ADDISON AND NORTHERN PENNSYLVANIA RAILWAY COMPANY  

            The Addison and Northern Pennsylvania Railway Company was formed early in the year 1882.    This company constructed a narrow gauge railroad from Addison , NY to Gaines , PA.   The President was Thomas C. Platt, then Senator from New York .  On the board of directors were gentlemen with interests in a number of three foot gauge railroades in this area.  Included were the Tonawanda Valley and Cuba , the Bradford-Eldred-Cuba, Wellsville-Bolivar and Eldred, and the Bredford-Bordell and Kinzua.  

            In addition to the railway the company had coal mines in operation built under the name of Gaines Coal and Coke Company and branched a line to mines in Gurnee in 1884.  Meanwhile a railroad company west of Gaines was formed named New York and Northern Pennsylvania running to Galeton servicing the Clint on Sawmill and a tannery.  The new line started in 1883 and actually sponsored by the A&NP.  It was chartered to build to Coudersport but never built due to lack of funds.  The NYNP was then leased to the A&NP.  

            The A&NP suffered financial difficulties during 1885.  Early in 1886 Senator Platt was appointed receiver and the road was sold under foreclosure in 1887.  The same year property was transferred to form the Addison and Pennsylvania Railway Company including the transfer of lease of the NY&NP RR.  All officers, directors and officials were kept the same so the only change was name.   

            The Addison and Pennsylvania Railway fell victim to a product of its own creation.  It was narrow gauge competing with standard gauge.  It was sold under foreclosure in 1892 and reorganized as the second Addison and Pensylvania Railway Company.  Soon thereafter it proceeded to widen the gauge to standard.  At about the same time the Goodyear lumber empire was expanding into the Galeton area and managed to gain influence by purchase of large timber tracts supplying hemlock to the tanneries.  The mills were in the hands of the Goodyears and so was the tannery freight business.   

            In the years to follow the relationship between the Addison and Pennsylvania Railway and the Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad grew closer.  In 1901, the Susquehanna and New York Railroad and the Galeton and Eastern Railroad were merged with the B & S.  The Addison and Susquehanna was never merged with the B & S.