Wordless Wednesday #457 - Grassing up Saybrook

 

Friday Fun - '48 Firetruck

As stated over at the Valley Local website (in case you didn't know - there is such a thing ;^):

This site is dedicated to information on life in the Connecticut River Valley during the early post-war period. While all aspects of that period are fodder for exploration, the primary focus is on re-creating the day-to-day movement of freight along the picturesque Valley & Airline branches of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad during an Autumn day in the late 1940s.

So, sometimes, I post about something other than railroading or my layout depicting it.

Case in point: Yesterday, and for the first time, I took my car to the local Ford dealership for an oil change. Now, it just so happens that that dealership has been in Old Saybrook since 1913 and will eventually show up in my Saybrook scene somewhere. So I figured while I was there waiting, and considering they're one of the oldest Ford dealerships anywhere, I'd see if they had any old photos that I could use for reference.

Well, turns out not only did they have some photos, but the guy I was talking to said: "I saw an old movie once of a Ford firetruck that Old Saybrook bought - and it was filmed right here. Maybe you can find it."

Just a quick Google search later, and find it I did!

Apparently, Old Saybrook was one of the first (if not the first?) purchaser of Ford's new "combat fire truck" and FoMoCo commissioned this movie to commemorate its use. Sadly, there's no audio (well, I'd definitely recommend that you mute the era-inappropriate ragtime music that was dubbed in), but remarkably - and speaking of era-appropriateness - guess when the movie was filmed?

Right in the middle of my chosen modeling era: 1948(!!)

So sit back and enjoy this short little piece of Americana - and a really cool glimpse into late-1940s Old Saybrook.

On the Valley Line - 100 years ago

Well, technically, 100 years ago yesterday...

Just came across this from friend Bob Belletzkie... It's a clipping about the abandonment proceeding for the Saybrook Junction to Saybrook Point portion of the Valley Line. IIRC, last service on this line was in 1917 and the New Haven was petitioning to pull it up.

The Chapman Brothers Company had a coal dock at Saybrook Point where they received their product by ship, but they and the railroad eventually reached an agreement whereby the railroad would create space at the Junction and Chapman's would move their operation there.

And the rest, as they say, is history...

Chapman's coal dock at Saybrook Point - on fire, date unknown

Chapman's at Saybrook Junction

Chapman's at Saybrook Junction, c. 1943

Chapman's as modeled on the layout

Wordless Wednesday #335: Eastbound at Old Saybrook - Feb. 21, 1941

 

A Few Words about Wordless Wednesday #334: 3016 at Saybrook

 

You may have heard me mention that I'm doing some research on the New Haven RR's class J-1 2-8-2 Mikados in preparation for an article in the NHRHTA's Shoreliner magazine. Like most NHRR fans, I'm pretty familiar with the J-1, especially since one of them was brought off the scrap line for a movie starring Doris Day (which, incidentally, was also mostly filmed along the Valley Line). Alas! that locomotive - the #3016 - was the last remaining New Haven steam locomotive and it was scrapped shortly after the movie wrapped up.

You may have also heard me mention that I'm planning to model two of the J-1s: one as power for the Airline local (#3022), and one as power for one of the Shore Line locals. I haven't/hadn't decided which one to do, though my 1948 era limits me to two numbers: 3013 and 3016 (long story - it has to do with tender size - and I'm not going to take you down that rabbit hole, at least not yet :^). 

Now, all things being equal, I'm a bit of a contrarian and since most NH modelers that model the J-1 choose to model the 3016 (for the sentimental reasons above), I figured I'd model the 3013.

Then this image popped up during my research. Actually, I literally had just randomly grabbed it out of a sleeve to test a transparency scanner I'd just installed. I didn't even bother looking at what was written on the slide - all I figured is that it was a J-1.

Imagine my surprise when this image filled my screen! The setting looked oddly familiar - and then I looked at the writing on the slide: "NH 3016 Saybrook 1948"

!!!!!!!!!!!

It's a New Haven J-1

In color

In a town I model

During the year I model

The photo is even taken from the "other" side of the tracks (a fairly uncommon perspective) - which also happens to be how my model of this area is oriented.

