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Over to Owego: 1901
... then click again. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, Small Towns) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/29/2022 - 9:25pm -

Tioga County, New York, circa 1901. "General view of Owego, N.Y., and the Susquehanna." At far left, a tantalizing glimpse of Hamilton's Novelty Works. Bottom right, J.C. Kenyon and his Low Prices continue to beckon. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Photographic Co. View full size. A very orderly town.Apparently General Henry Martyn Robert found Owego so, as he resided there while producing his epic 1915 revised edition of Robert's Rules of Order. Just had to... put it together. En gardeWhat are the plentiful fern-like plants in the bottom right of the picture, just on the other side of the fence (see what I did there)? Are they sword ferns? [Looks like ailanthus, a.k.a. Tree of Heaven. - Dave] Fine detailIncredible. Plus 121 Years Hey!Who scraped the meringue off the pie? Spray paint hadn't been inventedOther than J. C. Kenyon's advertisement on the foreground rail, I don't see any graffiti. That's kinda nice. Ailanthus?While it's possible trees in the bottom right are Ailanthus, it is also possible that those compound-leaved trees are the native sumac (genus Rhus). While Tree of Heaven is an invasive ornamental that was widely planted in cities (which later came to regret it), sumac is a native that is distributed throughout New York (and the rest of the East. Their leaves are very similar, and I have known botanists who have mistaken one for the other. Sumac doesn't grow into a tall tree though, and, if the plants in question are as old as the trees to their right, I suspect they are sumacs. Hamilton's Novelty WorksSomewhat fire-prone, it would seem. Click to embiggen, then click again. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, Small Towns)
Hammer and Tongs: 1943
... carried a pair of prime movers on a single long frame. Railroads liked the concept, but the new, bigger and heavier 567 prime mover ... as one with drawbars (A-A, A-B-A or A-B-B-A) allowed the railroads to circumvent this. And on many railroads, these multi-unit sets all ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 6:38pm -

March 1943. "Santa Fe R.R. shops, Albuquerque. Hammering out a drawbar on the steam drop hammer in the blacksmith shop." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Drawbar 101Drawbars formed a quasi-permanent connecting link between a steam locomotive and its tender. It needed to be physically robust and have exceptionally high tensile (stretching) strength, since it would bear the entire starting/rolling load of a train weighing several thousand tons. The "hammering" you see in the photo was part of the forging process that imbued the drawbar with its strength. Early diesel locomotives experimented with drawbars, but since diesels carried their own fuel, drawbars created an unnecessary limitation to mixing and matching locomotives and were quickly abandoned as a relic of the steam age. One sturdy chainI admittedly know nothing about metal working but I'm a bit surprised that the big orange glowing bar isn't melting that chain. The ChainPretty basic explanation about the chain - if the temperature isn't hot enough to melt the steel drawbar it wouldn't be hot enough to melt the steel chain. In hot working like this, the lower limit in terms of temperature is 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. Melting point of steel varies by the alloy, but it often melts at 2500 degrees Fahrenheit. Diesels & DrawbarsActually it wasn't an experiment. Diesels were connected by drawbars for several reasons. EMD had considerable success with its prewar E units, which carried a pair of prime movers on a single long frame. Railroads liked the concept, but the new, bigger and heavier 567 prime mover designed for the F series freight diesels made this impossible. EMD solved this with the cabless booster, or B unit, which was connected to a standard A unit with a cab. An A-B set is really one locomotive with two prime movers, albeit not under the same body. Union rules at the time required that each locomotive have an engineer and fireman. So if you wanted to run an A-B + B-A or A+A set of new diesels, you paid two crews. Connecting two, three or four units as one with drawbars (A-A, A-B-A or A-B-B-A) allowed the railroads to circumvent this. And on many railroads, these multi-unit sets all carried the same number, but each had a different letter, such as 1091A, 1091B etc. for the same reason. The biggest headache was maintenance – if one unit went down, all had to be taken out of service. As diesels took over, the old rules were finally abandoned, and F units were fitted with standard knuckle couplers so they could be mixed and matched as needed. Diesels & Drawbars & Santa FeI don't disagree with the discussion on drawbars on diesels, however the shops in Albuquerque were Santa Fe, one of the first railroads to reject the concept of fixed consists in favor of couplers on all units. According to most of the normal sources (McCall's "Early Diesel Daze", for example), this started with the very first road freight locomotive they purchased, FT 100. It looks to me like they've only just started forging whatever they're making and it's a little too early to say what it's going to be. It could very easily be a side rod or main rod for a steam locomotive. [We think it's a drawbar because it says so in the caption -- which was written by Jack Delano, who took the picture. - Dave] The bar and the chain are both steel.It is certainly possible for the work to head up the chain to glowing, but seeing as both of them are the same material it is impossible for it to melt the chain. Also they are turning the bar ninety degrees between passes to draw it out square. (Drawing round under flat dies is a bad idea.) Turning the bar brings a different section of the chain in contact with the hot bar. Also the area of contact between the chain and the work is fairly small so the transfer of heat would be slow. More Santa Fe railroad shop picturesHere are some additional pictures of the Santa Fe railroad shops, including several shots of that very same steam hammer and the nearby forge. Other pictures in the series confirm that it is indeed a drawbar being forged. The temperature of steel at orange-yellow is about 1800F. The melting point of steel is around 2500F, depending on the alloy. DANGEROUS WorkThis was Dangerous work, with a capital D. Nothing like blunt, super-heavy red hot machinery to put human vulnerability into sharp relief. When I see a picture like this I feel a surge of patriotism, despite my cynical metro-self. Dang it, there was a time in this country that when we needed something made or built, we made or built it, right there and then. [What country is the planet's current No. 1 producer of manufactured goods? It is still the U.S. of A. - Dave] (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Morris Canal: 1900
... . (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/15/2022 - 11:10am -

Boonton, New Jersey, circa 1900. "Boat ascending plane, Morris and Essex Canal." (Actually just the Morris Canal, but whatever.) At right, the Bowden Bottling Works. View full size. Big Chute Marine RailwayYou can see a lock like this on the Trent Severn waterway in Ontario, Canada. The railway crosses a road as part of the operation. Here is a YouTube video of how it works. I wonder what they charge to paint the bottom?What an interesting photo for a couple of reasons. The first is the location. My old boss is from that area of New Jersey. The second reason is when they moved to Virginia in the late '80s, they purchased a marina that had a railway used for hauling boats out of the water so the bottom could be painted. Although the railway in this photo was used for lifting or lowering the canal boat to other parts of the waterway system it is very similar to what we used at the marina for pulling boats out of the water to be painted. Best if only one color usedI would think the operators of the Morris Canal wouldn't charge much for letting someone paint the bottom of boats as they ascend and descend over a New Jersey hill. But the painters are gonna have to work fast. I think it was like a car wash. Popular trick to avoid building expensive locks.Also still there in Poland. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
Great Northern: 1900
... More details here . (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/14/2022 - 10:29am -

Chicago circa 1900. "Great Northern Hotel and office building, Dearborn and Jackson Streets." Along with perhaps the earliest appearance on these pages of Coca-Cola signage. Also: a "Lady Barber Shop." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Urban TotemsIf the colorful carved pole is in front of the barber shop and a perched spigot is at the entrance to the bath-house, I would think the next place would be a locksmith? [The sign says Chicago Bronze. - Dave] Lady barbers!?Women cutting men's hair, ladies smoking cigars, or Lady as a last name? Unfortunately the Great Northern building was demolished. Also, there is no Google street view of this block (Dearborn and Jackson) for some reason. Knot a typoIf you wore Ruppert's shoes then you "knew" the feeling of dry socks…I guess. Otherwise, big multiple typo! Elsewhere, great fire escape where the tall buildings join! Nice!"Chicago School" architecture. It was designed by Daniel Burnham, who also did the Flatiron Building. It was demolished in 1940 and has since been replaced by the Dirksen Federal Building. WowI can actually see the characters come to life from "Sister Carrie." One of my favorite novels from 1900. What in the world ......does "Slaunch and true, thru and thru" mean? Besides "knew/new," "slaunch" struck me as odd. Possibly a word that's out of usage? [The word is "staunch," not "slaunch." - Dave] At the sign of the spigotI've seen plenty of giant eyeglasses outside opticians' offices on Shorpy, but never a spigot outside a bathhouse. What a great idea. And a great picture--keep the Chicago pictures coming. Someone doesn't wear Ruppert shoesAny idea who the guy in the drink in the Ruppert shoe sign would be? [A lost sole. - Dave] Did I miss it?Where's the milk bottle? Tennis anyone?Is roof fenced off for athletics, possibly tennis on the building behind the Great Northern at the top far right? Southern Serves the SouthBehind the Great Northern there is an office for the Southern Railway. My Pop was a designated Southern Railway railroad doctor, and when I was a kid I had a bright red billed cap that had the SR with the arrow logo as seen on here. It was my favorite cap. . . . The railroad liked having doctors in the various towns through which its lines passed, so that local workers, if injured, had a local doc to go to. Incidentally, Dad is still a railroad doc, though for Norfolk Southern now. Southern merged with I guess the Norfolk and Western line about 1985 & was later renamed Norfolk Southern. Ye Olde Old GloryWe can narrow the date range a little bit thanks to the American flag flapping on the left side of the photo. That flag design was used starting July 4, 1896, when Utah became a state. Too bad JJ Astor IVdidn't wear a pair of Ruppert's Dry Sox on his 1912 crossing! View from The MonadnockEvery building in this photo is gone. Although the photographer's vantage, Burnham & Root's 1893 Monadnock building, still stands. Chicago Federal Centerhttp://www.panoramio.com/photo/1307733 I believe this building covers the entire block where the hotel stood. Similar buildingsI am struck by the similarities between these buildings and the Old Colony (where I worked in the mid 1980s) and the Manhattan, which still stand in the block between Van Buren and Congress and Dearborn and Plymouth Court. The Old Colony has the round corners, but the windows are very different. Cigars vs. CigarettesIt's hard to imagine now that long ago cigar smokers far outnumbered cigarette users, as evidenced by the many advertising signs in all these photos. When I was a kid in the 1960's the drug stores still had large glass-front humidor cases with open cigar boxes so you could purchase individual cigars, but this practice died out before the decade ended. Then we had to find another way to light our firecrackers. Coke advert?Where is it in the pic? I can't find one. Political unbuildingas noted below - way below - the hotel itself, and the Bedford Building at the far left of the picture (whose spectacular corner spire has unfortunately been cut off), were among a large number of buildings in Chi-town demolished around 1940. The Tribune tried to turn their demise into a partisan issue, illustrating their removal in a 02/17/40 article headlined "Some of the Chicago Buildings Wrecked During New Deal Depression," but it failed to note the reason for their demolition: construction of the Dearborn Street Subway (there was concern the digging would undermine their foundations). Catarrh cureAs a longtime sufferer from catarrh--the name sounds both ridiculous and ominous--I am wondering how to get my hands on some of that Blue Gum Compound. Surely a more pleasant treatment than pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine, or guaifenesin. In fact, blue gum honey (eucalyptus globulus) is sold today as a treatment for various effects of "phlegmatic deposition." Australian brands are widely available. But alas, even 122 years later, there is no cure for catarrh. The Gunning SystemGunning was a big player in the world of giant urban advertising billboards. The City of Chicago fought them tooth and nail: https://chicagology.com/advertising/chicagobillboards/ The photo appears to have been taken during the transition from "Every sign must begin with a capital letter and end with a period. Period." to "If there's no period, the letters can be a little larger" [Mighty internal struggle to avoid using "period of transition" above.] Eyes goin' badI'm gonna have to go and get a free eye exam at Sweet, Wallach & Co. People are gettin' kinda fuzzy. Haven't we met somewhere before?I know -- it was at one of Gatsby's parties. Whither Lady Barbers?I can't understand why this didn't catch on. I'd rather have my hair cut by a woman, but for most of my life, lady barbers were not an option. Chicago School "bay window" style at its best.You can still see some around town. Cable Car TrackChicago had a large cable car system that lasted until 1906. The far track had a centre slot for the grip to clamp onto the cable. Many of the lines turned downtown in loops, which may be the source of the term Loop in Chicago. More details here. (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Railroads)
Death Avenue: 1910
... (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, Horses, NYC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 4:16pm -

