Semmering Railway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Erie Railroad - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Canandaigua and Niagara Falls Railroad
continued this line beyond Canandaigua to North
Tonawanda with trackage rights over the Buffalo
and Niagara Falls Railroad to Niagara Falls and
the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge into
Ontario. This was leased by the Canandaigua and
Elmira from its opening in 1853 to 1858, when it
1855 map
went bankrupt, was reorganized as the Niagara Bridge and Canandaigua Railroad, and was leased by
New York Central Railroad. The NYC converted it to standard gauge and blocked the Erie from it.
Erie Railway: 1861-1875
In August 1859 the company went into receivership due to the large costs of building, and on June 25,
1861 it was reorganized as the Erie Railway. This was the first bankruptcy of a major trunk line in the
U.S.
In 1863 the Erie leased the Buffalo, New York and Erie Railroad and its subsidiary the Rochester and
Genesee Valley Railroad, jointly operating it with the Pennsylvania Railroad's Northern Central
Railway. The BNY&E had taken over the Buffalo and New York City Railroad in 1857 due to the Erie's
bankruptcy, and the BNY&E used it west of Attica to reach Buffalo from its southeast end at Corning.
The R&GV split from the main line at Avon, running north to Rochester. A joint through line was
created between Philadelphia and Buffalo. At this time, the Northern Central leased the Elmira and
Williamsport Railroad, forming the part of the line from Elmira south into Pennsylvania. After disputes
due to charges of the Erie using its own line via Hornellsville (the B&NYC) too much, and problems
with the gauge break at Elmira, this contract was cancelled in 1866. The Elmira, Jefferson and
Canandaigua Railroad (and its Chemung Railroad) was transferred to the Northern Central, and a third
rail was built to allow the Northern Central's standard gauge trains to operate over it.
To restore access to the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge, the Erie got the Suspension Bridge and Erie
Junction Railroad chartered in 1868. The line opened in 1871, running from eastern Buffalo to
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