Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad is a short line railroad that operates in Livingston County
and Monroe County
in New York
, United States
. The railroad interchanges with CSX
at Genesee Junction in Chili, New York
, the Rochester and Southern Railroad
(RSR) at Genesee Junction and the RSR's Brooks Avenue Yard in Gates, New York
, and with the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum
at Industry, New York. Their primary freight consists of food products - grain
s and corn syrup
. In 1997, the Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad was selected as Short Line Railroad of the Year
by industry trade journal Railway Age
. The LAL is also the parent company for both the Bath and Hammondsport Railroad
and Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad.
to Avon, New York
by 1851. Eventually this became part of the Erie Railroad
, then part of the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad in 1960, when the Erie merged with the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
.
The Livonia Avon & Lakeville Railroad was born when members of the Livonia community decided to rescue the railroad after news came that the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad was to abandon its spur south from Avon
connecting Lakeville and Livonia
. In 1964, members of the community, led by Chester A. Haak, began a campaign to purchase the soon to be abandoned line from the Erie-Lackawanna for $13,000.
After its incorporation in May 1964, passenger excursions began with the use of GE 45-Tonner
#97. This engine was sold a year later, and replaced by GE 44-tonner
#10. The next year, after acquiring #17, a 2-8-2
steam locomotive
, the LA&L used this engine for all passenger excursion operations with the old Erie depot in Livonia as excursion headquarters. Three years later, #17 began to develop mechanical issues, and was replaced with #38, a 2-8-0
steam locomotive. In 1972, the railroad acquired its first ALCO diesel locomotive
#20, an ALCO RS-1
. Three years after this, in 1975, #38 was stored out of service in need of major boiler repairs.
to give them the Avon-Caledonia branch of the EL which would have allowed them to interchange with the Chessie System
in Caledonia
, as well as Conrail. However, the line was excluded from Conrail and later abandoned. In 1977, growing insurance costs forced the LA&L to discontinue passenger excursions.
1980 saw the LAL purchasing their second ALCO, #72, an Alco S2, followed by the selling of the #10. In 1981, the line to Livonia was abandoned due to a lack of support from the state of New York to repair an aging bridge. After the abandonment, the LA&L built a team track in Lakeville to service its customers. In this year, the LA&L also acquired another ALCO locomotive, this time a C-425
, numbered 425. When 1982 rolled around it was decided that a classification yard
was needed in Lakeville to handle the growing amount of traffic that the railroad was receiving. Later in 1988, this five track yard was completed. Two years later, an engine shop and office building were built next to the yard.
In 1995, the LA&L acquired yet another engine, an ALCO C-420
numbered 420. The shop was extended to hold two coupled road engines.
In 1996, the LAL acquired Conrail's "Rochester South Cluster" pursuant to the Interstate Commerce Commission
Termination Act of 1995. Instead of interchanging in Avon, the LAL now operated north to Genesee Junction, where they would interchange with Conrail. The railroad launched a $1.4 million rehabilitation effort.
In the same year, the LA&L began operation of the former Champagne Railroad, now known as the Bath and Hammondsport Railroad
, previously owned and operated by the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency. With this deal, the LA&L inherited the use of the railroad's two remaining ALCO S1 engines, numbers 4 and 5, to service the newly acquired railroad. With this acquisition, the railroad grew to 65 route miles. Also, four ALCO C-424m
locomotives were purchased. The LA&L was also named "Industry of the Year" by the Livingston County Chamber of Commerce.
applied to split Conrail, the LA&L filed an application to remove the paper barrier that had kept the railroad from interchanging with the Rochester & Southern at Genesee Junction. With fierce opposition from CSX, the Surface Transportation Board
granted the LA&L trackage rights
across the Genesee Junction Yard, trackage rights into the R&S and its yard at Brooks Avenue, and haulage rights on the R&S to Silver Springs, New York
. This gave the LA&L access to three Class I railroad
s: CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Canadian Pacific Railway
.
