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Try the Train: 1937
California, March 1937. "Toward Los Angeles." View full size. Medium format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. Magnificent Now THAT is a photograph. Such powerful social commentary captured in a si ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:12pm -

California, March 1937. "Toward Los Angeles." View full size. Medium format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. MagnificentNow THAT is a photograph. Such powerful social commentary captured in a single image. Lange couldn't have gotten a better shot. Incredible ShotIt made me think of "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck. Ms. Lange......shows us how it's done. Again. It's like a white rural version of......Margaret Bourke-White's famous shot, "There's No Way Like the American Way", also from 1937. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Railroads)
Underground Railroad: 1943
... 1943. "Chicago, Ill. A Baltimore & Ohio Railroad train about to depart from Union Station via the Alton Road to Saint Louis." ... I don't know much about trains so that's my excuse. The train is in Chicago. The caption on the train says "Baltimore and Ohio" and we ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/03/2013 - 11:52am -

January 1943. "Chicago, Ill. A Baltimore & Ohio Railroad train about to depart from Union Station via the Alton Road to Saint Louis." The streamliner Abraham Lincoln. Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. Great PhotoAn excellent photo. Trouble is that the B&O used Chicago Grand Central station until it was torn down, then they switched to Union Station. I'm confused hereOkay, this may be a dumb question but I don't know much about trains so that's my excuse. The train is in Chicago. The caption on the train says "Baltimore and Ohio" and we are told that the train is running along the "Alton Road to Saint Louis." Is it going to Baltimore, Ohio, or St. Louis and what is it doing in Chicago? ["Baltimore & Ohio Railroad" is the name of the company, founded in 1827. -tterrace] Seventy years later The view is the same except for the rolling stock. B&O at Union StationBaltimore and Ohio acquired control of the Chicago and Alton RR in 1930, and renamed it the Alton Railroad. The B&O retained control of the ARR until 1943 when it regained its independence. The Alton RR disappeared again in 1947 with its merger into the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio RR Syatem. C&A trains into Chicago used Union Station, along with the PRR, CB&Q and the Milwaukee Road. B&O Main line trains to the East Coast continued to use Grand Central Station while they had control of the Alton, hence the photograph of the Abraham Lincoln at Union Station. B&O owned/controlled the Altonuntil March 1943 when it regained it's independence after 12 years. That's why this train is leaving Chicago Union Station headed for St. Louis (using B&O equipment) on the Chicago & Alton Railroad rather than leaving Central Station where the other B&O trains terminated in this era. B&O had no trackage of it's own as a direct route Chicago to St. Louis. Today Amtrak is upgrading this line for 110 mph "Lincoln Service" Chicago to St. Louis. Jack DelanoMy hero! Another terrific train photo. Same train, different endHere's what the front end of the Abraham Lincoln looked like. Beautiful! According to Wikipedia, the train consisted of a baggage mail car, three coaches, a diner car, two parlor cars (see attached interior image), and the observation car we see in the photo at the end. A survivorThe Abraham Lincoln and its counterpart Ann Rutledge were mostly aluminum train sets originally ordered by the B&O. The rivets in the photo help identify them as aluminum; most lightweight cars were welded steel but aluminum welding techniques were not widely used until the mid-40's. Thus aluminum lightweights used the traditional riveted construction. The B&O initially trialed the aluminum sets on the Royal Blue between New York and Washington D.C., but found the ride to be too rough for their premier service. The train sets were sent to the Alton, where they served on the Chicago-St. Louis route through GM&O ownership and into the 60's. You can still go see the observation car in this photo, fully restored and complete with its drumhead sign, at the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis. Alton Aboard!To add possibly a little light to the subject, Alton, Illinois is a smallish town north of St. Louis, about eight miles up the Mississippi from its confluence with the Missouri. Without regard to the vicissitudes of track ownership, etc., you can trace the rail line north from Alton to Chicago, through towns such as Springfield and yes, **Lincoln**, Illinois, roughly along the path of Interstate 55. Likewise, heading south from Alton, you generally follow the path of the river (or at least, the Chain of Rocks Canal) crossing the river on the lower level of the 1909 Free Bridge (since 1942 called the MacArthur Bridge, as in, Douglas), and easing into the rail yards on the Missouri side. As an aside, the upper level of the MacArthur Bridge carried Route 66 for a time. Now it is closed to vehicular traffic. After much searchingthis train was royal blue and light grey in colour, the coaches were reworked heavy-weight older coaches instead of new aluminum cars being introduced. Lincoln ServiceInterestingly (or, perhaps, not) Amtrak's daily train between Chicago and St. Louis is called the Lincoln Service. Also survivingis the Locomotive from this train, #50, sans shovel nose. It is also at the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgilber0/3641221095/ Abraham Lincoln / Ann Rutledge Passenger TrainsOne train was aluminum and the other was Cor-Ten steel. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Metropolis: 1933
... by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. One more train-related sight In the upper left you can see the long viaduct that ... unlike its Second Avenue counterpart. There also were train lines going over the Queensboro Bridge, they lasted until the late ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:28pm -

January 19, 1933. "New York City views. New York Hospital and Queens from 515 Madison Avenue." Fifty-Ninth Street over the East River on the Queensboro Bridge. Medium-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. One more train-related sightIn the upper left you can see the long viaduct that leads up to the Hell's Gate rail bridge. The bridge itself, not yet 20 years old when the picture was taken, is out of sight to the left. The viaduct and bridge are still there today, used by Amtrak and freights. Vanished trainsJust to the right of center there's a nice view of the 57th Street station of the Second Avenue El. It was demolished in 1940,* so when this picture was taken in 1933 plans for its removal probably were underway**. Two stretches of the Third Avenue El can be seen closer to the foreground, one at 55th Street and the other at 57th. It lasted until 1955, so I wouldn't imagine that it was under any sort of death sentence in 1933 unlike its Second Avenue counterpart. There also were train lines going over the Queensboro Bridge, they lasted until the late 1950's, but they don't appear to be visible in this picture. * = an urban legend says that the steel from the demolished el was sold to Japan, and within a couple years turned into weapons used against America ** = the Second Avenue El was to be replaced by a subway under Second Avenue, which had been in the planning stages since the 1920's. Care to guess what has never been built? Second Avenue ElI seem to recall a short bit of poetry from e.e. cummings about a sailor killed by a Japanese shell made from a bit of the 2nd Avenue El. It's been a long time since I read the poem and I can't find my books from that course or I'd quote it. Follow the smokestackIf you follow the smokestack at the hospital complex straight down you will find another El station -- Third Avenue. There is a water tower just to the right of it. I love this photo! Just like a train platformMy first-ever Shorpy comment. I love this blog and this particular photo: it reminds me of a train layout with model houses, and it's inspiring! In case anyone wants a look, I just completed a model of another American/New York City landmark, Penn Station. It's online in 3D (made on Google SketchUp). East 54th StreetI believe that the building on whose sign the Hahn Brothers is on the north side of East 54th, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. Almost 40 years ago, I lived in a studio apartment on the north side of East 54th, one block east of the range of this photo. The fancy El Morocco nightclub had just relocated to this block about then, with entries on both the street and avenue sides. In subsequent years, the club was never able to regain its charisma from its days near Fifth Avenue in the East Fifties. Mystery Obelisk and CylinderSlightly to the left an below the "Storage and Warehouse" sign there is a Obelisk which appears to be a large slab, about 8 stories high, held up by triangular columns with a nearby wide cylindrical structure. I have lived for over 50 years in this neighborhood and for the life of me can't figure out what this is. Does anyone know? [I think you mean "Storage Fireproof." What you're describing seems to be the rooftop sign (facing away from the camera) and water tank shown below.(Update: See the next comment up) - Dave] e.e.A reference to soldier's death from a bullet made from the Sixth Avenue El is in e.e. cummings' "Plato told," written in 1944. Urban legend or not, the idea that the Sixth Avenue El (or, in some places, the Ninth Avenue El) had gone as scrap to Japan was reported as fact by columnist Arthur Baer in March 1941 and INS reporter Jim Young in 1943. Tracing any particular pile to one particular country seems difficult, but Japan was the USA's top customer for scrap iron in the late 1930's, getting over 10 million tons of it between 1934 and 1939 (according to pre-war business pages). In any event, scrap from the Second Avenue El, demolished starting in 1942, was specifically earmarked for the U.S. war effort. Re: Just like a train platformLoved the 3D model. I use Sketchup for work - sometimes on buildings this size, but compared to yours, my models are agricultural. Thanks for thisI used to live in this neighborhood. I could see the building that says "Storage Fireproof" from my roof. I was a block away. Nice to see NYC without all the expensive highrises. If this photo had a soundtrackit would be Rhapsody in Blue. Obelisk FoundThe "obelisk" is the facade of Trinity Baptist Church at 250 East 61st Street. The cylinder is a "lantern" -- a raised skylight with openings on the sides. View Larger Map Rapid Transit over the Queensboro BridgeThe two rail lines that ran over the Queensboro bridge are visible as they curve to merge with the Second Avenue El. There was much opposition to the removal of El by the residents of Queens as it gave users of the Flushing line one seat service to lower Manhattan, something they still lack seventy years on from the death of the el. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC)
Troop Train: 1943
March 1943. "Grants, New Mexico. Passing a troop train stopping for coal and water on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe ... cars, but I got to about 20 and gave up. That's a lot of train! I can't tell, but these might be mostly "heavy-weight" cars with 6 wheel ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/17/2014 - 6:55am -

March 1943. "Grants, New Mexico. Passing a troop train stopping for coal and water on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe between Belen and Gallup." Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Long & grubby!I tried to count the number of cars, but I got to about 20 and gave up. That's a lot of train! I can't tell, but these might be mostly "heavy-weight" cars with 6 wheel trucks. I wonder, if they were double headed with 2 steam locomotives on the head end? These passenger cars were kept busy. There would have been a lot troops going in both directions; east to the European Theater and west to the Pacific Theater. I would imagine the cars arrived, were quickly cleaned and turned around with another load of military personnel in the other direction. Just about all troops and materiel moved by rail in WWII. Thanks to Jack Delano for another great railroad photo! Hell on WheelsBy all historical accounts, Troop Trains were hell on wheels for the soldiers inside them. The trains were typically packed to the gills with soldiers, and more often than not lacked air conditioning. Railroads pressed their older heavy-weight and light-weight stock into service for the soldiers, while the more modern streamlined rolling stock was used for passengers. To add insult to injury, so to speak, soldiers were flat out forbidden from leaving the trains until they reached their final destination. One account comes to mind, when FDR's son (while en route to a troop transport) and his train came to a stop outside Toccoa Georgia, while on the Central of Georgia Railway. The train needed to stop for a crew change, as well as to refill the water tank on the tender, and take on coal. What's more, the train had to wait for a following passenger train to overtake it. (Troop trains were considered "second class" trains, with passengers being "first class.") Toccoa's history museum recounts testimony from citizens that the train sat in the sweltering Georgia heat for close to three hours while the locomotive was serviced, and the passenger train overtook it. During that time, armed guards at the doors prevented anyone from leaving, or getting aboard. The soldiers themselves traded what little money they had to passengers out the windows, for sundry items like coca-colas, and water. This however was discouraged, with guards often shooing away the civilians. The civilians proved smarter than the guards might have expected, with groups taking up positions on either side of the train, so while one group might be run off, the second group continued on business as usual. Eventually, the guards themselves simply gave up, and allowed the trading to continue. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads, WW2)
Woo Woo: 1942
... need, it was a want. It pleases me to do so. - Dave] Train of Thought Each time i see this young man I wonder why, in 1942, he's not on a troop train somewhere in the US or England instead of working a harvest. [He's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/21/2023 - 12:53pm -

September 1942. "Boy and girl from Richwood, West Virginia, en route to upper New York state to work in the harvest." The young man last seen here. And here. Acetate negative (colorized by Shorpy) by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Guessing gameWhy did you feel the need to "colorize" it? [It wasn't a need, it was a want. It pleases me to do so. - Dave] Train of ThoughtEach time i see this young man I wonder why, in 1942, he's not on a troop train somewhere in the US or England instead of working a harvest. [He's a high school student, and the draft age when this photo was taken was 21. Out of the 34 million American men registered for military service in WW2, only around 10 million ended up being inducted. - Dave] Very Well DoneDave ... one of the best I have seen ... you expertly captured the look of aging Kodachrome. [The credit goes to Photoshop's "neural filters." - Dave] Nice Job DaveGood skin tone as well. Adds dynamic to the whole scene. Well done mate! Didn't KnowI wouldn't have known it was colorized. it looks like a vintage color photo to me. Well done. Boy, he looks tired, and she obviously is. (The Gallery, Agriculture, John Collier, Railroads)
Unread Messages: 1943
... a 'red beard,' that is a message is to be picked up by the train crew." Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View ... not-by-the-book way by the station operator to slow down a train moving at high speed. Setting the indication would change the preceding ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2016 - 12:21pm -

March 1943. "Isleta, New Mexico. The Santa Fe depot. Horizontal arms on pole indicate a 'red beard,' that is a message is to be picked up by the train crew." Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. MultitaskingThe indication also required (I think) the engineer to step into the office and sign for the orders. It was also used in a not-by-the-book way by the station operator to slow down a train moving at high speed. Setting the indication would change the preceding track signal(s), telling the engineer to essentially approach at medium speed. This would give the operator extra time to transcribe or prepare train orders being given over telegraph or phone. Hopefully, the operator could reset the signal(s) before the train reached the station and pass the written orders to the trainmen on the fly as usual. Beard??I think that should be "red board", not "red beard". Signals were known as "boards"; the origin is pretty clear in this example. Interesting that both arms are horizontal (red boards), indicating that the operator has train orders (the "message") for trains in both directions, eastbound and westbound. Bad handwriting?Red board, he probably meant to write. He's next to the line to El Paso, looking north; the line west to California curves away. Sure not what it used to beIn 1986 an agreement was reached between the nation’s railroads and the Transportation Communication Employees Union which voided the exclusive right of operators to handle train orders. Operators had for a long time arranged for the written orders train crews were obliged to follow. Radios, computers and fax machines essentially rendered train orders moot, and hence the need for operators. Operators handling train orders today are very few and far between. Yours truly was one of them up until 1990, and I’m quite certain the control operator at the station I worked still handles them occasionally. After 1986 train dispatchers generally supervised train movements directly, issuing instructions to train crews by radio, often using track warrant and/or DTC operating authority. Regarding steamghost’s remarks, a “31” order had to be signed for, a “19” order did not. Order BoardsThe "messages" were Train Orders transmitted by the Train Dispatcher located usually in the division offices. Rules often specified that the signal remain at stop both ways until the engineer blew four short toots to "call for the board" . . . . if no orders, the operator would clear the signal in his direction, then reset to stop after the train had passed. This practice varied by company, but was a "fail-safe" to make sure the train received any orders. Most Western railroads abandoned the practice later, leaving the signals clear most of the time. If there were orders some orders would be delivered on "the fly" but certain orders required signatures. Again, it varied by railroad. E. W. Luke Retired Train Dispatcher. All StopIn some locations, order boards were to be left in stop position. When a train approached, if there were no orders, the signal was cleared. Form 19 vs. Form 31 Train OrdersThere were two commonplace forms used for Train Orders; Form 19 and Form 31. A Form 19 order can be "hooped up" to a passing train, meaning that the order was fastened to a wooden hoop on a lightweight pole handle, and the crew of a passing train would catch the hoop on their arm, pull off the orders, and drop the hoop for re-use. Two hoops would be prepared, one to pass up to the locomotive and one to pass up to the caboose. A Form 31 order must be "signed for", so the train must stop to receive it. The operator would keep a signed copy. Train Orders are nicknamed "flimsies" because the pre-printed forms were on a translucent "onion skin" paper so that they could be read by holding them up to the glow of a kerosene lantern or a steam locomotive firebox, just slightly opened to let out some light. (The full glare of a hot firebox is dazzling - it would take away one's night vision for a while.) (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Black and White: 1942
... by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. Long Train Running I always want to look for a Southern Central Freight in ... That was a humorous reference to a song lyric -- "Long Train Running" by the Doobie Brothers ("Well the Illinois Central, and the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 3:45pm -

