MAY CONTAIN NUTS
HOME
Home

Search Shorpy

SEARCH TIP: Click the tags above a photo to find more of same:
Mandatory field.

Search results -- 30 results per page

Central Union Station: 1905
... and glee. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Railroads, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/12/2012 - 3:11pm -

Cincinnati, Ohio, circa 1905. "Central Union Station." You there in the window -- get to work! 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. VestigesYou'd never recognize the neighborhood now (which is made up of parking lots beneath interstate highway viaducts, north of the Bengals' stadium). But if you look carefully from the same angle at the corner of Central Avenue and Third Street, you can see that a piece of the northern facade of the station is still in place: the area between the two 1905 loiterers, from the window sill to the sidewalk. AutomobilesWhile enjoying the street scenes of the beginning of the 20th century, I have noticed how quickly the automobile burst upon the scene. It seems that up until about 1905 there were few, if any, autos on the streets. Starting about 1906, there were quite a few. By about 1908, they seem to dominate. I can only wonder how quickly the auto changed the pace of life. Pyrotechnics Unless I am decieving myself visually, there is what appears to be a spent bottle rocket nestled in the inside corner of the two angles on the ledge in the immediate right foreground - on my screen it's just to the left of the SHORPY logo, in the very bottom right corner of the photo. A forgotten remnant of the last 4th of July parade? Enduring evidence of a mischievious boy? Also, above it - check out the already-frayed wire draped over the ledge - and above that, the classic knob-and-tube electrical work. Those were the days! And that's why we have Underwriters Laboratories! Enough buildings burned down and boilers blew up.... Guess I'll head across the street for a beer or three. But delicious Lion Beer is on handWhile not Hauck's or Moerlein's beer, the Windisch Muhlhauser "Lion" Brewery seems to be delivering. The foundations are still there and should be familar to anyone tailgating for a Bengals game: View Larger Map Window treatmentThere seems to be more use of curved glass in buildings and even display and curio cabinets in the first half of the 20th century. Another SlackerIn the room to the right of the gazer, under the awning, is another unproductive gawker, camouflaged by the dark suit. The wonder of it all.I always kind of wonder; "Pardon me, but would you mind if I set up a huge camera and take a picture out of your office window? Shouldn't take but an hour--or two. Oh, and I'll need to open your window and push your desk out of the way." That's definitely old Cincinnati.BEER HALL. All that's missing is a George Hauck or Christian Moerlein sign. Missing Beer?Look to the right and you will see a delivery of some keg beer from the Lion Brewery. Must be a strong horse to pull all those kegs. Where are the Clydesdales? Lion BrewThat cart load of kegs might come in handy on a Saturday night! Not all it could have beenWhile not a bad building, it's fairly pedestrian considering it was the most important train station in the city. It's a far cry from the original design by W. W. Boyington of Chicago. In "The Railroad and the City," Carl Condit writes: It is unfortunate from the historical and operational as well as the civic standpoints that this impressive design was never built, since the actual work that was begun in the spring of 1882 and opened on 9 April 1883 was inferior to it in formal and spatial characteristics. The headhouse was much reduced in floor area and height ... and the formal treatment of the building was so much inferior to that of the original as to suggest that Boyington's work was redone by the heavy hand of a company architect. I tend to agree. The original plan has the kind of whimsy and grandeur appropriate for a major railroad station. The one that was built looks like nothing more than a small office building. The Addams HostelryIf Charles Addams had been an Architect, this would have been his style! Wonderful building! Lots of nooks and crannies to enjoy and study. RemnantsFinally, a use for these photos I took a year and a half ago! This station was one of the handful of stations that were replaced by Union Terminal in 1933. The remaining piece of wall still standing is from where the man on the left is leaning, to the awning to the right. The road was obviously widened later. As for my photos: The first one was taken from a parking lot behind it which was once obviously the basement. The second one is just a close up. The third one is from the same corner as the original, but street level. Horsy parkersA while back someone on Shorpy wondered how a wagon could be parked squarely against the curb while the horse was parallel to the street. Notice the Lion Brewery wagon in the right foreground is parked in such a manner. The operation is simple, back the wagon straight against the curb and then swing the horse or horses around parallel to traffic. The small front wheels allow this as they can pass under the front of the wagon box and horses can walk sideways when asked to. Farm wagons usually had large front wheels because they were easier to pull on soft ground, plus they would probably not find themselves in a situation where they needed to be parked like this. Take it from an old ice wagon driver as I ought to know. I know about road apples also, but the city (Jackson Tenn) had a high powered street sprinkler truck. "C" cab MACK with solid rubber tires. One used to fill up at the fire hydrant across from my home fairly frequently. Gothic splendorThe architectural details are breathtaking. Not exactly subtle, I know, but then I've always gone in for overkill. What's worth doing is worth doing well. I could stare at these photos for hours, absorbing the minutiae with reverence and glee. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Railroads, Streetcars)
Heaven and El: 1905
... down in the late 1980's. (The Gallery, Boston, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/06/2017 - 8:54am -

Circa 1905. "Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston, Massachusetts." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. In the fullness of timeThe mind fairly reels to think that this photo had to wait 112 years for its proper captioning to occur. Well done, Dave. Church is still proudly standingWhile the church still stands the elevated train tracks were taken down in the late 1980's. (The Gallery, Boston, DPC, Railroads)
Chicago: 1956
... (ShorpyBlog, The Gallery, Chicago, Kermy Kodachromes, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/19/2013 - 9:20pm -

"Chicago, November 1956." 35mm Kodachrome from the Kermy & Janet archive, and possibly a train trip from Baltimore to the Windy City. View full size. Grainy but greatThere were/are a set of standard viewing locations for photographing Chicago railroading. This isn't one of them, and is thus valuable. It was probably shot from the train. Chicago experts should be able to fill in the details, and the exact location, but 2 small ones pop up. All of the switches in the foreground have self guarded frogs, a once-common cost saving feature for yards. These are the wings sticking up above rail level on the sides of the frogs, allowing omission of the usual guard rails on the outer "stock" rails, to keep wheels from steering down the wrong side of the frog. They are not suitable for high speed main line operations. Also, the hood profile of the semi tractor facing us looks like an International (IH), which was based in the general Chicago area. The one facing away lacks mud flaps, was that common for the era? Indeed the B&OYou can see the tower of Chicago Grand Central on the far left of the picture. This curve is just east of the lift bridge over the Chicago River. Southside ChicagoThe large building with the pyramidal top is the Board of Trade, and the bright metal, blocky building with the tall antenna is the Prudential Life building. These were the tallest things in the city from about 1955-1965. So this puts us on the south side, and I'm pretty sure the low bridge visible in the middle distance is the Roosevelt Road bridge over the river. I'm guessing we are near what's now the 18th street bridge where it crosses the south end of today's Metra (commuter) trainyard. Prudential BuildingOf the two tallest at the time, Prudential was the tallest, hence it being the location of the TV transmission tower. I recall my dad taking my brother and me up to the observation deck on a Sunday morning around this time. I was 6 years old then. Mud FlapsThat tractor without mudflaps is likely a yard tractor and not used on streets and roads. Chicago: 2013The Chicago Board of Trade dominates the 1956 skyline. Today it's barely visible from the same vantage (16th Street). Dearborn Station The clock tower of the Dearborn Station can be seen to the right of the building with the yellow Lee sign painted on the side. If you were traveling by rail to or from Los Angeles, you probably transferred at that station in Chicago. It's where the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe began and ended its passenger trips to and from a number of Western cities. The tower is still standing and what is left of the station has been converted to office and retail space. The train shed and tracks were demolished in 1976. The office, printing and manufacturing businesses around it left and the buildings are now mostly apartments and lofts. (ShorpyBlog, The Gallery, Chicago, Kermy Kodachromes, Railroads)
Shutterbug Special: 1900
... in reverse on half of the trips. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/25/2017 - 9:20pm -

