THE COLDWATER CENTRAL
by Michael J. Finn , Conductor
by Michael J. Finn , Conductor
Seamus O'Callahan and Colin McFinn were brothers in the Irish clan whose origins date back to the legendary Finn McCool (who is, also, as legend has it, the clan father of the Little People). They had watched as the first rail lines had been laid across their clan land by the current landlords. They were fascinated by the sight and sound of the engines which ran down these lines. They spent their young adult years saving for passage to the new world where they might have a chance to own a railroad and become fabulously wealthy.
And, so, in 1851 they bought passage on a ship heading for New York. They found themselves thrown into a city that was already so crowded that they realized they had no chance of starting their railroad. They determined to push west where there was more opportunity. As they hung around the train station trying to negotiate passage west, they heard rumors of some big mucky-muck planning to buy up all the railroads and make one huge railroad which would run across the state.
The brothers tied their belongings in a bundle and hopped the next freight west. As they caught train after train heading west they realized exactly why they had heard those rumors and why they were probably true. Shipping goods clear across the state on one train was an amazing idea! They determined to set themselves up to benefit from this when it happened.
When they reached the Tonawanda Railroad the brothers had been traveling for a long time. They were hot, tired and hungry and decided to stop when they saw a Hobo marking announcing a camp with food and beer at the junction of the North/South and The East/West lines of the Tonawanda Railroad. They spent several days there when they heard that the owners of the railroad were bankrupt and looking to unload the railroad. This seemed their golden opportunity. They met the owners and, by a bit of Irish Luck, were able to negotiate a contract to purchase the North/ South branch of the railroad. They intended to pay for it out of the profit they made on the line.
They named the new railroad the Coldwater Central because the water they had drunk in the Hobo camp was so cold and delicious. They built a depot there and established an office in it.
Their first big break came in 1853 when the New York Central did, indeed, buy up all the lines across New York State and consolidate them. All the lines except the Coldwater Central, because the brothers would not sell. And so they became the first American shortline railroad, providing carloads of freight to the NYC and selling cold water to NYC passengers as they stopped in town.
The clan grew and prospered through the years due to the dedication and hard work of its original owners and their descendants. By adhering to their original business principles of providing personal service, running trains and enjoying life, the Coldwater Central was able to grow, adding track and acquiring new routes and business.
Today the Coldwater Central is a thriving, busy, railroad. Centered in the community of Coldwater it runs in the direction of Imagination to Catspaw, a small picturesque community whose main employer, besides the railroad and it's subsidiary, the Coldwater Traction Co., is the Labatts Bottle Cap Washing and Recycling factory.
Heading out of Coldwater in the opposite direction, we take the Fantasy subdivision through an agricultural district to the small hamlet of Relax. Known for it's vegetable farms, the area around Relax grows some of the finest produce in the state. Relax is also the home of the Hopps Seed Co. and the Labatt's Storage and Consumption Co. Labatt's also has major outlets in Coldwater and Catspaw, providing a great deal of activity to the Coldwater Central. These industries located in this area mainly because of the great service and low cost transportation that the railroad provides.
Business has increased so dramatically that, two years ago, the Catspaw to Coldwater portion of the line was double tracked. This relieved congestion and improved the flow of goods over the line. Both the Labatts Bottle Cap Washing and Recycling and the Catspaw branch of the Labatts Storage and Consumption Co. saw a dramatic increase in business both during the construction phase and since then.
The Coldwater Traction Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Coldwater Central, was formed to address the transportation needs of the folks who inhabit the region the Coldwater Central serves. Its unique route is engineered to make it easily accessible to the communities it serves. Let's take a ride over the route so the reader will have a close look at the towns, villages and hamlets on the line and also be able to picture the route of the railroad which is easily observable from the comfortable seating inside Coldwater Traction Company PCC #4.
We start our journey at the quaint, mid-fifties, Art Deco style depot in Catspaw. We circle around the back of the town and immediately pass the Labatts Bottle Cap Washing and Recycling factory and it's neighbor, the Catspaw division of the Labatts Storage and Consumption Co. We then speed out of Catspaw and climb the elevated trackage that the Traction company uses to cross over the railroad main lines, branch lines and the entrance to the massive yard at Coldwater. We then find ourselves in the loop around the Bavarian style Mountain village that is Coldwater proper. From here, we could disembark and catch the loop car and head back to Catspaw, but since we are on a tour, we will take the Fantasy branch to Relax. At this point, the Traction Co. segues onto the railroad's main line. This line runs through an agricultural area noted for the wide variety of grains and vegetables it grows and broken only by the main office of the Labatts Storage & Consumption Co., which we pass after emerging from a fern forest. Sweeping around a sharp curve past the Labatts building we soon come to the Hopps Seed Co. Noted for its hops distribution, this company also processes and distributes all kinds of vegetable seeds. Shortly after passing the seed company, we round several sharp curves and glide to a stop at the rustic log cabin depot at Relax. Not too many folks get up and leave Relax, but our tour calls, so we glide out of town, through the cut in border rock, and straight back to Coldwater, where I will leave you for a cold drink.
A little known fact about the Coldwater Traction Co. is that it is only one of two rail services in North America(and the only one in the United States)that will stop anywhere to pick up and discharge passengers and their belongings. This is considered an indispensable service by the passengers because it allows them a very flexible transportation plan and makes it possible for their towns to transact business without cars or trucks. ( A warning to railfans who want to visit this area: Cars and trucks are outlawed in all on line communities. Possession of one means immediate shunning.) This is fortunate, since there are no roads. Folks stand right by the tracks and flag down the streetcars to board. To disembark they simply tell the motorman where they wish to be dropped.
Motive power on the Coldwater Central is a mixture of steam and early diesel. Assigned to the Catspaw division are a number of ex-New York Central Hudsons, including a Drefus Hudson. These engines are still in their original NYC colors and carry their old NYC lettering. There are also two A-B sets of Alco PA diesels, one in NYC colors, one in Rock Island. An 0-6-0 switcher works the yard at Coldwater. The Relax division motive power consists of a Porter and a shortened Alco RS1. This division has just acquired an Irish steam engine, an 0-4-0 side tank. This is the culmination of years of planning. It is now on the division and awaiting its first run. The big day is planned for St. Patrick's day.
