The history of the Lyons, New York Trolley Station

Source: TravElectric, The Story of the Rochester, Syracuse & Eastern Railroad and Associated Lines, by James R. McFarlane, bulletin 143 of the Central Electric Railfans’ Association, 2009.

The Lyons Trolley Station, located at 1 Montezuma Street, in Lyons, New York, was built as a combined passenger and freight station for the Rochester, Syracuse & Eastern Railroad(RS&E), an electric trolley car service from Rochester to Syracuse, in December, 1922. However, the RS&E had been running through Lyons since 1905, when the trolley line first started service. Prior to the building of a dedicated trolley station in Lyons, the RS&E used a rented storefront on Williams Street (possibly #30) as its passenger station. The trolley line predominantly used the old Erie Canal route from Rochester to Syracuse. In Lyons, it snaked its way through the village, sharing the road bed with wagons and horses. The RS&E entered the village of Lyons from the west via a metal bridge, which exists today carrying a pipeline over the barge canal. The trolley traveled along Water Street, turning a sharp corner onto William Street, and then turning again onto Canal Street before exiting Lyons to the east. By 1909, the trolley line was completed to Syracuse, and numerous branch lines were added over time. The RS&E (and its successor, Empire United Railways), ceased operation in 1930, when the system was declared bankrupt, largely due to advent of the automobile.

The trolley drew its power from overhead cables. The system utilized direct current (dc) power, which was considered to be safer in case of accidents. The dc power was converted to high voltage alternating current power (ac) for efficiency in transmission to distant places, and then was converted back to dc power. The Lyons powerhouse provided power for the entire system, and substations located every 10 miles or so were used to convert the ac power back to dc for the trolley to use. Old substations can still be seen in Port Gibson (currently an automobile repair shop) and in Savannah, among others. Buildings in the RS&E network were built to last, with brick walls and slate roofs.

In the fall of 1922, in order to shave 4 minutes from its schedule, the RS&E straightened out the route through Lyons by utilizing the old canal bed, routing new tracks starting at Water Street, and then curving slightly to traverse the current parking lot behind the Wayne County Social Services building, crossing Montezuma Street, and then continuing across the current parking lot behind Dobbins Drugs. At that spot, the RS&E built a new type “A” combined passenger and freight station, completed in December, 1922 (the Trolley Station) The Trolley Station appears today, much as it did in 1922. The freight portion of the station, encompassing the current diner counter and kitchens, was 50 feet long, while the passenger waiting area and the ticket counter (in the bay window) were 18.5 feet long. The windows and the large front door are mostly original.

In 1922, the old canal bed and canal basin had not been filled in after the two disused versions of the Erie Canal (Clinton’s Ditch (1825) and the Enlarged Canal (1835) ) were drained. In order to fill the canal bed to accommodate the new double track, the RS&E used an accumulation of cinders from the RS&E’s main powerhouse (still in existence on Cole Road in Lyons), The cinders were moved from the powerhouse to the building site via four rented side-dumping ballast cars. 20,000 cubic yards of fill were needed to complete the project, of which 12,000 cubic yards were cinders from the Lyons powerhouse.

So what remains today of the original Trolley Station? The raised freight floor has been lowered to provide more dining space, and the ceiling dropped to provide for modern utilities. The exterior of the building is original, including the cement “trolley stop” where the trolley would park to dispense its passengers and freight.

The current owner purchased the Trolley Station in June 2022 with the goal of preserving a vital piece of Lyons history, restoring the building to health, providing a gathering space for Lyons residents and visitors that is comfortable, safe, and enjoyable, with good local freshly prepared food. The Trolley Station is a bike friendly business, with custom bike racks outside, bicycle touring information inside, and useful resources for bicycle tourists. Currently, the Trolley Station is home to the Tokarz Family Diner, although the building is for sale and the diner will close at the end of August 2024. The Trolley Station is ready for its next adventure - calling all entrepreneurs and history buffs. Come see this beautiful building in the heart of the Erie Canal Peppermint Village of Lyons NY.

1 Montezuma Street, Lyons NY