1998 was a busy year for the LAL. A number of infrastructure rehabilitation projects resulted in the line from Lakeville to Genesee Jct becoming a 25MPH railroad – not the 5-10MPH that had been. The B&H also saw improvements on the northern end of the line, including the reactivation of ten miles of previously unused rail between Cohocton and Wayland, NY. New track was also built to serve a new road de-icer processing facility. Also in this year, the LA&L gained a controlling interest in the Ontario Central Railroad
. Due to the Conrail split, the ONCT finally received competitive connections to CSX, NS, CP Rail, and NYSW by way of the Finger Lakes Railway
.
During 1999, the bridge on Pole Bridge Road was upgraded to handle 286,000 pound railroad cars. Avon Yard was also rebuilt into its current configuration. The Lakeville shop was expanded to accommodate three coupled road engines with additional floor space in a separate bay to facilitate locomotive repair. Two of the ALCO C-424m locomotives purchased in 1995 were repaired and reactivated, emerging as numbers 423 and 424.
In 2001, the LA&L began operations on the former Erie-Lackawanna mainline between Hornell, New York
, and Corry, Pennsylvania
, as the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad. The railroad initially provided rail service between Olean and Jamestown, New York
, but eventually extended to more of the line as out-of-service sections were reactivated. In October of that year, the Cohocton Valley Rail Corp. was renamed as the Bath & Hammondsport Rail Corp. Subsidiary WNYP leased additional trackage from Norfolk Southern in 2005 extending from Meadville, PA to Oil City, PA.
In 2007, the STB granted an exemption to Finger Lakes Railway
allowing them to acquire the Ontario Central from LAL. With the completion of the transaction, ONCT RS-32 418 was permanently transferred to LAL. From May through September, the LAL was busy upgrading the majority of its 30 mile mainline from 105 Lbs stick rail to 127Lbs welded rail - allowing faster trains with heavier loads. Additionally, in 2007 a new Barilla Pasta plant opened in Avon, which receives grains via rail. According to Barilla's US top executive, Kirk Trofholz, the availability of rail transport was "a must" when choosing the location for the plant.
The WNYP saw massive expansion, with the leasing of NS tracks from Machias, New York
south through Olean, NY to Driftwood, PA. Along with the trackage, the company purchased or leased eight 6-axel Alcos.
locomotives. The LA&L rosters an S-2 (#72) built in 1941, an RS-1
(#20) built in 1949, two S-1s (#4 and 5), one C-420
(#420), seven C-424s
(#421, 422, 423, 424, 426, 427, 428), four of which are of the C-424m rebuilt variant, one C-425
(#425), four C-430s
(#430, 431, 432, 433), one C-630
(#630), one M-630
(#631), and an RS-36
(#418). Several of the locomotives are lettered for LA&L subsidiaries Bath & Hammondsport or Western New York & Pennsylvania.
Before the road became an all-ALCO road, their roster consisted of a Baldwin
2-8-2 (#17), a GE 45 Tonner with side rods (#97), and in later years, one GE 44 Tonner (#10) and one 2-8-0 (#38). Number 17 was scrapped in Lakeville after being sold to a Rochester area business-man. Number 38 survives on the Everett Railroad
at Duncansville, PA. Former #97 was later sold to Rochester Gas and Electric, where it was used to switch coal cars at Bee Bee Station. When Bee Bee station closed in the early 1990s, the locomotive was donated to the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum
, where it is actively, as of 2008, being restored as RGE #1941.
trackage. Shortly after crossing Jefferson Road (NY-252
), the track splits, with one track, the ex-LV Rochester Branch, heading southeast to a pair of online businesses on Lehigh Station Road (NY-253
) before coming to an end, while the other track, ex-EL trackage, continues south/southwest towards Avon and eventually hits the Lakeville terminus, ending just shy of Conesus Lake
, at one time a Steam Boat terminal.
In Avon, there is a short branch to Kraft Foods
, which is the only remaining part of the Erie's branch to Mount Morris, New York
. In 1994 the LAL reactivated a spur to a grain elevator on Bronson Hill Road. This spur was formerly part of the Livonia Branch of the LAL which had been abandoned in 1981.