Circa 1900. "Detroit Photographic car crossing DL&W bridge over the Passaic at Millington, New Jersey." 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. DL&WThe initials meant delay, linger and wait, according to my commuter father in the 50s, apparently a current joke. Push it real goodIs the passenger car in this photo being pushed by the engine, rather than pulled? And if so, why? NJ TransitThe bridge has been replaced by a girder type, but the line is still in use by NJ Transit on the Gladstone Branch. Push or pullWell, at the moment, the train is stationary - you can see that the engine crew are watching the photographer do his work. Locomotives work equally well in either direction, and pushing a short train is not a problem either, so there is no way of telling which direction they have been or will be traveling. The opportunity to turn an engine is only found at large terminals with a turntable, or at "wye" intersections, so it was and is sometimes unavoidable to have the engine running tender-forward. Furthermore, passing sidings are also not located very close together, so it may happen that pushing the train is unavoidable. Push-You-Pull-MeI've become aware of a very short line called the Emittsburg railway that was built when the town learned that the Western Maryland Railway was going to bypass it. So the town financed its own seven-mile, single-track line from Emmitsburg south to meet the new rail line at Rocky Mount. As a single line, it was designed so that the engine always had to run in reverse on half of the trips. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Columbus Revisited: 1910
... at the top are twine cutters. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/14/2013 - 11:41am -

Circa 1910. "Union Station, Columbus, Ohio." Your headquarters for the Garden City Self Feeder, whatever that is. Continuing our tour of Columbus on Columbus Day. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Many mysteriesStreetcar 232 has a sign that says "THIS CAR --- FARE" (possibly X PENNY). Wonder what was special about it. (309 has a similar sign but it's harder to read.) Down the street, the B. is being welcomed... wonder who that was. ["This car ... Olentangy Park." -tterrace] 1897 - 1979Built in 1897, demolished 1979. The arch from the station was placed in Arch Park, between Nationwide Boulevard and Spring Street. Gone Baby GoneFrom 112 trains per day in 1893 to 42 trains per day in 1956 to 10 per day in 1970 to no train service in Columbus at all today. All that remains of this magnificent station designed by Daniel Burnham & Company is seen below. The FacadeWhat you see here is not the station itself, but a structure known as "The Façade" that was built on the north side of the High Street Viaduct over the tracks. The station itself actually sat on the south side of the tracks, between High Street and 3rd Street. Garden City Self FeederYou've clearly let your subscription to Threshermen's Review lapse. Self FeederA similar self feeder at work, mounted on a threshing machine. http://youtu.be/BaZcABBqmcY Feeders were aftermarket attachments for threshing machines, along with stackers to pile up the straw and weighers to allow a custom thresher to bill the farmer by the bushel. A stacker was either a chain conveyor, or a "windstacker", a centrifugal blower to send the straw out a long steerable spout. The arms flailing at the top are twine cutters. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, Streetcars)
Industrial Cataract: 1905
... view from May of 1999. (The Gallery, DPC, Factories, Railroads, Rochester) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/28/2017 - 1:29pm -

Circa 1905. "Upper Genesee Falls, Rochester, N.Y." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. +94Below is the same view from May of 1999. (The Gallery, DPC, Factories, Railroads, Rochester)
General #3: 1964
... of my grandparents. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by paulPaulsBest - 01/15/2010 - 9:12am -

My family and my dogs are my life, but my love is steam trains. My dad took me as a child on my first train ride on the steam train called the General #3 (yes, the General from the civil war), and that was it. I fell in love with trains. This photo was taken by me as a child. View full size. The GeneralMy grandfather, who retired in 1955, was a railway engineer for Canadian Pacific and your photo reminded me of his tie clip of the General that he always wore. He told me that he bought it while visiting relatives in Pennsylvania in the 1920s, and I now have it in a shadow box along with his railway watch and a few photos of my grandparents. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Railroads)
Last Rites: 1968
... (Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, LOOK, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/15/2019 - 12:11pm -

June 8, 1968. "Funeral cortege of Robert F. Kennedy." Mourners viewing RFK's funeral train as it made its way from New York to Washington after his assassination. 35mm Kodachrome from photos by Paul Fusco and Thomas Koeniges for Look magazine. View full size. In a Prosaic Industrial Park... a piece of history passed me. Just off North Point Blvd in Baltimore the funeral train rode by a crowd similar to the one above and because of backlighting coming through the windows I caught a glimpse of people in the car, the casket and someone bending over and looking down at it. My sister and I both believe the person bending was Robert Kennedy. [Um, Robert Kennedy is the guy *in* the casket, so probably not! - Dave] It's an image burned onto my retina and all I have to do to remember that moment is close my eyes and I can feel the sense of loss the whole country and that bending figure felt at the time. (We knew who was in the casket but we both to this day think it looked like Robert Kennedy. Twilight Zone Time? Mass Hysteria? Wishful Thinking? There is a book that collects the photos from this journeyIt's very moving. Can be found on Amazon.com and elsewhere; RFK Funeral Train by Paul Fusco https://www.amazon.com/RFK-Funeral-Train-Paul-Fusco/dp/1884167047 Selection of photos here, too: https://www.magnumphotos.com/newsroom/politics/paul-fusco-rfk-funeral-tr... (Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, LOOK, Railroads)
Bergen Tunnel: 1900
... added to NJ Transit’s fleet." (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 12:54pm -

