Class Y going south into Campbell Hall over bridge #40. Ray Kelly Collection.
Here, northbound on the West Shore at West Englewood Depot ( Teaneck NJ ), is a late image of the Ontario Express showing the very minimal consist typical of what had become of the once bountiful O&W passenger traffic. A single F-3 with a heating tender, in this cold weather shot, heads up BE car (albeit a steel OB car, but demonstrating at this late date that the O&W Express business still had some currency) and the single AC&F coach-observation car as all that is needed for few paying customers who elected to be “Ridin’ the Rails” at this late date. Caption by Mal Houck.
These Cornwall photos were sent to us by O&WRHS Member Mike Ciarimboli.
They were so good that they both were included for photo of the Month.
This aerial photo of the Firthcliff station grounds and the Firth Carpet Company facilities appeared in an ad in the 1959 Hudson Valley Progress Edition of the Newburgh Evening News. Firth Carpet had a good presence in the Newburgh Area until the 1960’s with a second smaller facility at 311 First Street. I suspect that the First Street location was either a retail or finishing/shipping location. Caption and photo by Mike Ciarimboli.
Scan of photo taken from a glass plate negative showing the Little Falls Trestle under construction perhaps around the late 1890’s. Donated by James Ruef.
This photo came from a glass plate negative in the O&WRHS Archives. Taken in Mamakating it shows the old RT. 17 underpass also known as “Danger Arch”, and the O&W Mainline. This stretch of RT. which is shown heading down and around “Hairpin Curve” was the scene for many an accident. If you were traveling on the O&W you would have just come through the Highview Tunnel which is about a 1/4 mile to your left. The Mamakating depot was a short distance to the right.
John Stellwagen captured NW-2 112 at Wisner Ave. on the saddest day in O&W history, March 29, 1957.
It’s July 27th 1946, Jim Speer is taking photographs along the New York Central’s West Shore Division. At Tappan, NY Jim catches the Tappan Local’s locomotive number 4513 as it is being turned for the return trip to Weehawken, NJ. The locomotive is supplying compressed air to operate the pneumatic motor allowing this 70′ turntable to be turned with ease. The NYC had 20 of these K-11b class 4-6-2 locomotives built by Alco in 1912. This K-11b’s original number was 3113 and became 4513 in 1936. By the time of this photo there were only 15 of this class still in service and their numbers would dwindle with the last engines being scrapped in 1952. Note the garage to the right of the locomotive’s pilot. (see below)Beginning in 1959 this was the residence of a very young Allan Seebach who grew up with the New York Central’s West Shore Division as his playground. Caption and photos courtesy of Allan Seebach.
Interior of O&W combine, note the “Spitting Prohibited”… sign, can you make out all the words? Courtesy of Jack Farrell.
I thought that the “pose” of the two Class V 2-6-0’s on the North Yard lead at SV, in the current “Photo of the Month” looked familiar. I ran through some images I had and came with a “Close up” of the engines….the same two. . . .closer and from a slightly different angle. Evidently one of the two fellows out that day walked up closer to get a better photo. The angle is different so’s that the pole doesn’t bisect the tender……and that cuts out the farmhouse on the far right of the image.
As I suspected, a closer look at this engine (No. 273, at least) has it all open and with flagstaffs in the flag holders. . . .strongly suggesting that it’s not tied up for the weekend, but standing to the ready for a pusher assignment up to Mamakating Tower.
It looks to be on the lead to the ash track………..which’s the far outside track on the west side of the Kingston Branch ROW.
It always seems that for one O&W image………..somewhere, someplace there’s always another……same time………..same place………..
Mal Houck
As is often the case, any photo deserves a second look. When I sent you the “close up” image of No. 273 on the ash track at SV North Yards, I surmised that (because it was all open and with flag staffs in place) that it was awaiting a pusher assignment. However, once you posted it I looked and compared the two photos: — the Jack Farrell image and mine, and I conclude that perhaps even something else is going on.
In the original image from far away, it seems that there’s just ever so slightly a hint of steam or smoke from the lead engine heading into the ash track, indicating that at least the lead engine is under steam and moving. Also, No. 273 is posed with “rods up.”
To compare, the “close up” image I sent shows No. 273 with “Rods down” suggesting that it’s been moved between the time it was first seen (original image) and then captured in the close up. The relationship and positioning of the engine-tender of No. 273 seems to have changed more that just another angle of subject to photographer implies; — all to point even more that the engines have been moved between photographs.
Instead of No. 273 being ready to run out on a pusher assignment, it seems as likely that whereas the two engines are coupled together tender to tender, No. 273 may be suffering some mechanical difficulty and is being pulled into the “clear.” The ash track at Summitville North yard is (was) double ended, so that the lead engine in our images could easily uncouple and then run clear. The east west leg of the wye is up ahead, so direction could be changed by a run around on the wye track……….all to make one wonder even more about what was (is) going on in the sequence of these two photos.
As I suggested earlier, not only is there often more than one single image at any one time, but there can also be a “temporal” — time related sequence to a pair of images or more! It’s all quite interesting to see that not only are photos static posed images, but also can be a record of movement and activity.
Mal Houck
This photo is literally a “hot shot” as you can see the smoke from the clam pit, can’t you smell them? From what Jeff Otto tells me most of this picnics usually took place in locations such as Livingston Manor but the writing on this photo says, “Conductors Clambake, Middletown NY”. Walt Kierzkowski Collection.
Special Thanks to Paul Straney for this submission from his collection.
This photo is of an offload at the Firth Carpet Factory and was sent to us by Robert McCue from his family photo album.
A view of the same area with a Middletown and Crawford train heading west to Pine Bush circa the late 1960s or early 1970s. The Erie purchased the O&W’s long crossover and main line to Crawford Jct. to maintain service on the Pine Bush branch. The switch timbers to the left of the rails help to approximate the location of long crossover switch location. To the left of the caboose was the former location for MS Tower. Ray Brown Photograph – Doug Barberio Collection
Sailors get ready to board a troop train at Hamilton on September 4, 1945. These are NYO&W steel cars just back from service on the Atlantic Coastal Line. Walt Kierzkowski Collection.
Hopper cars burned to their frames after a fire at Walton in January of 1913. Steve Swirsky Collection.
Camp extra 226 south at AV Sept 2 1940.
Camp extra 246 at Summitville Aug 31, 1939. Walter Kierzkowski Collection.
Camp extras at Monticello August 29, 1941.
Special Thanks to Walt Kierzkowski for sharing these photos from his extensive collection.
Harry Zannie (an old O&W railfanning pal of Hal Carstens) snapped this photo at Dumont, NJ.
Oil train photo taken at “Pines”. Pines was a siding on the NYO&W which held 13 cars. Milk cars picked up at Pines were marked “100” Pine’s.
Pines was between Beerston and Walton NY. (MP 177.35 – Elevation 1,206 ft. Caption and Photo courtesy of Walt Kierzkowski.
O&W # 402 Westbound on the West Shore in Orangeburg NY in 1947. Taken by O&WRHS Member Harold Fredericks from the roof of the Orangeburg Manufacturing Company.