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Roundhouses and Turntables (and transfer tables)

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Saturday, January 12, 2019 12:25 PM

Yep, have both of those... Altoona has 4 Turntables and a transfer table all in almost a straight line within just a couple of degrees.

You should send me your e-mail address (via Private Message on this site) so I can send the files to you and then you could check things for yourself.

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Saturday, January 12, 2019 11:37 AM

OK, you got Frostburg.  I was too interested in the recently repainted GP30 to notice the Carriage Museum.  As my daughter said, that's from back when they were designed, not manufactured. 

Do you have the East Broad Top's at Orbisonia, PA? 

  N 40.24039 W 77.90007

Norfolk Southern's at its Juniata Shops, Altoona, PA:

N 40.53665 W 78.38112

- PDN.

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Saturday, January 12, 2019 8:02 AM

Have the one at Jim Thorpe, but not the Glen Onoko, (so I added it).

Also have the one at Frostburg MD.  Google Earth 'Street View' shows it well, (if you know what one looks like from street level!).  Right next to the Carriage Museum.

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Friday, January 11, 2019 8:56 PM

Frostburg, MD end of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.  The turntable was relocated from someplace else in the last 20 years or so, but I don't have specifics on that.  It's about here on ACME Mapper, but it's so lost in the shadows you can't even see it:  

 N 39.65694 W 78.92464  = N 39 deg. 39' 25.0"  W 78 deg. 55' 28.7" 

It does show up well on Google Maps, though. 

A search for "Frostburg turntable" should yield some recent photos, YouTube videos, and articles. 

- PDN. 

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Friday, January 11, 2019 8:38 PM

Laugh 

Do you have the 2 at Jim Thorpe, PA?  Actually 1 might be called Glen Onoko. 

The still active one - ex Central RR of NJ - is here:

 N 40.87079 W 75.74078 = N 40 deg. 52' 14.9"  W 75 deg. 44' 26.8" 

The other one towards Glen Onoko - table long gone, but the remains of the pit are still there - is about here (the brush cover on ACME Mapper makes it hard to pin down): 

 N 40.87570 W 75.75662 = N 40 deg. 52' 32.5"  W 75 deg. 45' 22.3" 

You can see it on the Penn Pilot aerial photo for Jim Thorpe, 1957-1962 time frame, the red dot on North St. (!) in East Jim Thorpe, and open it - flight date 05/06/1959, 1:20,000 scale.  Look for the bridge over the river near the left edge, about in the middle of top-to-bottom.  From the upper left (NW) end of that bridge, it's a couple hundred feet due east. 

- PDN. 

 

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Friday, January 11, 2019 1:12 PM

Yes, Philipston was new to my list.  But it certainly is not a new one! :-)

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Thursday, January 10, 2019 5:45 PM

You're welcome - a fun little exercise.  Perhaps the Penn Pilot website aerial photos would be useful for other turntables, etc. in Pennsylvania.  

I apologize for the piecemeal posting.  Too often I've tried a lengthy post - either in the amount of text or time to compile it - and then it gets deleted, by either 'operator error' Whistling in clicking on a "back" button, or something.  So I've learned to post and save it in pieces to minimize the damage when that occurs.  

Is the Philipston turntable above a new one? 

I might be able to identify a few others as my mind and travels cover more of the state. 

- PDN.

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Wednesday, January 9, 2019 9:47 PM

HA HA HA!  Now you update the post to include the extra bit of how to get the high rez photo... I started looking from the e-mail I got that you had posted a comment to the thread and it ended at the "a little to the right".  After some consternation on my part, I discovered how to do the rest of it meself.

I have added Galeton PA TT & RH to my list.

I used: 41°43'47.95"N, 77°39'21.12"W, but I'd have to take my shoes and socks off to see how close we are in guessing the location.  I just triangulated visually off of an extension of Division Ave across the stream from there.  Close enuf (and probably better than some I have!).

Thanks!

