<VV> Re: Rail info/history, Buffalo.....(no Corvair)

[Gary Swiatowy]

 From: UltraMonzaWest at aol.com
> Subject: Re: <VV> Shuffle off to Buffalo: Thanks Gary!
> To: VirtualVairs at corvair.org
> In a message dated 4/11/2006 9:55:53 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
> bub049 at comcast.net writes:
>
> And you're not going to SHARE it with the rest of us???
>
> Thanks alot BUB!!!   ggggg
>
> Matt Nall / Patiomatt / WCUH / Mr. DeckRug

OK, I was asked about some items relating to the history of the light rail 
and other railroad items of interest in the Buffalo area.
At the risk of being "chastised" for an off topic post.................and 
seeing as the subject of "sharing" came up.

 I had remember talk at one time of using "restored" rail cars. But what I 
have seen didn't look like anything special.
Here is a link to the NFTA site where you can see a picture of the rail cars 
in use. I also found other info about the rail cars below.
I've never rode the Buffalo system.
I live waaaaaay out of the city in another county and if I actually go 
downtown, I go for a specific destination like the Theater, or to the HSBC 
arena for a concert.
The Buffalo light rail system is for the most part a joke, I'm afraid. It 
doesn't go where people really need to go, so ridership is sparse except for 
the city dwellers. It goes from the University of Buffalo "city" campus, to 
the HSBC arena. Where it should go is to extend to the Amherst Campus as 
well, and possibly into Tonawanda or Cheektowaga. Ridership has never 
justified the cost.

http://www.nfta.com/metro/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Metro_Rail

Fleet
The NFTA operated 27 LRV cars (Number 101 to 127) for the Metro Rail system. 
They were built Tokyu Car Corporation of Japan.

Twelve St. Louis Car Company PCC streetcars from Cleveland, Ohio's Greater 
Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (obtained second had in 1953) were 
bought in 1980s to serve the Tonawanda turn-out, a Metro Rail route to 
Tonawanda and North Tonawada. Only used for trial runs, the plan route was 
scrapped and cars sold to a museum in Brooklyn Historical Railway 
Association. These cars were scrapped in 2003 when the BHRA folded.

Fleet details:

Current

  a.. Car Type: LRV
  b.. Number of Cars: 27
  c.. Fleet Numbers: 101-127
  d.. Car Manufacturer: Tokyu Car Corporation, Japan
  e.. Years of Service: 1984-present
Proposed

  a.. Car Type: PCC
  b.. Number of Cars: 12
  c.. Fleet Numbers: N/A
  d.. Car Manufacturer: St. Louis Car Company
  e.. Years of Service: None - trial runs only, never in revenue service
And here is some other railroad info in the WNY area.....................

http://www.anarr.com/

http://www.historicbridges.org/truss/lockportrr/index.htm   This one is less 
than 10 minutes from my house near the Erie canal locks in Lockport

http://www.trainweb.org/wnyrhs/homeFrame1Source1.htm


As long as you are a railroad fan, close to the host hotel is the Central 
Terminal.

http://www.buffalocentralterminal.org/

I remembered this from a recent tour of the falls. It's long gone, but I saw 
where it was.

http://wnyheritagepress.org/photosofweek/gorgeroute/gorgeroutedetail.htm

There used to be several railroads in this area as Buffalo was a major 
railroad hub.
Due to the decline of railroads, most have been ripped out and some 
converted to bike paths.
I can remember seeing the railroad yards with many trains in Buffalo.

Also there used to be a trolly system From Buffalo to Olcott Beach in the 
early 1900's

At a Corvair meet in Syracuse last year we toured Martisco station, a small 
out of the way rail museum.

Picked up a book about when trains ran through the heart of Syracuse sharing 
streets with cars..........

You just got my memories going.....................

Gary Swiatowy