History Museum Speaker Presentation: Tonawanda Island Railroad Bridge

Devan Lawton will give us a presentation on the Tonawanda Island Railroad (reporting mark TIRL) operated on a 1.5-mile branch of railroad extending from the Niagara Branch in North Tonawanda, New York to Tonawanda Island.  The swing bridge still exists today although it has been long since operational.  The area of the river is well known as “Little River”, the swift waterway formed by the Niagara River, Ellicott Creek and Tonawanda Creek. Devan spent 45 years of his career with primarily Contrail, Genesee & Wyoming Railroad, and CSXT.  And was qualified on hundreds of miles of railroads not only locally but out of New York City and Binghamton, New York.