So what number do you think I'm gonna model now?! :^)

* * *

It's often easy, especially after you've been working on a layout for a while, to figure you know just about everything there is to know about your prototype and have probably seen all the photos of the area you're modeling that you're gonna see. So when a photo of your area, in your era, which also includes something you're planning on modeling, pops up that you've never seen before . . . . well, that's definitely something special - and about as close to treasure as you get in this hobby.

Thanks to Jack Swanberg for loaning me his J-1 images (which included this slide) and thanks to all of you for accompanying me on this crazy journey - though I suspect more than a few of you can relate . . .

Wordless Wednesday #334 - Treasure Found

 

Wordless Wednesday #283

Wordless Wednesday #255 - Old Saybrook Westbound?

Wordless Wednesday #250 - R-1 at Old Saybrook

Wordless Wednesday #235

Sittin' at the Station - Old Saybrook, CT October 1948

I went down to the station last month (almost 70 yrs ago) and took these videos of a few of the Shore Line passenger trains. Even the locals are powered by DER-1s now (Alco DL-109s), and the new stainless steel equipment is just starting to join the old heavyweight parlor cars.

I still have a lot to learn about videography, but whattaya want - I'm just learning how to use this new 8mm home movie camera. At least they got a bit better as the afternoon went on . . .

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday #195

Wordless Wednesday #193

Wordless Wednesday #192

Test shots enhanced/improved by John Wallace:

Tuesday Test Shots

Went down to Saybrook to try out the homemade tripod some more . . .

Shot with my iPhone 6 - no regard to settings; Nikon Coolpix P4 on the tripod.

Unless otherwise noted:
 no flash, layout lights only, auto white balance
macro setting, auto focus
ISO 50 f7.6 @ 1/8th sec (self-timer)
8 megapixel 2448x3264 @300dpi
Exposure Bias -1 step

Exposure Bias -0.7 step

1/6th sec, Exposure Bias -0.7

1/7th sec, Exposure Bias -0.3

1/20th sec, Exposure Bias -0.3

I'm really pleased with how these came out - except for the last one, which came out too dark. I bracketed all my exposures starting at -0.3 (underexposed) and going darker by 1/3 EV (exposure value) down to -1. Doing so gave me at least one shot of each lot that I liked. Unfortunately, the best shot of the last image was the one I shot first - at -0.3. A normal exposure at 0.0 would have been better for that shot.

As I continue to learn I continue to covet your constructive criticism and guidance, as well as any tips you have to share. Of course, if you have any kudos/compliments to share that'd be encouraging as well!

R-1 on PDX-2 at Old Saybrook? A Few Words about Wordless Wednesday #181

Robert Wuchert donation, NHRHTA collection

Another Photo Library find, scanned from a slide which is likely a copyphoto of an original print, long since lost. It shows what may be PDX-2, the westbound Shore Line local, since it's on Track 5 in Old Saybrook. If so, it's likely leaving cars for its counterpart - PDX-1, the eastbound local from Cedar Hill (New Haven) to Fort Yard (New London).

But it could also be one of the few daytime through freights on the Shore Line, taking Track 5 to allow a westbound express to pass it on Track 1. According to the info I've compiled on trains through Old Saybrook, there were only two westbound freights during the daytime in 1947:

• Boston-Cedar Hill train 9 (BN-9), westbound through Old Saybrook at 7:10 am
• Boston-Cedar Hill train 3 (BN-3), westbound through Old Saybrook at 8:40 am

If it's one of these trains, he's likely running late and getting out of the way of the westbound Roger Williams - OS at OS (Saybrook) and due to make a station stop at 9:25.

If it's 1948, it could be symbol freight N-1 which typically went through Saybrook about 2:55 in the afternoon. If running late, it'd be getting out of the way of the westbound Yankee Clipper due to fly through without stopping at 3:22. Or it could be an early BN-5 (typically through Saybrook around 4:55p) getting out of the way of the westbound New Yorker (stopping in Saybrook at 4:45) or if late, moving over to let the Patriot pass (due through at 5:32 without stopping).

But maybe it's none of these - neither local nor through freight. For all we know, this could be a detour move, justifying the taking of a photo of something other than "just a common freight train."

