Wordless Wednesday #115

Coming & Going: Photo Serendipity & Stockcars for Brickyards

A little while back, a friend sent along the photo above - not having seen this week's Wordless Wednesday. But as you can see, it just so happens to be the "going away"companion photo to WW#105 - what a find!

So, yes, there were at least two stockcars behind the 517. Can't really tell if they're loaded or not, but assuming they're heading towards the packing plant, they are.

But if these cars are actually empty, it could be that this train will continue south past the quadrant switch, back up the Valley Line, cross the diamond, and head northwest toward the brickyards of East Berlin. I've heard that a common load for otherwise idle stockcars is brick, of all things. . . .

Can anybody else share some thoughts/speculations on this little storyboard?

A few more words about Wordless Wednesday #106

We have here the Airline Local passing eastbound under Main Street, Middletown, CT. You can just make out the back side of O'Rourke's diner (favorite lunchtime stop for Valley and Airline crews) which had "just" been built in 1941.

Best guess as to the date of this photo is that it's about 10 years later - c. 1951. Alco RS-3 #517 is the class engine for the New Haven's DERS-2c class and was delivered in 1950. And according to NHRR records, it would be assigned to the Cedar Hill (New Haven) to Old Saybrook local by April 27, 1952.

The local has at least one (or is it two?) stock cars in tow, and it's heading down the southwest quadrant track most likely on its way to the Middletown Meat Packing Co. about a mile or so south of town. Meat "on the hoof" is something that was fairly common on the Airline and Valley Lines, due to the big packing plant here. And I even heard somewhere that Middlefield, CT (about a dozen or so miles west of here on the Airline) had one of the biggest cattle auction venues in the region at one time. But stock cars on the New Haven were pretty rare, generally.

The Airline Local is still a 6-day-a-week job these days, and depending on which day this is, it'll be headed for East Berlin, Colchester, or even Chestnut Hill (outside of Willimantic) after it gets done with its work in Middletown.

While I won't be going this late on my railroad (despite accusations - and admissions - of Era Creep), it's always neat to see an Alco on the lines I'm modeling. Having a rare stock car in tow (not to mention an old-time view of my favorite restaurant) is just a bonus.

Wordless Wednesday #106