Railfan viewing platform at Buffalo Central Terminal

Maybe, to bad that doesn't apply to other situations!

Bruce (and everyone else) has great ideas, but that's not the point. CTRC is not asking for ideas or alternate proposals. They are asking about one particular proposal right now- so yes, the discussion is moot on this thread. Want to talk about alternate ideas, feel free to start another thread about what you would like to see in a Buffalo area viewing platform.

-otto-

videobruce wrote:Otto, if the myth of the area being 'unsafe', then the issue of a observation area is a moot point!.

Exactly, good point. Hey VB, maybe my view is because of my suburban upbringing Seriously, a Good Friday trip to the nearby Broadway Market tends to give you a different outlook. I drove by the BCT and the area is quite different during the day, with many people out doors. My experience I posted earlier in this thread was based on a ride through like midnight. So I guess the lesson here is to give it a shot.

Give me a little leeway here with this story. My son is watching a DVD with about 10 minutes devoted to the BCT. A tour of the area, various floors, outside decks, and BCT history. Pretty comprehensive. Believe it or not it is the DVD "GooGoo Dolls 7/4/2004 Buffalo concert". 2 of the guys grew up within blocks of the BCT

I was there for the concert at Buffalo City Hall... and a friend tipped me off on a chance visit to the Terminal that the Goo's were going to show up for filming. Unfortunately, other commitments took me away, and I wasn't able to meet the band. Some other time!

-otto-

Going back and looking at those shots from the east wall of the parking lot upper level, even without the tank, platform and trees really doesn't give you much of a view other than the Belt Line looking from overhead. The view is in the shadow of the tower except in the morning where you are looking into the sun and late afternoon, but the upper level probably still blocks the sun.
Yes, it is better than nothing, easy to get to, brings people down to the terminal, and would cost much (I understand that wall is budgeted to be repaired this year).

Just hope Van Dyke doesn't mind anyone parking there............

If they opened up that area for viewing I would probably find myself down there viewing traffic up close once in a while. During the day of course. Never at night.

I really don't think anyone would have a problem there during the day. At night though, things change.

Never at night.
I really don't think anyone would have a problem there during the day. At night though, things change.

Guess you really don't LIVE in Buffalo! At night, the sun goes down, the street lights come on and the temperature drops.

I think the Central Terminal folks got the information they were looking for... thanks to everyone who voted and presented their opions (for and against). I think we should be fortunate that there are folks interested and formally looking after the Terminal... maybe someday we will finally see some sort of adaptive re-use!

-otto-

This spot would be 1/4 to 1/2 mile north up the tracks, from the Buffalo News:

Man found fatally shot in vacant warehouse

5/9/2005

Buffalo homicide investigators are trying to identify the body of a man who was found shot to death Sunday morning in a field behind a vacant Lathrop Street warehouse.
Homicide Squad Detective Mark Vaughan said CSX employees were checking the railroad tracks at about 9 a.m. when they discovered the body lying nearby in an old industrial area between Stanislaus Street and Broadway.

Detectives found the man fully clothed in a pool of blood, sprawled between a ravine and 75 Lathrop, the site of a 1993 raid where federal officials found 1,000 cases of illegal "rotgut" vodka and rum destined for Canada.

Police said the man suffered at least one gunshot wound. Vaughan said that the man was carrying no identification and that no drugs were found in his possession. Police described him as African-American, medium complexion, in his late 20s to early 30s, about 5-foot-8, with a slender build, mustache and goatee.


http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20 ... 041295.asp

Whew! Good thing I don't do my railfanning in a field behind a vacant warehouse in the middle of the night! I could possibly get shot! But, you know, if it works for you, I won't stop ya... ;-)

-otto-

Man found fatally shot in vacant warehouse

So? And your point? There is rarely a day someone doesn't get killed in a traffic accident in the suburbs or even at a grade crossing! Of course we won't talk about all the white collor crime that takes place every second out there either! You know, where someone cleans out a bank account or maxes out a credit card when you don't know it!

Compared to Rochester, Buffalo has alot less violent crime, including a homicide rate that is nearly 50% lower! Also, Buffalo has done some urban renewal so the city as a whole is much better than it was back in the '80s or early '90s. The Amtrak terminal in Rochester is right at the edge of a nasty area that we've been discussing in the Hojack trail thread so I don't see how BCT could be any worse. So yeah, I'd like to go watch trains from the platform in Buffalo when I have little more free time and money.

Does anyone suppose that the man murdered in the warehouse might have been a rival bootlegger, gang member or simply a thief?

I dont think he was back there railfanning... unless he was taking "night shots" (between his toes, maybe).