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What's To See In A Photograph? Discussion:

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Posted by BRAKIE on Sunday, May 31, 2020 8:41 AM

dehusman

I photo 5 the center of attention is the "Davey Crockett" person in the center wearing the coonskin cap.  You can see a gaggle of teen, pre-teen boys focused on him.

 

More the out rage is those wearing ball caps at a public gathering. It was considered improper for a man to go out in public with out a Fedora hat. I remember my Aunt giving my uncle what for and down the road because he went to a hobby shop without wearing a hat!  He was into building model cars.

 

Larry

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"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt  Safety First!"

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Posted by PC101 on Saturday, May 30, 2020 10:34 PM

rrinker
 
PC101

In photo #1, lower left corner, the boy walking away from the camara, hat, over coat with a dark collar and sneakers, arms kinda up in front of him, (hands together ?).

In photo #2, the boy closest to and walking towards the photographer, same dress and hands together.

Now where is that lady with the big suitcase?  

 

 

 

 Right in the middle, walking away from the camera, next to the receeding hairline guy with the camera bag on the ground who is looking back at the camera.

                                    --Randy

 

 

Yes Randy I goofed. I was trying to find the lady in the other photo. I had the wrong numbers with the photos and that ''find em'' sentence was not with the correct photo. Now I'm looking at a tall man (and surrounding folks) at the top of the stairs to the loco on the flat car. I am trying to match him to a tall man (and surrounding folks) halfway up the same stairs. Which would tell which photo may have been taked first.  

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Posted by Track fiddler on Saturday, May 30, 2020 10:22 PM

I loved Daniel Boone with his friend Mingo back when I was a very young kid.

I would have to say I had some Hero's in that series back then.  And I did know Daniel Boone was Fess Parker. 

There's a coonskin cap out in my buddy Erv's garage in Prior Lake.  At different times either one of us put it on and the other one of us always laughs.

 

 

TF

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Posted by Little Timmy on Saturday, May 30, 2020 8:24 PM

gmpullman
The question posed to me was regarding the device hanging just below the jacking pad above the front truck.

Look's like a re-rail  frog to me.

Rust...... It's a good thing !

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Posted by Overmod on Saturday, May 30, 2020 3:10 PM

dknelson
the Milwaukee Road rib-sided (not waffle sided) boxcars date back to the pre WWII era

You'd sure think I could have figured this out from the three separate sets of clues in the picture... and no, I can't blame it on the phone this time.

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Posted by dknelson on Saturday, May 30, 2020 11:28 AM

the Milwaukee Road rib-sided (not waffle sided) boxcars date back to the pre WWII era.  

I can say that in the mid 1950s it was the rare kid who either did not have a coon skin cap or didn't want one.  Fess Parker was our hero on TV.

I notice a number of dignitaries in the photo wearing very old fashioned top hats, sort of Civil War era.  I assume perhaps a civic celebration combined with railroad celebration?  It was obviously chllly out based on the caps and hats and leather jackets.  

Dave Nelson

 

 

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Posted by BigDaddy on Saturday, May 30, 2020 9:38 AM

Henry

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Posted by Overmod on Saturday, May 30, 2020 9:04 AM

Someone date that waffle-side boxcar with 'Route of the' ... I can't figure out either the road name or what it's the route of, but the construction looks modern for 1952.

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Posted by gmpullman on Saturday, May 30, 2020 7:51 AM

BigDaddy
I thought you meant this guy in back

That sort of looks like a police cap, maybe? Huh?

Fun stuff!   Ed

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Posted by BigDaddy on Saturday, May 30, 2020 7:14 AM

I thought you meant this guy in back

How about Estes Kefauver, who adopted the hat to run for Senate in 1948?  That doesn't explain why a couple kids are wearing them.  Kefauver's name will ring a bell as he investigated organizied crime, as well as running in the 52 primary for President (where he won Ohio)

Henry

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Posted by gmpullman on Friday, May 29, 2020 9:03 PM

BigDaddy
I dunno if it's a fireman,

You're right, he could be old enough to be an engineer Whistling

 Goggles by Edmund, on Flickr

(On closer scrutiny, I don't see any firefighter caps, either Embarrassed)

BigDaddy
I'm going to guess the date is 1955 or 1956

I was going by the 1951 Ohio plates on the Packard? (Photo 4)

Cheers, Ed

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Posted by BigDaddy on Friday, May 29, 2020 8:38 PM

I dunno if it's a fireman, behind a Marine officer and Navy commander.  The guys in the trench coats are Army or maybe Airforce.

