# Niagara Junction Railway

The Niagara Junction Railway (reporting marks NJ, NIAJ) was a switching railroad serving Niagara Falls, New York.

## History

The company was created in 1898 as a subsidiary of the Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power and Manufacturing Company. In 1913 the line was electrified. In 1948 the Niagara Falls Power Company sold the railroad to its connecting companies: the New York Central, the Erie, and the Lehigh Valley. After a series of mergers in the 1960s, the Niagara Junction was finally dissolved as an independent company in 1976 when the Consolidated Rail Corporation was formed to take over operations of bankrupt railroads in the Northeast. The line was dieselized in 1979. After over a year of storage, three electric locomotives were overhauled in December 1980 and transferred to Grand Central Terminal in New York City.

### Incidents

Just after 9:30 am on Wednesday 22 January 1958, a tank car exploded while being switched at the Niagara Junction's yard on Porter Road. The blast injured at least 60 people, and left a crater 150 feet (46 m) in diameter and 40 feet (12 m) deep. The cause was never determined.

## Locomotives

| Number | Builder & type | Date | Serial number | Notes |
| 01 | line car | | | |
| 01 | Baldwin 0-6-0 steam | October 1897 | 17200 | sold 1915 |
| 02 | Baldwin 0-4-0T steam | September 1893 | 13726 | sold 1915 |
| 03 | Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecab | May 1913 | 39865 | scrapped 1952 |
| 04 | Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecab | May 1913 | 39866 | to Cornwall Street Railway Light and Power Company 9 (second) in 1952; scrapped June 1973 |
| 05 | Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecab | Dec 1916 | 44602 | scrapped |
| 06 | Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecab | Feb 1920 | 53027 | to Sand Springs Railway 1005 in 1946 |
| 07 | Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecab | Feb 1920 | 53050 | to Sand Springs Railway 1006 in 1946; scrapped 1956 |
| 08 | Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecab | Dec 1928 | 60699 | to PATCO Speedline for parts in October 1973 scrapped |
| 09 | Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecab | Jun 1937 | 62072 | to PATCO Speedline 404 in October 1973 scrapped |
| 10 | Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecab | Apr 1924 | 57715 | ex-Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad 1005 in December 1941; scrapped |
| 11 | Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecab | Apr 1924 | 57716 | ex-Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad 1006 in December 1941; retired by 1965 |
| 12 | | | | ex-Oklahoma Railway Company 606 in 1946; scrapped 1952 |
| 13 | General Electric E10B | Jun 1952 | 31136 | renumbered 18 in July 1952 |
| 14 | General Electric E10B | Jul 1952 | 31137 | to Conrail 4750 in August 1977; assigned to Metropolitan Transportation Authority in December 1980; sold to Metro-North Commuter Railroad 401 in 1983; scrapped 1998 |
| 15 | General Electric E10B | Jul 1952 | 31138 | to Conrail 4751 in August 1977; sold to General Electric in 1983 and stored awaiting preservation |
| 16 | General Electric E10B | Jul 1952 | 31139 | to Conrail 4752 in August 1977; assigned to Metropolitan Transportation Authority in December 1980; sold to Metro-North Commuter Railroad 402 in 1983; scrapped 1998 |
| 17 | General Electric E10B | Jul 1952 | 31140 | to Conrail 4753 in August 1977; assigned to Metropolitan Transportation Authority in December 1980; sold to Metro-North Commuter Railroad 403 in 1983; scrapped 1998 |
| 18 | General Electric E10B | Jun 1952 | 31136 | delivered as 13; to Conrail 4754 in August 1977; sold to General Electric in 1983 and scrapped |
| 19 | General Electric E10B | Jul 1952 | 31141 | to Conrail 4755 in August 1977; scrapped |
| 20 | General Electric E10B | Aug 1952 | 31142 | to Conrail 4756 in August 1977; sold to General Electric in 1983 and scrapped |