I headed down into the southwestern corner of NY last weekend to catch a ride on the New York & Lake Erie RR RR. This shortline owns the southern portion of the old Buffalo & Southwestern branch of the Erie RR/Erie Lackawanna. (Buffalo Southern leases the northern half from Erie County.) I have missed out on a couple of NY&LE excursions in recent years so i was very happy for my schedule and the weather to cooperate.
Although the FPAs are not of Erie or EL heritage, NY&LE honors its history with an Erie-inspired paint scheme. The only difference is a blue background, instead of black.
(http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab139/Erielackawanna/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02639.jpg) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02639.jpg.html)
(http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab139/Erielackawanna/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02640.jpg) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02640.jpg.html)
With that being said, NY&LE's biggest locomotive wears a rather different scheme- which matches their coaches. BTW, this Alco is the only high nose C425 left in existence, a former N&W unit and a movie star! Those who saw "Planes, Train & Automobiles" may remember #1013 pulling the Contrak train... which was filmed on the NY&LE a few miles away. The NY&LE was kind enough to let me visit the engine house, where #1013 was getting some TLC:
(http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab139/Erielackawanna/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02681.jpg) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02681.jpg.html)
The FPAs have been drained for the winter. Thus power ofr the excursion fell to #308. This Alco S1 is a former Erie unit, and stayed with EL until the S1 fleet was sold to other RRs in 1965. She seems right at home on former Erie/EL iron. This is was shuffle to move the FPAs out of the way.
(http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab139/Erielackawanna/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02742.jpg) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02742.jpg.html)
(http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab139/Erielackawanna/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02745.jpg) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02745.jpg.html)
Shoving back into the station- the conductor is hanging off a former Erie Stillwell coach:
(http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab139/Erielackawanna/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02756.jpg) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02756.jpg.html)
All photos in this post were taken by me Saturday 12/6/2014 in Gowanda, NY.
All aboard!
(http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab139/Erielackawanna/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02765.jpg) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02765.jpg.html)
The interior of the former Erie RR Stillwell coach I rode:
(http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab139/Erielackawanna/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02766.jpg) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02766.jpg.html)
The S1 shoved out train up the hill on for a few miles,. The conductor was kind enough to let me take this shot:
(http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab139/Erielackawanna/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02776.jpg) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02776.jpg.html)
We also had a nice scenic stop on the bridge of Cattaraugus Creek:
(http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab139/Erielackawanna/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02787.jpg) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02787.jpg.html)
I stuck around to catch a couple trips before heading back to Rochester to attend a Lou Gramm concert. This is excursion #3 on the bridge over Cattaraugus Creek. While 2 of the coaches are old Erie Stillwells, the coach right behind #308 is ex-B&O:
(http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab139/Erielackawanna/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02830.jpg) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY/DSC02830.jpg.html)
To view the rest of my shots, including trip #2 and the interior of the ex-Erie/EL depot, please visit:
http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/slideshow/2014/Dec%202014/1206%20Gowanda%20NY
All photos in this post and the link were taken by me Saturday 12/8/2014 in Gowanda, NY. A big thanks goes out to NY&LE president Bob Dingman, his employees and the volunteers who made this day happen.