Dear Friends of Buffalo Central Terminal,
2009 marks the 80th anniversary of the dedication and opening of Buffalo Central Terminal, a place that has truly touched the lives of many Western New Yorkers.
To mark this milestone, the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation is putting together an anniversary celebration. As part of this event, the Terminal’s center piece, the original concourse clock, will be returned to its home at the center of the main concourse. Also, through the gracious efforts of the AMVETS, a new flagpole and American flag will take its rightful place, atop the vaulted roof, at the northeast corner of the building. Finally, with your help, a replica of the Terminal’s original 1929 dedication plaque will again grace the entrance foyer, where the long missing original once hung.
Donations are needed to help fund the dedication plaque project. It would be most meaningful, if these funds could be raised form amongst our CTRC membership; and all those people who have a special connection and place in their heart for the old Buffalo Central Terminal. Outside donations are also being sought.
Time is of essence, if we are to complete this project in time for the 80th anniversary celebration. Please, help us celebrate by making your tax deductible contributions today. Make checks payable to the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation, P O Box 468, Buffalo, New York 14212. Be sure to indicate “Plaque Project” on your check; and thank you for your continued support. All excess funds will be used in the restoration of the entrance foyer, where the plaque will be hung.
Larry Schwindler & Kate Janus
Co-Chairpersons
Is the clock going back in the concourse for just the season or is it going to be in the concourse for now on? Also it great to see there bringing back a flag pole and an American flag on the vaulted roof in the corner. Also is there any photos of the original plaque that was in that entrance foyer?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/1valgal/2507044611/ would be a postcard of the flagpole. The original dedication plaque was supposedly removed by the previous owner and turned into a coffee table….mind you this was just a rumor I heard over the years.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f88/bctnathan/50.jpg this would be the flagpole as it was in March 2005
Ozzy, at the members only tour, I heard the concourse clock is supposedly coming back to BCT for good, because of how much trouble it is to get it moved around town, because of its size and weight. It was supposed to go to the airport, but maybe a large photo display can go there in its place.
Maybe too, if Mike Miller could possibly convince M&T Bank to put up posters or photo displays in each of their branch offices, to bring attention to the 80th anniversary of BCT, once a poster photo layout design has been agreed upon by all involved in the planning stages. I’d like to see some up in the M&T offices outside the Buffalo area too, like in Rochester, Syracuse, and their offices outside NY state as well. Let’s bring back the slogan: “A new era for an old friend” again.
(Rochester lost what was left of its magnificent NYC station long ago. Designed by architect Claude F. Bragdon in 1914, built and opened in 1915, sold to a private owner and partially demolished in the 1960′s, and the remaining section was destroyed in 1978. Part of it once stood roughly about where the Amtrak station in Rochester stands now, on Central Ave. off the inner loop. A stone’s throw away from Frontier Field. It’s a shame it couldn’t have been saved!)
I know I’m beginning to sound like a broken record about this, but we do need to get something posted on http://www.greatamericanstations.com under “Station News”- Buffalo Central Terminal, to bring this into the national spotlight. Can anyone follow up on this?
On the flagpole, this was initiated by the Amvets, I believe it was, and they deserve most of the credit for their generous contribution. I learned this at the members only tour too.
Don’t forget, all, that Derek Punaro published a link to PayPal for donations to the CTRC in a previous post. For those who haven’t found it, someone may want to post it here again, or create a permanant link to it on this website from the home page. I added the link to “Favorites” in my browser. I have a PayPal account because I buy and sell stuff on eBay, and I am planning to make a small donation before New Year’s day. Maybe another afterward. I invite others to do the same.
(If we get a telephone line with DSL hooked to the terminal, I have a few a/b access points I can set up for WiFi internet access in the concourse for those interested during next year’s events. These access points have power over ethernet capability, so they can be powered remotely through the cat5 ethernet cable, so no outlets need to be located near them. They will communicate with a/b/g/n wireless LAN clients, but at a/b bitrates. They have a range of about 300 feet, so two of them would probably work out just fine. I’ll be up to volunteer early next year to help run the cat5 if interested, as well as for other projects too. I’ll be in touch.)
When the preparations for the 80th anniversary get under way, we may want to also contact CBS news to do a segment on “CBS Sunday Morning”, and other news agencies, maybe the Travel Channel, the National Geographic Channel, the History Channel, PBS, Trains, Railfan & Railroad and maybe Popular Science or Popular Mechanics magazines, etc.. Whoever shows an interest in covering the story. Keep us posted of any coverage.
