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Hump Pusher: 1912
... makes me wonder if this was a combination classification yard and branchline operation. Shorpy always manages to post intriguing ... The Lake Shore was originally an independent mainline railroad which later came under the control of the New York Central and Hudson ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/17/2018 - 6:10pm -

August 19, 1912. "Hump pusher, L.S. & M.S. R.R." On verso: "Made by J. Inbody, Elkhart, Indiana. Home Phone 500." A postcard showing trainmen of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway and Locomotive 4595. View full size. Home Phone 500Life seemed so simple then. EX- New York Central?Was this a shortline that belonged to NYC Lines, or was it purchased from them? Just curious. It's labeled as a "Hump pusher" which makes me wonder if this was a combination classification yard and branchline operation. Shorpy always manages to post intriguing photos... LS&MSThe Lake Shore was originally an independent mainline railroad which later came under the control of the New York Central and Hudson River, and later still was merged with that company to form the modern NYC. A hump pusher is the loco used in a hump yard to push cuts of cars up the hump. These 0-10-0s weren't road engines, nor would they be suitable for branchline service due to their high axle load, low speed and poor riding. As a type they were uncommon on US railroads, unlike Europe or Russia where they were built in enormous numbers as road engines. HighwatersThe rolled trouser cuffs worn by the two men on the left end identify them as brakemen. They did this to prevent any possibility of tripping on their trouser legs when jumping on and off moving trains. The whole yard crewLooks like they brought out everyone from brakies to the Yardmaster for the photo. Such simpler times. And a hump yard loco would have been the least admired loco, or job; a long way down the roster from the sleek Main-line passenger trains. Gotta love those tiny (52"?) drive wheels. And those rugged workers. (The Gallery, Railroads)
Next Stop, Sleepytown: 1943
... his caboose. He works on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad out of San Bernardino." With what looks like another set of those ... View full size. The Santa Fe "Hump Yard" Barstow is home to a Hump Yard, a bunch of tracks used for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/21/2012 - 2:12pm -

March 1943. "Barstow, California. Conductor David L. Webb sleeping in his caboose. He works on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad out of San Bernardino." With what looks like another set of those railroad-safety posters. Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. The Santa Fe "Hump Yard"Barstow is home to a Hump Yard, a bunch of tracks used for assembling train cars into whatever order they need to be. Those posters however give new meaning to the name. That footwearprobably doesn't meet safety standards or maybe a stylish brogue toe-cap is on the requirements for a tail end crew of a freight. Hitchin' a RideWorked a stretch for the NYCRR in Detroit, and I can tell you the guy with the shoes is definitely not part of the train crew. He's likely a railroad employee hitching a free ride - a common practice in the '40s and probably now as well. Those shoes...Personal safety equipment was virtually non-existent back then. And, trainmen and enginemen dressed for work. I've seen plenty of photos from that era of freight crew members wearing dress shirts and ties under their bib overalls! (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Train Wreck: 1922
... when two freight trains of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company crashed in a head-on collision near Laurel, Md. David Ramsey, ... in Texas, but nary a word on an accident in the back yard. The paper seems, back in the day, to have had almost no local reporting ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/04/2012 - 11:11pm -

Laurel, Maryland. July 31, 1922. "Two B&O freights wrecked in head-on crash at Laurel switch." National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. CREWS ESCAPE BY JUMPINGWashington Post, August 1, 1922. 2 FREIGHTS CRASH AT LAUREL SWITCH Both Engines and 4 Cars Demolished When B&O Trains Meet in Head-On Collision. CREWS ESCAPE BY JUMPING Leg of Engineer Ramsey Broken, 50 Yards of Track Torn Up, Tie-Up Lasts Hours.         Six men narrowly escaped death yesterday afternoon when two freight trains of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company crashed in a head-on collision near Laurel, Md. David Ramsey, one of the engineers, was taken to a Baltimore hospital suffering from a broken leg. The others escaped injury by jumping just before the crash.         Both engines and four freight cars were demolished and the passenger and freight service of the railroad company was tied up for several hours while wrecking crews removed the debris. Commuters between Washington and Baltimore who were unable to obtain a lift from passing automobiles were forced to walk to their destination. Meet at Open Switch.         The accident occurred at a crossways near Laurel, where the east and westbound freights met in an open switch. The train crews had hardly jumped to the ground when the heavily loaded freight cars crashed into one another, the eastbound engine being hurled 25 feet in the air.         Wrecking crews were quickly sent to the scene, and emergency telephone connections established with the train dispatcher's office at Baltimore. Passenger Trains Diverted.         Passenger trains of the Baltimore and Ohio were sent out over the tracks of the Pennsylvania road to Overton, Md., then to the main line of the Baltimore and Ohio.         Officials of the railroad at the scene of the wreck refused to place responsibility for the accident, and busied themselves at once to clear away and repair the 50 yards of track torn up by the collision. Grand Funk RailroadPics like this always remind me of those 70's album covers. The term"my bad" was coined at that very moment. I do believeThat this situation was called a ‘’cornfield meet.’’ The great train wreckThe most interesting aspect of the wreck, to me, is the way it was covered in the local newspaper, the Laurel Leader. Not at all. The next issue after the accident, on 8/04/22, included front page stories of a collision of two ships near Seattle and the arrest on murder charges of a number of Prohibition agents in Texas, but nary a word on an accident in the back yard. The paper seems, back in the day, to have had almost no local reporting presence, relying on wire services and pre-packaged feature material. (It has much more local focus today, even though it's now published in nearby Columbia.) Even more oddly, perhaps, I don't find any mention of the wreck in the Baltimore Sun (published, after all, in the B&O's home town). (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Railroads)
Dinosaur Garage: 1942
... the smell and sounds of welders, grinders and torches in a railroad yard though. Especially one having been in existence for over 100 years. Kind ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/04/2021 - 11:04am -

        Updated April 2021 with a better scan of this Kodachrome. December 1942. "40th Street Shops (Chicago & North Western locomotive shops at Chicago)." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Steam TechAnother great Delano photo. Notice all the blurred ghost men tending the engines. There used to be thousands of them. Now there are only a handful of men in the country with the knowledge to maintain steam locomotives. Amazing how quickly the technology vanished. I was lucky enough to learnI'm fairly young to have that knowledge, but I worked as a teenager in a "Locomotive Works" shop that specialized in maintaining the last of these machines. I worked in the foundry, and also learned how to cast all manner of things in brass, iron, copper, etc. One of the main customers was the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway. In fact all of the journal box covers were made by me, as well as a good portion of the luggage rack brackets in the passenger cars. All brass. RR shopDreimer, Lucky for you to have experienced working on these magnificent iron machines. I managed to help clean & polish N&W 611's main rods when she came through my town of Danville IL. It was my way of paying her back for all the great trips I had behind her in the previous yrs. And I was really happy to get a chance to work on her. 2808 and 2635Seen from another angle (same photographer, might even be the same workman in the blue overalls with rolled cuffs) https://www.shorpy.com/node/18160 Driver 8, take a breakThe Union Carbide canister seen in the lower left quadrant of this photo in all likelihood contains calcium carbide powder, which would have been used in an acetylene generator. This powder, when combined with water, produces acetylene. This is then mixed with oxygen, and voila!, an acetylene torch. Here's an image of good ol' 2808 three years before this shop time: http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3888666 Next week, we'll discuss the use of uranium hexafluoride in producing fissile material. A great science project for the kids! Class H's Achilles HeelNice to see a clear picture in the foreground of the unique and troublesome "banjo frame" of one of the C+NW's otherwise great class H 4-8-4's. The frame curved around the outside of the trailing truck to make room for the large ashpan, but was a weak spot, since all of the pulling force went around the frame to the drawbar. This led to cracked frames. C+NW replaced the frames with conventional ones as part of major post war rebuilds. This design mistake was somewhat excusable, as this was a period of dramatic growth in the size of locomotives, with many new problems to solve. Something to think about, that entire engine frame was cast in one piece, including all the little attachment points, and usually also included the cylinders. It was a technology that was incredibly strong and rigid, but in this case fooled designers into thinking that the banjo frame idea was not doomed to failure. European and UK manufacturers apparently never adopted use of large steel castings, sticking with weak fabricated underframes to the end. Shocked & confused That hussy of a boiler in the middle distance with its bare lagging showing is sticking out its tongue. Wait, that's superheater tubing. Well as Emily Litella would say,"Never mind!" Two things I have been wondering about for a while1. Would we still be able to design and build new steam locomotives if need should arise? Yes, I know, thermodynamics haven't changed. And plans are probably available as well in some archive or other on some of the engines. We might also reverse engineer the few remaining museum exhibits. But just about every technology tends to have tribal knowledge that never gets documented anywhere, or if it does only in some obscure place. 2. What did they do with those engines during northern winters over night? I don't suppose they would risk parking then and have them all freeze up. Did they keep the fire going 24/7? What about hydraulic lock if condensate accumulated in the cylinders over night? Even if they kept the fire going in the boiler, that would not have done much for the steam pipes and the cylinders. Or did they have heated sheds (well, heated to no less than 32°F anyways) for every locomotive that was not in immerdiate use? Dreimr What a great experience to work in the foundry!! Steam KnowledgeThere are lots of steam plants needing this type of knowledge - both mobile and stationary. Electric generating stations, ships (yes, they still exist), heating systems etc. Nothing like the smell and sounds of welders, grinders and torches in a railroad yard though. Especially one having been in existence for over 100 years. Kind of like the blacksmith shop my grandfather used to own. Wondering about Steam1. By modern engineering standards, any existing steam locomotives are woefully inefficient and mechanically complex. It can be done with modern manufacturing methods, an English preservation group built a new engine a few years ago, but the last semi-serious look at modern railroad steam power in the US came in the late 1970s/early 80s. In response to the energy crisis Ross Rowland proposed an updated steam engine, the ACE 3000, but it was never built. As for cold weather, they stayed outside unless they were in a roundhouse for minor repair or inspection with the fires kept hot ("banked") between runs. Dropping the fire was a lot of work, reserved for heavy repairs that took the engine out of service - pesky thermodynamics - as the boiler had to be allowed to cool slowly, the work completed then reheated slowly. You're talking live steam, so cylinders freezing wasn't likely, however they were equipped with drain valves to force out excess water rather than pressurizing and blowing off the cylinder head. Air compressors were prone to freezing; a friend's father worked for the NKP out of north eastern Indiana. In the winter, they'd soak journal waste (fabric packing material) in kerosene and light it with a couple of fusees (flares) so they could depart. Build a steam locomotive today?StefanJ asks if it is possible to build a steam locomotive today. Yes, it absolutely is possible. In 2008 a group of railway enthusiasts in Great Britain did just that, building a LNER Peppercorn Class A1 60163 Tornado, the first mainline steam locomotive built in the United Kingdom since 1960. In the US, a group called The T1 Trust is working to build a locomotive based on the design of the Pennsylvania Railroad T1. The T1 was the last steam locomotive built for the Pennsy. It was designed to be fast and to look fast with a streamlined casing designed by Raymond Loewy. They regularly achieved speeds in excess of 100 MPH pulling passenger trains with unconfirmed reports of speeds in excess of 140 MPH. While the terms “Best” or “Fastest” or “Most Beautiful” are obviously subjective, no one can argue that the T1 wasn’t in a class by itself. Cold WaterSteam locomotives were usually kept hot all the time between trips to the repair shops. There were some worries about stresses to the metal from frequent and fast cool-downs and fire-ups. Cylinders had cylinder cocks to drain condensate. Normal position was fail safe open, and steam or air pressure was needed to close them. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Ghost Coach: 1930
... great picture and she was probably on her way to the scrap yard. Good Engineering This is obviously an OLD car by 1930, built maybe ... "Rails to the Blue Ridge: The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad, 1847-1968" I find no reference to any ex-Pennsylvania railroad ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 7:02pm -

Washington, D.C., or vicinity circa 1915-1930. One of three H&E glass negatives labeled "Car exterior. Washington & Old Dominion R.R." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. The others are here and here. Mail CarThat was a mail car, usually the first car behind the tender car. All Aboard for Petticoat Junction!But where's the rest of the Hooterville Cannonball? Combination CoachThis old gal carried passengers as well as mail and parcels between cities. One great picture and she was probably on her way to the scrap yard. Good EngineeringThis is obviously an OLD car by 1930, built maybe at the turn of the century, yet look at its excellent construction. 6-wheel bogies with elaborate suspension for a smooth ride, the long chassis still straight as an arrow despite its age, lots of elbow room inside with elegant clerestory windows and lots of ventilators. This was the product of a thriving American transportation industry at the top of its game. Pretty butOld coaches are the same this side of the water; lovely to look at and deadly dangerous if there's a crash. There's breakable, splintering, flammable wood, gas lighting in some cases, paraffin or kerosene in others. In Britain's worst train crash -- at Quintinshill during the first World War -- I believe more died in the fire afterward than in the impact. 4928Perhaps this was a mail car or a car with space for freight, but there is also obvious passenger seating in it as well. And if it typically traveled just behind a tender, why would it have that "porch" on its freight end? Cue the Ghostly OrchestraClang, Clang, Clang went the Scary Trolley! Ding, Ding, Ding went the Bell of Death! Zing, Zing, Zing went my heartstrings as we started for Spookington Dell! And this car isA 1908 PRR roster shows this as a Class OK combine (baggage/coach) built in 1900 and owned by the PB&W (the subsidiary of the Pennsy that owned the tracks on the line from Philly to DC). These cars were rebuilt with full vestibules at some point, because there is a diagram for that configuration; obviously this one escaped. Apparently these cars always had steam heat. There were three different subclasses depending on the size of the baggage compartment; this is the smallest, with the 20-foot compartment. The six-wheel trucks show that this is a "heavyweight" steel car. The interior appears to have walkover seats so the car doesn't have to be turned. Platforms (and later vestibules) were typical on baggage cars to allow train crews to pass through while in motion. The Ghost CarI agree with the first description of this car's origins. The car was still on the PRR roster on 1-1-1914, but was gone by 3-1-1916. The lettering couldn't have lasted 14 years. My guess is the photos were taken shortly after sale to the W&OD. Moreover, the truss rods under the center of the car indicate that this was a fully wooden car both when it was constructed and when these photos were taken. Further ResearchI've come across a classification guide which indicates that class O cars are wooden combines. Class PB steel combines in the same guide are only about 10 feet longer, but weigh 50 percent more (120,000 vs. 80,000 pounds). Checking in Ames's book on the W&OD, I see absolutely no evidence that this car was ever used on that line. Passenger operations were electric, with the exception of several 1878/1887 coaches purchased from the Manhattan Electric Rwy which were considerably older in design than this car. The only combines on the roster were either electrics or doodlebugs. My guess is that this car was just passing through. [I think there was probably another reason for taking these photos. - Dave] PilotThis car seems to have a tube pilot on the far truck, which might indicate it was used behind an interurban or box motor in push/pull service. Thoughts on the Mystery CoachChecking Herb Harwood Jr.'s "Rails to the Blue Ridge: The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad, 1847-1968" I find no reference to any ex-Pennsylvania railroad coaches in the company's roster. That being said, I have a couple of ideas. As far as the location of the photograph, the coach appears to be sitting on one leg of a wye, used for turning locomotives or whole trains (given the length of the stub track, just locomotives in this case). According to Hardwood's track map, and assuming this is the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad, that leaves four possible locations for this photograph: Bluemont Junction, Herndon, Leesburg, or Bluemont. Given the topography in the background, and having bicycled the W&OD quite a lot, I would suggest the likely location of this to be Bluemont Junction. I have come up with one possible explanation for why this coach never appeared on the company rosters. It is possible that this coach was purchased by the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad, but never operated over the line, and simply sat disused in its location pictured. The three-axle trucks indicate to me that the coach is possibly quite heavy, perhaps too heavy to operate on the W&OD's light rails. It certainly would not have been the only instance of a railroad purchasing equipment too heavy for its rails. (In my home province of Ontario, one of the two locomotives of the Huntsville and Lake of Bays Railway was found to be too heavy and remained stored during its 11-year career on the railroad). One other possibility that has come to mind is that this is not the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad at all, but rather the Rosslyn Connecting Railroad which branched off the current rail line as it reached the Virginia side of the Potomac, and headed north to Rosslyn. This railroad was a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which would explain the coach. If the photograph was simply labeled (Washington DC area), it is possible that the railroad was misidentified. This, however, is complete conjecture, as I am not even sure whether passenger service was ever operated (or intended to be operated but wasn't) over the Rosslyn Connecting Railroad. [The photos are labeled as indicated in the caption. - Dave] One thing I can say for surethe number designations on the car are most definitely "Pennsy". That font is unmistakable. #4928 Pennsylvania Combination carMy opinions are just that--pity the photographer isn't alive to comment. That said: I disagree with the car going to scrap. The gas light globes are still inside the interior. If it is to be scrapped all the parts to keep for repairing/building other cars would be removed first. In the American Civil War, cars from other railroads were often borrowed to move troops. This inter-rail cooperation worked well-- There are several military grounds near the W&OD RR. Fort Myer, Va. and Camp Auger, near Merrifield, Virginia - off the Dunn Loring RR stop on the W&OD line. Livestock pens were near the one W&OD RR's freight station for the Cavalry horses and or livestock being shipped to and from the more western towns, e.g. Herndon, etc. Military grounds near railroad lines would be Camp A. A.Humphreys aka Fort Belvoir, Virginia; Quantico, Virginia which are off the Alexandria Railyard heading south on the Southern, Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac line. On the Mt. Vernon line, it could have gone by Fort Marcy. It could have easily been sold to Virginia Central Rwy or the Fruit Grower's Express Rwy, for the use of the company's executives or for an occasional run for passengers; e.g. executive use, party, etc. It may be entirely possible that this car never went past the railroad bridge into Virginia. It could have easily been sold to a short line (East Washington, Rwy)and or sitting in the more rural sections of Washington, DC around Ivy City--a connecting yard to Union Station. If memory serves me correctly, Penn RR did invest in the W&OD briefly. This may be of that brief period. A combine, but not for mailThese three pictures show a rail car that once ruled the main line but now has been modified for a lowly afterlife on a forgotten branchline. The car has a 20-foot compartment for freight and express at one end. The pigeonhole box near the roof line being for small packages and company mail moving from station to station. If it were a US Mail compartment, there would have been the mandatory fixtures for bags, pouches, sorting tables and sorting racks - plus there would have been a letter drop slot on the side of the car. The rear section offers walk-over coach seats. We can see this was a mainline car account of the six wheeled trucks, walkway buffers and the three hoses next to the coupler. One hose was for airbrakes, one was a communication line to signal to the engineer by the train crew, and one was for steam heat. The pilot (or cowcatcher to some) on the far end of the car implies some type of push-pull service. If this the W&OD, I believe they had some self-powered "doodlebug" cars and this car could have served as a trailer being pulled along by the power car, until it was time to return and the train was shoved back towards its origin. A procedure quite effective to give the engineer a cramped neck, and the flagman the worry of being on the cutting edge of any grade crossing incident with a car or truck. The flagman usually manned a little peanut whistle powered by the air line that he would signal with as the train approached crossings and stations. The carHere is a link that refers to this car. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Railroads)
Big Four: 1940
... I suspect what we’re looking at here is a Big Four railroad bunkhouse and beanery. From reading a few things on the web about the ... Railroad Beaneries We had a cafe at the railroad yard at Champaign, Ill., complete with the requisite Beanery Queens ! It's long ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/25/2012 - 7:58am -