December 1942. "General view of a classification yard at the Chicago & North Western RR's Proviso Yard." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. Long Train RunningI always want to look for a Southern Central Freight in pictures like this. Southern Central?Don't understand this. You are looking for a freight car with Southern Central markings? Haven't heard of this line. Do you mean Southern Pacific or plain Southern? [Down around the corner, a half a mile from here, you see them old trains running, and you watch them disappear. Doobies. - Dave] He HeOh man . . . the posts here are priceless. Southern Central??Unless this line was a little unknown short line, in the southern states, I've never seen any recordings of it. It could of also been merged into the Southern or Southern Pacific RR's during the time of RR expansion in the late 1800's or early 1900's. Do you know where this RR was located? [Maybe you've heard a recording of it. That was a humorous reference to a song lyric -- "Long Train Running" by the Doobie Brothers ("Well the Illinois Central, and the Southern Central freight, gotta keep on pushing mama, cause you know they're running late"). Plus there are 1,600 Google hits for Southern Central Railroad. - Dave] Chicago and NW'ern PicGetting back to the photo, this is simply breathtaking in its clarity and detail. Never knew beloved Kodachrome even came in 4x5. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Meat Train: 1918
... at the age of 75, walked into the path of the meat train in Pike County, Illinois. He died. Witnesses said they thought he ... All this stuff must have made a horrible racket when the train was underway. Dispenser... I was looking for props for one of our ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2012 - 3:35pm -

Circa 1918. "Food Administration home economics demonstration rail car, University of Illinois." National Photo Co. glass negative. View full size. New Perfection Stove"Make the Kitchen Livable" -1915 advertisement This Little PiggyWhat kitchen is complete without an American Meat Cutting Chart? On the plus side, now I know what a pig skeleton looks like! PorkThat chart could use some updating. Near where the ear is marked there'd be a new cut of meat called a congress. But on a serious note, what is that cylindrical device to the right of the 4 burners? Would that be a pump or blower of some sort? [Maybe a fuel pump for the kerosene "New Perfection" stove. - Dave] Kerosene WisdomThere were fuel pumps combined with constant level valves made by Autopulse. Judging by its compact size, I think the device in the picture is a constant level valve, a part of a gravity feed system for kerosene range burners. Hoosier cabinetI own a Hoosier like the one pictured except mine is not painted. Oh wowMy husband and I had a stove very similar to the one in the picture. It only had three burners though and a kerosene bottle on the side. Flour AgainAt the top of the Hoosier is a flour-storage container with an oval window. This is in contrast to the lower hinged hopper in the "Restoration Hardware" kitchen of 1920 in which the kitchen potatoes and/or onions are stored in separate sacks. No one would want their flour stored so close to the floor, that would just not do, plus the window lets the cook see how much flour is there. Illinois CentralIn 1917 my great-great grandfather, at the age of 75, walked into the path of the meat train in Pike County, Illinois. He died. Witnesses said they thought he didn't hear it. How???With flour storage that high. How will an average person get some out to use? [By turning the crank. It comes out of the sifter that's under the bin. - Dave] Electric PercolationAll this talk of kerosene and we miss the early electric coffee pot - I'm guessing it's a coffee pot due to the glass "percolation window" on top. I don't notice any bulbs in the other sockets, the only socket is for the pot. All this stuff must have made a horrible racket when the train was underway. Dispenser...I was looking for props for one of our productions and needed an early towel dispenser ... a company from the U.S. sent me that very unit on the wall! Perfection stoveThe "cylindrical device" is the fuel tank itself. The Perfection kerosene stove was not pressurized. It used wicks that drew the kerosene from the tank. (The Gallery, Kitchens etc., Natl Photo, Railroads)
Union Station: 1910
Circa 1910. "Train concourse, Union Station, Washington, D.C." 8x10 inch dry plate glass ... wheels and a folding handle on suitcases. Runaway Train The Concourse is 760 feet long. One notable event occurred in 1953: On January 15, 1953, the Federal Express train, out of control on Track 16, crashed through a newsstand and into the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 4:24pm -

Circa 1910. "Train concourse, Union Station, Washington, D.C." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Union Station.Two blocks away. As soon as I log out I'm going there for some dinner. Wide OpenThis section of Union Station now houses a lovely 2-level shopping complex. It's fun to see the original space. So much space! InventionThis would have been a great time for someone to think of putting wheels and a folding handle on suitcases. Runaway TrainThe Concourse is 760 feet long. One notable event occurred in 1953: On January 15, 1953, the Federal Express train, out of control on Track 16, crashed through a newsstand and into the main concourse of Union Station. Miraculously, no one was killed. Thanks to a tower crew member located about a mile from Union Station who had been able to warn the station master's office that a runaway train was on its way, the concourse was cleared in two and a half minutes. Although the floor collapsed under the locomotive, 96 hours later, at 8:00 a.m., an Eisenhower inaugural special train rolled to a stop on Track 16. The concourse showed little evidence of the accident. They temporarily left the locomotive where it fell and built a floor above it in the 96 hours. My mother volunteered in the USO at the station and was in the main waiting room (not Concourse) when the accident occurred. She said it was LOUD and things rocked. FantasticI go through Union Station almost every day. It is wonderful to see it in its original state! Amazing! I'll have to picture this as I go through next time. Concourse crashOn January 15, 1953, a train full of people from Boston bound for the inauguration of Dwight Eisenhower crashed through onto this concourse and was in the basement there for awhile. There were no lives lost. I remember my mother telling me this because I vaguely remember that the flooring didn't match in that area where the train came through. Maybe this was just my imagination. But I do remember this. And there were many porters with carts just waiting to carry bags for people. All were in uniform and very polite. Guy on a LadderAnyone notice the guy in the upper right sitting on a ladder changing a light bulb. Scary! Crash!Here's a photo. You're right, the train fell right through the floor. The colored waiting roomWhen I first looked at this picture, I thought it was peculiar that there were only a few places to sit in that entire huge space. I noticed that there was a waiting room sign, and wondered why people would be sitting in that cold, open space, when there was a waiting room. Then, I realized that the people sitting there all had something in common. It was apparently a "whites only" waiting room. The "good old days" weren't always good. [Actually, Union Station's waiting room (the cavernous main lobby, shown below) was open to all passengers. - Dave] Great! I am glad to hear it! After studying the picture of the waiting room, I think I see why there were people in the seats out on the concourse. It looks like they had individual sections with arms, and curved backs, which would make them more comfortable than the benches in the waiting room. The latter actually look quite uncomfortable. (The Gallery, D.C., DPC, Railroads)
Empire State Express: 1905
... steam, which is why it's white and not black. Street train The scariest railroad picture I've seen is one I picked up on Flickr of a freight train going down a residential street in small town Georgia. Guess you check ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 10:12am -

Syracuse, New York, circa 1905. "Empire State Express (New York Central Railroad) passing thru Washington Street." Our second look at one of these urban express trains. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. That "plume of smoke"Actually that's steam, which is why it's white and not black. Street trainThe scariest railroad picture I've seen is one I picked up on Flickr of a freight train going down a residential street in small town Georgia. Guess you check the schedule before you back out of your drive, or let the kids out. Strike!I'll bet the only time you couldn't hear the noise in that bowling alley next to the tracks was when the train came roaring through. Mystery CoachWhat is the vehicle beside the awning? Looks like a self-propelled stagecoach. Fresh *cough cough* Air *cough cough*!I can't Imagine being in one of those offices or apartments in "The Yates" with the windows open when the train came through! Egad, How did people stay alive back then? VacancyThe Yates Hotel was torn down in the 50's or 60's to make room for a parking lot. This intersection is gone also. The triangular building is still there. Cover your earsCan you imagine the noise? I'll wager the people working and/or living at The Yates hated to hear that old locomotive approaching. Probably rattled their very bones. Magnificent sight, though. Look at that plume of black smoke! Trains in streetsNew Albany, Mississippi, had the GM&O main line go right down main street. This persisted even after diesels arrived in 1935. There are tracks in the streets of Paris, TN but I don't know if they are still used. You have to remember that the railroads were there first and the towns built their streets later in most cases. Here it is todayStill quite recognizable by the building on the right. View Larger Map It still happensThere are several places here in California that still have some trains running down the middle of the street. I was in Santa Maria a couple of years ago and nearly got in the way of a locomotive meandering down the avenue. It was cool to see. Gotta Lovethose streetlamps. Good stuffMost of that "smoke" is steam. Great photo from a great era! Street RunningActually, trains running in city streets is quite common, even today. The most notable example is the Union Pacific tracks through Jack London Square in Oakland, Ca. It is not uncommon to find long double stack intermodal trains moving through the heart of downtown rather frequently there. There are numerous examples of the railroads using city streets, which were added alongside the rights of way. Be advised though, that the speeds are really slow, and the trains don't go tearing off through the heart of town. Steamed upMy wife and I rode a train (RGSR) last weekend which was powered by a steam locomotive, one of the last standard gauge steam locomotives left in Colorado. They are amazing machines! Our's was an oil burner, rather than coal, but the black smoke and steam was magnificent, not unpleasant to me at all! It pulled La Vita pass like magic. This picture is one of my favorites so far! In UrbanaI saw something similar in the mid-50's. In Champaign-Urbana Illinois. Main line track, right down the middle of the main street. The mystery coach of SyracuseHere, from the New York Public Library's online archive, is a 1909 Babcock Electric brougham, manufactured in Buffalo. [The vehicle in our photo seems to have a tiller for steering. - Dave] MasonryWhat a wonderful masonry masterpiece! Electric SteamInteresting juxtaposition of steam powered train crossing under overhead trolley catenary wires, and over the trolley tracks, all frozen in one moment of time. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, Syracuse)
Elmhurst Depot: 1899
... for a simple splice. As a child I used to take the train there ... on Saturday mornings in the winter to play ice hockey at the ... go? A Scratch-builder's Paradise If you model train scenes, in any gauge, this picture is a veritable goldmine! Such ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/09/2016 - 1:50pm -

Circa 1899. "Chicago & North Western Railway station, Elmhurst, Ill." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Another Left Handed RailroadThe Duluth Missabe & Northern, later incorporated into the Duluth Missabe & Iron Range, now part of the Canadian National, also considered itself to be a left hand railroad. On double track, trains ran on the left hand track, and all signals were placed to the left - even on single track. Some of these signals still remain. Tie PlatesThere are no tie plates to spread the load of the rails to the crossties (sleepers to our European friends). Some of the ties look the worse for wear because of this. According to Wikipedia, tie plates came into use around 1900, just about the time of this photo. It izIt is indeed the tap for the circuits into the station; but a bit more than that. I can see five lines which can be opened - see the insulators on bars, so the wire comes in from (say) the east, runs into the station, comes back out, and heads west. That is, the wire is not continuous past the station, but both sides go into the station. I would expect that the box contains primary lightning arrestors for each wire dropping into the station; secondary arrestors may be in the station. With this arrangement, circuits can be patched from one wire position to another. Also remember that telegraph was the usual communication system at the time of this picture. It iz....answersignalman, Thank you for the info! Makes sense now. I wonder if the 'thick' wire is just a thick ground or contains the two lines headed down to the station. I would think it as a ground as it is just too thick for two small lines. WhatizitSo my family and I have extensive telephony background, and personally I have that and railroad background, but still, what is the item on the telephone crossarm that looks to be rectangular, about 3 feet long with a pitched roof with one thick cable exiting the bottom? Is there a name for this and what is its purpose? I agree there are lines going from the insulators into it, so it may be some sort of permanent tap for the stations telegraph/telephone. Even so, seems to be overdone for a simple splice. As a child I used to take the train there... on Saturday mornings in the winter to play ice hockey at the YMCA several blocks away. Where did those fifty years go? A Scratch-builder's ParadiseIf you model train scenes, in any gauge, this picture is a veritable goldmine! Such wonderful details would keep the poor modeler busy for many a snowy evening. Positively stunning. Keep up the good work. Left-Handed Train Operations on the C&NW RailwayIn the deep background you can just make out two trains that illustrate one of the most peculiar features of the Chicago & North Western Railway, the fact that its trains operate on the left hand track, rather than the right hand track. This practice continues to this day, which makes the C&NW (now part of the Union Pacific system) the only left-handed railroad in the USA. The explanation for this unusual practice usually goes like this: "The first component of what was to become the Chicago & North Western Railway was the little Galena and Chicago Union Railroad Company. Tracks were laid west from Chicago to Geneva, where the first station was to be built. The company built the station on the north side of the tracks where most of the people lived. This saved passengers the inconvenience of having to cross the tracks to go home. When traffic required double tracks, the only place to lay new rails was south of the original single tracks. Since the stations were used primarily by passengers waiting to travel into Chicago, the company decided to run east-bound trains on the old track so riders would not have to cross the tracks to board—a dangerous process." (From Tom Hermes, "Why Does Our Train Run on the Wrong Track?" Winnetka [Illinois] Historical Society Gazette, Fall 1996, reprinted at www.winnetkahistory.org) (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Supply Train: 1865
... What's in a name? The numbers 4 and 22 Supply Train, Conestoga Wagons, could be called 4 Horsepower, 4 wheelers. Yikes! ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/28/2009 - 5:52am -

1865. City Point, Virginia. "General Patrick's headquarters and mail wharf." Wet plate glass negative, photographer unknown. View full size. What's in a name?The numbers 4 and 22 Supply Train, Conestoga Wagons, could be called 4 Horsepower, 4 wheelers. Yikes!Proof there are ghosts, and this wharf is haunted! The ghosts show up as black blobs in this photo! Seriously, though, I loooooove your website! I really enjoy looking back in time this way. Bennett PlaceAll of these end-of-the-war era photos from City Point dovetail nicely with the 144th anniversary of the end of the hostilities, which was observed last Sunday, April 26, at Bennett Place, a short distance west of the Bull City. Johnson surrendered his army to Sherman, in the last (and largest) major laying down of arms of the War Between the States. Read more about it here: http://www.nchistoricsites.org/bennett/main.htm or here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennett_Place LandscapingLandscaping was definitely not a priority back in those days. I have noticed that in many Civil war pictures the landscape is always completely destroyed and disfigured. Erosion was rampant. Really interesting how much better life is today in the old US of A and people are more dissatisfied than ever. Have to compare battlefieldsI think contemporary battlefields are similar in appearance, but you are right that, especially in America, there isn't much thought to preventing erosion in 19th century photographs. Corps Division BadgeUnion Army, X Corps, 3rd Division Badge. Wagon InsigniaWhat is the emblem on the wagons? Not one of the Army of the Potomac's corps badges (or any of the other armies, for that matter). Thanks! Cold, Dirty, Harsh, UnpleasantI expect those two folks sheltering up under that ledge would like to be somewhere else. Matched horsesInteresting that the horses are matched in color on wagon 4. At least in this b&w photo, it appears that two white horses are behind two dappled greys. I don't know much about horse drawn wagons, but I would guess that the trainer selected the horses in matched pairs to be sold possibly to civilians, but they were instead sold to the Army. I assume the horses were trained to work with specific partners and thus they stayed together. Color-coordinated mulesIt's interesting to note that the mules hitched to each wagon are mostly the same color. White for wagon #4, black for #22, and gray or brown for the unnumbered open-top wagon. The ships in the distanceOne of the best things for me in these old photos is the view into the distance. Something very evocative about looking off into the faraway in both time and space. (The Gallery, Civil War, Horses)
Safety First Train: 1917
1917. "Baltimore and Ohio Railway. Safety first train." The train, according to newspaper accounts, carried exhibits "informing the public ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/23/2012 - 3:30pm -

1917. "Baltimore and Ohio Railway. Safety first train." The train, according to newspaper accounts, carried exhibits "informing the public of the careful and effective means that are being taken by the government in the interest of good health, safety and preparedness." Shown here at Union Station in Washington. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. More Tandem EnginesDouble-heading of steam locomotives was rather common, actually. Getting them started together and running was no harder than it is with diesels or electrics. Problem in those days was that you had to use two engine crews, therefore driving up the labor costs of operation. Things are different now; several diesel locomotives can be controlled by one engineer due to a feature called Multiple Unit Control, known as MUing. Tandem engines I don't see many pictures of tandem steam engines. I would think it would be difficult to synchronize their operation- unlike diesels and electrics which can be cabled together for common control. Pacific 4-6-2sAccording to this steam locomotive site, these two engines (#5115, #5117) were part of 30 P-3 Pacific class locomotives built for B&O by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1913. The Pacific class 4-6-2 engines were the most common steam locomotives for passenger service in the early 1900s with over 6000 operating in the U.S. and Canada. No. 5117 was not without safety incidents. On Sept 19, 1919, faulty fasteners caused the ventilator to fall off the back of the cab, injuring one person. Baldwin LocomotivesBoth locomotives shown were designated as Class P-3 engines by the B&O and are of 4-6-2 wheel arrangement. They were both built at the Baldwin plant in Eddystone, outside of Philadelphia. During Baldwin's lifetime, 1839-1956, the company produced more than 70,000 locomotives; all but a small number were steam engines. Gorgeous!Gorgeous locomotives! What I would give to be able to step into this photograph... DoubleheaderWhen there are two engines on the head end it's called double-heading, not tandem. More Double-HeadingIf you read my post you'll see that I call it that as well. In the meantime, you might want to look up the word tandem in the dictionary. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Railroads)
Rockaway Bungalows: 1910
... Rockaway Beach today is quite run-down. If you take the A Train out there, these must have been between the tracks and the water, where ... each summer --the whole summer-- in Rockaway. Dad took the train to work every day. We turned brown by July 4th; skinny brown kids always ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/04/2012 - 3:56am -

