http://govislandblog.com/2014/06/18/governors-island-archives-unearthed
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Johnny
http://www.trainweb.org/bedt/milrr/girr.html
The same.
That certainly looks like an old arch-bar truck, possibly 19th Century vintage, I don't think they were built in the 20th Century, or if they were, not for long.
100-plus years old, at least.
It shouldn't seem so unusual -- once a person recognizes that there was no other practical way to move freight, particularly heavier items, over even short distances until the emergence and adaptation of the internal combustion engine and all-weather paving.
Technology -- like everything else, adapts to the forces of supply and demand -- often given a "push" in one direction or another by partnering with the state (meaning government at any level) which holds a monopoly on the power to enforce its decisions. And that can lead to some unusual "hardware", particularly in places like great cities and harbors where the concentration of population encourages it.
Firelock76 That certainly looks like an old arch-bar truck, possibly 19th Century vintage, I don't think they were built in the 20th Century, or if they were, not for long. 100-plus years old, at least.
Arch bars were failrly commn until the mid-1930s, and survived on non-interchange equipment a lot longer (they were banned from interchange in 1937). I remember arch-bars in service on Soo Line cabooses until 1970 at least. Around 1980 Western Pacific borrowed Nevada Northern's steam wrecker and returned it with roller bearings in the arch bar truck frames.
Arch bars probably made up the majority of freight car trucks during WW I. There were also "upgrade kits" like Andrews trucks that put a cast frame on top of the same journals. Andrews and similar upgrades were banned from interchange in 1938.
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Thanks rcdrye and Henry6! As an old friend of mine once said it's a wasted day if you don't learn something new. I didn't think arch-bar trucks stayed around for so ong, for various reasons.
Reminds me of an article I read several years ago of an agricultural railroad in florida that was using gondolas that still had friction bearing trucks. Needless to say, not for interchange.
Archbar trucks were made new at least to the end of World War I, and were so simple to repair that new parts were probably made until they were no longer legal or serviceable. The only cast parts were the journal boxes, and sometimes (but not always) the bolsters and spring planks. Cast designs were widespread by 1910, including the Bettendorf, Barber and other designs. Andrews and some other designs allowed the re-use of arch-bar journals with a cast frame. There were also some stamped steel designs like the Fox.
Once the ICC banned them from interchange, arch-bars were reduced to use on captive equipment like cabooses, tenders and MOW equipment. They were still easy to repair, so some saw long service lives. A notable late user was the D&RGW, on narrow-gauge equipment.
Cast wheels, both of chilled iron and steel, were made as early as the 1880s. I'm not sure of the exact date, but iron wheels were banned from interchange before 1960.
Good group here, fella's....a few remarks:
Why the railroad stuff on Governor's Isle? Too move artillery shells from delivering ships to a magazine to the weapons? Why?
There's a working freight yard populated by I guess maybe 40 cars riding on about a half dozen, maybe more, different designs of early 20th century freight car trucks? They,ve got to be seen, a time capsule...but they're in a museum appropriately; Go to the yard in Ely of the Nevada Northern. Likely you'll be inspired to join and support the NNRy.
Hiring out on SP's Coast Div in engine service Spring of 1960, I joined a club of men, no women, that worked individually, but B.S.'d mutually given an opportunity, about happenings, not history. This is about wheels....a pair of trains ran overnight SF to LA and LA to SF, 20 or so specially painted box cars and cabooses....Daylight engines....hot, hot, hot!
When I hired out the pair of trains had evolved into Piggyback trains, overnight schedules, First Class trains. They were the "Zippers"
But their predecessors, they were, seemed to be named, said those who worked them, the "Steel Wheels," 'cause iron wheels.....high speed and heavy braking and iron wheels?
Not.
Excerpt from The Sentinel Isle
"The early years of the twentieth century saw many changes on Governors Island. The garrison troops had already been transferred from Artillery to Infantry and in 1901, work was begun on the addition of made land to the west and south of the Island. Bay Road, now extending between South Battery (The Officers' Club) and Castle Williams, marks the former south shore line. A new sea wall was constructed out in the bay and the intervening space was gradually built up with dirt and stone from the excavation for the Fourth Avenue Subway, then under construction. By 1912, 102 acres had been added to the Island at a cost of more than $1,000,000."
https://archive.org/details/sentinelislebrie00bogg
Excerpt from Governors Island Its Military History Under Three Flags 1637-1922
"Congress declared a State of War against Germany on April 6th, 1917, Good Friday, at 3:12 a.m. The Battalion of the 22nd U. S. Infantry stationed here was by order of Colonel John C. F. Tillson held in readiness, and at 3.30 a. m., less than one half hour after the declaration, it embarked on boats of the Revenue Service and before noon all the German ships in the Harbour had been seized and their crews interned on Ellis Island. This was the beginning of a period of intense activity by the Line and Staff on Governors Island. Troops arrived here from all parts of the Country en route to France. Camps were erected for their accommodation during the summer of 1917 which were occupied till the Spring of 1918, when cantonments were completed. Buildings were hastily constructed for the use of the Quartermaster Corps, Ordnance, Intelligence and War Risk Insurance and other Departments and large numbers of officers were added to the complement on duty.
"The most extensive were the buildings of the Warehousing Department of the Quartermaster Corps. These were erected upon the Extension of 102 acres fortunately available for this purpose and before the end of hostilities was in sight the Extension was a complete war plant comprising two miles of water front, five miles of automobile road, eight miles of railroad with cars and engines marked "Governors Island R.R.," twin car ferry bridges, and over 70 buildings, iron warehouses with covered floor space of more than one and a third million square feet, with a stock on hand valued at $75,000,000, and a daily shipment of over $1,000,000."
https://archive.org/details/governorsislandi00smit_0
Photo from Northeast Railfan
Before they built the warehouses and the railroad they had a little airport on Governors Island.
Back in the early 60's I contacted the Commanding Officer of the unit on Governors Island for permission to take some photographs there, You could get some great photos of the NYC skyline from there. I was granted permission after being screened, but was also ESCORTED during my visit.
One thing to note about Governor's Island - the use of carfloats to service a yard in and around New York was completely normal practice at the time the warehouses were built. This was not only useful for getting "stuff" to Governor's Island, but also made getting it on ships easier. Cars could be loaded at the warehouses and lashed to "station floats" with a center platform, from which ships could load directly. This was common practice until the mid-1950s and lasted into at least the 1960s.
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