Forgotten Buffalo: Historic & Hip...An Urban Explorer's Guide to the Buffalo-Niagara Region: Unique Landmarks, Historic Gin Mills, Old World Neighborhoods, History, Nickel City Oddities, Tours and More!
The Former Pennsylvania Railroad Roundhouse in West Seneca. A rare relic from Buffalo's railroad glory days.
As work continues on the Toronto Railway Heritage Park, it saddens me that Buffalo, although once the second largest railroad hub in the US, does not have a first-class display or rail museum.
Western New York has a great opportunity to capitalize on industrial tourism through the re-discovery of an almost complete 20th century rail facility complete with roundhouse, turntable, & coaling tower. This complex is located in West Seneca right off the 400 expressway.
Hopefully the citizens of the Queen City of the Lakes will look to the Toronto project as a source of inspiration. Toronto’s efforts are a model for communities across North America who wish to preserve, promote and educate future generations about the influence railroads had on shaping countries and communities.
TORONTO - Roundhouse Park
BUFFALO - Roundhouse in West Seneca
The Former Pennsylvania Railroad Roundhouse in West Seneca. A rare relic from Buffalo's railroad glory days.
Coal Tower at West Seneca Complex
Success in Toronto: Roundhouse Park
Image:
BUFFALO'S OWN CROWN JEWEL - Could call Roundhouse Home
#4483 was built in May of 1923 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, for the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Buffalo even has an authentic locomotive to display at the West Seneca site:
#4483 was built in May of 1923 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, for the Pennsylvania Railroad. Number 259 of a lot of 475, c/n 56534, this "Decapod" is the last one of its class, I-1s, of which 598 were built. In February, 1931, it was converted to an I1sa and assigned to the Eastern Region, Susquehanna Division and Northern Region. On 11-1-1944, #4483 was reassigned to the Eastern Region, Central PA Division and Williamsport Division when it was equiped with "Whistle and Acknowledger for the Cab Signal System."The I1sa was no stranger to Western New York, having been assigned to the PRR Ebeenezer, New York yards in the early 50's, and was often seen hauling coal drags up the Elmria Branch to the coal unloading docks in Sodus Bay on Lake Ontario, New York. The locomotive was dropped from equipment records on August 7th, 1957 by PRR Chief of Motive Power, Hal T. Cover with instructions to "Hold as Relic." In 1963 the Pennsy sold the engine to the Westinghouse Air Brake Company (WABCO) to display on their front lawn. In the fall of 1982, the WNYRHS aquired the engine and tender as WABCO no longer wanted it on their property.
Image from Western New York Railway Heritage Society