A detailed circa 1910 Manhattan streetscape of rail cars at West 26th Street and Eleventh Avenue, known as "Death Avenue" for the many pedestrians killed along the New York Central's freight line there. View full size. Removal of the street-level tracks commenced on December 31, 1929. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. Update: Click here for the largest version. A Freight TrolleyI think this is one of my favorite photos ever. There's so much going on here that is representative of the time that I could spend hours scrutinizing it. I'd never even heard of there being freight trolleys that would rumble down city streets (I know, I need to do my homework). All the activity and storefronts and normalcy of it all. Simply incredible. "How do I get to the Susquehanna Hat Company?" Re: Freight TrolleyHere's a closeup of the engine. The coal seems to be in a bin on the front. Bain took several photos of this rail line and the freight cars. I'll post some more in the coming days. Any railfans out there who can tell us more about the 11th Avenue line? What's she holding?Out of all the details in this picture, there is one that has drawn my attention. On the left side of the street, about in line with the front of the train, there is a woman holding something white. Can someone with a better monitor tell what that is? I'm thinking large dog (though I think it's unlikely that a dog that large would be carried--unless maybe it was scared by the train?) or squirming child, or possibly a massive sack of flour (not that likely, I admit.) Anyone? [Looks like a bundle of packages wrapped in paper. - Dave] Freight Trolley?I don't think so, at least not by most definitions. A trolley draws power from overhead lines and I can't see any power lines above the tracks or the necessary connecting wires (and their poles) to keep it in place. I do see a steam engine [Coal-powered. See photo below. - Dave] of a fairly specialized type and in the distant background a line of freight cars crossing the street. Given the proximity of the location to the Hudson River (it's near what is now Chelsea Docks) it wouldn't surprise me if this wasn't a New York Central spur line to connect the docks to a main line, in the period before most of the rail traffic in New York City went underground. There is a street car in the shot, but I'm guessing that it's a horse car (pulled by at least one horse). What I find really interesting is that there's not a motor vehicle in sight, just horses, and the sheer amount of what the horses left behind (to put it euphemistically). "Freight Trolley"The engine, as noted below, is clearly not a trolley. It appears to be a "steam dummy," a small locomotive, largely enclosed, often looking like a streetcar so as not to frighten the horses. A conventional locomotive, even a small one, with large driving wheels and flashing connecting rods, would certainly frighten the animals. Mounted FlagmanI guess the guy on the horse on the foreground is also a mounted flagman... he is preceding the steam train to protect pedestrians! Remember... "2000 killed in ten years" on the Death Avenue (Eleventh avenue)! ----------------------------------------- Funimag, the web magazine about Funiculars http://www.funimag.com Funimag Blog http://www.funimag.com/photoblog/ Guy on the roofDid you see the guy on the top of the roof of the third wagon? I am wondering what he is doing! Maybe watching pedestrians!!! Incontinent horse!Did you see the incontinent horse?!!! Gash...! What a big river!!! That picture is really fantastic!! Re: Guy on the RoofThe man on the roof is a brakeman. Riding a car roof is better than hanging on a ladder on the car side. Horse-drawn tramJust to the right (our view) of the "train" is a horse drawn tram car being drawn along the track in the opposite direction. BrakemanPlease note that there are no brake hoses on the locomotive. All handbrakes, so the brakeman rides on top because the staff brakes are on the car tops. to stop the train the engineer signals the brakeman and he starts ratcheting down the handbrakes How fast?I'm wondering just how fast these trains were barreling through the street to hit so many people? If they were being preceded by a guy on horseback they couldn't have been gong all that fast. And yet people still did not notice them coming? How does one not hear a steam locomotive? Tank DummyPerhaps the locomotive is one of these (scroll down to the bottom of the page): http://www.northeast.railfan.net/steam22.html The sheer amount of detail in this is incredible.E.g. the kids' chalk scrawls on the sidewalk. I'd imagine that a lot of the deaths occurred at night or in bad weather. My favorite partMy favorite part is the kid running down the sidewalk on the lower left. Perhaps he's trying to outrun the train? He reminds me of the drawings of Little Nemo. [Lower left? Or right? - Dave] The beer wagonIncredible photo! The detail is fantastic. I like the beer wagon (wishful thinking?) in front of the train. I am just amazed.... CrutchesWhat about the guy on crutches on the right. I wonder what the story is behind that. 26th and 11thI went and looked up the intersection on Google maps, and the whole right side is a parking lot now. Triangle Shirtwaist FireThe worst factory fire in the history of New York City occurred on March 25, 1911, in the Asch building, where the Triangle Shirtwaist Company occupied the top three of ten floors. Five hundred women, mostly Jewish immigrants between thirteen and twenty-three years old, were employed there. The owners had locked the doors leading to the exits to keep the women at their sewing machines. In less than fifteen minutes, 146 women died. The event galvanized support for increased safety in the workplace. It also garnered support for labor unions in the garment district, and in particular for the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. Much material was provided by several websites, but two in particular I want to call attention to, the first for an overall exceptionally presented look back at this tragedy and a stunning presentation of the labor movement. Truly a brilliant multimedia presentation. The Triangle Factory Fire – Presented by The Kheel Center, Catherwood Library, ILR School at Cornell University. and National Public Radio ... I can not recommend those two sites too highly. They are top-notch. And on YouTube, The Cloth Inferno. 11th Avenue TrainBeneath the "dummy" shroud, it's actually a two-truck Shay locomotive, a type of geared power popular on many logging and industrial operations with sharp curves and steep grades. High LineThis rail line was replaced with an elevated line that entered the warehouses of the west side on their upper floors. It continued to be used into the early 1980s mostly for boxcars of produce. The boxcars shown are refrigerated for perishable items. The roof hatches are for loading ice into bunkers at the ends of the cars. The elevated rail line still exists but is now owned by the city which is rebuilding it into an elevated linear park in Manhattan's Chelsea district. 11th Ave trainIf you look at the largest version you can see that it says 11 on the front which would make this an 0-6-0, class B-11. The Shays also show the offset boiler. Great photo. 26th and 11thWest 26th & 11th is the location the fabulous old Starrett Lehigh Building, a block-long warehouse looking like a stylized ocean liner, with train tracks from the pier leading right into the building and up the freight elevators. Its time was past before it was even finished in 1931 as the trucking industry eclipsed rail freight. Funky old place to wander around if you ever get the chance. 26th & 11thThe right side of 11th Ave & 26th St will be the terminus of the 7 Train extension from Times Square. (last station will be 11th Ave and 34th) . They are currently boring down to the bedrock. NY Central dummy engine>> Beneath the "dummy" shroud, it's actually a two-truck Shay locomotive It seems the NY Central Shays weren't built until 1923-- so looks like he's right about the engine being an 0-6-0 beneath the dummy housing. N.Y. Central ShayA city ordinance required that a horseman precede the rail movement, and that the locomotive be covered to look like a trolley car so as not to frighten horses. When the line was elevated it was electrified, I believe with locomotives that could also run on batteries to access trackage that had no overheard wires. At that time the Shay locomotives were put to use elsewhere on the New York Central system. Here is a photo, from my father's collection, of one of the Shays in service near Rochester, I believe. The spout on the left is not part of the locomotive but is on a water stand behind it. Not The Sound of Silence!Just try and imagine the sounds here! The shod horses clomping down the brick street. The wagons creaking along as the wheels roll on the bricks and dirt. The various bells (church, train, etc) pealing, the subtle sounds of conversations and pedestrian footsteps, the whisk of broom bristles as the street is cleaned! Much preferable to the honking, boom-boxing, brake-screeching, muffler-rapping scenarios we endure today! 10th AvenueAnother pic https://www.shorpy.com/node/12859 shows what 11th Avenue north from 26th St actually looked like; someone mislabelled this negative of 10th Ave. Building Still ThereAccording to a post here, this is actually the intersection of 10th Ave and W 26th Street. I looked up this intersection on Google Maps and it appears that one of the buildings in the old photo is still there. It's way down the street..behind the train, the 3rd building from the end on the left side of the street. (The windows look like there is a white stripe connecting them). I think that is the same building on the northwest corner of the intersection of 10th Ave and 27th Street. Just thought I'd throw that out there :) 29th StLooks like you're right, that bldg is still there, but it's on the NW corner of 29th St and 10th Ave. In the Google streetview it's about a twin of the bldg at 28th St. At the left edge of the Shorpy pic you see 267 10th Ave, which means the engine is about to cross 26th St. The train moved from the yard onto 10th Ave at 30th St. Pic of 11th Avenue https://www.shorpy.com/node/12859 (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, Horses, NYC, Railroads)
Empire State Express: 1905
... if they are still used. You have to remember that the railroads were there first and the towns built their streets later in most ... frequently there. There are numerous examples of the railroads using city streets, which were added alongside the rights of way. Be ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 10:12am -

Syracuse, New York, circa 1905. "Empire State Express (New York Central Railroad) passing thru Washington Street." Our second look at one of these urban express trains. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. That "plume of smoke"Actually that's steam, which is why it's white and not black. Street trainThe scariest railroad picture I've seen is one I picked up on Flickr of a freight train going down a residential street in small town Georgia. Guess you check the schedule before you back out of your drive, or let the kids out. Strike!I'll bet the only time you couldn't hear the noise in that bowling alley next to the tracks was when the train came roaring through. Mystery CoachWhat is the vehicle beside the awning? Looks like a self-propelled stagecoach. Fresh *cough cough* Air *cough cough*!I can't Imagine being in one of those offices or apartments in "The Yates" with the windows open when the train came through! Egad, How did people stay alive back then? VacancyThe Yates Hotel was torn down in the 50's or 60's to make room for a parking lot. This intersection is gone also. The triangular building is still there. Cover your earsCan you imagine the noise? I'll wager the people working and/or living at The Yates hated to hear that old locomotive approaching. Probably rattled their very bones. Magnificent sight, though. Look at that plume of black smoke! Trains in streetsNew Albany, Mississippi, had the GM&O main line go right down main street. This persisted even after diesels arrived in 1935. There are tracks in the streets of Paris, TN but I don't know if they are still used. You have to remember that the railroads were there first and the towns built their streets later in most cases. Here it is todayStill quite recognizable by the building on the right. View Larger Map It still happensThere are several places here in California that still have some trains running down the middle of the street. I was in Santa Maria a couple of years ago and nearly got in the way of a locomotive meandering down the avenue. It was cool to see. Gotta Lovethose streetlamps. Good stuffMost of that "smoke" is steam. Great photo from a great era! Street RunningActually, trains running in city streets is quite common, even today. The most notable example is the Union Pacific tracks through Jack London Square in Oakland, Ca. It is not uncommon to find long double stack intermodal trains moving through the heart of downtown rather frequently there. There are numerous examples of the railroads using city streets, which were added alongside the rights of way. Be advised though, that the speeds are really slow, and the trains don't go tearing off through the heart of town. Steamed upMy wife and I rode a train (RGSR) last weekend which was powered by a steam locomotive, one of the last standard gauge steam locomotives left in Colorado. They are amazing machines! Our's was an oil burner, rather than coal, but the black smoke and steam was magnificent, not unpleasant to me at all! It pulled La Vita pass like magic. This picture is one of my favorites so far! In UrbanaI saw something similar in the mid-50's. In Champaign-Urbana Illinois. Main line track, right down the middle of the main street. The mystery coach of SyracuseHere, from the New York Public Library's online archive, is a 1909 Babcock Electric brougham, manufactured in Buffalo. [The vehicle in our photo seems to have a tiller for steering. - Dave] MasonryWhat a wonderful masonry masterpiece! Electric SteamInteresting juxtaposition of steam powered train crossing under overhead trolley catenary wires, and over the trolley tracks, all frozen in one moment of time. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, Syracuse)
Jiffy Lube: 1904
... steamers still ply the rails. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:31pm -