Vacation bungalow colony at Rockaway, Queens, c. 1910. View full size. George Grantham Bain Collection. Note "front yards" of sand decorated with seashells. Sand in QueensI wonder if any of the buildings are still standing. Since they are tract of small bungalows, I wonder what company supplied that lot for workers to live in. Sand in...Queens?! Wow. [Never heard of Rockaway Beach? - Dave] BungalowsWere these for living or vacation rentals? They sure are cute. Does anyone know how far from the water they were? Rockaway[Never heard of Rockaway Beach? - Dave] Well I've heard of Rockaway Beach here in Oregon. :) Re: BungalowsThe were seasonal at first. More info at the Beachside Bungalow Preservation Association: By the 1920s, Rockaway Beach was the poor man's Riviera. It had a six-mile long boardwalk lined with amusements, and thousands flocked to the beach every summer weekend. Many families rented tents for the entire season, while those a little more affluent rented small bungalows. The concept of the bungalow in America was well established by this time as they were built for summer communities on both coasts. The plans could be purchased from catalogues and were designed in numerous styles. This last remaining bungalow colony was built by Richard Bainbridge in the 1920s. The one and a half story houses all have front porches and pitched roofs. The design and style vary from street to street. Some of the bungalows are in a Spanish Revival style of stucco with wood trim and green the roofs, and others are in an English Tudor of brick. Lacking heat, they were closed for the winter months. The lanes leading to the beach have permanent easements for common access. As development pressures change the Rockaways, this small district has become endangered. But it would be appropriate to preserve and restore this remnant of past summer amusements. The yards are super.The yards are super. Send the kids down to the beach to bring back sea shells to decorate with! Talk about a family project. Rockaway BungalowsI'm pretty sure these are not there anymore. In fact Rockaway Beach today is quite run-down. If you take the A Train out there, these must have been between the tracks and the water, where there are now streets with no houses. Only weeds. Sadly, most of theseSadly, most of these bungalows are gone, as Doug points out above. There are only a few left, and they face demolition by developers who want to turn the Rockaways into yet another bland housing development. These were vacation homes for folks in Manhattan and the other boros, not company houses for factory workers. How close were they to the beach? How does less than a city block sound? In the Rockaways, as at Coney, Manhattan, Brighton, and other New York City beaches, the streets are set up perpendicular to the beach and are only a few blocks long. The last block actually ends at the boardwalk. Across the boardwalk is the beach. The Ramones were from the Rockaways. Beach 29th streetMy family rented a bungalow on Beach 29th street until I was around 12 years old. As soon as school was over, my parents would pack up a van and off we went until Labor Day. It was the most amazing summers of my life. No locks on doors, showers in the backyard, fireworks Wednesday nights. My parents belonged to a group called FROGS- Far Rockaway Ocean Goers. The Bungalow owners, Mr. and Mrs. Herman, would let my Dad come before the season to fish. The last time I was there was about 36 years ago. It was so sad to see the destruction of these amazing bungalows. Ours was white and green, and all the furniture inside was painted a sticky tacky gray. My Grandma and Nana lived a few blocks up in a rooming house. It was very sad to watch as these homes burned to the ground. Such a day-gone-by era. Beach 29th StreetHi! I am very curious exactly where on 29th Street the bungalow was. I lived on 29th just off Seagirt Blvd. It was a year 'round dwelling. The area was VERY crowded during the summer and VERY empty from after Labor Day until Memorial Day. Do you have any pictures from there? I would love to see them! Thanks, Marc Far Rockaway refugee now living in Bayside, NY Rockaway BungalowsThere was nothing better than spending the summer in Rockaway. Most of your family members rented bungalows in the court. Everyone was out every night. The beach was just a few steps away. Fathers came out only for the weekends, even if you lived in Queens... Beach 107 StreetMy aunts, grandmother and uncle would whisk us away to Rockaway the minute school closed for the summer. We would stop at Weiss's for fish and chips, then drive over the old Cross Bay Boulevard bridge and see the top of the roller coaster and the ocean beyond. In a few minutes we would be at our bungelow in Highland Court, the second one in. We thought we had arrived since we had a hot water heater. It was a great place for kids to grow up. Every day my sister and I would open the window with the sun shining down on us. We would get into our bathing suits and run to the beach, riding the waves until we were dragged out by our relatives. Beach 106 StreetBetween 1951 and 1958 or so I stayed with my good friend Donald Sullivan and his family in bungalows on Beach 106 Street. I don't remember the court name - if it had one. I do seem to remember Highland Court but this was centuries ago and memory may play tricks. Sand in QueensA similar group of bungalows still exists in the Breezy Point Coop and Roxbury in Queens. Many have been expanded and converted to year round use now, though some are still used only for the season. They refer to Breezy Point and Roxbury as the "Irish Riviera" due to the strong Irish presence. B. 29th bungalowsI know EXACTLY where you were. My grandmother too had a bungalow, about 5-6 before the boardwalk ramp. They were on the left side, because on the right side was a parking lot or a building (I can't remember it exactly). But up the block was two hotels - the Regency and another one. They were both owned by the same people - Mr. and Mrs. Hecht, german/lithuanian-jewish folks. If you remember, there was a wooden bridge that connected the two buildings, and the courtyard was shared by the two. The showers were both underneath the front of the buildings behind the, lattice and then common showers/bathrooms in the hallways. There was one public phone on each floor and a television on each floor. When my grandmother could no longer stay in the bungalow (either they were sold, torn down or condemned), she went into the Regency Hotel. She was in the basement which was very cool in the summer. They dodn't need air conditioning. The last party of the season was Mardi Gras. My grandmother, being on the heavy side, loved to wear blackface makeup and put her hair up with a tied kerchief - she was "Aunt Jemima." I only wish I had a place like 29th street to bring up my children in the summers. We ended up renting cabanas in Atlantic Beach from when they were little, then moved to Atlantic Beach, but retained memberships at the beach club. We can't get the sand out of our shoes! Belle Harbor's Bungalows I was searching for a picture of Weiss's Restaurant and stumbled across this site. I found one taken before the war, but was hoping to find one more recently, like late 1950s or early 60s. Looking at the group of bungalows, there were similar ones along the beach 2 rows deep at B129th Street in Belle Harbor, Rockaway. They looked very similar to the ones in the pics if memory serves. I was there last year and although they still occupy the same footprint, most have either been completely reconstructed or torn down and replaced with more modern ones. I recall every summer going to the beach and seeking out the "city" kids here for a few weeks. We made lots of new friends every summer. Then there were the bungalows out on RockyPoint/BreezyPoint. My mother spent her childhood summers, probably right there in that picture. Her parents owned their own bungalow. I have a picture of it from around 1941. Mom's 83 and I'll have to print this off and show it to her. Maple Court, Beach 28th st.I've been searching for info on Far Rockaway. I've been strolling down memory lane thinking about my wonderful summers there. My family rented, and we stayed for a total of five summers. The last two were in Maple Court, which, I believe, was on beach 26th or 28th Street. Before that we were in B Court and A Court on 28th. I agree with the posters who spoke of these summers as paradise! I felt truly free there. And yes, nothing was locked up. There was no schedule to keep. Just pure fun. My last summer there was in 1969. I remember this because of the moon landing. We returned home from the fireworks display on the beach and watched it on TV. My grandparents owned a fruit store on the main street, and they stayed at a wonderful hotel called the Manor. My happiest memories from my childhood are from Far Rockaway. Maple Court bungalowMy family purchased a bungalow at 29 Maple Court in 1969 when I was 9 years old. I too had the greatest memories there. We took so much for granted thinking everyone lived as we did. Now I realize how lucky we were back then. Being able to stroll down the street to the boardwalk, watching the fireworks Wednesday nights, and winning prizes at the arcade games are fond memories. Do you remember the pizza shop on the corner? Because the bungalows were so small and cozy, to this day I prefer smaller spaces. Thanks for letting me relive those memories for just a short time. The EmbassyWe stayed in the Embassy on 29th Street (right next to the ramp to the beach). Many of my friends were in the bungalow courts between 28th and 29th. We stopped going in 1967 but those were the best times -- those summers were magical. My husband and I went back in 1998. There is a school where the Embassy used to be and nothing much else. I went down to the beach and I cried. Who were your grandparents?Carolyn, my parents owned the Manor at 2400 Seagirt Blvd (beach 24st). My last summer on Rockaway Beach was 1967 just before I entered the Army. My parents and I moved to South Florida shortly there after. I was 6 miles from the DMZ in Vietnam when we landed on the moon. Fruit storeCarolyn, if memory serves (pretty fuzzy by now), your grandparents were the Lebowitzes. The fruit store was on Edgemere Avenue just off Beach 24 next to Willy's Market. If I am right, I am amazed. The EmbassyMy family had a bungalow on B29th Street on "the ramp" from the 1950s until around 1970. I got thrown out of the Embassy by the owner because we didn't live there. I bought ice cream at the candy store under the porch of the hotel. I saw the school, it was a bummer. I remember Lenny's, skee ball, Jerry's knishes, Sally & Larry's pizza, movies on the boardwalk, Dugan the baker, softball games, basketball in the parking lot. I used to sell lemonade to the ball players on hot days. Memories ... I remember a girl named Cherie or Sherry. She had a boyfriend, Arnie. I used to hang out with Arnie's brother Marvin. lmc2222@aol.com Far RockawayI also have childhood reminiscences of Far Rockaway. My family lived in a small bungalow rented for a group of Russians in 1970s (yep, I am Russian, living in Moscow now). I was 3 or 4 years old at that time, so I do not remember much. What I know is that these are one of the brightest memories of my early childhood. My pa said the house was really small. I do not know what street it was on, or if it still exists. What matters are the snapshots of my memory: me sitting on a porch on a rocking chair, and the arches of the porches, of the same form and shape, go all the way down to the ocean. Me playing in sand, building garages for toy trucks, with other children running from waves that seemed - wow - so really huge. And above all and around all, the salty smell of Atlantic, which is different from any other seaside smell. Great pity the place is devastated today. Hope that everyone who has ever had good times in Far Rock keeps his own memory snapshots of the place, where it looks as it really should. Fruit StorePeter, you have an incredible memory! My grandparents were the Leibowitzes. That's such a specific memory. Did you know them personally? I would love to hear about any memories you have of them or the store. Were you a child at the time? The EmbassyCheri, I can understand your crying. I went back many years ago and was also upset to see the area so demolished. At that time, it seemed the only bungalow left standing belonged to a lady we were all so afraid of on Maple court. She seemed to hate kids (probably we just annoyed her mercilessly!). But going back as an adult, I saw her situation quite differently. The bungalow was all she had, and so she stayed there while everything around her seemed to be destroyed. Maple Court BungalowLillian, we must have known each other since we were there at the same time, and we were around the same age. I was in the first bungalow on the right, facing the main street. You might remember the pile of junk in front of the house (left by the owner, which we were waiting for them to take away!) Where in the court were you? I remember a girl named Elena, and a boy everybody had a crush on named Eddie. The ManorWow... your parents owned the Manor! What an interesting and exciting experience that must have been. If I recall correctly, there were an eccentric bunch of characters staying there. Carolyn! What a great happening!Hi Carolyn, Glad you found me on Facebook. Your ability to put me together with my earlier Shorpy post was remarkable, so I am posting this for the benefit of "Shorpy page readers." Your recollections and mine from the 1960's certainly attest to how great having the internet and pages like Shorpy's are. (Shorpy..thank you!) The fact that I remembered your grandparents is somewhat unique cause I can't remember anyone else's grandparents from way back then, other then mine. I must have really liked them and was destined to cross your path again. I remember sitting and talking with them on porch of the Manor in one of those green rocking chairs. They were "grandparent" types, had a European accent like most grandparents back then, and easy to be comfortable with. Just to put things into focus, I am now 63. That was back when I was 16 or 17 and younger, but your grandparents returned to the Manor for quite a few summers in the 1960s. How could I have remembered your grandparents' name? I too am amazed and flabbergasted. Memories of Far RockawayYes, this website is truly wonderful for allowing us to stroll down memory lane and recall the sights, smells and feel of Far Rockaway... and what an extra treat for me to find someone who actually knew my grandparents. Thank you Shorpy's for allowing us this exchange of information and memories... and thank you Peter for your kindness and your very sharp memory! Far RockawayMy sister directed me to this site. We stayed in the Jefferson Hotel, right between Beach 29th and 30th, next to the Frontenac. My good friend Faye's grandparents, the Kratkas, owned the Embassy and both Faye and I worked the concession stand which her parents ran. The memories of the boardwalk are still strong. Not only did we have the luxury of a fantastic beach at our doorstep, we also had nighttime fun. Cruising up and down the boardwalk -- eating pizza at Sally & Larry's, or Takee Cup (originally called Tuckee Cup until the owners got disgusted of painting out the alternate name it always received over the winter months) and listening to Eddie, with his ever-present songbook, sing requests. All added up to good, clean fun. I left in 1968, went back from time to time, but haven't been back in years. Unfortunately, you can see enough from Google Earth. My two auntsMy father's two aunts had a bungalow in Rockaway Beach in the late 50's early 60's. It had flowered wallpaper and a musty smell, but it was the most interesting home I have ever been in. I was allowed to leave and explore without my mother's glare. I cannot tell you what food we ate there. I have no memory of meals which is odd. I do remember being bitten by my aunt's dog, which scared me for a long time. I think their names were Bernice and Ruth Cohan. If you have any thing to share please do. thanks, Mary Donaldson neversynvr@aol.com Twin HousesThe houses with the bridge were known as "the twin houses", possibly the Claremore & Edgewater, both owned by the Hechts. I spent the happiest summers of my life there! Like Cheri, I've wanted to return, but haven't as I know how sad it would be. Better to revisit in memory, sometimes in dreams. I probably know Cheri (from Arnie & the Joey days) and Les rings a bell, as does singing Eddie... Marcy Sand in my shoes on Beach 107thMy mother's family went to Beach 107th in the summers of 1917 through 1929. After the Depression hit they couldn't afford it. I still have photos of that period. In 1951 our family went down to the Rockaways and rented a bungalow for the season. The courts I remember were Almeida and Holmenhurst. My dad came only for the weekends, arriving Friday evening. The first thing he did was put on his trunks and head for the beach with me. When he hit the ocean you could see all his cares and worries leave. At night the parents would gather on the porches and play cards, drink a Tom Collins or have a beer and just have a good time. As a 10-year-old I wondered what was so much fun doing this every weekend. It occurred to me many years ago that boy, did they have it made. Sitting on a porch with a nice summer drink, a cool ocean breeze along with good friends to talk with and play cards with. Life was so laid-back and simple then. Does anyone remember the doughnut shop Brindle's or the bakery Dudie's? What about Nat's Ice cream shop, where you could get a walk-away sundae. Bill's Deli had the best salads and cold cuts. Wonderful summers that will always keep me warm in the winters of my aging mind. Beach 28th Street & A B and C CourtsI too remember the pizzaria on the corner of Beach 28th street. I remember my friends Randy, Shmealy, Risa, Brenda and Jody. I don't remember Shmealy's given name, but I remember he was hyperactive and a lot of fun. Made up a song from the commercials of the time for Halo Shampoo. "Halo Sham-poo poo, Ha-a-lo! Jodi's mom didn't want me hanging around Jody because I blinked my eyes too much. Oh well. HEY: Jody from Beach 29th street who wrote a post here on 11/12/2007 - I wonder if you're the Jody I remember!? I hung around with Risa a lot. I still have a photo of us and my dog Suzie on the porch of my Bungalow. I once disappeared into the Courts of Beach 28th street while walking my dog. I ended up talking to a boy for 2 hours, not knowing my parents had called the police and had an all-out search for me. My father finally found me. I was the talk of the town that day! I hope someone remembers these people or IS one of these people, or remembers the lost girl incident and would like to contact me at orangechickens2@aol.com. It would be wonderful to hear from you!! Anyone remember dogball?My dad wrote about playing dogball on the beach at 110th Street on his blog at willhoppe.com. I'm going to show him all of your comments later tonight. The BungalowsI was born in Far Rockaway in 1942. I lived there for 16 summers. My dad owned a small grocery on B 28th street. It was the best time of my life. Maple Court faced 28th. To me it was a very exotic place. The renters/owners vacationed there, my dad was a workman. We lived in roominghouses with a bath on the floor. One year I begged my dad to live in Maple Court and we got a small apartment in the back of a bungalow there. The bungalows were the BEST. Rockaway native from HammelsBorn in Rockaway in 1941 at Rockway Beach Hospital. Went to PS 44, JHS 198, Class of '59 from Far Rock. Worked as a locker boy at Roche's Beach Club in Far Rockaway. For two summers I worked in Rockaway Playland. I lived on 90th, where my parents rented out the bungalow in the back of our house every summer. My father at the end of his years as a waiter worked in Weiss's dining room, and the Breakers restaurant on 116th Street. I met my wife in 1965 at McNulty's on 108th Street. She was from Woodhaven and Breezy Point. We got married in '68. I am writing this on the back deck as we are still enjoying the summer weather here at Breezy. We both still have sand in our shoes. Our 1940s summersA group of Bronx families spent the summers of the early '40s in a few bungalows. Sundays the working fathers would appear for a community breakfast. We celebrated V-J Day with a parade on the boardwalk. Takee Cup was a part of our diet. A noodle cup to be eaten after the chow mein was devoured. The ultimate hand held food treat. Beach 25th StreetI grew up in Far Rockaway in the 1960s and 70s. We lived in the Bronx and rented every summer on Beach 32nd Street (now two big apartment buildings -- Seaview Towers). When I was 9 or 10, we moved to Beach 25th year-round. The summers were great -- we didn't wear shoes most of the time. Every Friday night, "Bingo Al" held a game in the court behind the bungalows, between 25th and 26th. One summmer he had a "Chinese auction" and dressed up in an oriental robe and Fu Manchu mustache and beard. Many of the residents got seltzer water delivered in bottles at their back porch. They would gather in the evenings out in front of the bungalows and talk and joke. I would lie in my bed, with my ear pressed against the window screen, trying to listen, and also trying to stay cool -- no air conditioning. Sol "The Cantor" Gerb would play his little electric organ as people sipped their drinks, chatted or played cards. It was like a different world from the rest of New York. I read where one commenter talked about the bungalows rented for the Russians. This was on Beach 24th Street. They worked at the United Nations and rented a block of bungalows. Every Monday morning passenger vans would show up to take them to work at the UN. We played with the Russian kids. They were a good bunch. I stayed over at one of their bungalows and we had crepes for breakfast. I had no idea what crepes were! I learned to play chess, as the Russians were crazy about it. I recall one time when members of the Jewish Defense League blew up a small BMW belonging to one of the Russians. The news came out and I was in the background, behind the reporter. A sad time for Far Rockaway. One of the amazing things was the backgrounds of the bungalow residents -- former concentration camp prisoners, Russians, Irish, Jews, some Italians and Greeks, but we all got along so well. A great place to grow up! At the FrontenacMy family spent summers at the Frontenac from the late 40s until 1957. When I describe it to my daughter, I have to confess it was really more like a boardinghouse. My mother, father and I shared a room that was also the kitchen. Bathroom on the floor, showers were out back for when you came back from the beach. It was great community. Juke box for dancing, card room for gin and mah jongg and the television on the porch. I loved Jerry's cherry cheese knishes. I remember the movie theater on the boardwalk in the 30's (it could barely be called indoors) I bought the News and Mirror off the delivery trucks for 2 or 3 cents and sold them for a nickel. My parents would pay the guy who ran the first aid station under the boardwalk to hold our beach chairs overnight so we wouldn't have to "schlep" them back and forth. We played softball on the blacktop parking lot on 29th street right off the boardwalk. My wife, who I did not know then, stayed with a friend's family in a bungalow on 29th street. I think her best memory was playing Fascination. Best summers everI used to stay at my grandmother's bungalow on B 28th st. in the mid to late 60s. Those were the very best summers ever! Walking just a few yards to the boardwalk and beach, pizza from the store on the corner, hanging with Howie and the crowd there. Playing Fascination for a dime, huge french fries in those cone cups. If anyone knows the whereabouts of Howie Young I'd love to get in touch with him. My email is belongtoyou@hotmail.com Hugh McNulty Hotel, Rockaway BeachI am trying to learn about Hugh McNulty's Hotel. I am not sure what street it was on, but there was also a bar in it. Hugh was my mum's uncle and her father came to stay with him and work for him. The time period may have been 1924-1930. I know the hotel was still in operation in 1953, as my grandmother visited him at that time. Any help is appreciated. libtech50@comcast.net Edgemere memoriesMy family lived many places in the Edgemere section of Far Rockaway (I don't know the exact boundaries of Edgemere, if there were any), but my memories centered on Beach 48th Way and Beach 48th Street. Fantastic place to spend the summers and escape the hell of the South Bronx. I had wonderful Jewish friends and I worried that they would go to hell because they weren't Catholic. Now I laugh as such perverted theology, but back then it was serious stuff. I loved the beach, the ocean, the starts, the jetties, playing every group game known to humans, going over the the "bay side" to play softball with the "project people" -- those who lived beyond the marshes and spent the winter there. No doubt about it, the best part of my childhood was Rockaway. Too bad it was taken away from us and to my knowledge, still is just a bunch of sand with no houses where we used to live, right near the boardwalk. Beach 48th Way, RockawayIn the early 1960s there were two brothers that were lifeguards when my family was there, Dennis and Tom Fulton. Anyone remember them? Also there was a man named Warren who would feed pigeons at the end of the block every day. My parents would rent a bungalow in the summer months to get us out of Brooklyn for awhile. Great memories. Rockaway, a kid's dreamI remember growing up in Rockaway. We had two boarding houses on Beach 114th Street. When my mom was a kid, Carroll O'Connor, his mom and brother Frank stayed with them. He returned to see my parents back in the mid-eighties and I received one of his last e-mails before he died. I worked my way bartending at Fitzgerald's on Beach 108th and Sullivan's on Beach 116th (1967-1970). You could leave the house at 7 years old, walk to the beach without crossing the street and never had to worry one bit. The neighbors looked out for everone's children. Great memories and thanks to Shorpy for an incredible site. Brilliant job! Cohen's CourtThe picture above is very much how I remember the bungalow court where my parents rented in the summers of the early 1950s. I think my mom said it was Cohen's Court. Ours was at the end of the court on the left. I don't remember too much, I was really little. But I think there was a center row of garden where parents hid treats for us to hunt. I remember a corner candy store we kids could walk to and my mom confiscating a tube of plastic bubbles I bought. I guess she thought the fumes would get me high or something. There was a little girl across the court who would stand on her porch in a towel and flash us once in a while. And I have a memory of being on the beach with my parents, I in the sand and my mom in a beach chair, and my dad taking me into the water. I went back with my parents in the early 60s because they were thinking about renting it again. But it was so musty and dirty and ramshackle that they decided against it. I had a girl friend with me and I have to say I was embarrassed about the way the place looked and smelled. Too bad, that bungalow was a great summer getaway for a working class family from Brooklyn. Elisa on B 29thWas your grandma named Bessie? I lived in the Claremar, one of the twin houses, and I remember her. Did you have a brother too? My sister, parents, grandmother and baby brother and I all lived in two rooms in the basement. I remember Crazy Eddie and his huge black book of songs. Tina and Elise ... Elliot ... Donna ... Jackie ... smiling in memory! Palace HotelThe last place my family stayed at for quite a few years was the Palace Hotel on Beach 30th Street right near the boardwalk. Those were the days my friend. All the arcades and food places on the boardwalk, Cinderella Playland for the little kiddies, the Good Humor man , Ralph was his name. Life was simple. No internet, cell phones or video games yet we had great times and wonderful memories. We played board games and cards and rode our bikes. The guys played baseball in the parking lot adjacent to the Palace Hotel. The team was a mix of every race and ethnicity and everyone managed to get along and looked forward to playing together the next Summer. The beach was the best. Dads could go to work and come back every day rather than only on weekends as they do in the Catskills. Such a shame that this no longer exists. The last summer I went there for a few weekends was in 1976. The JeffersonMy grandparents rented a place in the Jefferson for many years. I have great memories of the place, the back stair cases, the porch, and the beach just a short walk away. Does anyone have relatives who stayed there? Rockaway summersI spent virtually every summer till the age of 22 in Rockaway. We stayed on Beach 49th till they knocked them down, then kept moving to the 20's. Best time of my life. My family was unique -- Italians in the Jewish neighborhood and we came in from Jersey! My mom grew up in Brooklyn and her family started coming in the '40s! Wish I could connect with friends from back then. If I sound familiar please let me know. You would be in your mid to late 50s now. Rockaway Beach Bungalows on PBSI received a message, last night, from my girlfriend who stated that "The Bungalows of Rockaway" was on PBS @ 8PM. I started watching at 8:30 and to my surprise I could not stop watching. I was born at Rockaway Beach Hospital and I am a lifer. I never lived in a Bungalow but I have always wanted to purchase one. I was taken aback by the fact that there were at least 6,000 bungalows and now there are approximately 300 (big difference). I also found out in this documentary that there is hope that the bungalows can be landmarked and I hope that it happens. The bungalows are a unique attraction to this area and I hope that the 300 remaining can be preserved. Elisa on B. 29th Street - the hotelsTo Anonymous Tipster on Fri, 08/13/2010 - 3:15am - YES! My grandmother was Bessie. I do remember your family - your grandmother, parents and the little ones. Your mom wore glasses and had blonde hair. She always wore her hair pulled back and up on her head, curlers in the evening. Also, Harry and Dottie lived in a large room in the corner of the basement of the hotel. I have 3 brothers and one sister. My Aunt Rose and Uncle Leo used to come to the hotel as well to visit with Grandma Bessie. Please e-mail me @ medmalnursing@msn.com Sally's Pizza and the Lemon & Orange Ice StandI spent the best summers of my life on Beach 28th Street. Coming from a Bronx apartment, it felt like our own private house. Our own family doctor came out to Rockaway every summer and stayed on Beach 24th Street. I now wonder what happened to his patients during July and August. How come nobody has mentioned Sally's pizza, on the boardwalk around 32nd Street? You couldn't forget Sally-- with her bleached blond hair, tight pants, and backless highheels. Near Sally's was the fresh lemon and orange ice stand with the fruit stacked against the wall. The ices even contained pits. No artificial coloring or corn syrup in those ices. Grandmother's bungalowsMy grandmother owned 10 bungalows on the beach on 35th Street from the 1930s thru the 1950s. They were the ones nearest the water. I loved going to help her get them ready each spring and clean them up each fall. Playing on that wonderful empty beach at those times of year with no one else in sight. We lived in Far Rockaway at 856 Central Ave., so going to the bungalows was not a long trip. Great memories. Mom's RivieraMy mother loved Rockaway so much that we called it "Mother's Riviera." She couldn't have cared less about the beautiful beaches across the ocean in France or Italy, for Rockaway Beach was her greatest joy. We spent many summers in a bungalow court on 109th Street and my grandmother and her sisters also spent their youthful summer days in Rockaway Beach. So our family goes back generations loving Rockaway. Every Memorial Day the court always had a party to celebrate the beginning of summer and the courtyard inhabitants were usually Irish. The courtyard came alive with Irish songs and jigs and reels. Of course, the people of the courtyard always chipped in for a big keg of beer. It was repeated on Labor Day as we all said our goodbyes to our neighbors and to our beloved Rockaway Beach. Saturday nights in Rockaway were spent at the closest Irish bar and some nights the local boys slept under the boardwalk after having a wild time. They always managed to get themselves together for Sunday Mass or otherwise they would get holy hell from their families. Sands of TimeI spent every summer in the Rockaway bungalows from the fifties until the mid eighties when we were forced to leave because of the deteriorating situation. I was a child on Beach 49th and remember George's candy store where you could get a walkaway sundae for 50 cents. Sue, I remember the Fulton brothers, who were lifeguards. Handsome devils, had a crush on Tom when I was 14. Times were safe. There were a thousand kids to play with. We went from 49th, 40th 39th, 38th, 26th and finally 25th Street with my own kids trying to hold on to that wonderful way of life. Unfortunately it disappeared. Some of the best days of our liveswere spent on Beach 25th. When I was 12 (1936) until I was 17, we stayed every summer at my grandmother's at Beach 66th Street. Those were glorious days on the beach. The boardwalk at night was wonderful, too. We played pinball, and games of skill for 5 cents to collect prizes. Bottled soda and ice cream were 5 cents then, too. We used to run up to the boardwalk to eat the delicious knishes. My summers at Far Rockaway were the most unforgettable of my growing up. Tuna fish and bologna sandwiches on a roll never tasted as good as it did at the waterfront. In 1961, when I was married with children, we rented a bungalow on Beach 25th and loved it! It was a rainy summer and we spent a lot of time in Far Rockaway shopping, eating and going to the movies. Every sunny day, however, we quickly rushed to the beach to enjoy it with family and friends. The Jefferson, Beach 30thI stayed with Grandma and Grandpa every summer for years in a small room at ground level. Grandpa would take me to the beach in the morning, then off to the stores on 24th Street. The back patio was for dancing on Saturday night and the concession inside had bingo. The porch! As I grew up to teenager, I met Ronnie Schenkman and family on the second or third floor (used the back staircase). I don't remember where Eleanor stayed. Crazy Eddie and his songs. Hal and his girl of the night. Warm nights and days. Very sexy! As a working girl I still took the RR to Far Rockaway, then the bus to Edgemere. Took my children to visit Grandma when it was becoming sad looking. Then went to the area years later and found a burnt shell with a wicked fence surrounding it. Took pics and had a good cry. We are all lucky that we were able to experience the wonderful warm sun and sultry nights. Belle Harbor BungalowsI think the two rows of Belle Harbor bungalows on Beach 129th to which another person referred were probably the Ocean Promenade Apartments. I have very happy memories of living there in the mid-i950s in the winter. Beach at 37th streetWhat a trip to see all of the these comments. I grew up and lived year round on Beach 37th until 1950, when we moved to Bayside. Takee Cup was a treat as well as the movie theater on the boardwalk, Italian ices and of course the arcade. For a penny you could get great photos of famous cowboys and movie stars. Rockaway in 1958My family spent the summer in Rockaway in 1958. Most of our friends were in the court, but we were outside it on the main street. I don't remember the street, but I suspect it was around Beach 45th, as the El was right on the corner. We had a bungalow with a porch. I was climbing on the outside of it, fell when I saw a neighbor's dog that I wanted to play with, and broke my wrist on broken concrete. Today, one would sue the owner. Back then, we just made do. Later that same summer, I ran across the street to get Italian ices from the local candy store, but looked the wrong way crossing the one-way street and almost got hit by a car. I didn't think that much of it, but the woman driving was hysterical. I also remember a movie theatre on the Boardwalk. In those days, an 8-year-old (me) could feel safe walking the boardwalk without an adult present. The back of the theater opened up at night so you could sit outside. I saw "The Colossus of New York" there, an incredibly bad "monster" movie. Most of the bungalows in the Rockaways were destroyed by Hurricane Donna in 1960. So-called "urban renewal" took care of the rest. Now some sections of the Rockaways, especially those facing the ocean, are filled with expensive new condos. The Jefferson 1950s I stayed at the Jefferson in the 1950s. It was far far away from the Bronx. Our father worked two, sometimes three jobs, so my brother and I could escape the Bronx and spend each summer --the whole summer-- in Rockaway. Dad took the train to work every day. We turned brown by July 4th; skinny brown kids always running, scheming, cunningly evading the watchful eyes of Jewish mothers. We played softball in the parking lot by the beach in the early mornings before the cars showed up. We played kick the can in the street, ring-o-lerio (sp?), off the stoop. And then there were the long long days on the beach, hopping on hot sand from blanket to shore, waiting the magic 45 minutes to go in the water after eating lim and sandy salami sandwiches, early versions of body-surfing, acting like we couldn't hear our mothers calling that it was time to come in from the water. Crawling into the cool dark sand under the boardwalk. Some kid named Howie always had a piece of fruit in hand, juice dribbling down his chin. And then there was a kid whose own family called him "Fat Jackie" -- at least that's how I remember it. Once in a while we were treated to Takee cups or lemon Italian ices, and chocolate egg creams. Always sneaking off with so much watermelon that your belly ached, and sand -- always sand -- in your bed. Jumping off the wooden steps to the beach, higher and higher, until you dared to jump from the railings along the boardwalk. I think it was Friday nights we would go to the boardwalk to watch the fireworks display from Playland. Flying kites over the surf when the weather cooled, and sneaking out to the Boardwalk to watch, awestruck, huge summer storms -- was it hurricane Carol? Evenings with men playing pinochle, women playing mah jongg. Ping Pong, hide & seek around the Jefferson. Costume parties with fat hairy men wearing grass skirts and coconut shell brassieres, and mothers with painted mustaches and sideburns, wearing huge hipster hats, chewing cold cigars. Then, dreaded September, back to school and insanely diving under your desk to practice for the upcoming atomic war, or wondering whether you were one of the kids who got the fake Polio vaccine. But somehow, during those summers at the Jefferson, there was nothing to fear. Nothing at all. Beach 45thDoes anyone remember Scott Whitehill or Laird Whitehill? If so, please e-mail me at scott@scottwhitehill.com Moe's Grocery Store on Beach 28thBarbara posted a comment earlier about her dad owning a grocery store on Beach 28th Street. The name of the grocery store was Moe's, and they carried lots of things for a small store. I lived in bungalows on Beach 28th and Beach 29th Street. These were the most memorable times of my life. I only wish that I could go back and see and relive these wonderful times. Beach 49thMy family and many of my relatives owned bungalows on Beach 49th and Beach 48th Street. We spent every summer there until the city condemned the properties. My father brought one of the first surfboards there in the early 60s. I have many fond memories of the beach and the friends I made. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC, Travel & Vacation)
30 Rock: 1933
... house. It's astonishing to think he could have boarded a train and eventually arrived in this city of the gods, only a thousand miles ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:22pm -