There is a another kid in a coonskin cap between the guy that looks like Al Capone and the guy in the top hat that looks like Babe Ruth.  Could the coonskin cap with his back to us be Fess Parker?  Disney's Daniel Boone started in 1954.  I'll bet there were no coon skin caps before that, at least not outside the country.

I'm going to guess the date is 1955 or 1956

Henry

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Posted by dehusman on Friday, May 29, 2020 7:41 PM

I photo 5 the center of attention is the "Davey Crockett" person in the center wearing the coonskin cap.  You can see a gaggle of teen, pre-teen boys focused on him.

Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com

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Posted by gmpullman on Friday, May 29, 2020 6:59 PM

BigDaddy
What everyone has missed is that the people in front of the 3 locos are looking at something else.  They are not standing inline to see those locos, their backs are turned toward the locos.  What don't we see?

Funny you should ask.

Last night I went through the stack to find the original three prints in hopes of something being written on then — zilch.

However, I came across two more prints from that day — I probably passed them over on the first go-around due to the lack of specific railroad interest. These two photos seem to show some sort of proclamation being read or presented plus some dignitaries and perhaps military officials, and do I see a fire department captain's cap?

PHOTO FIVE

 PRR_Display by Edmund, on Flickr

The freight seems to be running on another track "less ballasted"?

Some of those top-hats look like they've been sat on! I expect one of those fellows to pull a groundhog up by the scruff of the neck and declare six more weeks of winter!

 

PHOTO SIX

 PRR_Display_people by Edmund, on Flickr

 

WOHI Radio hails from East Liverpool, Ohio, the next town upriver. At least it is another location clue Big Smile

Track fiddler
I take it that's for filling the tenders with water right?

Or water for the E8s steam generator tanks. It still looks pretty chilly out so the steam heat is probably supplied to the train.

Still more questions than answers. Perhaps tonight I'll pose an inquiry in the PRR groups.io forum.

Have Fun! Ed

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Posted by BigDaddy on Friday, May 29, 2020 5:42 PM

BRAKIE
I'm surprise nobody notice the track next to the freight cars in photo 3 is either out of service or hasn't been used for a long time.

I looked at the wrong photo (2) and the track with the loco on the flat car, has ties that are much higher than the surrounding tracks.  Does that mean it was laid for the event?

What everyone has missed is that the people in front of the 3 locos are looking at something else.  They are not standing inline to see those locos, their backs are turned toward the locos.  What don't we see?

Henry

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Posted by Track fiddler on Friday, May 29, 2020 5:17 PM

BRAKIE

I'm  surprise nobody notice the track next to the freight cars in photo 3 is either out of service or hasn't been used for a long time.

 

 

I didn't notice that one Larry. But now that you mentioned it, those rails do look a bit crusty on top.

I hope this is not a stupid question but I noticed a hose across the lines on photo 2 and 3.  I take it that's for filling the tenders with water right?

 

 

TF

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Posted by BRAKIE on Friday, May 29, 2020 12:28 PM

I'm  surprise nobody notice the track next to the freight cars in photo 3 is either out of service or hasn't been used for a long time.

Larry

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Summerset Ry.


"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt  Safety First!"

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Posted by Track fiddler on Friday, May 29, 2020 12:04 PM

Quite the spotlight on the back of the tender off photo 3.  I bet that thing would light up the yard!

As soon as the world gets back to normal, we have always wanted to visit the Boston Maine area.  Grub on some fresh seafoodDinner

I will have to add Altoona, Pennsylvania to the loop.  I must see that Queen Mary heavy hauler in person.

 

 

TF

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Posted by rrinker on Thursday, May 28, 2020 5:06 PM

 Brake wheel looks like a Peacock. See article in MRH 11/2013.

I've seen that car in Altoona. Neat place to visit. Not the biggest museum but there are definitely some interesting things to see there. And of course it's not far from Horseshoe Curve.

                            --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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Posted by gmpullman on Thursday, May 28, 2020 4:00 PM

dknelson
I just noticed the rather interesting handwheel for the brakes on the flatcar.  

     — and in case anyone is not familiar with the "Queen Mary" those four trucks were salvaged from, IIRC, a pair of PRR 180P76 Coast-to-Coast tenders. The car now resides in the Railroader's Memorial Museum in Altoona.

