Niagara Junction Railway

The Niagara Junction Railway (reporting marks NJ, NIAJ) was a switching railroad serving Niagara Falls, New York.

Not to be confused with Niagara Subdivision.
Niagara Junction Railway
Overview
HeadquartersNiagara Falls, New York, United States
LocaleNiagara County, New York
Dates of operation1892 (1892)–March 31, 1976 (1976-03-31)
SuccessorConrail
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrificationoverhead line 600 V DC
Length44 miles (71 km)

History

The company was created in 1898 as a subsidiary of the Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power and Manufacturing Company. In 1913 the line was electrified. In 1948 the Niagara Falls Power Company sold the railroad to its connecting companies: the New York Central, the Erie, and the Lehigh Valley. After a series of mergers in the 1960s, the Niagara Junction was finally dissolved as an independent company in 1976 when the Consolidated Rail Corporation was formed to take over operations of bankrupt railroads in the Northeast. The line was dieselized in 1979. After over a year of storage, three electric locomotives were overhauled in December 1980 and transferred to Grand Central Terminal in New York City.[1][2]

Incidents

Just after 9:30 am on Wednesday 22 January 1958, a tank car exploded while being switched at the Niagara Junction's yard on Porter Road. The blast injured at least 60 people, and left a crater 150 feet (46 m) in diameter and 40 feet (12 m) deep. The cause was never determined.[3]

Locomotives
NumberBuilder & typeDateSerial numberNotes
01line car[4]
02no record
03Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecabMay 191339865scrapped 1952
04Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecabMay 191339866to Cornwall Street Railway Light and Power Company 9 (second) in 1952; scrapped June 1973[5]
05Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecabDec 191644602scrapped
06Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecabFeb 192053027to Sand Springs Railway 1005 in 1946
07Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecabFeb 192053050to Sand Springs Railway 1006 in 1946; scrapped 1956[6]
08Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecabDec 192860699to PATCO Speedline for parts in October 1973[7]
09Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecabJun 193762072to PATCO Speedline 404 in October 1973[8]
10Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecabApr 192457715ex-Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad 1005 in December 1941; scrapped
11Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecabApr 192457716ex-Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad 1006 in December 1941; retired by 1965
12ex-Oklahoma Railway Company 606 in 1946; scrapped 1952[9]
13General Electric E10BJun 195231136renumbered 18 in July 1952
14General Electric E10BJul 195231137to Conrail 4750 in August 1977; assigned to Metropolitan Transportation Authority in December 1980; sold to Metro-North Commuter Railroad 401 in 1983; scrapped 1998
15General Electric E10BJul 195231138to Conrail 4751 in August 1977; sold to General Electric in 1983 and stored awaiting preservation
16General Electric E10BJul 195231139to Conrail 4752 in August 1977; assigned to Metropolitan Transportation Authority in December 1980; sold to Metro-North Commuter Railroad 402 in 1983; scrapped 1998
17General Electric E10BJul 195231140to Conrail 4753 in August 1977; assigned to Metropolitan Transportation Authority in December 1980; sold to Metro-North Commuter Railroad 403 in 1983; scrapped 1998
18General Electric E10BJun 195231136delivered as 13; to Conrail 4754 in August 1977; sold to General Electric in 1983 and scrapped
19General Electric E10BJul 195231141to Conrail 4755 in August 1977; scrapped
20General Electric E10BAug 195231142to Conrail 4756 in August 1977; sold to General Electric in 1983 and scrapped

[10][11]

References
  1. Drury, George H. (1985). Hayden, Bob (ed.). The Historical Guide to North American Railroads. Milwaukee, WI: Kalmbach Publishing Company. p. 232. ISBN 0-89024-072-8.
  2. Waller, Robert S. (12 November 2019). "Electric Locomotives". The Conrail Cyclopedia. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  3. Gawel, Ron (23 January 2020). "My View: When a railroad blast rocked Niagara Falls". The Buffalo News. Buffalo, NY: The Buffalo News Inc. CCLXXIX (105): A10. ISSN 0745-2691.
  4. "Niagara Junction Ry". 22 October 2023.
  5. "Niagara Junction Ry". 22 October 2023.
  6. "Niagara Junction Ry". 22 October 2023.
  7. "Delaware River Port Authority". 22 October 2023.
  8. "Delaware River Port Authority". 22 October 2023.
  9. "Niagara Junction Ry". 22 October 2023.
  10. Wayner, Robert J., ed. (1965). Electric Locomotive Rosters. New York, NY: Wayner Publications. p. 70.
  11. "Niagara Junction Railroad General Electric E-10-B #15". TrainWeb.org. Western New York Railway Historical Society. 20 May 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2020.



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