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Wednesday, January 9, 2019 8:13 PM

I've been able to confirm the turntable in Galeton, PA.  Go to: 

http://www.pennpilot.psu.edu/ 

For "Enter placename, city/state, etc." input "Galeton, PA" and for the Era, 1937-1942. 

Zoom in on Coudersport in the north-central part, and look for Galeton a little to the right.  

Zoom way in further, and click on the red dot just above and to the left of "Galeton".  You should get an image with a flight date of 09/24/1938.  

Download it as a "high" resolution - about 6.9 MB as a zip file. 

Open it - may take a couple of clicks. 

Zoom way in on the lower left leg of the sideways 'Y' shape, and you should find it - there's what appears to be a 6-stall roundhouse to the right of the turntable.  There's also what appears to be a reversing loop / 'balloon' track a little to the upper right. 

A rough estimate of the Lat./ Long. coords (from ACME Mapper) is N 41.730 deg. W 77.656 deg.  It would take an hour or so with a couple prints, a scale, and calculator to get a slightly better estimate than that.

- PDN. 

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by jeffhergert on Saturday, January 5, 2019 7:17 PM

mudchicken

Amazing how that area has reclaimed what was the FTDDM&S (Built by the Newton & Northwestern RR to haul gypsum and coal in 1904)...Tough finding any mapping for that line that survived until 1965...under the wire from only 1910 to 1955... The CNW map that gave the TT location away showed your Tara Sub as Rock Island, not M&StL (CRIP only had rights in town until they got off the Tootin' Louie and on to their own Gowrie & NW on the north side of town going to Sibley and into the SD goldfields) ....Crazy place once upon a time.

M&D tag makes sense now - thanks (only saw labels for N&NW on other line maps previous to 1909)

 

Up until about 1912, not sure of the exact date, what became the M&StL was controlled by the Rock Island.  They had the lease on the railroad but it was allowed somehow to lapse and the M&StL picked up the lease before the RI could renew it.  (I'm on the other end of the line, away from my books that have the exact info.)  I have a privately published book on train orders that shows a train order issued at Waukee IA on a CRI&P/CRI&G train order form.  

For Christmas I received Don Hofsommer's latest book, a CERA publication on the history of the FtDDM&S.  Lots of info, but it's hard to keep straight which company built what-there's so many.  Not just for the FtDDM&S, but on the connecting railroads at various point. 

Jeff

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Saturday, January 5, 2019 11:44 AM

Philipston, PA - about 15 mi. ExNE from Butler, PA, near Karns City - just other side of peninsula from East Brady.  May be ex-PRR or ex-B&O (have not researched it in depth) - near is what is now the Armstrong Trail (rail-trail): 

N 40.97586 W 79.58927

Link to photos of it, says it was Allegheny Valley RR:

http://www.interestingpennsylvania.com/2016/03/bradys-bend-overlook-armstrong-trail.html 

See also: http://armstrongrailstotrails.org/?page_id=43 

- PDN. 

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Saturday, January 5, 2019 11:30 AM

Galeton, PA - north central part of the state - former B&O.  Link to a photo from an old book (search was for "coudersport turntable"):

https://books.google.com/books?id=Ftpn2GGXTcQC&pg=PA41&lpg=PA41&dq=coudersport+turntable&source=bl&ots=M-DY7lnqW0&sig=Gv52jkjAhP_F1i6bDKeEKy3_QKw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjk3e72kdffAhWmneAKHeI0BfEQ6AEwDXoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=coudersport%20turntable&f=false 

That sure looks like a small turntable on the right side, with the 'peaked' girder.  But I can't confirm its existence or location from historical USGS maps of the area - just a collection of yard tracks, some of which are shown in a 'fan' arrangement. 

- PDN. 