Thanks, Ed

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Posted by dknelson on Thursday, May 28, 2020 3:29 PM

Thanks to Ed's close-up of the kid jumping off the coupler, I just noticed the rather interesting handwheel for the brakes on the flatcar.  

And you have to love the poling pocket ... on such an enormous car. 

Dave Nelson 

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Posted by gmpullman on Thursday, May 28, 2020 2:51 PM

 

 

Lads-a-leapin'

The camera also caught this fellow (sans hat, the rebel!) in mid-leap:

Photo Three:

 PRR_display-leap2 by Edmund, on Flickr

 

Photo Four:

 PRR_FD1_leap by Edmund, on Flickr

BigDaddy
Would that structure on teh roof be the top of an elevator, or just stair access to the roof?

Being that it is brick, so justifiably must run all the way to the ground floor I'd say your right about it being a freight elevator shaft. Roof stairway access could be a lighter-sided structure.

Track fiddler
I see the Smoke Jack, looks like a funny place for a wood-burning stove.  Maybe it's a condemned building and someone's living in there.

We're in coal-territory here. Coal stove, I'm sure. Probably the boss-man's office (windows still have glazing). Perhaps this is a remaining building of a larger complex and the steam heat boiler was torn down or otherwise removed.

If indeed it is Wellsville there were many pottery and brick producers along the Ohio River here as well as many steel fabricators.

 

BigDaddy
The town hall looks like a library or a Catholic school to me.

Youre absolutely correct. City Hall looked like this:

 Wellsville_PC-color-2 by Edmund, on Flickr

Now look at the "Parochial School" building. Center hall, stairway. Tall arched window. I believe this is the building.

 Wellsville_school by Edmund, on Flickr

 

 PRR_Wellsville-crop by Edmund, on Flickr

 Cheers, Ed

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Posted by BigDaddy on Thursday, May 28, 2020 12:05 PM

Would that structure on teh roof be the top of an elevator, or just stair access to the roof?

Henry

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Posted by dknelson on Thursday, May 28, 2020 11:59 AM

The photo was taken JUST as a kid is jumping off the coupler of the flat car (which is coupled to another heavy duty flatcar to the far right)

The building has mostly bricked or boarded up windows but an open dock with something in the interior so I am thinking - warehouse or freight house of some kind.  Glass windows to far right include venting with a stack.  Guy on the roof is maybe taking pictures too.  Maybe talking to someone inside?

When going to an event like this you'd want your wife along with two big purses - just in case a marker light or builder's plate happens to become, you know, loose or something.

Dave Nelson

 

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Posted by BigDaddy on Thursday, May 28, 2020 8:10 AM

The town hall looks like a library or a Catholic school to me. 

Henry

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Posted by Track fiddler on Thursday, May 28, 2020 7:50 AM

Quite the heavy hauler indeed.  I've only seen one of those once before and remember describing it on Show Me Something a few months ago.  I have quite a few depressed center heavy weight flat cars but sure would like to find one like that.

What is that guy doing up on the roof by the boarded-up window.  I can't really tell if that double cylinder looking thing is something he set down on the edge or if that's some part of the building?  Closer look appears to be a roof vent like the others to the right.

I see the Smoke Jack, looks like a funny place for a wood-burning stove.  Maybe it's a condemned building and someone's living in there.

 

 

TF

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Posted by rrinker on Thursday, May 28, 2020 7:17 AM

PC101

In photo #1, lower left corner, the boy walking away from the camara, hat, over coat with a dark collar and sneakers, arms kinda up in front of him, (hands together ?).

In photo #2, the boy closest to and walking towards the photographer, same dress and hands together.

Now where is that lady with the big suitcase?  

 

 Right in the middle, walking away from the camera, next to the receeding hairline guy with the camera bag on the ground who is looking back at the camera.

                                    --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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Posted by BRAKIE on Thursday, May 28, 2020 5:02 AM

dknelson
That was a different era of railfanning to be sure

Indeed.. As a teenager I been in locomotive service areas,in signal towers and a NYC roundhouse, spent time in a switch tender's shanty and a crossing guard shanty.

Was I trespassing? Nope.. It was by invitation. Railroaders was far more friendlier back then.

Larry

Conductor.

Summerset Ry.


"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt  Safety First!"

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Posted by FowlmereRR on Thursday, May 28, 2020 3:52 AM

In all these photos - Hats! Almost nobody wears hats these days, but old photos usually show a majority of folk, men and women, wearing hats - and kids too in these. Do your average Preiser figures have hats? Probably makes authentic period dress difficult to replicate for modellers.

Bob

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