WILLIAMSVILLE DEPOT - 2009 UPDATES

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Williamsville Depot 2009

May 2009

The winter dormancy is over. Spring brings a new work season for the Williamsville depot, with the first work session on April 25th. The first order of business was the repair of vandal damage: two windows on the trail side of the waiting room (glazed with glass from the late 1800's) fell victim to rocks, and had to be replaced. The video surveillance cameras did not help to identify the perpetrator. Perhaps it is time to reconsider covering these windows either with Lexan or wire mesh, to prevent a recurrence, even though this will cost as much as the original windows, and limit the possibility of opening them for ventilation.

Funds for the wood to cover the rather unattractive painted wall between the waiting room and the agent's office have been allocated. As have funds for the molding and window trim. It is again alleged that the funds for the remaining windows (originally granted more than two years ago) will be released this year. The movement of the bathroom back to its pre-Conrail location will have to wait another year. However, the painted window in the agent's office, waiting for that funding, which lost some of its painted surface last autumn, was repainted and repairs were made to loosened boards and other items that resulted from winter damage.

A major new project, to be coordinated with the Village of Williamsville, is the plan to place our 1937 Lehigh Valley Caboose on a segment of track about 10 feet southeast of the depot. The site selected will be far enough from the depot to prevent anyone from climbing on the caboose and then using it as a stepping stone to the depot roof. This site was staked out during the work session, for evaluation and approval by the Williamsville Village Board.

The Village of Williamsville will grade the selected site. Ties for the track are being donated, and the rail is already on site. A bid for gravel for the ballast has been received.

Thereafter, the track can be installed and rail fasteners placed and spiked down. Most of the work will be done by the Williamsville crew, but volunteers to assist would be appreciated (please contact Tom Stackhouse).

The caboose #95050 (the Lehigh Valley's first steel caboose) still needs to be sanded and painted, its windows replaced, and then it can be moved from Hamburg to the Williamsville site. Some funds have been set aside for the repairs, but donations to pay for the movement of the caboose are still badly needed. Again, Tom Stackhouse is the contact person.

Completion of these projects should help to bring more attention to this historic site in the Village of Williamsville. Thanks to Mark Klepadlo, a major force behind the Williamsville Lehigh Valley depot restoration, for the information.

The depot will be open every Sunday afternoon from 1pm until 4pm through Labor Day.

June 2009

What a pleasant surprise!

I recently retrieved a message from the answering machine at the Williamsville depot. The voice at the other end stated that he was cleaning out his basement and came across some old windows. He said that were there for at least 25 years. He said that he would drop them off at the depot.

Several days later, I stopped at the depot and there on the baggage cart were three windows. Not just any windows, but three dormer windows from the freight room with most of the colored glass still intact in them. The wood frames were not in the best of shape and will have to be remade. The most important thing is the colored glass, and that they have been returned.

The gentleman prefers to remain anonymous. He said that he removed the windows back when the building was wide open and was a kid's hangout.

Section Foreman's Home

A number of years ago, several Society members were outside the depot and noticed a building on the Darling Construction property. It had a "railroad" look about it. Supports for the roof overhang were similar to the supports on our depot. We later learned that it was a former Section Foreman's house built by the Lehigh Valley Railroad.

Jump ahead a few years. A woman came to visit the depot. She stated that her father was a Section Foreman for the Lehigh Valley and that they had lived in that house for a number of years. Her last name was Duke. She said that there was a path from the house to the depot. On one side of the path was a flower garden while on the other side was a vegetable garden.

Jump ahead again to this past Spring. I acquired a page from Railway Age dated 1914. It has a story of a Section Foreman's house along with a picture of the building and the surrounding land. It includes paper work on the Section Foreman's house. It shows Tony Duke lived in the building from 1914 to 1918 and paid $8.00 per month for rent. Later, another Section foreman was asked if he would like to purchase the building. He declined. In 1947, the building was sold to a Village resident and former Track Foreman Louis Kjeldnard. And that is where the paper trail ends.

July 2009

"Build a Track and the Caboose Will Come!"

At the beginning of July, we staked out an area behind and just east of the depot. A week or so later, Mark Shuttleworth of the Williamsville Village DPW had the area excavated to receive 8 tons of ballast from Buffalo crushed stone. The cost of the ballast was $180.00. We were fortunate that a member donated $150.00 towards the cost of the ballast. Patterson-Stevens of Tonawanda donated 20 what I would call slightly used ties. Rail, tie plates and most of the spikes from the original siding and yard that had been removed many years ago, were behind the depot. Those with legible markings were stamped "Bethlehem 1916".

The weekend of July 25th-26th, and continuing into the following week, saw a crew of members Art Toale, Mark Klepadlo Don Wood, Hal Douglass and two gentlemen from International Chimney installing ties, spiking rail and tamping ballast. By the middle of the following week, the display track was finished. Congratulations, guys, on a job well done. Thank you!

The movement of the caboose is planned for the spring of next year. This will allow us to put together a major fund raiser. Since there is no active rail anywhere near the Williamsville Depot, #95050 will have to be brought in by flatbead truck so the movement of the caboose will be expensive. We are estimating between $6,000 and $8.000. Don Boyd, Marty Bauer and Steve Kocis will spearhead the project. Members interested in working on this project should contact Don Boyd at 759-7035.

Help Bring LV #95050 back to Williamsville

In the mean time, Mark Klepadlo has been working on the caboose in Hamburg, cleaning and scraping to prepare it for priming and painting. He says that the interior is in "pretty good condition" and that the roof is sound. The windows can even be opened and closed.

Each Sunday from now to the end of September, there will be a book sale at the depot running from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. This is being run by Mary Sue and Marty Bauer. Prices are $2.00 for hard covered books, $1.00 for soft. We welcome your donations.