Depew Lancaster and Western Railroad summary
The Depew Lancaster and Western Railroad (DLWR) is a short line railroad that operates in western New York. The line is owned by the Erie County Industrial Development Agency while being the first railroad to be operated by Genesee Valley Transportation Company, a holding firm that manages four other short lines in both New York and Pennsylvania. The DLWR uses 3 miles of standard-gauge track between Depew and Lancaster as well as a separate industrial track at Genesee Valley’s headquarters of Batavia.
History
The main section of the DLWR was once part of the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad main line between Buffalo, N.Y., and Hoboken, New Jersey. The Batavia section was part of both the former New York Central and Lehigh Valley railroads. All the sections were eventually sold to the Erie County Industrial Development Agency with the Genesee Valley Transportation Company taking over operations in 1989 as the Depew, Lancaster and Western Railroad. The 3-mile line has received repairs and upgrades while serving as a catalyst to Genesee Valley’s growth since 1990.
Operations
Though the smallest out of the five subsidiaries, the Depew, Lancaster and Western remains an important railroad to Genesee Valley. Highlighted as a top business for the company, a T3 transloading facility is located in Batavia with switching provided by the railroad to reach off-line customers. The 3-mile section of the railroad between Depew and Lancaster continues to see growth in their customer base with freight traffic being brought in and out by Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation. Trains on the DLWR operate in what is designated Yard Limits territory.
The railroad rosters Genesee Valley’s growing fleet of diesel locomotives from Alco and the Montreal Locomotive Works. Most are painted in the company’s “Corporate White” color scheme. A new locomotive shop was constructed in the Green Ridge section of Scranton to repair and maintain the company’s diverse roster.
The DLWR interchanges with CSX at the Batavia Industrial Track and at Depew on the 3-mile section of the railroad. The latter location also connects with NS.
Read more about the Depew Lancaster and Western Railroad in Trains’ December 2021 issue.