Circa 1904. "Michigan Central Railroad. Oiling up before the start." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. That Other Dome...The rear dome is the steam dome, where the steam collects before it is piped into the cylinders. What's the pipe?What's the pipe just behind the big left driver? My first thought was sand, but you wouldn't sand, behind the wheel. Neither would you vent something wet, like steam, onto the wheel. Anybody know? Safety couplerNote that the coupler is resting on the pilot deck. It is swung out of the way so that it will not catch an object that on the track. Modern diesels have snow plows that deflect objects that might become lodged under the wheels. Enough with the pipes already!The two pipes coming from the sand dome are for SAND! One for forward and one for reverse. The lever from the cab to the dome is for turning on and off the flow of sand. Perhaps out of sight behind the trailing truck is a rail washer because leaving the grit on the rails after it's needed causes friction and unnecessary wear on the wheels of the rest of the train. The small pipe in front of the valve chest is for oil from the hydrostatic lubricator in the cab. What I don't see if a boiler check or a line from the injector to feed the water to the boiler. I don't see it on the color photo either. WowMore like this please! 4-4-2 Atlantic typeBuilt in 1902 for fast passenger service. A sister locomotive, Detroit Toledo & Ironton #45 (also built in 1902) survives at the Henry Ford Museum. Fifty years to go before the diesel engines outnumbered steam locos. Sand, yesMy guess would be sand, for reversing perhaps? Also since that rear pipe leads up to the same spot the pipe in front of the front drive wheel goes... TractionYep, those are sanders. You need them both forward and reverse. From the looks of the tires on those drivers, they were used plenty. (They're called "tires" even though they're metal.) Here's how they change them: http://www.sps700.org/gallery/0411drivers_part1.shtml As for the pipeThat pipe is a sand dispenser. Think of this way. If the wheels start slipping backward, the sand would be delivered to the right spot to regain traction. Also, when the train reverses direction, which they did in railroading to improve stopping. Remember the airbrakes took several seconds, up to a minute to get the rearmost car to brake. So you have the front of the train going backward as the rear of the train is still going forward. Kind of results in a lot of steel on steel as the couplers crash against each other. The other domeThat's the one for whipped cream. Sorry; I couldn't not get into this comment thread. Re: What's the pipe?Notice that there is also an identical pipe ahead of the other driver wheel. Obviously, you might need to sand the track for more traction whether you are pulling or pushing with the engine. Thus, you have sanding pipes on either side of the drive wheels. Mystery pipeConsidering that the pipe comes from the same location as the pipe that goes to the front driver, and considering that trains can go backward, it's a pretty safe bet that it too is a sand pipe. The sand delivered to the front wheel, when going forward, will still be on the rail by the time the rear wheel gets to it. Same when going in reverse. Sand PipeThat is, in fact, a sand pipr behind the rear driver. Note that it comes down from the sand box as does the other pipe in front of the front driver. The Pipe is a Sand PipeFollow the pipe upstream -- it's connected to the sand box, and was used to afford traction when the locomotive was backing up. What's the pipe?I think the sand pipe behind the wheel is used when going in reverse (??) Re: the pipeI think sand is probably the right answer, since the pipe would be in front of the wheel when the engine was in reverse. Note the very similar pipe in front of the other driver wheel. What's the pipe?I believe it was for sand...for backing up. Reverse gearI believe it's a sand pipe for going in the opposite direction. SanderAnonymous, your first thought was right. The pipe behind the rear driver is to deposit sand on the rails during backing moves. There's another sand pipe ahead of the front driver. Both pipes lead from the sand dome atop the boiler, and you can also see the control linkage that allowed the crew in the cab to apply sand when needed for traction. I think sand is the correct answer.An identical pipe runs down the side of the engine to just in front of the forward driver wheel, and both pipes originate from the same dome on top of the engine. Sand is the most likely explanation. My best guess as to why they would have pipes on both sides of the driver wheels would be to provide traction while the engine runs in reverse. Sand it is!The two diagonal pipes coming from the "sand box" (first dome behind the bell) carry sand to the drivers when needed. The engineer can operate a three-way valve for forward-off-reverse sand application. You can see small air lines to the sander valve which run under the jacket. Sand would be applied automatically on an emergency brake application. I am more curious about the lever arrangement to the sand box. The sand had to be perfectly dry to flow through the pipes. Was this lever used to break up clumps of sand in the box? One good question deserves another! Sand Gets in your Eyes, and Elsewhere.The pipe behind the rear driver IS for sand, when backing up. These high-wheeled engines were very slippery when starting and when the engine brake was applied. A sliding wheel, as opposed to a spinning wheel, will develop a flat spot very quickly, which can damage the rail each time it goes around. Without sand the Engineer might not be able to start a train at some locations, especially if the rail was wet or greasy. Modern Diesel locomotives still use sand applied in front of the leading wheels for traction. If too much sand is applied when not necessary, the locomotive will run out of sand and have none when it is really needed. Sand also blows back along the train, getting into parts where it is not desired and mixes with grease or oil, and, into the eyes of patrons on passenger trains without air conditioning, the windows being open. Some streetcars had sanders, the sand being in bins under the seats which folded up to fill the hoppers from within the car. What's the pipe x2A similar pipe hangs down in front of the other driver, right by the guy's left leg. Both seem to originate from the bell shaped thing on top. Backwards sandingYou would sand behind the driver if you needed traction when starting in reverse. Both pipes are coming from the sand dome. What's the pipethe pipe behind the left driving wheel is for sand, but when the loco is running backwards. if you look on the right had side just infornt of the mans leg you will see the same thing and that is for sanding going forwards. That other dome...That's the steam dome. It contains the opening to the main steam pipe and its purpose is to allow this opening to be kept well above the water level in the boiler. This arrangement acts as a simple steam separator and minimizes the risk that water will be carried over to the cylinders where it might cause a hydraulic lock - this is also known as priming. When starting a steam loco, before you start to move, you open the cylinder drain cocks to get any condensate out of the cylinders. As far as keeping the sand dry, that's one of the reasons for putting the sand dome where it is, boiler heat helps keep it dry. The sand is pushed through the sand pipes by compressed air, and in the example you can see the air connections and valves where they enter the dome. Sand was dried and stored in steam heated "sand houses" before being loaded to the locos. Nowadays, AC traction control has helped immensely, but sanding, and knowing when to sand is still needed. The PipeIt's GOT to be for sand. Note that both the "fore" and "aft" pipes go up to the same dome, which has a rather loose-looking lever connected to the cab by a rod (that is ALWAYS slightly bent in these pictures). So the "after" pipe is for those times when the engine must BACK UP on slick rails. Just makes you marvel, at driving wheels tall as a man, and the double-barrel compound cylinders (first the high pressure steam, than rather than wasting the residual pressure, let it work again in a low pressure cylinder). To the true locomotive experts out there - how does the sand get INTO the dome? The SandpiperSomething tells me the goddam pipe is for sand. Whipped cream would be nice, but...That second dome is the steam dome. As the water in the boiler boils, steam is withdrawn from the steam dome, which allows pickup of the steam from a point which is always above the water level. Sand DomeThanks. I found an explanation of the Sand Dome. That's about the last place I'd have looked for sand. Give Me a Brake!It is worth noting that the four wheels of the leading truck have brake shoes to assist in stopping the train, or just the locomotive when operating alone travelling to from it's train. If there is rain, grease, oil, grass or frost on the rail head, a steam locomotive can be VERY difficult to control, thats where the sand comes in to play. If the rail is 'bad', an Engineer will often apply sand just before the train stops so there will be sand beneath all the driving wheels for starting. It appears the front coupler is of a folding-up design and is lying on top of the pilot beam. The Engineer has poked the spout of his oiler into the hole provided for the purpose and is oiling the wrist pin within the crosshead on the front of the main rod that connects the crosshead with the crankpin on the rear driver. The crosshead and main rod convert the reciprical motion of the pistons within the cylinders to rotary motion at the wheel. The right crankpin usually leads the left by 90 degrees on a two-cylinder engine. There is a relief valve on the front of the steam cylinder to admit air when the engine is drifting with the throttle shut, otherwise there would be a vacuum or air pressure within as the pistons move constantly when the engine is in motion. The small curved pipe just visible in the steam above the valve chest carries valve oil from the lubricator in the cab and into the steam supply for lubrication of the piston valve and the piston below. At each end beneath the cylinder can be seen condensate drains which are opened from the cab with links and levers to drain water from condensed steam from the cylinders before it can accunmulate to a level to stop the piston in it's travel, damaging the cylinder heads or causing other mechanical damage. A QuestionDo any of you fellows know what that pipe behind the driving wheel might be for. Sand, perhaps? Whipped cream? Dome, De Dome DomeThe dome behind the sand dome is the steam dome, where the throttle valve is located to allow steam to enter the clyinders through internal piping in the boiler. The next open dome area is where the whistle and poppet valve (pressure relief valve) is to allow excess steam pressure out. Domes Galore.The front dome is for sand, as mentioned in several posts. The Engineer pulls a lever in the cab, the rod of which is seen, and this moves a plate beneath the sand in the sand dome until holes line up above the outlets to the pipes leading to the front or rear drivers. There is another handle in the cab which admits compressed air front or back to force sand down the pipes to the wheels, their control air pipes also visible at the base of the sand dome. There usually is a round recessed lid on top of the sand dome with a recessed hand hold, secured with a length of chain within the dome cavity, where sand is poured in on the shop track when servicing the locomotive between runs. Two little steps can be seen bolted on to the boiler side to access the sand dome, bell etc. The heat of the boiler keeps the sand dry and 'fluid' if rain does get in. Coal and water would be added to the tender at the same time, and the cab supplies such as oils for lubrication, grease for some bearings, and lamp oil for the various lamps on the engine. This engine does not yet appear to have a steam-operated electric dynamo nor an electric headlight. It may have an Acetylene headlight? The second dome along the boiler-top from the front is the Steam Dome. Within it's sleek casing is a heavy flat-topped dome on top of the boiler proper which houses the steam throttle valve above the water level in the boiler. The throttle valve is opened and closed thru a rod which passes thru a gland with packing against the boiler pressure to the Engineer's throttle handle in the cab. Moving his handle lifts and lowers the balanced throttle valve in the steam dome, admitting steam to the cylinders. On top of the steam dome proper there is a round heavy metal plate bolted down with a steam-tight fit which can be removed when the engine is cold to access the interior of the boiler and the throttle valve. The third dome from the front is called a 'pop dome' and on top of it can be seen pressure safety valves, 2 in this case. These valves, when both are open, MUST be able to pass more steam than the boiler and firebox can produce under all firing conditions. One safety valve opens, usually, 3 to 5 pounds sooner than the second. The vertical round cylinder just ahead of the cab roof, but behind the safety valves is the whistle. The bell ahead of the sand dome is air-operated on it's right side, the small air pipe visible. The left side of the bell has a rope so the bell can also be 'rung' by the fireman on the locomotive's left. Dome, de dome, domeNow that we have solved the sand dome mystery including the pipes, valves, and control linkage what is the pupose of the other dome beside or behind it? The Rules of AttractionIf anything at Shorpy attracts (pun intended) more attention than a pretty girl, it has to be a railroad engine! New RulesOr tterrace! D'Udder DomeThe rear dome is called the Steam Dome. It is the highest point of the boiler and is where the throttle valve is located. Taking the steam from here keeps water from going into the "Dry Pipe" and hence into the steam cylinders up front. Domes a plentyThe other dome behind the sand dome is the steam dome. It was where the steam was "gathered" prior to being sent to the cylinders. Most all horizontal boilers on trains and traction engines have steam domes. Vertical boilers typically don't need steam domes. Two domesMust mean it's a lady locomotive. The other dome The dome behind the sand dome is the "steam dome". That is where te steam is drawn from the boiler. If it was lower on the boiler there is more of a chance of picking up water instead of steam which would not be good. You can see the steps on the side of the boiler below the sand dome. They are there because this was somewhere that needed to be serviced (filled) often. ThrottledThe dome behind the sand dome is the steam dome which contains the throttle. Immediately behind that is the auxiliary steam dome which has the whistle, safety valves and most likely a dry pipe for the turret in the cab which supplies steam to the appliances. Bactrian LocomotiveThere are two domes because this is a Bactrian Locomotive, not a Dromedary locomotive! The other dome is known as the Steam Dome. Inside this dome is a pipe which collects the steam made by the boiler and is eventually sent to the pistons to power the locomotive. The dome puts the steam pipe as far away as possible from the boiling waters below so that only steam, not water, gets into the steam pipe. Water, being incompressible, will break the pistons or cylinder covers. The other domeThe other dome is the steam dome. What you actually see is just a cover. The throttle is located inside of the steam dome. There is also a Dry pipe to the turret located inside of the steam dome. The reason for the dome is to allow dry steam to exit the boiler. Percolator DomeNow, out of which pipe do you get the fresh-brewed coffee? I have no choice!I had to chime in on the discussion about all the "pipes", seeing as I am employed as a rail road "Pipefitter" Lol! 1. It is for sand 2. It's still used 3. Yes, it has to be bone dry because they still constantly clog. Snappy shoes!Hmmm.. that oiler is wearing what appears to be a sharp-looking pair of dress shoes. A little surprising considering the working environment! Alumni Did anyone notice this beauty was produced here in Schenectady NY? The General Electric Alco works, produced some of the finest and biggest locomotive engines ever to run the rails. Sadly, Alco is being demolished for condos, and only a few of these magnificent steamers still ply the rails. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Tomato Express: 1942
... (The Gallery, Agriculture, John Collier, Kids, Railroads, Small Towns) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/01/2023 - 6:43pm -

September 1942. Richwood, West Virginia. "Trainload of migratory workers (mostly high school students, many accompanied by family members) in day coach bound for the harvest fields in New York state." Photo by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Answer the call to farms, high schoolers!See your principal about joining the Victory Farm Corps, because Farm Work is War Work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8hHBf7tYDw (The Gallery, Agriculture, John Collier, Kids, Railroads, Small Towns)
Richwood Depot: 1942
... only one coach? - Dave] (The Gallery, John Collier, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/02/2023 - 4:49pm -

September 1942. Richwood, West Virginia. "Baltimore & Ohio train will take 300 men and women recruited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in day coaches to harvest crops in New York State." Photo by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Extra Room on Top or in the TenderWith a single coach assigned to this train, (even with rotating seats and scratchy upholstery seen in a related photo) for comfort, let's hope additional trains were assigned to move 300 people! [Why would you think there's only one coach? - Dave] (The Gallery, John Collier, Railroads)
Easton: 1935
... [People walking. - Dave] (The Gallery, Railroads, Walker Evans) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/23/2023 - 11:32am -

November 1935. "View of Easton, Pennsylvania, Lehigh River and Canal." 8x10 inch nitrate negative by Walker Evans for the U.S. Resettlement Administration. View full size. Only one thing.I only know one thing about Easton, Pennsylvania. It was and is the home of "The Easton Assassin," the great Larry Holmes, one of the greatest heavyweight boxing champs of all time. He held the title for around 7 years and took on all comers. Even fought Mike Tyson when he admittedly couldn't beat him. Unfortunately, he also fought a greatly diminished Muhammed Ali, who came back for the money, and he beat Ali so bad even Holmes didn't want the fight to continue. After retiring, Holmes returned to Easton and opened businesses that employed hundreds of people from the area. Maybe he's not "the greatest," but a great son of Easton. Difficult divine survivalThe distinctive domed towers on the horizon belong to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, built in 1915. Easton’s Catholic churches served different ethnic enclaves: St. Joseph’s was German. The church had a difficult future ahead: in 2008 it merged with two other parishes to become Our Lady of Mercy. After 2013, only occasional services were held in the aged building, with what was announced as its final Mass in May 2016. However, in 2018 it reopened as Divine Mercy Healing Center, run by the Vincentian Congregation of the Eastern Rite Catholic Church. It looks good today. Is that a person under there?Or just some blankets for a person to lie on? The front of the car appears slightly elevated, but the rear tires are not blocked. The backgroundlooks like it could be a matte painting. What a stunning photograph!! All of itA classic Shorpy photo with just about all the requisite elements: a steam engine, a jalopy, simple down-to-earth housing, a church, hills, canal and river, laundry on the line (blurred in motion), and a comment that links the small, obscure place to someone famous (Larry Holmes). "Chief of the Sixes"Was Oakland's official motto when it began producing the first Pontiac Six in 1926. Sales took off so quickly that a new factory with 35 acres of floor space was erected exclusively for the Pontiac Division of Oakland Motor Car Co. This markedly aged specimen is a Five Passenger Landau Sedan (minus its left landau iron). An automobile wheel and perhaps other car parts are lying in front of it. Bridging the gapIn addition to Larry Holmes, Easton is known as the home of Crayola crayons. They continue to manufacture them just north of town, and receive large railroad tank cars of the necessary wax on a weekly basis. Visible in the center is part of the Easton suspension bridge, which when constructed in 1886 was the highest footbridge in the US. It was dropped in 1951. https://www.bridgemeister.com/pic.php?pid=1431 What is this?It looks like it's the town gallows but I doubt (and hope!) it's not ... [It looks more decorative than punitive. - Dave] It's a truckThe wheel in front of the Oakland is still attached to a C cab truck of some sort. Horse ghost?Any idea what is the blurry image to the right of the telephone pole? I'm guessing a horse in motion? [People walking. - Dave] (The Gallery, Railroads, Walker Evans)
Winter Crossing: 1900
... took effect in 1900 outlawing these hand crushers on railroads engaged in interstate commerce. Absolutely wonderful! As a ... River, Ontario (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 3:18pm -

