Nostalgia & History > John W. Barriger III Photograph Approximate Date?

The late railroad executive and president John Barriger thankfully took photos on his trips from the back platform of passenger trains. (My understanding is that he worked in the passenger department while on the Wabash.) This photograph was taken on the Wabash Division Point at Montpelier, Ohio.

The wooden combine by the freight house intrigues me. (The frame roof building part of the freight house came from a depot at Millersburg, Indiana.) The combine might be waiting for service on a mixed 

For you folks that know your automobiles, there is a car parked at the station. What year is it? I have been attempting to get an idea of when they removed the chimneys from the depot, so a date would help. The accuracy of my hypothesis may depend on this finding.

Victor Baird



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/26 19:13 by wabash2800.

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This pic shows the car better: https://www.flickr.com/photos/barrigerlibrary/12297178756/in/album-72157640471385906/

AI says that it's likely a 1940 Buick series 40: conceptcarz.com/profile/36635,15340/1940-buick-series-40-special.aspx

mike woodruff
north platte ne

Thanks. That dates the photograph no earlier than the latter part of 1939, if the 1940 model came out in late 1939. My hypotheis holds that the the chimneys were removed in the early 1940s. Are there any newer cars in the background?

Victor Baird



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/26 20:25 by wabash2800.

Combines and Buicks aside, Barriger had a significant role in rescuing railroads during and after the depression.  As Railroad Chief of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, he was surveying the railroads' physical and financial health to determine what the government needed to spend money on to improve the railroads' performance.

During and after WWII, he turned to actually running railroads.  In that capacity, he ran the TP&W, C&EI, and the Monon. He was famous ( or infamous) for quickly replacing the entire fleet of Monon steam locomotives with diesels in the late 40's.  He was also President of the P&LE and held leadership roles at MKT.  These were railroads hiring him, not the federal government.

I think he was considered a specialist at fixing things in a hurry.

By the way, my parents owned a 1940 Buick through the 40's.  I don't remember the model or much else about it, other big and black.  I can say that I sort-of drove it once, steering while sitting in my father's lap.  He said I didn't do very well.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/26 20:59 by Elesco.

Wonderful historical view!!!
Bob

In 1940, JWB was chief of the railroad division of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation.  Representing Federal money, he got many VIP tours of railroad property in their Office Cars, from which he took these photos.  When WW2 started he moved to the Office of Defense Transportation as associate director of the Division of Railway Transport.  There is no record of him ever having worked for the Wabash.

(Info. from Who's Who in Railroading, 1946 Edition.)

You are probably correct. The Wabash thing was something passed along by a staff member at the Wabash Railroad Historical Society who no longer serves in that capacity.

Victor Baird

illini73 Wrote:
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> In 1940, JWB was chief of the railroad division  There is no
> record of him ever having worked for the Wabash.
>

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