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

Swamp Root: 1905
... field, home of the Binghamton Mets. (Panoramas, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 5:56pm -

Binghamton, New York, circa 1905. "Kilmer factory." The wellspring of Dr. Kilmer's Swamp Root, a popular patent medicine. The building was also the temporary headquarters of another Kilmer enterprise, the Binghamton Press newspaper. Panorama of two 8x10 inch glass negatives. View full size. Why?What exactly were these guards for around the tree trunks? I've seen squirrels do amazing things and getting past those would be a cinch! [Horses nibble. - Dave] DetailsNo awnings above the second floor, sorry, folks. Interesting detail of brackets at the cornice line, how they line up with the wall below. What's the picture of a building in the storefront, just to the left of the corner entrance. Nice looking building, wonder, is it still there? 15 Herbal IngredientsDr. Kilmer blended 15 herbal ingredients for Swamp-Root: from South Africa, North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Tibet, and North-west China, into a balanced formula that benefits the digestive, respiratory, and nervous systems. Solidly BuiltLooks like Dr. Kilmer's building is still there, as is the Erie RR Station referred to on the sign: Dr. Kilmer's Virginia EstateI grew up not too far from where Dr. Kilmer had an estate on the Rappahannock River in Virginia. The name of the community that grew up around the farm where he trained his Kentucky Derby horses is called Remlik, which is, of course, Kilmer spelled backward. The area is still called Remlik and until recently there was a Remlik post office. Yup, still thereDeeGee, yes, the Kilmer Building is still there. It houses a bar & grill called Remliks, among other things. The railroad station is there too, but no longer functions as a station - bunch of different businesses in and out of the space - I think it's a hairdresser right now? Not sure. Just down the street is the AAA ball field, home of the Binghamton Mets. (Panoramas, DPC, Railroads)
Amarillo Yardmaster: 1943
... brought back. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 4:15pm -

March 1943. Yardmaster at Amarillo, Texas, railyard. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. paperless officeNotice how neat and arranged everything is? Bet he knew where everything he would need was .... and could get to it faster than someone today with the best of computers. Atlas ShruggedRead 'Atlas Shrugged' recently - this picture pretty much fits my imagination's. YardmasterSure brought back memories. My father was a yardmaster for the Erie Railroad in Meadville, Pa. in the 1950's and 60's. As a child I would go with my mother to pick him up after work and would go into the yard office. He was the westbound yardmaster and his clerk sat directly across from him at a two big desks. The phone was just like the one he had to stay in touch with the other offices along the system to Cleveland. They had a big pigeonhole system that the waybills for the freight cars were kept in when they would make up the order for the cars and their destinations in the length of cars pulled by the engines. The office was a busy place and they had three shifts each day on both the east and westbound sides of the division yard. He worked the midnight shift for almost twenty years as the yardmaster. During the night in our small town we could hear the trains pumping the cars in the process of making up the trains even though we were several miles from the train yard. There were numerous trains each night in both east and westbound moving along the system between Chicago and New York. There was always a saying in our home that when we would hear a train whistle we would say, "there goes a new pair of shoes." As long as the trains were moving Dad had a job and money to support us all. Both of my grandfathers worked all their lives for the Erie railroad. It's sad now when we visit Meadville and see that the yard just barely exists. The yard office that I remember as a child is no longer there. The new yard tower that he moved to in the late 60's is still there but doesn't appear to be functioning. Thanks for the picture and the thoughts it brought back. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Philadelphia Rapid Transit: 1906
... even moreso today. (The Gallery, DPC, Philadelphia, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2014 - 3:05pm -

Circa 1906. "Elevated railway terminal, 70th and Market streets, Philadelphia." Another view of the building seen here. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Still thereView Larger Map Very Close to HomeNever did I think I would see something so very familiar to me here on Shorpy. I walk through those doors every workday, though it's now hard to imagine the suit-and-bowler crowd in the space. 69th Street Terminal is a mish-mash of lines. The Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company built the terminal and the Market-Frankford Elevated that ran into the city past Millbourne Mills and down along Market Street, thus connecting the myriad of suburban lines directly to the heart of the city. You can see one of their cars sticking its nose out from the bottom right of the building, along with its motorman taking a smoke break. The platform of the Philadelphia and Western Railroad Co.'s high-speed train to Strafford on the Main Line can be seen jutting out just above the Elevated car --- which actually dates the photo closer to 1908, as their cars didn't start operating out of their until mid-1907. Trollies of the Philadelphia & West Chester Traction Co. from West Chester, Sharon Hill, and Ardmore (and later Media) came in out of frame at left. All in all, a bustling operation, even moreso today. (The Gallery, DPC, Philadelphia, Railroads)
T-Mail: 1912
... Reading. I was 10 or 11. (The Gallery, Harris + Ewing, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2012 - 11:54am -

1912. "Post Office Department. Hupp Auto Railway Service" (i.e., Hupp Automatic Mail Exchange, a system for transferring mail bags to and from a moving train). Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. Note the two utility poles at left that have been scratched off the negative. View full size. What am I seeing?Besides the thumbprint, what is up with what appears to be two poles to the left of the stairs. On the right one I "see" a pair of praying hands and on the left Bambi's head . . . or maybe Elvis. Must you keep playing with my mind? I have so little of it left. Mail catcherAll of the mail delivery devices I ever saw when I was growing up had only one bag holder. I don't see how a mail clerk could catch more than one bag and get it into the mail car unless the train was moving at a walking pace. The clerk would toss out one bag and then extend the catch hook to grab the bag on the trackside holder. He then had to remove the bag from the catch hook and put it in the mail car. Railway mail cranesThe National Postal Museum has this nifty one-page history of the "mail crane" complete with photos and a silent film showing how mail cranes operated (it wasn't as steampunk-automagical as you might hope). RetouchingIt appears that when they erased the gray sky that they tried erasing the posts or poles as well. At least tried to blend it in. No Photoshop in those days, just scraping away emulsion and or painting translucent shades of gray from a bottle, kind of like putting on fingernail polish today. [This is made from a negative. The sky (and pole tops) were masked out with black ink. - Dave] Sack loader boyIn the early 1950s I worked for a grocer who would pick up mail sacks at the post office and drive them to the train station. I rode in back of the truck with the bags. My job, which paid 25 cents, was to hoist the first class (I guess) sack up onto the crane and then retrieve the sack kicked out of the railcar as the train sped by. This was on the Jersey Central in Port Reading. I was 10 or 11. (The Gallery, Harris + Ewing, Railroads)
Boston Beckons: 1906
... 1956. HTH (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Boston, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 5:26pm -

