Category Archives: Talky Tuesday

Talky Tuesday #103

Last week’s “WW #145” is a 3/4 view of another S&NY 4-wheel caboose, #17. The railroad rostered 4 cabooses at the time of abandonment: #’s 14, 15, 16, and 17. #15 was the only 8-wheel caboose, and went to the Arcade & Attica Railroad in southern New York, where it still exists on static display. Here is a vertigo-inducing look at the restored interior. #17, alas, was either sold for use as a chicken coop or burned to recover the metal parts for the war effort.

 

Talky Tuesday #102

Last week’s “WW #144” is another shot of S&NY 4-wheel caboose #16, this time a nice full side-elevation shot. The Bachmann HO 4-wheel caboose might make a good foundation for a model of #16. Time will tell, as there are many other projects that would take priority.

Meanwhile, for a view of the other side of #16, see “WW #32” here.

Talky Tuesday #101

Last week’s “WW #143 is an additional view of caboose #16. I have no photos of #16 in service in a train, and it may have been derelict or only used for MOW service by the time of the 1942 abandonment.

Talky Tuesday #100

“WW #142” of two weeks ago is a 3/4 view of caboose #16. Per a 1938 ORER of 1938, there were 4 cabooses on the roster at that time, numbered 14-17. Caboose #15 was sold to the Arcade and Attica Railroad. The others were offered for sale after abandonment, beginning at $50.

Talky Tuesday #99

4-6-0 #119 leads a mixed freight in last week’s “WW #141”. 5 cars back is a mid-train helper. A number of photos show a helper engine multiple cars back in S&NY freights; I assume this was due to weight restrictions on bridges. Location of the photo is uncertain.

Talky Tuesday #98

S&NY #117 displays her fireman’s side on “WW #140” from December 20th. The jacketing over the boiler could use a little repair, but the 117 still looks to be in service, given the white flags on the smokebox and the load of coal in the tender. #117 was a 1900 product of the Schenectady Works, purchased used from the NYC as #1748 in 1926. The 2-6-0 went to the scrapper after abandonment.

Talky Tuesday #97

Wordless Wednesday #139 of two weeks ago is a view of the Powell station. Looking rough in this view, the station has likely not had a fresh coat of paint in many a year.

Remarkably, the station was purchased after abandonment and was moved to a different site in Powell on Greenwood Road, and can be viewed on Google Maps Street View, albeit in slightly altered form and with a coat of red paint:

Talky Tuesday #96

Since the winter season is nearly upon us, “WW #138” of two weeks ago is a low-angle shot of SNY #118 on a caboose hop in light snow. I am unsure of the location.

Talky Tuesday #95

“WW #137” of a week ago shows us high-stepping #119 rolling a mixed freight along at track speed. The plume of steam above the boiler could be from the safety valves lifting, or from the whistle blasting for a grade crossing near the photographer. Combination car #206 carries the markers at the rear. Location is not known to me.

Talky Tuesday #94

Businesses run on paper. Railroads are no different, and the S&NY had its share. “WW #136 is a surviving example of one of the numerous forms the railroad used to keep track of things, in this case “foreign road” cars belonging to railroads other than the S&NY. According to the car usage rules at the time, foreign cars still on non-home rails at a certain time (usually midnight) required the non-home railroad to pay a usage fee (demurrage) to the owning railroad. This slip of paper allowed the S&NY to keep track of which cars belonging to other railroads were on S&NY property, and when the S&NY would have start paying that fee to the owning railroads.