Lack of traffic has again prompted me to post something. I just got a list of photos from Bob Spaugh, of Elkhart, IN, who has a collection of NYC photos taken by Bob Schell. Here is a sample. Where was it taken?
Well, for starters I'd guess the photo was taken towards the end of WWII. There appears to be at least one troop sleeper in the consist. It looks like one in position 7, and maybe one in position 6 also. Troop sleepers didn't enter service until 1943. Secondly, it looks like 4-track territory, but I can't be sure. The foreground track is low-iron, but there appears to be at least two high-iron tracks beyond the occupied. I assume it's heading in an easterly direction (+/- 45 degrees) because of the shadows on the smokebox. Since there are no surrounding details to give a hint as to geography, I can't guess further. However, I'm sure there are some devoted NYC fans among us who know which Division and Branch that 6329(?) was assigned to in 1943-1946. [ 18 December 2001: Message edited by: Hank Coolidge ]
Hank, sharp eyes. I was wondering when the troop transports went into service. The date on the photo says 1941 but heck, it could be wrong. That's J-1e 5320.
Fitz, there's a nice article on Troop Sleepers in the December Model Railroader. I was wrong ... the first sleepers were delivered in 1944.
Hank, after you mentioned the troop cars, I knew I had just read something on them--there is also an article on them in the latest Classic Trains mag. The first one was indeed outshopped in Oct. 43 according to the article. If the above photo was shot in 41, I wonder what those are? They look short enough, don't they? Then the coaches are OLD with those clerestory roofs, and the bag/RPO looks a little strange, too.
Fitz, I remember seeing cars with those round roofs and vents on the Hudson Division occassionally when I was young, but I can't remember what their markings were. I don't believe that they were Central property, though I could easily be wrong. They may have been assigned to the "western" divisions. Now that you mention it, the cars in positions 6 and 7 could be coaches of the round-roof style. There's something in the back of my mind that is suggesting a "western" location for the photo, but I can't put my finger on it Is there any historical documentation that might show where 5320, or a fleet of J-1e's were assigned during the early 40's? Regarding the "old" clerestory cars, the Central (later PC) was using them well into the 70's, at least on the Hudson and Harlem Divisons.
Jim Those are not troop cars . They just look short because of the sharp angle and perhaps the high enlargement of the neg. A telephoto lens would also cause the cars to look short. The cars are "normal" length. The round roof cars are similar to the Harriman style cars,used by the UP,SP and the IC to name a few. Ron
