| Jamestown, Westfield and Northwestern Railroad | |
|---|---|
| Reporting mark | JW&NW |
| Locale | Jamestown, New York and Westfield, New York |
| Dates of operation | 1914–1950 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Jamestown, New York |
The Jamestown, Westfield and Northwestern Railroad (JW&NW) was an electric interurban railroad that served the New York towns of Jamestown and Westfield from 1914 to 1950.
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Dubbed the "Chautauqua Lake Route", the provided frequent passenger and freight trolley service. From Jamestown, the route was eastward along the north edge of Chautauqua Lake with major stops at Greenhurst, Bemus Point, Dewittville, and Mayville. From Mayville, after crossing the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) Chautauqua Branch, the single track climbed steep hills and passed through scenic "Hogsback Ravine" at the grade's summit.[1] It then followed a curving route and drop to Westfield. In Westfield, the line crossed under the Nickel Plate Railroad to reach its depot which was the west end of the New York Central Railroad (NYC) station.
A JW&NW schedule from 1941 shows six daily trips 6am to 9pm, each way, three hours apart to meet NYC passenger trains that stopped at Westfield. The Jamestown to Westfield trip took one hour. The JW&NW and the NYC interchanged considerable freight traffic as well as exchanged passengers.[2]
The JW&NW operated bright red heavy steel passenger interurban cars (including one with an observation platform) and interurban freight-express cars capable of pulling two or three freight cars to provide freight delivery between the two towns. The NYC would set out cars on the interchange tracks to be taken to Jamestown and the JW&NW would set out cars for the NYC to pick up.
At Mayville, the JW&NW crossed a branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad where there were interchange tracks for PRR lumber and coal setouts for Jamestown. The JW&NW tower and dispatcher were at this junction. PRR and JW&NW control and signaling to prevent collisions (called interlocking) was the responsibility of the JW&NW tower at this interchange. Dispatching orders for the conductors of the interurban cars was by written order, and the interurbans stopped here to pick them up. Passenger and freight business for the line was at its greatest in the 1920s. Furniture was manufactured in Jamestown, and the JW&NW hauled it to Westfield for the NYC.
In a 1941 ad, the line offered two-day LCL (less-than-carload) shipping to New York City from Jamestown, and three days to Chicago.
The grade out of Westfield into the hills to reach the Jamestown valley was quite scenic, running through Hogsback Ravine. However, the grade was steep, and the interurbans worked hard making the climb, particularly the electric powered freights. The 32-mile JW&NW represented classic small town to rural electric interurban operation similar to interurbans all over the 1920s United States.
The sight of the large red steel interurbans lumbering by at grade crossings was a familiar one for locals. Most interurban lines were abandoned during the 1930s due to increased car ownership and improving highways plus the dramatic financial impact of the Great Depression. The JW&NW's survival to 1947 was unusual and was due to the amount of freight that it hauled to the New York Central for the many Jamestown factories.
After passenger abandonment in 1947,[3] the JW&NW continued freight operation with diesels, but gradually freight business declined along with Jamestown's industrial activity. Shipping business also was lost to trucks.
Total abandonment occurred in 1950.