New Jersey circa 1900. "Bergen Tunnel, east end." The Detroit Photographic Special on the tracks. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. Tunnel VisionHere it is today: Bergen Tunnel Accident AboutBergen Tunnel Accident About twenty years ago, I worked a car fire in that tunnel, as a member of an EMS crew. Most of the passengers were able to walk up the emergency stairs near the Lincoln Tunnel, but there were a few that were injured. We waited in the area where that work shack is in the picture. We transported them as they were brought out on a diesel engine, the power was off in that tube. The other tracks were not closed and the trains came through at speed. It has not changed all that much since that picture. There is a second tube and it is all electrified now. Tunnel viewsre: LouK's comment: it's surprising that NJ Transit (the operator since 1983,) let the trains run through at speed while you were evacuating passengers. Shorpy has a beautiful view of this same train movement at the east end of the Manunka Chunk tunnel. Of interest to railfans only: that car, lettered Lackawanna, has M&E in small letters for Morris & Essex. Silly me!All this time, I thought the DPC Special ran at the end of a regular train, like most private cars. But that would have precluded stopping at will when the light was right or the inspiration struck. Forget about having to develop your own glass plates! Imagine not being able to pull over to the side at will when you see a good shot! (Unless, like Detroit Publishing, you had the resources to lease your own 4-4-0 American, complete with crew. And possibly [??] signal priority!) ConductorI know a conductor had other jobs on a train, but I wonder how often he walked through the car and checked Mr. Jackson's ticket? Bergen Tunnel a.k.a. Lackawanna Tunnel?This "Bergen Tunnel" seems also been called the "Lackawanna Tunnel?" Or is that a mistake, I could find no other source than the caption of the postcard in the link. I wondered why the portal to the, older, North tube looks so new in the "Tunnel Vision" photo from bluegrassboy, that is because this tunnel has rather recently (starting june 2001) been reconstructed during a performed "rehabilitation program," in order to solve a water leakage problem. If you look carefully you will see that the height has been altered too. That is because: "It was also essential to improve the vertical clearance in the North Tube to garner a larger air gap between the electrified catenary system and the structure ceiling as well as to accommodate the new double deck passenger cars that [were] being added to NJ Transit’s fleet." (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Tunnel Vision: 1910
... are canines. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/24/2012 - 10:40am -

Detroit circa 1910. "Michigan Central Railroad tunnel." Another view of the electrified tracks going under the Detroit River. View full size. Mystery pipesDoes anyone know for sure what those vertical "pipes" were, that hang from either side of the bridge from the overhead cable? My guess would be that it is some sort of "low clearance" warning system to protect obstructions on the bridge from high trucks or trains. [The obstructions don't need protecting. The telltales are there to protect you, if you're a brakeman, from the obstructions. -Dave] Tell-TaleThe standard tell-tale design had ropes on 3" centers for a width of 8 feet over the track, the bottoms of the ropes 6" lower than the height of the obstruction and placed 100 feet before the obstruction. Today trains do not have walkways on top of the cars or means to get to the roof. Dental WorkBrace yourself. Not only do we have the route canal going into the cavity under the river, but this image is crowned with bridge work going on a bit right of center. At least the debris and powder that was gumming up the tracks below the crest in a previous Shorpy post has been cleaned up. About the only thing missing are canines. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Railroads)
Shipshape: 1906
... dock. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Factories, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 12:33pm -

Ecorse, Michigan, circa 1906. "Great Lakes Engineering Works. Some of the shops." Our second look at this gritty shipyard near Detroit. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. RivetingI'm guessing the small barrels are full of rivets and the larger object amongst them appears to be a propeller blade, sometimes referred to as a "bucket." The riveted platform is likely a dry dock with the keel laying blocks in position waiting for construction. A windy dayWhat a great photo, must of been a windy day judging from the smoke coming out of the stacks, also like the guy sitting on the platform looking up at the cameraman taking shot. The neat steam operated water pump next to the steam operated winch, and wonder what was in all those barrels, including the really large one. GLEW in the 70sGreat Lakes was primarily a steel mill. i worked there for a year while taking a break from college - in 1973. Those sheds look very familiar. By 1973, there was no ship production going on. Predominantly we made rolled steel and slabs. I actually enjoyed working there -- the money was terrific for the time and the people I worked with were good folks. There were even a couple of "Rosie the Riveter" kind of WWII era women still working there from the 1940s. Windy Yes, but StillThat's a very interesting effect with the black smoke and the ghostly people walking around. What was the typical exposure time for these dry plates? I'd guess somewhere around 1-2 seconds? Even with that, it certainly had to be very windy to blow the smoke so nearly horizontal. Slippery StuffI notice 3 things: 1. Oil drilling rigs to the right, on the horizon. (Yes Michigan has oil wells.) 2. Water being taken from the river for steam, and returned to the river (like all factories used to). 3. A small amount of oil in the water, probably from number 2. (If anyone puts oil in the water in Michigan today, they get a huge fine.) Dry dockThe riveted end is indeed the open end of the dry dock. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Factories, Railroads)
Central City: 1941
... There could be some variation of signals on different railroads, but this is typical. Just as the locomotive was left for ... (The Gallery, Frontier Life, M.P. Wolcott, Mining, Railroads, Small Towns) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/16/2019 - 1:08pm -