As of 2008, The LAL has a three-track yard in the town of Avon
which is undergoing expansion due to increasing volume of traffic. Lakeville is the site of a five-track class-yard and a four-track engine house as well as ADM
and Sweeteners Plus.
Livingston County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 64,328 people, 22,150 households, and 15,349 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 24,023 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
and Monroe County
Monroe County, New York
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 744,344. It is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States of America. Its county seat is the city of Rochester....
in 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The railroad interchanges with CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
at Genesee Junction in Chili, New York
Chili, New York
Chili is a town in Monroe County, New York, USA. The population was 28,625 at the 2010 census. It is a suburb of the city of Rochester.The Town of Chili was established in 1822 from part of the Town of Riga....
, the Rochester and Southern Railroad
Rochester and Southern Railroad
The Rochester and Southern Railroad , a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc., is a class III shortline that runs from the city of Rochester in Monroe County to Silver Springs, NY. The RSR started in 1986, when the B&O sold off its Buffalo and Rochester branches...
(RSR) at Genesee Junction and the RSR's Brooks Avenue Yard in Gates, New York
Gates, New York
Gates is a town in Monroe County, New York. The town is named after General Horatio Gates. The population was 28,400 at the 2010 census. Gates-North Gates census-designated place is located within the town's boundaries....
, and with the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum
Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum
The Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad Museum is an operating railroad museum located in Industry, New York. The museum started in 1971 with the leasing of a former Erie Railroad Depot from the Erie Lackawanna Railroad...
at Industry, New York. Their primary freight consists of food products - grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
s and corn syrup
Corn syrup
Corn syrup is a food syrup, which is made from the starch of maize and contains varying amounts of maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to soften texture, add volume, prevent crystallization of sugar, and enhance flavor...
. In 1997, the Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad was selected as Short Line Railroad of the Year
Short Line Railroad of the Year
The Short Line Railroad of the Year is an annual award presented to North American short line railroads by rail transport industry publication Railway Age.Past recipients of this award are:* 1992 - RailTex...
by industry trade journal Railway Age
Railway Age
Railway Age is an American trade journal for the rail transport industry. It was founded in 1856 in Chicago and is published monthly by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation. The magazine's original title was the Western Railroad Gazette, and was renamed the Railroad Gazette in 1870...
. The LAL is also the parent company for both the Bath and Hammondsport Railroad
Bath and Hammondsport Railroad
B&H Rail Corporation , formerly the Bath and Hammondsport Railroad, is a Class III shortline railroad. Initially the line served the communities of Bath, New York and Hammondsport, New York. In Bath, the railroad connected with the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad...
and Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad.
The Beginning
The route that is now the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville started in mid-19th century. Originally, the line from Mortimer to Avon was part of the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad – which had constructed an 18 mile route from downtown Rochester, New YorkRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
to Avon, New York
Avon, New York
Avon, New York is the name of two places located in Livingston County in the State of New York in the United States of America.*Avon , New York*Avon , New York...
by 1851. Eventually this became part of the Erie Railroad
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
, then part of the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad in 1960, when the Erie merged with the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, New Jersey, , Buffalo and Oswego, New York...
.
The Livonia Avon & Lakeville Railroad was born when members of the Livonia community decided to rescue the railroad after news came that the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad was to abandon its spur south from Avon
Avon, New York
Avon, New York is the name of two places located in Livingston County in the State of New York in the United States of America.*Avon , New York*Avon , New York...
connecting Lakeville and Livonia
Livonia (village), New York
Livonia is a village located in the Town of Livonia, Livingston County, New York, at the intersection of US Route 20 and Route 15. The population was 1,373 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Livonia is located at ....
. In 1964, members of the community, led by Chester A. Haak, began a campaign to purchase the soon to be abandoned line from the Erie-Lackawanna for $13,000.
After its incorporation in May 1964, passenger excursions began with the use of GE 45-Tonner
GE 45-ton switcher
The GE 45-ton switcher is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by GE between 1940 and 1956.-Equipment:The locomotive was equipped with two Cummins diesel engines, each driving a generator which, in turn, drove one of the two traction motors, one per truck. In early models, the second axle on each...
