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Santa Fe Elevator: 1915
... here. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Chicago, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/19/2016 - 10:10am -

Chicago circa 1915."The Santa Fe grain elevator, head of the canal." Pantry for the nation's breadbasket. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. Still standingThough a shell of its former self, a graffiti canvas, and a bit of a white elephant. Link here. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Chicago, DPC, Railroads)
Dwight Depot: 1900
... Glad it's still around to enjoy. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 4:22pm -

Circa 1900. "Chicago & Alton station at at Dwight, Illinois." Home to a very healthy looking telegraph pole. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. Now a historic Amtrak site.From Red Carpet Corridor: Built in 1891, the depot was designed in the Richardson Romanesque style, measuring 75' x 25' surrounded by an 18' concrete platform. The foundation is Joliet stone and the building is made of Bedford bluestone from Indiana. Gables extend from each side with four double hung windows on the ground floor. The second story features two coupled windows with a fanlight over each. The facing stone above the fanlight has DWIGHT carved it in. Each gable has a quatrefoil ornament on top. In 1983, the Dwight Historical Society bought the depot from the town. Restoration began in 1984 to transform the building into our Village Hall. When the village built a new Village Complex in 1998, the Dwight Historical Society moved the Museum into the north end of the building. The south end is a meeting room for the Historical Society and also houses the office of the Dwight Chamber of Commerce. Architectureville, ILDwight is also home to a 1905 bank designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the 1933 Ambler's Route 66 Texaco Gas Station, and the 1857 "Carpenter Gothic" Dwight Pioneer Gothic Church. The polesI just looked the telephone poles. They are made of old "curvy" wood which maybe has grown somewhere in north. In addition I wonder how carefully the timber parts are finnished: A small "roof" up on each! Merry-go-round for the birds?Odd looking weather vane! Healthy is right! Thanks for all the recent pics with insulators. I was getting kind of jittery without them! You have a following of insulator collectors waiting in the shadows for me to be the watchdog and tip them off when you post shots of old glass and porcelain insulators in use. Climbing the poleI just realized (in the full size view) that poles don't have those metal "rungs" any more for climbing the pole. I guess all service work is now done from a cherry picker. The Far SideIn 1900, Dwight was a junction. The C&A had a branch line extending to Lacon and Washington, Illinois. That must be the track in the foreground, which apparently is now gone. The main line, where most of the traffic and business would have been transacted, and which is still there, is on the far side of the building. Next Stop: the White CityTo those of you familiar with Dr. H.H. Holmes or Erik Larson's bestseller "The Devil in the White City," Dwight was home to the famous Dr. Keeley's "gold cure" for alcoholism. It was this program that brought not only throngs of the rich-and-famous, but Holmes's assistant, Benjamin Pitezel to Dwight. While there Pitezel met Emeline Cigrand, a beautiful typist at the institute. Unable to resist, Holmes would offer Emeline twice her salary to come to Chicago to work for him. One can almost picture the naive Emeline waiting for her train, less than a decade before this picture was taken. Like so many girls of the gilded age, she fell victim to the lure of the big city. Unfortunately for Emeline, that would not be all to which she risked falling victim... Another ViewThis shows a birdseye of the front, sans poles. Crazy weathervaneAnyone have any idea what the contraption is below the wind vane above the right side extension of the building? Is it on the depot or the structure behind it? Looks like there could be a glimpse of a grain elevator directly below it, under the roof line. [It's electric lights atop this water tower. - Dave] Victorian internet The telegraph cables slipped through the window connected Dwight to the world wide web of the Victorian era. Little tiny depotNow there is a building just destined to be constructed as part of someone's model railroad layout! Here it is todayFrom a different angle. SubtleHow the roof pitch changes from the shallow pitch over the open areas to the steeper pitch over the building proper. Very nicely done. Glad it's still around to enjoy. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Railroad Crossing: 1906
... breeze. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Memphis, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/01/2013 - 10:50am -

The Mississippi River circa 1906. "Kansas City & Memphis Railway bridge at Memphis, Tennessee." Where you'll find the Mary Bell. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The scale of that!That is a very beautiful photo, but what really caught my eye was the sheer size of the bridge, compared to the tiny barge and the even smaller boats moored next to it. It's amazing! How wide is that river? And how deep? Solitary splendorIt's neat to see the bridge in solitary splendor. It was joined in 1917 by the Harahan railroad bridge 200 feet to the north, and in 1949 by the Memphis & Arkansas highway bridge about the same distance to the south. The three huge cantilever truss bridges make an impressive sight together, like a steampunk mountain range. Middle bridge nowI have driven across the I-55 bridge next door to this one many times. The lower Mississippi River is over a mile wide in many locations. At this point it is 2400 feet from bank to bank. The three bridges at this crossing are all about a mile long each. Corner HeadI'm wondering what sort of trade the Mary Bell was in. Is she a powered boat or a barge? A private houseboat or some sort of commercial floating market? What's the cupola for? The rectangular structure in the aft port corner looks to be the head (outhouse). Re: Corner HeadIt looks like a shantyboat. Cheaply built, non-powered houseboats for rivermen, lumbermen, millworkers. Usually made from whatever lumber could be found or scrounged. Shantyboat communities were common in river towns from the mid 19th to mid 20th centuries. The Mississippi RiverAt times during the spring, the width of the River can be over a mile. There was a town just on the west side of Memphis in the 1800s that kept flooding that it just became uninhabitable. During the hot summer days, we would go down to the river to catch a cool river breeze. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Memphis, Railroads)
Tall Grain: 1939
... (The Gallery, Agriculture, Arthur Rothstein, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/05/2018 - 11:13am -

May 1939; "Grain elevators. Great Falls, Cascade County, Montana." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Ships of the prairieI drove from Denver to Dodge City last summer. I had never been in Kansas before and was amazed at the number of grain elevators that would appear on the horizon every few miles, looking like sailing ships on the flat sea of prairie. Still going strong 80 years later (The Gallery, Agriculture, Arthur Rothstein, Railroads)
Sic Transit: 1910
... the (sadly, now gone) station. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/08/2019 - 10:44am -

New York circa 1910. "Bird's eye view of new Pennsylvania Station." Demolished in 1963. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. A little later and farther uptown ...Mrs. Kennedy Onassis, who regretted the destruction of Pennsylvania Station and may have contributed to preservation efforts, was a citizen of New York by the time destruction of Grand Central Terminal was imminent. One proposal for the new station was "Grand Central Lanes," a bowling alley to be built above track level! Jackie wrote a beautiful, persuasive letter to Mayor Beame urging the preservation of GCT. There were other big and biggish names advocating preservation. Betty Furness is one name that comes to mind. The tragedy of Pennsylvania Station's destruction became more apparent in retrospect and this awareness helped energize opposition to Grand Central's destruction. A great lossI remember reading that among the notables who campaigned to stop the destruction of the architectural gem was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The loss of the station was instrumental in kickstarting the preservation movement in New York City. What is she doingon the rooftop at the Rikers Drugs building?? Pardon Me BoyBack in the day you could apparently leave here 'bout a quarter to four, read a magazine and then you're in Baltimore. Another Rooftop RiddleDid you notice what looks like someone sleeping on top the building, near bottom left? How did it get there?Think about this: Most of what you see in this building was delivered either by train, or horse and wagon. That goes for the interior too. No snakesBut plenty of ladders. The PitDoes anybody know what was constructed in the excavation pit? I have searched for images of that side of the station and have only found evidence of a green-grass park that existed; however, I believe the park must have been excavated to build something else. Many thanks! Another McKim, Mead & WhiteYou can see the glass roof covering the train platforms at far right. That would make Seventh Avenue the street in the foreground, at left. Across the avenue the site being excavated is now occupied by the Hotel Pennsylvania, opened in 1919 and designed by the same architectural firm as the (sadly, now gone) station. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads, Streetcars)
Working on the Railroad: 1899
... View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Kyle Bagnall - 08/31/2010 - 10:28am -