September 1941. "Central City, an old mining town. Mountainous region of Central Colorado, west of Denver." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott. View full size. The back way into townThis is the view coming into Central City via Virginia Canyon Road, known to locals as "Oh-My-God Road." It's a narrow, winding, unpaved road from Idaho Springs, and until a little over a decade ago it was the only access to Central City that didn't require going through the neighboring town of Black Hawk. Gambling interests, which wanted visitors to Central City not to be distracted by the larger competing casinos in Black Hawk, drove construction of the absurdly oversized yet still very steep "Central City Parkway." That road now provides a "direct" route from I-70 when not closed due to rockslides or washouts. Centered on Central Tantalising glimpseThe locomotive peeping around the corner of the building is a bit of a tease, I wonder if Marion covered it in another photo? [Stay tuned! - Dave] Not exactly Penn StationThe two red brick buildings to the immediate right were station facilities for the Colorado & Southern Railway branch to Central City from Black Hawk. In the vintage photo, note the nose of a C&S locomotive peeking around the corner of the depot. Look about halfway up the distant hillside to see the former right of way. This branch was built in the late 1870s; the attraction was gold and silver mining all through this region. By 1941, C&S Central City branch had been inactive for a number of years. I think the loco shown was left there for a display of sorts, and later moved. At about this time, C&S was in the process of closing/removing the remains of their once extensive narrow-gauge lines from the mountains. Today's popular Georgetown Loop RR is a reconstruction of C&S Silver Plume Branch that was already gone by 1941. End of the LineMight any of our Shorpy railroad buffs be familiar with the odd-looking signal device to the left of the apparently-shy locomotive? Sorry, wrong odd signalOlde Buck and damspot are correct, and I am wrong. I have seen switch targets like this, and I even made a model station with this style of "order board". My bad. "Odd" signal deviceAnswer to Doubleclutchin: that is a switch stand. The target (as it is known) shows the position of the track switch, and is part of the mechanism which operates the switch. The switch (in the track) allows a train to move into one of two (usually) tracks. This switch stand would have been used on a main track so the position can be seen from a distance, telling the engineer if a slow diverging route is set, or the main high speed route. "High" speed here was probably not more than 30 or 40 miles per hour. The vertical rod rotates through ninety degrees when the switch is moved, so displaying to the engineer either square blades (perhaps painted white?) for the slow route, or the round blades (perhaps green?) for the "fast" route I would suspect that this switch stand was moved here as part of the display. A tall switch stand is more expensive than simpler, low switch stands. Since this is the end of the line, is is not necessary to provide long distance warning of the position of the switch. Face on the barroom floor.I do remember a saloon there touting "the face on the barroom floor." Wonder if that's still there? Really neat town when we were there in the '80s before casinos. I found the trainRight around the corner on Gregory Street, just past the Post Office and RMO Dispensary. Odd signalDouble clutch, that odd signal is a train order signal. Displaying white banner/white light, no orders; red means to stop, sign for and receive orders; yellow would indicate orders to pick up, stopping not necessary. There could be some variation of signals on different railroads, but this is typical. Just as the locomotive was left for display, it is also possible that the train order signal was put up for display also. I don't know if Central City was a train order office back in the day. The funny signalTo answer doubleclutchin's question, the object is known as an order board. The days of communicating with train crews by paper sent ahead to a telegraph operator required a way to indicate to the train's crew that there was a message (an "order") for them and to halt and receive and sign for same. The paddles were rotated one way for "proceed," and the other for "stop." Central City, a terminus location (end of the line), would have been a required stop anyhow, so this board is just serving as an example of the object, not what would have been seen in Central at any time. Cameo in "On the Road""Central City is an old mining town that was once called the Richest Square Mile in the World, where a veritable shelf of silver had been found by the old buzzards who roamed the hills. They grew wealthy overnight and had a beautiful little opera house built in the midst of their shacks on the steep slope. Lillian Russell had come there, and opera stars from Europe. Then Central City became a ghost town, till the energetic Chamber of Commerce types of the new West decided to revive the place. They polished up the opera house, and every summer stars from the Metropolitan came out and performed. It was a big vacation for everybody. Tourists came from everywhere, even Hollywood stars." Jack Kerouac, "On the Road", Chapter 9 Slip n SlideI'll bet that road into town was one wild ride in the winter when that road was wet and muddy. I wonder how many times those buildings at the bottom of the hill were slid into? (The Gallery, Frontier Life, M.P. Wolcott, Mining, Railroads, Small Towns)
Stove-Cam: 1901
... or what? (The Gallery, DPC, Glazier Stove Works, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/28/2014 - 11:06am -

Chelsea, Michigan, circa 1901. "Glazier Stove Company, general view." In the four years since our last visit from this perspective, one of the fence-leaners has made his way across the tracks. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. Gone But Not ForgottenOur Smokestack Industries. All that lumber?Used for crating up the stoves or what? (The Gallery, DPC, Glazier Stove Works, Railroads)
Above It All: 1908
... only medium-Gentile. - Dave] (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2012 - 4:15pm -

New York circa 1908. "Morningside Park and elevated line." Another view of the "L" seen here a few days ago. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. The Block HouseThat's Central Park in the background there and the structure just left of center peeking up through the trees is the Block House. From Morningside Park to Central ParkAfter consulting the vast riches of the Shorpy archive, I have determined that this view was taken from the grounds of St. John the Divine, looking southeast across Morningside Park toward Cathedral Parkway (110th Street) and the north end of Central Park. The apartment buildings along Manhattan Avenue (at the left) are still there, except for the one closest to the L tracks. Of the three buildings on the other side of the tracks (south side of 110th St.), only the middle one has been replaced. Thanks, Dave, this has been loads of fun! "722 Miles" -- recommendedIf anyone has access to a copy of the book "722 Miles: The Building of the Subways and How They Transformed New York." I think there is a picture of this curve when it was built out in farmers' fields. The book is very good at explaining how the subways, elevated railways, and street cars made possible the development of a much larger city. A more-recent (1896) view: A different NYCOur history books would have us believe that New York City of this time, was a seething cauldron of oppressed masses from Eastern and Southern Europe. Yet these photos show another, more gentile atmosphere of this urban giant. I wonder if school teachers are aware of, and make use of this website? [This being the Upper West Side, the atmosphere was probably only medium-Gentile. - Dave] (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads)
Aerial Amarillo: 1943
... taken from. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 1:42pm -

March 1943. "Amarillo, Texas, general view, South Tyler at SW 10th Avenue -- Santa Fe R.R. trip." This is the uncropped version of a smaller image posted here five years ago. 4x5 Kodachrome by Jack Delano. View full size. Frank's creativityHe sure comes up with some imaginative and fascinating window displays. Academy of Music & Art"Music Dancing Expression" I thought that was illegal in Texas. Old Stomping GroundsI spent the first six years of my life exactly here. Fortunately not quite old enough to be seen running away from home in my pedal car in Jack's picture, but old enough that some places well-depicted in that picture are among my vivid early memories. No A/C !As a Californian I can't imagine living there in the summer. Dear ShorpyAfter googlemapping I found the location, the photo was taken from the Santa Fe building(now the Potter County tax office) and looks S.W. The intersection you can actually see is SW 10th Ave and S. Harrison St. At least two of the buildings are still there. View Larger Map Skyspotting AmarilloIt's amazing to see a vibrant mixed 1940's neighborhood and the mostly barren industrial parkingscape of today. Still in today's picture: Amarillo Furniture Company now ABC Blueprints Franks now Randy's Shoes ???R-A-WAY=Blackstone Cafe/Young Sushi Academy of Music & Art now AKA Gaylynn's Bail Bonds and others? Texaco Station now Vacant Blue Bird Station now Qdesignworks ??? now Computer Shop The older St. Mary's Cathedral School buildings on the far side of Elwood Park . . . to put up a parking lot. Comparing this photo to the current view, it's striking how completely the homes near the center of the photo have been replaced by parking lots. And in each of the aerials in Google Earth since 1995, those lots are largely free of cars and people. It would be interesting to know how much of that transformation just happened on its own, and whether it was aided by scorched-earth urban renewal practices common in the 25 years after World War II. A December 1961 news article from the Amarillo Globe Times indicates that urban renewal was hadn't really begun yet. Two lonely people!I can find a grand total of TWO people in the whole town! One is standing next to a car at the house with the turret directly above the Conoco gas station, and the other is waiting on the corner to the right of the white building with a dome in the center of the picture. Wood Paneled SedanI am puzzled by the wood paneled sedan at the intersection across from the Conoco station. It looks to be a 1942 Buick, but to my knowledge, they did not make a wood paneled sedan. They did make a station wagon, but no sedan. [Looks like a taxi - tterrace] Many buildings still there!A view from the air, today: http://binged.it/MNr0bT And of course, the building this shot was likely taken from. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Alt-Atlanta: 1938
... Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/27/2015 - 10:58am -