#97. This engine was sold a year later, and replaced by GE 44-tonner
GE 44-ton switcher
The GE 44-ton switcher is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Electric between 1940 and 1956. It was designed for industrial and light switching duties, often replacing steam locomotives that had previously been assigned these chores...
#10. The next year, after acquiring #17, a 2-8-2
2-8-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
, the LA&L used this engine for all passenger excursion operations with the old Erie depot in Livonia as excursion headquarters. Three years later, #17 began to develop mechanical issues, and was replaced with #38, a 2-8-0
2-8-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels...
steam locomotive. In 1972, the railroad acquired its first ALCO diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
#20, an ALCO RS-1
ALCO RS-1
The ALCO RS-1 was a 4-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by Alco-GE between 1941 and 1953 and the American Locomotive Company from 1953 to 1960. This model has the distinction of having the longest production run of any diesel locomotive for the North American market.The carbody configuration of...
. Three years after this, in 1975, #38 was stored out of service in need of major boiler repairs.
Conrail Years
On April 1, 1976, six major railroads in the northeast United States became one, Conrail. Conrail was now the interchange railroad in Avon, NY, as opposed to the EL. During the planning of Conrail, the LA&L petitioned the United States Railroad AdministrationUnited States Railroad Administration
The United States Railroad Administration was the name of the nationalized railroad system of the United States between 1917 and 1920. It was possibly the largest American experiment with nationalization, and was undertaken against a background of war emergency.- Background :On April 6, 1917, the...
to give them the Avon-Caledonia branch of the EL which would have allowed them to interchange with the Chessie System
Chessie System
Chessie System, Inc. was a holding company that owned the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway , the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad , the Western Maryland Railway , and several smaller carriers. It was incorporated in Virginia on February 26, 1973, and it acquired the C&O on June 15...
in Caledonia
Caledonia (village), New York
Caledonia is a village in Livingston County, New York, USA. The population was 2,327 at the 2000 census. The name refers to Scotland.The Village of Caledonia is located inside the Town of Caledonia and is southwest of Rochester, Monroe County....
, as well as Conrail. However, the line was excluded from Conrail and later abandoned. In 1977, growing insurance costs forced the LA&L to discontinue passenger excursions.
1980 saw the LAL purchasing their second ALCO, #72, an Alco S2, followed by the selling of the #10. In 1981, the line to Livonia was abandoned due to a lack of support from the state of New York to repair an aging bridge. After the abandonment, the LA&L built a team track in Lakeville to service its customers. In this year, the LA&L also acquired another ALCO locomotive, this time a C-425
ALCO Century 425
The ALCO Century 425 was a four-axle, 2500 horsepower diesel locomotive of the road switcher type. 91 were built between October 1964 and December 1966....
, numbered 425. When 1982 rolled around it was decided that a classification yard
Classification yard
A classification yard or marshalling yard is a railroad yard found at some freight train stations, used to separate railroad cars on to one of several tracks. First the cars are taken to a track, sometimes called a lead or a drill...
was needed in Lakeville to handle the growing amount of traffic that the railroad was receiving. Later in 1988, this five track yard was completed. Two years later, an engine shop and office building were built next to the yard.
In 1995, the LA&L acquired yet another engine, an ALCO C-420
ALCO Century 420
The ALCO Century 420 was a four-axle, 2000 horsepower diesel locomotive of the road switcher type. 131 were built between June 1963 and August 1968. Cataloged as a part of ALCO's "Century" line of locomotives, the C420 was intended to replace the earlier RS-32 model.- Original Owners :Since...
numbered 420. The shop was extended to hold two coupled road engines.
In 1996, the LAL acquired Conrail's "Rochester South Cluster" pursuant to the Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
Termination Act of 1995. Instead of interchanging in Avon, the LAL now operated north to Genesee Junction, where they would interchange with Conrail. The railroad launched a $1.4 million rehabilitation effort.
In the same year, the LA&L began operation of the former Champagne Railroad, now known as the Bath and Hammondsport Railroad
Bath and Hammondsport Railroad
B&H Rail Corporation , formerly the Bath and Hammondsport Railroad, is a Class III shortline railroad. Initially the line served the communities of Bath, New York and Hammondsport, New York. In Bath, the railroad connected with the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad...