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by mudchicken on Saturday, January 5, 2019 12:11 AM

Amazing how that area has reclaimed what was the FTDDM&S (Built by the Newton & Northwestern RR to haul gypsum and coal in 1904)...Tough finding any mapping for that line that survived until 1965...under the wire from only 1910 to 1955... The CNW map that gave the TT location away showed your Tara Sub as Rock Island, not M&StL (CRIP only had rights in town until they got off the Tootin' Louie and on to their own Gowrie & NW on the north side of town going to Sibley and into the SD goldfields) ....Crazy place once upon a time.

M&D tag makes sense now - thanks (only saw labels for N&NW on other line maps previous to 1909)

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by jeffhergert on Friday, January 4, 2019 6:40 PM

mudchicken

FWIW: If the lists ever come to life again (and I cannot read the last version anymore)

Gowrie IA CNW 60ft TT (shared with FtDDM&S, labelled M&D on CNW map)

N 42 16' 40.5""  W 94 17' 41.2"  now hiding in the trees. (South of Riddle & Lincoln, west side of Riddle)

 

M&D - Marshalltown and Dakota.  A predecessor of the FtDDM&S in that area.

Jeff

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Posted by Paul of Covington on Thursday, January 3, 2019 9:51 PM

   Semper, I have been meaning to get back to that area, and maybe ask around some more, but haven't got around to it yet.  The "Electric Train Depot" is a hobby shop carrying a lot of "G" and some "O" gauge equipment, but it seems to be pretty much a club as well.  They are only open on Saturdays.  I did ask them if they knew anything about the building in question, but they didn't.

    I have thought all along that the building is too small to be a roundhouse, but I can't imagine what else it could have been built for.  And there is a spur off the IC main that runs nearby.

_____________ 

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Thursday, January 3, 2019 4:25 PM

I went looking on Google Earth again at the site Paul of Covington listed (above) and using Street View I see a sign out front for "Electric Train Depot".  The half-roundhouse building appears to be all boarded up.  The building to the southwest has a sign on the end for "Electric Train Depot".  On the south side of that long rectangular building is another sign of the same name and a sign for "Illinois Central".  It appears that it is an electric train hobby shop or maybe belonging to a club with some sort of model train setup inside.  Still not sure if that site should be added to my list.

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Thursday, January 3, 2019 4:18 PM

Thanks... I am still adding to my spreadsheet, but I no longer have on-line storage that anybody can get to.  The links I have published in the past are useless now.  Sorry.

Presently, there are 1238 Non-U.S.A. sites and 1126 U.S. sites, (including what MudChicken just listed).

However, if anyone wants a copy of the latest Excel file, I can send it to you via an e-mail, if you tell me the e-mail address to use.  Send me a "Message" via this forum.  Click on my name/icon to the left here, and on the page that appears, near the top on the right is a link labeled "Start conversation".  Click it to get a window where you can type a message and send me the e-mail address you want me to use.

Do not post your address in this forum thread, no need to invite spam by making it generally available to the world.

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by mudchicken on Thursday, January 3, 2019 3:51 PM

FWIW: If the lists ever come to life again (and I cannot read the last version anymore)

Gowrie IA CNW 60ft TT (shared with FtDDM&S, labelled M&D on CNW map)

N 42 16' 40.5""  W 94 17' 41.2"  now hiding in the trees. (South of Riddle & Lincoln, west side of Riddle)

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Sunday, July 22, 2018 4:05 PM

Measuring the building using Google Earth, I get a length of the stalls of less than 30-ft.  And the doors less than 9-ft. wide.  If the referenced web site didn't say that the lumber company was Standard Gauge, and the photos were of tank engines (no tenders) then I'd say it was a narrow gauge roundhouse.  But there is no way to fit those engines into what would constitute stalls if that were a roundhouse.  I suppose it might be that if they started out as a small narrow gauge RR with plantation type engines, then that might be a roundhouse.  But as it is, I seriously doubt it.  I'd love to be proven wrong! ;-)

 

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by Paul of Covington on Sunday, July 22, 2018 3:00 PM

   Remember this thread?