May 1938. "General store and railroad crossing, Atlanta, Ohio." Which way to the ATM? 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein. View full size. CrossbucksA friend posted a link to the photo on Facebook and had a question - "New to me is the way the crossbucks are mounted on the square post so that the arms are at 90 degrees rather than on opposite sides of the post. Nice detail...was this common?" Which way to the ATMIts just straight down that road about 50 years... Railroad goneRailroad gone, store gone, and the town has a new name, but the 3 building on the right look like they remain but altered somewhat. 'Travel' down to the 2 story (3rd house) and the windows match. That looks just like my grandpaSitting on the fender of the delivery truck. He chewed Mail Pouch, but it never occurred to me that apparently you could also smoke it. Wow. It looks just like......a scene you would try to recreate on a model railroad. Not just the 3rd houseThe distinctive eaves on the first house peaking in from the right still seem to exist on the house in Google maps, then the next building, which appears to be a garage, looks to be the of the same construction as the existing building, just with a different front on it. BertBertram Conaway Hughes was born on August 26 1876; married Martha Donahoe in 1902; they had 4 children: Gladys 1903-?, Mildred 1906-1984, Carroll 1912-1993 and Doris 1919-?. Bertram died in 1943; according to his WW1 draft card he was of medium height with blue eyes and gray hair. Martha died in 1981 aged 102. Sedan DeliveryWonder if that shiny new '37 Chevy sedan delivery finished life as a hot rod! AtlantaI think the name is still Atlanta; it's just that it's unincorporated, so Google Maps refers to the closest incorporated town (New Holland). And if you were wondering why the highway number is now 207 instead of 277, it goes back to 1962. The Interstate highways were coming to Ohio, which was to include I-277 around Akron. Ohio followed the standard that route numbers are unique between highway systems, so Ohio State Route 277 was renumbered Ohio State Route 207. The topographic maps on Historic Aerials show it numbered 277 as late as 1963. As for the railroad (Pennsylvania RR), it disappeared sometime between 1975 and 1988, and its right-of-way is now occupied by a high tension line. Someone decided it would make a nice painting: CrossbuckIt's an optical illusion the way the Crossbuck is mounted. While it looks like they're at 90 degrees to each other, if you look closely you can see the shadow cast by the forward arm of the buck on the rear arm. Another optical illusion is found in the thumbnail sized photo. Due to the way it was photographed, the thumbnail has an almost "tilt shift" sense to it, making the image look to be from a model railroad, as opposed to real life. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Railroads)
Standard Service: 1939
... (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Gas Stations, Railroads, Small Towns) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/14/2018 - 11:54am -

October 1939. "Lamoille, Iowa. A village consisting of a few houses, general store, and railroad station." Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Out of those three housesI sure hope someone or somebody had the sense to save that Red Crown gasoline globe. What a Gem. It's sort of a shameLooks like they had to put bars on the windows for some reason. You'd hope there wouldn't be theft in small town Iowa back then. Wig WagThis type of railway crossing warning signal is known as a wig wag, and you can see how it looked and sounded in this video clip. In earlier days trains were sometimes referred to as "the cars". 1937-1940 International truckI've always thought that was one of the most aesthetically-pleasing truck designs ever. The most famous example, of course, was the Merry Pranksters' bus, Furthur. Iowa HumorMy Iowa born father used to recite "Railroad crossing, look out for the cars. Can you spell that without any Rs? T.H.A.T " It wasn't funny back then either. Four Mystery RailsOf the four rails, the two used ones seem to interleave with the unused ones. That would happen with a switch but they don't seem to be diverging fast enough; also the unused pair is in bad shape. Progress?Not much growth in Lamoille in 78 years. Now they have to travel to the next town to go to the store, and there is no rail station to get there. At least the county jail is only a couple of miles away. Not Four Mystery RailsThose are two separate tracks. In a few places, you can see the ends of the ties under the far track. I suspect the near track is a siding, and not so well maintained (or used). More railsThere appears to be a third set of tracks (long unused) on the far side of the two more obvious ones. To deserve two sidings, this little burg must have had a bit significance to the railroad at one time. No crossbuckThe wig-wag signal was accompanied by a rectangular "Look Out For The Cars" sign in lieu of a crossbuck. The unused tracks may have went to a defunct grain elevator or some other business in town that needed a siding. Loomis, Nebraska, the town I grew up in, had a siding that went up to Commercial Street (Main street) and it went past a grain elevator and a lumber yard. In the late 60s, my family moved to a house across the street from the former lumber yard and the grain elevator was still there, unused. The track could still be seen going across Highway 23, but got buried when it got past the elevator. In 1975-76, the siding was taken out, the elevator burned down (as a Fire Department exercise), and the new scales for the elevator that was going up across the highway replaced the old elevator. Major arteryLaMoille wasn't a big deal, but that particular railway was - and is - a huge deal. It's the main east-west corridor through Iowa, now known as the Union Pacific Corridor. Shorpy and FSA fans will recognize many scenes up and down the route, including the Clinton rail yards and the Kate Shelley High Bridge (fifty miles to the west). A 2002 Iowa Department of Transportation study found that 58 trains per day passed by this particular crossing at LaMoille, and that it was the county's most dangerous rural crossing. The sign on the side of the storesays it also served as the post office. The barred windows might have been thought necessary for security there. Red Crown gasoline globe (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Gas Stations, Railroads, Small Towns)
Derailed: 1922
... arrangement of diagonals. (The Gallery, Natl Photo, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/26/2008 - 6:41am -

Washington area, 1922. "Railroad wreck." View full size. National Photo Company Collection. The tilted camera gives a nice arrangement of diagonals. (The Gallery, Natl Photo, Railroads)
Photographers' Special: 1904
... , from the other post. - Dave] (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/22/2014 - 3:31pm -

Vermont circa 1904. "Summit Cut, Green Mountains. Rutland R.R. Photographers' Special." A long shot of the engine seen here hauling a carload of shutterbugs. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Excessive Engineering Railroad Men, September, 1907. The Bellows Falls Division extends easterly from Rutland to Bellows Falls, on the Connecticut River, 52.21 miles. Leaving Rutland, at an elevation of 566, the line climbs to Summit, at an elevation of 1,530, in about eighteen miles with a controlling grade, not compensated on four degree curves, of about seventy feet per mile. … The alignment is very uneven, the percentage of curved track is large and there are many four degree curves. One of the principal features of engineering, or the lack of engineering, on the division is the Summit cut, where the line crosses the Green Mountains in passing from the Connecticut to the Champlain Valley. This cut is in rock; it is nearly a mile long and is said to have cost one million dollars. Thanks for the locationI tried to follow the route on google maps to no avail, I shall try again with the above information. [There's a map here, from the other post. - Dave] (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Plains Grain: 1943
... train coming this way. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads, Small Towns) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/09/2013 - 10:13am -