Boston, Massachusetts, circa 1906. "Navy Yard docks and Charles River from Charlestown." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Townie no longer !My dad was born the year this photo was taken in Charlestown! Myself, I was born across the river in Boston so I lose my status as a "townie"! Still trying to figure out exactly where this was shot from. Time for a change?The sign for St. Stephen's Garden Party & Field Day appears to be a little out of date; or the photo date is actually 1905. [The sign says 1906. July 18 in 1905 was a Tuesday. - Dave] Peculiar BuildingI'm at a loss as to what the elevated narrow structure is here in the foreground. It seems to be on top of an existing roof so must be very high. Is "swinging bridge"the proper term for that span? if so, those people standing there must be waiting for a ride. ["Swing bridge." - Dave] Charlestown Bridge Charlestown and the Charles River were named after the English king, who incidentally was beheaded by his people. The bridge connects the Charlestown section of Boston to the city's North End to the left and the North Station area to the right. This is a great picture in HiDef. Note the elevated railway that runs along Commercial Street to the left and Causeway Street to the right. The original causeway ran along Mill Pond. The area to the right, behind the shed on the elevated rail, is all filled in land. The street behind the shed on the elevated rail is North Washington. On the left behind this shed is Saint Mary's Church, now gone. On the building after you cross the bridge you will see a "Garden Party" sign with a mention of Revere Beach, north of Boston, which was America's first public beach. To the right of this sign if you look carefully you will see a banner mentioning St. Mary's. It served the parishioners of the North End and Charlestown as well as many from other areas of the city. About a quarter of a mile down on Commercial Street to the left after crossing the bridge is the site where there was a great molasses tank explosion in 1919. Twenty-one people were killed. Also worth noting are the clothes drying on the roofs. In 1920 there were 40,000 people living in the North End. It was an area more densely populated than Calcutta. Look at all that smoke!These old buildings have a big chimney for venting the coal smoke from their boilers, but most of them also have a steam vent next to it as well. I occasionally see these on modern central heating plants or factories too, but what's the purpose of it? Is the heating system just fired continuously and the excess steam/pressure is then vented to the outside? This thingEnclosed conveyor for coaling. Charlestown beckons.The coal-handling equipment shown may be part of the gigantic Boston & Maine RR coal bunker, which is in close proximity to, or may even be the POV for this photo. Somewhere in my 10k+ photo collection is a view taken from the Boston end of the bridge (Keaney Sq.). Long a City Square landmark, the coal bunker, nearly 10 stories high, was destroyed in a massive 1957 fire. B&M's regular steam locomotive operations ended in 1956. HTH (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Boston, DPC, Railroads)
Santa Fe Cathedral: 1943
... in Shorpy Land. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/11/2014 - 9:22am -

March 1943. "Fort Madison, Iowa. Shopton locomotive shops of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad." Photo by Jack Delano. View full size. Cathedral of IndustryHard to believe that there have been no comments about this magical space from the train aficionados in Shorpy Land. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Jackknife Bridge: 1907
... ago. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Chicago, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 11:20am -

Chicago, Illinois, circa 1907. "Jackknife Bridge, Chicago River." Our second look at this riveting (and riveted) span. Glass negative by Hans Behm. View full size. Great Lakes Lifeboat?The rounded top and porthole cockpit of the boat in question appears akin to modern offshore lifeboats. Non-Submerging SubmarineI've seen some strange watercraft in Shorpy pictures, but none stranger or less obvious of its purpose than the one in the foreground -- what the heck is it? It reminds me of the Coney Island Submarine. Or possibly some kind of covered barge? It seems to have sliding panels on the top. Maybe someone's homemade houseboat? Odd boats!The boat on the left reminds me of The African Queen, and the one on the right looks a bit like a Jules Verne submarine! What sort of uses is that riveted tubular craft designed for? Is there a name for the design? Rolling lift bridgeThe Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad trains crossed the Chicago River just south of Jackson Boulevard on this example of a Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge, one of at least ten crossing the main channel and the north and south branches of the Chicago River, designed by Chicago's Scherzer Rolling Bridge Co. The western terminus of the "Met" was in my hometown, Westchester, Illinois, a "planned" community developed by traction magnate Sam Insull, and, as part of the CTA, ran into Westchester until the mid-1950s. I vaguely recall the station on the north side of Canterbury between Balmoral and Westchester Boulevard, and the ground level crossing at Canterbury. The western terminus was moved to Forest Park, and is still the main westside "L", running in the median of the Congress Park Expressway (excuse me, Eisenhower Expressway!). RivercamperIf Airstream made a boat in 1907, it'd probably look like that strange vessel at the bottom of the picture. A Steampunk ShrineIt should be! As engineers sought a better solution to Chicago's bridge problem, the city entered its experimental phase. A jack-knife bridge that folded back on itself was built in 1891 but was deemed a failure. The first vertical lift bridge, with tall towers at either end controlling counterweights to lift a center span, was completed in 1894. And, in 1895, the Scherzer rolling lift bridge was developed in Chicago, opening at Van Buren Street. But the bridge type most associated with the city is the trunnion bascule. Trunnion bascule bridges have leaves that rotate on a shaft, or trunnion, located on the shore. A complex system of counterweights, gears and electric motors, operated by a bridge tender, raise the leaves upwards and away from the center of the river. The first trunnion bascule bridge in the United States was completed in 1902 at Cortland Street, and it is still there today. Not only did the design prove effective, but it was copied around the world and became known as the Chicago-type bascule. Most of the bridges you see in Chicago now are of the bascule-type, but examples of the swing bridge, vertical lift and Scherzer lift still exist, though many are now inoperable. FencingIt looks like they're using that newfangled chain link fencing - introduced to the US a mere 16 years ago. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Chicago, DPC, Railroads)
Nebraska: 1938
... hostile hobos!). (The Gallery, John Vachon, Omaha, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/14/2017 - 6:28am -

