Nostalgia & History > Utica, NY and Beer

Utica, NY has long been known for beer and beer distribution.
Indeed we have seen many of ut-1's videos of street running and NYS&W's switching out the Matt's Brewery.

So a few images of trains and beer / brewery related subjects.

1. EL 1272 is seen deep within the confines of the Matt's Brewery, home of Matts and Utica Club circa 1972 in a view by Dennis ("The Menace") Wisnoski.

2. On December 24, 1973 the Scranton Bull is coming back home to Utica. By this time it is a one-way job with a layover in Scranton instead of the previous turn job to Binghamton and back. On the layover in Scranton many a brew, and a few hot dogs were had at Pete Bordie's Bar and Grill. These trains left Utica in the evening, and made their trek to Scranton arriving in the early 0-dark-30 hours into Taylor Yard. The return was an 0-dark-30 departure out of Scranton for an early just getting light arrival in Utica. Note the smoke stacks from the brewery at left as the train comes off Schuyler Street on the last lap before arrival at the yard office ahead and the units going to the service facility and turntable. Unknown photographer, my collection.

3. A few years later on April 16, 1982 CR 7308 is on The Blue Line, an industrial spur parallel to Oriskany Boulevard on Utica's west side. McCraith Beverage, a beer distributor was located here at the time. Today the Blue Line is long gone. This scene was shot on Conrail's last day of operation of the Binghamton - Utica Branch before NYS&W took over the next day. My photo

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/26 14:49 by train1275.

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4. A scene in NYS&W days as GE 808 is doing a demo on the NYS&W and switches McCraith Beverages. By now McCraith has relocated from the Blue Line over to the former NYC (West Shore) New York Mills Branch, also obtained by NYS&W in 1982. Henry Greenblatt enjoys seeing what this new unit is all about on December 27, 1987. My photo

Henry had had considerable time running Alcos, RS's and C430's for NYSW. These new Dash-8's might have been nice, but they sure didn't load anywhere near as fast as the old Alco's or even EL's GP7's.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/26 16:06 by train1275.

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5. EL 1280 is switching the brewery during the Summer of 1967 - Sam Reeder, Jr. photo, my collection

6. Schlitz & Dooley, TV advertising spokesmen for Utica Club back in the 1960's.

7. This is the Utica Yard crew in the 1950's. Switchman Roy Harvey is the big guy standing at left. Back in those days Roy's doctor told him he had to drink more water. Roy contemplating that advice and the practicality of implementing it figured that beer was mostly water. Some of the train crew had laddles in that hidden area on the back side of the brewery seen in image #1.They drew fresh beer from a tap to fill the laddle in order to refresh themselves, courtesy of the brewery. It is said that the brewery, thanks to Roy's doctor, had some excellent service back in those days. Now as a Rule, (Rule G) railroaders don't drink, as a habit they might, but never as a rule. At least that was the old saying from years ago.
The engineer on the 903 is Henry Williams. "The Right Reverend" Henry Williams, and you can be sure he didn't have a personal laddle and would not be endorsing Roy's H20 intake in that manner. - photo from the Henry Williams collection.


 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/26 17:16 by train1275.

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Wonderful stories and pictures.

Posted from Android

When did McCraith move off of the blue line. The were still there the summer of 1986.

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/26 20:27 by NYSWSD70M.

NYSWSD70M Wrote:
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> When did McCraith move off of the blue line. The
> were still there the summer of 1986.
>
> Posted from Android

Must have been sometime earlier in 1987. I don't have a good NYS&W chronology.
I wish I had a better timeline on the demise of the Blue Line, but I don't.
I just recall at the time in December 1987 it was their "new place" and they had spent a good amount of money on it with the new buildings and everything.
I think they only had a lease over on the Blue Line. Maybe not, but the facility there was pretty shabby.
Prior to that they were at the south end of Schuyler Street by McQuade and Bannigan and Linde.

Who do you remember being on the Blue Line in 1986?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/09/26 04:47 by train1275.

I know posting liinks to Youtube is discouraged on Trainorders but, in homage to the Artemis II space flight, here's the TV ad "Schultz and Dooley on the Moon":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJdpv8paX_U

It was an effective ad even to an adolescent as I well remember the quote "We call this Moonglow"!

Lots of old great beer names here:  Schlitz, Schaefer, Old Milwaukee and others.   All delicious!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/09/26 12:15 by coach.

Great post, lots of nice details.
—Mac

Outstanding post.

Utica Club beer was a popular breakfast beverage back in my youth.  I believe it was an FX Matt label, too

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> Utica Club beer was a popular breakfast beverage
> back in my youth.  I believe it was an FX Matt
> label, too

About 15 years ago or so, I was at the Buffalo, NY airport at one of the little lounges eating breakfast before a flight. It was just before 10am and a lady walks in and sits at the bar counter next to me. I didn't pay much attention until I noted she asked the lady behind the counter several times if "it was time yet".  Finally the lady behind the counter looked at the clock, shrugged and said she guessed it was close enough. She then turned, pulled out a glass and drew a beer from the tap, placing it in front of the lady next to me. I said to her. "beer, it is not JUST for breakfast anymore" .... she laughed and said she had worked last night, "a show in Toronto" and had come down to Buffalo to fly back to California. I sort of nodded, and she added .... "I'm Pat Benatar, then turning to point behind us to some guys sitting in a booth, "that's my band". We chatted a bit, I finished breakfast, wished her a safe flight and left. She sure didn't look like her in her videos of the '80's. Just a normal person in the airport. I had no idea until really looking at her. Yup ... sure was.

Great story!