Arcade and Attica Railroad

4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gaugeLength14 miles (23 km)OtherWebsitehttp://www.aarailroad.com/

Route map
Legend Attica Johnsonburg North Java Java Center Curriers Arcade Buffalo and Pittsburgh RR

The Arcade and Attica Railroad (reporting mark ARA) is a shortline railroad that hauls freight between Arcade and North Java, New York. The railroad originally connected Arcade with Attica; however, the right of way from North Java north to Attica was abandoned in 1957 due to flooding on the Tonawanda Creek.

The ARA's main business is handling agricultural products (e.g. soybeans, corn, and fertilizer), lumber, dairy feed, and other commodities between Arcade and North Java.

As of 2024, ARA now uses its newly acquired 1952 RS3m #114 to handle freight runs from Arcade, NY to Reisdorf Brothers feed mill in North Java, NY.

The ARA also runs passenger excursion trains from May to October on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Passengers can ride the 14-mile (23 km) round trip from Arcade to Curriers Station on restored 1920s-era Boonton passenger coaches as well as a covered gondola pulled by one of the vintage Centercab Diesels (#113, built in 1959, and #112, built-in 1945).

However once the railroad's Alco steam locomotive Arcade & Attica 18 returns from a full rebuild, the General Electric centercab locomotives will take a break from frequent service.

History

The Arcade and Attica Railroad was the latest in a long succession of railroads planned and built through the Tonawanda Valley in Wyoming County.

In 1836, the Attica and Sheldon Railroad was proposed, but no construction ever took place.

In 1852, the Attica and Alleghany Valley Railroad was incorporated to build a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge railway from Attica, through Arcade to the Pennsylvania state line. In 1853, the contract was let for construction and most of the road was graded between Attica and Arcade. Construction was discontinued in 1855, and the property was sold at foreclosure on February 2, 1856.

On February 28, 1870, the Attica and Arcade Railroad was organized and began purchasing the right of way with construction of the line scheduled for completion by October 1, 1876. The railroad went bankrupt in 1873, and construction remained uncompleted.

On April 5, 1880, the Tonawanda Valley Railroad was incorporated with major financial backing from the Erie Railroad. The company planned to build a 24 mi (39 km), narrow gauge line from Attica, through Curriers Corners, to Sardinia to connect with the Buffalo, New York, and Pennsylvania Railroad. On September 11, 1880, the first train ran on the line from Attica to Curriers Corners. In October 1880, the Tonawanda Valley Extension Railroad was organized to extend the line from Curriers to Sardinia. By that winter the company changed its decision and began building to Arcade, rather than Sardinia. By May 1, 1881, the line had reached Arcade. On July 14, 1881, the Tonawanda Valley and Cuba Railroad was formed to extend the line from Arcade to Cuba via Sandusky and Rushford. On August 27, 1881, the Tonawanda Valley Railroad, Tonawanda Valley Extension Railroad, and Tonawanda Valley and Cuba were merged into the new Tonawanda Valley and Cuba Railroad. By September 4, 1882, the line was complete between Attica and Cuba. The Company built facilities to transfer to the standard-gauge Erie Railroad in Attica and Cuba. In Cuba, the company made a connection with the Bradford, Eldred and Cuba, another narrow-gauge railroad controlled by the Erie.^[1]

By September 1884, the company was defaulting on its bonds, and on November 29, the company was in receivership. The company's situation declined further when Bradford, Eldred, and Cuba went bankrupt. The company struggled until October 30, 1886, when it stopped its service from Cuba to Sandusky. On January 19, 1891, the section from Attica to Freedom was sold to bondholders and in May of that year, the Attica and Freedom Railroad was formed. The line went bankrupt and was sold in April 1894.

On October 13, 1894, the Buffalo, Attica and Arcade Railroad was formed to operate the line. The new management switched the line to standard gauge, and by January 1895, the Attica to Curriers section was operating again. By December of that year, the line was open and running from Attica to Arcade. By December 1897, the company had laid a 2 mi (3.2 km) segment to connect with the Pennsylvania Railroad near Arcade. By January 1902, the company had built a line from Arcade to Sandusky with the ultimate goal of reaching Crystal Lake. In August of that same year, a flood washed out much of the line between Arcade and Sandusky along with the connection to the Pennsylvania RR.

