Predecessor Railroads -- History of the Lines that Comprise Today's LAL

1850

Inspired by the imminent completion of the 6-foot gauge New York and Erie Rail Road between the Hudson River and Dunkirk on Lake Erie, the Buffalo and Cohocton Valley Railway is incorporated to build what its backers hope will become Erie's route to Buffalo. Their projected line runs via Painted Post, Bath, Wayland, Livonia, Avon, Batavia, and Attica. In 1852, the company changes its name to the Buffalo, Corning and New York Railroad. Before BC&NY can finish its line, the only existing route between Attica and Buffalo is acquired by the rival Buffalo and New York City Railroad, which in 1852 completes a shortcut between Attica and the Erie main line at Hornellsville. In 1853 BC&NY opens between Painted Post and Caledonia, and the next year it reaches Batavia. Today, LAL operates the segment between Bronson Hill Road (Town of Livonia) and Avon.

1854

Incorporated in 1851 to link Rochester and Pittsburgh, the Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad runs out of money after building a 6-foot gauge line between Rochester and Avon. Today, LAL operates the segment between Mortimer (near South Town Plaza) and Avon.

1856

The Genesee Valley Railroad is incorporated to extend the R&GV from Avon to a connection with the Buffalo and New York City Railroad at Portage. After being sold at foreclosure in 1858 and reconstituted as the Avon, Geneseo and Mt. Morris Railroad, the company opens a 6-foot gauge line to Mt. Morris in 1859. Today, a remnant survives as LAL's Avon Industrial Track serving Kraft General Foods and King Cole Bean Company.

1857

The Buffalo and New York City Railroad is reorganized as the Buffalo, New York and Erie Railroad and acquires the bankrupt Buffalo, Corning and New York.

1858

The Rochester and Genesee Valley is leased to the Buffalo, New York and Erie.

1861

The New York and Erie Rail Road is reorganized as the Erie Railway.

1863

The Buffalo, New York and Erie is leased to the Erie Railway

1872

The Avon, Geneseo and Mt. Morris is leased to the Erie Railway.

1875

Incorporated in 1872, the Bath and Hammondsport Railroad completes a narrow (3-foot) gauge line between the Erie connection at Bath and Hammondsport. Today, this line survives as part of the rail lines owned by the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency lines and operated by LAL, although it is currently inactive. In 1889 this line is standard-gauged. In 1903 B&H falls under the control of the Erie Railroad, which sponsors excursion trains to meet lake steamers at a pier on the south end of Keuka Lake. B&H regains its independence in 1936.

1875

Portage Bridge burns, temporarily shifting Buffalo Division freight and passenger traffic to a Painted Post-Avon-Attica routing. Any hope that the Rochester Division will rise again vanishes, however, when a new bridge at Portage is built in 47 days. The Rochester Division settles into a role as a good route for coal to Rochester--easy grades up the Cohocton Valley, all downhill after that.

1878

The Erie Railway is reorganized as the New York, Lake Erie and Western Railroad.

1881

The Erie Rochester Division is standard-gauged by means of moving the east rail in 15 and 1/2 inches between Corning and Rochester. The work is accomplished in four hours, spikes having been set previously all along the line.

1882

The Conesus Lake Railroad completes a 1.6-mile 6-foot gauge branch from a connection with the NYLE&W at Conesus Lake Junction (originally Trews) down to the north shore of Conesus Lake, where a pier is later built permitting excursion trains to meet the lake steamers--what people did to escape the city heat in the years before air conditioning. Today, this line hosts LAL's Lakeville yard and local industry.

1883

The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad completes its double-track line between Binghamton and Buffalo, via Corning, Bath and Wayland. Today, the segment between Bath and Wayland is owned by SCIDA and operated by LAL..

1884

The New York, West Shore and Buffalo Railroad completes an expensively built railroad parallel to the dominant New York Central and promptly goes bankrupt, whereupon the Central buys control. Today's LAL operates 1.59 miles of the West Shore between Mortimer and Genesee Junction Yard. In 1968 NYC merges with the rival Pennsylvania Railroad to form Penn Central.

1892

The Lehigh Valley Railroad completes its Buffalo extension and Rochester Branch, the latter incorporated as wholly-owned subsidiary Rochester and Honeoye Valley Railroad (later renamed Rochester Southern Railroad). Today, LAL operates a segment of the Rochester Branch between Lehigh Station Road and Mortimer.

1895

NYLE&W is reorganized as the Erie Railroad.

1907

With the support of investor and director Edward H. Harriman, the Erie undertakes one of the first railroad electrification projects anywhere in the nation, between Rochester, Avon, and Mount Morris, installing catenary wires and equipping the passenger trains with electric cars. The plan is to extend electrification to Corning, but the Panic of 1907 intervenes.