New York. December 5, 1933. "Rockefeller Center and RCA Building from 515 Madison Avenue." Digital image recovered from released emulsion layer of the original 5x7 acetate negative. Gottscho-Schleisner photo. View full size. City of the godsIn 1933, my father was a seven-year-old living up Lick Branch Hollow in the Ozark Mountains. He would read books by kerosene light in the evenings. His family kept butter and milk (and Uncle Linus' hooch) in the cold spring-fed creek outside their house. It's astonishing to think he could have boarded a train and eventually arrived in this city of the gods, only a thousand miles away. Sign of the CrossThe double bar cross was the emblem used by the National Tuberculosis Association. Wonder if the lights were part of the campaign to fight TB. Gotta love those whitewalls!On the convertible by the front door. Double O's. Looks like it's ready to go somewhere in a hurry. Released emulsion layer?Dave, can you explain the technology of this image? How does an emulsion layer get released from a negative? [This is a process used on deteriorating acetate transparencies and negatives when they've begun to shrink. The negative is placed in a chemical solution that separates the emulsion from the film base. The released emulsion layer (the pellicle) is then placed in another solution to "relax," or unwarp, it. It's kind of like disappearing your body so that only the skin is left. More here. - Dave] Amazing viewThe shot is incredible! It looks almost surreal. I love it! Awesome scan job.I only wish I could see an even higher res version. Great work bringing this one back to life. WowI just can't believe how beautiful this shot is. Looks like the view from my New York Penthouse sitting there drinking martinis and listening to that new "jazz" music. High DramaThis marvelous building, reaching for the sky as if erupting from the ground, combines amazing delicacy, impressive size, and a feeling it is built for the ages to admire. SO much more breathtaking than today's typical glass box, although you need a view like this to really appreciate the classical lines and artful massing. A nice complement to the gothic cathedral in the foreground - a true temple of commerce! Churchly And Corporate SpiresThat's St. Patrick's Cathedral on the lower left, probably the only building from the 19th century left on Fifth Avenue, except for the Chancery House that's attached to it. Both styles of architecture are very dramatic. When I was a small child, at Christmas, my family would go to the Christmas Pageant at Radio City Music Hall every year, and then attend Midnight Mass at St. Patrick's. Ever since, I've never been able to separate religion from showbiz. Possibly because they really are the same thing. Take a peekThis picture makes me want to get out the binoculars and look in the windows. "Don't get much better"This image is a about as close to textbook perfect BW as you will find. It contains the complete range of grays from what looks like solid black in a few places to solid white in the highlights. The camera was level and the focus was dead on. As a photographer, I am envious. Old shooter Reaching New HeightsThe skyscraper is 30 Rockefeller Plaza before the RCA and current GE neon signage. Not that it wasn't famous before, but the TV show "30 Rock" has made it an even more iconic. Another claim is the gigantic Christmas tree on the Plaza, between the building and the skating rink, that when illuminated kicks off the Holiday Season in NYC. Hugh FerrissThis is like the photographic equivalent of one of Hugh Ferriss' architectural drawings, coincidentally of roughly the same era. MagicThe quality of this incredible photo captures the magic that New York City always longs for but seldom delivers. King Kong might have had a chance...had he chosen 30 Rock instead. OKLo mismo digo. Gracias. American Express BuildingThat hole in the ground, I believe, bacame the American Express Building. If you come out of the subway at the Rockefeller Center stop, and come up on the escalator in that building, you get an incredible view of St Pat's from below, with the spectacular statue of Atlas in the foreground as well. Very cool. Other noteworthy background details here include the Hotel Edison, and the old NY Times Building, at Times Square, before they went and utterly ruined it in the 60's by stripping all the detail off the skeleton. And check the skylights on the roof of what I think is the Cartier store, in the foreground! Send this to Christopher NolanHere's the art direction for the next Batman sequel. SpectacularWhat a wonderful, wonderful image! I love coming to Shorpy because you never know what Dave will come up with next. Thanks so much! The GreatestDave, this has to be one of the greatest photos you have posted. I work around the corner, and can look out my window at 30 Rock from 6th Avenue... my building wasn't built until 1973. Thank you. Time stoppedIs it 2:25am or 5:10am? Can you spot the clock? What Gets MeLooking at this photo - and it looks spectacular on my new monitor - is the sky. It has a sort of foggy twilight quality that is difficult to put into words but which emphasizes the the "star" of the photo - the RCA Building - and its nearby consorts or supporting cast over the buildings in the background which seem to fad into the mist. The building seems like the height of modernity, and one can easily imagine a couple of kids from Cleveland named Siegel and Shuster seeing this and making it a model for the cities of the doomed planet Krypton. Very neat picture...Can you give us an idea of what it looked like before it was restored? [There's an example here. - Dave] StunnedWhat a totally wonderful image, Sat here slack jawed at the incredible detail and the superb composition. I am amazedThe detail in the spires at St. Paul's Patrick's is fantastic. The amount of work that went into that building must have been enormous. I am very grateful not to have been on the crew detailed to put the crosses atop the spires! The Future Is NowInteresting that this photograph looks into a future in which many of the same buildings are still with us. At far left midground is the tower of Raymond Hood's American Standard Building. Next to it, with the illuminated sign on top, is the New Yorker Hotel (now Sun Myung Moon's) where Nikola Tesla spent the last ten years of his life. At center is the N.Y. Times Building with its flagpole convenient for deploying the New Year's Eve ball. And last, but not least, the Paramount Building topped by a globe and illuminated clock which is about as close to the Hudsucker Building as could hope to be seen. Of these four only the appearance Times Building has changed to any extent. A wonderful slice of time. TremendousTwo of my favorite photos on Shorpy consist of those like this one, showing the immense power of a huge city, even in the depths of the Depression, and those of small towns, especially when patriotic holidays were still celebrated. Samuel H. GottschoI'd never heard of him, but one look at this photo and I'm instantly a fan. This image is nothing short of spectacular. Ethereal, PowerfulThere have been many photos on this site that have impressed and pleased me, but this one is one of my favorites. Absolute magic. It's the quintessence of the power and style of 1930s design. Time machineI admire NY photos of the 1950s. And now I see that many of the buildings in NY I admire already were erected in early 1930s! What a discovery. What a shot. The Singularity of the MomentThis is an amazing photograph. As one earlier contributor observed, the pure technical aspects of the black and white composition are fabulous. The spread of detailed gray shadows and whites make this photo almost magical. It has the qualities of an Ansel Adams zone photograph that makes his work so arresting. But what really makes this photograph dramatic is what it reveals about New York City in 1933. A vision of the future of large cities, bustling twenty four hours a day and electrified. Today visions such as these can be seen on any continent in any large city. It has become the norm. But in 1933 there were only two places in the world that looked like this: New York City and Chicago. One can vicariously put oneself into the shoes of some kid from rural America or from Europe setting on Manhattan Island and seeing visions such as these for the first time. I can only guess it had the same effect as it had on 14th-century peasants in France, visiting Paris for the first time and entering the nave of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Beautifully put!I'm sure Samuel Gottscho would have been very gratified to know thoughtful and eloquent people like Bob H would be appreciating his work in the 21st century. PenthouseIs the Garden Patio still across the street from the skylights? I am in love with this photographExquisite doesn't even begin to describe it. In Your Mind's EyeYou can smell and feel the air and hear the traffic. It may be calm now...I have a feeling that all hell is about to break loose -- this picture was taken the day Prohibition was repealed. I worked hereI worked here in the 1960s for the "Tonight" show unit as as a production assistant for Dick Carson, brother of Johnny Carson. An attractive, dark-haired woman named Barbara Walters was working at the "Today" show at the same time. She is about 10 years older than I am. I also worked with the News department for a time. I was in the elevator with David Brinkley coming back from lunch when I learned that President Kennedy had been shot. We stayed up all Friday night and most of Saturday assembling film footage for a retrospective of JFK's life. When we weren't editing, we were visiting St. Patrick's Cathedral to light candles with others in the crowd. That's an absolutely amazing photo. I'm going to link this to other New Yorkers and broadcasters who might be interested. Thanks for all your work. Cordially, Ellen Kimball Portland, OR http://ellenkimball.blogspot.com 30 RockIs the excavated area where the skating rink is? I've been there once and it is very magical. Right across the street from the "Today" studio. Tipster's PhotoStunning, but in a different way than Gottscho's. It helps when the subject is beautiful. 30 Rock 09 Here's the view today made with a 4x5 view camera, farther back seen through the St. Patrick's spires and somewhat higher than the 1933 photo. Lots more buildings now. I was doing an interior architectural shoot, and went out on the terrace of a wedding-cake building on Madison Avenue. It was after midnight. Not much wind. Strangely quiet. As an architectural photographer I have great admiration for these Gottscho pictures. 30 Rock in Living ColorThat's a lovely photo, and it's nice to see the perspective so close to that of the original. Design Continuum of Bertram GoodhueThe proximity of St. Patrick's Cathedral to the newly constructed tower by Raymond Hood brought to mind two "bookends" to the unfulfilled career of Bertram Goodhue. During his early apprenticeship he undoubtedly worked on the St. Patrick's Cathedral, in Renwick's office, which greatly influenced his early career and success. The tower (30 Roc) represents what might have been...rather what should have been the end result of Goodhue's tragically shortened career (ending in 1924). Hood's career, which began to emerge after Goodhue's death is far better known, but is greatly in his debt. Hood's 1922 Tribune Tower clearly displays this link, as a practitioner of the neo-gothic style. Much of Hood's gothic detail is a through-back to design ideas that by 1922, Goodhue had already left behind. Goodhue was by this time already synthesizing elements of european modernism into an new original american idiom. Goodhue's last major projects were already working out the language of the modern/deco skyscraper; (the Nebraska State capital and Los Angles Public Library the best examples.) Goodhue's unique career was the crucible where concepts of romantic imagery of the Gothic, the sublime juxtapositions of minimal ornament on architectonic massing was being forged with modern construction technology. A close study of his career and work will show that not only Hood, but other notable architects of the era built upon the rigorous and expansive explorations that Goodhue was beginning to fuse at the end of his life. *It is also curious to me that Hugh Ferris is credited with so much of these innovative design ideas; no doubt he was a super talented delineator, his freelance services were utilized by many architects of the time including Goodhue. Some of his famous massing studies (sketches) owe much to Goodhue's late work. Amazing Execution and RestorationI agree with "Don't get much Better" ! This is as good as it can get for B&W. The exposure is so right-on and this in 1933!! Is this a "night" shot.. there is a lot of ambient light. Simply Amazing. I want it! Rock RinkThe not-yet-built skating rink is in front of the building. The empty space became 630 Fifth Avenue, where a statue of Atlas stands. Vanderbilt Triple PalaceA long time since this was posted, but I am surprised no one recognized the southern half of the iconic, brownstone-clad Vanderbilt Triple Palaces in the foreground (640 Fifth Avenue), just opposite the lower edge of the excavated building site. The northern half, with two residences, had been sold, demolished & replaced a long time ago, but the southern half stood until 1947 (Grace Wilson Vanderbilt continued entertaining in her usual style until WWII). The entrance vestibule to the three residences featured a nine foot tall Russian malachite vase, once given by Emperor Nicholas I of Russia to Nicholas Demidoff, now on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art a couple of dozen blocks north on Fifth. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC)
Homestead Steel Works: 1910
... think this would make a really cool blueprint for a model train set! It would take years to build of course. Wonder what that person ... the far right corner of this fantastic panorama. Model train set, huh? Check this out! http://www.tacoma-trains.com/bobspage.htm ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/28/2012 - 4:34pm -