In 1904, the BA&A was sold to the Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad which connected the BA&A in Arcade. The B&S operated the line until 1913 when it changed to being operated under lease from the Goodyear family by W. L. Kann of Pittsburgh. The railroad lost enough money in such a short time that Kann ended the agreement on his end. By 1916–1917, the foreclosure of the B&S and W&B forced the Buffalo, Attica, and Arcade into abandonment.

On May 23, 1917, the Arcade and Attica (A&A) Railroad was formed by local investors to operate the line. The line had its ups and downs but survived. It had the enviable distinction of not laying off a single employee during the Great Depression. In 1941, the company purchased a 44-ton diesel from General Electric. The diesel was more dependable and much less expensive to operate than the steam locomotives. Many people credit the diesel for preventing the A&A from going bankrupt in 1941. The Arcade and Attica operated a passenger service until 1951 when the Erie stopped providing a service on the Buffalo-Hornell line, including the connection with the A&A in Attica. In 1957, the line was abandoned between Attica and North Java because of severe washouts in the spring of that year.

During the 1960s, the Arcade & Attica struck its mark when Borden's debuted the non-dairy creamer 'Cremora'. The Arcade facility was the sole Cremora production plant in the United States until its closure in 1970. The Arcade & Attica Railroad brought in the raw supplies and shipped out the finished product across the US, its orange and white boxcars becoming iconic in the process.

On May 27, 2017, the railroad held a celebration marking the corporation's centenary. As part of the celebration, steam locomotive No. 18 was turned on the wye to face the railroad south for the first time in its history. Until that weekend, it had always faced north. Other events included speeches at the station, employee photographs, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and a cake-cutting at the Curriers Depot.

Excursion line

Railroad freight traffic started to decline due to advances made by the automobile and trucking industries following World War II, and the Arcade & Attica was no exception. A solution was to purchase a light steam locomotive and a couple of passenger coaches for a tourist excursion service. After a few years of searching, A&A management purchased #18, a 2-8-0 from the Boyne City Railroad in Michigan, and two commuter coaches from the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad. For 27 days, the A&A offered passenger excursions in 1962. The following year, #14, a 4-6-0 from the Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad and more coaches were purchased. Now, the Arcade and Attica runs all six coaches per run with an open-air gondola used by the United States Air Force. In addition to regular seasonal excursion services, the A&A also hold various events that can be read about on their website, such as their annual Maple Run (Sponsored by Charlotte House) which takes riders all the way to the mill at North Java, Murder Mysteries,Train Robberies and World War 2 weekends, which offer unique and interactive experiences. They also offer alcohol themed evening runs on certain weekends (Adults only, obviously.)There has also been a train for the Winterfest town celebration, a low mileage 20-30 minute run with the coaches to the Arcade Junction and back to the Depot. In addition to this, the A&A is usually always able to accommodate special Charter runs, such as the 2023 'Centercab Charter' which functioned as a send-off to the Centercabs retiring from freight with the arrival of RS3m #406/#114.

Over the years the A&A coaches have sported four distinct schemes- The iconic orange they wear today, a bare orange scheme with a red stripe near the roof in the 70's ("Redline"), a return to form in the 80's incorporating the large font with the "Redline" scheme, and an era where the coaches were painted a pseudo Pullman Green, due to A&A's involvement in a movie and public opinion.

In many ways, this can be viewed as either a throwback to Arcade's original two combine coaches: 301 and 302; which were kept green all the way from inception to passenger service abandonment, or their original heritage of being Pullman green on the DL&W.

After the green started to fade from wear and tear, it was decided to go back to the orange that adorned the coaches in the 60's. The font, however, is slightly different today.

The gondola has only had a handful of variations through the years but obtained a roof in the mid-2000s to shield folks from rain and/or soot on the return trip to Arcade. Prior to the 'roof era' it appeared with a USAF logo and lettering in its first few years, then a mix of bare wood and black paint; orange in the 70's with black metal ends, and back to bare/black. The railing trim has been both yellow and orange through the years.

Locomotive roster

• Prior to dieselization, the A&A used a variety of steam locomotives numbered 1 through 8.

