International Railway Co.
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The International Railway Company (IRC) was a transportation company formed in a 1902 mergre between several Buffalo-area Interurban and street railways. The railroads merged included the Buffalo & Niagara Electric Street Railway, and its subsidiary the Buffalo, Lockport & Olcott Beach; the Buffalo, Depew & Lancaster; the Hamburg Railway; the Buffalo, Gardenville & Ebenezer; the Buffalo, Hamburg & Aurora; and the Niagara Falls Park & River Railway. Later the IRC accquired the Niagara Gorge Railroad (NGRR) as a subsidiary, sold in 1924 to the Niagara Falls Power Company. The NGRR also leased the Lewiston & Youngstown Frontier. The IRC maintained Streetcar networks in Buffalo, NY; Niagara Falls, NY; Niagara Falls, ON and Lockport, NY.
[edit] Network
Besides the streetcars, the IRC network was well extended in Western New York. Lines radiated out of Buffalo, NY.
The ex. B&NF (Buffalo and Niagara Falls) line ran from Buffalo, through the Tonawandas and Wheatfield to Niagara Falls, ON. This line interchanged with the Niagara, St.Catharines & Toronto in Niagara Falls, ON, the Niagara Gorge Railroad in Niagara Falls, NY and the Buffalo & Lake Erie Traction in Buffalo. This line was later abandoned between Tonawanda and LaSalle in Niagara Falls, following the opening of Buffalo & Niagara Falls High Speed Line in 1918. The B&NF high speed line was abandoned in 1937.
The BL&OB (Buffalo, Lockport and Olcott Beach) left the B&NF in North Tonawanda, NY on tracks leased from the Erie Railroad. This line went up to Lockport, where the Lockport streetcars were IRC. Also the IRC met the Buffalo, Lockport & Rochester here. The BL&R (Buffalo, Lockport and Rochester) ran to Rochester, NY. From Lockport, the line continued through the town of Newfane to Olcott, where the IRC maintained an amusement park. IRC trolleys met steamers from Rochester, Yougstown, Hamilton and Toronto in Olcott at the Olcott Beach docks. In 1937 the IRC abandoned the line North of Lockport, and ended passenger service south of Lockport. IRC returned operations of the line to the Erie Railroad in 1950. A portion of the BL&OB was reopened in 1983 as part of the Somerset Railroad.
The BD&L (Buffalo, Depew and Lancaster) interurban line ran from Buffalo, NY to Lancaster, NY. In Lancaster, NY a line branched off to Depew, creating a loop line. This line was abandoned in 1937.
The BG&E ran from Buffalo, NY to Ebenezer, NY. It was abandoned in 1937.
The BH&A ran from Buffalo, NY to Orchard Park, NY. The original intention was to reach East Aurora, NY. East Aurora was never reached.
The Niagara Falls Park & River Railway opened in 1893. It ran from Chippawa, ON to Lewiston, NY. A connection was made across the international border at Niagara Falls with the B&NF. The NFP&R became part of the IRC in the 1902 mergre. This line is best for when the Prince of Wales visited the line in 1927. This, with the Niagara Gorge Railroad from the Niagara Gorge Belt Line. The IRC and NGRR (Niagara Gorge Railroad) met in Niagara Falls, NY and Lewiston, NY. The Park & River line was abandoned in 1932, following the expiration of the lease of the right-of-way in Queen Victoria Park.
In 1937 the IRC discontinued all inter-urban service, and replaced it with buses. On July 1, 1950, the remaining streetcar lines in both Buffalo and Niagara Falls, NY ended, also replaced by buses. Within the same year, the Niagara Frontier Transit (NFT) took over all remaining IRC operations. In 1974 NFT and Grand Island Rapid Transportation, were merged into a public Corporation, named the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority (NFTA).
The NFTA opened the subsidiary light rail rapid transit line known as Metro Rail along Main St. in Buffalo, from the Lackawanna Terminal to the South Campus of UB. Much of this same route travelled the previous 8-Main streetcar line only 35 years earlier.