Homestead, Pennsylvania, circa 1910. "Homestead Steel Works, Carnegie Steel Co." Lots of interesting details in this humongous panorama made from four 8x10 inch glass negatives. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Ladies and GentlemenWe now introduce you to Pennsylvania's newest subdivision "Homestead Hills" with a breathtaking view of the steelworks and other related industries, no smoking please. Once a mighty millAnd now nothing more than a shopping mall. Twelve of the old brick smokestacks have been preserved though. It's a very different viewfrom my window today, but some of the stacks still remain and Edgar Thompson burns bright and sends up smoke signals from down the way. Glad to be able to look back, but my lungs and eyes are happy we've moved on. And YES! This is one for the wallI'll be ordering my copy soon. I believe that's East 10th streetThe houses haven't changed much. And I think that's just swell. Give me a weekto decipher all that is going on in this huge image. From the grocery wagon, and the guy reading the newspaper on his front porch, to the brave souls on the factory's shed roof, applying some sort of paint or sealant to it. I wonder if anything from this image is left after 102 years? A hundred years from HomesteadMy uncle was born in Homestead in 1907 and was buried on what would have been his 101st birthday. Thank you for posting this wonderful picture of his old home town, pictures of which I had never seen before. Simply amazing to see Homestead as it appeared when my uncle was barely 3 years old. The State of the Artin 1910 theorized that heavy smoke from steel plants might have caused refraction of longwave radio signals along the earth's surface, permitting communications beyond line-of-sight from Pittsburgh (and other big steel towns). The idea was quickly disproven. A perfect summer dayto hang the laundry on the clothesline and take a ride on an open air "toastrack" trolley car (far right). And then there is the imageof home town America -- back in the day. I wonder which office was Uncle Chuck's?One of my mother's ancestors was married to Charles Schwab (no connection with the present day C. Schwab) who, at age 35, became the president of Carnegie Steel in 1897. In 1901 he was involved in the sale of Carnegie to a bunch of NYC moneymen including J.P. Morgan, and in turn Schwab became the president of U.S. Steel, the corporation formed from the sale. Later he headed Bethlehem Steel. Worth at one time $500 million to $800 million in today's dollars, dear old Uncle Chuck managed to die broke, his Bethlehem Steel stock value tanking in the Great Depression. In the 1980s when BethSteel was sold to avoid bankrupcy, 19 heirs each pocketed $40 million. I've been meaning to ask my Mom if she was one of them. N, HO, or O?This would make an AWESOME model railroad! Stacks!I stopped counting at 290. Model TrainsI think this would make a really cool blueprint for a model train set! It would take years to build of course. Wonder what that person behind that shade in the near left house was doing? Still remainingThe octagon based water tank in the middle upper portion of the photo remains as well as the small building just to the left of the tank. Remaining at least in foot print is the large building to the right of the water tank though it has been largely modified. Fireless engineTo the right of the crooked telephone pole can be seen a fireless steam engine working the plant. These where common industrial engines, being charged from a stationary boiler. Wouldn't want the smoke and cinders of a conventional engine to dirty the place up. Re: Fireless EngineIt wasn't a question of dirtying up things with smoke and cinders of course, although that was why they were frequently used around food production factories. The other benefit is that it doesn't produce sparks or cinders that could ignite flammable materials, for example coke which was used in the steel making process. Much still remainsIf you stroll on over to Google street maps and browse the area between Ravine Street and Munn Street on Homestead's east end, you'll find many buildings clearly recognizable from the far right corner of this fantastic panorama. Model train set, huh?Check this out! http://www.tacoma-trains.com/bobspage.htm Re Model Train set, huh?And his wife wonders why the lawn never gets mowed. Modern Day GPSBased on the photo here are the modern day coordinates: 40.404657,-79.917816 - Smoke Stacks (not photographed in the original photo as it is to far west) now the mall area 40.412869,-79.896812 - Water Tower 40.414367,-79.897579 - Steel bridge seen in background crossing river to right 40.407933,-79.901839 - Approximately where the photo must have been taken from based on houses, distance to mill, distance to water tower, and distance to river. 40.412545,-79.899542 - Where the over-head framework for loading steel use to be. There is zero trace of anything ever having been here now. 40.408946,-79.90495 - Where the RR use to curve into / towards town. Now 8th Avenue. Homestead 1910My gt, gt aunty, Bridget Monaghan, after leaving Ireland, and living for a while in the English iron/steel towns of Tow Law, and Consett, both in Co Durham, moved to Homestead. She married a Mr Mulvihille and appears on the US census in 1910 as Bridget Mulvihill, a boarding housekeeper at 449 Fifth Avenue, Homestead, Allegheny Co. Pennsylvania, her boarders were Irish steel workers. Margaret Byington's book, Homestead, Households of a Milltown (1909) can be viewed at https://archive.org/details/pittsburghsurvey04kelluoft It contains some interesting photos and text (Panoramas, DPC, Factories, Railroads)
slow car, fast train
... County. The car appears to have gotten tangled up with a train. Looks like early thirties Ford. Photographer unknown. you can't ... and baby son on a Sunday in 1925, when they were hit by a train. The car was torn in two and they were all killed instantly. I ... 
 
