716- 532-3541 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays 9 AM to 1 PM.; or on their website at: gowandaloveinc.org. Any unsold seats will go on sale starting 30 minutes prior to each trip at the railroad depot from which the train is departing. Due to the weather and the historic nature of the coach cars, it is recommended that passengers dress warmly.

Contact: Melaina Koebler
Love Inc.
26 Main Street
P.O. Box 243
Gowanda, NY 14070
(716) 532-3541

I forgot to post these when I took them in September:

FPAs in Gowanda:
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=225942" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A small crane:
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=225943" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A PC hopper is stored on the Cattaraugus line at Dayton Jct:
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=225946" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think that PC ballast car is their's now. Otherwise NS or CSX would have re-stenciled their initials on it. BTW, I forget which locomotive was used in the filming of "Planes, Trains, & Automobiles."

Flat-Wheeler wrote: BTW, I forget which locomotive was used in the filming of "Planes, Trains, & Automobiles."

It's the high-hood C425, NYLE 1013:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2929673" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Originally N&W..she has been OOS on the NYLE for quite awhile now..a decade or so.

Here she is in 1986 painted for the movie:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1777964" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Scot

My pics from Saturday:

Trains were run push pull:

Alco FPA-4 #6764
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=228903" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=228902" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Alco FPA-2u #6758
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=228901" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Trains ran to "Dayton"
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=228899" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=228898" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Alco S4 #78 and Alco S2 #76 are stored OOS at the Gowanda yard:
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=228897" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=228900" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Any one see the brand new covered hoppers stored on sidings and main in South Dayton ? There arei about 30 sitting there.