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Staten Island power far from home and a PRR steam location question

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Staten Island power far from home and a PRR steam location question
Posted by daveklepper on Friday, May 6, 2022 6:00 AM
from  Mark Vinski
 
Here is the SIRT Alco switcher that worked around Pittsburgh for the B&O..
 
   It is working a yard job out of Glenwood delivering the PFE reefer loaded with potatoes to a produce dealer located along the Allegheny River branch. The branch left the P&W main at the unusual FY tower that hung off the side of the Allegheny River bridge, dropped down to the ground level 36th street yard on a wooden trestle, and switched back to pass under the mainline bridge.
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Posted by daveklepper on Friday, May 6, 2022 6:13 AM

When I first retreaved the negative, I thought it was a photo through the window of a northbouned  NYCentral Harlem Div. train just north of Woodlawn, the distant tracks the New Haven, and steam working thr freight interchange track.  Then I saw  the "IA" letters on the tender.   So it must be on the NEC.

East of Harrison, the distant tracks the H&M-used PRR branch to Jersey  City?

Sothwest of Newark, those tracks the Aldene connection to the Lehigh Valley and to thev Jersey Central to Bound Brook and Raritan, HighBridgem etc.?

Southwest of Trenton, the Trenton Cut-off?

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Posted by timz on Friday, May 6, 2022 12:22 PM

daveklepper
So [the PRR engine] must be on the NEC.

Why?

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Posted by BaltACD on Friday, May 6, 2022 2:01 PM

daveklepper
from  Mark Vinski 
Here is the SIRT Alco switcher that worked around Pittsburgh for the B&O..
 
   It is working a yard job out of Glenwood delivering the PFE reefer loaded with potatoes to a produce dealer located along the Allegheny River branch. The branch left the P&W main at the unusual FY tower that hung off the side of the Allegheny River bridge, dropped down to the ground level 36th street yard on a wooden trestle, and switched back to pass under the mainline bridge.
 

Got to work FY Tower in the Summer of 1967.  You didn't want to set your thermos on the desk in the office when you went outside to inspect a passing train - when you came back in the office the thermos was on the floor in pieces.  Also you didn't want to think about eating your lunch after 6 PM.  In the pre-EPA days the animal rendering plant on Herr's Island (that was in the middle of the bridge visible in the distance) would dump its 'wastewater' directly into the Allegheny River - decaying entrals and all.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Overmod on Saturday, May 7, 2022 5:11 AM

The thing that ought to establish the PRR location is at upper right.  I see a typical Gibbs & Hill cat bridge, with the high-voltage lines on top of the uprights, in the medium distance but the support visible at upper right doesn't look like anything I'm familiar with.  Then note all the angled props holding up what has to be an embankment during some kind of construction, perhaps in reinforced concrete?

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Posted by Warren J on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 2:01 PM

The SIRT (Staten Island Rapid Transit) was originally owned by B&O and operated on its Staten Island ROW.  The transit services were terminated by B&O and are now provided as MTA Staten Island Railway.  CSX (formerly B&O) now operates only freight on what was formerly the northern part of line (from St. George to Port Ivory and New Jersey); MTA Staten Island Railway operates transit services on the southern line from St. George to Tottenville.  Freight no longer operates south of St. George.

“Things of quality have no fear of time.”

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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 4:30 AM

And there is a Staten Islanf thread with photos.

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Posted by mvlandsw on Wednesday, June 15, 2022 3:39 PM

  I grew up on the far side of the hill in front of the Alco. The rumbling of the bridge that destroyed Thermos bottles alerted me when a westbound train was coming on the P&W so I could get in position to see it pass Willow Grove. 

  One year a paint gang worked all summer on the bridge and ate their lunches in the emission plume of the rendering plant. I guess their sense of smell was just overwhelmed by the constant exposure.

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Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, June 15, 2022 11:37 PM

mvlandsw
  I grew up on the far side of the hill in front of the Alco. The rumbling of the bridge that destroyed Thermos bottles alerted me when a westbound train was coming on the P&W so I could get in position to see it pass Willow Grove. 

  One year a paint gang worked all summer on the bridge and ate their lunches in the emission plume of the rendering plant. I guess their sense of smell was just overwhelmed by the constant exposure.

Prior to 6 PM the air was breathable - although I would guess it would be dicey right at Herr's Island as well as when walking past the loads of hides that were handled through Willow Grove Yard.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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