Posted by kevhum - 07/03/2007 - 8:10am -

This photo was maybe taken by Loleta, Calif in Humboldt County. The car appears to have gotten tangled up with a train. Looks like early thirties Ford. Photographer unknown. you can't park hereProbably looking at what is left of the driver.....I was an engineer so I know that look. You can't park here.I wonder if they're all looking at the other half of the car. Or the driver. I hope the driver was parking there.Otherwise, there probably wasn't much left of him. An uncle of my grandfather's was driving with his wife and baby son on a Sunday in 1925, when they were hit by a train. The car was torn in two and they were all killed instantly. I wondered, for decades, how he would have managed to drive his family in front of a train. We eventually got a copy of a newspaper article about the wreck, which explained what happened. It was a used car he'd recently bought. When he saw the train, he decided to stop and wait for it to go by. However, when he stepped on the break pedal, the breaks locked and the car kept going, right in front of the train. Such a terrible tragedy. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Lemont Depot: 1902
... The depot is unusual in that, although the semaphore train order signal means this is a telegraph office, it has no bay window, ... especially the derby. Anglican clergymen are notorious train buffs, especially about steam engines. He doesn't have any baggage, so ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 6:56pm -

Lemont, Illinois, circa 1902. "Station of the Chicago & Alton R.R. Taken from Canal Street." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. LemiddleLemont seems to be lemiddle between Chicago and St. Louis. Not sure though why the sign puts a period after Lemont. [A common practice of the time. There are many examples here, such as this one. - tterrace] Clergymen and DepotsThe depot is unusual in that, although the semaphore train order signal means this is a telegraph office, it has no bay window, which is where the operator sat with his apparatus. Notice that although a modest depot, it is constructed of stone. A similar-sized depot down South would almost certainly have been wooden, despite the potential problems with humidity and termites. Southern railroads were so poor (or their Yankee owners were so cheap). It really took them almost 100 years to start recovering from The War. The track structure is showing signs of modern evolution. Six-hole joint bars of a design that is basically still in use today. The longer the bar, the more holes for bolts, the stronger the joint between rails. In earlier Shorpy photos from the Civil War era, two-hole joint bars were in use. But, the track engineers had not yet discovered the advantage of alternating the direction of the bolts. They're all facing the same way. And no tie plates or anchors yet, either. And notice the old clergyman standing on the platform. He HAS to be an Episcopalian. That's an "Anglican collar" he's wearing. An "RC collar" had the black band around the outside of the white band, with a gap in the front. And, his overall dress doesn't appear to me to fit the usual RC style, especially the derby. Anglican clergymen are notorious train buffs, especially about steam engines. He doesn't have any baggage, so he's probably just down there to watch trains. The great BBC series, "Yes, Prime Minister" had an episode in which Sir Humphrey (Nigel Hawthorne) urged a candidate for bishop upon the PM, because even though he doubted the divinity of Christ, he LOVED steam engines. Church in the DistanceThe existing Lemont Station at 101 Main is the village’s first depot, dating from 1858. The station, built by the Chicago and Alton Railroad, was essential to the postcanal development of the Lemont Historic District. According to Ira J. Bach and Susan Wolfson in their book, A Guide to Chicago Train Stations, Present and Past, the Lemont depot is the oldest surviving masonry depot in the Chicago area It appears as if the church that is shown in the distance is also still standing on E Illinois St near State St. Still there!Those buildings must have been built to last! View Larger Map Lincoln's Funeral Train passed hereThis is the oldest station in the Chicago commuter rail system (Metra). It was in use when Lincoln's funeral train passed in 1865 (info from Metra historical records). Roman collars and train wrecksSome Catholic priests wear that kind of collar. There's no doctrinal significance to the variations. Derby hat: no doctrinal significance there either. A. H. Malan (1852-1928) was an English clergyman who documented a great deal of the Great Western Railway's broad gauge days with his camera. Those rail joints have bond wires on them. Automatic block signals, or an interlocking, or switch indicators? I worked on a manual block railroad years ago, and we had a wreck that was mitigated by switch indicators. These are signals governed by the position of switches. Two freights were opposing each other on the single track main. When the first freight passed the switch indicator, it dropped the signal in front the second. They still collided, but it wasn't as bad. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Second Home: 1943
January 1943. "Freight train operations on the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad between Chicago and ... the "highball", otherwise someone would start walking the train to find the problem. Classy RV-ing Wouldn't it be great to have an ... able to cope with a movement that temporarily splits the train in the middle. Lots of factors killed Cabeese most already ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/08/2014 - 12:39pm -

January 1943. "Freight train operations on the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad between Chicago and Clinton, Iowa. The caboose is the conductor's second home. He always uses the same one and many conductors cook and sleep there while waiting for trains to take back from division points." Medium format nitrate negative by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. "Stormy" and brake tests."Stormy" Kromer was the inventor's name, the hat was a Kromer Blizzard Cap. The last one my wife bought for me was made in China, so I don't buy them anymore. There used to be a pair of hand (lantern) signals in the rulebook to handle brake tests: Rule 12(f), the lamp swung horizontally over the head was the signal for the engineer to apply the brakes for the test, Rule 12(g), the lamp held at arm's length overhead was the signal to release. If all was well and the pressure recovered at the caboose, the next signal would be the "highball", otherwise someone would start walking the train to find the problem. Classy RV-ingWouldn't it be great to have an RV these days that looked more like that than the generic, mundane look most modern RVs have? I suppose one could refit an RV to look like this, but the weight of the wood paneling might be a problem, not to mention the weight of the woodstove. One can dream, however unrealistic one's dreams might be. The Modern CabooseIn Canada at least there are still uses for cabooses. Mainly they're used on short switching runs where one or two cars are dropped off and or picked up at a specific shipper. I suspect that this is a time saving measure since it would be inefficient to keep moving the ETD (FRED) to the new end car, and it poor electronic brain might not be able to cope with a movement that temporarily splits the train in the middle. Lots of factors killed Cabeesemost already mentioned, but there were a large number of workers comp incidents that arose in a people transporter located a mile back of slack action on a freight train. One of the best ways to improve safety is to eliminate the need to expose workers to the danger in the first place. So this was a big improvement. Cheesecake, though, is something to be missed. Comforting memoriesAs a young boy in Maine my brother and I would watch the trains go by and count the cars. It was a thrill to wave to the conductor. My grandfather, an old railroad man, introduced us to a conductor friend of his and we even got a quick look inside a caboose. A dream come true for a young railroad fan. Proper pinupsSome tasty cheesecake here. Contemporary girls a la Sundblom and Elvgren along with some smaller older pieces. I Miss the CabooseNice man cave. September snowThe graffiti is correct; it did indeed snow in Illinois and Iowa on Friday, September 25, 1942 - up to two inches (in Iowa Falls). Newspapers the next morning reported that this was the first September snowfall in Des Moines in the history of the weather bureau. The high school football game between Garner and Buffalo Center was called because of darkness after "driving snow" knocked out six lights. Wall CandyI worked on a railroad for 36 years and the cabooses never were allowed to look like that. Years ago the caboose was assigned to the Conductor for each trip he made so it was decorated it the way he wanted it. I rode these for many years until they were replaced with a flashing rear end device. FRED Back in the day!It would have been nice to be there. Caboose LoreWhatever happened to cabooses? Were they stopped as a cost-saving measure, or was the conductor no longer needed on freight trains? They were a "natural" ending to trains as they looked so different from the other cars. When they passed you knew that it was OK to cross the crossing. Now freight trains just end and it is sad. Part of the fun with trains was waving at the caboose. Quite often, the conductor or whoever was in it would wave back. Cabeese and conductorsThough the cabeese have been replaced, not so the conductors. Their office has been moved into the cab of the locomotive..Conductors are actually in charge of the train, not as ususlly believed, the engineers. Engineers run the locomotives and the conductors tell them where to pick up and drop off freight cars. I prefer the caboose to the Freds that are used now. The Freds not only have a flashing light, but they radio air pressure and other information to the engineer, but the conductor is usually a nice friendly guy, much more than the Freds, A Place to HangI feel sorry for the modern conductor and brakeman. They used to have a home away from home at the end of the train but now only have a seat in the lead locomotive or a seat in the empty slave locomotives. Get a load of the CabooseGet a load of the caboose on the broad on the wall of the caboose. LOL (Am I the only one to post this obviouse joke?) A glimpse of the cabooseFrom "I Like Trains" by Fred Eaglesmith Sixteen miles from Arkadelphia right near the Texas border traffic was stopped at a railway crossing I took it to the shoulder I stoked the kettle I put it to the metal I shook the gravel loose I missed the train but I was happy with a glimpse of the caboose (chorus) cause I like trains I like fast trains I like trains that call out through the rain I like trains I like sad trains I like trains that whisper your name I was born on a greyhound bus my Momma was a diesel engine They tried to put me behind the wheel but I wouldn't let them You should have seen the look in their eyes and how it turned to tears when I finally told them I wanna be an engineer Now you think I've got someone new but darlin' that ain't true I could never love another woman besides you It's not some dewy-eyed darlin' darlin' that's gonna drive you insane But anymore I'd be listenin' for the sound of a big ol' train (chorus) cause I like trains I like fast trains I like trains that call out through the rain I like trains I like sad trains I like trains that whisper your name Cabeese have always intrigued meThanks for the view of life inside a caboose, I have always been fascinated with them. After reading Lectrogeek's link about the demise of the caboose I learned quite a bit of info about trains that I just took for granted before reading the link. The link's explanation of the features of the FRED device does bring up one question though. Before the days of computers and the prevalence of two-way radios from the back of the train to the front, how did the engineer get all of the air pressure and movement information from the conductor? Stormy Kromer!I spy an actual Stormy Kromer hat hanging on a peg! Still made in Michigan, originally designed by Stormy's wife from a baseball cap and made to stay on a railroad engineer's head no matter how windy. Technology overtook them.Renaissanceman asked "Whatever happened to cabooses?" Technology, in the form of flashing end-of-train devices (acronym is FRED, I think) and computerised detection for when the rear end passes critical points (signals, switches, etc) replaced the need for a man at the back. Home sweet home!Except for the slack action when a long train started up, I'm sure. Note the stout rod holding the potbelly stove down to the floor. And here is an explanation for why we no longer have cabeese. MemoriesMy brother forwarded this shot to me and boy do I love it. Our father was a conductor on the C&NWRR and the photo brought back so many wonderful memories of my childhood. As a railroading family, my father would periodically take me to the yard with him to work. One of the highlights of the trip was reaching for the curved handrail on the side of the caboose and let the train's passing movement pull you up for the ride. Once on-board, I loved climbing up to the copula for a bird’s eye view (usually it would be a trip to Proviso Yard where I could be handed off to see my uncle, grandfather or a cousin). Thank you for any train picsMy Grandfather, whom I adored, worked on the Erie Lackawanna from the early 1910's to the late 1960's. Any old pics of the great train days are so appreciated. Thank you. I find it interestingwith the cheesecake motif that in the upper left hand of this photo (near the stove pipe) there's a picture of what appears to be a mother consoling a child. Penny for his thoughts.Pipe smoker is wearing a Stormy Kromer as well. I wonder what he's thinking? How long will the war last? How long till he sees his son again? How long till lunch? How long is it gonna take this photographer to get his shot? The end of the endTwo innovations contributed to the end of the caboose. Roller bearings on the freight cars meant the guy in the cupola didn't have to watch for "hot-boxes" from the earlier cotton-waste oil-saturated bearing packing. The advent of the walkie-talkie meant communication between the engineer and the guy on the ground taking care of the switching. Not Politically CorrectPersonalized cabooses like this started dying off probably by the 1950s when most large railroads and the unions agreed to use "pooled" cabooses where the caboose stayed with the train and only the crews changed. Today it is totally politically incorrect to post lewd photos or drawings like those in the photo. If doing such today does not get you fired, it will certainly cause you to have to attend Diversity and Sensitivity Training Sessions. Oh yeah, most jokes are strictly off limits, too. The railroad is a changed place these days. It's all in the detailsAnd what a wealth of details in this photo! Like the splatter on the side of the cabinet just above the waste basket. Probably from tobacco juice, or possibly empty beer cans? Neither of which would fly in today's railroad workplace, according to several of the comments. And the guy with the pipe would probably be out of a job as well. And what's up with the rolling pin hanging on the wall? Maybe to roll out a few pancakes for cooking on the stove when they got hungry? The print of the mother and child on the left looks like it has been hanging there since the caboose was built. And, echoing several of the other comments, I miss the caboose and the waving conductor. I still remember that as a kid, and this was back in the 1970s. Outstanding photo and keep up the great work. Politically Correct PinupIt's in the eye of the beholder. Working on the railroadI come from a railroad family. My grandfather had 50 years on the job, as did my father. I haven't seen the interior of many caboose cars but I did not see any decorated like this one. My dad used the downtime to study his safety rules for the next level of exam, necessary for promotion, not looking at nekkid women. Men were paid on time in grade status, but to promote you had to take a test and wait for an opening. Railroading was a serious job, the company took safety very seriously as did the men, particularily the brakemen because they would be out there on the track swinging the lantern to guide the engineer on his back-up as well as to switch the track. Never would alcohol be on the job, not ever. It would not be tolerated by the company, nor by the men whose lives were at stake. My dad smoked cigarettes, as did his father. Everyone smoked cigarettes and since it was not an issue like it is today, I cannot image that it wasn't allowed in the caboose. My dad quit railroading in the 1980s saying he was quitting because the new men coming in did not care--they were not interested in learning the job the right way, just "get it done quick, rest, play cards, and get my pay". It hurt him to see this low standard of work ethic, as it did other men. Sad commentary on progress, is it not. We loved seeing the trains pass--ran from our play when we heard the whistle blow just to wave, first at the engineer who would sound the horn for us, and then at the caboose where the men would wave back. it was especially nice if it was our dad in the caboose. Dining carI assume the "Dining Car in opposite direction" sign is a joke? If so, very clever. Afterlife of CabeeseA friend of ours, who has a stand of sugar maple trees and a hobby sugaring operation, got a retired Canadian National caboose (red, of course) with the idea of using it as a warming hut during the sap boiling. He paid some nominal price, and it was delivered to his site on a flatbed truck. He'd determined how high the caboose should be mounted -- you get the caboose only, not the wheels -- and he'd prepared a foundation for it that would place it at the actual height of a operational caboose. To get the thing off the truck an into place, he rented a crane and operator at something like $100/hour (this was three decades ago). Well, it took the crane operator four hours to get that caboose off the truck and onto the foundation! Yes, it all worked out OK, and yes, there's a red CN caboose sitting in a southern Ontario stand of maples. But that "freebie" caboose ended up costing a whole lot more. Air on the BrakesAccording to the air brake gage on the back wall there is air on the train so the caboose is hooked up (coupled) to the train. I wonder who's cut out head is pinned to the lower left door window? (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Cane Train: 1897
... seems to be in a siding, likely to wait for an opposing train on that rough looking "main track". In spite of the minor assignment ... an unscheduled extra. Possibly the photographer's special train? Maybe a photo taken by their passenger while they wait in the siding, or ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/13/2020 - 2:21pm -

