N&W "J" in Rensselaer?

[03 1008]

The German website www.eisenbahnstiftung.de shows a photo by George W. Hockaday of a N&W "J":

http://www.eisenbahnstiftung.de/images/bildergalerie/16371.jpg

Date is given as May 1956, location: Rensselaer (Albany) NY which I find highly improbable. Does anybody recognize the place?

[BigJim]

With the N&W signal laying on the ground in the lower left corner, it must be on the N&W somewhere. My first guess would be Lynchburg, Va, The area down around Lynchburg's old Union Station, with its bridges crossing the James River, looks very much like this, but, I can't be certain. A second, wilder, guess would be somewhere in the Cincinnati area which I am totally unfamiliar with. There doesn't seem to be enough of the name on the ice & cold storage sign to identify the corp. and I can't read the sign on the hill above.

[Deggesty]

Could it be just south of the Kemper St. station? But, is not this location on the Southern, and not the N&W?

[[e-mail]]

I can tell you it is definetly not In Rensselaer, New York (across the river (Hudson) from Albany, NY). You can see an NW style "position light" signal to the left of the engine, near the overhead bridge. The NYC used "color light/searchlight" type signals.

Nice picture though.  

[BigJim]

Go here; http://www.retroweb.com/lynchburg/rails.html  

On the left hand side, Click on "Union Station". Then scroll down to "Last Train leaves Lynchburg Union Station - December 30, 1964". This view is looking in the opposite direction, however, I think you will see that the bridges match.
Click on "Old N&W Main Line". Then scroll down to "Union Station Area-View East From 6th St. Bridge". This is a pre-concrete bridge photo showing the hillside in background and siding track to the very right.

[Deggesty]

Thanks, BigJim. That clears it up.

Two more matters in Lynchburg. 1. Am I right that the N&W train crews, as well as the engine crews ran through Roanoke-Monroe? 2. In one of the pictures of the Kemper St. station, it is stated that the train is Southern #135. It must be #35, since #'s 135 and 136 were cut off in 1953.

[BigJim]

Deggesty

Am I right that the N&W train crews, as well as the engine crews ran through Roanoke-Monroe?

That is correct.