Our Depots

The Western New York Railway Historical Society is proud to own two excellent examples of railroad station heritage. Our first acquisition, in the town of Orchard Park, just south of Buffalo, was deeded to the society in July of 1982. This depot was part of the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh Railroad.

Our second acquisition in Williamsville, just north of Buffalo, became Society property in 1990. This depot was part of the Lehigh Valley Railroad.

Both towns support our efforts and are proud of the historical heritage that they bring to their communities. At one time, there were thousands of small-town and village passenger and freight stations. Today, there are only a handful of these depots that still exist in their original locations. We are very fortunate to have two fine examples of days gone by.

Orchard Park
BR & P Depot

395 South Lincoln Ave. Orchard Park, NY 14127
Available to Rent contact wnyrhs@gmail.com

The Orchard Park railroad depot is not your average small town railroad station. Built in 1911 by the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh Railway (BR&P) and opened to the public in 1912, the BR&P depot replaced a small wooden station that was located on Bank St. The small wooden station was just south of the present Thorne Ave. Crossing, in the village. The current depot was designed by architect H.H. Richardson. It is based upon another one of his depots, the Boston & Albany Railroad Station, which was built in 1881 In Auburndale, MA.

Night view of a brick building with windows, surrounded by a white pergola structure with lights, and topped with dark roof tiles.

Find us on Facebook

Facebook Icon
See Depot Events
Visit Our Website
  • OP Depot

    Orchard Park Depot

  • Schedule

    Schedule

  • An empty wooden room with a church pew and a confessional booth in the center. The room has wooden walls, floors, and windows with yellow curtains.

    Beautiful Interior

  • Snow-covered Orchard Park train station at night with a decorated Christmas tree lit with colorful lights and a star on top.

    Winter at the Depot

  • Historic brown and white signboard for Orchard Park Depot Site, with an outline of the United States at the top, indicating its addition to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 by the U.S. Department of the Interior, funded by William G. Pomeroy Foundation in 2014, situated outdoors with trees in the background.

    Historical Significance

  • A wooden ledge with two wall-mounted lamps, a large window with a frosted glass upper pane, and a mirror in the middle reflecting a room with a stair railing.

    Ticket Window

  • Wooden desk with an antique typewriter and a rotary phone, next to a wooden chair.

    Restored Original Woodwork

  • Nighttime view of a train station with a brick building, illuminated by bright exterior lights, with train tracks in the foreground and trees in the background.

    Depot at Night

A small, dark green train station building illuminated from inside at dusk, with a chimney on the roof, windows with stained glass, and a porch with flowers and outdoor furniture. There is a railroad crossing sign and a semaphore signal nearby, and the sky is cloudy.

86 South Long St., Williamsville, NY 14221
Available to Rent, email wnyrhs@gmail.com

In 1892, the Lehigh Valley Railroad (LVRR) completed its main line and established a western terminus in Buffalo, NY. At the same time, Niagara Falls had begun to flourish as a tourist attraction. The LVRR wanted to capitalize on the tourist appeal and extend its anthracite coal business to the Midwestern United States. The railroad entered an agreement with the New York Central to use the Central’s “Peanut Line” as its route to Niagara Falls. The “Peanut Line,” which began in Canandaigua, NY and ran through Clarence, Amherst, and Tonawanda, NY, was used by the LVRR until November 14, 1896.

Williamsville Lehigh Valley Depot

@williamsvilledepot

A blank white square with a small gray circle in the center.
See Depot Events
  • WLVD at night

    WLV Depot at night

  • Fall at the Depot

    Fall at WLV Depot

  • WLVD Sign

    WLV Depot Sign

  • Norfolk & Western Caboose

    Norfolk & Western Caboose

  • Cab End of LV Diesel 252

    Cab End of LV Diesel 252

  • A vintage red train engine with the words 'Lehigh Valley' and the number 252, parked on train tracks in a suburban area with fall trees and a house in the background.

    Leigh Valley 252

  • Fun at the Depot

    Fun at the Depot