  

  

  When #111 arrived, #6 was officially retired. Due to the Ann Arbor railroad already using the reporting mark AARR, it did cause occasional confusion. ARA was chosen as the new Interchange mark in 1967, with the acquisition of the #400 series boxcars. In the steam era, Arcade's equipment all had "A&ARR" lettering. Due to space at the engine house, only two or three steam engines were ever active at the same time.
• Arcade & Attica 14: (4-6-0) - Built in February 1917 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; currently in storage as it requires a very expensive overhaul to comply with federal safety standards. No. 14 was acquired by the railroad in 1963 from the Escanaba & Lake Superior railroad, one year after #18 was acquired.

  

  It quickly became an icon and stole the show from #18, but only ran until 1988. Since then it has been safely stored outside of the elements but has had parts such as its headlamp and pilot taken for use on #18. As a matter of fact, #18 has been using #14's tender since its retirement. The original #14 tender was sold to a museum for use as static display behind a similar B&O steam engine. Arcade & Attica had a replica built, which now awaits #18 to return to service. There is consideration made for the future, however. Several years ago the railroad purchased the tender of Gettysburg Railroad 76 and has cited interest in using that behind either #14 or #18, so both engines could both be in service at the same time, should they ever have the funding to do so.

  

• Arcade & Attica 18: (2-8-0) - Built in 1920 American Locomotive Company at its 'Cooke Works' in Paterson, New Jersey.^[2] Currently out of service undergoing a full rebuild, the running gear and boiler both having been delivered back to Arcade in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Currently #18 is located in Arcade once again, and work is being done on it daily.

  

  The cab and tender can be seen outside of the shop, while the in-progress locomotive portion remains out of the elements inside the shop. This locomotive was acquired in 1962 from the Boyne City Railroad in Michigan. Due to lower water capacity and a crack in the frame, #18's original tender now sits in the weeds off next to the shed, rusted away.14's tender was also modified after 1988 to have even more water capacity to help #18 with its excursions.^[3]

• Arcade & Attica 110: (GE 44-ton switcher) - Built in 1941 by General Electric as one of the first 13 44ton units, at its Erie, Pennsylvania plant, #110 is considered to have 'dieselized' the A&A single-handedly; now on static display in the municipal parking lot across Main Street from the Arcade station. This unit was featured in a General Electric advertisement promoting the locomotive design, and was delivered in the now iconic "Classic Arcade" paint scheme. After the wreck of 1947,it returned from overhaul with a black-colored skirt under the cab (as opposed to the factory orange).

  

  Around 1967 110 was repainted alongside 111 into a solid black/orange scheme that fans of the railroad have dubbed "CrewCut".The only formal mention of the scheme with internal paperwork refers to it as "Simple Scheme" After the acquisition of #112 in 1988, it was put into storage and sat until being turned into the aforementioned display around 2008. #110's Nathan M5 horn was moved to #112 (Out of service).

• Arcade & Attica 111: (GE 44-ton switcher) - Built in 1947 by General Electric at its Erie, Pennsylvania plant, #111 completed the job, and the last A&A steamer (#6) was scrapped.From around 1967 to 2002 #111 was in the solid orange/black "CrewCut" paint scheme, however was repainted back into "Classic Arcade" in 2002.

  

  In 2017 it was repainted with the new logo and made a handful of appearances from 2017 to 2018, the unit now sits outside of the shops with an uncertain future. Upon #113's acquisition in 2015, #111's Nathan M5 horn was transferred to #113 (Cosmetically Restored, Retired).

• Arcade & Attica 112: (GE 65-ton switcher) - Built in 1945 by General Electric at its Erie, Pennsylvania, plant, for the United States Navy. After used in the Navy 112 went out to Colorado for switching work before being acquired by the ARA in 1988. Originally arriving in a yellow/red livery with "City of Colorado Springs", the lettering was switched over to large "ARCADE" and "ATTICA" text on each hood, respectively. This scheme is referred to as the "Sunflower" scheme.

  

  #112 was repainted into "Classic Arcade" paint in 2002, and has remained in that paint since. As of 2023 this unit has been retired to passenger excursion use only, typically in the Christmas season when ARA runs two trains simultaneously. Some iconic notes to look for when identifying #112 is the roof location of the M5 horn (which was on the front hood early after its 2002 repaint, but moved some point after),and the non-functional roof flasher-light.