Circa 1897. "Cane fields in Louisiana." Glass negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size. The Cane MutinyAll six gentlemen of yesteryear seem to be glaring into the camera like, Fight Me. Also I have smelled sugar cane growing in the sun (albeit in Florida) and there is no smell like it. Your nose can sense the sweetness. Once, my mom gave me a piece to gnaw on (with my teeth, not my nose). Tastes like sugar. Beware the cane fields of LouisianaWhen our family lived in southern Louisiana for a while, we kids would play in the cane fields. I'd use my trusty Western Auto Barlow knife to cut sugarcane pieces for my pals and me to gnaw on. We quickly learned that snakes were abundant in those cane fields, and half of them were probably dangerous. All were alarming and I decided I'd didn't like sugarcane as much as I had thought I did. Col. Sanders... apparently moonlighted as a railroad worker. A little detective workI blew the photo up to read the initials on the tender's collar, and they are L.N.O. & T. The Louisville, New Orleans and Texas RR ran from Memphis to New Orleans, and became part of the Illinois Central in 1892. This is obviously not that main line, but a dirt track branchline in the sticks. The the crew seems to be in a siding, likely to wait for an opposing train on that rough looking "main track". In spite of the minor assignment this day, the No. 8 looks like a shiny bottle and probably the handiwork of her fireman. Her valve covers (just ahead of the side rods) proclaim her builder as Rogers. She's been around the block a few times, yet still has delicate pinstripes painted on the domes, and had been gussied up with that brass eagle on the sand dome cover, and appears to be in excellent mechanical shape. And that long shank link and pin coupler on the front confirms this shot is before 1900. Attitude 1890s styleI have no idea who the guy on the right is, But I am 100% certain that he is telling the photographer "I'm a mean son of a bitch and I haven't had my coffee yet. What was it you wanted?" No SurrenderShe's flying two white flags, which means she's an unscheduled extra. Possibly the photographer's special train? Maybe a photo taken by their passenger while they wait in the siding, or pulled-off in there to avoid fouling the main line while taking a picture. Canebrake Rattlesnakes are vicious.Those machetes that were used to cut sugarcane came in handy to dispatch rattlers and cottonmouths. (The Gallery, Agriculture, DPC, Railroads, W.H. Jackson)
Train Wreck: 1900
1897-1901. "Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton R.R. train wreck below Dayton, Ohio." 4x5 glass negative attributed to Wilbur and/or ... It's true People DO love to stare at a train wreck. 3 Things There are three things I noticed. The blind ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/12/2018 - 10:26pm -

1897-1901. "Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton R.R. train wreck below Dayton, Ohio." 4x5 glass negative attributed to Wilbur and/or Orville Wright. View full size. CounterintuitiveThough not standard construction, quite a few 4-6-0 and 4-8-0 type engines, such as we are herein viewing from underneath, were built with blind leading drivers, as it was felt that the four wheel leading truck provided sufficient stability to obviate flanges on them, even at high speed. Omitting this flange allowed the locomotive to better negotiate very sharp curves and turnouts at slow speed in yards and enginehouse areas. Lack of this flanged driver was not a factor in this "head-on" collision. This was the result of a dispatching error or of misinterpretation by one of the engineers of the timetable or of the dispatchers instructions. It's truePeople DO love to stare at a train wreck. 3 ThingsThere are three things I noticed. The blind drivers (no flanges) are on the leading drive axle. All the ones I've seen would have been on the center axle. The monkey wrench laying next to the rail is identical to the one I have that came from The Milwaukee Road many decades ago. The joint bolts in the rail have the nuts all on the same side. Standard practice now is to alternate sides. I assume the idea is to prevent them from all being sheared off by a derailed wheel. The bolt heads are a button type that a wheel would slide past without damage. Is This Not Their Father's Wreck?Isn't this the October 20, 1897 wreck between the southbound Toledo and Cincinnati Express, and the northbound freight 30 of the Cincinnati, Hamilton, and Dayton on board which was Bishop Milton Wright, the father of the famous Wright Brothers? See this. Front drivers were never blindOnly some very early rigid framed 4-4-0's of the mid 1800s experimented with using blind front drivers to negotiate sharper curves. It was not a practice continued on other locomotives as swinging pilot trucks would not keep a blind front driver on the rails. On larger engines in the early 1900's blind center drivers were used but in following years better lateral motion devices and improved track geometry all but ended the practice. Once a locomotive was well wore in it was still possible to drop a blind center driver off the rails on a sharp curve and many locomotive rebuilds included putting flanged tires back on. More than likely in this instance in the moments preceding the wreck the brakes were applied sufficiently to heat up the tires on the locomotive which expanded them and they have come off the wheels. As you can see the side rods have been removed and likely the loose tires from the front axle have been removed or broke during the wreck. Monkey wrenchI also have a monkey wrench like the one that Alan spotted. It is all forged and machined. The adjuster has square threads and the wooden handles were hand fitted as well as if they were done by a gunsmith. Modern tools do not compare. A Line of ____Upper right background, there is a line of objects giving the appearance of a string of box cars. Small cabins, maybe? [Looks like a split-rail zigzag fence. -tterrace] This is also trueWhile it is evident that the side rod on the upper side of the lead driver set was sheared off in the collision, the lower side shows no sign that anyone made any effort to remove the side rod nor the tire. Engines were, indeed, built with blind lead drivers. (The Gallery, Railroads, Wright Brothers)
Santa Fe Time: 1939
April 1939. "Office of train dispatcher and Western Union. San Augustine, Texas." Photo by Russell Lee ... station, I believe. He's probably in and out handing up train orders, doing telegrams for the public and the railroad, taking phone ... clock with the interesting face. What a fella! Train Order Operator / Telegrapher This man appears not to be a dispatcher ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/22/2018 - 10:57pm -

April 1939. "Office of train dispatcher and Western Union. San Augustine, Texas." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Extra keys under the typewriter?Can anybody figure out what's going on with the extra row of keys (?) under the spacebar? Operator, I'd sayThis busy guy is doing the work for an entire station, I believe. He's probably in and out handing up train orders, doing telegrams for the public and the railroad, taking phone calls from up and down the line, and, if you look to the left side of the photo under the calendar, he's also the ticket seller. That's what the rack is full of. Likely a broom just out of sight for his slow periods. And, he probably has to maintain and wind that beautiful clock with the interesting face. What a fella! Train Order Operator / TelegrapherThis man appears not to be a dispatcher (a person in charge of train movements on a subdivision) but rather an operator / telegrapher who relays instructions from the dispatcher to the train using typed or handwritten messages (see the bottle of Sheaffer Skrip ink to the left of the telephone). You will note that there is no train sheet on the desk in front of him to record train movements, and a dispatcher would probably not have time to be distracted by the sending or receiving of Western Union messages. Train orders ready to be delivered to upcoming trains would be hung on the hooks above the desk -- perhaps we can see the corner of one over his right shoulder. To see a Santa Fe dispatcher in Amarillo from the same era see this Shorpy photo. Tighten cap. Tip bottle to fill the wellAnd on the left, a bottle of Sheaffer Skrip ink, with the little side reservoir just inside the lip of the bottle. Convenient for filling your fountain pen without picking up the crud from the bottom! But it looks as if our railroad man didn't follow the first line of the instructions. Dispatchers and TelegraphersDispatchers and telegraphers usually used special typewriters. Railroad rules usually specified train orders be hand written or typed in multiple copies on a thin semitransparent paper called flimsy. If typed they must be in all caps with no punctuation, so there is no shift key. All letters were caps. I suspect this particular typewriter had the extra row of keys for typing characters that would normally be accessed with the shift key. Railroads normally didn't use all characters, but this feature may have been useful for Western Union telegrams. This also explains Western Union's use of the word "STOP" instead of ".", as most railroad typewriters had no "." Another railroad oddity is that there is no ribbon. Multiple copies were typed "in manifold" using double-sided carbon paper. The image on the first and all odd numbered pages was actually imprinted in reverse by carbon on the back of the paper, and read through the paper, while even numbered pages were impressed with their images on the front. Phone TerminalUpper right corner of the photo shows a telephone connection strip. It appears the lines going N have been cut. Was this the most northern station? Covetous!I would dearly love that beautiful Seth Thomas clock! 10:22:52 and a fraction; can't tell if it's 3 or 5 beats to the second, but it's certainly finely divided. And with a precision, temperature compensated pendulum. 1909 Seth Thomas ClockAnd if you have a spare $112,000 lying around you can own one too! Exra row of keysI suspect this is not an ordinary typewriter, but a form of teletype machine. The extra keys may have been to transmit various codes or information, other than printable characters. Number PleaseWhen we were kids back in the early 60s we had a candlestick phone just like the one shown here (no dial). Unfortunately we played with it as kids do and ultimately messed it up so bad, taking it apart etc., that Mom ended up tossing it. Similar to the one here, it came with a large metal box in which all of the telephone circuitry and bell were housed. Later on I guess Western Electric figured out how to cram all that stuff into the phone itself. Re: Number PleaseThe "large metal box" on which the candlestick phone rested was, in this photo, wood; you can see the dovetail joints on the curved corners. The box itself was called a "subset" and housed the meager electronics to make the phone operate, as well as the bell on top. The crank wound a dynamo, also inside the subset, to generate electricity to make a call. (Technology, The Gallery, Railroads, The Office)
Log Train
Redwood logging train in Freshwater, Humboldt County, California, before 1900. Photo by Ericson ... of year's of growth? I hope most of the redwood on this train is still in use today. [Apostrophes don't grow on trees, either. ... 
 
Posted by kevhum - 05/27/2007 - 11:48pm -

Redwood logging train in Freshwater, Humboldt County, California, before 1900. Photo by Ericson of Arcata. Biggest Tree EverMan that was one big-ass tree! Finite ResourceThat big-ass tree represents how many hundred's of year's of growth? I hope most of the redwood on this train is still in use today. [Apostrophes don't grow on trees, either. There are two that died a needless death. - Dave] Re: Finite ResourceUm, trees are the opposite of a finite resource. In fact they are one of the best examples of a renewable resource. Giant RedwoodsYeah, old growth forests and giant redwoods are popping up everywhere. Re: Giant RedwoodsThese are coast redwoods, not giant sequoias. There are more of them today than when logging began over a century ago. More than 4 million seedlings are planted every year. Redwoods are the fastest growing softwood tree in North America ... in 30 years they can grow 130 feet. Tree'sCool. I live back east. I'm just happy when the tree in the backyard starts dropping apostrophe's. [Apostrophes. Hundreds. Years. Aaaagh! - Dave] (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
The Big Train: 1924
... Washington Nationals pitcher Walter Johnson, aka "The Big Train," with his wife, mother and children at Union Station. View full size. ... Nationals who were in second division most of Big Train's career. Little Carolyn still making news The toddler in Walter ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 7:55pm -

September 30, 1924. Washington Nationals pitcher Walter Johnson, aka "The Big Train," with his wife, mother and children at Union Station. View full size. National Photo Company collection glass negative, Library of Congress. Ty Cobb FlinchedAn excerpt describing Walter Johnson's first major league outing. He was 19, and freshly called up from a minor league team in Idaho: Indeed, the Tigers were wowed. They were on their way to the American League pennant and had a fearsome lineup. But after they swept the doubleheader by beating Johnson in that second game, they knew they had seen a man who would be a rival for years. "I watched him take that easy windup -- and then something went past me that made me flinch," Ty Cobb said. "I hardly saw the pitch, but I heard it. The thing just hissed with danger. Every one of us knew we'd met the most powerful arm ever turned loose in a ballpark." Best Pitcher EverIt's hard to argue against Walter Johnson as the greatest pitcher ever. Lifetime - 417 wins, 2.17 ERA, and 3,509 K's all with the Washington Nationals who were in second division most of Big Train's career. Little Carolyn still making newsThe toddler in Walter Johnson's arms is his daughter, Carolyn. Now 89, Carolyn was recently featured in the New York Times. Sadly, the Nats lost a heartbreaker last night; for her sake - and the sake of Washington baseball fans of all ages - they will hopefully get to the World Series next year. (The Gallery, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo, Railroads, Sports)
American Dreamer: 1942
... that back then. Sigh Look at that beautiful model train in all its HO gauge splendor! Back in the days when metal cars were ... very similar to those shown in this image Interesting Train Set In the 50s, I had a Lionel set and in the 60s switched to HO. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/27/2013 - 3:35pm -

June 1942. "Greenbelt, Maryland. Child's bedroom in which a 13-year-old boy has rigged up model trains and a chemical laboratory." Johnny's next project: Discover girls. Photo by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. Girls Have Cooties!Who needs girls? He's got a) a cool model railroad layout, b) a chemistry set, c) a pirate poster, and d) a radio. And is that a railroad lantern rigged up as a reading lamp? Enjoy your bachelorhood while you can, Opie lookalike! Also: Those windows sure look newer than 1942. I didn't realize they had modern crank-out sashes like that back then. SighLook at that beautiful model train in all its HO gauge splendor! Back in the days when metal cars were modeled in metal and wood in wood. No fakey plastic here. The latest and bestGreenbelt was a New Deal planned community that would have been only a few years old at the time of this picture. Chances are good that the houses would have had the newest technologies and accessories, such as the crank-out windows. As-best-os I can tellAs best as I can tell, that's an asbestos flame spreader/heat dissapator on the top of the lab tripod. I remember dozens of those from my high school and college chemestry classes, but I'm sure they're prohibited today. Brilliance guaranteedJudging by this boy's interesting variety of toys, I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that he became a very smart, sharp, well-informed adult with knowledge in many different subjects, plus he was not addicted to electronic video games to distract him from real life. Windows 41The house I grew up in when I was a kid was built in 1941. The original windows had a "crank out" design very similar to those shown in this image Interesting Train SetIn the 50s, I had a Lionel set and in the 60s switched to HO. This train looks to be somewhere in between size wise. I'm not a model train expert. Maybe someone else can enlighten me. Rainy childhood days long pastThis strikes a chord as I remember these days; listening to the radio - Car race.. Baseball game - playing quietly in my bedroom.. Model trains, etc. But not for kids today, for them, this was all to be replaced by TV and X-Box. Steel casementsOur house in Bethesda, circa 1939/40, had steel windows like that. Nice train set, American Flyer, HO gauge? Has to be a good sized room to get all his stuff in there. A.C. Gilbert – prewar HO gauge An impressive setup for the time. I believe that the train set was manufactured by A. C. Gilbert (American Flyer) in HO gauge. The engine was modeled after the New York Central J3 Hudson. Greenbelt BoyI lived in Greenbelt from 1948 to 1951, and I had a bedroom that looked just like that, although I lived in the so-called "defense housing," that was built, I believe, right after the war. And I also had an electric train then. Greenbelt HousesExterior view from 1936. Later designs had a pitched roof. Click to enlarge. Hard to gaugeThe size looks to me like the "S" Gauge that I grew up with, but at least one source I found said that American Flyer (AC Gilbert) did not bring out the "S" gauge until 1946. It really looks too big for HO, too small for "O" (also Lionel O gauge as far as I know were all three rail systems). Anybody to resolve the question? [American Flyer was selling 3/16" (1:64, or S-scale) trains in the 1930s. Below, an ad for AF 3/16" scale trains from 1942. - Dave] Gauge vs. ScaleDoctorK is correct about Gilbert American flyer being 3/16" S-scale and Dave's posted ad references prewar 3/16" scale trains that ran on O-Gauge Track. The train set pictured is in fact HO gauge by Gilbert. Gilbert, after purchasing the American Flyer brand, sold trains that were 3/16" to the foot scale but ran on O-Gauge (1/4" to the foot) track prior to WWII. Following the war the track became S-Gauge 3/16" Scale. Gilbert was also a pioneer of early HO Gauge 1:87 scale or roughly 1/8" to the foot scale or "Half O" thus "HO" (what is shown in the photo). There was also 00 gauge common at this time, which Lionel was marketing as a competitor to HO. Same setup, 70 years laterClearly a budding terrorist: A bomb-making laboratory and a model of critical domestic infrastructure! Bring in SWAT, Hazmat, and the FBI. Short-track to Gitmo! The Kid Is SeriousAs a model railroader and National Model Railroad Association member, I'm impressed. This kid has talent. He's not into "tinplate" -- what we refer to trains made primarily as toys, like Lionel, versus scale modeling like the kid has here. Those are some nice building kits he's assembled. The track looks like it might be handlaid, because they didn't make "snap track" back then. And he wisely chose HO two-rail, a better system for scale track than Lionel's 3-rail and a much finer appearance than most commercial ready to use track that wouldn't be at least that nice until the 1970s. I love it, especially having spent a few nights as a houseguest in one of those Greenbelt townhomes. Serious, yes, but ...Probably not hand-laid track. Looks like commercial turnouts and sectional track - note the screws at fixed intervals. Properly He QuippedThe handy ladder just outside the window should make getting to his next discovery a lot easier. Gilbert HO scaleHere is a website that has old Gilbert train catalogs: http://www.rfgco.com/americanflyertrainscatalogs/catalogs.html The prewar HO scale did have built-in roadbeds for the track, similar to today's Bachmann EZ Track. It also looks like the track was screwed or bolted to the wooden table. Not a ladderThe crank-out windows are both open. Only the one on the right is visible in the picture. See the picture posted earlier in this thread for a view of the closed windows from the outside. American FlyerLittle doubt the trains are Gilbert American Flyer HO scale, early variety with metal roadbed and metal cars. The coupler on the caboose (and the caboose type) also is a match. (The Gallery, Kids, Marjory Collins, Railroads)
Dandruff Avalanche: 1903
... yacht. - Dave] The Constitution was a Train Wreck The Constitution was a contender to defend the 1903 America's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/30/2023 - 8:52pm -