May 1940. "Cairo, Illinois -- Big Four Cafe." 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Big FourThe cafe was probably named for the New York Central's subsidiary, the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, popularly called "The Big Four." The Big Four ran through Cairo and had a Cairo Division. EponymousAre those the Big Four sittin' on the bench out front? The Quartet of HungerWith relative valuation of that 25 cents one has the buying power of just about $4 now; a nice bargain for a breakfast, if you could find it. It's amazing how little really changes in the end--we see ourselves everywhere & everywhen. Just perfectAlmost TOO perfect; the electrical cable emerging from hands-in-the-lap gent number two. Shoe ShineI reckon one of those guys was waiting for his first shoe shine customer of the day so he could go in and get his 25c breakfast. It was probably 90 degrees in the cafe. Breakfast is on meObviously the big four are sitting right out there on the bench. Tell ya' what I'm gonna do fellas, I'm gonna treat you all to the most important meal of the day so you can have a good start. For just 8 bits, I can afford it and can even leave a big tip. Hoghead is going to beans. I suspect what we’re looking at here is a Big Four railroad bunkhouse and beanery. From reading a few things on the web about the Big Four in Cairo, I get the impression it was what we would call today an ‘away from home terminal,’ for guys working out of Mt. Carmel, Illinois. The railroad provided bunks for the train crews while away from home, and had an obligation to provide a hot meal 24/7. The eateries became affectionately known as ‘beaneries,” and would serve meals to the public as well. Beaneries have long ago disappeared from the railroad landscape, but any self respecting rail still goes to beans, not lunch. Can anyone guess what a 'beanery queen' was? Had the wonderful opportunity to work the Springhill interlocking at Terre Haute, Indiana, controlling train movements over some of the old Big Four track there. Met dozens of really nice rail fans who made it a point to come and see the old lever plant at Springhill. Today the signals and switches are controlled with a computer keyboard, and the tower is part of a museum. Somehow that just doesn’t seem right. YumBacon, ham, eggs and coffee only 25 cents. I could go for that right about now. Beanery QueenWaitress? Chews gum and calls every guy "honey". Cocks hip while writing down order. Heart of gold. Railroad BeaneriesWe had a cafe at the railroad yard at Champaign, Ill., complete with the requisite Beanery Queens ! It's long gone, as are the old yard office where I was a telegrapher. Skip Not so long goneThe Big Four Cafe was, indeed, located next to the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St Louis RR terminal at the intersection of Commercial Avenue and 2nd Street in Cairo. The Tri-City Bus Company also had a stop there. The CCC&SL is long gone, and the tracks were pulled up decades ago, but the derelict hulk of the station and attached buildings were only recently demolished. If you google map the address (200 Commercial Avenue), the more recent satellite view will show that the buildings are gone; however, the slightly older Street View shows the buildings intact (if very much abandoned and derelict). (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, John Vachon)
Zenith City: 1905
... I grew up in Beech Grove, Indiana, home to a large repair yard for Penn, Penn Central and Amtrak that dates back to 1910 or a little ... by the end of the steam age. Question I have is which railroad did it belong to? Has to be either C&NW or DM&IR, but I can't ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 6:55pm -

Duluth, Minnesota, circa 1905. "Elevators and harbor," along with a view of the Incline Railway and many other points of interest, make up our daily dose of Duluth. Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size. The Old BallgameAre those guys playing baseball in the lower right? They're spread out like they're playing something very similar. (Click to enlarge.) Let us venture back to a timeWhen Railroads ruled the Earth. Are they birthing Orcs in that roundhouse? The same scene today.Despite all the changes, this scene is still recognizable. Alluring Alliteration "Daily dose of Duluth." Gotta love it. ImprovementsDuluth really looks much, much better today! Rail lineA mid 1880s source cites the "St. P.&D. and N.P. Round House." That's the biggestroundhouse I've ever seen! Any bigger and it wouldn't have a way to bring locos in. Here is a shot of a current Duluth roundhouse from above (Google). Re: The Old BallgameYep. I think we've stumbled onto some Duluth-variety hardball. And from the outfield alignment, we can only guess our batter is not a pull hitter. Baseball?Good catch. Who's on second? This is why we look at the ShorpyAnother truly amazing photo. It's deeply three-dimensional: From the busy shirtwaist lady in the foreground, to the slouchy men hanging out by the steam laundry, to the (obviously) baseball people, to the infernal roundhouse, to the ships in the harbor... Visually they're all stitched together, front to back, by the power poles: you can see individual insulators on the nearest ones, behind the Clarendon Hotel (New!), but they merge into infinity as they march to the shining harbor. This is surely one of Shorpy's best. Apart from the swimsuit girls, of course. Duluth & Iron RangeThe boxcars lower left look like they might have "D.&.I.R." on them. That would make it the Duluth & Iron Range, which merged in 1938 to become the D.M. & I.R. There are some more boxcars above those D&IR ones that look like they might be Great Northern. But the owner of the roundhouse is definitely not clear. Re: What's MissingIndeed, they probably walked to and from work. I grew up in Beech Grove, Indiana, home to a large repair yard for Penn, Penn Central and Amtrak that dates back to 1910 or a little before. In the early '60s it was astonishing to see hundreds of workers in overalls, kerchiefs and the traditional engineer cap (with its distinctive narrow gray striping) as they walked westward down Main Street after work. Each carried a lunch pail and most seemed to have a newspaper under the arm. They would crowd the sidewalks on both sides for several blocks, from a distance looking something like a pair of giant centipedes. Not surprising, Main Street was also lined with taverns which surely enticed many men to stop for a quick beer as they made their way home. Big SkyCan anyone comment on why many of these old photos have so much "head room"? Photographers today compose their shot to get the most matter and keep the sky to a minimum. (Not to mention having to deal with the contrast ratio.) What's Missing!!!If this photo were made today there would be employee cars parked everywhere. That roundhouse surely employs quite a number of people. In 1905 I assume that most folks either walked to work, like the folks walking on the viaduct, or rode the streetcar. There isn't even a horse and buggy to be seen. It does look like there might be a couple of streetcars way down the street. For the birdsI like the big bird house in the back yard of the place across the street from A. Larson's "General Arthur" store, or whatever that says. It looks just as ramshackle as the rest of the buildings. Being on a crookedstump doesn't help -- the eggs'll roll out! Unfortunate use of quotes"The Best" Beer in Milwaukee, eh? For some reason I don't believe you. Why'd you have to use the quotes, huh? The RoundhouseLots of comments about the roundhouse, and it is a big one: 36 stalls if I count right. It's interesting to see photos of such buildings when they were comparitively new as opposed to how they looked by the end of the steam age. Question I have is which railroad did it belong to? Has to be either C&NW or DM&IR, but I can't tell by the locomotives parked nearby as I'm not an expert on either road's power. I'm guessing C&NW, a far larger road who would need a roundhouse of this size. Selz Royal BlueFantastic details. This world of busy, grimy character has a real appeal for me. And what a great opportunity to see newly-painted side-of-building advertising in all its glory. Today one sees mostly faded "ghost" images. Across the way from Miller Beer, Selz Royal Blue was a shoe brand advertised all over the country. This ad in the Arizona Journal-Miner is from 1905. Rices PointThe rail yard is the Northern Pacific Railways's Rices Point Yard and roundhouse. The elevated tracks on the left are Great Northern Railway. Actually, that looks like cricketAs to the ballgame being played at the right, the people don't seem arrayed correctly for baseball, but it looks like it would work for cricket, which, as I understand it, was actually played in parts of the U.S. at the time. [Duluth -- "Cricket Wicket of the Unsalted Seas." - Dave] Iron AgeA portion of the fancy iron railroad bridge off in the distance still exists -- the first truss span -- visible on Google Maps and Street View from the freeway bridge next to it (its concealed by the freeway bridge in the modern view in the first comment). Its the only landmark I can find that exists from the original picture. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Duluth, Railroads)
Sausalito: 1958
... the edges of the dirt parking lot (originally a train yard for Northwestern Pacific Railroad) and the number of pleasure craft has exploded, but the small sheds ... 
 
Posted by Rute Boye - 07/25/2012 - 8:30pm -

The yacht harbor in Sausalito, California, shot on Anscochrome circa 1958. I believe this is on Richardson Bay, with Belvedere Point in the background. There are some pretty interesting cars in in this shot, including the mysterious little European-looking thing on the far right. View full size. SausalitoI believe the "European-looking thing" is an American-made Crosley van. The near ridge is indeed Belvedere Island; beyond that, Tiburon Peninsula. I looked for our 1956 Rambler wagon, but no such luck. [Edited to reflect correction of reversed image.] Re: BabushkaSo did my Mom's side, all first or second generation California-Italian, despite "Babushka" being Grandmother in Russian... DaveB Many, many more boatsA contemporary view of the same parking lot (courtesy of Google Earth) reveals the 1958 photo was taken at approximately 517 Bridgeway in Sausalito. Landscaping has softened the edges of the dirt parking lot (originally a train yard for Northwestern Pacific Railroad) and the number of pleasure craft has exploded, but the small sheds lining the pier have remained pretty much unchanged. Impala, SchmimpalaDustyrider said: "Super Sport Chevrolets until 1961." Ummm, no. The Impala was introduced, as the top of the line Chevrolet, in 1958. [Confusion arises because he split his sentence between the title and the body of the comment. He was attempting to say "There were no Impala Super Sport Chevrolets until 1961." - tterrace] Bob Bourke MasterpieceAlthough the pictured Studebaker design came out of the Raymond Loewy studio, it was created by Bob Bourke, with help from several other guys. Loewy normally gets the credit for this landmark Studie, but the design was not his. Regarding Babushka Lady, does anyone else see a hint of 58 Mercury in the image? Notice that the wing configuration fits a full panoramic windshield, something none of the Chrysler products ever had. The bodywork on the humble 51 Nash is definitely not the work of George Barris. First girlfriend's carThat Chevrolet in the third row on the right side looks like the 53 model that my older woman (17) girlfriend picked me up in. English FordI recognized the green import center front as an English Ford. I remember seeing them back when my mother drove me around in our black 1959 Chevy Impala Super Sport. Sausalito TodayI decided to take a quick ride down to Sausalito and see if I could replicate the image from 1958. I think I got pretty close, and the changes can be seen. Another European beautyI'm pretty sure the rightmost car on the third row is a Citroen DS. Not an Anglia?Not sure if its an Anglia looks more like this a 1952 Consul love the cars!I see a Willys-Overland Jeep Station Sedan! Changing face of the US auto marketIn addition to that green Ford Consul and yellow Crosley, I see a blue-green Renault Dauphine next to a Cadillac in the second row, and a VW Beetle and Karmann Ghia in the back row, facing away from the viewer. Still a number of US independents to be seen, in the form of Nash/Ramblers and that lovely black '55 Studebaker hardtop in front of the Consul. Negative flippedNo one has mentioned that the negative has been flipped here. Notice all the steering wheels are on the wrong side. I want that black Studebaker! [Wow, extreme blushes from a Marin County native here! It's been fixed, thanks! - tterrace] Hey! Look for me in the Bay area, 1958I'll be in the VW Bus, California tag #PVD 799. Summer nights?Hot summer night in Sausalito Can't stand the heat another mile Let's drop a quarter in the meter And hit the sidewalk for a while --"Sausalito Summer Night" Diesel, c. 1981 It's a CrosleyA Crosley Panel Truck 1959 or 1960 perhapsI believe I see a 1959 Chevy in the last row, facing the gent walking on the dock. Little European thingsQuite a few of 'em, actually. Above the Crosley is a Citroen; right in the middle (above the1955 Studebaker Commander Coupe with its, ahem,"European Styling") is a Renault Dauphine; to the left is a black VW Beetle, and above it a black-over-red VW Karmann Ghia. There's also some convertible in the middle of the far row that look vaguely English next to another Bug and to its left, something I'd almost swear was a Volvo PV544. Yep, there's also a '59 Chevy, but it's no Impala. P.S. I'm told the translation for Reanault Dauphine is, "I rust." Bound for TahitiAll this talk of cars overlooks a much more significant element to this photo. The large, two-masted schooner at the outermost dock is Sterling Hayden's Wanderer. Hayden was a major Hollywood heartthrob at the time, but in 1958 he got fed up with the system and walked out on it all. In violation of studio contracts and a court-ordered divorce decree, he sailed off to Tahiti with his four kids on Wanderer. The voyage formed the central thread of the autobiography he published five years later, titled "Wanderer." This photo must have been taken very shortly before he left. He was not some impulsive pleasure boater though. Hayden had been a sea captain for a long time before falling into Hollywood in the first place. He was frequently canonized as an independent man who didn't care what anybody else thought of him and did not get along with the Hollywood system. But his autobiography paints a much deeper, somewhat sadder picture of a man who never seemed to quite find what he was looking for. He continued to live in Sausalito for a long time later in life. It's quite likely one of the cars in the foreground of the photo was his, but I don't know what he drove. Re Hayden, Studebakers, and Precious Bodily FluidsSterling Hayden had an exceedingly interesting life (actor, author, sailor, model, Marine, OSS agent) and I urge everyone to read the Wiki on him. As General Jack Ripper in "Dr. Strangelove", his character's concern for precious bodily fluids helped set the tone for that film's zany atmosphere. Regarding Studebakers, I sure can relate to the one in this photo because half a century ago the one below (a '54 Starliner) was mine, properly dechromed, lowered and with the anemic stock engine replaced with a Chevy V-8. I was only two years old, of course, so reaching the pedals was a chore. More carsA red '53(?) Ford F100 in the row nearest the camera, behind it a '58 or '59 Lincoln, to the left is a '58 Chrysler Imperial. In the row near the water, on the right, a '53 Buick Roadmaster parked at an angle. One row closer and a bit left, a '56 Plymouth. Now my eyes are tired. So many cars!Thanks to Shorpy viewers, the only three vehicles I couldn't make out were identified (the Crosley Van, English Ford, and the Volvo convertible). I was proud to be able to name all of the rest of them, but I won't bore everyone with a recitation of their makes here, unless someone wants to twist my arm! The English Ford was truly a California carMy Dad was a Ford employee for years, so when I began to drive in the early 1960's he bought me a used Ford Anglia for a few hundred dollars. When I started college in 1965, I purchased a used Anglia station wagon with real wood trim. They were great little cars as long as the temperature was above 28 degrees. Unfortunately Michigan gets much colder in the winter. The starting system didn't have the snap at lower temperatures to start the engine. AAA finally cut me off from road service on the car because of too many push starts. Push it up to 10 mph and pop the clutch and it would start no matter what the temperature. Both had manifold vacuum operated windshield wipers which slowed down when you went up a hill or did a hard acceleration. Both also had the old vacuum tube radios which used a vibrator power supply to boost the 12 volts to the necessary higher voltages. The radio took about 25 seconds to warm up. I still can remember the buzz the vibrator made. I still wonder today what possessed me to buy the second Anglia. Hayden the WandererCarl H's identification of Sterling Hayden's yacht has to earn the noticing prize for July, even among the Shorpy eagle eyes. Hayden's unhappiness circa 1958 had another source: in 1951 he "named names" before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Ever after he expressed "contempt for myself since the day I did that." Tahiti turned out not to be far enough away. Happily, over the last quarter century of his life, he regularly allowed himself to be lured out of "retirement" to make movies. This gave us General Jack Ripper in "Dr. Strangelove" and the crooked Captain McCluskey in "The Godfather." Miles and Miles of Memories HereThere are lots of childhood memories amid that parking lot. When my dad tired of waiting six weeks for penny ante parts from Coventry, England for our Jaguar Mark VII, he bought a '55 Studebaker coupe in two-tone blue. He loved it. I preferred the Jaguar and called our new main driver the "Stupidbaker". But looking at the one here, I can see why my father remained forever fond of it. And why he was annoyed when at age four, I let the air out of all the tires. We also had a '57 Chevy coupe and a '59 Impala station wagon that was our favorite family vacation car for many years, so much so that we bought another, identical in every detail and had two for many years. Our neighbor on one side had a Rambler like the one in the front row, but in metallic kelly green, and another neighbor had a Citreon, in white. Rode in them often enough. Interesting story about Hayden. I'd like to read that book. Thank you for mentioning it. There were no ImpalaSuper Sport Chevrolets until 1961. BabushkaAll the females in my household called the scarf the lady is wearing as she is getting in/out of the Dodge Wagon a babushka. Volvo ConvertibleAs a long time Volvo owner, not sure if Volvo ever sold a convertible in the US back then; the P1900 was built during this time period [67 built], but it was more of an experiment to test market reaction, it led to the P1800 of 1962. And a Volvo dealer, Volvoville on Long Island, NY, later converted a few P1800 coupes into convertibles, but without Factory blessing. That PV-544 might be a PV-444; if it's the car I think it is, you can't tell if the windshield is two piece [444] or one piece [544]. Great picture and interesting info about Hayden. The UK Ford......is in fact a 'Zephyr', the 6 cylinder big brother to the Consul. The Zephyr has a different front grill and hood and, unlike the Consul, has the chrome hood ornament that can just be seen in the photo. Also evident is the small chrome trim on the side fender just above the front wheel that was also not fitted to the Consul. I spent many an hour back in the day under the various products from Mr Ford, including these models. Thanks again Shorpy for my daily 'fix'! Punch Bug, Light BluePunch Bug, Light Blue! or is that Slug Bug? I never remember. LuxuryI love seeing the front of the Lincoln Continental and the rear of the Imperial. Both cars are showing off their most distinctive features. Sterling Hayden's addressSome are saying that Hayden lived in Sausalito. He had a magnificent old house on the very top of Belvedere Island south, a block away from my parents' after 1958. I remember our dogs didn't get along with his, not that he noticed. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Bensenville: 1943
... crew of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad taking up track. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by ... in the foreground, they are apparently removing several yard tracks. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 5:38pm -

