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What's To See In A Photograph? Discussion:

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Posted by gmpullman on Thursday, May 28, 2020 3:32 AM

PHOTO FOUR

Same location. The distinctive town hall in the background may provide a clue?

Some of the same cast from the other scenes. What's the fellow doing on the penthouse. The FD2 is probably the best piece of playground equipment these kids have ever had.

 PRR_QueenMary by Edmund, on Flickr

1951 Ohio plates on the '49 Packard Deluxe. The "Queen Mary" flat car was built in April, 1952 but there certainly would be some overlap. I seem to recall Ohio plates were not issued in 1952 to conserve steel for the Korean War. A window sticker was issued instead. Note the effective "weathering" where the smoke jack passes through the "window".

Cheers, Ed

 

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Posted by Track fiddler on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 10:13 PM

Oh yeah I do.

I did not notice the camera before Ed!  Interesting the things you can miss.

I'm not too familiar with old cameras but it looks to me like it's pointing at the dad and the two sons.  If it is, I wonder if the lower kid got his face up there and a smile on it before the timer snapped?

 

Whatever happened, I sure would love to have that picture! Smile, Wink & Grin

 

 

TF

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Posted by gmpullman on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 10:04 PM

NDG
I did NOT know the meaning of the Diamond stencil on tank car domes.

We're here to share info, AND to have fun.

Here's a crop of the activity in right-hand side of photo TWO:

 PRR_Openhouse-crop-1 by Edmund, on Flickr

See the camera on the tender endbeam? Those guys in long coats look like railroad brass to me, posing for a picture? The almost new EP20s, 5713 trailing, seem to have a train-in-tow. Did they bring folks out from Pittsburgh? Columbus?

Also a better look at the "Three-man" doghouse and the ID plate on the tender of the 6408.

I have one more photo of this day to post. It is of the Queen Mary, FD1 flat car which was built in 1952. I'll post it early tomorrow.

Sure would like to get some background on what is happening here.

Cheers, Ed

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Posted by PC101 on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 9:59 PM

In photo #2, 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 #3, the boy closest to and walking towards the photographer, same dress and hands together.

Now where is that lady with the big suitcase? EDIT: I had the photos numbered wrong. Still looking for the lady in picture #2.  

NDG
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Posted by NDG on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 9:46 PM

PRR Box Car, left, stencilled NEW 12-51.

I did NOT know the meaning of the Diamond stencil on tank car domes.

Thank You.

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Posted by PC101 on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 9:27 PM

Photo posted on May 26, 2020 5:54pm. The young boys with the pant cuffs folded way up on their jeans.

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Posted by Track fiddler on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 9:08 PM

Two pictures back.

The Fathers young boys sure seem to be curious about the Pennsylvania Tender trying to climb up it as typical young kids usually do.

The photograph froze the moment in time.  I wonder if either of the kids made it to the ladder and if the father let them or if he had to chase one of them up the ladderWhistling

 

One will never know?

 

It took me a moment to catch on but I like the thread Ed! Yes

 

 

TF

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Posted by PC101 on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 8:49 PM

In the ''companion photo'' posted May 26, 2020 at 10:02pm.

Look at the three guys on the far right of photo at the rear of the tender, left guy going up on the tender has a two point hat/cover and bomber jacket with fleece collar, middle guy has a officer's hat/cover and bomber jacket with fleece collar and third guy on right has a two point hat/cover and long coat. I thought maybe Boy Scouts till I made out the bomber jackets w/fleece collars.

 

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Posted by rrinker on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 5:44 PM

dknelson

That was a different era of railfanning to be sure.  People are on top of freight cars, cabooses, tenders.  And some seem to be wearing dress shoes!  The perfect shoe for wearing in a railyard.  And heavy long cloth coats are not the easiest thing to climb a caboose ladder while wearing I suspect. 

And yet it looks to me like the majority of these folks are NOT carrying a camera.  I do note the guy in the center of the photo glaring back at the photographer. He has camera and what I assume is a camera bag.  

It is true that we "benefit" from railfan photos taken during that era that "incidentally" show the tops of freight cars and otherwise were taken from the no tresspassing zones.  Some of the most famous rail photographers took pictures during that time that clearly were snapped from signal masts and bridges, or from the tops of freight cars on sidings. 

Any actual railroaders at this event must have suffered from bad cases of "bit lip syndrome."  

The "wavy" look of the sides on the boxcar is something not even metal sided models seem able to replicate.  I seem to recall reading that it was CorTen steel that did that.  