, previously owned and operated by the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency. With this deal, the LA&L inherited the use of the railroad's two remaining ALCO S1 engines, numbers 4 and 5, to service the newly acquired railroad. With this acquisition, the railroad grew to 65 route miles. Also, four ALCO C-424m
ALCO Century 424
The Century 424 was a four-axle, 2400 horsepower diesel locomotive of the road switcher type. 190 were built between April 1963 and May 1967. Cataloged as a part of Alco's Century line of locomotives, the C424 was intended to replace the earlier RS-27 model and offered as a lower-priced...
locomotives were purchased. The LA&L was also named "Industry of the Year" by the Livingston County Chamber of Commerce.
Continued Expansion
In 1997, CSX and Norfolk Southern RailwayNorfolk 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...
applied to split Conrail, the LA&L filed an application to remove the paper barrier that had kept the railroad from interchanging with the Rochester & Southern at Genesee Junction. With fierce opposition from CSX, the Surface Transportation Board
Surface Transportation Board
The Surface Transportation Board of the United States is a bipartisan, decisionally-independent adjudicatory body organizationally housed within the U.S. Department of Transportation. The STB was established in 1996 to assume some of the regulatory functions that had been administered by the...
granted the LA&L trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
across the Genesee Junction Yard, trackage rights into the R&S and its yard at Brooks Avenue, and haulage rights on the R&S to Silver Springs, New York
Silver Springs, New York
Silver Springs is a village in Wyoming County, New York, United States. The population was 844 at the 2000 census.The Village of Silver Springs is within the Town of Gainesville...
. This gave the LA&L access to three Class I railroad
Class I railroad
A Class I railroad in the United States and Mexico, or a Class I rail carrier in Canada, is a large freight railroad company, as classified based on operating revenue.Smaller railroads are classified as Class II and Class III...
s: CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
.
1998 was a busy year for the LAL. A number of infrastructure rehabilitation projects resulted in the line from Lakeville to Genesee Jct becoming a 25MPH railroad – not the 5-10MPH that had been. The B&H also saw improvements on the northern end of the line, including the reactivation of ten miles of previously unused rail between Cohocton and Wayland, NY. New track was also built to serve a new road de-icer processing facility. Also in this year, the LA&L gained a controlling interest in the Ontario Central Railroad
Ontario Central Railroad
The Ontario Central Railroad is an American class III railroad company operating in Ontario County, New York. As of 2007, the ONCT has been under the ownership of the Finger Lakes Railway....
. Due to the Conrail split, the ONCT finally received competitive connections to CSX, NS, CP Rail, and NYSW by way of the Finger Lakes Railway
Finger Lakes Railway
The Finger Lakes Railway is a class III railroad in the Finger Lakes region of New York.The Finger Lakes Railway began operation on July 23, 1995 and operates in Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, Ontario, Schuyler and Yates counties....
.
During 1999, the bridge on Pole Bridge Road was upgraded to handle 286,000 pound railroad cars. Avon Yard was also rebuilt into its current configuration. The Lakeville shop was expanded to accommodate three coupled road engines with additional floor space in a separate bay to facilitate locomotive repair. Two of the ALCO C-424m locomotives purchased in 1995 were repaired and reactivated, emerging as numbers 423 and 424.
In 2001, the LA&L began operations on the former Erie-Lackawanna mainline between Hornell, New York
Hornell, New York
Hornell is a city in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 9,019 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Hornell family, early settlers. Its current population has not yet been released by the new census....
, and Corry, Pennsylvania
Corry, Pennsylvania
Corry is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. With a population of 6,834 at the 2000 United States Census, it is the second largest city in Erie County. Corry is a part of the Erie Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, as the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad. The railroad initially provided rail service between Olean and Jamestown, New York
Jamestown, New York
Jamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,146 at the 2010 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
, but eventually extended to more of the line as out-of-service sections were reactivated. In October of that year, the Cohocton Valley Rail Corp. was renamed as the Bath & Hammondsport Rail Corp. Subsidiary WNYP leased additional trackage from Norfolk Southern in 2005 extending from Meadville, PA to Oil City, PA.
