Rochester, Lockport & Buffalo 206 is a single-ended, double-trucked, wooden interurban, and is one of the few surviving pieces from that line. The Rochester, Lockport & Buffalo Railway served the Rochester area from 1908 to 1931. This particular car operated on the RL&B’s Rochester-Lockport line, where passengers for Buffalo would make a connection with the International Railway. The first group of cars purchased for the line included 15 coaches (201-215) built by the Niles Car Co. of Niles, Ohio. The coaches were divided into a smoking section and a day coach configuration. The smoking section was upholstered in leather, and the day coach section was finished with green plush to match the Pullman Green exterior of the car (These cars would later wear an attractive brown and cream paint scheme that would last until the end of service). Each coach had a seating capacity of 50, and included a toilet compartment on-board.

The average running time from Rochester to Lockport was about two hours. The 200-series cars ran more or less as-built until the end of service on April 30, 1931. During that time, 206 was no stranger to Rochester, since the RL&B connected with the Rochester Subway near Lyell Avenue and used the route for access to the downtown area and City Hall station. After the end of RL&B service, the car was moved to Knowlesville, NY, where it was taken off its trucks and used as a shed. Of the fifteen cars in this series, only three survived as sheds after 1931. The remainder of the 200-series cars were burned to salvage the scrap metal.

After serving as a storage shed in Knowlesville for almost 67 years, the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum acquired 206 in 1998 for eventual preservation at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum. Currently, the car is covered and stored up on blocks to prevent further deterioration. Trucks and motors have been acquired for this car, and work continues towards our goal of operating this car on our museum railroad. We someday hope to run this car alongside our preserved RL&B waiting room!

Technical Data

  • Built: 1908
  • Niles Car Co.
  • Length: 51’-8”
  • Weight: 70,000 lbs.