May 1943. Bensenville, Illinois. Section crew of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad taking up track. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. Working on the RailroadI've been working on the railroad, all the livelong day ... It almost looks like……a diorama (in the standard size, at least). Track gangThey are removing a switch and replacing it with straight track. You can see the gauge bar sitting across the rails, so they're not removing the track completely. You can also see the tie impressions in the ballast in the foreground, they are apparently removing several yard tracks. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Scranton: 1900
... circa 1900. "Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad yards." Judging by the fellow in the white coveralls, I'd say this ... to help breakup and classify the cars when they were in a yard. Pretty hellish if you ask me Of course, no one asked me. But jeez, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 6:27pm -

Scranton, Pennsylvania, circa 1900. "Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad yards." Judging by the fellow in the white coveralls, I'd say this plate was exposed not long after this one. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Rock Island boxcarTwo tracks behind locomotive 808 is a Rock Island boxcar. On the left side of the boxcar are the words "Chicago, Rock Island and" (with "Pacific" being obscured.) The right side of the boxcar shows the earliest primitive Rock Island Route "beaver skin" logo. If this image was taken in 1900, then this would predate the oldest known image of the logo by two years. Unfortunately, the boxcar is missing from the stitched version. Scranton D, L & W RR yardsThe two images Scranton: 1900 and Old King Coal: 1900 put together, using some cut & paste techniques. The difference is only one freight train, the smart observer Dave recognized the man in the white overalls, who seems to have solved the "bilocation" problem! View full size. DL&W, et alWonderful of the Scranton DL&W yards, but this was not the only rail operator. Vestiges of track can be found all around Scranton and the adjoining towns. The major players included the St. Lawrence & Hudson, Deleware & Hudson, NY-Ontario & Western, Jersey Central, Erie, Reading & Northern, and of course, DL&W. It is said that some 35 freight lines operated through Scranton at one time or another. In addition, the area was served by light rail, interurban, and trolley companies. The buildings just visable at right in the photo are, of course, long gone and replaced by a shopping mall. MDTCIn the middle-ground about five or so tracks from the left edge of the photo (just to the right of the gas lamp in the foreground), is a Merchants Despatch Transportation Co. freight car, such as seen in this recent Shorpy image: https://www.shorpy.com/node/8252 It's the only MDTC car "representing" in the Scranton image, and the serial number doesn't match, but it's still a pretty cool coincidence. GraffitiAre those large signatures chalked on the boxcars? Interesting to see the predecessor to today's "art crimes." Grimyis the word that describes this photo. re: GraffitiThese chalk marks aren't the same as modern graffiti. Conductors would mark the cars and yardmen would use the marks to help breakup and classify the cars when they were in a yard. Pretty hellish if you ask meOf course, no one asked me. But jeez, what a hellish scene. Lung-blackening coal dust, soot, poisonous coal fires, smog from all the steam, steel shavings and dust from screeching wheels on tracks. I'm surprised you didn't drop dead after an hour here. I love the old railroads anyway. Total Depth of FieldIt would be interesting to know the details on how this photo is in focus from just a few feet from the light fixture to infinity. Is this a Shorpy/Dave technique or as is? [It's a standard view-camera view. - Dave] Gritty CityBeing a postwar baby and raised in Scranton, I too felt that carryover grime. And it somewhat extends to this day! A Slippery Slope.Both photos are taken from an elevated coaling trestle. Coal in bottom-dump gondola cars was pushed by a locomotive up the inclined trestle towards the camera onto a dead-end portion of level track (behind camera) which had sloped-bottom storage bins beneath. The coal was then dumped thru holes in the trestle deck into the bins below. Locomotives to be coaled were run along side the coal trestle at ground level, and then an upward-sliding door at the bottom of the coal bin was opened by the man taking coal, which allowed coal to flow down a chute and into the coal bunker in the tender of the locomotive being fueled. Sand for locomotive traction was usually put into the sand domes of locomotives at or near the coal chutes using the same manpower for both tasks. Sand was kept nearby and dried in the sand house around a coal-fired heater, then moved up to its bins above the service tracks and supplied by gravity to the sand domes on locomotives. On oil-fired locomotives sand would be put into a separate bunker behind the cab to be poured into a hole in the firebox door while the engine was working hard to remove the oil soot from the firebox walls, the firetubes and the superheater elements to improve heat transfer to water in the boiler. Road locomotives were usually coaled and sanded on their arrival from a run before going to the roundhouse. If the rails were wet, the engineer pushing cars of coal would have to take a run at the hill, yet, be ready to stop as soon as the cars reached the level track atop the coal chute, or they would go off the end. The broken blocks of wood visible on the walkway to the left of the track would be used by switchmen to block the wheels of cars on the slope. There is no walkway on the opposite side, as the engineer was on the right of the locomotive and would be pushing the cars on the front of the engine to keep the water in the boiler at the rear over the firebox. If the roundhouse dispatched, say, 20 road locomotives a day, each requiring 10 tons of coal, would mean at least 200 tons of coal would have to be moved up the coal chute ramp (and the empties brought back down). Using 40-ton cars would mean at least five cars a day up the slope. The small yard locomotives would also take coal from time to time, but, as they were usually never out of sight of the coal chute, it was not as important to have a full tender when going to work on their shift. The steepness of the grade might limit the yard engine to only two or three cars a trip up, as care had to be taken. The sand would come in boxcars to keep it dry. One major problem of the camelback locomotives shown to the right was that if one of their side rods or the main rod broke while in motion, the loose end still attached to the crank pin on a driving wheel would flail around, and wipe the cab and the engineer off the side of the locomotive. If the engineer was incapacitated, or worse, and the throttle not shut, you could then have a runaway. The "graffiti" on the sides of the boxcars is probably car destinations chalked on by yardmen at originating terminals. In 1900, not all freight cars would have air brakes, and, generally, they would be handled at the rear of freight trains, the air brake cars and their air hoses coupled directly behind the locomotive. Comparing the two photos, two switchmen can be seen riding the tops of boxcars to the right beyond the locomotives, they in position to relay hand signals to the engineer on their own locomotive in the distance when a coupling is being made onto other stationary cars. At night lanterns would be used and an engineer would have to be sure he was watching the right lamp in a busy yard. Switch stands would have oil lamps displaying standard colours to indicate their direction at night, and a wood or metal "target" by day. In 1900, steam was still the lifeblood of industry and many plumes of steam can be seen both on and off the railway. Another great photo! Tain't GraffitiBack in those days, yard crews would scribble instructions on the car. Things like where it was going, fragile load, destination, repairs needed, etc. Makes switching a whole lot easier. Where do you worka John?Where do you worka John? On the Delaware Lackawan What do you do-ah John? I poosh I poosh I poosh. Whata do you poosha John on the Delaware Lackawan? On the Delaware Lackawan I poosh I poosh the broom -- Song sung by my Italian grandmother, who grew up (after she got off of the boat) near the Jersey City terminus of the Delaware Lackawanna from about 1904 until 1922. Contents and destinationSeveral men of my father's family worked these yards in Scranton. I remember him saying the yardmen would mark this information on the cars to aid in switching. He never said what happened when it rained! Stub end tracksWhat's amazing is the stub end tracks without bumpers or wheel stops on the ends, must of been interesting to park cars on these tracks if you didn't have a brakeman spotting the cars. The box car on the left # 33551 as I can make out, looks like it ran off the end. Also notice the really neat camelback locos on the right. The engineer rode in the cab right next to the boiler (must have been real hot in the summer) while the fireman rode on the rear, stoking the fire, which wasn't much of a comfortable ride either, especially on rough track. Great photo and so clear after 110 yrs. DL&WWe tend to get all nostalgic when we think of railroad travel "back in the day," but it wasn't always perfect efficiency. When my grandmother used to ride the DLW a hundred years ago, they used to joke that the letters stood for Delay, Linger and Wait. Industrial steeplesNot mentioned yet is the forest of church steeples across the skyline. As with many industrial towns, Scranton's population had many countries represented and each ethnicity usually had its own church. My wife's from Scranton, and I remember parking in the lot of a (perhaps) German parish to go to Christmas Mass in the Slovak parish church on the same block. Or maybe it was an Italian parish. A bit of that Hades-like scene remains today in Scranton as the Steamtown National Historic Site railroad museum, a National Park Service attraction. Same Location Scranton DL&W Rail Yards nowMy picture taken from approx. the same location. The old DL&W rail yards are now Steamtown National Historic Site. re: Where do you worka John?In the version I heard, "I poosh, I poosh, I poosh" was followed by 'Poosha, poosha, poosha, poosha, -poosha, poosha, poosha." I was a railroad freight handler in 1955 and I actually heard an Italian freight handler say "poosha" in connection with moving some freight. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, Scranton)
The Locomotion: 1940
March 1940. "Detail of locomotive while in the yard at Big Spring, Texas." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the FSA. ... portrait: https://www.shorpy.com/node/4501 Railroad Rash It looks like the locomotive has parking lot scrapes on it. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/18/2018 - 1:32pm -

March 1940. "Detail of locomotive while in the yard at Big Spring, Texas." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the FSA. View full size. Lima LocomotiveThis is a Texas & Pacific 2-10-4 type, built for freight and an early example of a Lima Locomotive Works "Super Power" locomotive. The T&P 2-10-4s were the first of that wheel arrangement, and those that followed on other railroads were referred to as Texas types. I posted another photo of a T&P Texas on here a while back, a full locomotive portrait: https://www.shorpy.com/node/4501 Railroad RashIt looks like the locomotive has parking lot scrapes on it. How does that happen to something on tracks? Nifty designI would have been afraid that the first set of wheels would come off, but that locomotive appears to have been working for at least 15 years. Somebody did some good engineering with that. A very small remnant#640's older sister, #610 (built 1927) is the only surviving example of the Texas class. In 1976 she underwent a 1472 inspection and restoration to bring her into service to pull the Bicentennial Freedom Train through parts of Texas. After a stint as an excursion-train front end on the Southern in the 1980s, she was donated to the Texas State Railroad in 1987 and has been on static display in Palestine, Texas ever since. Sister loco #638 was scrapped in the 1970s due to extensive vandalism. For the May Day is the great dayThe two small tanks above the drivers announce that they were last serviced on "5-1-39". I'm not sure what LS, HT, and LSO meant, but they were important to keep track of. There were probably paper records at the locomotive's headquarters or rebuild shop, but nothing beats having it written right there on the part - especially if you're at an outlying roundhouse, trying to decide if it needs service or not. Even back then, there were some federal regulations on how often things like the boilers and the brakes had to be inspected and maintained - "Clean, Oil, Test, and Stencil" was a required procedure for some air brake components. Even though the records are computerized now, the railroads still like to put dates and other information right on the equipment. The next time you're first in line at a railroad crossing, you might see markings like "NEW 06-18" or "BLT 06-18" on a brand-new freight car, or a date when an older car was repainted. They also tend to have details on what kinds of paints were used, what kinds of brake shoes the car needs, and a few other things. On newer cars, all of this stuff will be on vinyl stickers, instead of hand-painted, but it will be there. This site gives a few details of what the markings would have looked like, from the 1960s at least up through the 1980s. Sometimes, if a freight car has graffiti covering up the stencil, the railroad will put a fresh sticker or stencil over the graffiti. Once in a blue moon, you see one where the graffiti writer knew to keep clear of the stencils, but that is rare. Big Spring YardsFound this Sanborn Map of the yards and roundhouse for the T&P. Wonder which track this guy was parked on. (The Gallery, Railroads, Russell Lee)
Calumet Continued: 1905
... circa 1905. "The heart of the copper country." Note the "Railroad Crossing" sign over the street near the cow. This continues the ... the cow get out when a tornado touched down in the back yard of the house in the foreground? The back of the house next door looks ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 4:35pm -

Calumet, Michigan, circa 1905. "The heart of the copper country." Note the "Railroad Crossing" sign over the street near the cow. This continues the righthand side of the previous post, made up of four 8x10 glass plates. In all, there are seven parts to this series. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Thank God for indoor plumbing!There are lots of privies and outhouses visible in backyards of the farmhouses in the foreground. It was probably not very comfortable in the winter with a state that has a lot of snow and a cold climate. Remedy for the cold outhousesChamber pots, anybody? Besides, I wonder how well indoor plumbing would have worked during a harsh winter, anyway. After all, (central) heating at the turn of a valve or the throw of a switch for everybody and every room was also somewhat in the future. [Central heating, whether convection or radiant from coal-fired furnaces and boilers, was well established by 1905. - Dave] The cow's track is now missingIf you look closely at the aerial view on Google maps you can make out the remnants of the RR track path near where the cow was standing. It runs midway between 10th & 11th streets and parallel to them. The remnants of the other tracks can be seen running between the two 9th streets depicted on the map. It is now labeled Hancock/Calumet Trail. The train station, or whatever it is now, can be seen just above Oak Street and to the left (behind) St. Paul the Apostle Church at the corner of Oak & 8th Streets. I am trying to figure out how the photographer got such a high vantage point. Using Google Street view and looking West on Portland it doesn't look like the terrain rises sufficiently to provide the high vantage point that was used for the original image. Maybe he rented a "Cherry Picker", oh wait we are talking 1905 here. Maybe there was another smokestack at this end of Portland Street. I can't wait to see the complete series of images. [Click on the link! - Dave] How the cow got out.Did the cow get out when a tornado touched down in the back yard of the house in the foreground? The back of the house next door looks pretty bad as well. Holey moley, what happened? Other things unchangedBoxcars still look the same now as they did then. Some Churches Are Still StandingThe main road looks east down Portland Street. The closest church on the right is here View Larger Map The big church closest to the front on the left is St. Paul the Apostle on Oak and 8th. There is a "new,", i.e., newer than 1905 train station west of the church in this image. View Larger Map Where were the photos taken from??Using Google Maps' street views, it's apparent that the area has a real hill shortage. Given the closeness of some houses, etc. my guess would be a balloon. Any better ideas out there? [The view is from a shafthouse. Other parts of the mine are in the preceding sections of the panorama. The tailings under the shafthouse are in the last section (below). - Dave] The Extant Calumet Theater at Far LeftThe left-most spire, directly in line with the smoking stack above it, was part of the clock tower to the extant, but now spire-less, Calumet Theater, at 340 6th Street. http://www.calumettheatre.com/ This view shows the window details matching the 1905 image. View Larger Map Remarkably unchangedI was here a few years ago, and it still looks remarkably similar. Most of the brick buildings are still standing unchanged and I wouldn't be surprised if many of the wooden houses are still there, too. We've got a cow on one street and what looks like a man walking a dog in the other. Railroad CrossingI hope that cow knows how to read. Contemporary CalumetSome of these houses still stand, minus the outbuildings. At least they no longer have trains roaring through their back yards, but this is now a depressed town. This view looks North along Portland Street from the 11th street bend. There seem to still be industrial-looking storage buildings present at the camera site. (The Gallery, DPC, Mining, Railroads)
Bloomington Yards: 1900
... Arc Lamps I see at least two carbon arc lamps in this yard. Although, I lived there 60 years later, all of these interesting ... (rounded steam chests were coming in by 1900). Little Railroad with the fringe on top What are the bungee cord looking things ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 3:20pm -

