What was this spur off the Clarence/Peanut Line?

[Fireman43]

Following the Peanut Line ( NYC ROW ) as it parallels Clarence Center Road east of Transit, the spur that went south to the old Gypsum Mine site is pretty well marked as it crosses Clarence Center Road, however going further east past Staley at the intersection of Heise Rd there is evidence of another ROW swinging from the east off the peanut heading south.

In addition to a power line, there is now a bike path on this ROW. The Clarence Bike Path Map calls it Waterford Extension, however there is a roadside sign that places a different name on the path.

http://www2.erie.gov/clarence/sites/www ... ochure.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Long story short - any info that this was in fact a ROW and were did it go?

( sounds like the lead in for the TV show " Mysteries of the Abandoned )

Mark

[SST]

Long ago and after the bike path was installed and long before that new crappy neighborhood went in, I walked the spur from the Peanut most of the way to the gypsum buildings. There wasn't a whole lot left of it but I did see random ties still in the ground. It was really more like a dirt road than a row. I seem to recall people talking about the gypsum minds flooding and closing. That would probably take it back to the 70's.

Here is an aerial from around 1951 Erie County:

http://www2.erie.gov/aerial_photos/site ... _3H139.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[nydepot]

The red star on this map is National Gypsum. The line just to the east of that is the spur you are referring to (arrow). That was Universal Atlas Cement Co. Wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Steel. Brought under USX in 1958 as operating division. Sold in 1979. Was also called Atlas Gypsum Co.

They used one little mining locomotive there from GE but otherwise NYC provided switching above ground.

Charles

Map-NY-0078-03.jpg

[Fireman43]

Thanks for the info on Universal Atlas. Now another lead on local history to investigate online - then when the weather breaks, get my bike out to ride this trail as i live in the area.
Curious to see if " any "remnants remain. Current aerial map views do show some open areas.

in regards National Gypsum a lot of history online - here is the Clarence location

http://ngc-heritage.com/images/1920/clarence-center.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

PS: I lost all my shortcuts on historical typo maps - posting the links you may use would be appreciated.

thanks
Mark

[nydepot]

I just use the USGS store and download PDFs as needed (then crop to suit). It's free and you don't get any watermarks.

Something fast, I use historicaerials.com.

https://store.usgs.gov/map-locator" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[nydepot]

More amazing when you see old maps of all the mines in the area (Akron/Clarence/Clarence Center and few up on the West Shore) and when you look, there are all subdivisions built on top.

[Fireman43]

Thanks for the map tips.

Yes it is something when you see the spread of the mines - so much posted online about the conflicts between the development of these areas and the town planning departments.
And now hundreds if not thousands of homes and commercial proprieties have been built on those areas.
In my area on the Amherst side of Transit ( but south of me) still a few remnants of the mine in regards to vent shafts are scattered around , and talking with people that have lived here all their lives in those areas joke of ' rumblings in the night' when trying to sleep. One of those vent shafts actually in located in the back of our Fire Dept property and we had to fence it in a few years ago due to it being what they term an attractive nuisance. Looks like a small missile silo with a concrete cover that the neighborhood kids were continually trying to chip away at.

[CarterB]

Lockport NY 1948 shows a spur south from NYC line to gypsum plant and another one a bit East to a quarry.

[SST]

The red star on this map is National Gypsum. The line just to the east of that is the spur you are referring to (arrow). That was Universal Atlas Cement Co. Wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Steel. Brought under USX in 1958 as operating division. Sold in 1979. Was also called Atlas Gypsum Co.

They used one little mining locomotive there from GE but otherwise NYC provided switching above ground.

Charles

Map-NY-0078-03.jpg

Wow, I never knew that was there. Before the bike path, the row was heavily covered in thick brush. I never saw a hint of a spur and I crossed the row over Heise Rd quite a bit back then. But, I wasn't "into railroads" back then either so I wasn't really looking. I'm gonna go look now though! haha

[Fireman43]

A few pictures of the Clarence area spurs off the Peanut Line serving these gypsum mines

# 1 Looking north down the National Gyp ROW off Clarence Center road - Peanut is about a few 100 yards in the distance through now what is a subdivision.

attachment=0]IMG_2453.jpg[/attachment]

#2 same location looking south down the ROW to remains of the National Gypsum plant.

Hopefully these will orientate once posted . Strange -= when i preview them they are not, but when I hit on them they do orientate.

IMG_2454.jpg (193.61 KiB) Viewed 5772 times

[Fireman43]

Few more - now for that Rail Trail off the Peanut @ Heise Road heading south to Atlas Cement.


#1 Picture of Atlas Cement

IMG_2462.jpg (91.55 KiB) Viewed 5771 times

#2 Rail TraiI ` pic taken from Clarence Ctr Rd. Peanut is about 100 ft behind me

IMG_2449.jpg (118.88 KiB) Viewed 5771 times

[DGC-24711]

I was in a park this past weekend, Clarence Nature Center. We parked at an entrance that's real short on parking, that's shared with what seems to be where Clarence chips up all the downed trees they collect very close to the end of Sheridan Drive, on the north side of the road, just west of its terminus at Main st. There's also an entrance at the Thompson Road park. A "cliff trail", something named like that, brought us to the edge of the escarpment, and a small bridge abutment that looked super old. Its so small, I almost dismissed it as RR, maybe it was used by early residents to climb that cliff. But I still remembered this thread. The brochure link from the OP about the Peanut Line Rail Trail showed that spur and I've noticed that it lines up with where I was. I dropped a pin approximately where the abutment is, looking down on the backyards of that court.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/42%C2 ... 78.6536975

[Fireman43]

Interesting- I live pretty close to this area.
So now I have some thing to ck out- first from my sequester recliner then a good reason to take a short road trip . Mark

[SST]

I also live about 3 miles away. I'll have to take a look. Is the abutment above the escarpment or below. parallel to the escarpment or perpendicular?
I've only walked it once a few years ago and I don't remember seeing it. Something to do.

[CarterB]

Is this the US Gypsum site? N 43.00484 W 78.67181 And what was this other spur to this location? N 43.00288 W 78.65182