In 2007, the STB granted an exemption to Finger Lakes Railway
Finger Lakes Railway
The Finger Lakes Railway is a class III railroad in the Finger Lakes region of New York.The Finger Lakes Railway began operation on July 23, 1995 and operates in Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, Ontario, Schuyler and Yates counties....
allowing them to acquire the Ontario Central from LAL. With the completion of the transaction, ONCT RS-32 418 was permanently transferred to LAL. From May through September, the LAL was busy upgrading the majority of its 30 mile mainline from 105 Lbs stick rail to 127Lbs welded rail - allowing faster trains with heavier loads. Additionally, in 2007 a new Barilla Pasta plant opened in Avon, which receives grains via rail. According to Barilla's US top executive, Kirk Trofholz, the availability of rail transport was "a must" when choosing the location for the plant.
The WNYP saw massive expansion, with the leasing of NS tracks from Machias, New York
Machias, New York
Machias is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,482 at the 2000 census.The Town of Machias is an interior town in the northeast quadrant of the county. It is northeast of the city of Salamanca.-History:...
south through Olean, NY to Driftwood, PA. Along with the trackage, the company purchased or leased eight 6-axel Alcos.
Locomotive Roster
The Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad has a roster made up of primarily ALCOAmerican Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:...
locomotives. The LA&L rosters an S-2 (#72) built in 1941, an RS-1
ALCO RS-1
The ALCO RS-1 was a 4-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by Alco-GE between 1941 and 1953 and the American Locomotive Company from 1953 to 1960. This model has the distinction of having the longest production run of any diesel locomotive for the North American market.The carbody configuration of...
(#20) built in 1949, two S-1s (#4 and 5), one C-420
ALCO Century 420
The ALCO Century 420 was a four-axle, 2000 horsepower diesel locomotive of the road switcher type. 131 were built between June 1963 and August 1968. Cataloged as a part of ALCO's "Century" line of locomotives, the C420 was intended to replace the earlier RS-32 model.- Original Owners :Since...
(#420), seven C-424s
ALCO Century 424
The Century 424 was a four-axle, 2400 horsepower diesel locomotive of the road switcher type. 190 were built between April 1963 and May 1967. Cataloged as a part of Alco's Century line of locomotives, the C424 was intended to replace the earlier RS-27 model and offered as a lower-priced...
(#421, 422, 423, 424, 426, 427, 428), four of which are of the C-424m rebuilt variant, one C-425
ALCO Century 425
The ALCO Century 425 was a four-axle, 2500 horsepower diesel locomotive of the road switcher type. 91 were built between October 1964 and December 1966....
(#425), four C-430s
ALCO Century 430
The ALCO Century 430 was a four-axle, 3000 horsepower diesel locomotive of the road switcher type. 16 were built between July 1966 and February 1968. Cataloged as a part of ALCO's 'Century' line of locomotives, the C430 was an upgraded version of the C425 model. Since 1992, 5 C430s have remained...
(#430, 431, 432, 433), one C-630
ALCO Century 630
The ALCO Century 630 was a six-axle, 3000 horsepower diesel locomotive built between 1965 and 1967. 77 were built: 3 for Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, 4 for Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, 8 for Louisville and Nashville Railroad, 10 for Norfolk and Western Railway, 15 for Pennsylvania Railroad, 12...
(#630), one M-630
ALCO Century 630
The ALCO Century 630 was a six-axle, 3000 horsepower diesel locomotive built between 1965 and 1967. 77 were built: 3 for Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, 4 for Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, 8 for Louisville and Nashville Railroad, 10 for Norfolk and Western Railway, 15 for Pennsylvania Railroad, 12...
(#631), and an RS-36
ALCO RS-36
The ALCO RS-36 is a diesel-electric locomotive of which 40 were produced by ALCO between February 1962 and August 1963 for seven railroads.-Original Owners:-External links:* Sarberenyi, Robert. ....
(#418). Several of the locomotives are lettered for LA&L subsidiaries Bath & Hammondsport or Western New York & Pennsylvania.
