Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad (BPRR) Discussion

I guess this thread will be for the Buffalo & Pittsburgh RR in New York State.

B&P Buffalo local with GP9 #886 and SW1500 #1510 switch the feed mill and Arcade & Attica RR interchange at Arcade Junction, NY, on Feb. 4, 2014.

Pics here:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=213716" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=213715" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=213714" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=213713" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=213712" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=213711" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=213710" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=213709" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=213708" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=213707" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=213706" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Or here:

http://photos.greatrails.net/show/?orde ... Pittsburgh" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You state in the caption to photo http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=213708" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

B&P Buffalo local with GP9 #886 and SW1500 #1501 switch the feed mill and Arcade & Attica RR interchange at Arcade Junction, NY

For those of us unfamiliar with the area, which tracks are the Arcade & Attica RR interchange?

^The tracks in the middle.

On the left is the feed mill spur, of course. On the right, is the B&P mainline.

That's interesting. I always thought the A&A switched that plant.

^Nope. CR, NS and the B&P have always switched it.

The A&A has switched it a few times as a favor to the feed mill.

The A&A has switched it a few times as a favor to the feed mill.

Surely A&A doesn't do this "as a favor", they must have a business agreement and get paid to do this.

I took "as a favor" to mean it's not a standing arrangement, but the mill might need cars moved outside their normal schedule with B&P. Since A&A is only 2 miles away, and especially if they are already headed to the junction to pick up or drop off cars for Reisdorf, the mill might ask A&A if they can switch them while they're down there. Whether or not money changes hands would be between the mill and A&A. This tangent seems like a discussion for the A&A forum.

I too, however, had been unaware that B&P switched that business. Having never been there to see switching ops, I had assumed that B&P (and NS/CR before them) simply picked up or dropped cars from the western-most spur and A&A took care of moving them from there. Honestly I didn't even know if the mill was still getting cars. Since B&P switches the mill and therefore would need to access the rails in the area, who owns/maintains those tracks? That's honestly a bit of a complicated setup considering there's usually cars stored on both the western spur and both tracks leading up to the mill spur/A&A. I'd love to get down there to see the switching or if someone could grab video of it.

dj_paige wrote:

The A&A has switched it a few times as a favor to the feed mill.

Surely A&A doesn't do this "as a favor", they must have a business agreement and get paid to do this.

Gotta remember short lines do these "little things" that the huge corporates don't even
take into consideration.

Charlie

Never see any through trains on Ol Allegheny ROW Just a local of a handfull of hoppers to a transload along the Bayfront Connector. Does most interchange happen in Buffalo?

What happened to the tracks and the bridge over Cattaraugus Creek near Springville, New York?

Does anybody have any information?

Regards,
Fred M. Cain

Mr. Cain,
The tracks were removed about 5 years ago from Orchard Park to West Valley . The Cascade viaduct still stands but the rails were removed from it during the rail removal. The tracks go from Ashford Junction to the Nuclear plant in West Valley, though I'm not sure if the plant sees rail service anymore.

Here is a link to a satellite image of the viaduct last year:
http://binged.it/R6kTJX" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is an aerial of the siding for the Nuclear Plant in west Valley. It looks like this remaining trackage is no longer used or rarley used. on the old main line about 1/4 mile up from this view there is a large slide.
http://binged.it/1jwzQhT" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Regards,
Marc Pisa

Thanks, Marc. I wish I'd known about this like six years ago. I would've tried writing some letters urging them to save the line. I doubt very much that would've affected the outcome much but at least I'd feel like I'd tried.

Is it now too late to do anything about this?

Regards,
Fred M. Cain

fredmcain wrote:Thanks, Marc. I wish I'd known about this like six years ago. I would've tried writing some letters urging them to save the line. I doubt very much that would've affected the outcome much but at least I'd feel like I'd tried.

Is it now too late to do anything about this?

Regards,
Fred M. Cain

Save the line for what? There were few or no on-line customers who needed service. There was an alternative to preserve through traffic to and from Buffalo. And there were several high-maintenance areas where geology added significantly to the cost of maintenance.

Too late? It's been gone for years. But let's say magically you could wave a wand and instantly it's back in place. Now what would you do with it? The towns might be complaining about rough crossings, somebody riding an ATV on the tracks just wrecked and wants to sue you, and by the way 200 feet of your roadbed just slid 75 feet down a slope after heavy rain.

It's sad to see any line ripped up, especially the old BR&P, but as someone once told me "You can't fall in love with the equipment, and you can't fall in love with the scenery". In other words, it's a business.

Marc,

I don't understand where the B & P's routing this traffic now. Someone on a different forum suggested it's an ex-Pennsy line but I haven't been able to find that. Do you know which line this is?

Regards,
Fred M. Cain

Does the B&P run on weekends? I will be in Arcade for a couple of weekends and hoped to catch a B&P train switching the mill. Do they have a regular schedule or run as needed?