Circa 1900. "Detroit River. Car ferry Michigan Central entering slip." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Who's with me?Winter break on the Detroit River! Frigid WonderThis is just a beautiful photo, of an otherwise thoroughly utilitarian scene, just barely romanticized by having train cars and a paddlewheeler as subject matter. The texture in the broken ice at foreground, the impressionistic smoke, and mist in the distance -- Wow. Brr.I'm getting frostbite just looking at this picture. All aboardI see the three sets of tracks, but would like to see the actual way they load and unload the box cars. I bet the guy smoking the pipe could have told us. Extraordinary!This is an extraordinarily beautiful photo. The black and white textures are remarkable. I can feel the cold air and hear the ice crunching as the ferry drifts in. The ghostliness of the image is echoed in the misty distant skylines, and the whole is anchored by the two figures. What a composition! SkylineDoes anyone know if the ferry is pulling into Detroit or Windsor? Any clue from the church in the distance? Interesting weatherCloudy, with a 100% chance of thumbprints! Link & PinThe center car seems to be fitted with a link & pin coupling. The Railroad Safety Appliance Act took effect in 1900 outlawing these hand crushers on railroads engaged in interstate commerce. Absolutely wonderful!As a person who lived in Archangelsk city, I used to see a scenes like this many many times. I feel the atmosphere, I even can feel a smell of it. Wonderful! Just great! "Michigan Central"This seems to be the same sidewheeler design as in the previous shot of a car ferry, the "Transport." The names (hard to see) are stenciled on a signboard over the wheelhouse. A ferry wonderland"The Great Lakes Car Ferries" by George Woodman Hilton has another photo of the Michigan Central on page 35. Best. Photo. Ever.I've been reading Shorpy regularly since sometime in '07 when I saw a link on either Boing Boing or Neatorama. This is abso-freakin-lutely the Best. Photo. Ever. Bless you, and keep doing what you do. Over the riverAt about this time, my grandmother may have been on a sleigh on the frozen river, on the way back to Windsor from Detroit, smuggling back cotton socks. She would have been 10 years old. Such was the family story. Great photoI am so impressed with the high contrast in the sky. If it were not clearly labeled as a scan directly from the negative, I would have assumed this was a print which had received a lot of attention in the darkroom. This image is one of Shorpy's all time greats. [All of the images on this site are adjusted for contrast in Photoshop. - Dave] 57 summers laterBelow is a scan of a 35 mm Kodachrome slide showing this same rail car ferry yard as it looked on July 6, 1957. The photo was taken from the deck of the Ambassador Bridge and its viewpoint is 180 degrees from that of the 1900 photo (the bridge was built during 1927-1929). View full size. The church steeple seen in the distance on the 1900 photo is located in Windsor, Ontario. Here's a photo of it taken from the bridge deck just seconds prior to the one of the rail car ferry yard in Detroit. Jules VerneyUntil you focus in on the rail cars, and the pictures resolves into the recognizable, there's a kind of Victorian Future-Shock quality to it. Frozen in timeThe sharpness of the broken crystal shards could kill a man, they stand pointed end up, ready to cut a careless worker or walker, like razor-edged beveled glass. Two men are seen, yet each is lost in their own solitary thoughts. Possibly thinking "damn, it's cold." Final departureIt looks like they are taking boxcars full of the damned over the river Styx. The church might be in WindsorIt looks very much like Our Lady of the Assumption Church near the foot of Huron Church Rd. It is still there, presently in the shadow of the Ambassador Bridge. If so, the view is downstream. Detroit RiverThis is the Detroit side. The river flows extremely fast, and the ferry docks were set up so the boats always entered dock facing upstream. Michigan Central was built in 1884 by Detroit Dry Dock in Wyandotte, while Transport was built there in 1880. Both were cut down to barges by the 1930's. A nearly identical boat, Lansdowne of 1884, survived in steam until 1970 for CN/Grand Trunk, until she blew a cylinder head (I remember the shock among the Detroit trainwatching community at the time). Her long survival was due to the limited size of the RR tunnels under the river, which couldn't handle hi-cubes and other large cars. Lansdowne then became a floating restaurant, with two Milwaukee Road Skytop observation cars aboard. Recently scrapped in Buffalo. I frequently went down to watch Lansdowne and an even older propeller ferry in the days of no security, "Sure, just be careful!" WindsorI live in Amherstburg, about 20 miles downriver from Windsor. I love these photos of the Detroit River. Great StuffI love these pictures of the Detroit River railroad ferries. My grandfather worked on these boats when he first came to Detroit from Pennsylvania in 1919. I remember watching them shuttle across the river during my childhood in the '60s and '70s. Does anyone know what that factory on the right is? Is it the Michigan Peninsular Car Co. (aka American Car & Foundry)? It seems to be in basically the right place on the west side of Detroit. My great-grandfather, on the other side, worked there. Building a ModelI'm building a 1/87 model of the train ferry Windsor, and these pictures and diagrams have proven to be invaluable. Thanks, Terry Jolliffe Belle River, Ontario (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
Herald Square: 1908
... house at Bway and 39th... (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/02/2020 - 2:40pm -

New York circa 1908. "Herald Square." Panorama composed of two 8x10 inch glass negatives, digitally merged, showing Broadway at 34th Street. Landmarks include the the New York Herald newspaper building (with its clockwork blacksmith bell-ringers and electrified owls), Sixth Avenue elevated tracks, New York Times building and Hotel Astor. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. James Gordon Bennett MonumentThe New York Herald Building was built in 1893 and demolished in 1921. The statue of Minerva, the clock and two owls were saved and are now part of a monument to James Gordon Bennett. The Mighty HippodromeThe largest theatre in the world at the time, the Hippodrome, can be seen far down the tracks on the right. Hotel Normandie"Absolutely Fireproof" Made of 100% Asbestos. Wow!Just WOW! An amazing photoThe details are unbelievable. Hours can be spent just studying this photo and I likely will. "Electrified" owlsSo what did Herald's "electrified" owls do? Light up or move? And what is the tall skinny building just left of the Hotel Astor? [The owls' eyes lit up at night. The skinny building is the New York Times. - Dave] Can you find?A head without a hat. I couldn't. Too much... This one is giving me data overload! So much to see in the image! It must be a warm Spring or Summer day because I see a lot of men sporting skimmers (flat topped straw hats) and the women are wearing blouses with shorter sleeves and fancy hats. Toward the lower left of the photo we see a cab (horse drawn type) with the driver, in his top hat, waiting patiently. I suspect that I can see a slight smile on his face. Perhaps there is a pretty girl in his field of view. Then, there are the two members of the constabulary conversing together, in the lower center of the picture. maybe they are talking about going over to the Lunch wagon on the far right to grab a bite to eat. What, I ask, is the "House of Hits"? That phrase seems to me to right out of the early '60s Motown, not 1910 New York. Then there is the Hotel Normandie - Absolutely Fireproof! It seems that Otard Brandy is still available, even today! I find it a bit hard to believe, but there seems to be a casino in Midtown Manhattan. I can't forget Lucio's Pearls. They defy detection! and right above them we have "Paul Jones Pure Rye - Remember the bottle!" There is so much more to take in, in this photograph. [In answer to your questions: Jos. W. Stern ("The House of Hits") was a music publisher. The Casino was a theater at 39th and Broadway. - Dave] 80 minutes apartThe glass plates making up the panorama, exposed at 12:04 and 1:24 p.m. Click to enlarge. Still Where The Action Is!I So LOVE this photo! I would give almost anything to be able to go back to this very spot for a few days to shop, sightsee and experience life during this time. The buildings are lovely, the clothing elegant, the cabs very dapper. I will be studying this one for a long while. Thank you Dave posting this one and for such a wonderful merger of pics. Herald SquareThat answered my question about why the two clocks had different times. [There's only one clock here. The dial on the right is a wind rose. - Dave] FoxyThat Fox Real Estate branding would stand the test of time by today's standards, what a classic. Although the fox better watch out for that self-stropping razor up above. DaredevilWho are those people on the elevated tracks in the distance? And what are they doing? One looks like a kid on a bicycle, dropping something on the people below. [That's a man standing with his hand on the railing. - Dave] Jaywalkers everywhereI have no idea how I could safely drive that street without flattening a well dressed pedestrian or two. The most I can see vaguely in the way of traffic safety is a sign on a lamppost warning about slow moving vehicles. Not even a bollard in sight. Streetcars or cable carsAre those streetcars or cable cars? The center slot between the rails could hold either the electrical source for streetcars (the "conduit" type) or the moving cable for cable cars. I don't seem to see any trolleys on the cars or overhead trolley wires. [New York's streetcars drew their power from an underground electrical supply. - Dave] All those peopleDidn't anyone work? This must be the ultimate Shorpy photo, almost too much to fathom. The city of Vancouver, B.C., had a population of 70,000 in 1907; today the greater Vancouver area is 2.25 million, which most Canadians think of as an unlivable population. Credit where credit is due.Don Y's post was just fabulous. Thank you Dave and thank you Don Y !!!! Herald Square ParkNice 2007 article in the New York Times about the statue of Minerva and her bell ringers, "Stuff" and "Guff" (or "Gog" and Magog"), seen here atop the Herald Building. The Herald Building was demolished in 1923, the statue stored, and then in 1939-40 permanently installed back in Herald Square Park. Present day Herald Square Park as well as the adjacent Greeley Square Park are gores--that is, triangular. Several New York City parks are gores. But, in front of the Herald Building, is the statue that of Horace Greeley, publisher of the rival Tribune? The horseless hansomThere is a very interesting cab (?) with a driver up behind in the middle right. Can anyone ID it? [It's an electric hansom cab. - Dave] Hussy!The forearms of the young woman in the lower left are entirely exposed. What was the world coming to? No point in directing the traffic,may as well stand in the middle of the road and have a chat instead. An amazing photo with superb detail. Excellent piece of stitching. Macy'sLet's not forget Macy's Department store right there on the corner. I used to walk through that very spot almost everyday, and to be honest, it hasn't really changed all that much. Right Hand DriveAnyone know when American autos converted to left hand drive. [The transition was a gradual one, with right- and left-hand-drive autos sharing the roads for many years. - Dave] We may never knowWhat is so fascinating about the carriage with the umbrella? The driver of the Packard, the second wagon and the nearby pedestrians all appear to engrossed. I have visions of a patent medicine barker making an unscheduled pitch, or perhaps a local celebrity on his or her way from the Hippodrome. That Packard, BTW, is one gorgeous automobile. The menace of lunch wagonsIn the center right sits "Lunch Wagon No.9" - precursor to today's bustling midtown street food scene. Wish I knew what was on the menu. Here is a 1907 letter to the New York Times complaining about this very lunch wagon for being obstructive. A letter the day before in the Times complained about a food wagon at Union Square that had wheels but hadn't moved in years. This one looks like it could be the same deal. A couple of years later, there were Suffragette Food Wagons that offered a free side of feminism along with "Suffragette Sandwiches" - shades of Govinda's, a Hare Krishna food cart that has recently disappeared. WatchYour Step!There is an open access panel in the roadway right where the tracks cross. Interestingly enough, it does not seem to be visible in the left hand of two images, but is quite clear in the right hand one and in the composite photo. There is one hatless headand it is in a very prominent position in the square. It belongs to the fine statue of William Dodge (now in Bryant Park) in front of the Herald. Outstanding photograph and merge! Nobody remembers Rogers Peet anymoreOf course, few people remembered them when they were still open. I got one of my first suits on sale there, but I think that store was uptown from here on 42d Street. It was full of what seemed to be very old people. Metropolitan opera houseAlso visible is the original Metropolitan opera house at Bway and 39th... (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads, Streetcars)
Try the Train: 1937
... 1937. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:12pm -

California, March 1937. "Toward Los Angeles." View full size. Medium format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. MagnificentNow THAT is a photograph. Such powerful social commentary captured in a single image. Lange couldn't have gotten a better shot. Incredible ShotIt made me think of "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck. Ms. Lange......shows us how it's done. Again. It's like a white rural version of......Margaret Bourke-White's famous shot, "There's No Way Like the American Way", also from 1937. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Railroads)
Gotham: 1915
... is a very time consuming and expensive proposition, and railroads have generally opted out of business of this nature. Had the ... 73.99045W. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, NYC, Railroads) ... 
 
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)
B&O: 1942
... but one man can do it. (The Gallery, John Collier, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/30/2022 - 10:18am -

September 1942. "Richwood, West Virginia. An engineer on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad." 4x5 inch acetate negative by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Springs and pulleys?That is the most unusual view of a locomotive I've ever seen! Looking up from beside the driving wheels, am I seeing leaf springs? I didn't know there were springs on locos! And what are the belt and pulleys for? It appears that the "2" in 4-6-2 has springs to keep it pressed onto the tracks. Can anyone explain? It's sheer weightkeeps it on the tracks. The springs do the same thing the springs in your car do. Don't know about the small pulleys though. Yes, springsAll wheels on railroad rolling stock have both springs and equalizers. The springs support all of the weight, and allow the wheels to follow small irregularities in the track. Equalization allow for larger irregularities in the track, and assures that the weight is properly distributed. In the picture, the lever which links the trailing axle spring to the springs on the driving wheels is partially visible at the far right. Levers are used so that the weight can be less on the trailing axle than on the drivers, for example. Dunno about the pulleysAll locomotives and all rolling stock have some sort of spring suspension, just like highway vehicles. That's no mystery. As for the pulleys? I dunno. It was common in the steam era for passenger cars to have a 32-volt DC generator belt-driven from one of the axles. This would charge a battery, so the lights wouldn't go out when the train stopped. This system was gradually replaced by head-end power, reaching completion in the 1970s, but cabeese continued to use it through the end of the caboose era. I say I dunno because locomotives got their very small electric power requirement (basically just a headlight and dashboard light) through small steam turbines, starting after 1900, when vibration-tolerant light bulbs were developed. Just like automobiles The pulley and belt are part of the power steering mechanism. Pulleys and BeltThe only purpose I can conceive for the pulley and belt would be, perhaps, for a speedometer. It's an arrangement I've not seen before on a steam locomotive. Edited 12/31/22 3:30 pm Yup! Found this, with a bicycle chain drive, in a 1941 steam locomotive parts catalog. Postulating a potential pulley purposeThe top pulley appears to be connected to a mechanism within a bracket-mounted box. A pipe passes behind this box, curves down and ends at some hardware located behind the driver, which may be a steam-operated sander. The box at the top may be a valve equipped with an overrunning clutch that opens when the drivers are reversed to provide traction sand behind the drivers instead of, or in addition to, ahead of the wheels. Or not. This is all just a guess as we mark time waiting for a comment from someone who knows what the heck he/she is talking about. Regardless, the whole setup looks to be very light-duty and unrailroady, as is the bare light bulb below the "P-3" label. Not likely to pass the hammer test. PulleysI surmise it's for a speedometer. Locomotive IDNo. 5123 was a Class P-3 4-6-2 locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1913. Only one 4-6-2, of more than 200 operated by the B&O, survives today. Here's another photo of this locomotive, taken in 1936. Springs on A Steam LocomotiveThis drawing shows how springing and equalization works on a steam locomotive to keep weight evenly distributed over irregularities in the track. Fireman or firemen?A engine that size is approaching, but doesn't exceed, the limits of what one good fireman can handle. Probably a bit over 4 tons per hour. On a passenger engine, such as this one, he was also keeping the floor swept, monitoring the water level in the boiler, and watching track conditions and signals ahead, among other things. Manual firingInfo on the B&O P-3 class is far and few between, did find that the locomotives had no mechanical stoker. Poor fireman who had to shovel in the tons and tons of coal by hand. I wonder if the B&O employed 2 firemen on this type of loco. Been There, Done ThatI've hand fired a steam locomotive of that size and type. Yeah, It's work, but one man can do it. (The Gallery, John Collier, Railroads)
Amex: 1910
... direction. Since then there have been completed electric railroads to practically every city and town of importance in Southern ... Imagine an LA with ... "completed electric railroads to practically every city and town of importance in Southern ... businesses similar to UPS or FedEx, relying mostly on the railroads for speedy delivery. American Express specialized in services to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 5:23pm -