November 1938. "Omaha, Nebraska. Railroad yards." Medium format negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Still ThereIn the upper right, behind the tall smokestack, sits Johnny's Cafe. Established in 1922 and still serving today, it remains as one of the last artifacts of the Omaha Stockyards. Smoke and SteamAs a twelve year old living in Geelong, near Melbourne, Australia, there was a pedestrian overpass above the main railway yards, similar to the road viaduct in this photo. I had a strong interest in trains, and a friend would join me after school to stand on the overpass and watch the action of the shunting trains in 1959. Most of the engines were still steam powered, and we always got a kick out of standing in the right spot to get a blast of smoke and steam as the locomotive passed underneath. Upon returning home, my mother would encounter me and immediately say: "You've been down at the train yards again, haven't you? Go get cleaned up." To her credit, I was never prohibited from visiting the railway. The Brakeman's ClubThe "brakeman's club" was not a social gathering. To apply the hand brakes, the brakeman (lower right of photograph) would turn a large brake control wheel located atop each freight car of the train. Every brakeman carried a thick brake “club” to help give them leverage in turning the wheel (and also to defend against hostile hobos!). (The Gallery, John Vachon, Omaha, Railroads)
Across the Plains: 1941
... complete. (The Gallery, Landscapes, M.P. Wolcott, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2019 - 8:49pm -

August 1941. "Freight train going west from Minot, North Dakota, across the plains." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Love these train photographs. The Romance of the rails. Dave if you could incorporate the "train whistle" just one time it would make the whole photo complete. (The Gallery, Landscapes, M.P. Wolcott, Railroads)
Railway to Heaven: 1939
... the house is still active. (The Gallery, D.C., Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/27/2017 - 1:18pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1939. "View of train tracks and St. Dominic's Church." Medium format negative, photographer unknown. View full size. Engine Co. 4 FirehouseThis is Virginia Avenue between 4½ and Sixth Streets SW. The building at right with the flag on the roof is the DCFD Engine Company 4 firehouse, which was abandoned Sept. 12, 1940. Since the flag is flying, the house is still active. (The Gallery, D.C., Railroads)
High Bridge: 1907
... get to the privy. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 6:17pm -

High Bridge, Kentucky, circa 1907. "High Bridge and Kentucky River." At right is a section of the stairway seen here yesterday. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Those houses along the banksOr rather, cabins. I wonder who lived there and what they lived on. Those patches look way too small to be more than supplemental sustenance. And between the bank and the foot of the escarpment it looks like every time there is high water it would be a wash-out. Thanks, I'll take the high ground and the long way around. Still around?Is this bridge still there? I tried googling it but I'm getting a bunch of other bridges instead. [Yes.] General observationI'm glad Buster Keaton didn't see this photo. For sale cheap4 houses with river view, dry almost 8 months per year, bring rubber boots and a canoe, also included a large supply of logs donated by high water for that new barn. Nice View Of The RiverDo you think those houses ever got flooded out??!! Yes Vinny,It's still there. Courtesy Bing 3D. And another thing: I just can't get over the beauty of this photo! Maybe I'm crazyI realize we can't see the whole communtity, however, what a strange place to build houses. You have to get off the train and climb down those long flights of stairs, then when the river floods you have to run back up the stairs. Also, you have the critters near the water like mosquitos, snakes, rodents and belligerent loggers. A wonderful railroad site but I'd still be on that first train out of town. [The stairs were for the use of visitors to the park and resort at the top of the cliff, not access to the riverside houses.] Kinda Still ThereTo answer Vinny's question further: "A" bridge is still there, but not "the" bridge in the 1907 photo. The structure has been rebuilt; the stone towers are gone and the framework and supports are far heavier than before. If you move around in the Bing Bird's eye view that rvdroz provided in the stairs photo, you can see the differences. It was doubled-deckedYears ago on a steam train excursion that crossed High Bridge, I was told by a docent that High Bridge was widened to accommodate two tracks. He told me that that rail traffic used a temporary upper deck while the lower deck was under reconstruction! I've wondered if I misunderstood. If it is true, I wish I could see pictures of that! Whipple TrussBuilt in 128 days! The stone towers were originally intended for Roebling's never-completed suspension bridge. The towers were taken down in 1929 to allow for double tracks. More photos and info at BridgeHunter: [Link 1], [Link 2]. Baltimore Sun, April 24, 1877. An Excursion on the Cincinnati Southern Railroad. Testing the Great Bridge. On Friday last a delegation of Cincinnatians, representing largely the wealth and business interests of the city, made a tour of inspection of the Cincinnati Southern Railway to the Kentucky river. The road was found to be in excellent condition. The track is heavily ballasted with broken stone to the depth of fifteen inches, the ties are laid close, and the splendid steel rails, of which the whole line is to be laid, are well put down. … The bridge was subjected to the severest tests possible, which it stood admirably, the deflection of the spans, with a weight upon them of 1,082,000 pounds, ranging from three inches down to three-quarters of an inch. This bridge is believed to be the highest railroad bridge in the world, standing as it does 275 feet above the river. Its trestles, 87 feet high, rest upon iron piers 175 feet in height, which in turn stand upon huge stone abutments 66 feet and high and 130 by 17 feet. The three spans are 375 feet each in length, though the middle section really reaches past the pier a considerable distance on each side, receiving the other sections in telescopic form. The cost is $404,000, the builders the Baltimore Bridge Company. The work was begun October 16 and ended February 20. The bridge is known as the Whipple truss double intersection girder, or continuous cantilivers. The whole structure is wrought iron. … Stand By MeIs this the bridge Vern dropped his comb off? This OneThis one goes in the wallpaper file for sure. Thanks Dave! About Those HousesI did a little traveling via Google maps and discovered an Old Saw Mill Road above those cliffs. Could they have been used for work crew temporary housing when there was a load of logs to be wrangled? For those who wish to return to the days of yore just check the distance you would have had to travel on a sleety February night to get to the privy. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
Mission San Gabriel: 1912
... gotten taller. (The Gallery, DPC, Los Angeles, Railroads, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/25/2019 - 2:02pm -

