Black Rock Rail Yard
Encyclopedia
The Black Rock Rail Yard is on the west side of Buffalo, New York
, a half mile inland from the Niagara River
, in the Black Rock
neighborhood. The rail yard
receives Canadian National Railway
freight trains arriving from Canada
by way of the International Railway Bridge
.
The yard is surrounded by old residential neighborhoods and some abandoned industrial facilities. To the north of the yard, beneath the tracks
, runs Hertel Avenue. An abandoned portion of the north yard is now an automobile junk yard; Austin Street runs under the center of the yard. Most of the trackbed in the yard has been ripped up.
To the south of the yard is the Niagara Expressway and Scajaquada Creek
which empties in to the Black Rock Canal, formerly a channel of the Erie Canal
. Trains depart the yard to the south by either the International Railway Bridge
to Canada or the old New York Central Railroad
line towards downtown Buffalo. Beneath the southern end of the yard crosses Amherst Street.
, the yard began its existence as the northern terminus of the Buffalo and Black Rock Railroad, a horse-powered line from downtown Buffalo. The yard expanded significantly when the International Railway Bridge opened in 1874.
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, a half mile inland from the Niagara River
Niagara River
The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...
, in the Black Rock
Black Rock, Buffalo, New York
Black Rock, once an independent municipality, is now a neighborhood of the northwest section of the city of Buffalo, New York. In the 1820s, Black Rock was the rival of Buffalo for the terminus of the Erie Canal, but Buffalo, with its larger harbor capacity and greater distance from the shores of...
neighborhood. The rail yard
Rail yard
A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of railroad tracks for storing, sorting, or loading/unloading, railroad cars and/or locomotives. Railroad yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock stored off the mainline, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic....
receives Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
freight trains arriving from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
by way of the International Railway Bridge
International Railway Bridge
The International Railway Bridge carries a railway line across the Niagara River between Fort Erie, Ontario and Buffalo, New York. It was built in 1873 for the International Bridge Company by Casimir Stanislaus Gzowski and D.L...
.
The yard is surrounded by old residential neighborhoods and some abandoned industrial facilities. To the north of the yard, beneath the tracks
Rail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
, runs Hertel Avenue. An abandoned portion of the north yard is now an automobile junk yard; Austin Street runs under the center of the yard. Most of the trackbed in the yard has been ripped up.
To the south of the yard is the Niagara Expressway and Scajaquada Creek
Scajaquada Creek
Scajaquada Creek is a stream located in Erie County, New York, USA. The name is derived from Philip Kenjockety, an Indian described as the oldest resident of the region upon his death in 1808....
which empties in to the Black Rock Canal, formerly a channel of the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
. Trains depart the yard to the south by either the International Railway Bridge
International Railway Bridge
The International Railway Bridge carries a railway line across the Niagara River between Fort Erie, Ontario and Buffalo, New York. It was built in 1873 for the International Bridge Company by Casimir Stanislaus Gzowski and D.L...
to Canada or the old New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
line towards downtown Buffalo. Beneath the southern end of the yard crosses Amherst Street.
History
Started in 1834 on state-owned land next to the Erie CanalErie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
, the yard began its existence as the northern terminus of the Buffalo and Black Rock Railroad, a horse-powered line from downtown Buffalo. The yard expanded significantly when the International Railway Bridge opened in 1874.