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The Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad, Serving Western New York and Northern Pennsylvania

The Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad, headquartered in Lakeville, New York is a Class III shortline carrier which serves, in conjunction with subsidiaries Bath & Hammondsport Rail Corporation and Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad western New York state and northern Pennsylvania. The LA&L has been in operation since the days of the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad when the EL threatened to abandon a 13-mile branch reaching south from Avon connecting Lakeville and Livonia. And so, in 1964 the LA&L was born. Since that time the railroad has since its major connection points change from the Erie-Lackawanna to Conrail, and finally today CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Canadian Pacific. Today, the LA&L's traffic base is primarily based in food products (such as grains, corn, and syrups).

The Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad original 13-mile line dates back to the Erie Railroad and since its 1964 debut the LA&L has grown to a large Class III system of 282 miles (including its two subsidiaries). The LA&L is best known in the railfan community as operating an all-Alco fleet of diesels, dating back to when it acquired its first in 1972, an RS-1 #20 which remains in operation on the fleet (ex-Lake Erie, Franklin & Clarion). Since that time the railroad has grown its fleet to an S2 switcher and several four-axle road-switchers.

The Erie Railroad is sometimes forgotten as a classic fallen flag because of its disappearance over a decade before most other lines began to fall. Until its merger in 1960 with the Lackawanna (to form the Erie Lackawanna) the Erie was another mid-sized Class I in the East Coast-Midwest market stretching from New York/Jersey City to Chicago. Throughout its existence the Erie Railroad was troubled with bankruptcies and organizations but it was able, through the 1950s, to find a degree of success in a market extremely saturated with many other, and larger carries (such as the New York Central, Pennsylvania Railroad and Baltimore & Ohio Railroad just to name a few).

While somewhat successful the Erie/Lackawanna merger, and the savings it brought could not stave off the Northeast’s biggest problem starting in the 1960s, simply too many railroads vying for a smaller and smaller traffic base as manufacturing centers slowly began to dry up in the region.

While the new railroad soldiered on and attempted to become part of the Norfolk & Western Railway’s system, Hurricane Agnes of 1972 changed everything and the storm wreaked havoc to EL’s lines and forcing it into bankruptcy.

Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad Diesel Locomotive Roster

· Alco RS1 #20: Ex-Lake Erie, Franklin & Clarion Railroad.

· Alco S2 #72: Ex-South Buffalo Railway.

· Alco C424 #319-321: #319 ex-Pennsylvania Railroad; #320 and #21 ex-Erie Lackawanna.

· Alco C420 #420: Ex-Long Island Railroad.

· Alco C424m #421-424: #421 ex-Reading Railroad #422-424 ex-Erie Lackawanna.

· Alco C425 #425: Ex-New Haven Railroad (NYNH&H).

For more information about the LA&L please take a moment to check out a few of the websites below:

Official Website Of The Livonia Avon and Lakeville Railroad

Livona, Avon & Lakeville Railfan Site

For more reading on shortlines like the Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad consider the book American Shortline Railway Guide from author Ed Lewis. The book has gone through several updated editions to keep up with the ever-changing world of the shortline industry. Today, the publication highlights almost 600 shortlines across the country with general background information about each (such as roster information, rail line history, radio frequencies, etc.). If you have any interest in shortlines you will very likely enjoy this book. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing this book please visit the link below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

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