March 1943. "Farwell, Texas, at the New Mexico state line. Going through town on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad between Amarillo, Texas, and Clovis, New Mexico." Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. "The Last Picture Show"All that's missing is a svelte Sybil Shepard, Jeff Bridges and Sam the Lion. Or Tatum O'Neal in Paper MoonI would love to have been Peter Bogdanovich's location scout. Plains, Grain and AutomobileNeat capture of a moment in time. It does look like one of Bogdanovich's movies. Paper Moon is one of my faves. If you get a chance, read the book (Addie Pray). Very different from the movie and based in Alabama. He decided to shoot in Kansas for the landscape and what a great decision it was! Here We Go AgainNo, I'm not singing. I'm grousing once again about the fact that, in my opinion, most of these changes we see when comparing the current site with the ones portrayed in these great photos don't measure up. Ice gang was right on the money, and EVERYTHING in this photo is gone. Even the trees are gone and having visited this part of the country, they could sorely spare them. Bah. See the USA. . . in your Chevrolet. That's a 1940 model in the photo. Trailer looks home-made! Pretty sure- - I found Plains Grain buildings foundations: 34 23' 19.67"N 103 02' 37.28"W Am I right? View Larger Map Trailer "Trailer looks home-made!" Yes indeed -- in fact, it is based on a car frame with the body removed, you can see the differential in the rear axle. The load is --- coal maybe?? Not to quibble, butPerhaps this photo was mislabeled by Mr. Delano when it was archived. When zooming into the Google map at link provided, it appears that the point at which this photo was taken the train may already have crossed the state line into New Mexico, in spite of the road sign that necessarily had to be placed beyond the tracks. In any case, you're seeing into the tiny burg of Texico, New Mexico far more than you are seeing any of Farwell, Texas from this angle. Kudos to Ice gang for locating this obscure crossing! Coming round the bendThe plume of smoke in the distance is surely from another train coming this way. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads, Small Towns)
Infrastructure: 1908
... top speed was barely 13 mph. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 2:11pm -

New York, 1908. "Excavations for N.Y. Central Station." Grand Central Terminal under construction, with Detroit Publishing's camera turned around from our previous view of this monumental engineering project. View full size. Mansard RoofI like the classic 19th Century Shaefer Brewery Works in the rear center...but what is the building rising out of the horizon on the left side? It looks kind of spooky in an old hospital or orphanage kind of way. I'm assuming both buildings are long gone. Mini PanamaSteam shovels, terraced excavation, dirt trains, concrete and steel. It's like a scaled down Pamana Canal, which was being dug at the same time this picture was taken. FascinatingWhat really fascinates me about this photograph is that two eras are meeting head on. There are wooded platform passenger and freight cars, complete with turnbuckle truss rods and new electric motors in this photograph. There's wooden signal bridges (or at least I assume they're signal bridges) and the steel supports that still in use in Grand Central Terminal. The steamshovels are cutting edge, whereas the other work cars have wooden frames. What a great juxtaposition. SteamedI know that by 1902 steam locomotives were banned from operating within the limits of New York City after a crash that same year caused an uproar. Interesting then to see at least two in this photo. I wonder if the New York Central Railroad got a special exemption for the construction of the terminal. Schaeferwas the one beer to have when one had more than one! Schaefer sold the lot on the east side of Park Avenue between 50th and 51st streets for $1.5 million to St. Bartholomew's in 1914. Blowin' in the windAmerican flags, laundry, and this wonderful flag over the Bible School. Anybody know what the address was? Fireless cookersThe two locomotives observed in the terminal excavation by one poster were known as "fireless cookers." They used steam accumulators instead of boilers, with the steam coming from a stationary boiler. The locomotives themselves had no fires; you can see that they carry no coal. Steamed Part 2I believe the 1902 ban on steam engines in NYC related to operation in tunnels. See https://www.shorpy.com/node/1782 for an example of a steam engine operating on the streets of NYC in 1911. This photo is one of my favorites on Shorpy, showing a rich street life in the early 20th century. S MotorsThe two electric locomotives are "S Motors" I think. They would have been only a couple of years old in 1908. Here's a picture of a survivor from the Illinois Railway Museum. In the WindsThe Bible School flag flew atop home of Bible Teachers' Training School at 541 Lexington Avenue (49th Street). Steam Engines.In regards to the steam locomotives in this picture, it's more likely that they were classified as "Contractor" locomotives, and thus fell in with the permits that allowed steam engines (engine in as much powered by a boiler) like those in the cranes to operate in the city on a limited basis. It is worth noting that the actual "ban" back in 1902 was passed after a train struck another while in a tunnel. The ban itself however did allow certain locomotives, such as the two shay types that the NYC operated along the port areas, as well as numerous small locomotives like these contractor engines, to continue to operate under certain conditions. As stated above, in this case they would have fallen under a size restriction, being used in construction. In the case of the shays, it was the fact that their top speed was barely 13 mph. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads)
Goggle Glass: 1942
... before it even existed. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2014 - 11:58am -

December 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. Workman grinding out a small part at the Chicago & North Western repair shops." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Very chicSteampunk before it even existed. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western: 1900
... Steamtown is a great place to visit! (Panoramas, DPC, Railroads, Scranton) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/28/2012 - 4:36pm -