This image shows Frederick W. Reiman (center) as leader of a railroad Section Gang in 1899. The men are working somewhere on the line near Manistique, Michigan, in the east-central Upper Peninsula. Names of the other workers are unknown. Fred was the eldest child of Gottlieb and Caroline (Pfeiffer) Reiman. He was born in Detroit, Michigan on Dec. 11, 1873. In the 1900 census, he is listed as a railroad laborer living in Manistique. He would continue to work on the railroad for the rest of his career, moving up to Section Foreman and Road Master. He and his wife Mary lived in Manistique the rest of their lives. The handcar being used in this photo was manufactured in Three Rivers, Michigan. Though a portion of the company name is obscured, it was likely produced by Fairbanks, Morse & Co. which had purchased a controlling interest in the Sheffield Velocipede Car Company in 1888. George Sheffield began producing railroad handcars in Three Rivers in 1879 and they were used around the world for many years. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Railroads)
Tucked In: 1905
... every weekend. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 7:11pm -

Circa 1905. "Freighters in winter quarters." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Cool!Dave, I'm liking the winter shots. I've heard you've had some hot weather in the States recently, are you trying to cool down? Presque Isle of FairportThe vessel to the right of the Delaware is still with us. In the photo she is the Presque Isle, launched May 25, 1898, at Cleveland by the Cleveland Ship Building Company for the Presque Isle Transportation Company of Mentor, Ohio. In 1956 she was converted to a self-unloading cement carrier at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and renamed E. M. Ford in honor of the chairman of her new owners, the Huron Portland Cement Company. She remained in service until 1996 when she was retired from service and used to store cement at Saginaw, Michigan. Sold for scrap in 2008, the E. M. Ford nevertheless remains intact today, laid up at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. She was a very handsome vessel in her later years, with a majestic pilothouse. Below is a photo I took of the E. M. Ford at South Chicago in 1962. I was just a kid. Backseat DriverOut of curiosity, why the ship's wheels on the rear decks of a couple of these ships? Backup steering? I believe the bridge was well forward in lake steamers by 1900. Where's the E. M. Ford pic?I'd like to see Mr. Lafferty's 1962 pic. Backseat DrivingThe after steering station was likely an emergency redundant steering mechanism in case the normal steering wheel was disabled. It could potentially be used to add more manpower to turning the main system. Most ships do have an emergency wheel somewhere apart from the main wheel. Not overly familiar with the layouts and practices on the lakers, I would make an educated guess that in certain circumstances, such as maneuvering into locks or along side loading or unloading docks, a second pilot or complete ship control crew located aft where they could better see what was happening might be very useful. E.M. Ford on the riverThe Ford can be seen here in this old Bing map. I used to pass it on the water every weekend. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads, Streetcars)
Midnight Special: 1957
... If this isn't a movie set it oughta be. Fantastic! (Railroads, Rural America, Small Towns) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/28/2013 - 9:37am -

1957. "The Birmingham Special gets the highball at Rural Retreat, Virginia." Gelatin silver print by O. Winston Link. View full size. Single track nowView Larger Map On PointClass J 4-8-4. The 4-wheel trailing truck can barely be made out. The lightweight aluminum rods with roller bearing crankpins give it away. Winston Link's TechniquesThis print reveals Winston Link's photo techniques. One of his flash bulb reflectors peeks around the edge of the station. The man by the station has aimed a hand-held flash toward the camera to simulate a lantern. A close look at the enlarged photo shows the synch cord dangling from his other hand. It has been partially retouched out against the brightly-lit ground, but the cord is there in the shadows. Townbay Siding trackI believe it was always single tracked. If you look closely, you'll see that he's standing on pavement, a good clue that it's a siding for unloading freight at the station and not a through track. Also, check out the lantern that he's holding. If you look closely, you can see the line running to it. Link would stage the photos, using props such as this, and place a weaker bulb inside to give the illusion of it being a working kerosene lamp. Brilliant in every aspect! The last oneThe Rural Retreat station is the only one of the classic N&W frame train stations still in existence. (All the others were pulled down in the '50s and '60s with the demise of steam and of passenger service.) When I saw it in 2012, it was boarded up, with peeling paint and rotten planks all over. Since then, things have gotten better. The depot building has survived a number of close calls, and the town has created a foundation to restore it to original condition. Details about their efforts are here. AtmosphereThe romance of the rails. The chance to travel and see new places. Wonderful picture. It's everlovin' lightIf this isn't a movie set it oughta be. Fantastic! (Railroads, Rural America, Small Towns)
Over and Under: 1900
... Very racer looking. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Kids, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:44pm -