Bloomington, Illinois, circa 1900. "Track to be straightened in the Bloomington yards." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Bloomington's largest employerAt one point the Bloomington railyards employed more people than anyone else in the area (3,000 or so, I believe). The top two spots are now held by State Farm (16,000) and Illinois State University. The old Chicago & Alton runs for a great distance along side old Route 66 -- a history buff's paradise! Carbon Arc LampsI see at least two carbon arc lamps in this yard. Although, I lived there 60 years later, all of these interesting artefacts were long gone by then. End of the lineHere's my take: The cab and stack are missing, as is the running gear. The sand dome and bell are gone too, as are all the expensive brass valves and steam gauges in the cab area. I don't think it's been there as long as all that, for only the front driver seems to have depressed the track, and it's sitting on a join area. Other join areas in the yard are also a bit depressed. It's worn track I think. The main reason I think this loco is headed for the steel mill, is that it's coupled to a gondola filled with scrap metal. It seems logical that the two would be headed to the same destination, one to be unloaded the other to be melted down. Lots of discussion on this photoA bunch of us who do model railroads set in the 1890s recorded a podcast discussing many interesting (to us) details in this photo and some related pictures from the Library of Congress. It'll be on ModelRailCast show #131, available soon on iTunes and here http://www.modelrailcast.com Nothing commercial in this, just a bunch of RR geeks going over the details. Tracks!I may be in the minority here, but due to past jobs I find the tracks themselves more interesting than the dismantled locomotive. I especially like the old style switch stands, and I'm surprised there are guardrails opposite the frog ("common crossing," or the "x") in the crossover, as I've almost never seen them before 1910 or so. This yard also looks like it suffered a flood; notice all the mud. I'd like to think that bent spike is the result of a rookie employee, or just some showboating (and a bet) gone wrong. Engine on leftOK, I'm waiting for some rail buffs to explain the engine on the left (a 4-4?) that does not appear to have a cab. Is it a derelict or a yard mule? Did it ever have a cab? I like the pics with the old RR names. Here we have the Erie (eventually Erie Lackawanna) and the Chicago and Alton RRs. EngineMore than likely, it is in the process of being scrapped, as it has no rods. It is probably on what is called the rip track, and railroads being frugal, the cab and rods were probably swapped out to other locomotives. And it's a 4-4-0 American Type locomotive. About the time of this photo they were being swapped out for more modern type steam engines. No Stack EitherNo cab, no stack, the pushrods from the cylinder to the drive wheels are missing, and it's been sitting there long enough to depress the rails under the drivers. The photo isn't detailed enough to show possible missing valves, but none of the gauges that ought to be on the boiler face are there, and the control pipes ought to be neatly laid against the back part of the boiler, not spread out like that. Looks to me like a derelict being cannibalized for parts. ScrappageI'd be interested in knowing the story behind the half-dismantled American type loco at far left. Was it being scrapped? Cannibalized for parts? Presumably it was a Chicago & Alton engine, as Bloomington was one of their big transfer points, and the square steam chests point to manufacture in the 1800s (rounded steam chests were coming in by 1900). Little Railroad with the fringe on topWhat are the bungee cord looking things hanging down from the two overhead wires. [They are there to warn any brakemen on top of the cars to duck before they smack their heads on the bridge. - Dave] (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Online: 1900
Circa 1900-1910. "Yard of tenement, New York City." Hung out to dry somewhere in Manhattan. ... I thought it was a pain hanging clothes on our back yard line that was five feet off the ground. At least I didn't have to worry ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 8:19pm -

Circa 1900-1910. "Yard of tenement, New York City." Hung out to dry somewhere in Manhattan. Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size. Out of LineWhen I see these back porch clothesline photos I can't help but think of Mrs. Frobisher's squeaky pulley that concludes one of "Uncle Claude's" funniest vaudeville routines ever. W.C. Fields worked it into "It's a Gift" and the whole movie is a nonstop riot, perhaps his best. Well worth the looking into if you have never seen it. UnmentionablesI see a lot of men's underwear and kids' undershirts but nowhere can I find any ladies' undergarments -- corsets and such. I wonder if they aired those out to dry or if they had to be much more modest about it. Pulley ServiceI wonder who had the job of climbing those tall poles to place / replace / rethread the pulleys. Clearly this isn't the French Quarter. Clothespins and CommunityNot only is this a community of laundry, it's a Community. I miss neighbors, and sitting on the stoop on a warm summer evening, kids playing in the street, all of it. Bad Housekeeping?I like the messy, rebellious line of washing about 3 lines in from the top. At first, I decided to attribute it to the wind, but since everyone else's is so neat and straight, I wonder. I do see what looks like "unmentionables" towards the top right, and despite the predominance of plain longjohns, I do see some ladies print dresses in the bottom left corner. UnmentionablesMy understanding is that corsets and other personal items were hung inside other things such as sheets or pillow cases. However I doubt if corsets were washed very often -- if ever. Re: Pulley ServiceI read someplace (don't remember where) that in the days of laundry lines here in NYC, there were young boys who would shinny up the poles and adjust, repair, and replace the lines. I think twenty five cents was the going rate. Risky businessI thought it was a pain hanging clothes on our back yard line that was five feet off the ground. At least I didn't have to worry about falling out of a fourth floor window while doing it. The aroma!Even today, when clothes are hung outside to dry, they smell so much fresher than being confined in a dryer for 30-40 minutes with a chemical laden dryer sheet! Why only whites?Does anyone know why there are only whites drying? Generic Urban nostalgia I suppose most any city boy, or girl, who's over 50, will feel a pang of nostalgia for the 'Gentrified Tenements' our grand-parents lived in. I didn't care about the hour drive past the stinking oil crackers, or the four flights of stairs my mom and dad huffed up with pounds of holiday bounty. I relished the smells and sounds of the aging but solidly constructed apartments. This was life! Whose wash is that? Almost all of these tenements had basement areas where you could hang up stuff during inclement weather. Or dry out unmentionables. My godfather chose to set up an 8x16' model rail-road, much to the delight of us kids. Re: only whitesWhites were the first items washed, the first items hung. The women were washing the other stuff while the whites dried. The last items to be washed were usually papa's work clothes. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC)
Erector Set: 1908
... Today you would have enviro-wackos protesting this first railroad tie being laid let alone the usual red tape just to get something this ... controls each move. Crawling slowly back to the storage yard this monster reaches out its many-fingered hands to pick up one of the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2012 - 3:54pm -

Lethbridge, Alberta, circa 1908. "Erecting Lethbridge Viaduct over the Oldman River." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Bridge to NowhereWe almost built this in Alaska. At least Canada knew to complete this a century ago. Yay Canada! Stuck in the Mud.Well, three days ago, a teenager dove from a lower girder into the river and never surfaced. His body was found the next day. Years ago, a 39-foot length of railway rail fell from the deck and implanted itself 2/3 into the soil on the downstream side about eight piers out from the east shore. The rail is still there, and we have often visited the bridge to show it to children. Watch out for cactus, and rattlesnakes in hot weather. Being underneath is quite something when a train passes over. Years ago we would ride over the bridge in cabooses in the wind and everything would sway. Thank You. CorrectionElderlyman River. Thank you, Stan Freberg. 100 in 2009A short history. http://dcnonl.com/article/id34360 Detroit Publishing Co.How do you end up deciding which DPC photo you want to tinker with? Merely glancing at the enormous archive at the Library of Congress is a bit overwhelming. [I scroll through my big ol' folder of 6,000 DPC images! - Dave] It just keeps rolling.The river, that is, at least that's what the song says. Talk about a "can-do" attitude back then.Today you would have enviro-wackos protesting this first railroad tie being laid let alone the usual red tape just to get something this spectacular off the ground. Probably looks quite narrow from the topMy gawd. Agoraphobics everywhere cringe or run screaming. What a piece of work, though! [Acrophobes, too. - Dave] I could defend "agoraphobics" but yeah, you're right, brain fart. No peeps on footUnbelievable construction quality that early and the structure is still being used today. They did not encourage pedestrians with this bridge for sure. I would have been so tempted to cross that span as a 10 year old if I lived anywhere in the area. Better check out the train schedules first. Oldman RiverNow we know where Oscar Hammerstein got his inspiration for that song in "Show Boat." Best train video ever!This is magnificent: Wow, I'm six years old, waving to the engineer, longing to hear the whistle and take a nice long ride: Excellent long lens and tracking (so to speak) as it draws near. And then he blows the whistle!!! Cornstalks and beanpolesI couldn’t help thinking of President Lincoln’s comment upon viewing one of the quickly constructed trestles build under the direction of Herman Haupt to replace those destroyed by the Confederates: "That man Haupt has built a bridge four hundred feet long and one hundred feet high, across Potomac Creek, on which loaded trains are passing every hour, and upon my word, gentlemen, there is nothing in it but cornstalks and beanpoles." Why A Duck?Didn't really know what a viaduct was, looked it up, and learned something. Thanks, Shorpy. "A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. ... Viaducts may span land or water or both." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viaduct Lethbridge ViaductIt's still impressive today! AgoraphobicsPeople afraid of rabbit wool? I've walked on that!I walked on that as a kid, and dropped railroad spikes from up above onto the rocks below - it makes lots of sparks! Never did walk all the way across it though. As An Elephant Piles Teak The Technical World Magazine, 1909 Huge Viaduct For Continental Railway … The traveling erecting crane is almost a thing of rational thought and life, combining as it does the functions of the locomotive, self-contained power plant, air compressor, hydraulic riveting machine, crane and a dozen other utilities, but back of it all is the guiding hand of man, which controls each move. Crawling slowly back to the storage yard this monster reaches out its many-fingered hands to pick up one of the slender sections of the pier. Back it goes and as an elephant piles teak wood in the sludgy marshes of Ceylon, so this section is lowered carefully and accurately to its appointed position. Then back again to bring in its great claws one of the plate girders, one hundred feet in length and over a hundred tons in weight, which is slowly advanced across the three hundred foot opening, bridging it to a nicety. … Completed BridgeHere's a shot of the viaduct completed, shot circa. 1909 from Library and Archives Canada: Lattice workThe crawler crane is still used for bridge construction and has changed very little since this photo. What has changed is the manufacturing of standard section structural beams. When this bridge was built the only standard steel shapes were angle and plate all of these lattice work girders were comprised of these two shapes and assembled in the steel shop using enormous gang drills to drill the rivet holes and multiple riveters working on each section. These girders were then shipped to the job site where they were installed using a few rivets and perhaps a gusset plate at the connection point.I am probably the last generation who still remembers watching a rivet crew in action. The forge man would throw a white hot rivet to the catcher who would then place the rivet in the hole with tongs, the buck man would then hold the rivet in place with the buck bar while the riveter would peen the rivet head in with the pneumatic hammer. Take a modern day trip over the Bridge in Hi-defTake a modern day trip over the Bridge with a Canadian Pacific Railway freight train. Restored Canadian Pacific Railway Steam Engine 2816 An IMAX Movie Star "At Work", Lethbridge, AB High level Bridge Restored Canadian Pacific Railway Steam Engine 2816 crossing the Lethbridge high level bridge on a cool Canadian morning and she is heading west towards the Canadian Rockies. CPR 2816 Lethbridge Viaduct in the Summer, Lethbridge, AB Incredible photography of Canadian Pacific steam engine 2816 at Morants Curve in the Canadian Rockies west of Calgary, Alberta.... Just an extra treat for those that love steam. Did they ever have a serious derailment on this bridge?The sight of that thing being built scares me. The video of the freight entering the bridge scares me. The comment about riding cabooses in the wind, and everything swaying, bears out my feeling. The comment about checking the schedule before walking on this bridge isn't too helpful. Extra trains can come along at any time, although this line doesn't look too heavily travelled, judging by the weeds growing between the rails on land. High Level Bridge Still Record HolderVery interesting article on the Lethbridge High Level bridge. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
Battle of Nashville: 1864
1864. "Nashville. Railroad yard and depot with locomotives; Tennessee Capitol in the distance. From ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 7:59pm -

1864. "Nashville. Railroad yard and depot with locomotives; Tennessee Capitol in the distance. From photographs of the War in the West: Hood before Nashville. Continuing his policy of the offensive at any cost, Gen. John B. Hood brought his reduced army before the defenses of Nashville, where it was overthrown by Gen. George H. Thomas on December 15-16, 1864, in the most complete victory of the war. If the date borne on this photograph is correct, it was taken in the course of the battle." Wet plate glass negative by George N. Barnard. View full size. War BonnetWow, nice image of the poke bonnet on the lady to the right. Elegant EnginesThose locomotives are beautiful. Looks like the one that pulled Capt. James West and Artemus Gordon in the Wild Wild West. Battle of NashvilleTo clarify, Hood was the Confederate general, attacking Nashville from the south. The Union defenders had larger numbers, and better leadership, and destroyed Hood's army. In the middle of a war zone, many of the locos are immaculately maintained, in contrast to the track and buildings. The first engine out is interesting, bigger and fancier than the others, and with unusual outside bearing lead truck. Wonder if it was getting prepped for an official's (Gen. Thomas?) inspection train? The tenders are lettered "US Military RR." Thomas CircleMajor General George H. Thomas, a native Virginian, remained true to his oath and became the most successful Union general during the war. His victory over Hood at Nashville did little to improve Grant's dislike of him. Thomas, though, was enormously popular with his soldiers in the Army of the Cumberland who called him "Old Pap". He is commemorated at Thomas Circle in Washington, D.C. (Connecting the Shorpy dots) Holy Mogul!Those shiny American 4-4-0's are really beautiful, but the most interesting locomotive in the picture has to be the burned-out hulk right in the middle. It appears to be a 2-6-0 Mogul with a swiveling front "bogie" truck. Considering that the first recorded locomotive of this type was built for the Louisville & Nashville in 1860, this could the remains of that historic engine, the first of thousands of a very successful locomotive type. Sure would like to know how she ended up in such terrible shape. Fortunes of war? Beat me to it, Code BasherAs many times as I've seen this image and focused on the brass and woodwork of the 4-4-0s by the engine house, this time the 2-6-0 jumped out at me like something from the future (how did that get there?!); the first comment in the column addressed my surprise perfectly. Indexing filesIs there any that the pictures can be indexed? When perusing your files for long periods of time, as I do, I would like to be able to quit the site and return at some time and be able to locate the place where I was previously. However I find no way to accomplish this. Can you help? [Bookmark the page. - Dave] A part of my history was hereWhile recently tracing my ancestry, I found one of my great-great-great-great-grandfathers. Thanks to some wonderful 19th century person/group who understood the value in such things, I found a mini biography of him that says he served under General Thomas; enlisted in Company F, 64th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf. in September of 1864. 145 years ago. I can't wait to further comb through pictures like these. I figure it's the closest I'll ever get to seeing through his eyes. Battle of NashvilleDuring the Civil War, an army was composed of Cavalry, Artillery, and Infantry. The Cavalry were the eyes and ears of the army. Without a Calvary component, an army was simply not an effective fighting force. Gen Hood commanded the Cavalry component of General Johnston's Confederate Army. Once Atlanta fell, in desperation, the Confederacy split up Johnston's Army and sent Hood to Tennessee to try to disrupt the supply lines to Sherman and to engage the Union forces occupying Tennessee and Kentucky. For both Johnston and Hood, their mission objectives were simply impossible. Johnston stood no chance of stopping Sherman without a viable army. And Hood stood even less of a chance against a well fortified city. Hood's army were so starved that they actually ate pumpkins and walnuts on the march back to Tennessee. For an excellent read on the civil war in the western front from a southern private's perspective I urge you to pick up "Company Aytch" by Samuel Watkins - 1882. Of 3200 men who made up his regiment, 65 returned home - 4 days shy of 4 years from the day they marched off. General Hood sacrificed both legs and an arm in the war. The story is not one of tactics and strategies, but of the daily life and struggles of the southern soldier. Watkins tale is humorous and uplifting. I simply do not know how he found it within himself to keep such a positive spirit against such adversity & desperate circumstances. All of Tennessee should be proud of their native sons... It is a great book! Shelby Foote's favorite on the topic. Beautiful BuildingThe big building on the hill in the upper right corner is very beautiful. Does anyone know if that building still stands? Regardless of that what is the name of the building so I can search for more pictures. Tennessee State CapitolAs noted in the caption, the building is the State Capitol. The street view, though an ugly parking lot now, seems an improvement to me over war nonetheless. View Larger Map View of the capital of Nashville I have lived in Nashville and scoured this area in modern times. The Capital building still stands today without much change! The rail yards shown here in the foreground are long gone but this is the present area of Union street and 10th avenue. Nearby Church street passes under a RR grade. This view looks to the North East and the camera focal length must shorten the distance. (The Gallery, Civil War, Geo. Barnard, Nashville, Railroads)
Bensenville: 1943
May 1943. Bensenville, Illinois. "Bensenville yard of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad. Track repair and work on the cinder pits at the roundhouse." 4x5 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 4:45pm -

