Nostalgia & History > Grand Trunk Western and Steam - a "Natural", but where?

Any GTW fans have a suggestion as to location and direction? Those vehicles by the house offer any clue as to a date?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out

Bob, can't help you with much, just admiring that great photo. The autos are '50's. The one closest looks like a Caddy. Not sure of it's vintage, probably prior to '52 when the taillights got bigger. No clue as to where.

What a beautiful looking machine!

I agree, a beautiful machine. I would guess the picture is somewhere in the vacinity of Flint, but I don't know.

There appears to be a tower near the right edge of the photo. It seems that is about the only thing in the photo that would offer a clue.

Just guessing -- Ferndale or Pleasant Ridge headed northwest (away from Detroit). Brings back memories from a loooonnnng time ago.

That looks like it may be a RR xing shanty (elevated). Also looks like there may be a small yard in the distance.

Isn't the car nearest the train a "Packard" (not sure what year because I'm not a car guy per se) - look at the rear side window - it has a forward cant to it.

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out


hotrail Wrote:
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> There appears to be a tower near the right edge of
> the photo. It seems that is about the only thing
> in the photo that would offer a clue.

The GTW 4-8-4's were not only great looking (great, period), but this is a superb image. You're lucky to have it! I wonder if it's a Bob Lorenz shot?

I suspect, with that string of reefers, that the train is on the line between Port Huron and Chicago. But beyond that...clueless.

I sent a link to this thread to an eyewitness of GTW steam in it's last years, Dr. Richard Leonard, who has a GREAT website for those inclined---GTW material and elsewhere...

http://www.railarchive.net/rlsteam/

At any rate, he grew up on the GTW so if this isn't answered by someone here maybe he'll be help.

Thanks for posting the photo. BTW, I am going with interlocking tower for the structure on the right, not crossing guard. If you look closely, it appears the occupant, whatever his job, is standing. I'll go with a location on the Chi-Port Huron main...

Chico
(who grew up near the GTW and spent many hours bugging the Operator at Vicksburg, MI in the 60's)

http://heartlandrails.com/photos/pbu.asp?Update=3/29/2007

chico Wrote:
> Chico
> (who grew up near the GTW and spent many hours
> bugging the Operator at Vicksburg, MI in the
> 60's)
>
>

What were some of the names of the Pennsy operators at Vicksburg you knew? Did you know a Bob Bittle? Bob worked at Vicksburg and Wolcottville and always raved about his hot girlfriend from Michigan though he was married in Indiana. =:0

wabash2800 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> >
> What were some of the names of the Pennsy
> operators at Vicksburg you knew? Did you know a
> Bob Bittle? Bob worked at Vicksburg and
> Wolcottville and always raved about his hot
> girlfriend from Michigan though he was married in
> Indiana. =:0

No, didn't know him, I believe it was Sam Miller.

BTW, as to the mystery photo location, here's what Dr. R. Leonard, friend and GTW steam expert, had to say about the location of the engine in question:

...."That is a great photo of GTW 6334. The caption is wrong; it was the U-3-b class. Identifying the location is impossible, I think (I checked the suggestions on the Trainorders site). We can say that, since the trees are bare, this is probably a late winter or early spring shot, so the low sun angle does not necessarily indicate a late afternoon (or early morning) shot. But assuming a midday or afternoon time, the engine is heading west or northwest. That might fit the double-tracked part of the Detroit line (from Pontiac into Detroit, I believe). But someplace in the GTW's approach to Chicago is also a possibility, such as Griffith-Harvey-Blue Island. The shadows are coming straight off those ties lying on the right, so the engine couldn't be heading due north. (If it's the Port Huron line, this would have to be a morning shot with the train heading for Detroit -- but would reefers have gone that direction? And at that time of year the sun angle couldn't cast those shadows.) I am not real familiar with what power was used on the Detroit line but I have the impression that the 4-8-4s held pretty much to the main line till diesels began to displace them, and the power to Detroit was more likely to be the 3700-series 2-8-2s or possibly one of the 6037-6041 4-8-2s (which I never saw operating). In the early 1950s there was a time freight on the main line (I believe #490 or #492) that usually drew F-unit diesels and had lots of reefers, and this could be the westbound counterpart."

Chico
http://www.heartlandrails.com/home/home.asp

Anybody for Markham? The IC roundhouse would be to the right of the photographer.