Scranton, Pennsylvania, circa 1900. "Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad yards." Panorama of two 8x10 inch glass negatives. We've seen the left half of this view before; the right side, with someone's laundry billowing bravely amid the the soot, is new. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The RampI think that the ramp that the left hand photographer is standing on is now the pedestrian ramp to the walkway between Steamtown National Historic Site and The Mall at Steamtown. Advertising to the contraryI doubt that Miss Phoebe Snow's gown would have remained spotless if she had had to change trains here! Dad-burned, no good, blankety blank!The wash on the line reminds me of my early years when our family lived in an old three story railroad station that the RR leased to us since it was no longer needed. There were still a couple of trains per day that went right by our picture window (formerly station master's window). The dirt raised and produced by the trains would blow over on my mother's laundry hanging on the yard line (before there were dryers). Inside the house, the thundering trains would shake down dust to drift onto newly wiped and polished tables, etc. Looking back, I believe this was about the period that my mother honed her "cursing like a sailor" skills to world class levels. Dad kept his face in the newpaper at these times. Graffiti in 1900?Boxcars on the left. Kids were "tagging" even back then? [Chalk marking of cars by switchmen was an essential part of railroad yard operations.] CamelbacksThose locomotives, like the 808 in the foreground, had much larger coal grates in them to facilitate burning the anthracite coal in the region. The wider firebox, known as a Wootten, necessitated moving the cab for the engineer and brakeman forward since there was no room over the firebox. Hence this type of engine was known as a camelback. There have been cases where a broken side rod had completely sheared the cab, along with the engineer, clean off. It must have been miserable for the fireman on rainy or snowy days for the only protection afforded was that little hood over the back of the boiler. Those beautiful steam locomotives are known as Camelbacks or Mother Hubbards, as the engineer sat in the middle of the locomotive astride the boiler, the firebox was wider than a conventional locomotive and would not allow a forward view, the poor fireman was open to the elements at the rear of the locomotive. I don't want to hear it Dutch!I live across the street from the UP line. Two sets of rails, all hours of the day AND night. I'll try your dad's newspaper trick sometime. Re: CamelbacksGoats of Venus: The proverb about camelbacks was "in the summer the engineer roasted; in the winter the fireman froze." Exposed to the elementsIn Britain and some other countries closed or even partly closed cabs were not favoured for some time after railways were invented because of the idea that the engine crew needed to be wide awake and would doze off if coddled by a bit of shelter. DL&W(I think I've posted this before, but what the heck.) My grandmother, who often rode the DL&W over a century ago, told me that they used to joke that the initals DL& W stood for Delay, Linger and Wait. A quick tour of DL&W's downtown yardJust left of the lady's wash is DL&W's Scranton depot, with the long covered platform. It was built in the 1870's at the end of Lackawanna Ave. and was replaced by the palatial Lackawanna station, now a hotel, in 1908. The camelbacks seen here were known as "Hogs" on the DL&W. This batch was numbered 801-815, and were a fairly rare 4-8-0 wheel arrangement. This group of locos was built by the Brooks Locomotive Works in 1899. They were actually too powerful, and so were slippery. Too slippery for road work, they were used on mine runs and in helper service from Scranton to Nay Aug and Gouldsboro, and from Scranton to Clark Summit. They were all retired in 1923. In the distance to the left is some of DL&W's shop facilities and also the plant of Dickson Locomotive and Machine Works. Dickson built a lot of locos for DL&W and other roads in the 1800's, but was rolled into the new American Locomotive Company and was closed. Just beyond the distant middle of this shot is "Bridge 60", where the main line continues west to Buffalo, and the Bloomsburg Branch turns south for Northumberland. [And yes, this is the location of Steamtown today.] Steamtown, USAThis is the yard that is now known as the Steamtown National Historic site. The rampled to the top of the coaling station. Full coal cars were dumped there into hoppers which in turn filled the bunker on the tenders. The ramp from Steantown Mall is in the same place and I think uses some of the same foundation. Steamtown is a great place to visit! (Panoramas, DPC, Railroads, Scranton)
A Show of Hands: 1910
... is keeping accurate time. - Dave] (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/03/2014 - 4:10pm -

Circa 1910. "R.R. station at Manchester, New Hampshire." With a choice of time zones. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. When I'm 64Opened March 6, 1898, B&M's yellow-brick Romanesque Union Station at Canal and Granite Streets in Manchester was demolished in the fall of 1962. Wrong Time ZoneThe wooden railroad passenger car is more typical of those built in the 1870s and, together with the fancy carriage in front of the station and the lack of any automobiles in the photo, I would place the date of the photo c.1800s. Someone who could afford a fancy carriage would certainly be driving a nice automobile in 1910. I think the time shown on the clock faces are nowhere near as off as is the date of the photo. [Incorrect, if the chimney is keeping accurate time. - Dave] (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Klesken Cleans Up: 1943
... (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 3:30pm -

April 1943. Proviso Yards of the Chicago & North Western Railroad. Joseph Klesken washing up after a day's work on the rip tracks. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Stuyvesant Dock Terminal: 1900
... you may have. Thanks.. (The Gallery, DPC, New Orleans, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 4:01pm -

Louisiana circa 1900. "Stuyvesant elevators, docks, R.R. terminal at New Orleans." Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size. Harrison Line, LiverpoolAccording to a German/Weimar Cigarette card book "Lloyd Reederei-Flaggen der Welt-Handelsflotte" published by the Martin Brinkmann AG Zigarettenfabrik circa 1933, the flag represents the Harrison Line, Liverpool (Charente Steamship Co., Ltd.) The flag is a red Maltese cross on a white background. Working in: England to the West Indies, Gulf ports and Mexico, Brazil, and Africa Operating: 42 Cargo boats with small cabins 2 Passenger Freighters Total Tonnage: 239,720 Honoring Mr. FishThe Stuyvesant Dock Terminal was named for Stuyvesant Fish (1851-1923), President of the Illinois Central Railroad, presumably because not even he was happy with the idea of calling it the Fish Dock Terminal. The opening of the terminal was a great leap forward for the New Orleans and Louisiana economies, and it was dedicated with "imposing ceremonies" conducted by Governor Murphy J. Foster and Mayor Walter C. Flower, on November 4, 1896, and with remarks by Mr. Fish on behalf of the railroad company. According to the New York Times (10-26-1896), "The construction of these docks is the beginning of a great effort that the railroad will make to bring European shipments via [New Orleans] for Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati and all Western cities. The wharfage will be absolutely free to all steamers landing at the docks with interior freight for shipment by the Illinois Central Railroad, and such a saving in port charges, it is believed, will bring a great body of traffic this way." Pristine tracks and locomotiveWhat really stands out to me in this photograph is the pristine condition of the yard tracks and the 0-6-0 that is hard at work. In 1900, stub switches were still in vogue in the South and West, as was unballasted track. The frog switches show that the Illinois Central was dedicated to being a truly modern railroad, as willc's research shows. I'm fascinated by the shiny boiler jacket and controls in the locomotive's cab, I suppose the same crew ran this locomotive daily or the engine terminal really spent some time on cleaning every night. I can assure that my local Canadian National/Illinois Central yard is being switched by a diesel that is no where as clean as this little teakettle! And in 1905Disaster strikes. History repeatingThe Stuyvesant Docks were on the Mississippi between Louisiana and Napoleon Avenues, stretching for twelve blocks before they burned in 1905. If you google that area today, you can still see the footprint of the massive railyard and the skeletal remains of the docks which burned again just a few years ago. Backward CompatibillityThe slot and hole in the knuckle of the switcher's coupler are there to accommodate a link and pin, if a car with the just recently obsoleted (and dangerous) link and pin coupler needs to be moved. You can still see these coupler modifications on a few museum engines. Dead or AliveThere isn't a man dead or alive who wouldn't jump up and sit on that tender next to the sign "Keep Off" because that's the way we are wired. Gotta love us… Where in the world?Can anyone identify the flag atop the ship mast? It looks like a Maltese cross, but a quick search turned up no such flag. Shipping Company House FlagsMost commercial shipping companies had house flags that were flown from the highest mast, at least in port. There were hundreds of designs, only a portion of which were recorded in registers. I didn't find a plausible match online for the flag seen here, but found several similar designs in the 1912 edition of "Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels," a sample from which is seen here to illustrate the idea. Colorized versionI colorized a major portion of this photo. Please look here and list any comments you may have. Thanks.. (The Gallery, DPC, New Orleans, Railroads)
Pop Start: 1925
... just one. (The Gallery, D.C., Factories, Natl Photo, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/17/2014 - 11:58pm -