May 1943. Bensenville, Illinois. "Bensenville yard of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad. Track repair and work on the cinder pits at the roundhouse." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. View full size. Close-by observationI can smell the creosote and burning coal. As a kid I would be as close to all this action as I could possibly get. Only to go home, and due to the soil on my clothes, be told to stay away from those trains, it’s not safe! Great image. Uncle Clark is goneBut he'd probably have answers for the dozens of questions this photo raises. Not so many whos, but a big list of whys and whats. He was a railroad man for MoPac all his working life. One thing that I can guess is that most of those guys down there were probably "seasoned," meaning in 1943 there weren't too many young men around. InspirationPhotos like this create great inspiration for my model railroad. This is wonderful...thank you Dave StrandedThe locomotive near the roundhouse wall seems to be stranded on an isolated section of track. Hope they don't need its services any time soon. What's A Cinder Pit?Page 63 has a cross section of the pit. No PrivacySpot the guy taking a leak! Goings OnsThat looks like the side and roof of a locomotive cab over there on the right on the ground. Probably junk. I'll take it! Somebody spill something being soaked up by the white stuff? The 2nd engine and tender from the right appear to be on a section of track that no longer goes anywhere useful. As my daddy used to say:"Get in the roundhouse Nellie...they can't corner you there." And also, as my ADD makes my mind wander, does anyone know what ever happened to Robbie Benson? And a similar sounding town, Bentonville, in Arkansas, is where Sam Walton opened his very first store. And does anyone remember Peter Paul Candy's Walnettos? Good night Gracie. Coffee with cream and soot.On the far right side of the photo, between the rail cars and the sliver of road, is a chimneyed structure. That building was a restaurant and bed stop for trainmen. I lived a few miles south of the rail yard in 1949 and ocassionally grabbed a late night sobering coffee on the way home. White stuffAt first I would say it would be ballast, then again it looks like a huge pile of cocaine. Casey Jones better watch your speed! RobbieRobbie Benson is still acting, doing voice-over work and directing. He has two projects "in development," if you know what I mean. There's a company that manufactures caskets in the form of classic cars in Bentonville, Arkansas. You can order Walnettos via the Internet, but neither Peter nor Paul are involved any longer. Hang in there. Ash Pit 101For Howdy and others - On a coal-fired steam loco, the fuel is burned at the rear of the boiler in a large chamber known as the firebox. At its bottom is a large grate that actually holds the burning coal. Oxygen is drawn from below the firebox and through the grates for combustion. Coal has many impurities such as sulfur, iron, ash, and dirt that only partially burn, producing cinders. Other impurities mix with oxygen then fuse with ash and dirt to produce a hard lump called a “clinker.” As the fuel burns, these waste products drop through the grates into an ashpan below. The ashpan has to be emptied regularly, usually at every service stop and again at the end of each run, as the accumulation of cinders can restrict airflow to the point they greatly reduce efficiency, or in the worst case, actually extinguish the fire. As the ash was still red-hot, it was typically emptied into a special holding area below the tracks – thus the "pit" in ash pit — lined with heat-resistant stone or firebrick. It was usually hosed down, but some larger terminals had water-filled pits to speed cooling. A big terminal like Bensenville could easily generate well over 100 cubic yards of ash every day. Cinder was free and could be used like gravel, so it was reclaimed for a variety of jobs. The black material covering most of the area in the photo is cinder. Remains of the RoundhouseIt appears this view is looking WNW. The roundhouse is gone, but you can still spot its remains (including the turntable) in aerial photography. Coordinates 41°57'13.50"N, 87°55'54.58"W (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Rolling Stock: 1943
... & P. R.R. [Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad], general view of part of the yard." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 4:46pm -

May 1943. Bensenville, Illinois. "C. M. St. P. & P. R.R. [Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad], general view of part of the yard." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. O'Hare expansion.Unless I'm mistaken, this is looking NE across E Irving Park Road toward the SW corner of O'Hare. Chicago bought up the Orchard Place-Douglas Field surrounding properties in 1949 for the new O'Hare airport and this is the SW corner of their purchases. The church off in the distance is (probably) St. Johns, moved to a new site at Highway 83 and Foster in 1952 and still there. The only thing remaining here beyond the Bensenville Yard are a couple of cemeteries (that might be the monuments of one cemetery, Resthaven, visible in front of the white barn - the St. Johns cemetery is north of that a couple hundred yards) which Daly is trying to get moved for further expansions of O'Hare. Even the raised Chicago & North Western tracks off in the distance were moved to jog around the new airport. Reefer MadnessNotice the hatches on top of the refrigerator cars, which were used for loading ice in the days before mechanical refrigeration was practical for RR use. The cars were usually painted yellow for easy identification. Nowadays, the term "reefer" has taken an entirely different meaning in common vernacular! Lack of detailIt's kind of sad how we've sacrificed the astonishing clarity of the large-format glass negatives for the convenience of smaller format films. And this one is still 4x5 - but very grainy. Quite a different backgroundBensenville's rail yards are still there today, but the surroundings are quite different. They're almost next to O'Hare airport. GoneEvery identifiable railroad in this crowd has either gone belly up or has been merged away out of existence. Sad that a part of America has gone with them! 1943 or today?As you scan this photo, block out the old, wood-sided and 40 foot long rail cars. If you concentrate only on the rural background, it's hard to tell what year this might be. Lumbering alongAmazing the amount of wooden rolling stock still in use at that time. If they survived WWII they must have been durable. Wooden CarsBy WW-II, most US railroads had figured out the maintenance and strength advantages of steel cars, and were well along in converting from wood to steel. The conversion was hampered significantly by the Depression, which put a damper on capital improvements. The buildup to WW-II brought a need for many more cars and locomotives, but also restrictions on use of steel and chromium. As a result, the railroads built large numbers of steel framed wood sided cars, designed to be resided with steel at the end of the war. They also ordered a large number of locomotives, which came out heavier than their predecessors due to restrictions on lightweight alloys. Thus many railroads had programs to retrofit lightweight alloy siderods on locomotives after the war. The government allocated diesel production and limited new locomotive designs, so many railroads that wanted diesels ended up with steamers that were copies of competing railroads' existing designs. Many of these were replaced by diesels after very short service lives. On the other side of the trees.On the other side of the trees and on the east side of the newly completed Orchard Place/Douglas Field runways is the newly completed Douglas C-54 factory. It's hard to make it out for the trees but the building's shape is just visible. Either an aircraft is taking off at the airport, visible over the plant buildings, or there's a spot on the film. It might also be a large windsock but I can't tell. A couple of months after your photo was taken, the first C-54 assembled there would take to the skies for the first time. This period photo is looking SW over the aircraft factory and airport, back toward Bensenville ... http://ohare.bensenville.lib.il.us/images/Douglas%20Field.jpg ... the Bensenville Yard should be in the distance, a bit left of runway 4L-22R (marked 22) in the Bensenville library photo. In 1976I started working for the MK&T railroad as a switchman in the yard here in town. I was a young man and had been interested in railroads since a little boy. Anyway, I only remember seeing one of those old type of reefers. Can't remember what road it belonged to, but we were rolling thru the yard one day in the switch engine and I was looking out the window and spotted the roof hatches open on this particular car, propped up with braces to keep them up. Also stored in one of the tracks they kept derelict rail cars in was a wood sided boxcar. It had had its drawbar (coupler) torn out and would never be in a train again, destined to be dismantled. But, it stayed in that track for a long time. It was the only one of those cars I ever saw, too. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Waiting for the Light: 1943
... a block signal along the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad." Photo by Jack Delano. View full size. Arm up? Isn't the ... (and the diverging branch at the wye) in blue, the yard or auxiliary track that the steamer is on in green and the middle track, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/19/2013 - 11:35am -

March 1943. "Kiowa (vicinity), Kansas. Train waiting for a block signal along the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad." Photo by Jack Delano. View full size. Arm up?Isn't the signal up, which would signal clear? Help me here, please? Highball?I'm no expert on reading signal aspects, but I believe it's displaying a "proceed." Time to goThis retired railroader says proceed thru the block at prescribed speed. I believeit's the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe RailWAY. Clear!Yes, that signal is displaying "proceed". Grade Crossing AheadThere's not much to go on in this photo for figuring out the exact location, but just beyond the second signal there appears to be a hard line crossing the tracks from left to right. That might be the now-abandoned Missouri Pacific branchline to Hardtner, KS. Assuming that Rt. 2 follows the old MP right of way (it has some very railroad-like broad curves to it), then this photo was taken near the intersection of Main Street and Railroad Avenue in Kiowa. As for the signals. The square ends on both signals visible would indicate that they are interlocking signals (which fits with that being the MP crossing up ahead) and not a manual block (round end) or automatic block (pointed end) signal. The other two posters (at this writing) are correct, the signals are set to clear. So, the description given is just writer's license. PuzzlesPhare Pleigh makes good observations. There are more questions in my mind, though: 1. The far signal, on the pole, is on this side of the crossing - that is, it is beyond the crossing, and so does not govern moves over the crossing. 2. There is only one track at the far signal, so only one route should be possible. However, both signals are showing clear, which would mean conflicting (opposing) routes - which should not be possible. 3. The near switch is in front of the cantilever signal, so it is "outside" the interlocking; the signal does not govern moves over this switch. The second switch is "inside" the interlocking, and is protected by the signals. I would have expected to see another signal governing moves from this track, quite possibly a dwarf; I can't see one in the picture. 4. The far switch *should* be set for the other track, but again I can't see the position in this photo. An interesting picture. And the train is probably waiting for a clear signal, since the signal on the cantilever is clear for a different train (I think). Aspect not litI agree...Dave, we need a zoomed in view of the switch points in the background. Also, I also will echo that the arms of the semaphores are in the clear position, however, I would have expected, even in bright daylight at this angle, to be seeing the clear light through the semaphore lens. It appears to be dark or just a little light (probably from the background) getting through it. With the bulb on the other side it should be brighter than it is. edit: After tterrace's generous post of the zoomed photo, can we throw a monkey wrench into the comments and possibly say that the level crossing in the distance may not be a diamond but a vehicle crossing? I ask this as us railroaders would expect to see a signal protecting the other side of the crossing. Yeah, I don't see any crossing warning signs on either side of the main to warn vehicle traffic, nor any telegraph/phone lines paralleling the line, but I also don't see any bulky diamond hardware sticking out of the side of the mains rails as I do with the guard rail and switch point areas. This makes me believe this is a road crossing. Also noticed that the locomotive probably is sitting on the main as there is a spring frog on the left main rail with the spring mechanics on both sides of the left rail and a visible flange gap on rail the locomotive is on. [This is as big as it gets. - tterrace] TrainspottedIt is a "Clear" Signal but you will notice: 1. It is on a cantilever station rather than on a pole similar to the signal a little farther down the track. That would imply that the signal is governing one of the tracks diverging off to the left. If it were for the track on which the locomotive stands it would likely also be on the pole. (Yes, I understand ATSF did use cantilever signals right next to the track they are governing). 2. The aforementioned pole signal is also showing a clear indication. Unless the signal system is malfunctioning it could not display this aspect to the track on which the locomotive is standing (not to mention the track that has the clear signal on the cantilever). 3. The answer seems to be that the locomotive is on an auxiliary track and that the signals govern the two tracks diverging to the left. The cantilever signal probably also governs the crossing at grade a short distance ahead. Thanks!For all the info regarding how signals worked and how to understand the sources. A very intricate business indeed. Engine LocationOk.. I'm going to go out on a limb and try to figure where this was taken. According to the shadows it appears we are travelling to the west. On the left side, marked by the row of telephone poles is Route 2 which runs between Attica, Ks and Kiowa, Ks. Very far ahead on the right hand side is, what looks like, a grain elevator. I think that is the grain elevator at Hazleton, Ks. The roads I cannot identify exactly because I can't determine distance by a photograph. There is a railroad cross marking immediately to the right. It doesn't look well travelled so, I will guess, it leads into a field. They still have those today. The next major road just beyond the signals could be Minco Road or Tri-City Road which is closer to Hazleton. I don't know of any other grain elevators between Attica and Kiowa. So, I think we are somewhere within a mile or two east of Hazleton, KS. Another thoughtIt would seem likely that for one reason or another, the semaphore system was not in service at the moment this picture was taken. Is it possible the ATSF was in the process of installing the signal hardware, but had not yet put the system into service? Up until about 10 years ago the old Monon line (now abandoned) between New Albany, Indiana and Bedford, Indiana was controlled by semaphore indication. At some point shortly afterward the signal system was taken out of service and an order to that effect was issued. Train crews were instructed by the order to disregard the semaphores and be governed by DTC. I believe there are pictures on the web of what appear to be CP and INRD trains running “stop” semaphore indications in that territory. Regarding the Shorpy image, my guess is the train was running with timetable and train orders, waiting for an opposing train to clear the main at the far switch. Why I love Shorpy!It's wonderful, the level of engagement we get, as folks chime in with these great details; always fascinating! I'm just surprised no one has (yet!) counted rivets and kinks in lube lines and told us which locomotive this is. I capitulatePiyer, I think you are right. I asked a good engineer friend of mine who basically said the same thing. {Jim said} There are railroad diamonds that have no protection whatsoever; no interlocking signals, no manual gates, no stop signs. After viewing some aerial maps I've changed my mind and think that it is an unprotected railroad diamond crossing which no longer exists. My guess of the track layout, judging from the placement of the signals, is that the mainline comes from the distance and continues on the farthest-to-the-left track visible in front of the steamer. The facing semaphore signal is to the left of center of the steamer's track and beyond the points of the closest switch and governs, I think, the facing movements on the far left track. In the Bing aerial photo I've marked **PIYER, his attachment was EXACTLY the same place you linked!** what I think is the Santa Fe mainline (and the diverging branch at the wye) in blue, the yard or auxiliary track that the steamer is on in green and the middle track, which might be the Kiowa Siding, in yellow. I'm just assuming that the railroad crossing at the diamond, which I've marked in red, is another railroad and not just another Santa Fe line because of the overall track layout in the area. And yes Dbell, I agree, that is one of the reasons I keep coming back here, the level of expertise and civility of the folks that comment here makes this just awesome. Flat Pair SignalsThe masts of both of the signals have number plates, indicating they are Permissive Signals rather than Absloute Signals, and thus are block signals rather than part of an interlocking system. Unlike most other roads, on the Santa Fe square end signal blades were used on block signals. The question then remains as to why the signal to the left would be showing a clear block when we know there's a train, as we are on it. Close examination of a zoomed image shows that the points of the switch adjacent to that signal are aligned for the siding. The signal is showing that the route for which the turnout is lined, that is, the siding, is clear. The signal in front of our engine also shows clear because we can proceed through the spring switch. This was a signal system in wide use on sidings on the ATSF, which they called Flat Pair Signals. An answer???Looking at BING, which is nice enough to include abandoned rail lines, I see that the MP line crossed the Santa Fe further south than I had original thought. Flipping that map (http://binged.it/11eaawr) so that south is up and north is down, I think we are pointed in the same direction as the locomotive. Much has, obviously, changed over the years, but it would now seem that the interlocking signals aren't for the crossing but for the south leg of the Santa Fe's wye / branchline junction. If you allow that the yard might have originally been on the opposite side of the mainline so as to serve both main and branch lines, then this can fit with the image here. As for the lack of signals at the grade crossing... The line from Kiowa to Hardtner is / was (abd. 2002) the Kiowa, Hardtner & Pacific Railway from birth to abandonment, and merely operated by the MP. It is conceivable that the KH&P was dark territory and that trains had to stop clear of the crossing and get permission to cross from the Santa Fe dispatcher - a cheaper option than a manned interlocking, the expense of which, as the second railroad on the scene, would have typically fallen on them. Final puzzle pieceFrom my timetable collection, I dug up Missouri Pacific system timetable #18 - October 25, 1981. According to this, the Hardtner branch crossed the Santa Fe a total of 7 times between Hardtner Jct. (Wichita, KS) and Kiowa in route to Hardtner. These crossings were protected by (n to s): a gate, a gate, a manual interlocking, a stop sign, a stop sign, a gate, and a manual interlocking. The last one presumably being the crossing we are looking at here. Locomotive: Class 4000 Mikado(2-8-2), one of a group of 101 (4000 to 4100) built by Baldwin between 1921 and 1926 (Maybe there's another photo from Mr Delano from this set that shows the specific number?) and scrapped between 1950 and 1954. This is based on the "40" that I can see on the sand dome. [Here you go. - tterrace] Colour?I know nothing about trains, but I do know the train community is *very* specific about making sure train colours are correct especially in black and white photos. Anyone got a colour reference for the train? More photos & cluesHere are several other helpful photos from this set. The opposite side view shows more of the track layout and another has the engine detail. Piyer, I'd say you're right on target in the BING photo! The LOC photos DO show the yard on the wye side of the main. Presumably as train lengths increased, the sidings couldn't be lengthened on the town side of the tracks, so the whole shebang was flip-flopped. Topo maps show remnants of a road in that location going from the present adjacent farmhouse across the tracks to the former airstrip, and a curved track bridging the wye ends (that scar still visible). That is definitely a crossing with another railroad. Look at the height of the telephone poles on both sides. In 1943, highways didn't get such vertical clearances, plus, there are tie ends barely visible "behind" the far signal. There are also 2 vertical "somethings" just to the right of the cantilever mast (one near each track). In the cab window view, the far switch points are definitely reversed toward the wye (and apparently the cantilever is reflecting that route). That much just makes sense. (all this more visible in the massive LOC TIFF images) Mystery solved? ATSF 4097According to information available to me, ATSF 4097 was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1926, construction number 59398. For those not familiar with railroad terminology, I have written out the following information in long form. I recognize many of these details will be of more significance to locomotive historians who would be satisfied with the usual technical shorthand. Principle dimensions: cylinders: 27 diameter, 32 stroke, in inches driving wheel diameter: 63 inches working pressure: 200 pounds per square inch calculated tractive effort: 63,000 pounds* weight on drive wheels: 260,200 pounds total locomotive weight: 342,000 pounds tender capacity: 5,000 gallons oil; 15,000 gallons water tender weight, fully loaded: 298,600 pounds total wheelbase, engine and tender: 79 feet, 1.875 inches total length over coupler pulling faces: 89 feet, 9 inches Like all locomotives in the '4000' Class, it was built with a Schmidt superheater, Walschaert valve gear, Elesco feedwater heater (except 4007) and Delta trailing truck. It was built as an oil-burner. It was sold for scrap to Commercial Metals Co. on 27 January 1956. GENERAL NOTES: Dimensions given are typical for the 1926 Baldwin-built locomotives (4086-4100) and do not necessarily apply to any specific locomotive at a specific time. It would be surprising if any locomotive matched the dimensions exactly even when new. In particular, recorded weights could vary significantly between rolling the same locomotive off and then back onto a scale. Weight on drive wheels varied with spring tension (in the suspension system) and changed with wear or simply shop setting. *-The dimension seemingly of most interest to railfans is also the least relevant -- that of calculated tractive effort (CTE, usually shortened to tractive effort=TE). As the name implies, it is a theoretical calculation of the maximum amount of force available to be applied at the driving wheels. It is, at best, vaguely accurate for comparison purposes between locomotive classes over a given profile. Although some railroads reported CTE down to the last pound, any calculation more precise than the nearest thousand pounds was pure fiction. In fact, the ONLY way of determining what a locomotive can haul is by controlled road tests using a dynamometer car. Those already interested in the ATSF will no doubt already know my sources, primarily S. R. Wood and E. D. Worley. I can provide more detail if wanted. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Santa Fe: 1943
... train about to leave the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe yard on the return trip." Medium-format nitrate negative by Jack Delano for the ... Kromer, an engineer for the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, decided that there was not available a single cap of quality ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 7:08pm -