1934

Electric trains between Rochester and Mount Morris are replaced by gas-electric "hoodlebugs." The Avon-Mount Morris line was taken up in 1940.

1941

Having gone bankrupt again in 1938, Erie emerges from reorganization with the same name. The Rochester Division narrowly escapes abandonment and passenger service is cut back to a single pair of mixed trains operating between Avon and Corning. Some trains utilize hoodlebugs until all passenger service finally ends in 1947. By the early 1950s freight service is down to one train each way daily.

1956

The Erie abandons the Rochester Division between the north side of Wayland and Livonia. Henceforth, the "Livonia-Lakeville Spur" is served out of Avon.

1960

The Erie Railroad merges with its longtime archrival to form the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad. (In 1963 they drop the hyphen.) As the owner of two parallel lines between Painted Post and Wayland, EL proceeds to abandon the ex-Erie Rochester Division between Painted Post and Wayland, leaving remnants at Painted Post, Coopers Plains, Bath, Cohocton, and between Atlanta and Wayland. The last segment, needed to serve local customers at Wayland, is later abandoned. In 1963 all through freight traffic is diverted to the former Erie Buffalo Division and the ex-Lackawanna main line is itself downgraded, becoming the Wayland Branch.

1976

In the federal government's reorganization of the bankrupt Northeastern railroads, the following lines later operated by LAL are conveyed to Conrail: The former Erie Lackawanna between Avon and Rochester, the ex-Penn Central between Mortimer and Genesee Junction, and the ex-Lehigh Valley Rochester Branch between Lehigh Station Road and Mortimer. The former EL between Kanona and Wayland is acquired by the State of New York and then transferred to the Steuben County IDA for operation by the Bath and Hammondsport Railroad. Through an error in the planning process, the ex-EL between Bath and Kanona is conveyed to Conrail but B&H assumes all operating responsibilities west of Bath anyway.

1993

SCIDA acquires the Bath-Kanona line segment from Conrail, then acquires the Bath and Hammondsport Railroad's trackage and two locomotives, retaining a new operator, the Champagne Railroad. CGNE goes bankrupt in 1996.

LAL: A Track Record of Success

1964

Faced with the prospect that Erie Lackawanna will abandon the Livonia-Lakeville Spur, the Livonia community pulls together to "save the railroad" under the leadership of local bank president Chester Haak and other LAL founders. Following a spirited fundraising campaign, the new Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad Corporation (incorporated May 15, 1964) buys the Livonia-Lakeville Spur from EL for $13,000, or $1,000 a mile. 1964 freight carloadings: less than 50. Passenger excursions begin, using General Electric 45-ton locomotive No. 97. At 300 h.p., it proves to be too lightly powered for the job, and is replaced by GE 44-tonner No. 10.

1965

LAL acquires 2-8-2 steam locomotive No. 17 for passenger excursion operations based at the ex-Erie depot in Livonia. A small pole barn is built to house No. 10 south of NYS Routes 15/20A in Lakeville.

1968

After No. 17 develops mechanical problems, it is replaced by 2-8-0 No. 38.

1969

The Lakeville pole barn is jacked up and moved a few hundred feet northward to a new location on Stone Hill Road.

1971

Western New York Syrup & Sugar Corp. begins operating at a new plant in Lakeville.

1972

Alco RS1 No. 20 is acquired by LAL.

1975

No. 38 is removed from service due to a need for extensive boiler repairs.

1976

Conrail succeeds Erie Lackawanna as LAL's sole connection at Avon. As Conrail is being planned, the United States Railway Association spurns LAL's request to be allowed to acquire the EL line between Avon and Caledonia, which would permit LAL to connect with both Chessie System and Conrail. Instead, LAL is made captive to Conrail and its traffic is forced to flow through Rochester using the ex-EL line to Mortimer and a series of ad hoc arrangements to connect with mainline train service. Despite LAL's interest, the Avon-Caledonia line is excluded from Conrail and quickly abandoned.

1977

Due to escalating insurance costs, passenger excursions end in 1977.

1978

LAL sells No. 10 and acquires Alco S2 No. 72, expanding the Stone Hill Road shop to accommodate both Alco locomotives.

1981

The desire of the State of New York to avoid replacing an antiquated bridge carrying Bronson Hill Road over LAL leads to abandonment of the line between there and Livonia. A new team track is built in Lakeville.

1981

LAL acquires Alco C425 No. 425.

1983

Sweeteners Plus Inc. opens a sweeteners plant in Lakeville.

1988

LAL completes construction of a five-track yard at Lakeville, begun in 1982

1990

LAL constructs a new shop and office building next to the Lakeville yard

1994

The stub of the line from Conesus Lake Junction to Bronson Hill Road, unused since 1981, is rehabilitated to serve a new agricultural transload facility, Ag Network (now PACMA).