Circa 1900. "Grade separation near Arlington, New Jersey." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Transit SuperiorityTruly the two most romantic forms of travel man has ever created. Classic 4-4-0That's about the most beautiful locomotive I've ever seen! They must have been burning special coal to have no visible smoke coming from the stack (bet it helped keep it clean too). By 1900, though, that classic layout was already considered obsolete. You could probably see your reflection in the polished connecting rods and valve linkage. Does anyone know what railroad this is? I can see lettering on the passenger car but can't quite read it even in HR. It isn't "PRR" (Pennsylvania, the one I remember from my NJ childhood). [This is the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western locomotive seen earlier here. - Dave] Two great looking wheelsand the cleanest steam locomotive on earth. Howard Boulevard and Route 80I remember this from when I was a kid in the sixties. That's right by the back entrance to the Hercules powder plant. Today there is a park-and-ride. Dressed to the ninesBoth the dapper looking youngsters and that gorgeous engine! The engine, quaint even by the standards of 1900, would look like it's going 100 MPH sitting still! The GeneralA picture of the boys and their bikes would be interesting enough but this is an amazing picture. There's obviously something more interesting to look at than the camera or the train. The locomotive itself reminds me of Buster Keaton's "The General." Road of AnthraciteThis is indeed the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western RR. The Lackawanna promoted its clean passenger service using "Hard coal, no cinders" with a creation of the ad guys known as Phoebe Snow. A pretty lady was hired to be Miss Snow, and the campaign ran for many years before the Great War. A modern diesel powered streamliner placed in service after WWII was named "The Phoebe Snow" in honor of the original. All of the fuss was about the DL&W burning lump anthracite, which didn't create cinders as soft coal did. The little American-type locomotive above has a long, narrow firebox [under the back end of the boiler and forward of the cab] which identifies the 128 as a lump burner. These engines ran commuter trains from all over northern New Jersey to the Hoboken ferries at the turn of the last century. They had brief careers, however. They were replaced by larger engines that were demoted from mainline service by about 1910. Hi-def look at the coach reveals a small "M&E" on the left end of the letterboard. This refers to the Morris and Essex Division. The coach also is lettered below the windows possibly indicating some sort of photographer's car. [The car was the "Detroit Photographic Co. Special," which we'll be seeing more of, and whose progenitors carried DPC partner William Henry Jackson through Mexico and the American West in the 1880s and 1890s when he was exposing his "mammoth plates" -- 18x22 inch glass negatives taken by giant view cameras that were the Imax equivalent of the era, so massive they required a locomotive to haul around and develop. - Dave] DPC SpecialThis special train was used by the Detroit Photographic Company to haul its photographers, equipment, and darkroom all over the country. The locomotives varied but the passenger car was specially fitted just for the company and as Dave noted, was owned by the Lackawanna. From what I understand, the DPC made at least two railroad excursion trips - one in 1899 and a second in 1902. Clearly they made other trips to gather photos that spanned several decades but the photo trains may have been more limited. In quite a few other DPC photos you can see a locomotive pulling a single DPC passenger car somewhere in the distance. Before good roads and automobiles, the train was pretty much the only way to get anywhere that was more than a few miles away. The photo below from the collection shows William Henry jackson sitting inside the DPC car. Slick and sleekIt looks like this loco has been 'hot rodded'. Very slick indeed. In three years that cycle on the left looks like it might have a Harley-Davidson motor slung into its frame. Wonderful image, once again. Dickson 4-4-0 Standard? Railway and locomotive engineering, Vol. 8, 1895. Equipment Notes The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western have ordered two eight-wheel passenger engines from the Dickson Locomotive Works. They have received bids for 500 coal cars, and expect to award the contract this month. The road is very short of coal cars. The pictured locomotive could be one of DL&W's Dickson Locomotive Works 4-4-0 Standard engines. Related photos on the web: here and here. The Lackawanna also owned several Dickson 4-4-0 Camelbacks but this photo is clearly not a camelback. Straight skinny on the DL&W 128I had to go through my books and look this up. The 19th century DL&W had the peculiar practice of having separate number series for each division. Thus, our 128 was built by Dickson in 1876 with shop number 183, as DL&W Morris and Essex Div. no. 100 [During this period, she was named, logically enough, "Centennial"]. She weighed 87000 lbs in working order, and was renumbered in the general renumbering [1899, I think] to DL&W no.128. She was scrapped in 1909. Detroit Photographic CarThe car may have changed depending on the railroad. The Denver Public Library has quite a collection of Detroit Photographic images as well, including these showing the car and a locomotive on the Chicago and North Western railroad. http://digital.denverlibrary.org/u?/p15330coll21,8799 http://digital.denverlibrary.org/u?/p15330coll21,8796 The car is clearly a C&NW car. Upgrading a bikeI noticed that the older boy has upscaled his bike to cool by flipping the handlebars over. Very racer looking. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Kids, Railroads)
Extra Firm: 1905
... me last Friday. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/08/2014 - 1:09pm -

Circa 1905, location not specified. "Please go 'way and let me sleep." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. He must have drifted off quicklyA fetal tuck would have been a better position on that pier. He will wake up with sore kneecaps. Don't laugh; this could be youI've seen railroaders curl up and doze in some pretty incredible situations. (I never was much good at that.) But that was in the modern era. A typical work schedule for any "blue collar" employee (not "worker", a Bolshevik term) in the early 20th century was 10 or 12 hours Monday-Friday, and half day on Saturday. They gave you Sundays off and the two holidays were Christmas and July 4 with holiday pay optional. Also, in 1905 mechanical aids in work were just starting to show up on some jobs. Muscles were cheaper than machines. This fellow worked a lot harder than most of us could do today. Spend a day with our friend here, and you could crash right along side of him. A look at the shadow indicates midday, and no one is around but the "suit." This guy's sleeping through lunch break. Barlow Boye Co.If we could locate the Barlow Boyle Co. (see sign on the building behind the bridge, we might have a location). Nothing came up on Google or Ancestry. [The sign says Barron Boyle -- a maker of paints and varnishes in Cincinnati. - Dave] Thanks Dave, for the correction. Now I see it. I was also thinking "Barton," but your eyes are sharper. A. S. Boyle established a paint and glass company first located on West Court Street and then 428 Main Street. The advertising sign, however, may have been on any building in Cincinnati. TrendsetterHe's the first to demonstrate the "Lying Down Game" where 105 years later people amuse themselves by assuming a stiff horizontal position in random places and then post it for everyone else's amusement. http://www.lyingdowngame.net/ His Sleep Numberis B50. Cat napI appreciate Old Buck's view of what is going on here. When I first looked at it, I thought this was a homeless man, and very sad, but it makes more sense that he would be a "blue collar" employee just taking a cat nap before going back to work. My grandfather, who was a sugar-beet farmer, would always lie down for twenty minutes, after dinner (the noon meal). Thankfully, Grandpa had a comfortable couch to lie down on, though! His Sleep Number ...is B50. Notice the wooden stob protruding from the piling. Did they not use metal rebar back then? C&O Railroad BridgeThis is the C&O Railroad Bridge in Cincinnati at the very northernmost end. The picture would be looking east, or upriver. If the picture were broader to the right you would be able to see the Roebling Suspension Bridge about a quarter mile upstream. The C&O Bridge was built in the late 1880's. 40 winks?That'll B50. A little rest.My father worked for Con Edison in Brooklyn. When they worked on a site a tool trailer was dropped off, the workers reported direct, Dad got to wherever he had to be that day by trolley, bus and/or train. One day after lunch he told his partner that he was going to close his eyes for ten minutes, and to wake him up at 12:30. He sat down with his back against a utility pole. About 2:30, he woke up to find his partner laid out fast to sleep on the little grass strip between sidewalk and street. They had some catching up to do, but didn't get caught. AmazingThe poor fella must be totally exhausted. And the shoes? Maybe the pair at the foot of his bed would fit him. They seem to be in better condition. Great picture, Dave. Thanks. BustedThat was me last Friday. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
Farmville: 1940
... very scenic. (The Gallery, Agriculture, John Vachon, Railroads, Rural America, Small Towns) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/30/2019 - 8:25pm -

November 1940. "Velva, North Dakota." Birthplace of CBS newsman Eric Sevareid. Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Velva on Route 52Velva is located on U.S. 52, which, unlike most even-numbered U.S. highways, runs not primarily east-west but diagonally for just over 2000 miles from Portal, North Dakota, to Charleston, South Carolina. Its route runs through the Twin Cities, Rochester, Dubuque, Dixon Illinois (birthplace of Ronald Reagan) and Indianapolis. Its lowly status is reflected in the fact that at several junctions with state highways and even county roads, the "lesser" roads have the right of way. Not in Minnesota, however, where it runs concurrently with I-94 to the Twin Cities, and then has four-lane almost freeway status all the way through Rochester, until it crosses I-90 in southern Minnesota, where it reverts to being a two lane road. The journey on 52 from southern Minnesota to Dubuque is very scenic. (The Gallery, Agriculture, John Vachon, Railroads, Rural America, Small Towns)
Magic Kingdom: 1905
... a single image. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2012 - 4:14pm -

Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts, circa 1905. "Bird's eye view of Paragon Park from Rockland House." Note the Schlitz sign as well as the "Katzenjammer Castle." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Gone but not forgottenParagon Park closed its doors in 1984. Loved the Bermuda Triangle ride and the Giant Coaster. Many folks would rather take out a second mortgage and go to Disney than frequent their local amusement parks. I'm glad places like Cedar Point in Ohio, Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh and Lake Compounce in Connecticut are still around. Another fantastic photographThe clarity from top to bottom is just stunning. Before even getting to the park, I've already lost ten minutes just scrolling around the hillside and waterways, steamboats and sailing ships. Well done. Opposite from the expectedThis is like looking at a stage set from the back of the wings; all that excitement inside and beyond that gaudy fence? Grass. All illusion, as it was meant to be. Who knewThat Hans und Fritz were closet aristocrats?!? The Giant CoasterApparently the roller coaster in the background was moved, and it's still in operation at Six Flags America, Largo, Maryland (now called "The Wild One"). Dreamlands BabyThis reminds me a lot of Dreamland Park that was on Coney Island, especially the big tower. Mini Dreamland! Johnstown Flood funhouseCan I get an idea of what that building housed (bottom left)? Maybe some debris, a log flume? That place looks like fun, even a bit ghoulish. I'm seeing itRiding a sidewheeler. Walking on a beautiful beach while looking at a distant lighthouse. Going to a beautiful amusement park and riding the roller coaster. I am looking at heaven. Intermodal transportI see a train platform next to the park and it's also just a short walk from the pier with those cool sidewheel steamers with the walking beams. E-Z access, indeed. Now all I have to do is drag my time machine out of the garage and find my straw boater. Cottage LotsAre there still any cottage lots remaining? I'll take one. Waning daysThat's Hingham Harbor to the left. As a child in Hingham in the late 1950s, I was aware of dilapidated Paragon Park but don't retain any vivid memories of it. I do remember collecting sea glass along more-stony-than-sandy Nantasket Beach. Just out of frame is World's End, a peninsula where my family often walked and flew kites: beautiful hillsides, groves, and a few gravel roads lined with stately trees. For 20 years I remembered it as Arcadia, nature at its most harmonious...then learned that it had been landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted for a luxury housing development that didn't pan out. Partly Burnt: 1916 The Standard, Jun 10, 1905. Boston and New England. Paragon Park Buildings Insured for $100,000. … Paragon Park, which is operated by the Eastern Park Construction Company of Boston, is said to be the largest amusement park in New England, comprising twenty acres of land and containing thirty distinct shows. The amusement buildings surround a large lagoon, and are one and two stories in height and of frame and plaster construction. Two-thirds of the interior finish, however, is of compressed steel, and certain of the exterior walls are also of compressed steel. The palm garden, which is the largest of the buildings in the enclosure and upon which $12,000 of the insurance is placed, is considered well cut off from the other structures, and in event of fire in other sections of the park, it is not thought that this building would be exposed. The power house and the electric light plant are located at the extreme end of the park near the main entrance. Municipal Journal, Sep 21, 1916. Fire and Police Summer Resort Swept by Fire. Paragon Park, a popular Nantasket summer resort is partly destroyed as the result of an early morning fire which swept through its pleasure buildings doing $50,000 damages. The big Palm Garden, the principal building of the park, had been saved, but the dance hall, the old mill, the moving picture theatre, the entrance, the sand bumps and a portion of the roller coaster, as well as other buildings were destroyed. Several firemen were injured, but none seriously. The fire starting in the sand bumps about 1 o'clock, from unknown cause, swept eastward, toward the other structures. Fanned by a heavy wind, the flames were carried across the park, destroying the power station, and many telephone and telegraph poles were also destroyed. A huge water curtain thrown in front of the Palm Garden saved it from destruction, while firemen from Hull, Cohasset, Hingham, Scituate, Quincy and other near-by towns checked the flames after they had seriously threatened to destroy the Nantasket hotel, the pier of the Nantasket Steamboat Company, 100 or more cottages in the residential section of Rockland Hill and other buildings. At 2.30 o'clock the fire was under control. While the fire was in progress, thousands of persons arrived in automobiles and other conveyances to watch the spectacle. Chief Frank F. Reynolds, of the Hull police, fire chief John Mitchell of Hull, and chief Charles Bickford of the Metropolitan park police will conduct a probe. As an indirect result of the fire, a lineman employed by the Weymouth Light & Power Company, was probably fatally injured when he was thrown from the company truck when it skidded. Wheeler and other members of a repair crew were responding to a hurry call from the park to repair a live wire which had fallen from a burned pole. Just MagicalThis image is so magical and otherworldly. The landscape of water and hills, dotted with isolated homes -- the lighthouse to the far right, the paddlewheel ships - is as enchanting as the amusement park itself. The artificial world of the park, and the real world of the park's environs, are both so dream-like and compelling that it is hard to tell where one ends and one begins. An entire world of fantasy within a single image. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
Oops: 1905
... sites. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Chicago, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 10:50am -

Circa 1905. "Chicago Ship Building Co. Repairing a lake carrier after a collision." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. "Confused passing signals"The SYLVANIA was christened and launched on March 18, 1905 for the Duluth Steamship Co. of Duluth, MN and entered service in April, 1905. The SYLVANIA was involved in a collision with the SIR HENRY BESSEMER on June 12, 1905 off of Whitefish Point on Lake Superior as a result of confused passing signals. Pardon me, sir, your capstan is showing.Wow, one of those ship cutaway illustrations, in real life! I love the Lakes and the ships which sail them.This is one way to get to see the innards of a Great Lakes steamship. Another, less destructive way is to visit the Valley Camp museum ship at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The Valley Camp is a rare example of a typical freighter of the sort which plied the Great Lakes (such as the one in the picture above) starting in the early 20th Century. Valley Camp entered service in 1917 and sailed until the late 1960s. Great Lakes freighters are things of beauty. What we see is the resultof a mix-up in passing signals that occurred off a foggy Whitefish Point on Lake Superior during the early morning of June 13, 1905, between the Sylvania and the Sir Henry Bessemer. The Sylvania, loaded with ore, was approaching the Soo with the Bessemer light upbound. The Sylvania received $8,000 in damages. A subsequent admiralty case and its appeal found the masters of both vessels negligent. The Sylvania had entered service only two months before, having been launched at West Bay City, Michigan, on March 18; she returned to service in July. The yard is that of the Chicago Ship Building Company at 100th Street and the Calumet River at South Chicago, the plant that built the second Pere Marquette 18 in ninety days, previously discussed on this site. She had an interesting lifeSunk in June 1967, The SYLVANIA returned to service on October 12, 1967. She sank at the Peerless Cement Co. Dock at Port Huron, Michigan in June of that year after being struck by the Canada Steamship Lines package freight steamer RENVOYLE. she had a few more good years in her. On October 31, 1983, the SYLVANIA was towed out of the Frog Pond by the harbor tugs ARKANSAS and WYOMING. She was handed over to the tug OHIO for delivery to the Triad Salvage Co. at Ashtabula, Ohio arriving there on November 1st. Dismantling was completed there in 1984. Thus ended 78 years of service. Ironically the SYLVANIA, the first built of the 504 foot class bulkers, was the last survivor of that class. During her career with Columbia Transportation, the SYLVANIA had carried over 20 million tons and netted over $35 million. There is a picture of her on the bottom at one of the great lakes web sites. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Chicago, DPC, Railroads)
Fox River Mills: 1899
... go into details. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/26/2018 - 6:19pm -

