History

There has been a long succession of railroads planned and built through the Tonawanda Valley in Wyoming County.  In 1853 plans were made for a three foot narrow gauge operation from Attica, through Arcade, to the Pennsylvania State line in Cattaraugus County to be called the Attica and Allegheny Railroad. Local residents raised construction capital but the line was never built.

In 1880 the narrow-gauge Tonawanda Valley Railroad was organized with financial backing from the Erie Railroad and built a narrow gauge line from Attica to Curriers. In 1881 the Tonawanda Valley Extension Railroad was built and extended the line southward from Curriers to Arcade. Later in 1881 these two railroads were consolidated as the Tonawanda Valley & Cuba Railroad which extended the line further south to Cuba, NY.

In 1892 the south end of the line was cut back from Cuba to Freedom and the company was renamed the Attica and Freedom Railroad.

This company was not successful and on October 13, 1894 the company was reorganized as the Buffalo, Attica & Arcade Railroad. In 1895 the line was converted to standard gauge.  The line's primary interchange was with the Erie Railroad's Buffalo to Hornell line in Attica.  The company also enjoyed a short-lived connection with the Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad in Arcade.  This lasted from the construction of the B&S line in 1906 to the line's dismantlement in 1914.

In 1904 the BA&A was sold to Frank Goodyear, one of the owners of the Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad which connected to the BA&A in Arcade.  The B&S operated the line until 1913 when it was sold to W. L. Kann of Pittsburgh.  Under Kann the railroad declined and lost money until operations were suspended in the Winter of 1916/1917.

The Buffalo, Attica and Arcade was ultimately unsuccessful and on May 23rd, 1917 the Arcade and Attica Railroad was organized to purchase and operate the assets of the company.

This 1882 map shows the route of the Tonawanda Valley Railroad extending southward to Richburg
This 1894 map shows the route of the Attica and Freedom Railroad. Notice that the southern end is cut back to Sandusky.

References