Buffalo Central Terminal in Color, 1964 & 1970, Buffalo, New York

[@johnzeis9546]

My parents used to take me to the terminal for entertainment many times in the early 1940s during the Second World War. We loved seeing families reunited at the station, especially seeing servicemen either coming home after long absences or leaving to go to war. It was both heart warming and sad. I am now 85 years old and still have this great memory. I still remember when my brother came home from Europe at the end of WWII and my time coming home from Korea and seeing my parents. it is a memory of the terminal I will always cherish. J E Zeis

[@Force05289]

That’s a beautiful story. My Nana who is 92 as of me writing this comment has a lot of similar stories of old Penn central station in NYC before they tore it down to build MSG in the 1960s. I’m only 18 but I wish I were able to see this station and city at its fully glory I’m sure it was beautiful.

[@lindaferris5078]

Good grief, I saw my father in one of the shots. He worked there until it closed, first as Wire Chief, then as manager. Gave me goosebumps. What a wonderful place it was.

[@Ascertivon]

These photographs are incredible. I have seen plenty of this station, but so few in color. Thank you for sharing them.

[@johnbarnes1268]

I boarded a train at 11:00 p.m. on December 31st 1964 that took me to the Navy bootcamp in Chigago. Had a few drinks and a meal before I left. It was a classy place to kiss your girlfriend goodbye. What memories.

[@Smecty]

My mother's family was from Buffalo (Kensington & Bailey) and I remember Buffalo *before* the decline you see in this montage took place. What a great town, and what a magnificent piece of architecture. Thanks so much for sharing and bringing back so many memories!

[@christopherorourke6362]

David Richtmyer I lived at 251 Hutchinson Street, right in the vicinity of Bailey Avenue & Kensington Avenue. My late mother worked in Niesner's when her & my late father got married. My mother lived in the lower Westside on 39 St.John's place when the neighborhood was mostly Italian, my mother was first generation America. Born of Norwegion-Canadian background. My mother was a Class of 1950 graduate of Grover Cleveland High School. I was baptized at St. James church as a baby. I remember a bakery that was right there on Kensington avenue just after you walked off of Bailey Avenue, there was a Paul Parrot shoe store next to a bar on Bailey Avenue there.

[@Beach-Star-Experience-550-YT]

@@christopherorourke6362 my grandma lived on Wex on the East Side, a few blocks away from the train station. If I knew about it as a kid, I definitely would have visited (because it was still open at that time).

[@hodgeelmwood8677]

My mother worked in the restaurant at the Central Terminal back in the 50s before she married my dad. She had wonderful memories of the place.

[@10206565]

I grew up right down the street from there. Good memories skate boarding there all the time. Also , the movie Best Friends with Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn filmed scenes there back in 1982. That was a big deal back then.

[@craigfazekas3923]

Wow, how times change. I went to Buffalo via Amtrak in 1990. I was dropped of at some office trailer looking thing down by The Aud & the Marine Midland building. I had to be bused out to Depew to catch the train out on the way back...

[@edithfisher4098]

How I remember the Terminal. My mom, sister and I would always take the train to visit my grandmother and aunt who lived in Nashville TN. Always looked forward to be going in the summer.

[@daleradder7354]

That was awesome loved the pictures.

[@lorettasal]

Shame on the leaders of Buffalo to pass on such an extraordinary building! Renovation would bring this beautiful building back as well as the surrounding area

[@christopherorourke6362]

After seeing the video of Buffalo Central Terminal of 1964 & 1970 is a huge contrast outside in the train platform area and the Buffalo Central Terminal approach. 1964 the area & tracks maintained, a large selection of trains going East & West. In 1970 right about the time of the Penn Central railroad bankruptcy, far fewer trains to choose from. The approach to Buffalo Central Terminal not well maintained. The inside of the Buffalo Central Terminal overall clean and I remember when I was inside there with my late parents When they went to get New York Central passenger train timetables. I lived the first 9 years of my life in the Buffalo area in Buffalo, Kenmore, the Town of Tonawanda & the City of Tonawanda.

[@Beach-Star-Experience-550-YT]

I visited the train station a couple years back. What a beautiful building. What a shame it got let go so bad, and the area it's in looks like a bomb went off. They have a restoration team, so they do let you take tours, but be smart and wear closed-toe shoes and bring a jacket. The historian did a great job and there was a Halloween-themed event. It would be great to see this up and functioning again someday, but the neighborhood would need a major overhaul.

[@charlesgallagher1376]

I grew up a couple miles north of the tracks and could hear the trains coupling at night as I fell asleep. The Buffalo train yard was 2nd in size to Chicago East of the Mississippi. I hear there’s money coming in to restore the Central Terminal, I think a world class train museum would fit in there.

[@ordoneright]

I took a train out of there just once. April of 1964. To Fort Dix!

[@jimmyjambhere]

we used to go there back in the early 90s and drink and smoke weed. i always thought the train station was so cool looking and sure a shame it just sat their empty for all those years.

[@terminaltube5465]

+jimmyjambhere At least you're not one of those jack asses who threw rocks at the windows and destroyed the place.

[@kennethklossner8509]

Since he was drunk and doped out of his mind, how does anyone know what he did or did not do. He was trespassing at best--a true upstanding citizen!

[@tomkat1983]

Great Job Marty

[@alanconrad8490]

Amazing place....it's decline is so sad

[@54GARYBOY]

The movie Best Friends has the best scenes ever shot at the terminal and funny as hell.

[@UDubFootballFan]

It's very haunting.

[@paulrath7764]

the lobby clock tower at 0:50 was shipped to Hong Kong and somehow wound up at the Peak Tram Station on Hong Kong Peak.