Circa 1899. "Fox River at Aurora, Illinois. Scene on the Chicago & North Western Railway." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Photographic Co. View full size. Same View?Could this be the same view? http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/95037021.jpg Romantic From a DistanceThose are privies hanging over the Fox River and you know what dropped from them into the water. Note the algae bloom on the lower left where the river was most stagnant--it would have been bright green and smelled of methane. There is paper floating in it, too. From the hedge apples hanging from trees on the right shore I take it the time of year was September: hot enough for the brick warehouse on the left to open its windows despite the smell. Underneath the bridge you can see more waste pouring into the water. What an idyllic scene it is if you don't go into details. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
Eleventh Avenue Flagman: 1911
... he tries a razor the first time!! (G.G. Bain, Horses, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/10/2007 - 6:01pm -

Closeup of the mounted flagman in the previous post. View full size. Young'un!!Looks like that kid has about 8 years before he tries a razor the first time!! (G.G. Bain, Horses, Railroads)
DPC Special: 1902
... in 1940 or early 1941. - Dave] (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, W.H. Jackson) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/03/2018 - 8:02am -

        In this car, known as the California Special, I toured the Southwest in 1902 with a display of pictures for the Detroit Publishing Company.                                 -- William Henry Jackson, "Time Exposure" "Detroit Photographic Co. Special." William Henry Jackson seated in a Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad car. I've been reading WHJ's autobiography, "Time Exposure," which he began in his tenth decade and completed in 1940, two years before his death at age 99. Highly recommended by Shorpy's Book Club. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. Cluttered but revealingThis is a marvelous image containing his best images on the walls and ceiling, his 8 x 10 camera on the desk with him, a sturdy tripod that looks light to carry, and my favorite, blotter books on the far side of his bed, weighted down to keep them flat with his pillows. Blotter books were, as you can see, a method of drying prints and keeping them flat. Practically though, because that method takes days and days to dry the prints and the blotter paper, I always removed them after several hours and placed them on a very large framed screen that was on pulleys so it could be hoisted up to the ceiling, out of the way. The framed screen was covered with an identical screen so the prints would dry flat . Good times! Must be the clean living of 1902If my math is correct, he would be 59 years old in this photo. I will be 59 next month, and Mr. Jackson looks a lot younger than I do! [WHJ was indeed noted for his youthful appearance in midlife. - Dave] Good genesAnd not just longevity-wise. That has to be the youngest-looking 59-year-old guy I've ever seen. Take away the mustache and I'd say he was maybe 25. Maybe it was exposure to all that photo fixer early on. [This may have been taken in the Eighties or Nineties and published in 1902. (Where's that background wall calendar when you need it?) Here's WHJ circa 1904. Below, the old man in his 90s. - Dave] At 97 and countingThere is a wonderful article from Time Magazine, dated April 15, 1940, on a exhibit of Jackson's work. Last week the museum on the first floor of Secretary Harold Ickes' new, white, boxlike Department of the Interior Building in Washington was given over to an exhibition of Pioneer Jackson's aged photographs. Admired by public and connoisseurs alike were the vivid detail and panoramic scope of the mountain and forest views that Old Master Jackson had snapped with his battered, wooden 6½-by-8½ camera in days when photography was scarcely more than a stunt. Best exhibit of all was spry Oldster Jackson himself, stooped and white-bearded but talkative and effervescent at 97. William Henry Jackson still takes pictures, but with an up-to-date Leica, does a little sketching on the side, spends his spare time polishing his autobiography, which is due next month. Says he: "A fellow has to keep busy or he gets bored. I'm never bored." Three years ago, when his cronies of the G. A. R. hobbled bravely down Manhattan's Fifth Avenue in their Memorial-Day parade, Veteran Jackson failed to march. "Poor old Bill!" sighed his aged brothers-in-arms. Later they discovered that Bill Jackson had been dodging in & out of the crowds all along the route, taking pictures of the parade. Last StopThere's also a nice writeup of him and a photo of his tombstone at Find-a-Grave that's worth a visit. Bravo.Luz, espacio 3D, detalle, escenografía, encuadre: Todo. Bravo por WHJ. Gracias. "A private railroad car is not an acquired taste...""One takes to it right away." So said Eleanor Robson Belmont. I imagine this holds true if the company is paying for it, and even if half of the car is taken up by darkroom and storage. And no, I don't think he looks 59. I look young for 43, and he looks a bit younger than me. Maybe he's like the Queen. Or Deepak Chopra. Color me curious black and whiteI'm hoping someone will have the answers to two questions. 1. What is that box-like device hanging from a strap near the lamp next to Mr. Jackson? 2. Easier - what was the purpose of the saucer shaped tops about a foot over each of the wall lamp glass chimneys? Probably to catch soot, but how? Maxfield ParrishJust add a few nymphs posing here and there among the rocks and trees and those photographs are amazingly similar to the beautiful Maxfield Parrish prints of the day! So Time Travel IS Possible!Apparently Geraldo Rivera has gotten his hands on a time machine. You can just see the wheels turning in his brain as he works on his next expose. Think About Running WaterLooking at the (exquisite) photos on display in Mr. Jackson's rail car, I just have to ask, did he have bladder problems? Soot catcherDutch asked: ... what was the purpose of the saucer shaped tops about a foot over each of the wall lamp glass chimneys? Probably to catch soot, but how? Soot is in the hot vapor that rises straight up from the flame. All the catcher has to do is just be there close above it. Without those, the soot would coat everything immediately above the lamp, plus also tend to disperse in the air and gradually get all over everything else in the room. Wm. H. Jackson and Henry FordHere's another view of Wm. H. Jackson. I bought this image at an antiques store a couple of weeks ago. If my math is correct, it's from 1942. A faint "Associated Press Photo" stamp is on the back, so I'm not sure if you can use this. But I thought you'd be interested in seeing the great man from another angle. [Most fascinating! If WHJ was 97 when this picture was made, it was taken in 1940 or early 1941. - Dave] (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, W.H. Jackson)
Elevator Annex: 1941
... ever seen. (The Gallery, Agriculture, John Vachon, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/20/2020 - 10:27am -