Circa 1912. "Old Mission Trolley Trip -- Pacific Electric Railway." The San Gabriel Mission near Los Angeles. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The trees have gotten taller. (The Gallery, DPC, Los Angeles, Railroads, Streetcars)
Coal Hole: 1938
... near Welch, WV. (The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, Mining, Railroads, Small Towns) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/26/2019 - 12:17am -

September 1938. "Coal mining community near Welch, West Virginia." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott. View full size. Shaft Bottom Road?Did Kenorma mean Shaft Bottom Road rather than Mine Bottom Road? Unless I missed it, Google Maps doesn't show a Mine Bottom Road, but it does show Shaft Bottom Road NW of Welsh, WV. Electricity, but where?I'm sure serious railroaders will weigh in, but I bet this line was electrified only through the tunnel. Lengthy tunnels and coal fired steam engines ain't a good combo. Has anyone pinned down the location of this image? Shouldn't be hard, what with the intersection of two rail lines, a road, and a rail bridge across the river. But I've chased all over Google maps without success. SmokelessIt looks like the main line tracks were electrified. No coal burning engines in coal country! Intrepid travelerI have traveled the area covered by Ms. Wolcott in this series of photographs, and my experience has caused me to want to share this observation: Even with GPS, a modern automobile, readily available gas stations, well paved roads (and apps to warn when they’re not), etc., etc., traveling through this area can be quite an adventure. Then I imagine what it would have been like in the 1930s and I become quite impressed with this woman and her colleagues. I don’t think it’s too big of a stretch to suggest that what MPW did in the 1930s is more akin to the Lewis and Clark expedition than to what it would be to retrace her steps in 2019! YuckRiver with who knows what coal runoff in it, no apparent city water, and an outhouse in the back of every house. Looks like a good business opportunity for the local doctor, if only they can pay. Coal Miner's DaughterI found her and she's with a friend. One chimney on the housesSingle family dwellings makes life a little easier. Plus one outhouse apiece life of almost luxury in Welch. Found it.At the intersection of River and Mine Bottom Roads northwest of Welch. The service track on the hillside is gone but you can still make out one of the abutments where it crossed over the main lines. N&W ElectrificationThe electrified line was part of Norfolk and Western's Elkhorn Grade electrification efforts on their Bluefield division, which was started in 1912 and subsequently decommissioned in 1950. At its fullest extent, 52 miles of the Bluefield division was electrified. Bridge 894He's right -- the bridge over the Tug Fork is at 37.4437N 81.5965W. It's bridge 894, as that marker says at the near end of the bridge. The current aerials show bridge piers that look a bit different, but it's got to be the one. N&W was electrified Iaeger to Bluefield. HemphillThis picture is Hemphill Bottom near Welch, WV. (The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, Mining, Railroads, Small Towns)
Bisbee From Above: 1940
... many a former mining boom town. (The Gallery, Mining, Railroads, Russell Lee, Small Towns) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2018 - 12:55pm -

May 1940. "Looking down on the rooftops of Bisbee, Arizona. Copper mining center in the Mule Mountains, elevation 5,300 feet." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. You Are HereYou can still pick out some landmarks from near the same vantage point. But the schoolyard view is obscured by vegetation. Due to tourism and artists/writers, Bisbee has fared better than many a former mining boom town. (The Gallery, Mining, Railroads, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Cannery Bro: 1908
... shotgun and gas money. (The Gallery, Lewis Hine, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/19/2017 - 3:01pm -

August 1908. "A group of Young Fellows working in an Indianapolis Tomato Cannery." Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Not really a bad jobAs a teenager I worked in both a tomato cannery and sauerkraut factory. Hard work, but from what I have seen on Shorpy, can't compare to the coal mines and cotton mills. In retrospect I'm sure the 12 hour days were illegal, but it gave me the spending cash for my first shotgun and gas money. (The Gallery, Lewis Hine, Railroads)
Cuyahoga Lift Bridge: 1910
... water transportation corridor that fuels that haze and the railroads that needed to cross that corridor badly enough to spend the money to ... (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cleveland, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/13/2018 - 10:36am -

Cleveland circa 1910. "Lift Bridge, Cuyahoga River." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Bascule BridgeThis is a bascule bridge. Often the counterweights, which offset the weight of the bridge itself so it balances and moves easily, are underground, like the ones on the Chicago River. This is a Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridgeknown as Baltimore & Ohio Bridge No. 464, built in 1907, which I believe still survives at Cleveland albeit unused other than as an icon of the industrial heritage of "The Flats." The steam barge in the distance is the Tempest, built 1876 by Duncan Robertson at Grand Haven, Michigan. It burned at Parry Sound, Ontario, on June 28, 1909. On the right is the Isabella J. Boyce, built by Burger & Burger at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, in 1889. In use as a sand sucker at the time, it, too, burned off Middle Bass Island, Lake Erie, on June 1917. Since the Tempest was registered at Detroit until 1908 and the bridge built in 1907, I date the photograph to 1907-1908, probably 1907 soon after the completion of the structure. A beautiful dayIf you're not downwind of the mills. I am drawn to scenes like this because they show some of the conditions the working man endured in this time period. The industrial haze hanging low in the background meant that jobs were probably available. The steel industry was big in Cleveland. Corrigan-Mckinney, U.S. Steel, Cleveland Furnace Co. are some I can think of and there were a lot of jobs. Since the focus of this photograph is transportation it fits in with the background. Heavy industry grew where costs were low and for the steel industry transportation costs were a big factor. Both the importation of raw materials and shipping finished product. Here is a good example of an important water transportation corridor that fuels that haze and the railroads that needed to cross that corridor badly enough to spend the money to install a Sherzer rolling lift bridge. Now Who Do We Believe?Well. When I first saw this image the term bascule bridge popped into mind. But I am no expert on bridges. After seeing Willam Lafferty's and signalman's posts, I was a bit confused. So I turned to our famous online encyclopedia. The term is defined there as "a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or 'leaf', throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- or double-leafed." At the bottom of the page the single leaf rolling lift type bridge is one of the illustrations. If you want to take a look for yourself, and decide what kind of bridge this is, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bascule_bridge. Not BasculeThis is a Scherzer rolling lift bridge. The large circular arc segment is the support, and the bridge rolls on that arc as the bridge opens. The drive is at the center of the arc; a motor drives a small gear which rolls on the straight bar above the track level. A Scherzer is a type of BasculeA "rolling lift" bridge, sometimes called a Scherzer, is one of three distinct types of bascule bridge. Check it out on Wikipedia. No such thing as a dumb question?Would there be a right half of this bridge out of the frame, presumably already elevated when this picture was taken? How close do the segments of track have to come together to be a functional railroad bridge? Is it (was it) fairly precise and repeatable? (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cleveland, DPC, Railroads)
Central Station: 1901
... a night-time view, below). (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/24/2018 - 1:57pm -