Circa 1910. "American Express Co., Main and Sixth." Just steps away from the Aseptic Barber Shop. Who can tell us what city we're in? View full size. Pacific Electric Building, Los AngelesThis is the Pacific Electric Building (or Huntington Building) at 6th and Main in Los Angeles, California. You can see intertwined Ps and Es in the column capitals at the cornice. And, amazingly enough, still there! Main & SixthIt's Sixth Street, not State, but I have no idea what city. On state streetthat great street, I just want to say, they do things they don't do on Broadway. Chicago? [I goofed in typing "State." Should have been "Sixth." - Dave] It's the Huntington BuildingIt's the Huntington Building in Los Angeles. "W.M.Garland & Company" was the clue." Pacific Power and LightPortland? Amex 1910 locationThe lampposts ("5-Globe Llewelin") indicate downtown L.A., unless the design was used elsewhere. But I don't believe so. West CoastI would guess Los Angeles as there is a Pacific Light and Power sign on one of the windows in the building. Dual gauge in L.A.It's Los Angeles. The tipoff (for me at least) is the dual-gauge streetcar track -- 3'6" for the city streetcars of the Los Angeles Railway; standard gauge for the interurbans of the Pacific Electric. I'm going to guess Los AngelesWe're on S. Main Street. Pacific Light and Power Company in one of the windows is a clue we're on the west coast. The real clue are the offices of W. M. Garland Company Real Estate. Mr. Garland was a commercial developer in Los Angeles. He was instrumental in bringing the Olympics to Los Angeles in 1932. That's my final answer. Los AngelesI believe this is the old Pacific Electric building on Sixth and Main. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Electric_Building In Los AngelesThis is the Pacific Electric Building in Los Angeles. Lazy AnswerMy limited research leads me to guess that the city we're looking for is Kingston, New York. Still There Too!Here it is today. City Of AngelsDowntown Los Angeles. The actual building was called the Pacific Electric Building. AlohaI'm going to guess Honolulu based on the "Pacific Power and Light" sign in an upper window. That Toddling TownI gotta say it's Chicago. InterurbanPacific Electric Building in Los Angeles, CA American ExpressThat building, I believe, is the one on Broadway in NYC. Los AngelesI think this is L.A. Could it besunny Los Angeles? The Magic 8 Ball saysLos Angeles. My bet is on San FranciscoThis is obviously just a local branch office, and a window on an upper floor says "Pacific". And, the number of streetcars. Los AngelesCorner of W. Sixth and S. Main, Los Angeles. All three buildings still there. We are in Los AngelesSixth and Main, Los Angeles. That is the Edendale streetcar line. Los AngelesThe building is the Pacific Electric headquarters at 6th and Main, in Los Angeles. More here. Sitting downBet there isn't a bloke sitting on a stool in the intersection now. More importantWhy is there a man who appears to be holding a newspaper sitting on a chair in the middle of the street? Perhaps the officer is telling him to "move along now, nothing to see here." Trolleys left their markThe attachments where the various wires and cable were are still visible on the building. View Larger Map Follow the trolley toEdendale. AlwaysWonderful to know where you are! But who is that sitting on a stool, in the middle of the interesection, next to the policeman? And why? Pacific Electric Railway Terminal The National Magazine, 1908 The Huntington Interests The lines operated by the Los Angeles Railway Company, the Pacific Electric, the Los Angeles Inter-Urban Railway Company, the Los Angeles & Redondo Railway Company, The San Bernardino Valley Traction Company and the Riverside & Arlington Railway Company, which comprise the Huntington system, is undoubtedly the greatest system of street and inter-urban railways in the world. It consists of over 500 miles of standard gauge line, reaching from Alpine (Mount Lowe), a mile above the sea, to the south coast ocean resorts, and penetrates all the valleys in the beautiful country adjacent to Los Angeles. … The Pacific Electric Railway was the name adopted by the corporation managing the suburban electric lines of the Huntington system, Mr. Huntington having acquired the line to Pasadena and outlining the plan for an extensive system of suburban railways reaching out from Los Angeles in every direction. Since then there have been completed electric railroads to practically every city and town of importance in Southern California and to the thriving beach resorts tributary to Los Angeles as a center. … One of the most enduring monuments to his public spirit and enterprise is the mammoth Pacific Electric Building of Los Angeles, a building of nine stories, with eleven acres of floor space and which is the terminal station for the wonderfully perfect inter-urban system. This is the largest structure of its kind west of Chicago, and was completed in December, 1904. The American Architect and Building News, 1908 The Pacific Electric Building, and the Jonathan Club Roof Garden, Los Angles, Cal. The rooms and roof garden of the Jonathan Club, on the upper stories of the Pacific Electric Building, at Los Angeles, were an afterthought. At the time the external character of the building was determined by Mr. Thornton Fitzhugh, the architect, the contracts let and the construction work well advanced, no thought had been given to the adaptation of the upper floors for club purposes. This problem was therefore a most difficult one, not only because the changes involved were many and complicated, but owing to official dictation and limitations imposed, the result is one in many respects quite at variance with what would have been accomplished had the architect been allowed freer rein in his work. None the less the Pacific Electric Building presents characteristics that would entitle it to some measure of recognition if built in the largest cities. Its proportions for a city the size of Los Angeles are unusual and its equipment such as will meet every condition of a first-class office building. The building stands on a plot 285x211 feet, and is nine stories high. The total floor space is more than twelve acres, and exceeds in area the Broad Exchange Building in New York, which is 21 stories high. The structure was erected for the Pacific Electric Railway Co. The basement has a clear floor space of 58,000 feet and is designed for use as a freight depot. The main floor ceiling is thirty feet high, supported by cement columns. Through an opening sixty feet high, spanned by a cement girder eight feet deep, the cars enter the building. The upper stories from the second to the sixth inclusive are devoted to offices. There are ninety-nine offices on each floor, or a total of 594 in all. No office is less than twenty by fifteen feet, and they range in size to a maximum of sixty by thirty feet. All three still there!the building on the right looked very modern in 1910, all simple and light. Another vote for LAThe streetcar on the left side of the image says, "Edendale," which was a neighborhood in old Los Angeles. Imagine an LA with ..."completed electric railroads to practically every city and town of importance in Southern California and to the thriving beach resorts." I'll think of that during my commute. Familiar!It looks very much the same today, though I doubt the chap on the stool in the middle of Main Street would find his perch as comfortable today. Before the credit cardWhat was American Express' main line of business? [Express is short for "express mail." Express companies like Adams Express and American Express were businesses similar to UPS or FedEx, relying mostly on the railroads for speedy delivery. American Express specialized in services to travelers -- travelers checks and money orders. The window gives some clues. - Dave] The loneliest man in the worldI love it when a shot of an old building includes a person looking out a window. This one's a classic. You should see insideI worked on a couple of movies in the late '90s inside the abandoned Pacific Electric building. What an amazing space. I wandered all through the building and stumbled into what I was told was Huntington's private office -- awesome, massive, with unbelievable marble stairways. In "Gang Related" worked on one scene right around where the streetcar is shown here coming out of the garage. In the scene was Tupac Shakur, who appeared to be somewhat inebriated. It wasn't too much longer after that that he was murdered in Las Vegas. Yay LAIt's great to see a photograph of Los Angeles on Shorpy. I will have to take a look at this spot this weekend and stand at this corner. There's a great restaurant down the street on 4th and Main called Pete's with great Mac and Cheese. No Traffic ControlWow, no stop sign or anything. I also like the seat on the front of the trolley on Sixth. Does one pay extra to be out in front? 610 South MainIt is indeed the PE Building, later the Southern Pacific’s general offices in Los Angeles. I worked there in the late 1970's and early 1980's when the Red Cars were long gone and the street-level station was turned into a parking lot. Our disptaching office controlled traffic betweeb Yuma, AZ and Fresno /San Luis Obispo, CA. Downstairs it was interesting to park one's car next to marble-covered columns. Working rotating shifts I sometimes had to step over a local citizen or two sleeping on the sidewalk. The building closest to the viewer on the left was the Santa Fe's offices and across the street out of view to the right was the Continental Trailways bus depot. The top floors of the PE building housed a handsome two-storey atrium - perhaps Mr Huntingdon's offices. We had a “Watch Inspector” (a man who sold and serviced approved railroad timepieces) in the building and I bought a Ball Trainmaster wristwatch from him for about $120. Years later it cost that much just to have it cleaned. Understand the neighborhood is much nicer now and this building is a condominium. StillWanna know what's up with the seated person in the middle of the intersection! (The Gallery, DPC, Los Angeles, Streetcars)
Old Philly: 1908
... & Fitzgerald. (The Gallery, DPC, Philadelphia, Railroads, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 10:12am -

Philadelphia circa 1908. "Delaware Avenue, foot of Market Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Employee/management issueMan and horse seem to disagree about something. The horse is probably not happy with his benefits package and 401K. Aside from the historical interest... this is just a fantastic composition. Lens Flares!OK - Did these guys pose or was the shutter speed that fast? Mad HatterI love how this horse has a straw hat on! Horse with a hat.I love the Horse with a hat. The guy in the buggy must had loved his horse. It's next to the Bassett Ice Cream wagon. What a priceless photo. You can lose yourself in this pictureI love these photos, lots to see. An ice cream wagon, a horse wearing a hat. A reluctant horse, borax soap and a huge box of corn flakes. And I'm just getting started. Paved overAll of this is torn down and paved over today. But you can find some interesting things on the history of the area. Pier 3 Condominiums, for example, has collected a lot of information about the old waterfront. Among the details is a reference to an elevated railway connecting to the Market Street Subway: "completed on Delaware Avenue from Arch to South Streets in 1908. This route was known as the Delaware Avenue El or the Ferry Line, since its stops served the various ferries to New Jersey. There were two stops, one at Market-Chestnut and one at South Street where the line stub-ended." This looks like the "stub end." Wait!Where's MY hat? Stones in the RoadWhat intrigues me the most about this and many other old photos is the cobblestone streets. There must have been billions of stones. Where were they produced? How long did it take to pave a given area? Pain In The AssThat fellow in the foreground seems to be having trouble motivating his mule. Mad HatterCheck out the horse with a straw hat on the bottom right hand corner. Doesn't look like protective gear but an actual straw hat with ear holes! Too cute. HorselesslessGee, not a horseless carriage in sight. FinallyA horse with a hat! Terrific vignette of a vibrant commercial centre. So much to see and enjoy. FrustrationI wouldn't know what would be worse, a stubborn car or a stubborn horse. What a great photo. How many horses?I lost count at 40! Breakfast TimeBoy, I feel like some Toasted Corn Flakes. If only they'd "fall off the back of a truck." Four-Legged DrivePerhaps the driver at the bottom center is having difficulty shifting his commercial vehicle from the "idle" position. Tags Adams Express Borax Soap Clyde Steamship Company Philadelphia, New York, Paris The Bassett Ice Cream Co., 504 Market St. Toasted Corn Flakes My Great Grandparents' WorldGreat image of the area where my great-grandparents lived and my grandfather was born (Chestnut and 5th in 1905). Thank you, Dave, for all the wonderful images of Philly. Tug a little harderLooks like ol' Bessie doesn't want to go! This is the best!I adore this photo! So much activity here and it is a visual feast. Thank you Dave. More please? Bassett's Ice CreamStill in business at (and one of the original merchants still in) the Reading Terminal Market. That Thar horsea pullin' that ice cream wagon is wearing a chapeau I wonder who wonthe man or the horse at the bootum of the picture. Just above that wagon is a horse with a nice chapeau. Horses do have hats!Personal pet dress up or some other reason? Only John WanamkerThe fanciest rig in the scene, drawn by a pair of white horses, is from Wanamaker's department store. No Philadelphian would have expected it to be otherwise. My grandfather drove deliveries for Lit Brothers, a good department store but a few rungs below Wanamaker's (Strawbridge & Clothier was also below Wanamaker but above Lits*). He bore the mark of a horse kick he sustained on the job for the rest of his life. *Gimbel's operated a store in Philadelphia but they were from New York, ninety-six rail miles from the center of everything, so they can't be properly placed within this spectrum. Stone AgeMan, that's a lot of paving stone! All of them laid by hand. What a backbreaking job! I'm guessing they just paved over them, as they did here in NYC. Laying Paving StonesI watched a guy laying paving stones by hand outside the main train station in Pisa, Italy in 1987. He would pick up a stone, put it into place, and set it with one hit from a mallet. Although he was laying a curved pattern he could set up about 1 stone every 4 to 5 seconds. It was amazing how fast he could lay them. A quick count shows there are about 3 x 7 stones in an area about 1 square yard (I counted the stones around the manhole cover which is probably about 36 inches across). The square is about 40 yards wide and say 600 yards long in the picture (I'm lousy at estimating distance, so pick your own numbers). That's 24,000 square yards or about 500,000 paving stones. At 12 stones/minute (my Italian guy) that's 70 man-days (10 hour days) to lay this many stones. So a team of 10 guys could do it in a week, if each had a helper to fetch stones. Of course you have to prepare the ground, haul the stones, etc. Still with less than 50 people it wouldn't take more than a summer to do. That's just a back of an envelope calculation, but it's not hard to see that in a city of this size, the labor to make it happen could easily be hired. CobblestonesShips from the New World crossed the Atlantic laden with goods for trade. Most ships required ballast when they made the return crossing because they didn't bring equal tonnage back with them. The off-loaded ballast stones became paving stones for Philadelphia's early streets. Disgruntled equineSaw the hat and wants one. Not moving till he gets one like his friend has. Stony BallastI grew up in Philadelphia and lived in the Frankford neighborhood when I went to college. I believe this elevated "stub" became part of the Frankford Elevated which was completed about 1925 and connects to the Market St subway. I rode the El everyday for several years. The cobbletones are said to have come from Europe as ballast in sailing ships. The primary cargo flow was natural resources from America to Europe and ballast was needed for ship stability on the trip from Europe to America. No idea how they were originally made. A lot of cobbletone areas remain in Phila, they serve to keep traffic speeds down. Shadow curveAs has been noted, the El originally terminated at the ferries to Camden, with the elevated track doing a 180 degree turn before going into the subway. This curve can be seen in shadow at image left. The track continues behind and left of the camera, terminating at South Street. This branch stayed in operation into the 1940s. Men in HatsNot just for horses. All the men are sporting a variety of hats from straw boaters to caps. I like the boater on the man to the right pushing a handcart. Harry Kyriakodis has a book on the Philadelphia waterfront full of interesting info. My ancestor had a sailmaking loft on Del Ave in the 1890s McGinnis & Fitzgerald. (The Gallery, DPC, Philadelphia, Railroads, Stores & Markets)
One Second Fast: 1943
... Fast Accurate timekeeping was extremely important to railroads back in the day. Timepieces would be tested once a year, primarily ... alphabetic operation. Standard time It's because of railroads that we have time zones. Can you imagine trying to arrange a railway ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 6:06pm -

