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Niagara Junction Railway

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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+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrificationoverhead line 600 V DC
Length44 miles (71 km)

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

History

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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

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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

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Number Builder & type Date Serial number Notes
01 line car[4]
01 Baldwin 0-6-0 steam October 1897 17200 sold 1915 [5]
02 Baldwin 0-4-0T steam September 1893 13726 sold 1915 [6]
03 Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecab May 1913 39865 scrapped 1952
04 Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecab May 1913 39866 to Cornwall Street Railway Light and Power Company 9 (second) in 1952; scrapped June 1973[7]
05 Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecab Dec 1916 44602 scrapped
06 Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecab Feb 1920 53027 to Sand Springs Railway 1005 in 1946
07 Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecab Feb 1920 53050 to Sand Springs Railway 1006 in 1946; scrapped 1956[8]
08 Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecab Dec 1928 60699 to PATCO Speedline for parts in October 1973[9] scrapped
09 Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecab Jun 1937 62072 to PATCO Speedline 404 in October 1973[10] scrapped
10 Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecab Apr 1924 57715 ex-Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad 1005 in December 1941; scrapped
11 Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecab Apr 1924 57716 ex-Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad 1006 in December 1941; retired by 1965
12 ex-Oklahoma Railway Company 606 in 1946; scrapped 1952[11]
13 General Electric E10B Jun 1952 31136 renumbered 18 in July 1952
14 General Electric E10B Jul 1952 31137 to Conrail 4750 in August 1977; assigned to Metropolitan Transportation Authority in December 1980; sold to Metro-North Commuter Railroad 401 in 1983; scrapped 1998
15 General Electric E10B Jul 1952 31138 to Conrail 4751 in August 1977; sold to General Electric in 1983 and stored awaiting preservation
16 General Electric E10B Jul 1952 31139 to Conrail 4752 in August 1977; assigned to Metropolitan Transportation Authority in December 1980; sold to Metro-North Commuter Railroad 402 in 1983; scrapped 1998
17 General Electric E10B Jul 1952 31140 to Conrail 4753 in August 1977; assigned to Metropolitan Transportation Authority in December 1980; sold to Metro-North Commuter Railroad 403 in 1983; scrapped 1998
18 General Electric E10B Jun 1952 31136 delivered as 13; to Conrail 4754 in August 1977; sold to General Electric in 1983 and scrapped
19 General Electric E10B Jul 1952 31141 to Conrail 4755 in August 1977; scrapped
20 General Electric E10B Aug 1952 31142 to Conrail 4756 in August 1977; sold to General Electric in 1983 and scrapped

[12][13]

References

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  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. CCLXXIX (105). Buffalo, NY: The Buffalo News Inc.: A10. ISSN 0745-2691.
  4. ^ "Niagara Junction Ry". 22 October 2023.
  5. ^ https://churcher.crcml.org/industrials/Ontario.pdf
  6. ^ https://churcher.crcml.org/industrials/Ontario.pdf
  7. ^ "Niagara Junction Ry". 22 October 2023.
  8. ^ "Niagara Junction Ry". 22 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Delaware River Port Authority". 22 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Delaware River Port Authority". 22 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Niagara Junction Ry". 22 October 2023.
  12. ^ Wayner, Robert J., ed. (1965). Electric Locomotive Rosters. New York, NY: Wayner Publications. p. 70.
  13. ^ "Niagara Junction Railroad General Electric E-10-B #15". TrainWeb.org. Western New York Railway Historical Society. 20 May 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2020.