[@beefonweckeastside3323]

As you look at the opening shot of the terminal to the left of the terminal was a meat store there called Kania's, from the walkway down to Kania's was a hill and we were kids it seems like a big one used to call it Devil's Hill and go down there on our sleds across the street was Dropiks Tavern with the best beef on weck and an ice-cold Birch Beer

[@christophers.o622]

It’s a horrible disgrace what Mayor Brown of my birthplace Buffalo and 3 others with him deciding that Canalside will be the location for Buffalo’s next Amtrak station. That selection was just a damned slap in the face and an insult to the volunteers that are working the restore Buffalo Central Terminal. Buffalo Central Terminal is the best choice to have Amtrak move back into, it provides a straight direct route to Erie, Cleveland,Toledo & Chicago. Mayor Brown and those 3 others would fit right at home in Ugly,Backward,1870’s,Anti-Progress,Sh@thole,Loser City Tucson which is run by the damned 1870’s Party whose idea & attitude is 1880 & beyond are only street addresses, not years & decades. Those 4 there in Buffalo their political careers are over with, but their counterparts in Tucson will linger on till the halfway point of the 21ST. Century.

[@toddinde]

It was a very unfortunate decision.

[@johnjackson8401]

Agree. The mayor would get along well with Brandon in the WH. Very inept bunch.

[@chasbodaniels1744]

@John Jackson Yeah, many people think Fox is actual journalism and not anti-Democratic propaganda 24x7. Read beyond your RWNJ silo my friend.

[@johnryan8859]

​@johnjackson8401 Joe has cleaned up the crap from the previous administration and passed more legislation than any president in my life (almost same age) some of it BIPARTISAN to address issues that many previous administrations promised to take care of. Still waiting for mexico to pay for and build HIS wall 😅

[@greg6122]

Do you have any pictures of the terminal being built? That would be awesome, what a complex!❤

[@jameshenry8015]

The last shot from west of the terminal near Tower 49A looks more like it was shot in 1980 and not 1970. I shot some photos from on top of that signal bridge and the rails were all shiny as this was still the Chicago main.

[@kaitlinwentland9642]

It really is sad 2 c what this place looks like now. I pass it every now and then m it's just horrible. My grandmother used to tell me stories about what it was like and it's hard 2 believe any of it

[@tommythomason6187]

A sad decline - not only of Buffalo Central - but of the nation's once great cities.

[@mbogucki1]

The lack of support for and decline of rail travel in favor of the automobile is a travesty in North American history. What a waste.

[@chasbodaniels1744]

The legacy US auto industry, Big Oil and highway construction companies had massive lobbying power for decades. They used it to “buy” political support for the automobile, and allowed rail to flounder.

[@Blake4625kHz]

It seems the writing was on the wall even back then. I mean it did close shortly after photos more or less. 40s were probably different. Esp during the war.

[@elmermingle9566]

I pitched in old offermen McKinley vs Seneca,1953,Elmer Red Mingle,we won.

[@ruccuk]

Imagine when oil gets unaffordable all the airports will abandoned one day.

[@tommytruth7595]

If the govt. stopped subsidizing air travel, they would abandoned today.

[@dipp1511]

by that point civilization will have collapsed, modern civilization is built on oil

[@SCRANE1115]

Excellent point. If the states didn't take the funds for federal roads (US and Interstate Highways), we'd see that mode fall apart quickly also.

[@mirrorsandgems2474]

Now all you can see is weeds and freight trains...

[@darrylwmurphy738]

This is actually Buffalo Grand Central Station

[@LITMOVIESCENES]

Its an amazing place and piece of history but there is no need to run trains through there again..That wouldnt help the area. Something big needs to go there ..its a perfect area to build up to send tourists to..People need to use their minds

[@LITMOVIESCENES]

it could be an area of bars and restaurants etc and run trolleys on the tracks that take u everywhere...Buffalo needs a destination for tourists to hang their hats on

[@ph7715]

byron brown has ruined the city that area has got so depressed. I grew up on sobieski

[@LITMOVIESCENES]

he will leave eventually i hope..

[@JimmyT132]

Buffalo’s decline began long before Byron Brown. The St Lawrence sea way caused massive declines in shipping, and industrial jobs went south and then to China in the 70’s and 80’’s. The train station was closed due to low ridership in 1979. An alternative use should be found for it. Downtown is now doing very well, and neighborhoods are being restored with demand for housing outpacing supply There’s still a ways to go, but it’s a lot better than the 1990’s when I started working here.

[@michaelsia8305]

I live around the country from there 😂😂

[@jerlewis4291]

That building was looted and the city did nothing to stop it. It all went to antique dealers or scrap dealers.

[@jamesfeussner3606]

like the graund central terminal in new york city buffalo its your turn

[@Keezy-1]

damn

[@darrylwmurphy738]

Western NY

[@stuartjackson9094]

i wass in sided bolding july 20 2012 on photol exton tacking phont of decolin airt decol yers of no up kerp dampmast cold bing in intol fizzer did not stop me i thort werd wass fust bight on hands tock photols 5 pohtols bateter fozup canor in july 98 outsid in -40 bolew aurs hav love for old blding sen a foll bold gost in old derss form 1930 i got waton ponson to be insid form csx railword

[@samtaylor5306]

stuart jackson. WTF !

[@RobertMooreGreene]

Left for army 1966 had a toy store inside 1990s

[@LITMOVIESCENES]

@@samtaylor5306 he never learned to write i guess wow...dont see that much..waz 7 yrs ago..hope hes good now ha