1995

LAL acquires and extensively rehabilitates Alco C420 420. The Lakeville shop is lengthened to accommodate two coupled road locomotives. Total 1995 carloadings are 2,295.

1996

In the first line sale anywhere to be completed pursuant to the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act of 1995, LAL acquires Conrail's "Rochester South Cluster" in March and begins operating the new lines April 12. Due to their deteriorated condition, LAL is anxious to close on the acquisition and persuades the new Surface Transportation Board to permit it to proceed even though the rules for Section 10902 line sales have not been written yet. Immediately, LAL launches a $1.4 million rehabilitation--during the first three days, track gangs including most of the company's employees work in pouring rain to fix the worst spots. From April to December, track work occupies 26 weekends and many weekdays.

1996

On May 9, LAL assumes operation of rail lines owned by the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency, formerly operated by the Champagne Railroad. The 20-year agreement with SCIDA brings with it two Alco S-1 locomotives. Here again, rehabilitation of track and locomotives is urgently necessary. Between this and the expansion to Rochester, LAL mileage grows from 10 to 65 route miles, and employment more than doubles.

1996

LAL acquires four Alco C424M locomotives, bringing the fleet to ten (two are stored pending further expansion). The Livingston County Chamber of Commerce names LAL "Industry of the Year."

1997

Railway Age Magazine names LAL "Short Line Railroad of the Year." Carloadings this year: 3,289

1997

CSX and Norfolk Southern agree to divide Conrail. Contending that whatever rationale USRA might have had for denying LAL competitive connections in 1976 has long since vanished, LAL files a responsive application seeking elimination of the "paper barrier" that prevents LAL from connecting with the Rochester & Southern Railroad at Genesee Junction. LAL's petition is vigorously opposed by CSX. In 1998 the Surface Transportation Board nonetheless grants it. LAL gains trackage rights across CSXT's Genesee Junction Yard, trackage rights on RSR between Genesee Junction and Brooks Avenue Yard in Rochester, and haulage rights on RSR between Rochester and Silver Springs, New York. These new extensions give LAL industries access to CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Canadian Pacific.

1998

LAL concludes three major track rehabilitation programs. Since 1996, the former Conrail trackage between Avon and Genesee Junction has had 17,940 crossties (35%) replaced and received 11,400 tons of ballast and a general resurfacing. Joint bars and track bolts have been replaced on a massive scale, four public grade crossings have been rebuilt, and extensive improvements made to drainage and signals. The $1.4 million program upgrades a 5 and 10MPH railroad to 25MPH operation. In 1998 the Lakeville-Avon segment also receives 4,123 crossties (20%) and 5,600 tons of ballast. Its ballast shoulder is widened for future installation of welded rail. This program costs $332,450. Finally, the Bath-Cohocton segment gets 7,704 ties (17%) replaced and the Cohocton Industrial Track is completely rebuilt. Also in 1998, LAL reopens ten miles of long-unused rail line between Cohocton and Wayland and builds additional trackage at Wayland to serve a new road-deicer processing facility operated by Sweeteners Plus.

1998

LAL acquires controlling interest in the Ontario Central Railroad. In the Conrail split ONCT acquires competitive connections for the first time, to CSXT and NS.

1999

The 1888 bridge at Pole Bridge Road is upgraded with additional structure to safely handle 286,000 pound cars. Rehabilitation of the Northern Division's former Conrail trackage continues with the rebuilding of Avon Yard, and the Lakeville shop is expanded once again to accommodate three coupled road locomotives in a separate bay that frees floor space for locomotive repair. Rehabilitation of two of the Alco C424M locomotives is completed, including repainting and renumbering to Nos. 423 and 424. LAL management spends much of the summer and fall dealing with rail service disruptions caused by the Conrail split.

2001

In April, LAL affiliated company, the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad assumes operation of the former Erie Lackawanna mainline between Hornell, NY and Corry, PA. Service is initially provided between Olean, NY and Jamestown, NY, and will be extended as out-of-service segments are reactivated.

In October, the Cohocton Valley Rail Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad Corp., is re-named B&H Rail Corp. Reporting marks are be BH.

Effective 1201AM Saturday November 3, 2001, BH implements a long-term lease from Norfolk Southern of the Bath Secondary between MP 268.02 at Painted Post and MP 285.1 at Bath and assume LAL's rights and obligations with respect to the 1995 operating agreement with the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency covering operation of SCIDA lines between Bath and Wayland and Bath and Hammondsport. Preliminary rehabilitation of the leased trackage begins immediately with installation of 4,500 ties to be followed by further rehabilitation in subsequent years. Expansion of the Cohocton engine facility is also undertaken to accommodate road locomotives.