Buffalo & Niagara High Speed Line (1918-1937)
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Title
Buffalo & Niagara High Speed Line (1918-1937)
Description
The electric High Speed Line is an electric streetcar (trolley) passenger train operated by the International Railway Company from June 9, 1918 to August 20, 1937. It carries passengers from Buffalo to Niagara Falls in about an hour.
For its NT stretch, as shown in this 1935 map, the line follows present-day Twin-City Highway. At Nash, it bends into the field east of the county building (its path is still clearly visible today), continues across Walck Road, and then proceeds northwesterly through 15th Avenue near Payne (before homes or the Mid-City Plaza were built), through Gratwick, across Oliver Street just south of Delmar Terrace and north of Ward Road, continuing west out to River Road and then on to Niagara Falls.
For much of its course through NT, it is carried over east-west streets on a high earthen embankment (referred to in a 1948 article as our "Chinese wall"). Fill for the massive embankment was taken from Payne's Hill, near present-day Stanley Street.
The High Speed line closes as buses and personal vehicles become more prevalent. The embankment is dismantled sometime later.
For its NT stretch, as shown in this 1935 map, the line follows present-day Twin-City Highway. At Nash, it bends into the field east of the county building (its path is still clearly visible today), continues across Walck Road, and then proceeds northwesterly through 15th Avenue near Payne (before homes or the Mid-City Plaza were built), through Gratwick, across Oliver Street just south of Delmar Terrace and north of Ward Road, continuing west out to River Road and then on to Niagara Falls.
For much of its course through NT, it is carried over east-west streets on a high earthen embankment (referred to in a 1948 article as our "Chinese wall"). Fill for the massive embankment was taken from Payne's Hill, near present-day Stanley Street.
The High Speed line closes as buses and personal vehicles become more prevalent. The embankment is dismantled sometime later.
Items
Buffalo Equipment & Construction Co., photo set (c. 1916).png
Contracted to build the embankment for the High Speed Line. Corner of Robinson and Division.
Rand Company, baseball players, Hi-Speed line in distance (All of Us, 1920).jpg
This is likely at present-day Wheatfield Street and Erie, with the elevated mound being the Nash Road course of the Buffalo to Niagara Falls Hi-Speed…
