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"1899 or 1902. Lackawanna photo car." Detroit Photographic's rolling studio-darkroom-showroom. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size.
I suspect that this photo was made at a station. The smoothness of the dirt path along the tracks suggests this. It was desirable to keep ballast out of walkways, because plain dirt is safer to walk on. People often twist their ankles while walking on ballast. Also, it is VERY difficult, sometimes impossible, to pull those big baggage carts over ballast, especially when they're loaded down with baggage, mail, and express. Station personnel make their jobs much easier by keeping the surfaces over which they have to pull those things smooth. (I speak from experience.)
Ungraded coal of various sizes most likely in that tender: those gigantic chunks had to be hand-shoveled by the fireman into the firebox constantly. Possibly the one car consist was not as demanding fuelwise as a regular train of several cars. Nevertheless, it was hot as Hades labor during the summer, but brutally cold, in that open cab, in the winter season.
The DL&W was a blue chip anthracite hauling carrier and extremely profitable. It prided itself on its physical plant, even down to the point of maintaining "razor" edge ballast along it main line tracks.
Apparently this car really belonged to the Morris and Essex Railroad, which was leased by the Lackawanna for roughly 80 years. Note the "M&E" to the far right of "Lackawanna."
I wonder if the rocks were placed that way to prevent water from eroding the tracks. I've never seen a ballast arrangement quite like that.
Those would be black, white, and gray, right?
[They were until DPC colorized their post cards and prints. -tterrace]
What an interesting photo. I wonder if these people had the foresight of these photos being invaluable to future generations or was this just a business/hobby type venture ? Either way simply amazing !
Cheers.
From past Shorpy encounters, this is a famous railcar. With the ladies and child shown, I wonder if it also served as a rolling residence for the owners.
With the likely photo chemical fumes, it probably wouldn't have been conducive to living aboard, but it was a clever and modern way of doing business.
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