Buffalo and Black Rock Railroad
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | April 29, 1833 |
| Defunct | 1851 |
| Fate | Operations discontinued; acquired by Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad |
| Headquarters | Buffalo, New York , United States |
Area served | Buffalo, New York to Black Rock |
| Products | Horsecar rail service |
The Buffalo and Black Rock Railroad was an American rail enterprise founded in 1833, which initiated a horsecar service connecting Buffalo, New York with Black Rock in 1834. It is frequently regarded as an antecedent to the Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad, with both lines functioning simultaneously until the 1850s, when operations of the Buffalo and Black Rock Railroad were discontinued.
History
The company was officially established on April 29, 1833, and commenced operations by May of the following year. Its track began at the intersection of Pearl and Crow (present-day Exchange Street) in Buffalo, proceeding northwest along Terrace Street to Court Street, then heading west on Court to Third Street. From there, it continued northwest adjacent to the northern edge of the Erie Canal. The Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad, incorporated in 1834, initially followed this same path up to Court and Terrace before diverging northwest along Sixth Street. This horse-drawn line provided a connection to the ferry service at Black Rock.
The railroad’s operations were disrupted following the Erie Canal expansion in the late 1840s, which led to interruptions and subsequent state compensation. By 1851, city officials in Buffalo required that the railroad cease running its cars on public roadways. By 1854, documentation suggested that the Buffalo, Brantford and Goderich Railroad had taken over the Buffalo and Black Rock Railroad’s right-of-way within city limits.
In valuations conducted by the Interstate Commerce Commission during the 1910s and 1920s, it was recorded that the Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad had acquired the Buffalo and Black Rock Railroad in 1834, incorporating its line into the route extending toward Niagara Falls.