August 1941. "Great Northern grain elevators. Superior, Wisconsin." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. ArtfulThat's about as perfect a photograph as I've ever seen. (The Gallery, Agriculture, John Vachon, Railroads)
Smoke Monster: 1905
... (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Detroit Photos, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/22/2013 - 11:21am -

Circa 1905. "Transfer steamer Detroit of Detroit in the ice." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Brand new tractorsI love the brand new steam tractors out for delivery...can anyone see the make? IceCan some great lakers enlighten me as to how these steamers could navigate in thick ice without ruining their hulls? I thought even nowadays special ice breakers were needed to break up the ice around harbors, etc. Buffalo-Pitts TractorsThey're both Buffalo-Pitts tractors. A close up of this steamer was posted as https://www.shorpy.com/node/10517. Break The IceThe trick of breaking ice with the Lake Michigan (railroad) car ferries was their relatively shallow draft and the wide flat bottom. The boat would be driven onto the ice sheet and break through. The weight of the boat plus 30 or so railroad cars was generaly effective. Ice on Lake Michigan will sometimes "windrow" and boats could become stuck, calling for another ferry to help them get loose. Special ice breakersThe Great Lakes railroad train car ferries are also "special ice breakers," and some have even been rented out for that purpose. Some of the Lake Michigan boats, especially, even though single ended, had bow propellers, which also helped break the ice in front of them. The Detroit suckedTheir hulls were reinforced and many had prop guards of various sorts. The Detroit was considered by many to be the ultimate. She had four screws, two aft and two forward and they often ran all of them at once in ice. The forward screws would suck water out from under the ice as she headed into it, which would cause the resultant "shelf" to collapse into the void created below and break up under it's own weight without having to resort to ramming. The props on many of the car transfer river ferries were massive cast iron things that could grind up ice, rather than the more delicate (and efficient) marine bronze shapes found on some of their cross lake counterparts. Nifty tank carWe must have the granddaddy of all modern double hulled tank cars here. The reporting marks, ‘CTL,’ are a mystery, though. Cannot find any reference to such marks from the early 1900s. The “Association of Transportation and Car Accounting Officers,” Published in 1914 by the Railway Equipment and Publication Company, does list reporting marks of ‘CRX,’ for cars owned by the Cornplanter Refining Company of Warren, Pa. The X in any reporting mark represents individual or other non railroad entity ownership. My guess: the CTL marking, whatever it meant, was in place prior to the Association of Transportation and Car Accounting Officers implementing the X rule. Popular subject for ShorpyJust from memory this must be the fifth or sixth photo (at least!) of the Detroit. I remember a previous ice breaking, box car loaded photo as an interesting winter time screen saver. Also of InterestBehind the steam tractors sits a large water-tube boiler, presumably being shipped on a flat car. A better view of it is afforded in the closeup post of the tractors linked in a previous comment below. CTL = Cornplanters' Tank LineA quick Google search turns up Cornplanters Tank Line reporting to many state railroad and corporation commissions. Since on this same boat, Merchants Despatch Transportation Co. uses the reporting marks of M.D.T.Co., I think that I've solved the CTL question. The old boileris a Scotch marine boiler, which is a fire-tube type. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Detroit Photos, DPC, Railroads)
Irrigon Oregon: 1939
... of her. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Landscapes, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/18/2018 - 3:53pm -

October 1939. "Western Pacific line runs through unclaimed desert of northern Oregon. Ten miles from railroad station at Irrigon. Morrow County, Oregon." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Off-kilterThe horizon is not quite, well, horizontal. Which makes the tracks appear somewhat diagonal. Which obviously sets off the fussy alarm in me. Supply LinesIt's stunning to think how much of this track had to be laid out on barren areas far from any depot for supplies, water, food, shelter. The logistics and flat-out suffering required to build in such long stretches through land like this is simply staggering. Back up! No, you back up!I sure hope there's a passing track somewhere along that line... CuriousDid 'unclaimed' simply mean there was no known owner of the land in question? Geographic Typographic ErrorThe Western Pacific Railroad did not serve Oregon. The Union Pacific railroad operates along the south bank of the Columbia river and is presumably the subject of this image. NowhereReminds me of the statement "Everyone knows this is nowhere" Union PacificMust be looking ESE from the overpass at 45.84047N 119.61106W. On the second pole is Milepost 167 from Portland. US 730, a mile northeast of Interstate 84The landscape of this Columbia River valley area is now densely green with irrigated vegetation; but it looks like this photograph might have been taken from a bridge across the existing railroad tracks along (or close to) highway US 730, just northeast of Interstate 84. The camera would have been pointing approximately "east-south-east". A double "passing track" is now along this view. The Outback of BeyondMiles and miles of nothing but miles and miles. I LOVE THIS PLACEThis photo and its comments are case in point why I love this website. I now have "fussy alarm" in my lexicon thanks to davidk. I now know Leucas and I share a fascination with logistical challenges (I used to marvel at the engineering it took to reroute traffic in Boston during the Big Dig). I love PhotoFan's imagination at work here. I know I can call on Timz to give the the location of a gnat on an elephant's behind any given Sunday. And I simply love that you all care about this stuff in any way, because part of me deeply appreciates this too. How Far To The HorizonI'm in a rush you see We were to meet by the western sky My love must be waiting on me.         Recorded by Jesse Winchester As noted by Socks below the country has turned a little green since October 1939 when my dear Mom was still carrying me inside of her. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Landscapes, Railroads)
Snow Belt Special: 1943
... 1950s and maybe later. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/17/2015 - 9:39am -

January 1943. "Freight operations on the Indiana Harbor Belt railroad between Chicago and Hammond, Indiana. The train pulls out of the Chicago & North Western yard." Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. This would bethe Proviso Yard of the C & NW, located about fourteen miles directly west of the Loop between Bellwood and Stone Park. When I was a kid I'd ride my three-speed Hercules north up Westchester Boulevard and Bellwood Avenue to where the latter dead-ended at the yard. Then I'd wander around within about the largest rail yard in the region watching mammoth freight trains being assembled. Only in retrospect do I realize how dangerous that was. The IHB's main line passed by a few blocks from my home, and I clearly remember steam engines of the Milwaukee Road, which had trackage rights on the IHB, chugging away pulling freight (usually northbound) amid heavy coal smoke with screeching whistles, in the early 1950s and maybe later. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Our Excellent Adventure: 1942
... of Camels been tucked? (The Gallery, John Collier, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/12/2014 - 11:07am -

September 1942. "Richwood, West Virginia. Young men on train leaving for New York state, where they will help in the harvest of tomatoes, apples and other crops." Photo by John Collier for the Office of War Information. View full size. The Sweet SpotYou're old enough to make a buck, but too young to go to war. Enjoy it while it lasts boys. Left sleeve, perhaps?Where's the pack of Camels been tucked? (The Gallery, John Collier, Railroads)
Work, From Home: 1941
... Power Station. (The Gallery, Factories, John Vachon, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/19/2020 - 4:17pm -

January 1941. Midland, Pennsylvania. "Backyards of company houses and steel mill." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Big changes comingJust across the Ohio River, perhaps a mile from the site of this photograph, stands the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station. (The Gallery, Factories, John Vachon, Railroads)
West of Fargo: 1939
... apart. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Landscapes, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2018 - 9:10pm -