• Arcade & Attica 113: (GE 50-ton switcher shell with weighted trucks, making 113 an industrial 80 tonner) - Built in 1959 by General Electric at its Erie, Pennsylvania, plant. This locomotive operated at the Consolidated Edison plant on Staten Island before being acquired by the ARA in 2014, relegating aging #111 to backup duties for freight and passenger trains. It arrived from Staten Island in a bold Industrial Yellow livery, and was repainted into "Classic Arcade" in 2017 as part of the 100 year celebrations. As of 2023,unless used for extremely light loads #113 is retired from freight, but will occasionally replace #112 in the "freight shove" role while taking empties back to Arcade Junction.

• Arcade & Attica #114- Former Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad 406 (ALCO RS-3m) - purchased in 2023 to replace the center cab locomotives. This locomotive has officially taken over freight duties,leaving the Centercabs with Excursion service.^[4] 406 was originally built for the Delaware & Hudson Railroad as RS3 #4112, until it was modified in the 70's by MK to become a "chop-nose" RS3m, also nicknamed a "Clubfoot". It was renumbered to #1976 and given a bicentennial paint job, which it held through its tenure on its next railroad, the Tioga Central,although having now left the D&H numbered as 506, not 1976. From the Tioga Central, it was sold to Western New York & Pennsylvania who renumbered it #406, and repainted it in 2017 into their yellow/black livery. It arrived in 2023 running under its own power from Olean to Machias to Arcade, swapping WNYP and B&P crews at Machias. This is the second Alco Diesel to call Arcade home, as during the 90's the WNYRHS stored South Buffalo #77 in Arcade, though it didn't see any active service. As of October 5, 2023 the acquisition of this diesel has facilitated an addition to the shop structure, extending the center and right bays to contain the Alco, as well as offer space for shopping the coaches. Around this same time, the locomotive was renumbered to #114 officially, and sports a unique A&A crest which has never been used on equipment before.

Rolling Stock

Coaches

• Combine #301
• Combine #302
• Combine #305 (In use) "Bar Car"

• Combine #306 (In use)

• Coach #307 (In use)

• Coach #308 (Scrapped 1996)
• Combine #309 (In use)

• Coach #310 (Scrapped 1985)

• Coach #311 (In use)

• Coach #312 (In use)

All of Arcade's tourist era cars are Ex Delaware, Lackawanna & Western "Boonton" style coaches.

Cabooses

• Caboose #303 (Ex Susquehanna & New York) - This caboose was the first of the two iconic cabooses to be purchased by the A&A. Eventually it was retired and sold into private ownership, but was eventually put on display in Downtown Arcade. It was painted red until 2023 when it had extensive wood replacements and now is in the process of being repainted into true Revenue color: Orange!
• Caboose #304 (Ex Erie) - 304 was the second caboose to be purchased by the railroad, and for a time had its cupola removed. It was moved next to the Little Red Caboose Ice cream shop in Arcade and has been restored, and painted red in homage to its Erie roots. A similar but not exact cupola has been reconstructed. Just like 303, it was always orange until its last few years where it was sold off.

Freight Cars

• Series #100 Reefers - The #100 series reefers were a series of cars used in the steam era for interchange service, but later in life they were used to distribute milk and cream along the line from Attica to Arcade. These were yellow in color and lettering varied by car. Several photos exist of #106 and #108 in public railroad archive websites, such as the one shown below-

