(The following was submitted for publication  by Michael J. Connor 

based on research by William L. Reddy and the late Colonel C. R. J. Rogers.)

	The grading for the 36" (narrow) gauge Wellsville, Bolivar & Eldred 

Railroad (the Bradford, Eldred & Cuba Railroad leased subsidiary that built the 

line from Wellsville to Little Genesee and from Bolivar to Richburg) was 

commenced at Wellsville near the Erie track on 9 June 1881 and the grade was 

finished to the Genesee River 2 or 3 days later.  The Erie delivered 4 carloads

of rail on 16 June.  By 18 June the grade in Wellsville was finished to the Erie

 depot (which was a Union Station between the BE&C and the Erie during the BE&C's

life).  By 18 July the grade was finished to Petrolia, including a 200' radius 

curve with a 209 degree arc.  The first locomotive on the narrow gauge arrived 

on an Erie flat car at Wellsville on 2 August 1881.  It was Bradford, Bordell 

& Kinzua (BB&K) #1, a 2-6-0 (Mogul-type) steam locomotive weighing 16 tons with 

a tender weighing 10 tons.  It was built by the Brooks Locomotive Works, 

Dunkirk NY, for the Parker & Karns City Railroad and later acquired by the BB&K.

The BB&K and the BE&C System were controlled by the same interests.

       BB&K #1 with 6 loaded construction gondola cars made the first 

trip out of Wellsville on 3 August.  On 7 August an excursion train made up 

of construction flats and gondolas ran from Wellsville to end of track 

about two miles up Brimmer Brook commencing passenger service of a sort.  

Construction continued, including another 200' radius curve, this one 

with a 145 degree arc, at Norton Summit.  Norton Summit, at 1,919 feet above 

sea level, and more importantly, 409 feet above Wellsville, was reached via 

a steep nearly 2% grade.  Track reached Allentown on 25 August 1881 and 

on 29 August the new railroad hauled its first revenue freight, a carload of 

construction lumber for the H. K. Opp dry-goods store in Allentown.

       Friday, 2 September 1881 saw the BB&K #1's date with destiny at 

the bridge.  The engine and crew had just finished making a trip to end of 

track west of Allentown with the train the Wellsville Daily Reporter, no 

doubt with tongue in cheek, called the "Allentown Express."  Due to the lack 

of a turntable or wye track west of Wellsville at the time the operating 

procedure was for the engine to push the train (today an excursion car 

and a flat car) up the hill.  This kept the engine on the lower end, at least 

to Norton Summit, which assisted in train control.  On the return trip the 

engineer stopped with his train on the temporary trestle over the Genesee 

River to take on water.  After finishing, as the train was slowly leaving a 

wooden cross member of the trestle cracked and the trestle slowly collapsed 

between the engine and its tender.

       Remarkably no one was injured but Wellsville photographer Rider 

recorded the new railroad's embarassment for us.  Rider's photograph, a 

railroad classic, is taken looking south (downstream) at the eastbound 

locomotive.  Two versions of the photograph exist.  One shows the 

tender crudely lettered BB&K as if the negative (or a print) had been 

relettered.  Another version shows the tender clearly lettered BE&C but this may 

represent the artful work of someone with a print or negative who knew 

the location but did not take the trouble Colonel Rogers (see below)  did 

to ferret out the story.

         The engine was rerailed and clear of the trestle by Saturday 

morning.  On Monday, 5 September, the trestle was repaired and trains 

again running.  Replaced later with a more permanent structure the trestle 

was never again involved in derailment.  The last regular train ran over 

the replacement trestle on 14 January 1893.

       BB&K was ultimately returned to its owner's rails at Eldred as 

the BE&C's six new steam locomotives took over regular duties.

       The above information could not have been written without the 

work the late Colonel Claire R. J. Rogers whose detailed research of local 

newspapers brought this incident back to life.  Those of us who are 

researching this and other Allegany County narrow gauge railroads owe 

him an immense debt of gratitude--Thank you, Colonel Rogers!.

       							Michael J. Connor