Circa 1925. "Whistle Bottling Works." A peek behind the scenes at the Washington, D.C., bottling plant for Whistle orange soda. View full size. FlexoThis would appear to be some sort of cleaning solvent. The company (Flexo) is still in business today. Flexo Cleaning Products - Cleaning Chemicals, Equipment and Paper Products to Hospitality, Institutional and Industrial Customers. The company has been in business since 1918 and based in Canada. Kiefer bottling machinesSome info: I did find a listing: "KIEFER (KARL) MACHINE COMPANY Karl Kiefer Machine Co. (Cincinnati, Ohio). There is a Leader in Everything - Standing Out in its Field with Spectacular Splendor of Quality and Performance. Cincinnati: The Company, 1939. (This Item is available at the Cincinnati Historical Society Library) Karl Kiefer Machine Co. (Cincinnati, Ohio). Jar and Bottle Washing Machines. Cincinnati: The Company, 1910s-1920s. (This Item is available at the Cincinnati Historical Society Library) Karl Kiefer Machine Co. (Cincinnati, Ohio). Pressure Filling Machines. Cincinnati: The Company, 1910s-1920s. (This Item is available at the Cincinnati Historical Society Library)" From. He seems to be a dead guy "Karl 16 Apr 1931, Cincinnati, Hamilton Birth: 28 Jul 1868, Worms, Germany Age: 62 years 8 months 19 days Male- Married Address: 920 Lexington Ave Occupation: Manufacturer Cemetery: Cremetory Spouse: Adele W. Kieger Parents: S. Kiefer, Babette Rheinsteim"From. Such a nice clean placeit's making me thirsty, for something that's not Whistle orange soda. Clean as a whistleWhistle is still being produced...I just hope they've mopped the floor a few times since this photo was taken. Whistle stop.OK,that's it for me. I am swearing off Whistle right here right now! Board of HealthConsidering that this factory turned out something that the public ingested, today it wouldn't pass a third world health inspection. Not exactly hygenicLooks more like a machine shop than a food-processing facility. Laissez-faire capitalism at its best! Plenty of Ingredientsparked outside, for such a small bottling machine -- even if there were ten more of them outside the frame. Shortening? Maybe it's to lube the machinery. Can anybody id the tank car with "Capitol" on it? Oh?Note the machine on right from Cincinnati O. Not Ohio, not OH, just O. CaprecoThe tank car belonged to the Capitol Refining Company. The full reporting mark was CRWX. A photo of the company and its fleet of tank cars appeared on Shorpy here. Capitol Oil CompanyI hope washed out those oil tank cars before shipping ingredients for making orange soda pop. More Capitol RefiningThe Equipment Register of Oct.,1919 lists Capitol Refining Company, reporting marks "CRWX" with tank cars of 8,000 gals. capacity numbered 201-295 inclusive. Bills for repairs were to be sent to 745 William St., Buffalo, NY. Cincinnati + Weights + Belts + Hangers + Bulb + SprinklersAccording to the Geographic Names Information System, there are not any geographic places in Oklahoma named Cincinnati, and the only one that ever existed in Oregon was a community from 1844 - 1856 (renamed Eola). The scale on the hand built table would seem to be for sampling the weight of filled bottles. There is a different scale to the right. It may be for determining the weight of a liquid that comes out of the spout above the small platform on the left side of the scale. The Karl Kiefer Company machine is missing a drive belt on the right hand side. It's amazing how little ceiling hangers for pipes have changed in the last 90 years. I see only one small light bulb. It looks like there might have been a sprinkler system installed in the factory. See the photo below for what looks like a sprinkler head. There are at least two of these visible coming off the large pipe near the ceiling. Now I'm thirstyThere are some beautiful Whistle ads out there, this is just one. (The Gallery, D.C., Factories, Natl Photo, Railroads)
Glazier Stove: 1901
... Glazier Stove! (The Gallery, DPC, Glazier Stove Works, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/20/2012 - 10:49am -

Chelsea, Michigan, circa 1901. "Glazier Stove Company, the foundry." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. When it's got to be right ...Burn it on a Glazier Stove! (The Gallery, DPC, Glazier Stove Works, Railroads)
The Crossing Guard: 1941
... (The Gallery, John Collier, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/26/2012 - 3:05pm -

October 1941. "Railway crossing in Chatham, New York." Look Both Ways, Watch Out for the Cars, etc. Medium-format negative by John Collier. View full size. Rings a BellI went to high school in Chatham in the 1950s so the picture is a little familiar, although I don't recall the kiosk still being next to the RR crossing. The gates, by then, were automatic. Just to the left of the kiosk you can see part of a "Coca-Cola" sign in front of the corner building. That was Alvord's Pharmacy, where Colonel Alvord personally wrapped Edna St. Vincent Millay's (she lived up the road in Austerlitz New Concord) manuscript of "A Buck in the Snow" for sending to her publisher. Or so one of his relations told me. The buildings to the right of the kiosk were, in 1955 and in order, a bank, a garage, and a neighborhood grocery. It looks like it wasn't very different in 1941. I'd enjoy seeing some more period photos of the town: the railroad station was a classic of its type. Not so different...Minus the kiosk, it's all still there today (right down to the bricked-up windows on the corner building). And if you happen to try to view it from the other side of the tracks in Google Earth, you'll find the Greatest Show On Earth blocking your view: http://goo.gl/maps/y19BQ Children Beware!This guy's on whippersnapper watch! Farkedhttp://www.fark.com/comments/7404591/Photoshop-this-cross-crossing-guard (The Gallery, John Collier, Railroads)
The Doors of Perception: 1943
... - Aldous Huxley (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/03/2014 - 10:55am -

March 1943. "View from caboose on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad between Belen and Gallup, New Mexico." Next stop, Infinity. Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Western TripThere are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception. - Aldous Huxley (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
« first‹ prev…31 [32]33…next ›last »
Syndicate content  Shorpy.com is a vintage photography site featuring thousands of high-definition images. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago. Contact us | Privacy policy | Accessibility Statement | Site © 2024 Shorpy Inc.