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From: "J DOT Henry Priebe Jr DOT " root AT bluemoon DOT net
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2015 11:31:48 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: (erielack) Harriet Yard
"HarrietYard-CR_1987BuffaloTrackChart.jpg" - image/jpeg, 1139x1051 (24bit)

On Mon, 13 Jul 2015 ford35lh related:

> Harriet yard was located on the NYC Wonalancet Branch.The branch was off the
> NYC Buffalo-Niagara Falls line,between the City of Buffalo and Tonawanda on
> a bend in the Niagara River.
> Harriet yard was 16 tracks with Semet-Solvay on the south sideand Buffalo
> Slag on the north. the yard was double ended but alsoa stub as tracks beyond
> the west end of the yard fed into the WickwireSpencer Steel Co.(on
> Rattlesnake Island) and they had their own switcher.
> NYC and LV made an agreement in 1908 for trackage rights, but with
> NYCmanpower and locos. Between that year and 1937 the DL&W entered the
> picture.By 1937 tracks were operated under 3 party and 2 party
> agreements;NYC/LV/DL&W, NYC/LV, NYC/DL&W.
>
> Other companies were serviced from this branch,and some had there own
> switcher.JH Williams & Co.Farrel Bermingham Co.EI DupontGM Chevrolet Engine
> PlantDunlop Tire & RubberLevering BRos.Sun OilShell OilGulf OilFrontier Fuel
> Oil
> Colonial Beacon OilTexas Co.Atlantic RefiningBuffalo Electro.
> ChemicalBuffalo Pipe & FoundryBuffalo Wash TRay WorksCurtis Aeroplane &
> MotorLake Erie Engineering Co.
> There also was a newer yard near the N Falls. line.The track map I have is a
> 1937 revision of a 1921 NYC map.It must have been one busy place.
>
> lynn

Attached is a 1987 Conrail map that shows Harriet Yard and the Wonalancet
Branch. DL&W/EL accessed the Wonalancet Branch directly via a connection from
DL&W's Black Rock Yard very close to where the NYC Wonalancet Branch's
southern end connected to NYC's Niagara Falls Branch. The EL connection
existed well into the 1980s under Conrail. I have a 1986 photo showing the
connecting track still in place. Today the Wonalancet Branch is still known as
the Wonalancet Runner, but the only ex-EL track in the area is a short
section of DL&W's Black Rock Branch from the ex-NYC Niagara Branch to a
customer near Elmwood Ave.

Back in the 1930s it must have been a very busy area. In the area from the
International Bridge to Harriet Yard there were 8 small yards to service all
the local customers and interchange between seven or eight different RRs.

CSX still services customers on the Wonalancet today.

Henry

J. Henry Priebe Jr. Blue Moon Internet Corp Network Administrator
www.bluemoon.net Internet Access & Web Hosting
www.railfan.net Railfan Network Services


HarrietYard-CR_1987BuffaloTrackChart.jpg

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