The local new is always more then happy to spotlight a segment on the terminal. Trains magazine has already published numerous articles on the terminal. Two back in 85′, and another in November 08′. Railfan & Railroad has done an article in 06′ and Classic Trains did one in the fall of 2005. I suggested the flagpole idea at a building committee meeting years ago…looks like no one took me seriously back then. lol
Hey PAul G!
I can’t wait for you to show up for a work party. Why wait till next year to volunteer? We are there every saturday at 10 ish. I would love to meet you. You have so many ideas, how about being the lead person on a project.
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I’d love to dig in folks, but I have a few things going on right now where my being able to come up Sat. mornings would be an exception more than the rule. You know, kids being involved in school sports, Saturday morning practices, games on weekends, Christmas coming, etc.. Plus I have to drive about 50 miles one way to get there. Not cool when it’s a big snowstorm & traffic is bad on the thruway. I will consider being the leader of a small project, early next year. Maybe I can even make it up for one or more of the monthly meetings too, to help out with the planning of the 80th festivities, etc.. I’d like to be there for the return of the Grand Clock, maybe even to help set it back up where it belongs! I’m a bit slow checking my personal emails, but I’ll try to keep it current whenever possible.
Happy Thanksgiving, all!
Yes any news on a date when the clock will be returning would be most helpful.
Yeah I would love to get some photos of the clock back in place.
To answer a several questions, yes the clock is going to return to it’s proper home, permanently. Yes, the flag & flagpole are being donated by the AMVETS. Although this idea may have been suggested “years ago”, one must remember that we can do only so much with limited funds and limited manpower. We commend the AMVETS for their interest and support. As for the plaque project, yes, there is a picture available; and it is this photo that is being used as part of the replication project. Now, for those looking for a schedule of events, the 80th anniversary celebration is tentatively scheduled for saturday, June 27, 2009.
I am very well aware of the BCTRC limited resources…I’m currently working on getting a few donations for the terminal through my work. Hopefully it will be set up for the 2009 season.
I apologize if this isn’t the right place to ask the question I have but when will the canopy be rebuilt? I think there are two of them right? It would be nice to see these two rebuilt around the summer.
An idea I have is that maybe you can get the Discovery Channel Show Dirty Jobs to film in BCT and have the host along with the crew film/help you guys out for the weekend in restoring the terminal.
There is no definite date as to when the clock will return. It’s dependent on manpower and resources and will cost about $4K to relocate and reassemble.
Vishal, there are 4 canopies: one on each corner of the north side of the building. We’ve talked about restoring the main entrance canopy, but that is also dependent on manpower and resources. We estimate casting resin versions of the existing cast iron decorative plates, rewiring and repairing damaged concrete facias to be about $10K.
Keep me posted on the clock, Mike. If a volunteer can come up with a suitable flatbed truck or trailer, and the equipment to move the large sections and secure them safely to the vehicle, and cushioning to protect them from damage in transit, I’d be interested in helping with the move. We will probably also need a police escort from M&T Center back to the terminal, for safety reasons.
Will do, Paul. Last time, Jeff Ingersoll and his crew moved the clock. It’s about 900 lbs. It was secured in an enclosed van, so no police escort is necessary (who could steal a 900 lb. cast iron clock?!).
Hmmm- 900 lbs is about the weight of a big diesel engine, or about half the weight of a small passenger car, or about the weight of a 20 foot long section of 140# train rail. I suppose 6-8 people could handle that, with some difficulty, 10 with a little less. A forklift, optional boom with hook, maybe a come-along, and a few strap slings might come in handy too, especially when setting it upright in the concourse.
I helped move 20 ft long sections of 60# rail when doing maintenance on the AS/RS building in Rochester. I think there was about 6 of us moving them. We wrapped slings around the rail, and used sections of 1″ hex steel bar stock to support the ends of the slings, a man on each side of the rail on each bar end. (The hex bar stock was used in the AS/RS to support the rollers on the conveyor system. Once in a while the ends would wear round with failures of bearings in the rollers and would need replacement. We had extra pieces cut for a small stock of rebuilt rollers we had on site, to minimize downtime.) The millwrights there always seemed to have some special toy needed to make moving heavy equipment easier. We unfortunately don’t have that luxury, so we have to make do with what we have.
Jeff’s disassembled, moved and reassembled the clock twice now, so he knows exactly what to do.
That’s good to know. If he needs my help I’ll be looking forward to working with him.
It’s looking like we won’t be able to afford moving it until after Dyngus Day, but stay tuned.