 "©2023 Robert Snyder - Members and visitors listen to Mary Brummer, the new ECRT Board President, as she explains the goals of the organization for 2023. - CLICK to Enlarge") |
With the weather finally breaking, projects that we have been planning since last year, are finally coming fruition. On Saturday March 25th, Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail organization had a meet & greet at the depot. Over 25 members and visitors listened to newly elected Orchard Park Village resident, Mary Brummer, who became the new ECRT Board President January 1st. The trail from Bank St. to Jewett-Holmwood is scheduled to open in May. |
 "©2023 Robert Snyder - The ECRT organization had a great turn out for their fisrt \"Meet and Greet\" of the year. - CLICK to Enlarge") |
The gentleman that has been working on our semaphore motors gave us a call and said they are complete. He hopes he can deliver them the second week of April. He will also help with the installation. In addition our new Freight House deck construction is supposed to start next month. |
 "©2023 Robert Snyder - A very appreciative group enjoys the OP Depot. - CLICK to Enlarge") |
| We also have two tentative rentals for later this year. We have a PHD graduation party planned for August and a wedding rehearsal in September. |
 "©2023 Robert Snyder - The first semaphore motor is rigged and lifted off the truck. - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Robert Snyder - 200 pound motor dangles from the cable. - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Robert Snyder - The motor is swung into place and bolted onto the mast by two construction workers. - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Robert Snyder - Two large 5/8s\" u-bolts secure the motor to the mast. - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Robert Snyder - The first motor is now securely in place. - CLICK to Enlarge") |
| True to his word, the gentleman that has been working on our semaphore motors showed up at the Depot on Tuesday, April 11th. He brought with him, two "man lifts" to get the 200 pound motors up to the top of the semaphore mast. The man lifts were generously provided by John Wabick, a partner at West Herr Automotive Group, and our contractor, Jeff, brought the people to complete the installation. We can't wait until the wiring is complete and the "Order Boards" reinstalled to bring the depot back to its 1970's appearance. |  "©1975 WNYRHS - The depot sat idle from 1977 until 1982 when the Society took ownership. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Otto Vondrak - R&GVRRM Bus Tour group in front of the OP Depot. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
On Saturday April 29th, the Orchard Park Depot Crew hosted a bus tour group of 26 members, from the "Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum." They were given a full tour of the Depot, Freight House, Baggage Car and our BR&P Caboose. After a brief history of the Depot, the R&GVRRM were free to explore the buildings, grounds and rolling stock. Everyone was very impressed with the pristine look of the Depot, equipment and our historical displays. The tour group was at our Heritage Discovery Center on Lee Street earlier in the day. |
 "©2023 Otto Vondrak - OP Depot Co-Chairman, Jim Slominski details the history of the Depot to the tour group. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Otto Vondrak - Station Agents office at of the Depot. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Otto Vondrak - One of the original Depot station signs. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Otto Vondrak - Three members of the R&GVRRM group explore the Freight House and check out our \"Velocipede.\"") |
 "©2023 Otto Vondrak - Track \"Speeder\" next to the original Freight House weigh scale. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Otto Vondrak - A R&GVRRM member climbs aboard our \"Buffalo Rochester & Pittsburgh\" caboose. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Otto Vondrak - Interior of the BR&P Caboose with \"breakfast\" on the table. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Otto Vondrak - Three R&GVRRM members tour the grounds. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Otto Vondrak - Siding bumper trackside of the Freight House. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Jim Slominski - Train Day 2023 Celebrating the 154th Anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
National Train Day is celebrated as the day the United States was connected from the east coast to the west coast by the first transcontinental railroad. It is held each year on the Saturday closest to May 10, the anniversary of the pounding of the "Golden Spike" in Promontory Summit, Utah in 1869. Train Day at Orchard Park Depot this year was held on Saturday May 13th, 2023. The hours were 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
 "©2023 Robert Snyder - Brian Angevine presented historic videos of the \"Buffalo Rochester and Pittsburgh.\" (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
The passenger station, the freight house and the BR&P caboose were open for public inspection. The passenger station had many visual displays along with a personnel presentation of BR&P movies by Brian Angevine. The freight house had a speeder, a velocipede, a set of restored 1950s passenger car seats, a steam engine bell that could be rung, and a non operating HO gauge train. |  "©2023 Otto Vondrak - Inside the Freight House. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Robert Snyder - WNY Garden Railroad Society of Western New York \"G\" Gauge trainset on the Depot platform. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
Our "Buffalo Rochester and Pittsburgh" caboose was opened at both ends for walk through viewing. On the trackside platform a garden railroad was set up and operated by the WNY Garden Railroad Society of Western New York. An information table was set up and maned by the Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail Inc. on the platform next to the baggage room. |  "©2023 Robert Snyder - Mary Brummer, President of the ECRT, mans the Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail Inc. information table. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Robert Snyder - A young visitor checks off a \"Where is it\" on his Depot Exploration list. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Robert Snyder - A display board shows the locations of past BR&P Depots. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Robert Snyder - Another display board of the history of the BR&P Railroad. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Robert Snyder - Depot Chairman Jim Slominski and WNYRHS member Fran Hogenkamp relax outside the Depot. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Robert Snyder - TrainDay Coloring Pages at the OP Library . (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Robert Snyder - Lego Land© map of Orchard Park in the library. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
| Train Day at the Orchard Park Depot was held in conjunction with the Orchard Park Public Library. The library had several activities for young children both at the library and at the train Depot. Many people of all ages came to the depot for Train Day. The “Depot Crew” was highly complemented on the restoration of the depot, its grounds and for the chance to spend some time at our historic sight. |
| On the week of May 22nd, our contractor started on the freight house deck. The ground track side was cleaned up and leveled. A 12" post hole digger was used to make the holes for the deck footers. 12 inch "Sonotube" concrete forms were put into the holes and then filled with concrete. By the end of the day on 26th, the ground on the track side was covered with a thick layer of crushed stone. Work will not resume until next week Thursday, as our contractors' best two carpenters are unavailable until then. |
 "©2023 Robert Snyder - 6 - 12 inch \"SonoTubes\" filled with concrete looking West. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Robert Snyder - East view of the footers. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Robert Snyder - Contrators \"BobCat\" dumping crushed stone. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Robert Snyder - The crushed stone being spread evenly. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
 "©2023 Robert Snyder - Prep work is almost done and ready for the deck. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge") |
| Work sessions will continue every Saturday morning from 9:00am to noon. As spring and summer approach, so do routine chores that keep the Depot so attractive. We have plenty of low stress jobs for anyone interested in helping out. Please call our number, (716)-662-7002, and let us know you are coming. |
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The WNYRHS, 100 Lee Street, Buffalo, NY. 14210 is an independent organization and has no affiliation with any other local or national group.
The Society is a fully qualified organization under 501 (C) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and all donations to the Society are tax deductible.
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