Wellsville Addison & Galeton

Company History: The WA&G originated in 1954 by Murray Salzburg, who had made a career scrapping abandoned railroads but ultimately went on to save some he thought worthy of a second chance. Salzburg inquired with Baltimore & Ohio about buying some former Buffalo & Susquehanna lines along the Pennsylvania-New York border. In 1956, Salzburg and his new WA&G took over a V-shaped route from Galeton, Pennsylvania northwest to Wellsville, New York and from Galeton northeast to Addison, New York. A short branch from the Addison line went to Ansonia. Total length was 91 miles. The locomotive fleet was noteworthy. Operations began with seven GE 125-ton switchers that had been built in 1937 and custom styled for Ford Motor Company’s River Rouge plant in Michigan. They received the orange and cream colors that were used on Salzburg’s other shortlines.

The WA&G was located in the “leather belt” and tanneries provided much of the business. WA&G bought a modest fleet of old wood sided boxcars from Boston & Maine. These cars received WA&G name and “The Sole Leather Line” motto on their sides. Since hauling raw animal hides makes the boxcars unfit for any other service, that’s likely why Salzburg bought such old cars.

In 1959, the Addison line was cut back to Elkland after a bridge was condemned. In 1968, it became clear that the GE switchers were on their last legs so Salzburg supplemented them with a fleet of former Southern Pacific F7’s. In 1972, flooding washed out the Wellsville line. WA&G had already applied to abandon that line so no harm, no foul. WA&G was now down to 40 of the original 91 miles. The last train ran in March of 1979 and the Wellsville Addison & Galeton was abandoned.

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