RAIL: Here’s an interesting tale of the railroad from The Era back in 1901.

It is stated upon good authority that the Pennsylvania Railroad Co. contemplates some vast improvement in this vicinity in the near future. A number of people from Kinzua recently have been in the city and state that a number of the surveyors of the P&E have been at work in that place for some time and have accomplished a large amount of work.

The original survey that was made when the P&E was first built did not have Kane on the railroad map. The line branched at Sheffield, passed through West Line and other points until Wilcox was reached, where it once more followed the present line. The town of Kane was only taken in because Gen. Thomas L. Kane was possessed of large tracts of land and because of his wealth and great influence. Now the town is once more to be taken off the freight map and left out in the cold, cold world on a side track.

If built as proposed, Warren would also suffer to some extent, as the transfer of freights from the WNY&P lines would undoubtedly take place at Kinzua and not at this city, as is now the case. The pusher that operates from Warren would also be taken off as would the larger number of engines that are now kept at Kane to assist the heavy trains over the grades. The route of the trains then, if the new route is completed, would be from Warren to Kinzua over the lines of the WNY&P or the B&AV division of the P&E, thence to Wilcox, and a freight train at Kane would be as scarce as hens’ teeth.