March 1943. Vaughn, New Mexico. "Eastbound train about to leave the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe yard on the return trip." Medium-format nitrate negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Polka Dots and Rail BeamsYeah I know bad pun, stretched too far. Anyway, what's with the polka-dotted hats? Was it for greater visibility of the yard workers from the engineer's compartment? Here's the story....In Kaukauna, Wisconsin, at the turn of the century, George Kromer, an engineer for the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, decided that there was not available a single cap of quality materials and manufacture which suited the needs of railroad men. So he made one. Kromer drew up the design and specifications. His wife, Ida, did the cutting and sewing. The cap had to be one-hundred percent cloth with a soft flexible visor. It had to cling to the head despite strong gusts of wind that plagued rail hands everywhere. Ida Kromer added her own touches., a sweatband of absorbent cloth and an outside band which could be pulled down over the ears. The Kromer cap was born. Over 1000 readsand no one said it, so I will. Trains are so cool! Polka Dot CapMy dad worked for the B&O Railroad in Cumberland Maryland in the 1950's and he always wore those polka dot caps. His was dark blue with white dots. It's a Kromer Cap and you can still get them here. On the cabooseI'm guessing that thing is a semaphore for signaling the engineer. Why a polka dot cap?Same reason that covers most male garments of the polka dot variety. You are secure in knowing no one will ever steal it or mistake it for their own. Exception being jockey gear. No Thanks, Mr. KromerThe Kromer cap has nothing on the old denim octagon cap, which came in blue, white, black, or pinstripes. Truly the overwhelming favorite of America's railroaders. When Vaughn was still a Crew ChangeIn steam days Vaughn, New Mexico was a crew change point. Today's BNSF trains sail right thru between Clovis on the east and Belen to the west. The target-like devices on the caboose cupolas were raised up as markers during unscheduled stops, so as to protect the rear of the train. Re: Polka DotsI've never read about them being standard issue. Maybe the man was a welder? Modern day welding hats come in polka dots and other loud patterns. My guess is that they were originally made at home from scrap cloth by the workers' wives. Is there anything left of the Vaughn Railroad Yard? I was there in the mid-90's and saw some old rolling stock and what may have been dormitory cars for a work train. Went back in '04 and didn't see anything in the way of a yard, but didn't have much time to look around. CapsThe Kromer Cap! I never knew the name of those. Thanks Casey and Gazzie. Signal disks on caboose cupolasThe round disks on the cupola were used to signal the engineer. Here's the details: http://www.atsfrr.net/resources/Sandifer/WigWag/Index.htm That thing on the cabooseIn the days before radio-equipped trains, the Santa Fe used "wigwags" on its waycars (Santa Fe parlence for a caboose) to let the conductor signal a "highball" to the engine crew. A neat aspect about this photo is that it shows the early (left waycar) and the late (right waycar) wigwag designs. More about wigwags here. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Gotham: 1915
... The rail cars being loaded/unloaded are on what the railroad industry called a team track, in reference to the teams of horses ... today. Pulling loads and empties scattered throughout a yard is a very time consuming and expensive proposition, and railroads have ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:39pm -

New York circa 1915. "Brooklyn Bridge, East River and skyline." The Woolworth Building stars in this Lower Manhattan view, with the Singer, Bankers Trust, Hudson Terminal, Municipal and Park Row buildings as understudies. 5x7 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. How it looked in 1927When Harold Lloyd filmed Speedy in 1927 from this vantage point he captured the Standard Oil Building (near Battery Park to the left), and the Transportation Building (to the left of the Woolworth Building), two buildings that do not appear in this image. Intermodal xportationSo many kinds of transportation here, in between eras. The bridge has more streetcars than horse buggies, and no autos that I can make out. So were these electrified streetcars with overhead power? In the foreground is what is now Empire Fulton Ferry State Park. There are horse-drawn wagons loading or unloading the boxcars in the foreground. Is that sand in the barge? On the river I see no sail-powered boats. So even though we're still very much in the age of animal power, wind power is pretty much a thing of the past. Great photo for mixing smaller and larger scales. Lightning Rods?I notice several structures have rod-like structures. It seems 1915 would be a bit early for anything other than Morse-based radio, so I'm wondering if those are lightning rods. Nice angle on the bridge and city. Anyone know the likely photographer vantage point? [By 1915, New York's skyscrapers had dozens of Marconi masts, for both marine and terrestrial telegraphy as well as wireless telephone, and hundreds of flagpoles. - Dave] So neat and clean The little bit of rail road at bottom center looks so neat and clean it could almost be part of someones "N" scale layout. The only activity in that area is the loading/unloading of the two cars on the most distant track. Team tracksThe rail cars being loaded/unloaded are on what the railroad industry called a team track, in reference to the teams of horses required to handle the boxcar lading. The tracks served businesses that had no direct rail service to their doors, and were owned by a railroad in most cases. Team tracks are very scarce today. Pulling loads and empties scattered throughout a yard is a very time consuming and expensive proposition, and railroads have generally opted out of business of this nature. Had the opportunity to work the old Milwaukee Road Railroad Reed Street team track yard in Milwaukee, Wisconsin many years ago. We handled mostly fresh produce from California, destined to brokers who sold the stuff to local supermarkets. One of the brokers might have an iced URTX reefer consigned to them show up, and would send a couple of fellows with a truck to unload it. They did it just like the guys in the picture: one bag or carton at a time. The only thing missingis the bat signal in the sky. 1923 - 1925New York Stock Exchange Addition from 1922 is there. Enlarged 195 Broadway from 1923 is there. Transportation Building from 1927 is not there. More like 1922195 Broadway (AT&T or whatever they called it-- the white bldg just right of midspan of the bridge) has been expanded north to Fulton St, so can't be much before 1922; the Cotton Exchange at 60 Beaver St isn't there, so not later than 1923. (The Cotton Exchange is the building with the columned top and blank east wall near the left edge of the 1960 aerial.) Must have been taken from the tower of the building that's still there on the east side of Main St, at 40.7036N 73.99045W. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, NYC, Railroads)
Baldwin Locomotive Works: 1908
... Here is an overhead view of the plant with the Pensylvania Railroad main tracks crossing through the center. Now all that remains is the ... planned to operate a service on Broad Street to the Navy Yard but it's doubtful if this happened because within a year the company was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 10:24pm -

Philadelphia circa 1908. "Baldwin Locomotive Works." Panorama of two 8x10 inch glass negatives, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. ObservatoriesObservatories down the block. Was it a university building? [Central High School. - tterrace] Baldwin kept 'em rollingNot just locomotives, but they were also one of the primary producers of the M3 Lee-Grant and M4 Sherman medium tanks, the main battle tanks of US Armored Forces during WW2. Holy cow! This is the view from the from the front door of the building I am currently sitting in. Of course that building was not built until years later, and I would say 0% of the buildings in this photo still stand (well maybe that church just beyond the high school), but none the less this is a totally awesome picture from back when North Broad Street was the place to be in Philly. Too SmallBaldwin soon outgrew this massive building and built a huge new plant a few miles south at Eddystone, PA. The company struggled in the transition from steam to diesel locomotives and eventually expired in 1956. Here is an overhead view of the plant with the Pensylvania Railroad main tracks crossing through the center. Now all that remains is the distinctive cross-shaped headquarters building with other parts of the property occupied by Boeing's helicopter division, a coal-fired power plant and a shopping center. Battery Electric Double Deck BusThe bus featured in the Baldwin Locomotive Works panorama was only the second earliest double decker built in the United States. It was operated by the Auto Transit Company, registered in Wyalusing and was one of 16 battery electric, four wheel hub drive vehicles built by Philadelphia based Commercial Truck Company of America and the Imperial Electric Motor Company. Seating 36 passengers the first bus entered service in 1907 on Broad Street from Chestnut to Diamond and thence to Fairmount Park. It was planned to operate a service on Broad Street to the Navy Yard but it's doubtful if this happened because within a year the company was beset by investment difficulties culminating in it going out of business. Where's Dagwood?As the comic strip "Blondie" was originally conceived, Dagwood was heir to the "Bumstead Locomotive Works" fortune, but was disowned after marrying Blondie, a 1920s "flapper." I always thought "Bumstead" was a thinly-veiled reference to Baldwin. Re: Observatoriestterrace - how in the heck did you figure that out? The view appears to north on North Broad Street from Spring Garden Street. The other building in the distance just beyond the observatories with the pointed roof appears to still exist, sans pointed roof, on the corner of Wallace Street and is now occupied by the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging. The date on the photograph (1908) is interesting in that this site notes that the factory moved from its North Broad Location to a larger facility in 1906. Yikes!Call me a wuss, but you'll NEVER find me climbing that ladder to the roof! Man, just looking at it gives me the willies! I guess someone had to put the "I" back in "Baldw n". [The "I" is there, but mostly hidden by the left ladder member. - tterrace] Oh no! You're right! That's worse; the poor schlub using the ladder had to be going ALL the way to the roof! GrandpopMy grandfather labored at Baldwin. He was an Eastern European immigrant happy to be employed. On the other hand, he eventually became ill from the toxic dust throughout the factory. Stitching?Pardon me for asking a question that may have been asked before, but who does the stitching together of the individual negatives to make the panorama? Are they like that in the archives? I've worn my eyeballs out trying to find the seam! [Dave does that using Photoshop. - tterrace] PopMy father worked for for Baldwin for a few years as what we'd now think of as a sales engineer. He'd oversee final checkout and deadheaded on delivery of several locomotives to customers. This would have been 20+ years later than the Shorpy photo, so possibly from the new digs at Eddystone. Wibur BudsThe Wilbur Chocolate Company is still alive and well in Lititz Pa. My sister and brother in law live near the factory and send us a few pounds of Wilbur buds each year. They look like Hershey kisses but taste much better imo. Baldwin Locomotive todayMore here. Broadly Worded@timeandagain: The link you provided may answer your question: "From its cramped 200-acre site in North Philadelphia, the company moved in 1906 to a 600-acre facility in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. (The company consolidated all production to the Eddystone yard in 1928.)" It seems to say that production continued at North Broad until 1928, even though Eddystone was online as of 1906. (Panoramas, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Philadelphia, Railroads)
Westbound Freight: 1943
... westbound freight along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad." Medium-format safety negative by Jack Delano, Office of War ... and crew would back down from Edelstein to the Chillicothe Yard. This line is double tracked. Besides the engine crew, the helper would ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 6:08pm -