We have no date or other information, and since it's such an overcast day we have no clue as to what time it might be so what train this actually is remains a mystery locked in time.

****

Just for kicks compare this photo - not of the same train (note the consist), but certainly a similar move:

Considering it's coming in on Track 7 and the consist appears relatively short, this could in fact by PDX-2. In which case, we've got some pretty impressive power for a local. Then again, even the Air Line local - with even fewer cars typically - had an R-1 for power from time to time.

We can get SO much info from a photo, if we actually know what we're looking at. Unfortunately, the more time passes the more the significance of what we're seeing will elude us. But it's still amazingly cool to try and replicate these scenes in miniature!

Wordless Wednesday #181

A Few Words About Wordless Wednesday #176 - PDX-2 in Old Saybrook

When you first start out as a prototype modeler, every little discovery is new and exciting. But as you get more and more into your area/era, it becomes harder and harder to find new stuff. That's just the way it is with research - additional new discoveries are the first victim of success. So any time you can find an image of the area you're modeling that you've never seen before, it's HUGE!

Such is the case with the photo above. TomD was going through images from a collection recently donated to the Photo Library when he discovered this gem. So let's have some fun unpacking it . . .

First off, it's likely the westbound Shore Line local - aka Providence Division Extra No. 2 (PDX-2), aka "The Haddam Local" - that ran between New London (Fort Yard) and New Haven (Cedar Hill Yard). I'm not sure of the date, but the other shots I've seen of this train have K-1d mogul  #363 on the point (at least until J-class mikados took over the Shore Line locals, shortly before they were dieselized with DEY-5s (Alco S-2s). This train has K-1d #423. According to John Wallace, the 423 was "spare" at the East Hartford roundhouse during the late 40s and - even more interestingly - it was the first engine he ever operated. So either this image dates from before the late 1940s (since it's unlikely E.Hfd. would have supplied power to New London), or it's actually a shot of the Valley Local making a rare (but not unheard of) trip all the way down to Saybrook.

As for the month, given the condition of the trees and the volume of steam condensate, I'm guessing November to March - it certainly appears to be cold - but not a hint of snow. So my best guess is a November/December photo of PDX-2 from the early/mid 1940s - but until I can get an Engine Assignment book from before 1948, I'm at a loss to know for sure. Maybe the freight cars will help date it...

And for that, BillS weighs in:

• PRR X31A double door "auto car" on the front. I wonder if it's going back empty, or if it's a load for delivery to Saybrook Ford (as in this photo);
• 105W tank car, probably propane or possibly chemical;
• B&O quad hopper and twin(?) hopper (could be for Burdick's in Essex or even Chapman's in Saybrook);
• Two boxcars of uncertain road/design;
• Another, smaller, tank car (possibly oil for Chapman's?).

Too bad we can't get any reweigh dates off the cars - heck, we can't even get the roadnames off most of them!

Other things to note:

• It's clear(er) from this photo than most others I have that main tracks 1 & 2 (closer to the photographer) are a bit higher than side tracks 5 & 7. Note in the distance how the wooden walkway slants down between tracks 1 and 5. The difference between the main & side tracks is even more apparent in this photo of the area from 1939.
• Tower is in the "cream/brown" scheme, rather than the later all-brown (supports an early/mid 40s date).

Wow - that's a lot to get out of one photo, but as you can tell, it's quite a treasure trove of information. Thanks VERY much to Tom for finding it and bringing it to my attention. Looks like we have some additional detailing (and a few minor changes) to make to the Saybrook scene. . .

Wordless Wednesday #176

MORE Friday Fun! - Railfanning Old Saybrook

Went railfanning in Old Saybrook yesterday, circa Autumn, 1948. The DERS-1s are getting a little worn, having run millions of miles for the New Haven - and the US of A - throughout the war, but the newly-delivered stainless steel coaches provide a bright contrast to the weathered diesels.

The films are admittedly not that great, but what do you expect from 1948? At least they're in color!

(btw - DL-109s were beautifully weathered by BillS and feature Loksound decoders with the new Full Throttle feature. Enjoy!)