Lehigh Valley Buffalo Division, Part 1

Volume 1 of Lehigh Valley’s Buffalo Division by Bill McLane covers the operations of the branch lines in the Finger Lakes Region in the 1960’s. Much of the video is in the cab.

We’ll begin at Sayre by boarding the train with Bill and the crew to head up the Auburn Branch to Auburn. From Auburn, we’ll backtrack a bit and head down the Auburn branch on the last plow in 1966. From Freeville, we’ll look at the Cortland branch including the last trip to Canastota. Then, we’ll travel the Auburn & Ithaca Branch. Finally we’ll make a run on the Seneca Falls Branch to Geneva.

Bill began shooting 8mm home movie film while working on the Lehigh in the early 1960’s. When the Brotherhood of Trainmen was having full crew hearings at White Plains NY, the local representative approached Bill and asked if he would take movies while working showing the importance of a full crew to keep the public safe at crossings.