New York Central

New York Central [Penn Central]
Buffalo, New York (Buffalo Central Terminal)
April 5, 1970




There's a story behind the next few slides. I used to ride the Central from Rochester, New York to Ashtabula, Ohio on a regular basis, with frequent layovers in Buffalo. At this time the Buffalo Central Terminal was starting to show serious signs of neglect, with some areas closed off and most concessions closed. On one of those layovers I noticed an elevator off the main lobby and decided that a little exploring couldn't hurt; at most I might be chased back downstairs.< /P>

I took the elevator to the top floor and found nothing but wreckage: all furnishings gone, fixtures torn out, and broken plaster and drywall all over the floor. But the view from the windows was incredible--and they opened!. Looking into several former offices in turn I pretty much got a 360° view of the station trackage below. Here, looking northeast, is the New York Central's Belt Line to Black Rock, with the lead to the former West Shore yard branching off to the right.




This page posted 11/1/2017. Text and photo ©2017 Lamont Downs.