Buffalo & Niagara Falls RR

Introduction

The Buffalo & Niagara Falls was a part of the New York Central Railroad system, connecting Buffalo to Niagara Falls.   It is still used by CSX for freight and Amtrak for passenger service.  The Buffalo & Black Rock Railroad was chartered in 1833 and opened in 1834, operating a horse-powered line from downtown Buffalo north to Black Rock, now the east end of the International Bridge.   The Buffalo & Niagara Falls Railroad was incorporated in 1834 to take over the Buffalo & Black Rock and extend it north and northwest to Niagara Falls.   Construction began in August 1836 and included a replacement of the low-quality rails of the horse-drawn line.   By 1837 the extension to Tonawanda was completed, and around 1840 the rest of the way to Niagara Falls opened.   In or soon after 1852 the new Erie Street terminal was built in downtown Buffalo, along with a relocation of the tracks near downtown to the west side of the Erie Canal.   In 1853 the newly-formed New York Central Railroad leased the Buffalo and Niagara Falls, which at the time did not connect to any other NYC lines.   It was merged into the NYC in 1855.