vintage 1985 Union Railroad(URR) photos

Former Member

Hello All,

A few years back, I had a number of my old 35mm slides/negatives converted to a DVD and promptly proceeded to lose them for some time(everybody familiar with the tv show Hoarding-Buried Alive ?). Out of the blue, I rediscovered the DVD yesterday, apparently exactly where I had hid it from myself.

Back in June 1985, I received permission from the URR superintendent/yard supervisor to access the URR Duquesne yards to photograph their MOW equipment which included some pretty unique rolling stock. It had been rumored that some of this equipment would not be around for any long term use in the future. The two 40' boxcars, 115 & 116, had been modified with windows having been installed on the sides and a man-door cut in and installed on the ends of each boxcar. I wasn't allowed inside the cars but was told they contained racks of mechanical equipment/tools, welding equipment and a couple of tables and even cots. The 120 dining/lunch car was modified from an old Bessemer & Lake Erie steel bay window caboose that had the bay window offset towards one end of the car. The Industrial Brownhoist crane/boom car had just been refurbished/painted only about 5-6 years earlier and was in very good condition. As of today, I don't know of what happened to any of this equipment with the exception of the dining car/caboose which I understand is in private hands somewhere in the Elizabeth, Pa area. Anyway, enjoy the photos.

Nick

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7/12/172:51 PM

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Number 90OGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBERDIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

machinist posted:
. . . Back in June 1985, I received permission from the URR superintendent/yard supervisor to access the URR Duquesne yards to photograph their MOW equipment which included some pretty unique rolling stock . . .

I amused myself by imagining a big welder with a cigar in his mouth, cutting those delicate little scallops in the "awning".

7/13/1712:50 AM

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Keith6700OGR Forum Member

Love the crane, the boom car's real neat too. See you at Monroeville. Got some new stuff to show off

7/13/172:03 AM

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Former Member

Number 90 posted:
machinist posted:
. . . Back in June 1985, I received permission from the URR superintendent/yard supervisor to access the URR Duquesne yards to photograph their MOW equipment which included some pretty unique rolling stock . . .

I amused myself by imagining a big welder with a cigar in his mouth, cutting those delicate little scallops in the "awning".

Tom,

I can picture that also. Some employee certainly had enough skill and pride in their craftsmanship to create a little artwork for the MOW boys!

Nick

7/13/1711:50 AM

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Former Member

Keith6700 posted:
Love the crane, the boom car's real neat too. See you at Monroeville. Got some new stuff to show off

Keith,

Back then, it was much easier to obtain permission to access the property than it is now. Of course at that time, I was still a USS Homestead Works employee(at least on paper) and a veteran and a train nut, so I think the super cut me a break and wrote me an access permission paper.

I know you'll bring something interesting to Monroeville that you have tortured. You need to get that Pennsy crane repainted into URR colors. See you at Monroeville!

Nick

7/13/1712:03 PM

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Keith6700OGR Forum Member

machinist posted:
Keith6700 posted:
Love the crane, the boom car's real neat too. See you at Monroeville. Got some new stuff to show off
Keith,
Back then, it was much easier to obtain permission to access the property than it is now. Of course at that time, I was still a USS Homestead Works employee(at least on paper) and a veteran and a train nut, so I think the super cut me a break and wrote me an access permission paper.
I know you'll bring something interesting to Monroeville that you have tortured. You need to get that Pennsy crane repainted into URR colors. See you at Monroeville!
Nick

I sometimes go to the Rook yard (WLE, formerly of PWV) in greentree with my grandpa. Access is easy cause there's no barrier or fences in a couple areas, and there's always action.

Tortured is an understatement! And you still never relettered that conrail crane you don't have!!