Nineteenth-century roots
Rail service in the corridor dates to 1872, connecting Southern Tier communities and industries with larger markets.
About B&H Rail
Historic roots. Local service. Built for the long term.
Built on generations of Southern Tier railroad service, B&H connects local industry to the North American rail network while keeping service, decisions, and customer support close to home.
Southern Tier service
Steuben County corridor
Norfolk Southern interchange
Family-owned railroad group
Our Railroad
A local freight railroad with a modern industrial purpose.
Rail service has connected the communities and industries of Steuben County with wider markets for generations. The corridor remains an important transportation option for manufacturers, processors, warehouses, bulk shippers, and businesses that benefit from moving freight by rail.
B&H’s modern chapter began in 1996, when Steuben County selected the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad to operate and revitalize the county-owned rail corridor. That transition brought the line into a family-owned regional railroad organization focused on infrastructure stewardship, customer service, and long-term growth.
Today, B&H provides local freight service, transload and
warehousing options, railcar storage, and industrial-development
support, with Norfolk Southern interchange at Painted Post.
A Railroad That Evolved
Long-standing roots with a renewed operating mission.
The railroad’s role has changed with the region. Earlier traffic reflected the agricultural, forest-product, and industrial economy of its time. Today, the same corridor supports modern supply chains, industrial facilities, regional distribution, and new development opportunities.
Since joining the LA&L railroad family, B&H has benefited from shared commercial, operating, safety, technology, and development resources while maintaining a local operating identity and direct connection to the businesses along its line.
The focus remains practical: preserve useful rail infrastructure, respond to customer needs, and keep the Southern Tier connected to the broader North American freight network.
Three Defining Chapters
Historic service, renewed investment, and broader reach.
B&H’s identity is shaped by a long operating history, a modern revitalization effort, and a continuing role in Southern Tier freight transportation and industrial development.
A modern chapter begins
In 1996, LA&L assumed operation of the county-owned corridor and began a renewed focus on rehabilitation, customers, and growth.
Local service with broader reach
B&H now supports freight, transload, storage, property, and development needs with Class I connectivity at Painted Post.
A Defining Legacy
Family ownership with a long-term view.
Eugene H. Blabey II helped shape the modern LA&L railroad family, including B&H. His entrepreneurial vision, commitment to customer relationships, and belief in the importance of local rail service helped guide the organization into a broader regional system.
For B&H, that approach meant more than assuming operation of a railroad. It meant rehabilitating infrastructure, staying close to customers, and preserving a freight corridor capable of supporting the next generation of Steuben County industry.
The company continues as a family-owned organization guided by stewardship, reinvestment, practical decision-making, and a long-term commitment to the communities and businesses it serves.
What We Do
Freight service and logistics support built around the customer.
B&H combines local railroad knowledge with the commercial, operating, development, and customer resources of the wider LA&L railroad family.
01
Core Service
Freight rail service
Local service for manufacturers, processors, warehouses, and bulk shippers moving freight suited to rail.
Getting Started With Rail → 02Logistics
Transload and warehousing
Rail-to-truck transfer, dry storage, material handling, and regional distribution options centered at Coopers Plains.
Explore Locations → 03Capacity
Railcar storage
Project-specific storage options supported by local coordination, railroad access, and operational planning.
Storage Options → 04Growth
Industrial development
Site screening, rail feasibility, track concept coordination, and connections to development partners and resources.
Industrial Development →Coopers Plains
A practical Southern Tier transload and logistics platform.
The Coopers Plains facility combines rail access, warehouse space, truck access, weighing, material handling, and regional distribution capabilities in one location near I-86 and I-99.
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40,000-square-foot building
Four bays available for dry storage and logistics activity.
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Two rail spurs
Flexible access for transload, handling, and rail-served operations.
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Certified truck scale
On-site weighing supports efficient inbound and outbound movements.
✓
Material handling equipment
Mobile conveyors and a commodity loading bin support varied products.
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Industrial utilities
Three-phase power supports a broad range of logistics activity.
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Hazmat capability
Project-specific handling options are evaluated with the B&H team.
Rail, warehouse, truck, and handling access.
Coopers Plains provides a flexible starting point for companies
that need rail access without constructing a private siding.
Our Values
The standards that guide every movement and relationship.
B&H’s mission is customer success delivered through safe operations, trusted relationships, quality service, and continuous improvement.
01 / Safety
First and always.
Safety guides every operating decision, work plan, facility interaction, and railroad movement.
02 / Integrity
Earn trust.
Build lasting respect with customers, employees, communities, suppliers, and the public.
03 / Excellence
Keep improving.
Pursue reliable execution, sound judgment, continuous improvement, and stronger outcomes.
04 / Respect
Value people.
Recognize every person, business, community, and partner affected by the railroad’s work.
05 / Dedication
Stay committed.
Deliver quality service, practical problem-solving, and lasting customer relationships.
Executive Leadership
Experienced leadership supporting B&H’s next chapter.
The executive team combines railroad operating, commercial, financial, and customer experience with the long-term perspective of a family-owned organization.
Executive Leadership
Bob Babcock
President & CEO
Commercial Leadership
Jeff Bauman
Vice President, Sales & Marketing
Operating Leadership
Corey Zeh
Vice President, Operations
Financial Leadership
Michelle Pfeiffer
Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
One Railroad Family
Local B&H service backed by shared regional resources.
B&H maintains its own operating identity and Steuben County focus while sharing leadership, customer tools, commercial support, safety resources, development expertise, and long-term planning with three affiliated short lines.
Local Identity
Customer support stays close to the railroad.
Direct communication and practical coordination remain centered on B&H customers and facilities.
Shared Strength
Broader resources support local service.
Commercial, operating, safety, technology, and development capabilities are shared across the railroad family.
Long-Term View
Family ownership supports patient investment.
Infrastructure, people, customers, and communities are considered with decades—not quarters—in mind.
Work With B&H
Have freight, storage, transload, or site-development needs?
Share the commodity, lane, volume, railcar type, facility, handling requirement, or property information. B&H can help identify the next practical step.