March 1943. "Seligman, Arizona. Teletype operator in the telegraph office of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. The time here changes from Mountain to Pacific time." Medium-format safety negative by Jack Delano. View full size. Oh....for the InternetI actually ran a Teletype machine in the mid 1960s, pretty much the same as these. One of my first full time jobs. I worked as a timekeeper for a construction site here in Ontario and had to send daily weather reports to the head office in Winnipeg. It was weird because you were always ahead of the machine as you typed, and there was no spell checker either ... shoulders back and sit up straight. Seligman I beg to differ with the caption. I believe that the time in Seligman never changes at all. No more than a wide spot in the road, it had to have been the model for Radiator Springs in Disney's "Cars," bypassed by the interstate and frozen in time. It's like the flippin' Twilight Zone out there. My Rasta roommate and I endured a breakdown 50 miles from Seligman on a trip from Southern California to college in Flagstaff, AZ many years ago. It was circling buzzards (really), and inbred locals (at a remote gas pipeline station), (1) meth-addled trucker, and (2) tow-truck drivers sharing graphic blood and gore stories the whole way to town. Needless to say, Rasta Boy was terrified, and later asked me where I'd learned to "talk Hick." (I'm still not sayin'.) Where's WaldoThere are all sorts of hidden treasures lurking in this picture. I love the visor that is hung behind the Pacific clock. Looks like it's probably chilly outside, too, seeing this young girl's furry-collar coat hanging on the wall. Compared to what?That "One Second Fast" thing intrigues me. What would they be comparing that to? One second faster than what? Had the atomic clock been put into service by that point? Their timekeepingseems to be quite percise, but the filing system (stacked in the window) looks a lot like my office! Teletype Model 15Teletype Model 15. A closeup of the keyboard if you scroll down the page a bit. Back in the early 70s I had one of these machines hooked to my amateur radio and could send and receive teletype messages or "super low resolution" images formed by strategic placement of characters on the printer roll to make an image. Some of them were quite lengthy (banners) and took quite a while to receive or send. (Considerably slower than the slowest dialup connection). Quartz? I don't need no stinkin' quartz.One second? My overpriced Seiko isn't that accurate. Why one second fast? I see her coat hanging by the clocks. So she gets to go home a little early on company time? Next to the tracksNote the bay window so the operator could see down the tracks and hoop up orders to the train crew. That is a railroad car outside. SeligmanI've passed through Seligman on Highway 66 several times in the last 10 years. I was sad to learn that the Harvey House next to the train tracks was recently torn down. Staying at the Supai Motel and having a mediocre breakfast in the diner down the street is as close to time travel as I've experienced. Seligman history: http://www.seligmanhistory.com/index.html SeligmanI've been to Seligman, too. On a drive from Flagstaff to Vegas. It is the land that time forgot. I fully expected Rod Serling to come out with some kind of announcement. However, I did get some cool stuff in some of those shops. Just a secondThe idea was probably to glance at the time on the clock and by the time you typed in the time (about 1 second later) you would be as accurate as possible. Disregarding the question of "faster than what." One Second FastAccurate timekeeping was extremely important to railroads back in the day. Timepieces would be tested once a year, primarily pocket watches used by conductors and station personnel. I assume that the postings on the Seligman clocks were the result of some sort of test and this was used to indicate their accuracy rather than for a 1 second adjustment on train times. CalibrationIt's fairly common practice with delicate equipment to label or note an error, rather than trying to eliminate the error. When you open up the case and start turning screws or wiggling wires, you risk destroying the instrument. As long as the error is linear and predictable, it's less expensive to adjust your mind than to adjust the instrument. KeysThe keyboard of the Teletype seems to have a lot fewer keys that a standard typewriter (or computer). Can any former operators remember what the difference was? The clocksSince the clocks appear to have mercury compensated pendulums, they are probably free running - not slaved to a line master clock. One second no doubt refers to their 24 hour rate - they gain one second in 24 hrs. MaybeMaybe the clocks are one second fast for when the operator has to record the time. By the time she records the time of day, one second has elapsed and the other end of the telegraph line is getting a more accurate reading. RegardlessTimely accuracy not withstanding, those two clocks look like they belong in some fine residence or the lobby of a hotel somewhere. Not the least bit industrial in design! I shudder to think what they'd be worth today or how hard it might be to find one! Clock CalibrationAccording to a photo caption of similar clocks in the book Faces of Railroading, the clocks were calibrated by a daily telegraph signal from the U.S. Naval Observatory. 32 keysThere were 32 keys, 26 letters and some punctuation. A shift key was used for numbers, much like early manual typewriters. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teleprinter Old time precision surprisesInteresting, I had not heard of the telegraph time signal. It's the telegraph equivalent of radio station WWVB used by my kitchen clock! Railroad AccuracyAs stated by Texcritic, timekeeping was critical for train operations. For example, a train order might direct one train to "wait at" a particular station until a specific time. This train order would also be directed to an opposing train who choose their meeting location based on this information. Conductors and engineers would be directed to check their watches with a standard clock at the beginning of each duty tour and no watch could be more than 30 seconds off the standard time. The clocks in the stations were checked at least once a day by a telegraphic signal from headquarters. TrainsHow fascinating! When I was a young teenager, one of my uncles was a dispatcher for the Baltimore and Ohio. His little shack, laughingly called a "tower," was about 10 by 10, and I recall his typewriter was all-caps, on which he typed the train orders and tied them in the "hoops" as mentioned elsewhere. There were three sets, and on a couple of occasions he let me hand them up. I had to stand on tiptoe as the steam loco passed and the trainman leaned far out to snag the order. Then, about mid-train, the conductor leaned out and got his, and finally the brakeman on the caboose got his. How long ago and far away! Seth Thomas.Cuando se tomó la fotografía los relojes ya eran bastante antiguos. Conservo, en buen uso, otro Seth Thomas que compró mi bisabuelo, algo menos sofisticado, pero que tiene la misma caja y los mismos adornos. He preparado una foto pero no sé como subirla... Good thinkingWonderful filing system! Can't think of a better place for that fire extinguisher... One Second FastThese signs were on all of the Santa Fe official clocks, if the clock got too far off of official time, the clockman would come in and fix the clock. Nobody but the clockman was allowed to adjust the official clock. LTRS and FIGSThe military still used these teletypes when I was in the Army in the 1970's. If I remember correctly, the "shift" keys operated differently from typewriters. Character codes were shared between letters and numbers/punctuation with preceding LTRS and FIGS codes to shift between them. That is, when the FIGS key was pressed, a FIGS codes was sent and all subsequent character codes were interpreted as numeric characters (figures) until the LTRS key was pressed. That would send a LTRS code and return the unit to alphabetic operation. Standard timeIt's because of railroads that we have time zones. Can you imagine trying to arrange a railway schedule when every town had its own time? VibroplexThat sure looks like a Vibroplex bug sitting on the table just over her right shoulder...a semi-automatic morse code generator. Love the coat hookI love how there is a nail in the wall for the coat hanger under the light switch. I can see her coming in in the morning, turning on the light, removing her coat and hanging it up there under the switch. Then turning it off at night. So practical. Not like today where light switches and coat closets are miles apart! There's a clock like that in SacramentoThere is a similar clock on display at the Calif. State RR Museum in Sacramento. It is a work of art. These would be worth a fortune today. Noisy MachinesIn 1967, I was in school learning how to use these Teletype machines. Talk about noisy! I was a fairly fast typist and the Teletype machine was a slow machine to type on, which was a bit frustrating when your fingers wanted to go faster than the machine did. These are ancient machines now but looking back to'67 I didn't have one thought to how old they were, I just didn't like all the noise and slowness of them. Thank God for progress!! Seth Thomas 19's Standard ClocksBob Wells, Watch & Clock Inspector for Santa Fe, told me back in 1970 about the two 19's in Seligman. It was a unique period for several years that you could purchase Santa Fe clocks; mainly Seth Thomas clocks such as a #19, Gallery, School House,#2 and a few E. Howards. All Santa Fe timepieces were called in and eventually displayed in a warehouse in the San Bernardino yard including the two from Seligman. What a sight that was; there were five #19's side by side for sale and most remained on the wall for a year waiting for a buyer. The #19's with the Montgomery Dials as pictured sold for $3500, a #2 for $350 a School House for $100. Some internet chatter says over 300 of 19's were purchased by Santa Fe. Bob Wells said it was around 15. It took me a year save $3500 to buy a #19 along with the one second sign just prior to Bob's retirement in '73 along with all Santa Fe Watch and Clock Inspectors thus ending an era. It arrived in a box car from Topeka. Bob and I drove his station wagon to the box car and then we drove to my house to set it up. Such service from a very nice man. He loved those 19's but was never able to afford one after retirement. We remained good friends and shop talked clocks until he passed away in the 80ies. Last October a Santa Fe ST 19 went up for auction and sold in the 100K range. I just hope the two in Seliman got their Finials straighten out as they are incorrectly placed. For 100K, you want it perfect. Two timesUntil 1950 Seligman was the west end of the Albuquerque Division and east end of the Arizona Division -- the former ran on Mountain Time and the latter on Pacific. When the west end of the Albuquerque Division moved west to Needles, the time change moved west too. And not just railroad time -- until the beginning of the war, road maps showed the time change at Seligman instead of at the state line as it is now. "1 Second Fast" means the time on the clock is one second ahead of the correct time -- nothing to do with the rate at which the clock gains time. The crews that use the clock to check their watches don't care about that; they just want to know what the correct time is at this moment. (Technology, The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Norwood Belt Line: 1901
... U.S. Mail Streetcars? I knew some railroads ran mail/post office cars under U.S. government contract, some of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/30/2023 - 8:59pm -

Toledo, Ohio, circa 1901. "Summit Street." In what seems to be the home furnishings district. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Fit to be Tied(tke's)The block at right would soon become home to the storied Toledo retailer; eventually it all burned (gee, guess you don't have to be a hotel to do that !) The attractive building on the left, which ultimately housed a branch of Hudson's - yes, that Hudson's - kindled earlier: Perhaps we should call it the "Tinder District". Buy now! Pay Later!"Summit Street." In what seems to be the home furnishings district. — and who would have guessed? Based on the banner farther down the street, they're having a sale! GenerationsSummit runs along the Maumee River through the heart of Toledo. This area of downtown has been prime real estate for a long time, and it has been redeveloped multiple times. The latest generation of buildings have large footprints and are meant to impress. You'd have to head up Adams a few blocks - to less valuable real estate - to see the older retail buildings similar to what's in the photo. Wonderland? Is it an amusement park? If I could walk down a street in a Shorpy photo, I would check this place out! [It was a theater. - Dave] U.S. Mail Streetcars?I knew some railroads ran mail/post office cars under U.S. government contract, some of which were staffed to sort mail being delivered between cities. Some interurbans did similar things, with both dedicated and mixed mail/passenger cars. But an obviously local two-axle passenger trolley bearing a U.S. Mail "badge", that's a new one on me, and the internets seem equally stumped, couldn't find any relevant references in an hour-plus of searching. What wouldKlinger think? (The Gallery, DPC, Streetcars, Toledo)
Penn Station: 1910
... photos of them there. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2011 - 6:18pm -

Pennsylvania Station in New York as seen from Gimbel's department store circa 1910. George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size | See the interior. Such a beautiful building.Such a beautiful building. People on Roof?Yes! You have a good eye. What the heck are they doing up there? Roof?Are those people sitting on the roof? People on roofI'd hazard a guess that they were a crew working on the roof and were taking a lunch break or something at the time the pciture was taken. Buildings below street levelNotice the horsecart in center of photo, there are buildings what looks like below street level. Why did they do that? I'd hate to live in one of those buildings below street level. [They're across the street in front of an excavation pit, not below it. - Dave] Too bad it got ripped downIn what spurred on the early historic preservation movement, the original Penn Station (as shown in the photo) was torn down in the 1960s for a really ugly Madison Square Garden. If you walk underneath whereIf you walk underneath where the trains are, there are some remnants of the original Penn Station, a large grandfather clock, some old signs stating where the original trains used to dock and something else, I am forgetting at the moment. RemnantsThe passenger areas are still largely the same layout, you just have to imagine what used to be over your head. The EaglesThe 16 eagle sculptures from the main entrance pediments were saved and scattered around the country. There is one here at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia. All the rest of the sculptures ended up in dumps in New Jersey. There are many poignant photos of them there. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC, Railroads)
Silk Railroad: 1900
... Raw silk, and silk cocoons, was prime business for railroads from the turn of the century into the '30's when airlines stole the ... of lower insurance cost. EVERYTING, including each railroads "crack" passenger trains got out of the way of a silk train. Section ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/21/2017 - 10:53pm -

Circa 1900. "Sauquoit silk mill on Susquehanna River at Scranton, Pennsylvania." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Not the SusquehannaPretty sure DPC mislabeled the image. This mill seems to have been along the Lackawanna (the Susquehanna doesn't go by Scranton). The mill was at the end of Fig Street in Scranton. The mill can seen in 1992 aerial photographs but is gone a few years later. https://goo.gl/maps/riQqYnEDjV52 string of boxcarsDelaware Lackawanna & Western, Central Railroad of NJ and Lehigh Valley predominate, with one from Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, another from Delaware & Hudson, and the light-colored one whose identity I can't make out (possibly New York Central & Hudson River, they had light grey cars.) Note how the cars have a variety of heights, even those from the same railroad. (The 3 CNJ cars are easy to spot with their 'bullseye' herald.) And if I'm not mistaken, the left-most car is pushed up onto the mound of dirt that is the end-of-track bumper. My, How You Have Grown!What a difference a few years can make! Article from The Scranton Republican Tuesday, December 8, 1891. Silk trainsThis is the first photo I've seen for a destination for silk trains. The boxcars shown would be for finished silk. Incoming raw material from the Orient was shipped in baggage cars, with guards. Raw silk, and silk cocoons, was prime business for railroads from the turn of the century into the '30's when airlines stole the business. The product was somewhat perishable, which by itself made it time sensitive, but was also extremely valuable and shipped at very high insurance premiums. The less time on any particular railroad, the more profitable it was because of lower insurance cost. EVERYTING, including each railroads "crack" passenger trains got out of the way of a silk train. Section crews would "spike" switches ahead of a silk train to make the track more secure. Crews were handpicked. A ship coming into a west coast port would immediately trans load into baggage cars, and the doors nailed shut. All of the northern transcontinental railroads, and Canadian railroads vied for this business. (The Gallery, DPC, Factories, Railroads, Scranton)
Factoryville: 1910
... (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cleveland, DPC, Factories, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/09/2014 - 5:10pm -

