User:Allamericanbear/routes of buffalo streetcars

Abbott Road streetcar
The Abbott Road street car was the second last new car line that the International Railway Company implemented, in the network of its streetcar routes. The line began at Abbott Road & Woodside in South Buffalo, and operated along the following streets:


 * Abbott Road, Bailey Avenue, Seneca Street, Swan Street to Erie Street, South Division Street, Chestnut Street, Swan Street, Seneca Street, Bailey Avenue, and Abbott Road to Woodside.

The route was assigned "Abt" as it's designated route.

By 1935, the decline of streetcar service began, and the Abbott Road streetcar was still operating, but by this time, assigned route number 14, and operating over a slightly different route:


 * Abbott Road, Smith Street, Seneca Street, Ellicott Street, Swan Street to Washington Street, Washington Street, Seneca Street, Smith Street, Abbott Road to Woodside.

At this time, the route operated using Peter Witt or Nearside cars, which were put into service from the Broadway barn, in the east side of Buffalo.

By 1936, Abbott Road car service was terminated, and replaced with bus service operated by the subsidiary International Bus Company. The other two streetcar routes serving South Buffalo, route 15-Seneca and route 16-South Park lasted approximately five additional years, ending their services in 1941.

Today, the line continues to be operated by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, between Washington Street & Mohawk Street and the Shops at West Seneca, McKinley Mall, or Erie Community College, South Campus. It also has retained the route number 14. One of the few differences in the previous streetcar route is that service operates from Downtown Buffalo by way of South Park Avenue, and some changes in the downtown routing.

Albany / School streetcar
The Albany-School car line was known to begin operation around 1898, with it lasting only a few years until 1904, likely having both the 3-Grant and 22-Connecticut car lines replacing it in some capacity. The line operated as follows:


 * Docks (foot of Main Street), Court Street, Niagara Street, Connecticut Street, Fourteenth Street, Albany Street, School Street to Niagara. The return trip operated the reverse, if not similar route.

Bailey streetcar
Begun in 1916, the Bailey streetcar line differed differently from the present day 19-Bailey bus line in that the route was split in two at Broadway.

The Bailey bus line actually began later than the Bailey streetcar, and served Bailey from Broadway northbound to the Winspear Avenue area (notably Rounds Avenue).

The Bailey streetcar line operated southbound from Broadway and Bailey Avenue, terminating at Seneca Street, and the Seneca railroad yards.

The Bailey bus carried a "B" as it's route designation, while the streetcar line was recognized as route 19. Upon the elimination of streetcar service, the line was changed to operate from South Park & Bailey to Rounds Avenue & Bailey Avenue.

Owing to the fact that this route was the last new streetcar route in the City of Buffalo, it likely operated using Nearside cars at the start, then possibly Peter Witt cars.

Today, the route 19 bus line operates from University Metro Rail Station to Bailey & South Park.

Broadway streetcar
The Broadway streetcar line began as a shorter version of the line that existed between 1885-1950. The line originated at the foot of Main Street (referred to as the "Docks", where passengers could connect to the Buffalo & Cleveland, and Buffalo & Detroit steamships that used to depart from there. At the inception, the line continued out Main Street, then Broadway to Emslie.

In ____, the line began from Ellicott & North Division continuing further out Broadway to meet the New York Central trains at their tracks crossing Broadway, then later to the Atlantic Street wye, at the Buffalo City Line. It continued to serve the Atlantic Wye, until July 1, 1950, when service was changed to operate with buses. It's route took advantage of a new looping in the downtown area, routing as follows:


 * Depart from Atlantic wye by way of Broadway, Washington Street, South Division Street, Ellicott Street, North Division Street, Washington Street, Broadway to Atlantic wye.

The line operated primarily with Peter Witt and Nearside streetcars until the end, out of the Broadway barn, located on Broadway at Greene Street (east of Bailey Avenue).

The Broadway line also gained recognition as being one of the last three streetcar lines to operate in Buffalo, along with the 23-Fillmore/Hertel line, and the 24-Genesee line.

Cazenovia streetcar
The Cazenovia car line began in 1893 and started as the start of what would be known as the Abbott Road line.

Service started at the Triangle (today's Abbott Road & South Park), and continued out Abbott Road to Cazenovia, to Seneca Street. Service ended upon the opening of the Abbott Road line in 1915.

Not much is known, except for small references to it in Pilkey's Street Guide to Buffalo. With the references, it was likely a one or two car operation, operating back and forth through the day, ending late in the evening hours.

William streetcar
Guide to colors:
 * Orange - originated as International Railway Co line
 * Yellow - originated as Crosstown Street Railway line
 * Green - color assigned to Jersey streetcar line
 * Violet - color assigned to Broadway streetcar line