Circa 1901. "Illinois Central Depot, 12th Street and Park Row, Chicago." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Pan-American ExpositionHeld in Buffalo from May 1 through November 2, 1901, attended by eight million visitors. Notable as the location of President McKinley's assassination by anarchist Leon Czolgosz on September 6 at the Temple of Music (in a night-time view, below). (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Railroads)
Gravy Train: 1941
... flag-free in both pictures (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Railroads, Russell Lee) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/28/2018 - 5:03pm -

July 1941. "Flour mill in Caldwell, Idaho." 35mm Kodachrome transparency by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Milk Goes Good With GravyThe old Caldwell flour mill is long gone, but in this modern view would have been off-camera right of the handsome brick offices of the still extant Darigold Dairy Building, seen in the rear of the historical photo--flagpole still standing proudly yet somehow flag-free in both pictures (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Railroads, Russell Lee)
Working on the Railroad: 1901
... of the New York Central. (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/16/2018 - 11:59am -

October 1, 1901. "Track elevation and stone mixer, Chicago." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Big 4I wonder if that refers to Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, Collis P. Huntington, and Charles Crocker - founders of the Central Pacific railroad. They were often referred to as the Big 4. All That ScrapThat wood scrap is treasure today. And to imagine where that tongue and groove, and I'll be guessing, 2 x 6 came from, would be amazing. I would love having some of that wood now. Ridin' the RodsWas never really sure what this meant until I saw the gondola car in this picture; apparently hoboes would crawl up on the brace rods under railroad cars like this one and hang on until their destination. What a ride! Always find it amazingIt wasn't Romance of the Rails so aptly depicted at times. Somebody had to do the actual work. Big FourThe railroad nicknamed "Big Four" was the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway. CCC&StL. Big Four againOfficially known as CCC&StL has appeared in Shorpy before: www.shorpy.com/node/20673 The rods beneath the car are truss rods. These old cars had wooden center sills and the truss rods helped support those sills. As the car aged, the frame would tend to sag, so the truss rods were tightened through turnbuckles, visible in the middle of the rods, to compensate. Where is the Instrument Man?Thirty-two years a surveyor and if I'd EVER left the level alone, my party chief would have shot me. Also, that level now (looks to me like a Wye level), while a genuine antique, would bring between five and ten thousand on the open market. Our division had two of them, both serviceable that one of our bosses ordered thrown out ("Nobody uses them anymore!") Somehow, they never made it to the dumpster. Big fourThe gents you mentioned are the big four of the Central Pacific, but the sign on that car here is the railroad nicknamed that way from its corporate title cities. Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis. The line was a subsidiary of the New York Central. (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Railroads)
Carnegie Steel: 1905
... Monthly. January, 1868) (The Gallery, DPC, Factories, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/01/2014 - 2:47pm -

Circa 1905. "Carnegie Steel Plant, Homestead, Pennsylvania." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Immigrant experienceWow!, what a photo. My grandfather came to America from Croatia, alone, age 18, in 1914. His first job was unloading steel scrap from gondola train cars, by hand, bound for the furnaces in Pittsburgh. Later he moved up to a job that my father said he would come home from work and his shirt would be burned with little holes from splattering hot metal. The good ol' days. The WaterfrontThis is now a sizable outdoor walk-around mall called The Waterfront with plenty of nice shops, restaurants and distractions. Hell with the lid offThat's how Dickens recorded his impression of Pittsburgh. This scene brought the phrase to mind. MunnhallThis is an area I know as Munnhall, Pa. My grandfather worked for Jones and Laughlin Steel for 45 years. His profession for the company was River Boat Engineer; the old paddle wheel tugs. He retired in 1956. I have a great photo of his boat, the VULCAN, racing other Paddle Wheel tugs on the Monongahela around the 1920's. From the looks of the photo's, these races seemed fairly popular, the banks of the river show onlookers lined for miles to watch the event. A different timeBack when smoke showed progress, jobs, and prosperity. Parton, not Dickens"There is one evening scene in Pittsburgh which no visitor should miss. Owing to the abruptness of the hill behind the town, there is a street along the edge of the bluff, from which you can look directly down upon the part of the city which lies low, near the level of the rivers. On the evening of this dark day, we were conducted to the edge of the abyss, and looked over the iron railing upon the most striking spectacle we ever beheld ... It is an unprofitable business, view-hunting; but if any one would enjoy a spectacle as striking as Niagara, he may do so by simply walking up a long hill to Cliff Street in Pittsburgh, and looking over into — hell with the lid taken off." ― James Parton, (The Atlantic Monthly. January, 1868) (The Gallery, DPC, Factories, Railroads)
The Green Book: 1910
... not on the road of Anthracite. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/21/2011 - 2:04pm -

Circa 1910. "Electric-lighted berth on a deluxe overland limited train." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The Green BookThe Green Book Magazine Total Issues: 151 Began as a standard-size magazine devoted to the theatre, but in its final year or two seems to have turned into a fiction pulp. Issues & Index Sources Jan-1909 – Jun-1912, as The Green Book Album Jul-1912 – Jul-1921, as The Green Book Magazine Picky? Or Lazy?I reckon the bonnet comes off, given a trifle of effort. In '77 or '78 my wife and I rode from Oakland to Orem on the California Zephyr, just for the experience (Utah was as far as we could go and get back to California in time for work on Monday). Berths aren't private enough, but compartments on a moving train, with solid doors and curtains over the windows, are quite conducive to, er, bonnet removal. That bonnetIs probably the best birth control device ever conceived That bonnetI inherited two such night caps. Both are very pretty, really, one made of light pink satin and the other pale blue satin. One has ribbon roses and tiny apples made from silk fabric. The blue one is rather plain, with just white lace trim. They belonged to my husband's grandmother ( https://www.shorpy.com/node/7764 ) and would have been worn into the early 1920s. They may well have been her mother's before they belonged to her. My mother-in-law just had them draped over a lamp on the dresser as decoration. Rail travel was better thenCompare her setting to that of the average modern day Amtrak sleeper car. It seems for everything that has progressed in 100 years, something has regressed. Including the rail travel experience. Little House on the PrairieIsn't that Nellie Oleson? Is she on her honeymoon? Where is Percival? IncognitoWith wig and cap she looks a fright and in disguise must spend the night. She must lie low and out of sight as Phoebe's contract's good and tight when not on the road of Anthracite. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Payday: 1905
... good 45 minutes. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/11/2013 - 9:53am -