An uncaptioned industrial scene from the early 1900s. What is this gritty city? Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. Rungs on the smokestackAre those (barely visible) rungs on the right side of the smokestack? If so, what a harrowing climb that would have been. Also, why would anyone need/want to climb that smokestack in the first place? Cleveland, OHThe Stowe-Fuller Co. in the lower right is the clue. Cleveland?I'm gonna guess Cleveland. The Stowe-Fuller Company was based there. Henkel's Flour was out of Detroit, but I think there was an outpost in Cleveland, too. Gritty CityCleveland. Stowe-Fuller CoLooks like the origin may be Cleveland. Could be the Cuyahoga River. There's much railroad infrastructure along that river still. DetroitJudging from the Henkel Flour mill, I'd guess Detroit MI. DetroitI'm going to take a wild guess and say Detroit, Michigan. That looks like Henkel's Flour mill sign in the background. Before the river caught fire (I think?)Cleveland. Was my first guess based on looks alone, but this picture of the Henkel's Flour elevator would seem to confirm it: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/det1994021768/PP/ I also found info indicating that there was indeed a Stowe-Fuller Co. in Cleveland. Stowe and Fuller Co.Cleveland, OH? ClevelandCould that be the Cuyahoga? On 11/27/1899, the Stowe-Fuller Co filed a U.S. federal trademark registration for a brick called Alumnite. Wow! The cityIt's Cleveland. It's ...Cleveland! ClevelandStowe-Fuller seems to have been a Cleveland Ohio Cement and Brick maker so I'll guess Cleveland? Cleveland?The Stowe Fuller name is all over google as a Cleveland business. Where Are We?Detroit? Henkel's Flour mill was there. Detroit?Since there is a Henkel's Flour building and since the negative has a Detroit Publishing source, I would guess that it is Detroit. FactoryvilleThe Flats. Cleveland, Ohio. The old Superior Viaduct can be seen crossing the Cuyahoga River off in the backgound. On Lake ErieCleveland, Ohio. Henkel's Flour had a grain elevator on the river and another photo is attached showing the freighter North Star tied up next to their dock. Also, theh Stowe-Fuller Co. was based in Cleveland too. The Stowes tell itCleveland, Ohio Looks like it might be Detroithttp://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270836777233&item... Stowe-Fuller FirebrickThat would be Cleveland, Ohio, no ? ClevelandHere's another angle on the Henkel's sign. On the far right is an ad to visit the Likly and Rockett showroom at 405 Superior Ave. Taking an Educated Guessat Cleveland, based on the Stowe-Fuller Company building in the lower-right corner of the picture. Why this is Cleveland The clue is the Stowe-Fuller Co., who made fire brick among other products, on the river bank. Possible I.D.I think it is Cleveland, Ohio. Henkel's FlourQuick search revealed the plant was located in Detroit on Atwater Street. Also known as Commercial Milling Co. Detroit's Commercial Milling Co.A search for "Henkel's Flour" (seen from the reverse of the sign in the distance) returns results for the Commercial Milling Co. from Detroit. I tried searching for Stowe-Fuller Co. too, but did not retrieve many results. Cleveland, OhioPossible taken at the same time as Detroit Publishing Co. no. 500408? http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/det.4a25417/ Based on that picture, which shows a warehouse at 405 West Superior Road, the Henkels factory was at the tip of the elbow in the Cuyahoga river where Carter and Scranton Roads meet today, and this picture would have been taken from about where Route 10, Carnegie Avenue, crosses the Cuyahoga. Use Henke's FlourAlong with Pillsbury, Henke's Flour was produced in Minneapolis. The faint image of a stone bridge in the distance also looks like one still standing in Minneapolis. Google leads me to think it's ClevelandBoth Fuller-Stowe and Henkel's Flour seem to have been located there. Cleveland OhioWhat do I win? ClevelandCleveland, shot northward from Franklin Ave., just west of where the big Cleveland Union Terminal RR viaduct would be built in the 1920's. Here is a streetview from almost the exact location. It was shot on Franklin Ave, just east of W 25th street: https://maps.google.com/?ll=41.488721,-81.705558&spn=0.007756,0.016512&t... Streetview is difficult, as there is now thick vegetation between Franklin Ave and the river. The coal dumper was Erie RR (NYPANO). The farthest flour mill is still there, modified. The low swing bridge is Center St., still in daily use. The stone part of the Old Superior Viaduct still stands. The replacement Detroit Superior viaduct would cross about where the Erie coal dumper was. Henkel's Flour building still thereThe Henkels flour building is still there - you can see where the sign was taken off the roof. And the swing bridge just past it on the opposite bank is still there too, it looks like - you can see it in red behind the overpass. View Larger Map Absolutely ClevelandAs a Clevelander, here's what I can add: The 1910 Cleveland City Directory showed Henkel's Flour mill at 1636 Merwin Ave., and Stowe-Fuller nearby at 1722 Merwin Ave. The Center Street swing bridge in the river was built in 1901. Construction of the Detroit-Superior High Level Bridge, shown in an earlier aerial photo, was substantially complete in 1917. There is no sign of that construction project. So, the general date range of the photo is after 1901 and before 1915. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cleveland, DPC, Factories, Railroads)
Oswego: 1901
... (?) rear left. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/30/2022 - 8:06pm -

"Down the river -- Oswego, N.Y." Circa 1901, the steam tug Charley Ferris on the Oswego River. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Busy shorelineA terrific view of a less-familiar American shoreline (Lake Ontario). And busy! A tugboat, a two-masted schooner, a yacht, barges, rowboats, a jetty, railroad tracks, warehouses, and best of all: a lighthouse and a ship under full sail, both on the horizon. No automobiles. She's bleeding pretty bad, Cappy.What a cool picture. Pretty calm day from the looks of it. The schooner off in the distance is just ghosting along. The iron fastenings on "Charley Ferris" are really rusting thru the paint -- bleeding. I see the smokestack from galley stove (small pipe with cap to the left of the main smokestack) but I can't figure out what the pipe coming from the box forward of the wheelhouse leading up and thru the forward glass is. If it's for heat coming from the engine room, I'd think you'd have small deck grates in the floor of the cabin since it's above the engine. If it's a small outside wood or coal stove, the flue pipe is awful short and the smoke would hamper the vision for the man at the wheel ... unless they've removed the flue pipe because when the photo was taken it was summer?? Puzzling. Still a place of commerceBelow is the Oswego River flowing into Lake Ontario today. The small lighthouse and the ground it stood on are gone. In the 1901 photo there is a flag flying at right. I'm betting it is at Fort Ontario, top right in the photo below. The 1901 photo is an idyllic scene. But one thing I noticed made me think, "No, oh hell no!" AloftGot a dude on a crosstree (?) rear left. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
Super Chief: 1943
... that is no longer owned by Santa Fe successor, BNSF. That railroads still fuels its transcontinental trains in nearby Belen, NM. ... good work ! (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/03/2017 - 9:32am -

March 1943. "Santa Fe streamliner Super Chief being serviced at the depot in Albuquerque. Servicing these Diesel streamliners takes five minutes." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the OWI. View full size. WowThis is EXACTLY how I want my model railroad to look like! yepI toatally agree execept mine will be built using lego bricks! Super ChiefI rode the El Capitan and the Super Chief back in 1967 it was a wonderful trip and a great way to really see the country. I rode Amtrak's Southwest Chief in 1999 to and from Calif on my honeymoon, my wife enjoyed it too. FuelingThe fact that they're fueling from two tank cars on a siding shows how relatively new this technology was in the area - there wasn't a permanent facility available as there would be for coal fired locomotives. And yet in the Southwest in particular diesels were the perfect engines since they didn't need the scarce water. Wartime TriviaDuring the World War II years, some train headlamp openings were reduced in size to prevent Axis spies from seeing them traveling through the night. The E6 model pictured, built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in May 1941, has the shroud covering the larger headlamp opening. The number board above the cab and on either sides of the nose appear to be dimmed as well. This AT&SF E6 No. 15 was paired with a matching cabless booster unit E6A, and both were retired in June 1968 after several million miles of travel (and no doubt washed many, many times) since this great photograph was taken. Longest stop on a long rideI rode the Super Chief from Chicago to Los Angeles and back in 1970. I remember that, at least westbound, the stop at Albuquerque was long enough that passengers were allowed to get off the train to stretch their legs on the platform, and was the only such stop on the whole trip -- which may explain that large gaggle back by the station. And I remember being impressed, as a youngster, by the Old Spanish architecture of that station, which was like nothing we had in the Midwest. AlbuquerqueGee whiz, I remember getting arrested on the exact spot right below the camera by the AT&SF "Dick" one fine overcast day in July 1970. This was while we were moving out to California when I was 16. "Trespassing" was the charge. Just wanted to see some Warbonnets before returning to the motel and my folks then back out West on to THAT road, Route 66 the next a.m. Somewhat different world these days, huh? The Atchison, Topeka and Santa FeWhat a great photo. Even though I (like most I suspect) have gone all digital, I still believe that the pinnacle of color photography was Kodachrome transparencies. I remember when they doubled the ASA rating to 64, woo-hoo, great color and fast film! Unfortunately, there is little still in existence from this photo. Passenger rail travel is close to extinct, the Santa Fe is now part of a conglomeration that includes at least 3 grand old railroad lines, the Harvey House hotel (upper left behind the station) was torn down, and the beautiful Mission Style station burned in 1993. Ready to JumpPrep the Atavachron, I've decided where I want to go. AlbuquerqueFrom Fritz Lang's "Human Desire" (1954). Oh the Fabulous Memories!When I was 12 years old I got to be the baggage guys' "helper" at the Hutchison, Kansas, stop. The biggest thrill was the night, like every other night, the Santa Fe Chief pulled into the station, and as always I got far enough down the tracks to be where the ABBA units would stop. This one night the engineer, I assume, recognized me as being a "regular" at that spot, opened the cab door, and let me climb up in the EMD F3 engine. He then opened the rear door, and I was looking down the long cabin, at the biggest engines I had ever imagined existed, in the middle, with walkways down both sides. I will never forget the deafening roar the second the engineer opened that door. Every time I see pictures of these EMD F3 setups, I get chills. Beyond a doubt, works of timeless rolling art. Now I am the proud owner of a G scale model RR set, ABA units, that are so realistic, you could almost climb aboard! Texas 1947Look out, here she comes, she's comin', Look out, there she goes, she's gone-- Screamin' straight through Texas like a mad dog cyclone. "Big and red and silver, she don't make no smoke, she's a fast-rollin' streamline come to show the folks. -- Guy Clark, "Texas 1947" Santa Fe / AlbuquerqueYou the Ron Beck I was in the AF with? Don't think so, but it'd sure be wackily weird if you were! My dad worked at a baker at the Harvey House Restaurant in Albuquerque in 1944-45. We lived directly across the street from the Harvey House in some old, cheap hotel. You can get back to me, if you wish, at majskyking@gmail.com Enjoyed your comments. Railroad days were phenomenal!! Let's share some RR stories. LogoThey've chosed the American Flyer over the Lionel paint job for the Santa Fe logo. SquintyNote the wartime shroud on the headlight. Service StopThe four hoses feeding the locomotives are not only providing fuel but also water for the diesel-fired steam heat boilers. See the wisp of steam at the rear of the lead unit. The water fill was located in the side of the carbody forward of the cab ladder. Albuquerque is located on a secondary route mostly used by passenger trains that is no longer owned by Santa Fe successor, BNSF. That railroads still fuels its transcontinental trains in nearby Belen, NM. Harvey HouseYou can still stay at a Harvey House hotel: La Posada, in Winslow, Arizona. My daughter and I did just that, as we drove from LA to Massachusetts a few years back. It was a wonderful stay, we ate at the restaurant and there were complimentary earplugs on our pillows. Necessary, because of the train yard immediately behind the hotel. The hotel was almost torn down, and the story of how it was saved and restored is worth reading. Winslow is an interesting town, and not to be missed if you're out that way. http://www.laposada.org Not the only Harvey House leftThere are still a few of the former Harvey House hotels in operation, one not that far from this photo. The La Fonda in Santa Fe was acquired by the AT&SF in 1925 and promptly leased back to Fred Harvey to run. It operated as a Harvey property until 1968, when changing conditions led to a forced sale, though it remains a locally-owned property to the present day. Where's Shorpy ?Ah, I see what you did there, Dave. Very clever. Keep up the good work ! (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Confederate Park: 1910
... (The Gallery, Civil War, DPC, Factories, Memphis, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/11/2022 - 11:13am -

Memphis, Tennessee, circa 1910. "Confederate Park and Front Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. I spy with my eyeBy my count there’s at least 70 people in that picture. I probably missed some too. Amazing! Jefferson Davis, 1964-2017Of course, those dates mark not the birth and death of the President of the Confederacy, but the arrival and removal of his statue in Confederate Park. Ironically, the statue had a much shorter life than the man himself. By the way, Confederate Park is now called Memphis Park. Cow costumes"Dressed Beef" had me seeing sartorially significant bovine units à la Amelia Bedelia, the housekeeper of literature who took her instructions literally. Cough, cough ... It's lovelyOn this Veterans Day today, I appreciate this 1910 Confederate Park had a United States flag flying overhead. In February 2013 the Memphis city council hurriedly renamed three Confederate-themed parks, including this one and one named after the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, to head off an effort by some state legislators to block such name changes. In 2017 a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis (which I don't see in the 1910 photograph, unless they meant that bust), along with the war cannons, were removed. Here is Memphis Park today. Front Street is the street on the right. The concrete walks are laid out in the same pattern. The air looks much fresher. Smokin'Doesn't look like much of a view from those park benches but then again, they are upstream of the smoke. Missing the PointFor the curious: No, that isn't Union Station in the background -- one vulgar name is enough ... suh!! -- but rather Poplar Avenue station. Like many of us, it lost a little off the top, and more generally its good looks, as it slid into decrepitude. Smoke show! Whoever is firing the boiler for the Tennessee Cotton Oil Co. must be using old rubber boots. (The Gallery, Civil War, DPC, Factories, Memphis, Railroads)
Owego Again: 1901
... and unattractive. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/29/2022 - 2:04pm -

