Many of you have followed my "Across America - Buffalo to San Francisco by Amtrak" thread, but that begs the question: What was Rick doing in (or near) Buffalo, and why? Well, my wife is from the little town of Westfield, NY. Halfway between Buffalo and Cleveland (and also halfway between Dunkirk, NY and Erie, PA), Westfield is best known as: 1) The home of Lincoln's Secretary of State - William Seward 2) The home of the little girl who suggested the Lincoln should grow a beard 3) The home of Welch's Foods (until they moved to Boston in the late 1970s) My mother-in-law, a sister-in-law, and other family still live in the area, plus it was her 40th HS reunion. I, of course, needed to keep myself occupied, so I sought out the old station one afternoon. Westfield has a long railroad history, and was on the main line of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern as well as the Nickle Plate Road lines. The NY Central and now CSX continued the use of the original LSMS line, and over 80 trains a day pass through the town, on the shores of Lake Erie. The building was fully restored over the past decade, and is absolutely gorgeous It can also be seen in this photo of a 1910 postcard, almost the exact same view More views of its history can be seen here: Westfield, New York It is now The Station Art Gallery and Studio (The Station Art Gallery), and the owner, Katherine Brown Galbraith, graciously allowed me to photograph inside and out. You will see some of her train paintings in the following photos
First up, some exterior shots Looking at the east end of the station (with a freight roaring by) The street side
Of course, being in a location where I can actually work a photograph (rather than snapping photos through a train window), I have to go a bit artsy. First - my empty tracks photos The mainline to Chicago The closest is a siding, with the two mains. The siding is fully automated and signaled on both ends. The town is in negotiation with Amtrak to reinstate a stop here
Now, for a bit of history. These two tracks, which run up to the western side of the depot, are all that remains, in town, of the old Jamestown, Westfield and Northwestern Railroad. This road ran from here, over the hill into Mayville, and then down the eastern shore of Lake Chautauqua. It was an electrified railroad, more info here: http://www.wnyrails.net/railroads/jwnw/jwn_home.htm What is very cool about this railroad is that my mother-in-law owns a significant portion of its old right of way, from where it made its way out of the village, and then traveled along Little Chautauqua Creek, to the town line between Westfield and Mayville. Unfortunately, nothing but the path still exists, except a few broken bricks from a power station, and a few random rotted ties. Most of the right of way has been converted into snowmobile routes for the winter. In Mayville, the right of way is now part of the Rails-to-Trails project
When you go to enter the station, you must first pay the station keepers their due This is Daisy, who really didn't like my camera And this is Chester - who poses on command You must be prepared to spend at least 5 minutes with them as you enter their realm. If you are lucky, Chester will also give you the guided tour of the best spots inside to flop on your side and get your belly scratched
The main waiting room is now Katherine's studio and display area. Her paintings of steam locos are amazing - she also has a number of diesel unit paintings, in smaller format
The previous owner had restored the station agent's office, including acquiring a lot of old equipment. They have kept this area pretty much as is A great place to sit and watch the trains go by
If it wasn't for that RJ12 plug sticking out the bottom... The back waiting room has maps and other pictures of trains
I thought this round radiator in the center of the waiting room very cool. And then the baggage area They pull the luggage cart out for special events (the power lawn mower, of course, isn't vintage or restored)
Loved this photo of an NYC Hudson and this old lithograph of industry, with trains, on Lake Chautauqua If you ever find yourself in the area, it is worth stopping in. Check their website for events, and to see when they are open (seems most weekends in summer).
Great stuff, Rick, especially for an old New York Central guy. Starting with the SIX bolt track joints, the New York Central timetables on display, the old phones, telegraph equipment, typewriter, what a trip back in time. Not to mention the wonderful artwork and photographs. We need a time machine.
Rick- This might be interesting for you: http://www.train-orders.com/TOUR/JWN/JWN.html I might even have an NYCS train order copied at Westfield, which I could upload. Would need to look.
Very cool, Ken! At some point, will see if I can find any detailed info on the RoW my mother-in-law owns
Well, rats. I do have a train order on NYCS form, copied at a station named Westfield. But it appears to be Westfield, Massachusetts on the Boston & Albany. Hank- Are you by chance reading this topic? If so, do I have my paper filed correctly?