   For some time I have been seeing a building south of Ponchatoula, La. that looks like it couldn't be anything but a roundhouse, but it just looks too small.  Nobody in the area seems to know anything about it.  The central area has been roofed over and walled in and it currently houses several small businesses.

   This is what the central part looks like now:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulofcov/41128360154/in/dateposted-public/

   30° 25' 30.5" N   90° 26' 16.3" W --- or go to 2000 SW Railroad Ave, Ponchatoula, La.

   After researching the Louisiana Cypress Lumber Company, I think it may have been used to service the locomotives used in their operations.   One picture on this site shows the consolidation (now on display in downtown Ponchatoula) next to a roundhouse which may be this one.

_____________ 

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Posted by MidlandMike on Monday, January 8, 2018 7:50 PM

jbeinc1

Sounds like I may have gotten in on this discussion on the tail end but I think the C&NW roundhouse in Sheboygan, Wi. should be added.

On Google maps, if you find the UP facility at the intersection of Union Avenue and Sauk Trail Road, the round house was just south west of the small building in the area where it looks likesome signaling equipment laying on the ground.

 

It shows up on recent topo maps.  43.7312N 87.7332W

http://www.mytopo.com/maps/?lat=43.7313&lon=-87.73296&z=16

 

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Monday, January 8, 2018 10:59 AM

Do you happen to remember the size of the building... like about how many stalls or was it a full round building, or just 1/2, or maybe 1/4 round, or maybe just 2 or 3 stalls?  Also, was the building between the turntable and the street or the otherway around (i.e.: was the turntable visible from Union Avenue where your dad worked)?

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by jbeinc1 on Monday, January 8, 2018 9:50 AM

I'm not exactly sure of the location, just remember seeing the roundhouse and turntable there, as a kid.  Not sure of when it was removed, possibly 30 to 40 years ago.  My father worked for Joseph Schmitt & Sons Construction (directly north across the street).  Their building was built around 1966-68 and I think the roundhouse was still there then.

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Monday, January 8, 2018 8:13 AM

jbeinc1

Sounds like I may have gotten in on this discussion on the tail end but I think the C&NW roundhouse in Sheboygan, Wi. should be added.

On Google maps, if you find the UP facility at the intersection of Union Avenue and Sauk Trail Road, the round house was just south west of the small building in the area where it looks likesome signaling equipment laying on the ground.

 

Would the turntable have been south of Union Ave in line with the end of 21st street?  There seems (wishful thinking?) to be a bit of a circle there in some views and in Street View that area is depressed and muddy (like a filled in pit that has settled).

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by jbeinc1 on Sunday, January 7, 2018 2:07 PM

Sounds like I may have gotten in on this discussion on the tail end but I think the C&NW roundhouse in Sheboygan, Wi. should be added.

On Google maps, if you find the UP facility at the intersection of Union Avenue and Sauk Trail Road, the round house was just south west of the small building in the area where it looks likesome signaling equipment laying on the ground.

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Posted by Miningman on Monday, December 18, 2017 7:23 PM

Incredible job and a lot of dedication...it has been downloaded and saved for good. 

Have no words to express the thanks....you did a great job.

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Posted by MidlandMike on Monday, December 18, 2017 7:19 PM

Thanks, old links work, and TT & Bldg show up.  Thanks again for hosting this comperhensive thread.

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Sunday, December 17, 2017 10:08 PM

Had to log-off my PC and reboot before the old files would dissappear from my system.  Stypud cornphewtors enywho!

I think it is fixed now.  The original links should get you the correct files.

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Sunday, December 17, 2017 9:55 PM

Thanks for the heads up... I screwed that up... but now the hosting site is all screwed up, too... I see 3 identical copies of all the files... same names, same size, same date, same time... I didn't think that could happen!  I have new files to put there, but I have no idea which file you might get if you download them...

I'll work on this and see what I can do... get back to everybody later.

 

 

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

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