Circa 1905. "Payday at the shipyard -- Newport News, Virginia." Where do I sign up for direct deposit? 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Okay you mugsline up alphabetically! You can tell who's got their payThey're the ones walking purposefully away from the crowd. Off to the pub! Back In the DayPayment in hard cash. Seems like there would have been a better way, but of course the company doesn't care, these guys are off the clock! [I think they all felt better getting cold, hard cash. - tterrace] Question of the DayIs this the end of the line? PaydayThere weren't this many people in my home town. Orderly chaosUpon closer inspection, things may be a little less chaotic than they first appear. There are multiple pay stations, and the signs at each station seem to indicate which positions get paid there (e.g. fitters, carpenters, drillers, etc.) and during what hours. So, if you were a Power House worker, you'd show up at Pay Station 3 at the designated time and your pay would be waiting; the folks in the Repair Department would have to wait until later to pick up their pay at that same window. (I wonder what happened if you showed up after your pay session ended?) Bigger than a lot of towns in Virginia When I first moved to Newport News (1976)The shipyard employed 36,000 workers on three shifts. The majority worked days, of course and the rest were split between swing and graveyard shifts. If you were downtown for some reason, other than working at the shipyard, You made sure that you were either on your way home before 4PM (when the yard let out) or had a good reason to stay till around 5 PM. Traffic West on Warwick Blvd and Jefferson Ave. was bumper to bumper for a good 45 minutes. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
Either Ore: 1943
... a busy town it was. (The Gallery, Fritz Henle, Mining, Railroads, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/08/2018 - 10:41am -

January 1943. "Production. Zinc. Cars for transporting zinc and lead ore. From the Eagle-Picher Mining & Smelting Co. plant near Cardin, Oklahoma, come great quantities of zinc and lead to serve many important purposes in the war effort." Photo by Fritz Henle for the Office of War Information. View full size. Definitely a Different Type of CarThose cars appear to be examples of the well-known Difco Side Dump Cars manufactured by the Differential Steel Car Company. The large vertical cylinders can lift and tilt the car body either right or left to unload the lading. Eagle-Picher SmelterI was raised in Columbus, KS about 12 miles north of Cardin, OK and I can remember the Eagle-Picher smelter.The lead and zinc mines around Cardin and Picher were very active during WW2 and up into the mid-50's. You could see the chat piles from miles away and we, jokingly, called them the "Oklahoma Mountains". Now, Picher has been designated a Super Fund Cleanup site because of the lead contamination and the town no longer exists. It was bought by the government and everyone removed except for a few die hard residents. Very sad ending for a small town. Old pictures of it in its heyday show how heavily the area was mined and what a busy town it was. (The Gallery, Fritz Henle, Mining, Railroads, WW2)
Over the River: 1905
... floats, pier floats, ferries, tugs, etc. once owned by the railroads that served NY harbor, very few remain. To my knowledge, only ONE ... harbor. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, NYC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/23/2017 - 1:27pm -

Hoboken, New Jersey, circa 1905. "Holland America Piers with view of Manhattan across Hudson River." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. More on the ArlingtonOne of three identical propeller driven double-deck ferries, the Arlington was the first launched on November 21, 1903 at the Burlee Dry Dock Co., Port Richmond, Staten Island, NY. The other two boats were the Tuxedo, and the Goshen. Each was built by a different shipyard. They were 224 feet long, 64 feet wide, and drew 16.4 feet of water. Powered by two 1200 HP compound engines with steam supplied by two Scotch boilers at 150 PSI. The Arlington was the first launched and the last in service closing out Erie Railroad ferry operations on December 12, 1958. Was at 5th Street.The Hoboken Holland America facility operated from 1882-1963, and was a backdrop for much of the filming of the classic On the Waterfront. Nowadays, all of the Hoboken waterfront is park land with commercial shipping moved to Port Elizabeth and Port Newark. Brooklyn & Manhattan shipping is gone as well due to lack of rail access. Yes, you read that location correctly, Frank Sinatra Drive, named for the famous resident. Midtown from HobokenTaken in 2010 from Frank Sinatra Drive. (With apologies to TimeAndAgainPhoto for the imprecision.) Cunard has a ship inI don't remember if we arrived at pier 51 or 52 when immigrated here, coming over on the Queen Elizabeth in, as my mother called it, steerage, more politely called tourist class. Because the Cunard ship has three tall masts, it is probably either the Umbria or the Etruria, the last Cunard liners with auxiliary sails, built in 1884 and scrapped in 1910. Over the TopShorpy has done it again. This photo has it all from laundry hung out to dry, men in rowboats, the Uneeda Buscuit sign, oodles of wooden barrels with who knows what inside them, great Manhattan skyline, boxcars, boats, but no Brando. Bravo Shorpy! The "Railroad Fleet"Out of the huge fleet of barges, lighters, car floats, pier floats, ferries, tugs, etc. once owned by the railroads that served NY harbor, very few remain. To my knowledge, only ONE covered barge, formerly owned by the Lehigh Valley, is still documented as an active vessel in the Hudson: Lehigh Valley #79, now owned by The Barge Museum and used as an exhibition and performance space. The identity of the Erie ferry in the background could be a subject for some sleuthing. The word "Erie" on the side of the ship is probably just an owner's mark: the name of a double-ended ferry is usually on nameboards under the pilothouse windows. It's washday aboard the New York Central covered barge; you can see a line of clothes drying. In those days, many barges had a live-aboard "barge captain" in charge. In these days of sealed ocean shipping containers which are trans-loaded only as a unit, it's difficult to grasp that it was once economically possible to trans-load loose freight between ships, barges, and railcars, including "less than carload lots," which might have to be transloaded multiple times before reaching their destination. They were different times. Re: the Erie FerryI believe that the vessel's name is "Arlington" and that it is (was) owned by the Erie Railroad system. The "E" in the diamond was the logo for that rail line and one I used to see often in western New York when I was a kid. SS Potsdamseems to be the liner to the right. She met her end in 1944, scuttled by the Germans in Cherbourg harbor. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, NYC, Railroads)
Chicago: Night: 1943
... over. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 9:28am -