• Series #400 Boxcars (Ex B&O) - This has become arguably the most iconic of the Arcade boxcars, as one is on display with ARA #110 in Downtown Arcade, and 8 remain in the Western New York area. Two are restored to B&O livery at the Orchard Park depot, one is at Curriers, two are off the line at Reisdorf's, and two more are used for storage at the Arcade shops, plus the aforementioned one (#411) included in the downtown Arcade display. These were considered old and outdated when purchased in 1967, and were quickly replaced with the #500 series, but they did make their way across the states. The true in service livery is different then the display #411, being more red-orange and having lettering more spaced out in a different font.
• Series #500 Boxcars (Leased) - (#501-#509) What is probably the most iconic of the A&A boxcars for anyone following the railroad in the 70's or familiar with model train releases of A&A, these were the "Creamsicle" cars, which featured a colorful orange and white scheme joined with a large "ARA Serving Arcade Industry" on either side. These were PS-1 style boxcars leased from Morrison Supply Company and were returned once Borden closed, before their lease actually expired. It is unclear if any actually survive.
• Series #500 Boxcars (Ex-NH) - (#510-#523) Purchased outright by the railroad, the later #500 series boxcars were used in tandem with the leased boxcars to haul product from Borden around the country. These cars were a light powder blue, however several photos do depict the color much darker due to shadows. These cars were disliked by Borden staff by comparison to the earlier PS-1 types, as the doors were much narrower. A handful of these boxcars do survive, and one of significance (#522) was turned into a MoW flatbed with a tool chest in the 70's, before having said tool chest removed and being turned into a full flatcar. #522 was scrapped around 2009, however a cut out section from the original modification survives as a forklift shed next to the shops.Some lettering can still be made out in 2023.

Some of these boxcars featured the additional text "Serving Arcade Industry", but not all. Likewise, some of these had full ladders and some were modernized, only having half ladders. #510 is now restored and on display at the Williamsville depot, and was also one of two #500 series involved in a fire at Drakes' Feed, where they were stored at the time. Luckily, only cosmetic damage occurred to both boxcars.

Visitors

Over the years, the Arcade & Attica has been a host to several railcars and locomotives of interest, some of which still exist

• PRR Doodlebug #4666- This unit was privately owned and stored in Arcade, with caboose 303 and the snowplow, where the Arcade Fire Hall is today. It is now restored on the Allentown & Auburn, and was running in 2016.

• Viscose 0-4-0 #6 - Viscose #6 was brought out to Arcade in the 2008 and 2009 seasons for "Railfan days", being paired with #18 for doubleheader runs and doing some solo trips around the Arcade area.
• South Buffalo #77 - South Buffalo #77 was stored in Arcade by the WNYRHS in the 90's, though it was never activated and used. This locomotive steals the title of being the "First Alco Diesel in Arcade" from ARA #114.

• "Ed Lewis' Baggage Car" Not a terrible lot is remembered about this 6-axle baggage car, but it was owned by Edward Lewis, and was the namesake for his publishing company "The Baggage Car". From what is remembered, it was placed next to the Arcade engine sheds, and was planned to be filled with railroad memorabilia. Several photos do exist in private collections, showing it at the Park St freight house siding and also in front of the shop. It is unclear how long it remained in Arcade,and just as unclear, is its heritage, presumed to be either ex B&O or C&O.
• "The Warwick" - Was a 6-axle coach, ex NYO&W that was stored in Arcade, before the railroad acquired Dunlop Tire fireless cooker #1 (now on display at Curriers depot). It was then called the "Grover Cleveland car", touting its fame as a presidential Honeymoon car. The coach was purchased after initial storage, and moved behind M&T bank, opposite side of the #110 display is now (on the old coal track). It arrived in O&W colors, but was repainted into a very nice green with gold/yellow trim and lettering. That siding was eventually removed to make way for more downtown parking, and it was moved behind the KR Wilson building, next to the coach runaround. The coach was actually moved back to the shop every off season, but eventually was left by KR Wilson,the track switch having been removed. The coach fell victim to vandalism after many decades of being in Arcade, and by 2004 it was moved from A&A and began being restored in a museum in Franklin, NY, where it resides today. The claims of it being Cleveland's honeymoon car have fallen to much speculation over the years, as the cars actual build date was 1889 and the aforementioned president was married in 1886. It appears he may have used the car on a simple trip on the NYO&W, but the true facts, and origin of it being his honeymoon car have been lost to history. Interestingly enough, there are some internal documents that refer to using it for "Directors Specials", if only for a few instances. This is referenced on the Souvenir vinyl record jacket, wherein it mentions said Directors Special. According to the jacket, the Warwick was pulled by #18 while #14 handled the regular train for that day.

• rie Caboose- Stored in Arcade alongside SB #77 by WNYRHS, this caboose could be found in Arcade in the 90's, either on the "plow track" in front of #14's bay, or later paired with #77 down by Blue Seal at the interchange.

References

External links