From Belfast north, it was laid on the bed of the abandoned Genesee Valley Canal.

At the time, the Pennsylvania Railroad was trying to expand into western New York.

The deal brought the WNY&PRY little profit,[5] but it did improve revenues for the Allegheny Valley and the Philadelphia and Erie roads, so the net result was satisfactory to PRR executives.

[6] Eventually, the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railway became the PRR's Buffalo and Allegheny Valley Division.

Various sources date the small branch from Scottsville to Garbutt from 1900 and the summer of 1907.