Dave Nelson

 

 The lady to the right of him looks like she's carrying a small suitcase - and no, it's not an oversize purse, she clearly has a purse on her left arm.

                                          --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 Wolf359 on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 1:21 PM

Anyone else notice that unusual looking doghouse on the rear of the J1a's tender? I've never seen one in that position or of that design.

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Posted by Overmod on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 12:36 PM

rrinker
Can't quite make out the number on the next one over - 6408? 8408? That's not one of the ones that ended up in the RR Museum of PA.

Someone already identified it as 6408, which is one of the 'improved' J1a 2-10-4s.  Why one of these did not 'make' the Northumberland collection is an ongoing mystery to me.

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Posted by dehusman on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 10:25 AM

If it was today:  I see lawyers.

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

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Posted by dknelson on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 9:17 AM

That was a different era of railfanning to be sure.  People are on top of freight cars, cabooses, tenders.  And some seem to be wearing dress shoes!  The perfect shoe for wearing in a railyard.  And heavy long cloth coats are not the easiest thing to climb a caboose ladder while wearing I suspect. 

And yet it looks to me like the majority of these folks are NOT carrying a camera.  I do note the guy in the center of the photo glaring back at the photographer. He has camera and what I assume is a camera bag.  

It is true that we "benefit" from railfan photos taken during that era that "incidentally" show the tops of freight cars and otherwise were taken from the no tresspassing zones.  Some of the most famous rail photographers took pictures during that time that clearly were snapped from signal masts and bridges, or from the tops of freight cars on sidings. 

Any actual railroaders at this event must have suffered from bad cases of "bit lip syndrome."  

The "wavy" look of the sides on the boxcar is something not even metal sided models seem able to replicate.  I seem to recall reading that it was CorTen steel that did that.  

Dave Nelson

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Posted by zugmann on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 8:39 AM

rrinker
That's not one of the ones that ended up in the RR Museum of PA. 

Could it be the I1 that ended up in NY?

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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Posted by rrinker on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 8:03 AM

 The first loco next to the narrow guage one on the flat car is indeed 1223 - look on the tender, just above the coupler, you can see the number when at max magnification. Can't quite make out the number on the next one over - 6408? 8408? That's not one of the ones that ended up in the RR Museum of PA. 

                                 --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 Tuesday, May 26, 2020 10:02 PM

rrinker
 I wonder what interesting piece is to the left, lots of people seem to be taking pictures of it.

Well, here's a companion photo probably taken within minutes of the first one:

PHOTO THREE:

 8x10_PRR_display by Edmund, on Flickr

Have at it, folks! Lots to see here Whistling

Regards, Ed

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Posted by doctorwayne on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 9:45 PM

dknelson
I also noticed the two different styles of handrail support on the side of the locomotive: 3 of them are a sort of gooseneck support.

Those three with the extra material do double-duty as lift rings, when the hood needs to be removed for heavy maintenance, like this...

Wayne

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Posted by NVSRR on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 8:52 PM

I just noticed the fire house crossing the tracks over to the 5713

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

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Posted by NVSRR on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 8:50 PM

The river next to the mountain and track is similar to the renovo area as well

 

Shane

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

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Posted by NVSRR on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 8:48 PM

The pennsy kept a preservation collection at renovo pa.   Which is now in the state museum in strasburg.  This might be an open house for that collection.   The little narrow gauge loco on the flat car  and the small steamer (almost certainly 1223) next to it.  There were not many ds16b 4-4-0 around that late.  And that one is polished up.  

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

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Posted by rrinker on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 6:40 PM

 I wonder what interesting piece is to the left, lots of people seem to be taking pictures of it.

 ANd can you imagine allowing people to crawl over equipment like that? You can;t even do that these days with stuffed and mounted things in museums, but look there in the middle, there is a kid who has climbed up the tender and it climbing into the coal bunker!

                                             --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 BigDaddy on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 6:35 PM

There is a guy with a Covid mask on track 1

I thought that guy was coming out of the smoke stack Big Smile

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by gmpullman on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 5:54 PM

BigDaddy

 

 
NVSRR
This should be a weekly thing. 

 

I agree, constantly changing, like the Show Me Something thread, people would be in a rush to post a new picture. 

 

I'm glad we're having fun Smile

I can't take all the credit for the thread, it was suggested to me by another forum member here.

How about I toss in another photo?

Details are sketchy on this 8 x 10 glossy that was in the same stack as the previous photo.