July 1939. "Northern Pacific railroad tracks west of Fargo, North Dakota." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Highway HypnosisBetter slow down for that curve ahead. Perspective!I love these "exercise in infinity" kind of shots of railroad tracks vanishing off into the horizon. The distance beckons! Art ClassThese types of photos always remind me of the time way back when I badgered my poor mother in to signing me up for a mail order art class. One of the main chapters covered the importance of perspective, and illustrated the fact with a few pics exactly like this one. And she was right, I became bored with the whole thing after a few days and spent the rest of the summer riding bikes with my pals. Also, a complete lack of talent may have doomed my career as a budding Renoir. THE VEE-SHAPED THINGGreat photo! Just out of curiosity, does anyone know what that vee-shaped thing is between the rails of the track on the left? And what is it's its purpose? Any of you railroad buffs out there have the answer? "West of Fargo"How about he's looking west from the overpass at 46.93505N 98.1019W? Presumably the track with the guard rails (that try to keep a derailed train from demolishing the overpass) is the main, and NP decided the siding didn't rate them. That V-ThingIt's Its purpose is to ensure the wheel alignment on the rails prior to a switch. West of Fargo (East of West Fargo)Based on the two water towers visible in the distance, I'm guessing that this is taken from the road that was later turned into I-29. Those towers would be the West Fargo stockyards and state fair towers. The road to the far left would become I-94, and today it's solid infill between Fargo and West Fargo, but back then, the communities were miles apart. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Landscapes, Railroads)
Magical Minot: 1941
... them. Still have a couple. (The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/12/2019 - 1:31pm -

August 1941. "Rail yard and grain elevators. Minot, North Dakota," a.k.a. "The Magic City." Acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Our go-to cityIn the 1950s when we visited from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, it was like entering New York City of the prairies. They gave us Canadians those BIG silver dollars, as the locals refused them. Still have a couple. (The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, Railroads)
Old King Coal: 1925
... - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 2:29pm -

Another view from 1925 of the W.H. Hessick & Son coal yard in Northeast Washington, D.C. By December 1925, the company had moved to 14th and Water Streets S.W. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. W.H. Hessick coal yardDave, I think these photos of are of the Hessick Coal yard at 14th and Water streets S.W. Three reasons: If these photos were of of facilities at 53-59 N sreet N.E., why would the sign have to include the information regarding the location of the office? Consulting the 1919-1921 Baist Realty Maps, the orientation of the pictured sidings corresponds very well with a coal yard at 14th and Water streets S.W. (shown below). The maps of the area at 53-59 N sreet N.E, while close to the B&O tracks, shows no coal yard or similar sidings. In addition to the general track layouts, two additional details seem to fit with this location: The Bradley School was located at 13 ½ & D streets S.W. and could be the building visible in the background (under the gantry crane) of the earlier photo; The signal bridge shown in this photo is consistent with a location over the main tracks of the Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad . A 1924 advertisement (also shown below) displays a line of trucks in front of what appears to be the facilities at 53-59 N St N.E. It is not the clearest image but the buildings and signage appear quite different from these photos. (click on images for larger versions) [The company's advertising prior to December 1925 has the coal yards on N Street N.E. The map below, from 1919, shows numerous coal yards and sidings there. The yard would have the address sign because it's east of the main office. Click to expand. - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Railroads)
Locomotive Makeover: 1942
... had any 4-8-4s. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/26/2013 - 2:11pm -

November 1942. "Illinois Central rail yard, Chicago. Locomotives in for repair at the roundhouse." Medium format negative by Jack Delano. View full size. You can corner her hereThis is not the round house, because there are no curves. It must be the back shop, where more extensive repairs than ordinary maintenance are done. Sometimes it really is in the rear of the round house. "Head for the Roundhouse, Nellie. He can't corner you there", doesn't work in this building. High OverheadMost fans of steam -- among whom I must number myself -- must acknowledge that the ultimate triumph of diesel-electric units was due to their far less burdensome maintenance requirements in terms of both degree of difficulty and frequency. The real divas were the streamlined steam locomotives, from which many square yards of cladding and fairings had to be removed before anything more advanced than routine preventive maintenance could be performed. That being admitted, there was a romance to steam that diesels have thus far failed utterly to match. Minor rebuildAll of the lagging is still on the boiler so they must be checking the boiler tubes and superheater while they rebuild the driver wheels. It's amazing that the inertia of the connecting rods and just breaking can put flat spots on the "tires". Tractor ID1920's Fordson with French and Hecht wheels and aftermarket high tenstin mag. and probably Handy brand seat. Loco ID?Comparing to other photos of locos, I will guess this is a 4-8-4 Northern type. Perhaps some real rail afficionados will chime in? Illinois Central MountainsThe engine is a 4-8-2, commonly known as a "Mountain" type. The railroad had 136 locos of this type, built by ALCo, Lima and the IC's own Paducah shops. I can't be certain but it appears to be one of the ALCo built locos of 1926. The IC never had any 4-8-4s. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Brave New World: 1925
... of the photo. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/01/2015 - 1:14pm -

A lantern slide of Frances Bode's photograph titled "Repetition," from the 2nd International Salon of Pictorial Photography (1925), New York. View full size. Wherever ya lookWherever you look, you see "it" again. I wonder if he saw that aspect after he took the image, or if he took the picture because he saw it. I like it a lot. [Frances Sophia Margaret Bode (1892-1974) was a she. - Dave] Mea culpa. I sincerely hope the kind lady will forgive me. IntricateThat is some seriously intricate trackwork. Just Wow!As an amateur gandy dancer that has stacked a switch for the local streetcar museum, I'm floored by this work! car ID suggestionsL-R: Flint Six, Baby Overland, Willys Knight, unknown, small Buick, unknown, Ford, large Chevrolet, Ford, Oldsmobile, Unclear behind tree. Yankee Stadium and Polo GroundsThat looks to be the recently built (1923) Yankee Stadium in the distance, with the Polo Grounds in the foreground to the right. Old 159th St Yard in Manhattan?Is that the side of the Polo Grounds on the right and the original Yankee Stadium across the Harlem River in the background? A Bridge Too Far"The two bridges in the photo both cross the Harlem River. The bridge to the right is the Macombs Dam Bridge, which still stands today. The bridge to the left no longer stands today." Lagniappe, I think Macombs Dam Bridge is the bridge on the left (not the right), and as you said, it is still standing. Rare ViewThis is a wonderful photo which I’ve never seen before. It is a picture of the 159th Street train yard just north of the 155th Street station of the 9th avenue el – the northern terminus of that line. The large structure along the right side of the photo’s frame is the Polo Grounds. In the distance to the east is Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The two bridges in the photo both cross the Harlem River. The bridge to the right is the Macombs Dam Bridge, which still stands today. The bridge to the left no longer stands today. It was used by the “Polo Grounds Shuttle.” A line that went from the 155th Street Station to the Bronx where it terminated at the 167th Street station of the IRT Jerome Avenue line. The Giants played their last season in the Polo Grounds in 1957. Subsequently, the line saw very little patronage and it ceased operation at 11:59pm on August 31st, 1958. It is worth noting that the Polo Grounds Shuttle line ran right through the heart of the area currently occupied by the new Yankee Stadium. ViewThe view in this Shorpy photo was captured by standing on top of Coogan's bluff. The area today is filled with housing apartment buildings, the bridge today is gone, it was known as the Putnam bridge, and it carried subway trains from the Polo Grounds to the Sedgwick Avenue Station in the Bronx. McCombs Dam Bridge can be seen in the far right corner of the photo. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Railroads)
Class A: 1909
... removed. (The Gallery, A.P. Godber, New Zealand, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/01/2014 - 11:10am -