Illinois Central freight cars at the South Water Street terminal, Chicago. May 1943. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. Nights were darker back thenIt's interesting to compare this photo with the nighttime scene in any modern city - nowadays there are so many lights in the office buildings, while back then the offices were pitch black at night. It seems there is a lit plane flying past the tower on the left... [This was during World War II. There were blackout regulations in a lot of big cities, though mostly on the East Coast. - Dave] Night photoGreat composition of light & dark, Jack sure knew how to take great photos. It looks like the boxcar is lit up by an auto's headlights. [Jack used a floodlight. - Dave] Line in upper left?What is that? Were commercial planes that common in 1943 like tsturm suggested? [Aircraft running light? Whether military, civilian or interplanetary, it's hard to say. - Dave] My guessThere are at least two streaks here, in the same trajectory. This glow is later dusk, nautical twilight, while these streaks are stellar in origin. The bright object is Venus. This being shot in May, the zodiac would appear to be dipping to the northwest. Given that the Chicago skyline was west of the lake, and the railway ran along the Lakeshore back then, this is facing west-northwest. Kodachrome of that day was either ASA8 or ASA10 speed, which is incredibly slow. Also, Kodachrome has poor reciprocity failure, meaning that it requires much more time to make very long exposures like this. Even time exposures with Kodachrome 64 in 2010 is pretty slow. (Just to be sure, I pulled up Astroviewer.com's interactive night sky viewer, plugged in May 15, 1943, 8:50p CST, Chicago, and Venus is indeed in the western sky; the dimmer star is probably Theta Aurigae). Nerd time over. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Santa Fe Brakeman: 1943
... to slow things down. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/11/2009 - 11:35am -

March 1943. "Brakeman H.B. Van Santford riding on top of the caboose as the train on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad goes down from Summit to San Bernardino, California. The swing and head brakeman also ride on top of the cars for the entire distance." Nitrate negative by Jack Delano. View full size. Fresh Air RideDoes anyone know why the three rode outside? It seems as though it would have been easier to keep that cigarette lit while inside. Railroad storyI walked up to a brakeman Just to give him a line of talk He said if you've got money boy I'll see that you don't walk I haven't got a nickel, not a penny can I show He said get off you railroad bum And he slammed that boxcar door -- "Singing Brakeman," Jimmie Rodgers Perhaps a Little GrandstandingAutomatic air brakes eliminated the need for brakemen to run across the tops of cars applying and releasing brakes at the command of whistle signals from the locomotive. However, Mr. Van Santford does cut a gallant figure as he peers ahead looking for hot brakes or other mechanical ailments. [Or maybe the descent from Summit required extra caution. - Dave] Be AwareDo not confuse the Santa Fe Brakeman with the Wichita Lineman. Life Imitates PublishingIt's right out of Jack Kerouac, from the time when he was writing about being a brakeman in California. These days nobody gets to be on top of the train. That's less from safety rules than from the fact that they've eliminated the crews. "A train without a caboose is like a sentence without a period." Up on the RoofAs noted in the caption, the train is descending a grade and the train carries three brakemen – head end riding the engine, rear who normally rode the caboose and "swing" riding mid-train (another Delano photo shows a swing brakeman riding and standing on a car roof as the train goes downgrade, which was standard practice here. Brakemen would ride the roofs to watch for any sign of trouble (over-heated or burning journals ("hotbox"), burning brakes, line-side fires etc) — in this era, cars still had roofwalks and high-mounted handbrake gear, so if there was a failure or problem with the airbrakes as they descended, they could move from car to car and set the handbrakes in an effort to slow things down. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Bagdad: 1943
... names are used today). (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 6:07pm -

March 1943. "Bagdad, California. Going through the station on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad between Needles and Barstow." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Bagdad's bonesAt one time Bagdad was a busy little community, but like many others along Route 66, it went bust as the interstate came into use. In 1991 the remaining schoolhouse and other buildings were demolished. All that remains is the rail siding, a tree, some broken glass and a lonely cemetery. Bagdad the BookRudy VanderLans made a book about the place, with photographs and an essay. By the time he got to Bagdad, all the buildings had gone, and only a stump remained of the palm tree -- could it be the same one in the photo? Aptly NamedThe environment here seems as bleak as that outside Baghdad, Iraq, which may have been the inspiration. Desolate though it may be, its not without its alleviations...that is if you like solitude, opressively hot days and a dozens of roads going off in every direction to nowhere. Every time I see the name Baghdad (or Bagdad) on the news I'm reminded of the intro. to a Johnny Cash song in which he says, "We're going to play an Arabic song for you: 'Oh, What a Bag Dad Had.'" Kiosk QueryWhat is the little kiosk there? No There ThereIf you look at Bagdad now on Google Street View, there's nothing but a dusty road winding out into the empty desert. Been thereNot far from Bagdad is Amboy and the Amboy Crater, an extinct volcanic cone. I looked for Bagdad when we visited the crater, but I'm not sure I really saw the spot. There truly is no "there" there... Shaking the dust outA trip via Google Earth also reveals some foundation outlines & a couple of ghost streets at Bagdad. However, its neighbor to the east, Amboy, is quite interesting. We always stop at Roy's to see whether or not they are currently in business. You never know. http://www.rt66roys.com/ Phone shantyThe six-sided kiosk is an ATSF standard telephone shanty. These were usually found at passing sidings and other remote locations where it was necessary for a train crew to contact the dispatcher or vice-versa. The lower quadrant train order signal in front of the operator's bay is missing both arms, so I'd assume the station has been closed and there is no longer an operator assigned here. The phone booth would still permit contact as needed. I saw Jack Palance......in a quirky movie in 1988 titled Bagdad Cafe. It took place in a very similar remote desert watering hole and had a strange assortment of characters, sort of reminded me of a Fellini film. If you want to know how it ends, rent the movie. Exercise Gallant Eagle '86I believe that this is at the northern end of Twenty-nine Palms Marine Corps Base. I was involved in a huge training exercise there, as an Army pilot, in 1986. As I recall, the 82nd Airborne Division was using Bagdad to load out their equipment. Newberry SpringsThe Bagdad Cafe as seen in the film of the same name is actually in Newberry Springs, also along Route 66. It was still open as of 2005 when I took my Route 66 trip. As mentioned already, nothing is left of the real Bagdad besides some flat spots in the desert. It was apparently the only town for miles around with a jukebox, which made it a very popular place for awhile. The alphabet between Ludlow and Needles...When the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad (later acquired by the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway) started putting in tracks they needed to set up quite a few watering stations across the desert for the steam locomotives. The first of these points (they all became towns of one form or another) was Amboy. The committee that named these stations got very clever and put them in alphabetical order, going from west to east: - Amboy - Bristol - Cadiz - Danby - Essex - Fenner - Goffs - Homer - Ibis - Java - Khartoum . Because Bagdad is close to Amboy, they often make Bagdad the B, although Bagdad is west of Amboy. People also make that mistake about Klinefelter, which was actually another name for Ibis (both names are used today). (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Wabash Station: 1905
... is necessary. (The Gallery, DPC, Pittsburgh, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2012 - 1:45pm -

