Steam Railroading in East Aurora On January 24, 1948, the Olean local train made its final run, ending commuter service to Buffalo. Express trains still stopped in East Aurora, so the last trip of the local was hardly mentioned in the Advertiser. However, this event marked the beginning of what would be the end of an era of railroading in East Aurora. Over the next ten years, steam locomotives would gradually disappear from the trains. Through passenger service would decline during the next twenty years until it vanished as well. Today, even freight traffic has been diverted from the line and it no longer plays the vital role in the community that it once did. For a moment though, let’s relive the “good old days” when visitors arrived down at the depot, the switcher spotted carloads of wood at Fisher Price, and the sound of the steam whistle echoed through the village…
Washington & Philadelphia Express Pennsylvania RR Train 570 arrives at East Aurora in this photo dated 1943. Departing Buffalo at 8:45 AM, this train provided coach, café and parlor car service to Philadelphia and Washington with no change of cars. At Harrisburg, the train was split and GG1 electric locomotives substituted for steam on the final legs of the journey. With an evening arrival at either destination, the travel time was hardly any greater than the same trip today on Amtrak’s Empire Service and high speed Acela. Being able to sip a drink in the parlor car while climbing Keating Summit certainly would make up for the extra hour of running time, though.
	Dominion Express This photo was found with the one above, so it is probably from the late 1940’s, although it is not identified. The train is most likely Number 575, the Dominion Express, departing East Aurora near the end of its overnight run from Washington to Buffalo. The local commuter also ran at this time of the morning, but the size of the engine and consist appears more like the through train which carried five sleepers, a lounge, and café car in addition to coaches. Perhaps a locomotive or passenger consist buff can confirm the train and date. With a view of big steam throttling out over Girard Avenue on a cold winter day, the details don’t matter so much though, do they?
AU Block Station While not as impressive as its mainline counterparts, the PRR maintained a block tower at East Aurora for a short period. Originally housed in the passenger station, the block operator had been relocated to this shanty at Olean Road by the 1920’s. He handled orders, and controlled manual block signals and the south end switch to the passing siding. During the 1930’s, the block stations were gradually phased out as automatic signals were put in service. In 1940, a CTC machine was installed at Machias Junction, allowing remote control of the entire north end of the line. AU block station was the first to go, probably because it stood in the way of the elevation project. Closed in September 1930, it was perhaps the shortest lived block tower on the Pennsy.
	Last Train at Grade Level One of the most important events on the railroad, as far as local residents were concerned, was the elevation of the tracks through the village. In the works for many years, the project to eliminate the many grade crossings in East Aurora was completed on October 15, 1934. Pictured here is the last train to operate at grade level through town, on the morning commuter run to Buffalo. Later, southbound Train 570 arrived on the new elevated line. The old track at street level was retained between North St. and Lapham Rd. for a number of years to serve local industries, but was later removed.
Twilight of Steam Power Throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s, diesels replaced steam locomotives on railroads across the nation, almost as fast as they could be delivered. Perhaps seeing the writing on the wall, Al Spooner captured the arrival of the wayfreight behind steam in the summer of 1951. The local freight carried a fair number of cars at the time, for feed mills, lumber yards, and Fisher Price Toys. Diesels would be hauling the train before the end of the decade, and the next thirty years would see industries close and traffic diverted to truck. Today, East Aurora still has a siding, but no local freight business remains.
	East Aurora Water Tank Only a few years of service remain for the water tank and column in this 1952 view. Originally located near the Godfrey mill, the tank was moved to this position north of the station during the elevation project. On the left are the sidings leading down to the freight station, and the Fisher-Price factory can be seen in the distance. When regular commuter trains originated at East Aurora, locomotives were watered and turned here, but by this time the tank was only used by the switch engine or for emergencies.
Station Ticket Window As soon as the Penn Central merger went into effect in 1968, the railroad began efforts to discontinue passenger service on the Buffalo to Harrisburg route. Notices in the small, single page timetable advised that the now tri-weekly trains were subject to discontinuance upon approval of the ICC. Trains on the line continued to run while the government studied the growing passenger train problem, but were left out of the national system when Amtrak took over in May of 1971. This photo, printed in July 1971, was probably taken either shortly before the end of service, or soon after the last train left East Aurora forever.
If you have any old photos, train schedules, tickets or other memorabilia regarding the railroads around East Aurora, Elma, Wales, Holland, Arcade, Orchard Park, West Falls or Colden, please email us at transportsim@aol.com. We would appreciate receiving scans or copies of such materials, and also will pay fair prices to purchase certain original items.