March 1943. "Chillicothe, Illinois. Changing crews and cabooses of a westbound freight along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad." Medium-format safety negative by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. Why the War Information Office?Jack Delano seemed to specialize in photo's of railroads (and this one in particular) during WWII. But why? Historic revelationMy dad started in Chillicothe, Il for the Santa Fe in 1939 as a switchman, by 1943 he was in Britain with the American army railway division headed to France after D-Day. Even as cold as it looks in this photo I am sure he would rather have been in Illinois. Lighter Than AirAnother wonderful railroad scene. You can almost feel the chill. It's hard to tell from this angle, but the fourth and fifth cars in front of the cabin, (caboose to you non-Pennsy fans), look very much like helium cars. These fairly rare cars were used by the U.S. Navy to ship helium gas for their "Blimp" fleet. They consisted of multiple horizontal tanks on a specialized flat car. Their use was discontinued shortly after the war so they really date the photo. He's a good photographer!Man, that Jack Delano had an eye for a photo. Helium tank carsHelium tank cars were in use at least into the 70's. It is used in a variety industrial and medical applications. The U.S. had the monopoly on helium which was drawn from natural gas drilled in Texas. Why Photograph RailroadsWWII honed logistics to a science. We had never fought a war of such magnitude, and documenting the inner workings of the nation as it converted to war production was valuable for tactical reasons. Virtually everything needed by a modern industrial nation and military had to move incredible distances in a short time. Railroads were the only long-distance, all-weather, heavy-duty transportation system available and they hauled everything from staples to Sherman tanks. Trucks were used, but with a national 35mph speed limit, plus gas and tire rationing, cross-country haulage as we take it for granted now was limited. As propaganda, these photos showed our enemies we could make guns and butter at the same time. And in the end, our ability to out-produce and move supplies ultimately secured victory. I believe the Office of War Information grew directly out of the Farm Home Administration photo project, where Delano had worked during the Depression. He was simply on assignment (he really wasn't railfan as we know them now, although his work is still very much appreciated and respected by us) when he took these photos. He later wrote a book "The Iron Horse at War" showcasing his cross-country wartime rail travels, in black and white photos. It's not well known, but railroads also had an agenda in publicizing these photos. The War Powers act allows the government to nationalize and operate critical infrastructure (like the railroads) during a national emergency — this occurred after the US entered WWI, and the resulting United States Railroad Administration is still cited as an example of government ineptitude to this day. Railroads wanted to avoid this at all costs and made no secret of the fact they were doing twice the work with half the equipment they had in 1917 at every opportunity. AT&SF Ry It was the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, not AT&SF Railroad. The Office of War Information seems to have consistently mangled this particular bit of information. that looks a lot like thethat looks a lot like the shot from "Days of Heaven" Tramp?I find it interesting that there is a man with his valise standing on the right of way. I suspect he was going to hitch a ride. On the Road AgainNot a tramp — that's likely the conductor waiting at trackside. The waycar (caboose) is carrying marker lamps, so technically this is now a train. The switcher has completed its shove and come to a full stop, so it’s safe for the man on the ground to climb aboard. He's bent over slightly and has his right hand around the handle, so I'm guessing he's picking up his bag. While a crew would work between division point terminals roughly 100 or so miles apart, they could be on duty up to 16 continuous hours during this era (very common during the war with the volume of traffic and shortages of manpower). Crews would be away from their home terminal for several days, so they carried everything they needed in a small suitcase or "grip" in railroad slang. I believe waycars were still assigned to conductors at this time (that's why they would be changed), so he and the rear brakeman would live in the car until they got home. The talented Mr. DelanoI was intrigued to learn, via Wikipedia, that Jack Delano was also a classical composer of some note, including an early experimenter with electronic music techniques. Also a film director. And related by marriage to Ben Shahn. He was born in Ukraine (birth name Ovcharov), and grew up in Pennsylvania. (Shorpy's capsule biography of him is not quite accurate: he was 9 when his family emigrated, well before the Depression.) For the last fifty years of his long life (1914-1997) he lived in Puerto Rico, where he made use of local folk material in his ballet and choral compositions. Helper AssignmentSince the picture was labeled as Chillicothe, it would most likely be that we are seeing the helper engine coupling onto a westbound Santa Fe train that is about to climb Edelstein Hill. After the shove up the hill, the helper and crew would back down from Edelstein to the Chillicothe Yard. This line is double tracked. Besides the engine crew, the helper would have carried a flagman (brakeman). That is my take on this picture. An excellent exposure and composition. USRA locomotive designs were classics"the resulting United States Railroad Administration is still cited as an example of government ineptitude to this day" Oh? Perhaps in rabidly pro-corporate and anti-government circles, but aside from the Ayn Randies many people recognized that the USRA delivered some classic locomotive designs, as well as promoting coordinated planning. Railroad management was rarely cooperative unless colluding to screw their customers. And not just a turn of the century thing, either - look at the crooks that looted the Penn-Central years later. Helper serviceThe caption is probably correct. Almost assuredly the locomotive is changing cabooses or making some sort of switching move on the rear of the train. The caboose looks like an old wooden style so a helper locomotive would have to be cut in ahead of it. Also, if it were a helper, the markers would have to be placed on the rear of that locomotive, not the rear of the caboose. Caboose changeSeason's greetings from Germany. It certainly is a change of caboose. The switcher in the picture had just taken off the old caboose - a Sante Fé with number 1860 - and crew, while having pushed the new caboose coupled to its front and dropped off the new crew there in the coldness. Now the switcher again has returned only with the now-empty new caboose - A.T.S.F. 1743. The last of the three crew members picks up his bags and climbs aboard while the switcher puts into reverse and is ready to leave. I am the proud owner of Delanos picture book with the above information. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Iron Horse: 1923
... size. USRA switcher This is a USRA (United States Railroad Administration) standard design from World War I. Still available as ... What's an "iron" horse doing in a steelyard? [The yard is Union Station in Washington. - Dave] Dressed for the job! Love ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/31/2012 - 2:56pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1923. "Bethlehem Steel -- Washington Terminal Co." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. USRA switcherThis is a USRA (United States Railroad Administration) standard design from World War I. Still available as a model. Really CleanDid they give the turntable operators shack a coat of paint just for this photo? The gravel area in the foreground looks to have been groomed for the photo too. In today's world I would expect to see a lot of clutter and trash. [It looks fresh because it's new. - Dave] Word ChoicesWhat's an "iron" horse doing in a steelyard? [The yard is Union Station in Washington. - Dave] Dressed for the job!Love how the fireman is dressed with overalls and and a bowtie! People took their jobs seriously back then. Spot the signExcellent venue to advertise Coca-Cola! Spinning on the big wheelLove the train photos - thanks Dave. Did a little looking around - this is probably one of 255 0-6-0 switcher locomotives built to USRA specifications starting in 1916. Washington Terminal received three. The man in the loco driving seat is most likely not the engineer, but the hostler who moved locomotives at roundhouse turntables. Looks like a roundhouseDo railroads still use those? Can't say as I've ever seen one. [A roundhouse is a building. This is a turntable -- what would be in a roundhouse. - Dave] Ah! I have a turntable in the entertainment room but I can't fit a steam engine on it. It only plays records. Anyone remember what a 'record' is? Bethlehem is the brandThis is obviously a shiny, new turntable; it doesn't show any dirt, let alone grease or rust.The pit looks like newly-cured concrete. WT's number 34 may well be the first hog to ride this table. This table is electric powered; note the power source above the center of the bridge. The mechanism is under the operator's cabin. Washington Terminal has had at least two turntables in modern times, and I'm trying to figure out which this is. One was located at Ivy City, site of WT's engine facility; the second is almost under the station trainshed. I'm betting this is the latter, though it looks quite different without the former Railroad Express building which would be along the background today. Oh, this is likely a Bethlehem Steel turntable, and Washington Terminal is today operated by Amtrak. [Washington Terminal was the company that owned and operated Union Station. Bethlehem Steel was the client that commissioned the photo. - Dave] Put them on the pitTurntables have long been a thing of the past, as is the routine need to turn an engine. As a practical matter, steam locomotives usually only ran nose first, which frequently required a locomotive to be "turned" before being sent down the main. (An exception was the B & O practice of running their locomotives backward through tunnels out east, to spare the head-end crew the effects of breathing trapped engine smoke.) Most power consists today have engines on each end facing opposite directions, so no matter what the assignment, a controlling engine will be "first out," pointed forward. In the rare event a engine needs to be turned, they're usually passed through a wye. Not insideDave, the turntable wouldn't be inside the roundhouse. Picture a roundhouse as part of a circle (an arc at the perimeter of a circle). The turntable would be located at the center point of the circle. [In other words, "in the roundhouse." The same way football players play "in a stadium." The roundhouse includes the turntable, which can be covered or not. - Dave] Washington Terminal OperationsI would guess this photo was taken at the Ivy City yards looking eastward. The rise in the background could either be Brentwood or Mt. Olivet. Dave, not all turntables were located inside roundhouses. Often the roundhouse circled around the turntable but the turntable itself was not covered. An example is the still-functioning roundhouse and turntable at the Steamtown National Historic Site, Scranton Pa. [The turntable is in the roundhouse. The roundhouse goes around the turntable. Moving right along. - Dave] Was this a turntable solely for "heading" engines or is the photo taken after the first stage of a construction project which would see a new roundhouse and radiating tracks added around this turntable? Washington Post, Jan 13, 1947. ‘Fire-Knocker Horses’ Have Hefty Job at D.C. Roundhouse. The Washington Terminal roundhouse here abounds in “fire-knocker horses,” and if you find that confusing, you should visit the place. Located near 12th and New York ave. ne., it is a lustly, bustling, smoke-ridden place where whistles hoot and the smell and sound of railroading is in the air. With the greatest of ease they are currently giving some 200 locomotives a “going over” daily, and during the holiday season the upper the ante by about 40. That means they are often shunting the big engines out every few minutes, ready to highball over the hills and far away. Boucher Explains ‘Huffin’ and Puffin’’ Edward F. Boucher, who bosses the place, a railroader for 42 years, and there since the place opened on November 11, 1907, yesterday explained what the Huffin’ and Puffin’ was all about. First you must realize that when a train comes into the city, whether from the Pennsylvania, Baltimore & Ohio, the Southern, the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac of the Chesapeake & Ohio, after the passengers are unloaded, the engineer still has a few chores to do. And, incidently, he isn't really an engineer, says Boucher, but an “engiineman,” pronounced “in-jine-man,” not to be confused with either the “inside” or “outside hosteler.” The big locomotive rolls from Union Station northwards, passing through the “T street coach yards” to the “Ivy City Engine House Yards,” near the roundhouse. First Stop is at Inspection Pits First stop is at the “inspection pits” where four inspectors clamber aboard. The “in-jine-man,” fills out a form telling any defects he may know about which developed during his trip, then he checks out. As required by law, the inspectors mark other items that need to be fixed on the same form. Boucher says that almost all the locomotives need some “running repairs” when they come in, tightening up and so on. Others need major overhauls from time to time. With an “outside hosteler” at the throttle, the engine moves from the inspection pits down to the “fire tracks” where the “fire knocker horses” take over. These oddly named men, in the case of steam engines, “clean or draw” the fire. When a fire is “drawn” it is “knocked out,” and when it is “cleaned,” it is about the same as cleaning your own furnace. Horses Put on Coal by Gravity All this goes on over what is called the “ash pits.” Next stop is the “coal wharf,” where the “fire knocker horses” put on an average of six of seven tons of coal aboard the locomotive by a gravity device which does the job in about five minutes. The “coal wharf” itself holds 1200 tons. The tanks are willed with water, anywhere from 8000 to 20,000 gallons, and the locomotive then moves to the turn-table where an “inside hosteler” takes over to move into one of the “engine pits” in an engine house. Actually there are two turn-tables, each 100 feet long and capable of supporting 300 tons, which take the locomotive aboard and spin it in the direction necessary for it to enter the proper “engine pit” in the roundhouse. 25 Engine Pits in Each Roundhouse The roundhouse itself is divided into two parts, the East roundhouse and the West roundhouse, each with 25 engine pits. Around 400 men, representing every trade and some special ones, like a “rod cup man,” work there. Inside the roundhouse the giant engines are very much like an automobile over a grease-pit. There they are lubricated and repairs are made. Once repaired and marked up as “ready for a run,” the engine moves out of the roundhouse, on to the turntable, where it is “headed” and placed on a “ready track,” from which it goes back up the yards to where its train is being made up. Electric trains follow the same general principles. However, because they may operate from either end, there is no need for them to visit the roundhouse, except in the case of major repairs. Still goin' 'round!I work at the Morris Park facility of the Long Island RR. The place dates to the late 1800's and yes we still have a turntable and a roundhouse, both in regular use. Lots of PRR influence in this TT. There are lots of Pennsylvania Railroad influence on this brand new turntable. Notice the PRR standard 2 pipe railing stanchions, and the power arch. I love the PRR standard yard lamps with the ? shaped mounts. The switcher may be USRA but it has a PRR headlight and tender lamp. Maybe someone can research this and see if it was carried on the PRR roster as a leased unit. Not surprising. The PRR was one of the owning roads that shared the WT. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Railroads)
Black and White: 1942
December 1942. "General view of a classification yard at the Chicago & North Western RR's Proviso Yard." View full size. ... Plus there are 1,600 Google hits for Southern Central Railroad . - Dave] Chicago and NW'ern Pic Getting back to the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 3:45pm -

December 1942. "General view of a classification yard at the Chicago & North Western RR's Proviso Yard." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. Long Train RunningI always want to look for a Southern Central Freight in pictures like this. Southern Central?Don't understand this. You are looking for a freight car with Southern Central markings? Haven't heard of this line. Do you mean Southern Pacific or plain Southern? [Down around the corner, a half a mile from here, you see them old trains running, and you watch them disappear. Doobies. - Dave] He HeOh man . . . the posts here are priceless. Southern Central??Unless this line was a little unknown short line, in the southern states, I've never seen any recordings of it. It could of also been merged into the Southern or Southern Pacific RR's during the time of RR expansion in the late 1800's or early 1900's. Do you know where this RR was located? [Maybe you've heard a recording of it. That was a humorous reference to a song lyric -- "Long Train Running" by the Doobie Brothers ("Well the Illinois Central, and the Southern Central freight, gotta keep on pushing mama, cause you know they're running late"). Plus there are 1,600 Google hits for Southern Central Railroad. - Dave] Chicago and NW'ern PicGetting back to the photo, this is simply breathtaking in its clarity and detail. Never knew beloved Kodachrome even came in 4x5. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Served by the Soo: 1908
... sign." The "big" oval sign is probably a "yard limit" sign indicating you are entering a railroad yard and slow accordingly. The "big" oval sign ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2012 - 4:36pm -

Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, circa 1908. "Algonquin Tannery." Served by the Soo Line, as well as the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic. View full size. Timberrr!Is that firewood, or ties drying, in those sheds? What is the product??What is the product stacked under and to the roofs. Such large quantities of something carefully stacked waiting to be loaded or maybe and inbound commodity. Double YuckComments? Submitted by Edvado on Wed, 05/02/2012 - 11:08am. Were the comments intentionally removed from the bottom of the full-sized image, or is my browser acting up again? If it was intentional, let me go on record as disliking it. I now have to click two places and toggle back and forth to see both. Yuck! [Click on the full-size image to see the comments. - Dave] *********************** I vote with Edvado on this - Double yuck! Yes, clicking on the full-size image brings up the comments, but it also goes back to the small image size. [Dragged kicking and screaming, they were. - Dave] Lincoln LogsCheck out how they stacked wood for those out buildings and sheds on the left, by the tracks...or is it wood? It could be raw hide, since this is a tannery. Simply amazing, regardless. Follow the tracksIn the full size pic I see a lady walking her dog between the tracks. She seems so out of place but looks like she is walking with a purpose. That Mystery ProductCarefully stacked to the left are slabs of hemlock bark, which contain tannins once used in the leather industry. Hemlock lumber is basically useless. The trees were cut down, stripped of their bark, and left to rot in the woods. Tannery SmellMy Mom and I occasionally visited a longtime friend of hers who lived near a Tannery that once operated in Ashland KY. It was among the most vile smells I have ever experienced. It has been about 50 years, and I can still remember it. Starbucks" OMG, I should have stopped at starbucks for that double shot of espresso!" Give me a signI think that is the biggest trackside sign I've ever seen. Wonder what it says? Perhaps, "Employee on side of train will not clear this sign." The "big" oval signis probably a "yard limit" sign indicating you are entering a railroad yard and slow accordingly. The "big" oval signDoubtful it is a yard limit sign as this location is in the yard. Most likely it is drawbridge one mile. This location is about one mile from where the railroad starts across the St Marys River. It also could be junction one mile. The two closest tracks that disappear to the left are two different railroads. The near track is the Minneapolis, St Paul & Sault Ste Marie railroad (SOO LINE). The next track is the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic. The two track became one (hence junction) just before crossing the river The Tannery closed around 1959 and was razed. The DSS&A trackage into the Soo was pulled up arount the 1961 merger date with the SOO LINE. The SOO LINE track is now operated by the Canadian National. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Bustling Baltimore: 1917
... View full size. Kind to pedestrians Love that railroad viaduct. What Is Their Purpose? Toward the right side of the ... the hi-def version to follow me here. The freight yard across the top of the photo is the Northern Central Railway, and since ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 7:18pm -

