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I just got this real photo postcard of
Class A No. 23 looking very new and clean, You
can clearly see the way the different courses of
the boiler are finished. Check out the stars on
the driver centers. No wonder the engineer and
fireman (which is who I presume we see here)
look proud.
My guess from the hoppers in the
background and the rooflines behind them is that
this is at AV? What do you think? Let’s
see if anyone can identify the crewmen. |
| Here is an interesting and very sharp image of Class E No. 227 switching a combination car at Ellenville on June 30, 1938. Many yard images are of freight moves, so the photos of passenger equipment being switched are often quite rare. It was a common practice of the O&W, on the branches where there was any appreciable package or express business left to handle, for a train to leave an empty baggage or combination car parked by the freight house or the baggage room on a house track. . . then to be loaded and picked up on some day following by another train. Photo and Caption Courtesy of Mal Houck. After Mal sent me this photo Doug Barberio contacted me and said he had another shot (see below)taken on the same day. Photo courtesy of Doug Barberio. |
Do you recognize anyone in this photo? You should, as all of these guys
are responsible for bringing the O&WRHS to the level that it is today.
Starting left to right is John Pavelchak, Carl
Ohlson, George Shammas, Al Seebach and
John Bifano.
This is how it should really look!
O&W Hose Company at the scene of a a Pharmacy fire in Norwich, 1904. Barry Abisch Collection.
O&W Fire Brigade posing as a group for an official photo. George S. Shammas collection.
From Pete McGourty: "My Great Grandfather Joseph Barnes. He is sitting behind the "W" on the parade banner, with the cocked hat."
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This is
from a Real Postcard I purchased at a shop in Kingston. The notation on the
reverse purports that it was taken at Kingston, ca. 1924. I have no idea whether
or not this is accurate, but so far as the Sykes Seagull was purchased by the
O&W (as reported in the Annual Report for 1924 at a cost of $22,449.51) that
information may be the origin of the date inscription on this card.
Mal Houck
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The latest addition to Hot Shots shows a train that appears to be pulled by Y-2 Heavy Mountain 453. I just noticed at the very right of that photo, what appears to be a section shanty, with a wooden deck walkway to meet the rails. I now know where this photo was taken. I have a real photo of this shanty made by the operator. This location was known as "G" in telegraph call letters.
Supporting Photos
Item 1
Item2
This perspective shot of the AV station platform, most likely
post-abandonment, was sent to us by Society President,
Haven Depot Part II This is
the other side of the coin re the question of the Haven depot.
Here is the view from the other side of the tracks, without the
train in place. This real photo postcard, postmarked at Haven NY
on what looks like June 14, 1912 (and the month is the only part
of the postmark that is questionable) you can see the answer to
the question of was there a structure and if so what was it. It
is a small shed (looks like Allen could do it at the O&W
Carshop) with a stovepipe out the roof, one side window to the
road and a patch of dirt between the building and the track.
Looks like something to hold coal against the back of the
building.
The photo below was previously posted in
Hot Shots and according to Steve was most likely taken the same
day by the same photographer.
Photo and caption courtesy of Steve Swirsky.
This
amazing real photo view
shows Engine
16, a parlor car, coach and combine leaving the station at Haven. Haven
was between Wurtsboro and Westbrookville on the Port Jervis Branch. The
list of stations on the website lists Haven as a flag stop, same as
Westbrookville, however I know that Westbrookville had a structure.
My question is whether there
was ever a station at Haven?
The card
has a 1907 Haven postmark, so I know there had to be a post office.
What
is on the other side of the track behind the passenger cars?
Photo and caption courtesy of Steve Swirsky.
There were actually two glass plates we scanned of RF Tower. Here is the
second one which was taken closer to the tower, standing on the
northbound track.
MS (Main Street) Tower is
located at Railroad Ave. This was a 28 lever mechanical interlocking
that controlled nine switches along with various signals. This
permitted the Erie to use trackage rights on O&W for 3.5 miles to RF
tower at Crawford Jct. in order to access their Pine Bush
branch. In addition, this permitted the Erie, O&W and the M&U to
interchange with each other via the long crossover switch. This
switch for the long crossover is in view in the lower left of this
photograph connecting to the O&W southbound main line. By
1932 both MS tower and RF tower were replaced by dwarf signals but
the operations essentially remained the same. They would call the
O&W dispatcher in AV depot from the M&U/ M&NJ to gain access to the
O&W main line. The Erie by this time was running only a motor car to
Pine Bush that soon would end leaving only milk and local freight to
traverse this route for the remaining time of the O&W's existence.
This tower's telegraph call letter is not to be confused with the
Erie's MS Tower that was located at Middletown Summit on the Erie
main line. Caption by Doug Barberio, - Scan and editing by Ron
Vassallo - O&WRHS Glass Plate Negative Collection.
Colorized version by Paul Lubliner
This
amazing real photo view
shows Engine
16, a parlor car, coach and combine leaving the station at Haven.
Haven was between Wurtsboro and Westbrookville on the Port Jervis
Branch. The list of stations on the website lists Haven as a flag
stop, same as Westbrookville, however I know that Westbrookville had
a structure.
My question is whether
there was ever a station at Haven?
The
card has a 1907 Haven postmark, so I know there had to be a post
office.
What
is on the other side of the track behind the passenger cars?
Photo and caption courtesy of Steve Swirsky.
Once again the Photo of the month goes
to Steve Swirsky and this excellent photo of the Middletown Coal Yards.
Steve Swirsky Collection.
O&WRHS Member
Steve Swirsky sent us this Charles Ketcham photo of the "NYO&W R.R." Fire
Department during a Fire Parade in MIddletown. In his e-mail he notes,
"The date may
be around 1912 as the 48 star flag was adopted July 4, 1912. "
If you look
closely at the banner
in the
distance it says "Ontario Hose Company - Liberty. There is one other
photo I know of showing the NYO&W Fire Department and that is the one in the
Middletown Observer showing the Ontario Hose Company No. 5. Is this banner
for the same company or was there another company with a similar name from
Liberty joining the parade? Were
there any
broadsides or special tickets for this event showing the date?
When was Old Home Week held as noted in the writing?
Aside
from posing many questions, I think this photo tells us a great deal about
the citizenry of Middletown and it's history. They were obviously very
proud of their "bravest" and it is reflected by the throng of men and women
gathered to pay tribute and show their appreciation.
P.S. - Where can I get one of those
cool hats?!
The Summitville NY (SV)
pump house is clearly seen in the lower right hand corner of the image.
The pump house was a pretty good size.........measuring 16' X 16' and
enclosing an 18 h.p. Ames boiler to power a Worthington pump. From the
data I have, the water was pumped from a spring and the well sump was
only about 6' deep! In the image you can see both a Northbound on
the Main, and a Southbound heading down the line to Valley
Junction. As in the photo caption in the Observer, you can also
see a mail crane still in place for "catches" on the Southbound
track. Mal Houck -
Large Format
This priceless shot overlooking
Weehawken is from the George Conrad collection (he was a very prolific rail
photographer, mostly of the NYC area) and was donated by Frank Florianz.
George Shammas. Note the signage above the windows.
