| Finally we are back to a sense of normal. The Western New York Railway Historical Society is holding our first "Railway Heritage Discovery Festival" at four locations starting August 25th through the 29th. Click the Flyers below to get all the details. |
 "(c)2021 Stephen Kocsis - Crushed stone and track are being laid at the HDC. CLICK to Enlarge") |
During the fourth week of July, Society members Steve Kocsis, Don Owens and Marty Visciano laid out and spread crushed stone for the track bed of our "Railmaster" Park Train. This was in preparation for our "Railway Heritage Discovery Festival." By the end of the week they had a complete oval laid and ready for leveling. |  "(c)2021 Stephen Kocsis - Track has been laid at the HDC. CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "(c)2021 Stephen Kocsis - Crushed stone and track are being laid at the HDC. CLICK to Enlarge") |
On August 1st, the crew was back at it with additional help from trustee, Devan Lawton . Additional track was laid from the back of the storage trailer to allow the unloading of the train set. First off was our "observation car" and then the passenger cars . |  "(c)2021 Stephen Kocsis - Track has been laid at the HDC. CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "(c)2021 Stephen Kocsis - The third passenger car and locomotive are coupled together. CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "(c)2021 Stephen Kocsis - Marty Visciano checks the \"Prime Mover.\" as Devan supervisies. CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "(c)2021 Stephen Kocsis - The \"Wisconsin\" engine started right up. CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "(c)2021 Stephen Kocsis - Engineer Devan Lawton makes the first test run. CLICK to Enlarge") |
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Starting on Wednesday, August 25th, we'll be at the Williamsville Depot where you can see our recently aquired locomotive, Conrail #8666 ex. Lehigh Valley #252, as well as our A&A boxcar and Lehigh Valley Caboose. The Western New York division of the National Model Railroad Association will have an operating train layout and Operation Lifesaver will have a table of information. Railroad lantern hand signals will be demonstrated throughout the day. Hot dogs, pop and snacks will be available to purchase. Free popcorn for the kids! |
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On Thursday, August 26th, the crew at the Orchard Park Depot will have a Basket Raffle and a 50/50 Split drawing. The Western New York Garden Railway Club will have a large scale railroad display. The extensive renovations on the Depot and grounds are finally complete so the depot will be open for all to tour and enjoy all the updates. They will have hot dogs, pop and snacks for sale. |
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If you'll be in the Hamburg area on Friday August 27th, you can see our ALCO HH660 Buffalo Creek #43 locomotive in operation. The Buffalo Southern Railroad will also have at least one of their locomotives running as well. You can also see on display, our Pennsylvania Railroad, #4483 steam engine. This engine is the last of the Pennsylvania Railroads "I1sa" locomotives in existance which was built in 1923. You'll want to get a photograph of this massive 2-10-0 locomotive. |
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On the weekend of August 28th & 29th, please plan to come to our first annual Railway Heritage Discovery Festival at the Heritage Discovery Center on Lee Street. Our Amusement Park Train will be giving rides for the younger kids, as well as outdoor displays of historical interest, tours of the museum plus a mini outdoor train show in the parking lot featuring model trains and railroad items for sale. Hot dogs, pop and snacks will be available all day. Email us a wnyrhs@gmail.com for more details. |
| Saturday morning broke bright and sunny on August 28th for our first day of our "Railway Heritage Festival" at the Heritage Discovery Center on Lee Street. Dealers started setting up on Friday with their tents and displays. In addition to our Basket Raffle, we had our "RailMaster" park train running on the lawn area for the kids. |
 "(c)2021 Joe Kocsis - WNYRHS rolling stock on our display track, N&W steel caboose #530360, North American Car Company 4000 gallon \"Two Dome\" tank car, D&H \"I Love NY\" boxcar and Erie Lackawanna boxcar. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
 "(c)2021 Joe Kocsis - WNYRHS outdoor \"Basket Raffle.\" tent in the parking lot. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
 "(c)2021 Joe Kocsis - A great selection of baskets to bid on. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
 "(c)2021 Joe Kocsis - Dealer tents in the parking lot. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
 "(c)2021 Joe Kocsis - Dealer tents in the parking lot. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
| On hand were our partners at the HDC, the Steel Plant Museum, the Buffalo Geological Society and members from the Buffalo Model Boat Club and the WNY Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society. |
| Some dealers brought model railroad equipment to sell as well as vintage toys. The Boffalo Model Boat Club set up a "pond" to demonstrate their remote control watercraft. We also had a nice display of railroad brakeman lanterns and the Buffalo Geological Society had a great display of rocks and minerals. |
 "(c)2021 Joe Kocsis - Model railroad equipment dealer tents. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
 "(c)2021 Joe Kocsis - A great selection of model railroad rolling stock and buildings. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
 "(c)2021 Joe Kocsis - Buffalo Model Boat Club \"boats\" and pond. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
 "(c)2021 Joe Kocsis - Brakeman lantern display. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
 "(c)2021 Joe Kocsis - Buffalo Geological Club display tent. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
| "Engineer," WNYRHS Vice President, Marty Visciano takes kids for a ride on our "RailMaster" park train. |
 "(c)2021 Stephen Kocsis - Lehigh Valley Black Diamond. CLICK to Enlarge") |
On November 13th, we received two beautiful donations to the HDC from life member, Hugh Guillaume. An original framed Erie Railroad Centennial poster to enhance our current display of Erie Centennial artifacts and a framed picture of the Lehigh Valley Black Diamond, thank you Hugh! |  "(c)2021 Stephen Kocsis - Erie Railroad Centennial poster. CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "(c)2021 Stephen Kocsis - Route of Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern Railroad. CLICK to Enlarge") |
That same day, we received a major donation of a collection of materials relating to the history of the Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern Railroad. The railroad ran mainly in PA. but had lines extending into NY servicing Hornell, Wayland, and Olean. A huge Thank you to Tom Bauer and the Bauer Family for rescuing these important materials when the railroad closed in 1947 and arranging to donate them to the Society for safeguarding and making them available for research. |
 "(c)2021 Stephen Kocsis - Part of the 45 totes of donated historic materials. CLICK to Enlarge") |
The materials include documents relating to the development of the Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern Railroad and its predecessor railroads, maps, photos and much more to be discovered as we begin to properly sort through 45 plastic totes and catalog the entire collection. Thank you again Bauer Family! A tiny fraction of the materials are pictured below. |  "(c)2021 Stephen Kocsis - Photo of Buffalo St Marys and Southwestern locomotives. CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "(c)2021 Stephen Kocsis - PS&N Rule Books. CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "(c)2021 Stephen Kocsis - Boxcar Drawings. CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "(c)2021 Stephen Kocsis - Lettering diagrams. CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "(c)2021 Stephen Kocsis - Passenger Car Diagrams. CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "(c)2021 Stephen Kocsis - Employee passes. CLICK to Enlarge") |
Contact Us: Orchard Park - 716-662-7002 Williamsville - 716-633-7002
WNYHDC Inc., 100 Lee Street, Buffalo, New York 14210 - 716-821-9360
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