May 1903. New York. "Newsboys at Greeley Square." Our title is a word salad plucked fresh from this 8x10 inch glass negative. Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Headline NewsAMERICANS ON MONT BLANC CAUGHT IN AVALANCHE! Greeley SquareGreeley Square is a triangular park bounded by Broadway and 6th Avenue between West 32nd and 33rd Streets, two blocks south of Herald Square. It is named for one of the most eccentric figures in American history and contains a seated statue of him. Horace Greeley (1811-1872) founded the New York Tribune, which by 1850 was the nation’s highest-circulation newspaper. One of the founders of the Republican Party, he was a continual irritant to Abraham Lincoln, not just because he thought he should dictate policy, but because he kept flailing among positions, supporting ‘peaceable secession’, then a strong war effort, immediate abolition, then a negotiated settlement with the South. Always enthusiastic, there was hardly any fad or ‘reform’ that he did not advocate at one time of another. (He was for, then against, women’s suffrage.) He supported Reconstruction but signed Jefferson Davis’s bail bond. Breaking with the Republican Party, he was nominated for president in 1872 on a fusion ticket with Democrats, lost badly to Grant, and died a month later. He is perhaps best remembered for “Go West, young man,” a phrase he denied coining. (It probably originated with John B. L. Soule, an Indiana publisher.) 6th Avenue ElOn the right side of the Shorpy photo is the 33rd Street station of the long-vanished 6th Avenue Elevated. The building is the Union Dime Savings Bank, also vanished (though it outlasted the El by 20 years). In center of the image below, you are looking straight down the sidewalk in the 1903 photo. No, thank you, I already have oneI notice our dapper pedestrian in his bowler (derby?) isn't being petitioned to purchase a newspaper from any of the several vendors around him, no doubt because he is already carrying a newspaper. Reminds me of men or women who wear wedding rings when they're not married. Old Style HumorDad (1919-1997) was a mixture of Jackie Gleason, Danny Thomas, Red Skelton, and Spike Jones. One of his many quips that he would shout out as he did household chores was: Extra! Extra! Read all about it! 20,000 soles found dead in a shoe factory! The New Coke!Prevents baldness and clear thinking. Later known as Herald SquareThat's the Sixth Avenue El in the photograph. 1903 places during the period when electrification of the line was new and the first subway was under construction. Today (from a different angle), courtesy of Wikimedia: The ShiningSmall detail; But every adult in the picture appears to have a shine on their shoes. Even the guy sitting on the right holding a stick, his shoes are a little rougher than the others, but there is still evidence of a shoeshine on the tip of the toes. Constitution wrecked?The headline about the Mount Blanc Avalanche is interesting. I wonder if they're referring to the ship Old Ironsides or some piece of legislation the paper believes wrecks our country's most precious document. I'll vote for the USS Constitution as in 1903, Charles Francis Adams III, descendant of two US Presidents and in his role as president of the Massachusetts Historical Society at the time, requested Congress rehabilitate Old Ironsides and place her in active service. That would happen 22 years later when her restoration began. [The Constitution was a racing yacht. - Dave] The Constitution was a Train WreckThe Constitution was a contender to defend the 1903 America's Cup. She lost to the 1899 winner Columbia, principally owing to the ineptitude of her crew. Columbia went on to beat Sir Thomas Lipton's Shamrock II in the 1903 Cup. The Frank SlideCanada's deadliest avalanche, known as the Frank Slide, occurred at the end of April, 1903. I wonder if that warranted a headline? [As noted below, the headline is about an avalanche on Mont Blanc in the Alps. - Dave] If I thought the Frank Slide was the subject of the headline pictured, I wouldn't have wondered if it warranted a headline of its own. Still loving my daily Shorpy time travel. (The Gallery, DPC, Kids, NYC, Railroads)
Beet Train: 1943
... ...I see all sorts of emotions and attitudes in this train car packed with hard-working men, all in the prime of life. (Be sure to ... for the photographer who stole this moment on a crowded train 55 years ago, and disdain for the invasion of his scrap of privacy? ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/11/2008 - 11:18am -

May 1943. More Mexican sugar-beet pickers headed north. "Mexican workers recruited and brought to the Arkansas valley, Colorado, Nebraska and Minnesota by the FSA to harvest sugar beets." View full size. Office of War Information. Shiny Happy PeopleSure are a cheerful bunch. Must be thinking about the good things to come. Happy, Yes --- But......I see all sorts of emotions and attitudes in this train car packed with hard-working men, all in the prime of life. (Be sure to "View full size," because there's a lot to see here.) The magnificent smile on the older man in the lower left corner somehow reminds me of my father, though the two have no resemblance other than a palpable love of life. By contrast, the younger man in the right front corner looks wistful and distant. Perhaps he's thinking of the young wife and infant he left behind in some dusty village to come north and follow the harvest ... missing his family as though his heart was torn. My gaze comes back again and again to the man in the bib overalls at slightly left of center, with his arms and legs crossed, gazing straight into the lens. His is a frank look of...what? Defiance for the photographer who stole this moment on a crowded train 55 years ago, and disdain for the invasion of his scrap of privacy? Boredom? Fatigue? Annoyance at a nap interrupted? We can never know, of course ... but that's not a smile. The seventh man from the front on the right looks frightened, though he may simply have been startled by the flash. The seventeenth man from the front on the right --- sitting on the aisle much of the way back, in a light-colored checked shirt, hatless, his handsome face impassive, could almost be Emilio Zapata (though he'd need a much thicker moustache). He has enough dignity and bearing for the entire car. I'm a hard-rock Republican and a firm opponent of illegal immigration --- and only illegal immigration. That said, all of these men look like they'd make good neighbors --- and some of their descendants may well be just that. A favorite of mine is the earnest-looking gent at farthest right in the foreground, with an honest, closed mouth-grin, a thin, perfectly groomed moustache, an impeccable white shirt beneath his jacket and what appears to be a fisherman's cap, seldom seen in the beet fields. I've seen that face in old newsreels and Ellis Island photos a thousand times. His smile makes me smile. God bless them all, here or in the hereafter! (The Gallery, Railroads, WW2)
The Lonely City: 1940
... there but after several modifications. Two Elevated Train Lines for the Price of One The four tracks in the foreground belong to ... The Sixth Avenue tracks were demolished after the end of train service in 1938; the Ninth Avenue tracks we see here were torn down in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/26/2022 - 12:00pm -

September 7, 1940. New York. "Greenwich Street Study (plot plan). Looking south along west side of Greenwich Street toward Battery over elevated structure (demolished Fall)." 5x7 inch acetate negative by Stanley P. Mixon for the Historic American Buildings Survey. View full size. Four-playManhattan was bisected --quadrasected? quintisected? -- by a quartet of elevated lines that originated at South Ferry (house) and ran north; the lines were consolidated in the downtown area (Second and Third Avenues on the east, Sixth and Ninth Aves -- shown here -- on the west). As indicated, most of the system was dismantled on the eve of WWII, the scrap metal being shipped to ... Japan! But the Third Avenue El survived until 1955, and the Bronx portion two decades beyond that. Most of the larger buildings here still survive, as does New York Bay (though the water has been changed a number of times since this picture). Still thereThis building is still there but after several modifications. Two Elevated Train Lines for the Price of OneThe four tracks in the foreground belong to the Ninth Avenue El, which opened its first stretch in 1868; eventually it extended all the way to 155th Street in northern Manhattan, adjacent to the Polo Grounds. The two tracks in the background, which curve to the left and then come to abrupt halt, mark the already demolished junction with the Sixth Avenue El, first opened in 1878 and extending to a terminal at 58th Street, just one block south of Central Park. The Sixth Avenue tracks were demolished after the end of train service in 1938; the Ninth Avenue tracks we see here were torn down in 1940, not long after this photograph was taken. Both lines originally continued south (towards the top of the photo) to their southern terminus at South Ferry. It still has a lonely feelBased on maxvar confirming the building on the right, here is the Street View today. I'm thinking the building on the left in 1940 is the building on the left below, with the tall arch. On the right is the Manhattan end of the Hugh L. Carey tunnel, an almost two-mile tunnel under Battery Park and the East River, the other end emerging Brooklyn. Submitted for your approvalDave's title made me think of Edward Hopper. So, I went looking for closer up examples of what I think was Hopper's kind of work. Attachment 1 Attachment 2 Attachment 3 (The Gallery, HABS, NYC, Railroads)
A's 8, Giants 2: 1913
... "Bass Ale" was sold in the states as early as 1913! Train Yards The trains seen in this photo are in a layup yard behind left ... Polo Grounds Shuttle There was a NYC Subway shuttle train that ran from 167th Street and Jerome Avenue to 155th Street and 8th Ave ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 5:30pm -

October 9, 1913. The scene at the Polo Grounds in New York after the third game of the World Series. Philadelphia Athletics 8, New York Giants 2. View full size. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. Polo Grounds RailroadThat should be the Ninth Avenue Elevated line... http://www.nycsubway.org/lines/9thave-el.html Ow"Green River, The Whiskey Without a Headache" -- say, where do I get some of that? 'Cause the whiskey I'm drinking contains several headaches in every bottle. Railroad in backgoundDoes anybody know anything about the railroad that can be seen behind the left field wall? Its the 9th Avenue Elevated LineThe polo ground shuttle was merely the cut down remnant of the 9th Avenue Elevated line which had a station at the Polo Grounds as shown in this photo which shows the station with the stadium at the left... http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?47747 PS: It's interesting to see that one of my favorite brews "Bass Ale" was sold in the states as early as 1913! Train YardsThe trains seen in this photo are in a layup yard behind left field in the Polo Grounds. These trains were assigned to the 6th and 9th Ave els and were used during rush hours when more trains were required to handle the increased need. Polo Grounds ShuttleThere was a NYC Subway shuttle train that ran from 167th Street and Jerome Avenue to 155th Street and 8th Ave (the Polo Grounds stop). That could be the station in the picture. I believe it also went from 161st Street and River Avenue as well. Service was discontinued in 1958, about a year after the Giants moved to San Francisco. When the line was running it moved people from the Bronx or those who came uptown on the IND subway to the games. In another picture, it shows fans walking across the field. They were heading to the exits and the buses and trains. It was a great experience, today the security people won't let you anywhere near the turf. Polo Grounds ShuttleYes, the "Polo Grounds Shuttle" was the last functioning piece of the Ninth Avenue El. Same railway! Exiting the BleachersIf I remember correctly, there were staircases that led from the bleachers to the ground floor and you went out of the park, passing the turnstiles. The bleachers were behind the outfield, separated by the clubhouse (locker rooms etc) with 2 long staircases, one from the visitors side and the one on the right from the Giants side. The players entered the field from there. The distance from home plate to those bleachers was 505 feet, the only player I know of that hit one out was Richy Ashburn of the Phillies. Willie Mays patrolled center and caught just about anything that was hit there. The bullpens were also out there and when a pitcher was taken out, the walk to the mound seemed to take forever, and then he took the ball from the guy he was replacing and he had to walk back to the showers. At the end of their reign the Giants started using cars to transport them. Mel & RichieMel Ott is a New Orleans hometown hero. Yes, sadly he is not given enough ink. Richie Ashburn of the Phillies swung an extra heavy bat for a lead-off batter. That big bat helped him hit some very long balls. Speaking of Mel OttSpeaking of Mel Ott, he was one of my favorite players from the All-Time All-Star dice baseball game I had as an early teen, and is one of the greatest mostly-forgotten stars of the 20th century (I'd put Stan Musial first in that category). Ott has the distinction of having among the third most severe home/road power discrepancies -- 63% of his dingers came at home (Home Run Handbook via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Ott ). The Polo Grounds helped Babe Ruth in his two greatest seasons of 1920 and 1921 too, as he perfected pulling balls right down that short right field line. Oh, the outfield wasn't completely doubled-decked. I envy Mr. Mel for having actually been to one of the classic old ballparks -- he has memories of Coogan's Bluff, I've got Arlington Stadium and the Astrodome. Polo Grounds cont'dI stand corrected, it wasn't Richy Asburn who hit the homer into the bleachers but Joe Adcock of the Milwaukee Braves in 1953. Hank Aaron also did it later. Outfield bleachersIt looks like the only way to get out of the outfield bleachers is to climb over the wall and drop down onto the field. re: Exiting the bleachersMr. Mel's memories are of the Polo Grounds following its 1923 reconfiguration when the entire outfield was double-decked. In 1911-1922 center field was "only" 433 feet from home plate. After expansion that weird notch in center field placed the clubhouse steps 483 feet from the plate. The 505-foot figure may have been to the scoreboard above the clubhouse. http://www.andrewclem.com/Baseball/PoloGrounds.html has diagrams of the original (well, this was actually the FIFTH Polo Grounds!) and expanded configurations. Amazing that someone such as Richie Ashburn, with only 29 career home runs, could hit a ball out of his back yard, much less a major league stadium. Polo GroundsMy memories the stadium don't go back to a previous life. Two things I remember are the "505 feet" sign on the front of the single decked bleacher section and the "257 feet" sign high on the right-field wall. I saw my first baseball game there in 1943 or 44 and Mel Ott, my hero and namesake, popped one over that wall for a home run. That shot would have been a medium long foul ball in just about any other ballpark. A's won it all, right?Wasn't this the series where the upstart A's shocked the heavy favored Giants? There's an interesting story by Christy Mathewson about why the Giants lost that World Series. Into the BleachersSo did Lou Brock, then playing for the Cubs. I've also read that Luke Easter of the Old Negro Leagues did it, too. Arlington Stadium?Scribe 9999, Do you have a Kodachrome of Old Arlington Stadium? Or just the memories? I have several collages of Arlington Stadium that are really neat. I am trying to find different pictures of Arlington Stadium pre-1984 before the wrap-around scoreboard was added. Also, any wide shots of stadium before the Upper Deck/Plaza was added before the 1972 season and any pics with the old Texas Shaped scoreboard. You can shoot me an E-mail at buckynance@hotmail.com Thanks, Bucky Polo Grounds If I'm not mistaken Aaron never did it. If my memory serves me well the 3 people who hit it in the bleachers were Adcock, Orlando Cepeda and Lou Brock of all people! Hank AaronI found this by Googling Baseball Almanac Four sluggers have put a ball over the center field wall in the Polo Grounds (Version IV). Those sluggers are Luke Easter of the Negro Leagues in 1948; Joe Adcock on April 29, 1953; Lou Brock on June 17, 1962; and Hank Aaron on June 18, 1962. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC, Sports)
Ride This Train: 1968
... The man in black In black and white. "I hear that train a coming...." Great pic, Dave. (The Gallery, LOOK, Music, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/12/2014 - 10:56pm -

Johnny Cash in 1968, near the Arkansas farm where he grew up. Going to Memphis, no doubt. From photos by Joel Baldwin for the Look magazine assignment "The Restless Ballad of Johnny Cash." View full size. I've never understoodwhy someone who "shot a man in Reno" would be doing time in a California state prison. Gritty is rightIt's so perfect that I almost can't believe Johnny never used this photo as an album cover. Maybe he and his producers weren't even aware of it? Hard lifeJohn looks old beyond his years considering he was in his mid thirties. Great Pic! GrittyThis would have made an excellent album cover. The man in blackIn black and white. "I hear that train a coming...." Great pic, Dave. (The Gallery, LOOK, Music, Railroads)
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