Tioga County, New York, circa 1901. "Bridge over the Susquehanna at Owego." With another message from J.C. Kenyon. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. You want it, you got itJoel C. Kenyon -- And despite what you learned in school about drugs leading to an early death, Mr. Kenyon carried on until age 84 (tho presumably he gave up his graffitiing ways somewhat earlier). For those of you - be you plump or svelte - curious as to where he plied his drug trade, or where he spent the gains of such, both his elixir emporium at 5 Lake and his house (below) seem to be extant. Owego, Oswego, OtsegoWe can thank Dave for some silent unconfusing. On the Library of Congress website, this photo has the DPC caption "Bridge over the Susquehanna, Oswego, N.Y." The LOC's own caption is "Bridge over the Susquehanna, Oswego [i.e. Owego], N.Y." But Oswego and Owego are a hundred miles apart, and Oswego is a hundred miles northwest of the source of the Susquehanna, which flows out of Otsego Lake at Cooperstown. Otsego Lake is a hundred miles from Owego (you can follow the Susquehanna there). The confusion preceded DPC: a painting by Xanthus Russell Smith is called "View on the Susquehanna above Oswego." But if you're above Oswego you're in Lake Ontario. To complicate matters further, in April 2022, a different Smith painting was sold at auction: it was listed as "View of Susquehanna River above Owego." [Also note the note here: "Misidentified as Oswego, N.Y., until 2010." - Dave] Come to me, my plump beautyIn the July 20, 1894, edition of the Shenandoah Evening Herald, druggist J. C. Kenyon, of Owego, N.Y., recommended women use Paskola ... so they won't be all thin, lanky, and unattractive. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
Plane No. 7: 1900
... Boonton.org . (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/15/2022 - 12:28am -

Boonton, New Jersey, circa 1900. "Top of plane, Morris and Essex Canal." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Read if so inclinedI didn't know this, so maybe others don't too: A [canal] inclined plane is a type of cable railway used on some canals for raising boats between different water levels. Boats may be conveyed afloat, in caissons, or may be carried in cradles or slings. This would be the long way roundAt least it would be today. Between 1824 and 1924 the Morris Canal served Boonton's iron industry between Phillipsburg and Jersey City. Iron crossed over the Jersey Hills by use of 23 lift locks and 23 inclined planes. Thank you, Kiwanis. Painting of the Boonton LockI am so very happy to see this image Shorpy-fied! My grandparents lived two blocks from the Boonton lock and plane. He, F. C. Wells, was a Manhattan architect and painter. In the 1940s (or maybe '50s) he created a rather surreal image of the "guard lock" at Boonton (attached). I don't know for certain, but I think he painted this collage of imagery over another painting -- as suggested by the church turrets in the background and the forested mountain on the right. D&H CanalVery cool. I remember my father mentioning it a few times, he was born in 1917 in Irvington. Up here in Ulster County there are a couple of museums celebrating the Delaware and Hudson Canal, roughly the same time period, running from Pennsylvania coalfields to the Hudson River. Coal then moved on barges down the Hudson. It was built in ten years. There's an inland town along it’s its length called Summitville because it was the highest point on the canal. This being a more rural area, there are lots of parts remaining. +120 YearsThe building on the left with the bay windows is still standing: The inclined plane started by the intersection of Main Street and School Road. You can see where the canal and inclined plane were on this old map of Boonton. Lots of great then-and-now photos (including another view of the top of the plane) at Boonton.org. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
The Hump Office: 1942
... figure out some of the abbreviations in the left column as railroads: SFE = Santa Fe, RDG = Reading, PA = Pennsylvania, NYC = New York ... are abbreviations (BELT, PENNA, IHB, IHLOC, CBQ), but of railroads or cities? 20 Years Later ...in 1962, a similarly attired C+O ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/16/2014 - 6:12pm -

December 1942. "Switch lists coming in by teletype to the hump office at a Chicago & North Western railroad yard, Chicago." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. The List - Railroad Abbreviations?I can figure out some of the abbreviations in the left column as railroads: SFE = Santa Fe, RDG = Reading, PA = Pennsylvania, NYC = New York Central, RI = Rock Island, MIL = Milwaukee Road. Maybe someone out there can figure out the others: CIM, MP, EJE, COFG, GCX, UTLX, CNW, MDT. I also think the ones in the center column are abbreviations (BELT, PENNA, IHB, IHLOC, CBQ), but of railroads or cities? 20 Years Later...in 1962, a similarly attired C+O clerk, leaning back in a swivel chair, feet up on the console of the Univac 1 at Case Tech, watching the neon lights blink and the metal tapes spin. C+O's corporate offices were in the Terminal Tower, and a clerk came out to Case every day to run accounting jobs. This was the only use the Univac 1 got at the time, with the Burroughs 220 and the new Univac 1107 taking over student class load. My phone has more computing power than all of them put together. Could it be?General MacArthur above the pictured man's head? [Good catch! Time magazine, December 29, 1941. -tterrace] The ListClick to enlarge. Railroad AbbreviationsCIM = Chicago, Illinois, and Midland MP = Missouri Pacific EJE = Elgin, Joliet, and Eastern COFG = Central of Georgia GCX = General Chemical UTLX = Union Tank Car Co. CNW = Chicago & Northwestern MDT = Merchants Despatch Transportation Full disclosure: Other than CNW, I had to rely on the magic of the interwebs. Hump listThe list most likely represents train 284 out of Butler Yard (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) on the Wisconsin Division, with conductor GL Stewart in charge. The 1, 2, 3...designation indicates the first car to go over the hump, the second, etc. I find in interesting that the official reporting marks of the various railroads are not used. Regarding bigguy1960’s question: CIM represents the Chicago and Illinois Midland railroad. MP represents the Missouri Pacific railroad, often called the Mopac. EJE represents the Elgin Joliet and Eastern railroad, owned by US Steel at the time to handle their product. MDT stood for Merchants Despatch (the “e” is correct) Transportation. CNW was the Chicago and Northwestern railroad, the host railroad for the picture. The X designation in a reporting mark meant the rail equipment was owned by a company other than a railroad. Hence, UTLX refers to the Union Tank Car Company, still with us today. The “COFG” and “GCX” have me stumped. The two character designation to the right of the initial/number represents load or empty, and car type. X stands for empty, thus CIM 5449 is an empty “gon,” or gondola. Lines three and four are empty hoppers. Lines 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22 and 23 are loads, with a brief description of the lading. The next block of information indicates which railroad in Chicago the car goes to. The line one through six block will go to the BRC, the Belt Railroad of Chicago. The handwritten twos and sixes are for the pin puller on the hump. He will see a block of six cars and pull the pin “behind six,” instead of scrutinizing each car reporting mark and number. The two digit number to the right of the off going line represents the cars weight, critically important to the retarder operator. A couple of the cars show “10” tons, and I’m assuming they are wooden sided gons, which would account for their very light relative weight. Let's dissect a switch listThe very top of the page shows the train's origin and date. 1. The left column is the position number of the car in the train followed by the car initials and number. The double letter indicates car type, i.e.XG, gondola; XM, boxcar, etc. 2. The next column lists the car destination as far as this yard is concerned. Belt would be Belt Railway of Chicago; IHB is Indiana Harbor Belt, with initials after indicating IHB's connecting destination, for instance CBQ is Burlington Route. Most of this train is being delivered to C&NW's connecting railroads in the neighborhood. 3.Third column of typed numbers is the track number the car is headed for. The hand written number shows multiple car cuts. To the right of the track numbers is any special notations or instructions. It looks like "Ride" is the big note, meaning the car should be ridden by a trainman off the hump, to slow the car to prevent damage to lading. In this time, most humps employed "hump riders", trainmen who controlled speed of cars as they rolled into the tracks by gravity after being uncoupled in motion. Early in my career, only the yard conductor got a nice printout like this. He would scribble out a simple switchlist for his trainmen that only listed how many cars to which track number. The conductor was the only one who had car numbers to work with; if he missed an extra car, or a car missing, all the work beyond that was wrong and had to be straightened out. (Most guys were careful about that.) Couple more abbr.BELT = Beltline RR (Chicago local freight) CBQ = Chicago Burlington & Quincy (Burlington route) Those Initials and moreCOFG = Central of Georgia (Railroad) GCX = General Chemical (Company) WAB - Wabash (Railroad) The Belt (Railway Company of Chicago) gets all of its empty Railroad owned cars on the same Track 28, but the PENNA (Pennsylvania Railroad) gets its empty PA (Pennsylvania Railroad) cars on Track 10 and an empty RDG (Reading Railroad) car on Track 9. Thanks, SHORPYAnother learning experience thanks to your superb members. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Edwards Depot: 1936
... except for some fainter vegetation. (The Gallery, Railroads, Small Towns, Walker Evans) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/12/2023 - 3:07pm -

February 1936. "View of railroad station. Edwards, Mississippi." 8x10 inch nitrate negative by Walker Evans for the U.S. Resettlement Administration. View full size. Vertical LinesWhat are the Vertical Lines suspended from the Horizontal overheads. I suspect a Curtain Array Antenna of some type (?) [See above. - Dave] Thanks. Interesting TelltalesI spot three of them, one over each track. What a scene.WOW! That's a model railroader's prototype just waiting to be built to scale. Without much to go onI believe this is the area in Walker Evans's 1936 photograph. I could not identify any buildings still there today. The railroad tracks bear right heading west and are straight heading east. [W.E. was shooting from the Magnolia Street bridge. The white building with the brick insert is at far left in his photo. - Dave] Dave, thanks for using a better reference point than I had (I was down by the parked cars at left). Your spot also lets me recommend everyone spin their street view around and appreciate the old homes along Magnolia. Those "Vertical Lines"As delorthlo states, they are telltales, to warn carmen on the roofs of cars of an approaching tunnel or other obstacle. Zero stoplights, three pagesIs how someone might have described Edwards in 1936; the "pages" of course being the Sanborn fire maps (In short, a pretty small place; but a step up from one page, and obviously two steps up from not being mapped at all). The map tells us Edwards seems to have been a more interesting place than it is now: for example the brick buildings beyond the station were but two of a long stretch of such structures -- "Main Street" in both name and fact -- and out of the picture to the right the station fronted on a town square; it doesn't impress much today. One suspects Edwards' opportunity to need a stoplight has passed by. O' Brother, Where Art Thou.From the crossing looking towards the bridge is from the move O' Brother, Where Art Thou? At the end of the movie this shot is used. Larry is correct, a modeler's dream. On my list to include in my layout. Both sides of the tracks... look equally bad. Order BoardThe 2 faced lower quadrant semaphore protruding from the roof of the combined passenger and freight station was not used to control train movements. Instead, it is an "Order Board", controlled by the station agent via vertical rods, used to notify train crews that they needed to pick up train orders, called "flimsies", since they were written on tissue paper to create multiple carbon copies. Depending on the importance of the train order, they could either be picked up on the fly by spearing a thin wooden hoop with your arm, or safety related orders required the crew to stop and sign for the orders. In either case, copies of the orders were delivered to both the engine crew(s) and the conductor in the caboose. The order board indicated which kind of orders they were. A double header with a caboose and pusher would require 4 copies, plus a copy for the agent's records. Train orders are still used, issued to crews by the dispatcher via radio, with mandatory correct readback from the crew, and the radio traffic recorded in case of an incident. The crew writes the orders on a paper form in the cab. Those telltales saved lives. In the days before portable "lunchbox" brakeman radios and diesel dynamic brakes, there were several reasons for brakemen to stand on car tops, to signal the engineer while switching around a curve, and to apply and release handbrakes on a downgrade. Incredibly dangerous to keep your balance, and step to the next car, apart from being knocked off the roof by a bridge or tunnel. Eventually, the roof walks were removed, and the ladders leading up to the roof were shortened to just be something to hold on to when riding on the end of a car while switching. Still dangerous work if you aren't alert. I'm old enough to have seen the tail end of this era, as a kid spent many hours talking with agents in stations and manual "armstrong" interlocking towers, listening to the dispatcher's party line. Knew several crossing watchmen, who spent their days in little towers at major railroad crossings, pumping down the pneumatic crossing gates for each train. I have a small brass 2 lever frame used by the agent to control an order board. Car IDFive Chevrolets. TelltalesThese were to warn railroad workers on top of the cars (usually brakemen) that the train was approaching a low overhead structure, in this case the highway overpass from which the photo was taken. As railroad braking systems improved, the need for "decorating" the cars reduced, until the practice is now forbidden. Phantom StationIn Doug Floor Plan's modern view of the area, it seems that I can see the "ghost" of that long-ago station: lighter patches of grass where buildings used to stand. I guess it's a good example of how quickly human-made constructions can disappear from view and leave no trace, except for some fainter vegetation. (The Gallery, Railroads, Small Towns, Walker Evans)
Jupiter R.R.: 1896
... with no shoes on. He'd be disciplined for sure on today's railroads. Heck, to go near a running locomotive today, I must have safety ... has come uncoupled"! (The Gallery, Dogs, DPC, Florida, Railroads, W.H. Jackson) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/26/2012 - 4:55pm -

Florida circa 1896. "Jupiter & Lake Worth R.R." And one hound dog who didn't have to wait for the invention of the pickup truck. Dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Jupiter & Lake Worth RRMore info: http://www.taplines.net/jalw/jalwry.htm Technology Marches OnwardIs that a DC battery and wire leading from the tender to the car? If so, I can see the advantage of electric lighting as opposed to oil lamps. Does anyone out there know how many locomotives were running on wood vs. coal in 1898? Squeaky Pooch Is that guy fixin' to oil the hound? Celestial RailroadSometimes called that because it made stops at Venus and Mars before it ended at Jupiter. With no turnarounds on the 7½ mile line, the train was always pointed toward Lake Worth, running backward one way and forward the other. Circa 1889-1896According to the interesting link provided by David Emery, the J&LW operated from 1889 to 1896, and took 35 minutes to make its 7.5 mile run. It, and its connecting steamboat lines, were put out of business by Flagler's mainline railroad, some of whose hotels were featured here several months back. Jupiter & Lake WorthWhat a wonderful litle piece of Americana! A short-line narrow gauge railroad that lasted but a handful of years, but was filled with local color and quirky personalities. Stuff like this is one of many reasons we look at Shorpy every day. Thanks Dave. WowThe detail and tone on that locomotive is amazing. Shoeless JoePoor fellow standing on front of engine with no shoes on. He'd be disciplined for sure on today's railroads. Heck, to go near a running locomotive today, I must have safety glasses, ear protection, safety vest, gloves and proper boots. Great picture. ToolsI don't know if that is a wire running to the coach or not, but the box on the tender is a tool box. Headlamp is standard oil burner type so probably no electricity on the train. Baldwin EngineBaldwin did produce rectangular plates during the 1880's, alternating them with the round plates. And thanks to David Emery for passing my link to the J&LW site, for more interesting old railroad photos and history please visit www.taplines.net Thanks Don Hensley SanctifiedThe photo is so beautiful that it doesn't look real at all. The steam makes the picture seem holy. That CordThe cord between the passenger car and the tender is probably the Conductor's communicating signal bell rope for getting the engineer's attention. It seems to pass through a grommet in the end of the car roof. One very sharp clang of the gong in the cab means "train has come uncoupled"! (The Gallery, Dogs, DPC, Florida, Railroads, W.H. Jackson)
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