The developer of the Buffalo Transportation/Pierce Arrow Museum wants to bring a short line, historic rail line to Buffalo that will play off of the city’s transportation history.

James Sandoro, the region’s top automotive history buff, has acquired 16 acres of land from CSX Railroad that will serve as the backdrop for his planned attraction. Sandoro paid $275,000 for the land, according to documents filed in the Erie County Clerk’s Office.

The land, roughly one mile, runs from Michigan Avenue to Hamburg Street and between Exchange and Scott streets. Rail lines exist on the land.

Sandoro’s vision is to create a Pierce Arrow- designed locomotive and rail cars that will take passengers from downtown Buffalo east to the Larkin District. The trails will also go by Sandoro’s museum.

The trains would be built in an early 20th Century motif.

“I consider this an investment in the museum’s future, but also an investment for Buffalo’s tourism future,” Sandoro said.

Sandoro estimates the new rail line and replica cars will cost at least $1 million, but he hopes much of the materials will be donated.

“It’s not going to happen tomorrow, but it will soon,” Sandoro said.

A key attraction will be the replica locomotive that will have a Pierce Arrow-like fender, hood and radiator along with an early 20th Century cow catcher.

The rail cars will also be designed in the same motif.

Sandoro said the ride is designed to help link downtown, the Canalside and Cobblestone districts with Larkinville.

“It is another piece of the downtown puzzle,” Sandoro said. “Our train history is an obvious piece of the tourism puzzle. This fills in a missing component.”

James Sandoro, the region’s top automotive history buff, has acquired 16 acres of land from CSX Railroad that will serve as the backdrop for his planned attraction. Sandoro paid $275,000 for the land, according to documents filed in the Erie County Clerk’s Office.

The land, roughly one mile, runs from Michigan Avenue to Hamburg Street and between Exchange and Scott streets. Rail lines exist on the land.

Now Sandoro plans to build a small-gauge railroad for the slender strip of land that stretches from just west of Michigan Avenue, along Exchange Street and parallel to the Niagara Thruway, to Hamburg Street.

He intends to create a summertime tourist ride for children and adults, using a replica of an old-style “Galloping Goose” train car that was powered by Pierce-Arrow automobiles from the 1930s.