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, circa 1905. "Wabash Station." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. After the FireThe Wabash Station, the Nixon Theater and the Keenan Building were Pittsburgh's three Beaux Arts jewels of the early 20th century. A massive fire gutted the Wabash in 1946. With damage estimated at $8 million, the city was faced with a major problem: the building was too expensive to restore and too centrally located to just ignore. City leaders reflected on the wasted opportunity of the Great Fire of 1845: A third of Pittsburgh was in ashes, but without a central plan, the chaotic rebuilding created a jumbled warren of cheap houses and dirty industrial buildings. Determined to boldly address the lack of greenspace and beautify the city, a coalition developed the Pittsburgh Renaissance Plan encompassing a 36 acre park at the Point and 23 acres of modern, state of the art office buildings. The structure was demolished in 1954. We lost an architectural jewel but got an incredibly beautiful park on the most valuable land in the entire city. Wabash No MoreUnfortunately, this magnificent structure was demolished in 1954. In its place today, the Gateway Center. Definitely not a step up. ShameI cannot understand one thing: here, where I live, in Europe, we had nightmare of World Wars. Many cities was completely destroyed, including my capital, Warsaw. You Americans, had this luck, to avoid war operations over your cities. Nevertheless, lots of glorious buildings was demolished in the name of progress. Crying shame. Not Always UnfortunateWhile it is fine to mourn the loss of classic buildings, we should also remember that it is not always wanton destruction. As ossewa pointed out, the Wabash Station was severely damaged by fire. It could not be restored economically. Would the city of Pittsburgh have been better off leaving it as a "modern ruin" and potentially a magnet for derelicts and squatters or were they better off to demolish it (as they did) and rather than trying to replicate it build something in the (then) modern style? It's true that many buildings are torn down for the sake of modernity, but it is also the case that sometimes the destruction is necessary. (The Gallery, DPC, Pittsburgh, Railroads)
Nice Tie: 1941
... missed "Honest Abs"? Shame! (The Gallery, John Vachon, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/12/2020 - 1:56pm -

June 1941. "Surveyors at work in Martin County, Indiana, where naval ammunition depot is being constructed on 42,000 acre tract. 160 families will be displaced." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Honest six packNot a gym rat, I'll wager. Tell that RodmanPlumb that rod if you want an accurate reading. On MY crew, you wouldn't last a week! Not so buffThat sledge he is holding weighs at least 10 pounds. If he has had this job for a while i would expect his forearms to be more Popeyesque. Getting preparedWe've seen several Vachon photos of workers who were building another large ammunition plant, in Radford, Virginia. This while the U.S. was still officially staying out of World War II. Despite strong opposition to involvement, the Roosevelt administration was taking increasingly specific steps, most visibly Lend Lease and Selective Service registration. Photographing military preparedness was surely a stretch of the Farm Security Administration's remit, which likely explains the caption emphasizing displacement of rural families. Within a year things morphed into the Office of War Information and Vachon was working there. The facility in Indiana is still operating. I spent several years in Bloomington and never realized that the world's third largest naval installation was 35 miles away and nowhere near an ocean. High-speed CraneThe Crane Naval Depot still exists along with the town of Crane about 35 miles south of Bloomington, the home of Indiana University. Besides Martin County, parts of the property extends into two other counties. If it has anything to do with electronic warfare, they do it at Crane. Not to put to fine a point on itThat birdhouse will be displaced. Oh c'monYou missed "Honest Abs"? Shame! (The Gallery, John Vachon, Railroads)
D.R.T.: 1910
... they? Thank you. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/17/2018 - 10:08am -

Circa 1910. "Michigan Central R.R. -- Electric engine, Detroit River tunnel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Angled boxes and moreThe angled boxes are fuse holders, designed to direct the inevitable arc away from anything possibly vulnerable. And for SouthBendModel34, I have worked around energized third rail for many years, and with much less clearance than here. NY Central RR Class R-1Built in 1910, scrapped in 1956. (How many of today's locomotives will still be running in 46 years?) Under-running (bottom-contact) third rail. Third rail shoes are visible below the wooden beams on the trucks. The man standing on the ground is closer to a third rail shoe than I would care to be. The tiny pantograph on the roof is an alternate electrical pickup which will contact overhead bus bars in areas where track switches require long gaps in the third rail. The Missing Link(s)The boxes seen in various places on the engine are fuse holders. Big ones like those make quite a "bang!" and also quite the vigorous arc-flash when they rupture. Simple but effective; cheap as well. The angled boxes on the locomotive are what?Just below the engineer's window are two boxes, angled down. Two more are below the platform, between the man and the engineer's seat. And there's one more near the rear truck. What on earth are they? Thank you. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Railroads)
« first‹ prev…34 [35]36…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.