by Mark Klingel/photos as noted
When it comes to witnessing Alco diesels still operating in revenue service in the 21st century, the state of New York is considered by many railfans to be a haven. Alco operators across the Empire State include Adirondack; Bath & Hammondsport; Batten Kill; Buffalo Southern; Catskill Mountain; Depew, Lancaster & Western; Falls Road; Livonia, Avon & Lakeville; Mohawk, Adirondack & Northern; New York & Lake Erie; Ontario Midland; Saratoga, Corinth & Hudson; and Western New York & Pennsylvania.
Until 2023, Arcade & Attica was not on the list of Alco-powered short lines. From the arrival of its first diesel in 1941 until 2023, the tiny western New York short line relied on a group of four General Electric center-cab diesel switchers to haul revenue freight and seasonal passenger excursions from its headquarters in Arcade. A&A’s roster included 44-tonners 110 and 111, 65-tonner 112, and 80-tonner 113. However, in July 2023, an ex-Delaware & Hudson Alco RS-3m was purchased from WNY&P, joining the fleet as A&A’s 114 to meet the demand of increased freight business. To understand how the railroad got to this point, it is important that we start at the beginning in 1836.
ABOVE: After finishing work in North Java on November 12, 2021, A&A center-cabs 112 and 113 ease their southbound freight train back to Arcade along the railroad’s signature photo location, Ghost Pond. —Mark Klingel photo
An Alphabet Past
The Arcade & Attica Railroad that we know today was organized in 1917; however, the railroad dates back even further. From 1836 to 1917, the railroad went through a number of failed predecessors, each with the intended purpose of building a railroad to serve the region’s growing farming and agricultural industries. Arcade is located an hour southeast of the Great Lakes shipping port of Buffalo, N.Y., and an hour north of what was then the emerging industrial center of Bradford, Pa. Railroads were making their incursions into the area, with what would become Erie Railroad at Attica, and later, Pennsylvania Railroad at Arcade.
The first attempt at building a short line was Attica & Sheldon Railroad in 1836, which never reached the construction phase. Attica & Alleghany followed in 1852 with a proposal to build a narrow gauge line from Attica south toward Pennsylvania. Construction began in 1853, but the railroad was sold at foreclosure in 1856. Attica & Arcade tried to continue the project in 1870, but went bankrupt by 1873. Seven years lapsed until Tonawanda Valley & Cuba was formed, with financial backing from Erie Railroad, to complete the narrow gauge line. The first train operated between Attica and Curriers in 1880, with a goal of completing the line to a connection with PRR at Sardinia (near Arcade). Tonawanda Valley Extension Railroad was formed to complete construction, but by 1881 the decision was made to build to Arcade instead of Sardinia. Another extension was built to Cuba, N.Y., in 1882, complete with a transfer from narrow gauge to standard gauge with the Erie.
ABOVE: With an orange A&A logo applied to the cab, newly renumbered Alco RS-3u 114 passes the display of retired equipment as it crosses Cattaraugus Creek in Arcade on October 5, 2023. —Otto M. Vondrak photo
Despite support from the Erie, the road continued to struggle, entering receivership in 1884, with the remaining operation reorganized as Buffalo, Arcade & Attica Railroad in 1894. Under BA&A, the tracks were converted to standard gauge in 1895 and a new connection to PRR at Arcade Junction opened in 1897. In 1902, an extension was built to Sandusky, N.Y., but was wiped out by floods that same year.
In 1904, the company was sold to Buffalo & Susquehanna, which also maintained a connection in Arcade. B&S also found itself joining the list of failed companies in 1910 when the railroad was acquired by Baltimore & Ohio. Shortly afterward, BA&A was spun off and operated independently until declaring bankruptcy once again in 1917.
ABOVE: On July 2, 2024, the A&A crew swaps empty tank cars for loads at Reisdorf Brothers, Inc. and Buffalo Molasses in North Java and spots the setouts while grabbing the pickups. —Matt Celeste aerial photo
The modern Arcade & Attica was organized in 1917 when local businessmen, merchants, and farmers raised $79,000 to purchase the line. Following its final rebirth in 1917, A&A saw considerable success, success that its predecessors dreamed of but never realized. The 1920s and 1930s were considered to be the boom times for the railroad. Even during the Great Depression, the line encountered few financial issues, priding itself on the fact it never laid off a single employee during that time.
Service to Attica came to an end when the Tonawanda Creek flooded in 1957, which resulted in several hundred feet of the railroad’s right-of-way being completely washed away. Due to decreasing freight traffic and passenger traffic having been discontinued in 1951, as well as the high cost of repair, A&A abandoned the line between North Java and Attica. This left the railroad with only 14 miles of track in operation.
