Buffalo Line
Encyclopedia
The Buffalo Line is a railroad line owned and operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway
in the U.S. state
s of New York
and Pennsylvania
. The line runs from Buffalo, New York
southeast to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
along a former Pennsylvania Railroad
line. Its north end is at Seneca Yard in Buffalo, with no direct access to the Lake Erie District, and its south end is at the Pittsburgh Line at Rockville, Pennsylvania
.
south to Milton in 1854, Northumberland in 1855, and Sunbury in 1856. Extensions west from Williamsport opened to Whetham in 1859, Keating
(as the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad
) in 1862, and Emporium (also as the P&E) in 1863. A cutoff bypassing downtown Williamsport to the south, from Allen's west to Nisbet, opened in the early 1870s, and is now part of the Buffalo Line.
The Northern Central Railway
opened a line from Dauphin, Pennsylvania
north to Millersburg in 1856, extending it north to Herndon
in 1857 and Sunbury in 1858. In 1882, the Pennsylvania Railroad
opened their Rockville Branch from Rockville (on their main line) north to Dauphin on the Northern Central.
From the Buffalo end, the Buffalo and Washington Railway opened its line to East Aurora, New York
in 1868 and South Wales
in 1870. In 1871 its name was changed to the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railway, and it was extended to Emporium, Pennsylvania
in 1872, completing the line between Buffalo and Harrisburg. The newest piece of the Buffalo Line, opened in 1909, is at Buffalo, running from the old main line at Gardenville southwest to Seneca Yard.
The line became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad
and Conrail through leases, mergers, and takeovers. In the 1999 breakup of Conrail, it was assigned to Norfolk Southern.
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
s of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The line runs from Buffalo, New York
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...
southeast to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
along a former Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
line. Its north end is at Seneca Yard in Buffalo, with no direct access to the Lake Erie District, and its south end is at the Pittsburgh Line at Rockville, Pennsylvania
Rockville, Pennsylvania
Rockville is an unincorporated community in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States, at latitude 40.336 and longitude -76.905. The elevation is 328 feet...
.
History
The Sunbury and Erie Railroad opened from Williamsport, PennsylvaniaWilliamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
south to Milton in 1854, Northumberland in 1855, and Sunbury in 1856. Extensions west from Williamsport opened to Whetham in 1859, Keating
Keating, Pennsylvania
Keating is an unincorporated community in East Keating Township, Clinton County, Pennsylvania. It is located at the confluence of Sinnemahoning Creek and the West Branch Susquehanna River....
(as the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad
Philadelphia and Erie Railroad
The Philadelphia and Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in Pennsylvania between 1861 and 1907. It was subsequently merged into the Pennsylvania Railroad .-History:...
) in 1862, and Emporium (also as the P&E) in 1863. A cutoff bypassing downtown Williamsport to the south, from Allen's west to Nisbet, opened in the early 1870s, and is now part of the Buffalo Line.
The Northern Central Railway
Northern Central Railway
The Northern Central Railway was a Class I Railroad connecting Baltimore, Maryland with Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Completed in 1858, the line came under the control of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1861, when the PRR acquired a controlling interest in the Northern Central's stock to compete with the...
opened a line from Dauphin, Pennsylvania
Dauphin, Pennsylvania
Dauphin is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 791 at the 2010 census. Dauphin's ZIP code is 17018. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Dauphin is located at...
north to Millersburg in 1856, extending it north to Herndon
Herndon, Pennsylvania
Herndon, formerly Trevorton Junction, is a borough in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Herndon was first founded by Robert A. Parrish in 1840. The town was later named for Naval commander William Lewis Herndon, who died in 1857 while trying to rescue passengers from his sinking...
in 1857 and Sunbury in 1858. In 1882, the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
opened their Rockville Branch from Rockville (on their main line) north to Dauphin on the Northern Central.
From the Buffalo end, the Buffalo and Washington Railway opened its line to East Aurora, New York
East Aurora, New York
East Aurora is a village in Erie County, New York, United States, southeast of Buffalo. The Village of East Aurora lies in the eastern half of the Town of Aurora.The population was 6,673 at the 2000 census...
in 1868 and South Wales
South Wales, New York
South Wales, New York is an unincorporated hamlet in the towns of Aurora and Wales in Erie County, New York, USA. WGRZ's broadcast tower and in-house weather radar are based in the hamlet.-References:...
in 1870. In 1871 its name was changed to the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railway, and it was extended to Emporium, Pennsylvania
Emporium, Pennsylvania
Emporium is a borough in Cameron County, Pennsylvania, west-northwest of Williamsport. Early in the twentieth century, it had large powder plants and manufactories of radio tubes, incandescent lamps, paving brick, flour, iron, lumber, sole leather, etc. In 1900, 2,463 people lived in Emporium, and...
in 1872, completing the line between Buffalo and Harrisburg. The newest piece of the Buffalo Line, opened in 1909, is at Buffalo, running from the old main line at Gardenville southwest to Seneca Yard.
The line became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
and Conrail through leases, mergers, and takeovers. In the 1999 breakup of Conrail, it was assigned to Norfolk Southern.