New Zealand circa 1909. "Class A locomotive, NZR No. 419, at the Petone Railway Workshops." A.P. Godber Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library. View full size. Wonderful.What a beautiful early Pacific Locomotive. I have a little one in brass. Drive, he saidThose are remarkably short drivers for a Pacific, which was an extremely popular passenger engine type. Looking at the relative height of the wheels and the crewman, I don't think they can be much more than 60-inch drivers. Passenger engine drive wheels ran from 68 to as much as 80 inches. De Glehn compoundThe A's were built as De Glehn compounds with 4 cylinders. The two hp cylinders were between the frames driving the leading coupled wheels via a crank axle. That's why the balance weight is located near the crankpin. As for the big lumps of coal, an good fireman would use his coal pick to break them up if needed. But in my experience an engine like this will steam much better when fired with larger sized coal such as we see on 419. Put in a good bank under the door and in the back corners and they'll steam like a witch. (I've fired an NZR Ab a couple of times, and footplated A 428 at Weka Pass.) As for mechanical stokers on steam locos, they were in use before 1909. The Pennsy were using Crawford stokers from 1905 onwards. At any rate, it's a lovely photo of a beautiful engine and her crew. Narrow GaugeNZR is 3' 6" gauge (as opposed to 4' 8-1/2" US standard gauge), hence the relatively small driving wheels. Aching BackSome boulder-sized coal in that tender. And mechanical stokers yet to be invented. I would not want to be that fireman. No. 419No. 419 had a long life, being built in 1908 and retired in July 1961. CounterweightsIt's curious that the counterweight on the lead driver is on the same side as the coupling rod. Find WaldoAre there 3 locomotives in this picture? Re: CounterweightI have learned much from Shorpy by looking up interesting items. The driver diameter question got me started on this Locomotive. Apparently this series was originally built as a compound arrangement with four cylinders. The two unseen cylinders were under the smoke box and attached to a cranked axle on the front wheels. The total rotational balance of all that equipment on the front axle determined the odd weight placement. As with almost all locomotives of this design the inner cylinders and related equipment were a maintenance nightmare, eventually having the center cylinders and equipment removed. (The Gallery, A.P. Godber, New Zealand, Railroads)
Pennsylvania 5401
... long afterwards. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/04/2013 - 3:30am -

July 14, 1929. "New Boston train, 'The Senator,' at Washington's Union Station, departing at 12:30 p.m. The train is to arrive in Boston at 10 p.m., cutting 3½ hours off the time made by the other two Pennsylvania line trains there, the Federal and Colonial expresses." Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. 1927 K-4?What a great pic! Is this one of those 1927 K-4's? Help us out PRR friends! Thanks for posting! Train Christening Washington Post, July 14, 1929. New Boston Train to Be Christened Ten-year-old Ellen Page Eaton will break a bottle of Potomac River water on the locomotive of a new Pennsylvania Railroad train this morning at 11 o'clock in the Union Station and christen it “The Senator.” The train will give the fastest service between Washington and Boston. After christening, the train will be open to inspection until its time of departure, 12:30 p.m. The train is scheduled to arrive in Boston at 10 p.m., cutting 3½ hours off the time previously made by the other two Pennsylvania line trains to Boston, The Federal and the Colonial expresses. “The Senator” will be an all-Pullman train with dining, observation and club cars. It will make stops at New York City, New Haven and Providence. Little Miss Eaton, who will christen the train, is the daughter of John Eaton, crack engineer of the railroad, who is veteran of 28 years. … Even Faster NowOn Amtrak's Acela Express the trip can be made in 6 hours and 40 minutes. What's ItOK, what the thingie hanging from the train: an anchor line? [My guess: part of the bottle-breaking ritual mentioned in Washington Post story. - tterrace] [It's the bottle holder. - Dave] Little Miss Eaton...must be the one in the white frilly dress. PRR 5401A really great photo, notice the PRR emblem on the steam valve cover above the piston. Lock box?What is the locked box on the front of the engine for? It's a K-4built in 1927, 92 were built, Baldwin built all locomotives from 5400 to 5474, all other K-4s were built by PRR in the Juanita Juniata shops. K-4 or K-4s?The "s" suffix in the PRR steam locomotive classification scheme denotes the presence of a superheater. PRR supposedly stopped using the "s" suffix in 1923, as by this time, the superheater was a standard design element. Nonetheless, you commonly see these locomotives referred to as K-4s. The 5401 was indeed built in 1927. Here she is a few years later looking a bit grimier: Fresh Out of the BoxHere are an engineer and fireman whose garments will never again appear so pristine. In the glorious days of steam, anything forward of the baggage car was filthy work indeed, and even the most assiduous washing resulted merely in progressively more faded coveralls, with coal, smoke, and cinder stains intact. Re: Lock Box and the K-4Guessing the lock box on the pilot beam contains tools and parts for quick maintenance on the road, stuff like extra lenses for the marker lamps, air and steam heat hose connections, etc, as well as the green and white flags mounted high on the locomotive which would indicate the train is running as a second section or an extra movement. At first I thought it might hold red (emergency stop) flags, fusees, and explosive "torpedoes", which are clipped to a rail and go bang when something runs over them, signaling the engineer for an emergency stop. These items, being needed by the crew quickly in an emergency, would be kept in the cab, as they still are today. K-4 Pacifics would run on the Pennsy until 1957, but by 1935 the rails between DC and New York were electrified with overhead wires, and steam became a rarity on the line now known as the Northeast Corridor. Automatic Train ControlThe locked box on the pilot beam is an instrument case for the Union Switch & Signal automatic train control equipment. Train control?PRR Washington to New York had cab signals in the 1930s. The line has some form of train control now, but probably not in 1929. Looks like PRR began installing train control (that is, automatic brake application if the engineer ignores a restrictive signal) in 1951. (Railway Age, 12 March 1951 p93 -- it's online at hathitrust.org.) Cab Signals and Automatic Train ContolThe ICC mandated the introduction of ATC in 1922. PRR's first installation was in 1923 and they made the decision at that time to integrate cab signals with ATC. Harrisburg to Baltimore was equipped for ATC and cab signalling by 1927, and it was extended to Washington not long afterwards. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Railroads)
Shelbyville: 1938
... (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 12:57pm -

October 1938. Shelbyville, Indiana. Hearse meeting casket at railroad station. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon, Railroads)
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