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Syracuse, N.Y., circa 1905. "Empire State Express (New York Central Railroad) coming thru Washington Street." Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Sometimes, if I'm particularly moved by a historic landscape, I will try to find the same location on Google Maps. As usual, I am dismayed by how much of this particular landscape has changed. Apparently, only the large Romanesque building remains, although there are many other fine historic buildings down the road.
Anyone care to comment on why the overhead trolley wire has a net over a portion of its length?
Tres belle photo. Jamais vu ca. En France, meme au debut des chemins de fer, il y avait des barrieres pour securiser les voies.
In Austin, Texas, where I live, I can remember the Southern Pacific running trains down Fourth Street and stopping all traffic on Congress Avenue (the six-lane main street, running south from the capitol) while the cars passed, as late as the middle 1970s. And it was an un-signaled grade crossing, too!
Regarding track gauge: The majority of modern-day trolley systems do conform to railroad standard gauge (4 feet 8½ inches, or 1.435 meters), but this is by no means universal. Gauges ranging from three-foot narrow gauge to broad gauges wider than five feet are still in use.
This brings up something I've always wondered about -- are trolley tracks the same gauge as railroad tracks? Can a train run on trolley tracks and vice versa?
What a beautiful shot, everything spic and span, even flowers.
The engine is a nearly new New York Central "I" Class Atlantic type, built by Schenectady, which had only just become the American Locomotive Works. Spit and polish, as it ought to be.
Am I the first person to see this and think of the dream sequence in "Inception"?
... the engineer is texting.
A slightly different postcard view.
Trains ran up 10th Avenue in Manhattan up to at least the 1930s, with men on horseback leading the way.
This is wild. It's one thing to see a big train going through a town on a regular, graded right of way, but this is reminiscent of the Coors Beer commercial.
A familiar sight in Syracuse until 1936. The trains were limited to 15 mph through the city.
Has its own post right here.
A steam train going through the middle of the city? Oh, I see, there's a man waving a flag, it's safe then.
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