 

PHOTO TWO

 PRR Railroad Fair by Edmund, on Flickr

From what little I can gather this was either part of an open house at the PRR roundhouse in Wellsville, Ohio in 1953 or possibly Urbana, Ohio in the same year.

Anyone having any clues are encouraged to chime in.

Look at that fellow all the way up front of the smokebox on the J1a 6408!

Lots of other details to see here including the popular coon-skin, Davy Crockett hat!

Cheers, Ed

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Posted by BigDaddy on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 5:40 PM

NVSRR
This should be a weekly thing. 

I agree, constantly changing, like the Show Me Something thread, people would be in a rush to post a new picture. 

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by NVSRR on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 5:27 PM

This should be a weekly thing.  

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

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Posted by BRAKIE on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 2:58 PM

zugmann
Two biggest tools are hanging on the frame, though. (rerailer and chain)

You will find a 20 ton bottle jack, blocks and probably two large wrenches.

Larry

Conductor.

Summerset Ry.


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

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Posted by gmpullman on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 1:47 PM

CapnCrunch
Is that another antenna protruding from square base on the back roof of the cab?  If so, why are there two antennas?

I believe radio frequencies for the railroads have been consolidated in recent years (part of NORAC). Back in the late '60s and through the '70s different railroads had their own systems and a locomotive like our #3, which would be used on transfer runs, possibly had to have two different radios hence the two different antennas.

Maybe the PRR used one type while the P&LE another but this engine had to be in communication with both? I seem to recall after TrainPhone was removed from the PRR and actual radios installed they used a small hi-band antenna like the one at the back of the cab. Don't recall ever seeing a Sinclair antenna on PRR equipment.


 

As far as frame lettering goes, and I'm a little fuzzy here, there is designated a #1 end and a #2 end and an A side and a B side (some railroads used L or R) along with the locomotive requiring the F designation for the front per  §229.11.

Take a look at the markings on this SW-900:

 CUT_EMD_9630 by Edmund, on Flickr

I thought I had the AAR rules copied for how to determine the above. I know a regular freight car has an A end and a B end with the B usually having the brake wheel.

 

 

Just a guess, Ed

 

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Posted by dknelson on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 11:11 AM

What we are engaged in is known in art theory as "reading" a painting or as in this case, a photograph.  The clearer the photo the more interesting and worthwhile it can be

I notice for example that the track the locomotive is on is nearly buried in cinders or dirt, but the track nearest us has the heavy duty railjoiners with 6 holes for bolting to the rail ends, versus the lighter duty 4 holes/4bolts you'd often see in yards.  And there are rail anchors which prevent rail creep vis a vis the ties - something you see more often on high speed main lines but if in fact that is a scale track, then you build to standards that minimize how often that track has to be taken out of service for maintenance.

The background is also of interest - a refinery?  that large tank looks like the expanding tanks for manufactured gas but those were largely gone by the 1960s and ACFX 13978 seems to show a reweigh or revised New date where it says MILT 12-71.  PLus those expanding tanks usually had smooth sides not corrugated like this.

I also noticed the two different styles of handrail support on the side of the locomotive: 3 of them are a sort of gooseneck support.

The far left shows some kind of iron pipe railing to protect the area - again a track scale?  Notice the clipped bushes also along the track

The locomotive is #3 but there is a "2" on the frame near the cab end.  There are letters/numbers I cannot make out under the 3 on the cab. There is also an isolated letter R on the cab.  Perhaps those most informed about the P&OV know what those things mean.  Of course the customary F on the front end.

Dave Nelson

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Posted by zugmann on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 10:24 AM

Wonder if they were ever set up with slugs or calfs?

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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Posted by rrinker on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 10:16 AM

zugmann

 

 
BRAKIE
Ed, If you enlarge the photo you can see its a tool box.  Some railroads and short lines added a tool box to carry tools needed to rerail a car or  the locomotive.

 

Two biggest tools are hanging on the frame, though.  (rerailer and chain)

 

Probably some blocks in there?  And maybe some beer.

 

Now the "3" on the side of the cab.  Maybe it's just the photo - but does it seem "off" to anyone else?  The angle, positioning, coloring - almost like it was added after the fact?

 

 It's an odd font, for sure - but it's the same as the 3 on the front of the toolbox.

What's odd is the frame labeling. The froont end has an F on the frame, but at the rear, it has a 2. There's an R on the back edge of the cab. And what's with the B in the middle of the frame?

                                        --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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