Before the road became an all-ALCO road, their roster consisted of a Baldwin
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
2-8-2 (#17), a GE 45 Tonner with side rods (#97), and in later years, one GE 44 Tonner (#10) and one 2-8-0 (#38). Number 17 was scrapped in Lakeville after being sold to a Rochester area business-man. Number 38 survives on the Everett Railroad
Everett Railroad
The Everett Railroad is a short-line railroad that operates ex-Pennsylvania Railroad trackage in the Hollidaysburg area of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It runs freight trains over two separate lines, one from Brooks Mill and Sproul, and the other, owned by the Morrison's Cove Railroad, from...
at Duncansville, PA. Former #97 was later sold to Rochester Gas and Electric, where it was used to switch coal cars at Bee Bee Station. When Bee Bee station closed in the early 1990s, the locomotive was donated to the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum
Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum
The Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad Museum is an operating railroad museum located in Industry, New York. The museum started in 1971 with the leasing of a former Erie Railroad Depot from the Erie Lackawanna Railroad...
, where it is actively, as of 2008, being restored as RGE #1941.
Trackage
The LAL has trackage rights at CSX's Genesee Junction Yard, allowing the LAL to interchange with the Rochester and Southern Railroad as well as CSX. LAL ownership begins at the east end of Genesee Junction with the former Conrail non-controlled siding that runs parallel to the West Shore Branch from Genesee Junction Yard to MP 360. There, the line heads south onto what was once Erie-Lackawanna Railroad and Lehigh Valley RailroadLehigh Valley Railroad
The Lehigh Valley Railroad was one of a number of railroads built in the northeastern United States primarily to haul anthracite coal.It was authorized April 21, 1846 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and incorporated September 20, 1847 as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad...
trackage. Shortly after crossing Jefferson Road (NY-252
New York State Route 252
New York State Route 252 is an east–west state highway south of Rochester in Monroe County, New York, in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 33A in Chili and the eastern terminus is at a junction with NY 64 and NY 96 in the village...
), the track splits, with one track, the ex-LV Rochester Branch, heading southeast to a pair of online businesses on Lehigh Station Road (NY-253
New York State Route 253
New York State Route 253 is a long east–west state highway in Monroe County, New York, United States. The western terminus of the route is at NY 383 in the village of Scottsville. Its eastern terminus is at NY 65 in the town of Pittsford...
) before coming to an end, while the other track, ex-EL trackage, continues south/southwest towards Avon and eventually hits the Lakeville terminus, ending just shy of Conesus Lake
Conesus Lake
Conesus Lake is one of the minor Finger Lakes in western New York. It is western-most of eleven total Finger Lakes. The lake's outlet is in Lakeville, New York a hamlet in the Town of Livonia, New York in Livingston County, south of Rochester, New York. The lake's inlet is in the Town of Conesus,...
, at one time a Steam Boat terminal.
In Avon, there is a short branch to Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
, which is the only remaining part of the Erie's branch to Mount Morris, New York
Mount Morris, New York
Mount Morris, New York refers to:*Mount Morris , New York*Mount Morris , New York*Marcus Garvey Park, also called Mount Morris Park, in Harlem, New York*Mount Morris Park Historic District, the area surrounding Marcus Garvey Park...
. In 1994 the LAL reactivated a spur to a grain elevator on Bronson Hill Road. This spur was formerly part of the Livonia Branch of the LAL which had been abandoned in 1981.
As of 2008, The LAL has a three-track yard in the town of Avon
Avon (town), New York
Avon is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. The town is bordered on the north by the town of Rush, New York in Monroe County. Avon is south of Rochester. The population was 6,443 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the river Avon...
which is undergoing expansion due to increasing volume of traffic. Lakeville is the site of a five-track class-yard and a four-track engine house as well as ADM
Archer Daniels Midland
The Archer Daniels Midland Company is a conglomerate headquartered in Decatur, Illinois. ADM operates more than 270 plants worldwide, where cereal grains and oilseeds are processed into products used in food, beverage, nutraceutical, industrial and animal feed markets worldwide.ADM was named the...
and Sweeteners Plus.