Baltimore, Maryland, circa 1917. "Union Station showing Charles Street and Jones Falls." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Kind to pedestriansLove that railroad viaduct. What Is Their Purpose?Toward the right side of the photo there are some rectangular blocks on top of a building behind the Union Station building. Two of them are up against the windows in a sort of wavy manner. They look sort of like warped mini-roofs. What is their purpose and why are they wavy and slanted as opposed to flat like the other ones? [Wavy things: roofs over stairways. Flat things: skylights. - Dave] Flour, Yeast, Studebakers and CokeWhat else can you possibly want? Don't forget the ice!Sign behind and to the left of Union Station. It's Penn Station nowand still in full daily use, including as a main stop on the Amtrak high-speed Northeast Corridor between Washington and Boston. Still vibrant on the eve of WWIBaltimore was my childhood home. This view, dated 1917, shows a Baltimore that was still a vibrant city. Note the tenement homes, in good shape, interspersed with a variety of industry and transportation. Home to the country's first railroad, Baltimore was the second largest port on the East Coast. The streets are clean and there are landscaped areas to be enjoyed by the residents -- a bit of elbow room to make life bearable. Thirteen years earlier, downtown Balto had suffered a major fire. The Baltimore of today is but a shadow of its former self, having suffered substantial economic and social decay. This photo evokes a sad nostalgia of a bygone era. Bawlmer -- where do I start?You'll need the hi-def version to follow me here. The freight yard across the top of the photo is the Northern Central Railway, and since 1912, the Pennsylvania RR Bolton Freight Station. My great grandfather was likely working there this day, as he would until Bolton Street was closed. Just off photo to the distant left is B&O's Mount Royal Station, the tracks of which are below grade behind the PRR yard. The Studebaker/Garford shop was known as Zell Motor Car Company; my grandmother's brother-in-law was a highly regarded mechanic there for many years. The prominent arch-windowed building behind it on Charles Street is now part of University of Baltimore, where I attended classes for a time. The beautiful massive stone structure in the distance with two stacks was a water pumping station, removed for I-83 construction in the 1960s. Directly in front of that building is North Avenue "NA" Tower; it's dark because it is painted in B&O's red color. NA Tower protected the crossing between the two track line seen crossing Jones Falls, and the B&O main line, which isn't visible here. Note locomotives on both sides of NA tower. The water course in the middle is Jones Falls (the name being a peculiarity of the region; instead of Creek or Run, sometimes a channel was called a Falls). The most distant bridge is North Avenue Viaduct, built in the 1890s and still in use. Close behind the viaduct is B&O's bridge over the Falls, not visible here. At the right end of the viaduct, above the Morgan Millwork sign, can be seen the B&O mainline to Philadelphia and where I labored four decades. Finally, great big Union Station isn't the only downtown passenger terminal in view. Just left of Morgan Millwork and above the City Ice sign is the peaked roof of the Maryland and Pennsylvania (Ma & Pa) RR's Oak Street Station. Beautiful shot. Thanks, Dave! Slow TrainI commuted from Richmond to Baltimore twice a week during the gas crisis of 1973-74. Taking the train was, at times, a pleasure but it was anything but "high speed." Railway Express & OystersIn the mid '60s I worked for Railway Express and each weekday night we would make a run from our depot on Calvert & Centre to Penn Station. The usual cargo was mainly express packages and barrels of oysters and boxes of soft shelled crabs fresh from Crisfield on the Chesapeake Bay headed to Philadelphia and New York. We would drive down that ramp to train track level and transfer the barrels to those high-wheeled station carts, which were pulled by a small mule (automotive variety). As the train entered the station we would drive alongside as it came to a stop so our carts were lined up with the messenger car. We had ten frantic minutes of rolling the barrels into the car until the train pulled out. Thankfully we never hit a passenger or dropped a barrel onto the tracks. That was always the best part of our night since after that we would take our time getting back to the depot so we got there just about time to punch out and head down Calvert Street to Susie's for an after work beer. So if sometime you stopped in an Oyster Bar in Philly or New York and had either some soft shell crabs or oysters and remarked about the freshness of the same it might have been me who got them there for you. Another InspirationI wish I was a kid again. What a grand sight this would be in H.O. Scale! Morgan Millwork Co.Morgan Millwork Co. was the eastern warehouse and showroom for the Morgan Sash & Door Company. Architectural Record, 1910. Correct Craftsmen Style Morgan Doors are noted for correctness and originality of design and finish. Their construction is guaranteed to be absolutely faultless. Morgan Doors add wonderfully to the permanent value, comfort, beauty and satisfaction of the house. Morgan Doors are light, remarkably strong, and built of several layers of wood with grain running in opposite directions. Shrinking, warping or swelling is impossible. Veneered in all varieties of hard wood — Birch, plain or quarter-sawed red or white Oak, brown Ash, Mahogany, etc. Any style of architecture. Very best for Residences, Apartments, Offices, Bungalows or any building. Each Morgan Door is stamped "Morgan" which guarantees highest quality, style, durability and satisfaction. You can have Morgan Doors if you specify and insist. The National Builder, 1915. Morgan Sash & Door Company Department A-22, Chicago Factory: Morgan Co., Oshkosh, Wis. Eastern Warehouse and Display, Morgan Millwork Co., Baltimore. Displays: 6 East 19th St., New York; 309 Palmer Bldg., Detroit; Building Exhibit, Insurance Exchange, Chicago. Looks like the early 1920’sby the look of some of the cars Corpus Christi Church and MICAThe tall pointy steeple in the upper left corner is Corpus Christi Church, and the white building to its left is the Maryland Institute College of Art where I went to college. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
Toledo Panorama: 1909
... Names T&OC was the Toledo & Ohio Central, a railroad originating in the West Virginia coal fields that ran northwest from ... lines in southeast Ohio, assembled the cars at a main yard in Columbus and ran them up their main to Toledo. C&O absorbed the HV ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/28/2012 - 4:46pm -

Circa 1909. "Toledo, Ohio, waterfront on Maumee River." Humongous 40,000-pixel-wide panorama made from five 8x10 glass negatives, downsized here to a still-hefty 11,000 pixels. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Even MoreCharles Fletcher signs, just like in the Brooklyn Bridge picture of a few days ago. The guy was everywhere. Holy Toledo!Another Fletcher's Castoria sign!! Great picture! Road NamesT&OC was the Toledo & Ohio Central, a railroad originating in the West Virginia coal fields that ran northwest from Charleston up to Columbus and thence to Toledo. At this time it was still independent, but was later absorbed into the New York Central system. Hocking Valley collected coal on network of feeder lines in southeast Ohio, assembled the cars at a main yard in Columbus and ran them up their main to Toledo. C&O absorbed the HV in 1925, a strategic move that gave the C&O an outlet in the lucrative lakes coal trade. Kanawha & Michigan was a short line in West Virginia. WOW Factor = 10.Now THAT'S a Picture. Worth every minute (hour?) it took to do the merge. Peter Piper Picked a Passel of PixelsMy mouse is tired after studying this pic. I will come back to this one and find some more stuff to look up. Already found that there is still a Hocking Valley Railway. Located in Southeast Ohio, it is a scenic railway offering rides on restored cars. New York Central territoryLooking at the coal cars in the foreground, Toledo & Ohio Central, Zanesville & Western and Kanawha & Michigan eventually became part of NYC System. Hocking Valley Ry. became part of Chesapeake & Ohio. In the tall structure in front left, a K&M car is about to be turned over to empty its contents. The middle foreground finds an immaculate T&OC switch engine with no lack of work, going about its duties. PaintAccording to Google Maps, the Acme Quality Paint Store no longer exists at 420 Summit Street. Where should I buy my paint? Holmes Snowflake LaundryIn the distance, behind the Jefferson Hotel and in the upper center area of the photo, we can see the Holmes Snowflake Laundry building. See below for a different view. The Holmes Snowflake Building was the first Toledo location for the Champion Spark Plug Company, attracted to the city by the Willys Overland Company. Willys agreed to buy spark plugs from Robert and Frank Stranahan, if they would relocate their company to Toledo (ca. 1910). Louisa May Alcott'sLyttle Weeman Saddlery & Hardware. Jay C. MorseThought I had seen this ship before. Sure enough, one of the plates from this set is here. [That's a different plate. -Dave] At least the smokestack is still thereSeveral weeks ago we had lunch at a restaurant along the river with the same great view of the river. This view fills in the details that I imagined. AdsI wonder if the early marketing folks at Coca-Cola were influenced by Fletcher's Castoria ads. The logos are similar in style and the signs are everywhere. [I think Spencerian script was generally in vogue. - Dave] About that Hand SapolioI see by my desktop copy of "Once Famous Brands Now Forgotten" (I made that up) Hand Sapolio was the Ivory of its day, possibly the most famous soap there was around the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. In fact, I just checked in Volumes 27 and 28 of Nursing World for 1901, and found on page 391: “Hand Sapolio equals a mild Turkish bath in many of its advantages. It demands no extreme or heat or cold, but removes all scurf (sic), casts off the constantly dying outer skin, and gives the inner skin…..” Well, you get the idea. Here's a typical ad: Two-Masted TubsThose are interesting vessels on the river's far side, just left of panorama center. They look like they must have engines on board; I wonder if they ever got under sail using those masts, or were they formerly sailing barges that got converted? (Panoramas, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads, Toledo)
Hit the Grit: 1905
... indeed as you noted, they are boxcars, but sitting in a yard or siding, or at best near the mainline. Also, it is certainly a posed ... an easy hand-out in towns along the mainline. As we were a railroad family and lived near the tracks, we had a parade of bums knocking on ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 04/30/2014 - 5:48pm -

Circa 1905. "Tramps fighting on R.R. train -- Get down and hit the grit." Bain News Service reproduction of a Brown Bros. print. View full size. Just a short addemdum, theJust a short addemdum, the caption under the photo should read rail cars not train cars. Cheers. [If you say so. ("Addemdum"?) - Dave] --- yup, addendum, that's --- yup, addendum, that's Yooper talk. Cheers. [As opposed to "addemdum." - Dave] Hit the GritAnonymous Tipster: You are correct, however, it is not a train, indeed as you noted, they are boxcars, but sitting in a yard or siding, or at best near the mainline. Also, it is certainly a posed photo. When I was a kid, in this neck of the woods, the UP of Michigan, the term for "hobo" was "bum". Bums used to write on boxcars with chalk even pencil as to where there was an easy hand-out in towns along the mainline. As we were a railroad family and lived near the tracks, we had a parade of bums knocking on our door even in the black of night. My dad always gave them a plate of grub, no strings attached. The bums would write on the nearby Milwaukee & St. Paul water tank the location of our house ---- I do appreciate the fine detail in the photo of the two wooden box cars because I remember that type was commonly still in use in my youth before the metal sides took over; I note here, myself, being a former Milwaukee Railroad employee. Jack London.If you read Jack London's tramping book, "The Road", you will find many tales of being chased by railroad cops. No airThe brake hoses are not connected on these boxcars, so the train must be stationary. Looks like this shot was posed, whatever it means to convey. Air brakes?Did they have air brakes in 1905? To me the photo indicates a mechanism by which the brakes were applied manually. Maybe I am influenced by the stories my grandad told me about being a brakeman on UP freights, jumping from car to car to turn a wheel that set the brakes. [The air brake was invented in 1872 by George Westinghouse. The wheel brakes are parking brakes. - Dave] Hobo slangHere is a good online glossary of hobo slang. Ah yes. Reminds me of theAh yes. Reminds me of the movie "Emperor of the North" Hobo slangSaw some interesting words on that Hobo slang glossary - Angelina caught me off guard Age of PhotoThe box car on the left has a stencil date of 7-04 which I will assume is the construction date. The aging on the car looks to be about a year or two so C1905 is spot on IMHO. Cross referencing the car numbers to build dates would also help and I suspect that the two different designs on the Arch-bar trucks (wheel frames) would also help. Great (posed) photo! Hit the GritLooks like the box car to the left is St. Louis South-Western, more familiarly known as the "Cotton Belt." The SSW used the "S-W" form in its lettering into the 1930s at least. The car on the right is obviously Grand Trunk Ry. (of Canada). The GTR was officially absorbed into Canadian National Rys. 1923 although CN started operating it during WW1. U.S. viewers in Michigan/Indiana/Illinois will know the GTR's U.S. subsidiary, Grand Trunk Western, which has retained that name. An eastern arm of the GTR -- the U.S. portion of the Montreal/Portland ME main line -- retained the Grand Trunk name until sold off in recent years. George Westinghouse was first allowed to install air brakes as an experiment on a Pennsylvania RR. train as early as 1869. I'd have to look up the exact date, but it was around that time. This was a short-lived "straight air" system. His automatic air brake followed because of its fail-safe feature and became federally mandated in the U.S. via the Railroad Safety Appliances Act. Again, without getting off my computer chair to look it up, I believe this was passed in the 1890s. The railroads were given a lot of time to fully install the system on their freight rolling stock -- priority was given to passenger equipment, but I believe by 1905 all cars in interchange service were so equipped. Incidentally, the same act required installation of automatic couplers. Yes, those are air brake hoses hanging down between the cars. It's interesting to note the old-style outside brake beams. Many a hobo rode on them, sometimes to their death. By the way, there was a hierarchy in drifter nomenclature. "Hoboes" were the cream of the crop, being the men who were riding to find work. They tended to follow the harvest cycles. Bums and tramps were the lower orders -- they had no intention of working. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, Railroads)
Working Lunch: 1943
... in the work shanty at an Indiana Harbor Belt Line rail yard. With him are switchmen John McCarthy (left) and E.H. Albrecht." ... you alive. The last thing you want to wear in a working railroad yard is loose fitting clothing that could catch on something, causing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/15/2009 - 7:43am -

February 1943. "Daniel Senise (center) at lunch in the work shanty at an Indiana Harbor Belt Line rail yard. With him are switchmen John McCarthy (left) and E.H. Albrecht." Medium-format nitrate negative by Jack Delano. View full size. Leg TiesThat's one way of keeping a cold draft from going up your pants. Mr. McCarthy has that Bogart overbite and squint. "The conductors wear grey. You wear blue. See?" Kromer KommentsKromers, which as an owner I can positively state are the absolute best cold weather cap ever made, are still produced today by a firm in Michigan. George "Stormy" Kromer was a real person. A Chicago & North Western engineer and amateur baseball player, he needed a cap that would stay on when leaning out of the engine cab for better visibility in cold weather. He and his wife reworked one of his old wool baseball caps and the Storm King was born in the 1900s. Other railroaders saw the hat and wanted one, leading to the formation of the Kromer Cap Co. in Milwaukee. Leg ties didn't keep you warm — they kept you alive. The last thing you want to wear in a working railroad yard is loose fitting clothing that could catch on something, causing you to stumble and fall. There's no room for error between tracks when cars are passing inches away, and it's a long way to the ground from the cab or deck plate of a locomotive. RR TopperSenise and Albrecht are wearing Kromer caps that were manufactured in Wisconsin back in the day. My grandfather worked for the Soo Line in Gladstone, Michigan, and I have his black Kromer. I believed it to be black until I cautiously took it to the dry cleaner and it turned out to be dark blue. All those years of railroading had been washed away, but not forgotten. Tea for MeSeeing as how the railroad would probably frown on switchmen drinking on the job (to say nothing of your co-workers, or the inadvisability of doing so while a government photographer is taking your picture), it's not very likely that Mr. M is taking a nip. I'll wager..that's Carnation he's pouring in his coffee. What's in that bottle?The man in the stripes is drinking from a bottle that looks similar to a wine or hooch flask from that era. Dan is adding evaporated milk to his coffee, which was used by my old relatives who did not have cream. Also their zowiches were wrapped in wax paper which currently costs more than plastic wrap (and plastic was not in popular use in those days) and some people would bring home and re-use their sandwich wrap the next day too. Typical hard-working men with humble dignity, reminiscent of all the blue collar laborers of the 40's. Draft preventionWhat a great slice-of-life photo. This being taken in February, I'm guessing they've tied their pants legs closed to keep cold air from blowing up, although it could be to keep clean. Their collars also seem to be similarly sealed. Stormy KromerThose sure are Stormy Kromers. They are still made in Michigan. One of these years I am going to pull the trigger and buy one. TablepaperMy thrifty German father always put a layer of newspapers on the table before we ate. Tablecloths were reserved for guests. Being a farmer, Daddy wore those bib overalls daily. The wide pocket in front was reserved for his metal tin of Prince Albert. His tobacco and pack of ZigZag rolling papers were always at the ready! Bunkhouse GangMy grandfather was section crew boss and lived in a four-story company house with bunkhouse at ground level. We saw this scene reenacted every time we visited; my father was part of the crew. No way that is hooch in the bottle, and yes, it is Carnation going into the coffee. Winter, summer, spring and fall they tied off anything that could catch and kill; for winter warmth they wore Union suits under their coveralls. Both of them had the hat too. Some men wore it off the job, but my gramp and dad had a dress hat. At the end of the day they would drop their work clothes and go into the bunkhouse shower room to clean up before going home. My mother and grandmother had the task of getting the coal dust out of their clothes, which always ended up with holes and frayed due to strong detergents and scrubbing. Gad, what a memory this one inspires -- a really good memory. Coffee or Tea it MUST BeBefore the ever-popular Thermos, folks would save an old glass bottle to carry coffee or tea with them out to a job. Just uild a small fire, or set the bottle near a stove and reheat it. When your life depends on the people around you, you can bet there's no hooch or wine here. Railroad employees were, and still are, governed by General Rule G: "The use of intoxicants or narcotics is prohibited. Employees must not have intoxicants or narcotics in their possession while on duty." Warm flask The coffee flasks were warmed against the boiler/firebox of the locomotive ... enough pipes and nicks and crannies there to prop up a glass flask against the hot firebox/pipes ... corked ... CondensedYep, it's Carnation and I just can't resist: Carnation milk, Best in the land. Comes to the table, In a little red can. No tits to pull, No s--- to pitch. Just punch two holes, In the son-of-a-bitch. BottleWhile I agree that's not booze in the bottle in this shot, anyone who thinks no drinking on the job went on in those days while working on the railroad is nuts. As recently as the late 70s I knew of at least one yardmaster who kept a desk drawer full of ice and liquor or beer for the crews. The entire attic of the RR building I work in now is full of old steel beer cans. But no. No one with any sense at all would allow themselves to be photographed drinking on the job. Tied cuffs and buttoned collarsMany rails tied their cuffs as a safety measure. It prevented catching a heel in the cuff when getting on or off moving equipment. The buttoned collars are to prevent cinders from steam locomotives from going down your neck. From the looks of their "bibs" I'd guess they were working on a steam locomotive. Yes, there was plenty of drinking going on, especially back in the "boomer" days, but I doubt anyone would be so brazen as to drink so openly, or in front of a camera. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
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