A few CVRR pictures and some other related pictures....

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Vandergrift is only 10 or 11 miles from me here at Freeport. I wouldn't call it a town of winding streets. It's laid out in a circle. You can Google the town and see who the designer was.

The card is 100 years ago - anything not straight was probably winding,

There's a really old building in town that was originally a stage theater, then became a cinema, then went into disrepair for quite some time. Now it is restored back to originality. You probably know the type of building I'm talkin' about; looks like a big bank or a court house. Big pillars out in front.

I'll have to look for it

I have a book on the Conemaugh line that shows the pic of that station and freight house from the other side.

Got the full name handy? I'll have to look for a copy.

The U.S.Steel mill would be to your left and behind you. And that bridge in the background is over the Kiski River. BTW, it ain't U.S.Steel anymore.

I remember when USS closed when I lived in Levittown and we made network news with the line at the unemployment office down the road and unemployment in our area jumped over 20% - the 1st Reagan recession..... I was lucky to keep a job by being in the right division where I worked then - other division got told Friday before Thanksgiving that everything was find and not to worry at the noon meeting - an hour later they had to hold a 2nd meeting and tell everyone that 50% were getting laid off on Monday -- Happy Thanksgiving........

[Mitch]

Rufus, the name of the book is "Pennsy's Conemaugh Division", Pittsburgh to Johnstown and Oil City, by Ken Kobus and Gary Rauch.

It is a publication of the Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society. I got my book through Amazon about 4 years ago. Think it was about $27.00.

The picture with the station and freight house, the rail line, the Kiski River, and the U.S.Steel Foundry is actually an aerial view on page 53.

The Vandergrift theater is not in the RR book.

Far as I know, the mill is still working, it's just not U.S.Steel anymore. (And it's not a foundry so no more smoke stacks, it was a rolling mill). I haven't been in downtown Vandergrift in years, since the Harley shop closed and went to Butler.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Rufus, the name of the book is "Pennsy's Conemaugh Division", Pittsburgh to Johnstown and Oil City, by Ken Kobus and Gary Rauch.

Thanks! There are quite a few nice photos that pop up when in Google Maps for Vandergrift.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

[rex desilets]

Central Branch Railway? Any further info on this?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Central Branch Railway? Any further info on this?

Speculation that it might have been part of Central Railroad of Pennsylvania

Very interesting details on that 1st car they are loading.....

[robert.]

It’s funny. That photo shows guys moving in an unloading direction. It also shows a foreman who keeps a sloppy loading dock

[Rufus T. Firefly]

It’s funny. That photo shows guys moving in an unloading direction. It also shows a foreman who keeps a sloppy loading dock

I'm not seeing the unloading direction at all - camera man asks them to stop moving....2 at the front car stop and turn while the 3rd there is holding the next board to be handed in.

Sloppy? Maybe, but then maybe just looking to maximize loading and fitting each board into the car and spreading them out a bit to see slightly different lengths - curious as to what they were loading for veneer cutting - walnut, cherry, oak?

[rogruth]

I see an end hatch for loading long timbers that slides to open.

[robert.]

I remember those long lines. My mother had worked for FMC/link belt: they canned her a month before Christmas. We went to the Hatboro office on York rd. They had a line down almost to Jarret dodge. That was to take a number and wait for your turn. My mother said words that day I. Have yet to hear another lady say. We got in around 2pm and the counter person calls my mother’s number. My mom sits down only to hear the women say “it’s my break time. Later she told my mother “she was at the wrong office” and called out “ next number” my mother had nothing to nice to say about state employees that day.2 days later she was sent back o the Hatboro office. It was the right location. There was a real division of race in that office. It maybe hard to say and read. If you did not get the same color caseworker it was a tough go.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

It’s funny. That photo shows guys moving in an unloading direction...

I'm not seeing the unloading direction at all - camera man asks them to stop moving....2 at the front car stop and turn while the 3rd there is holding the next board to be handed in. ..

I have to say, I find myself agreeing with Robert on the direction idea. That forward box car, the first man out is headed out, not inward, as the second man (African-American man in a Union Army uniform?) holds the tail of the wood plank being off-loaded. Yes, they stopped and turned toward the cameraman for the picture taking.

At the second car, the guys carrying the larger white-ish beam are headed toward the camera and toward depositing their burden on the growing pile.
Two guys on the far left are carrying a board away from the site, and the guy at the farthest left, of those two, has turned and swiveled his hips to face the camera.

IMHO.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

My mother had worked for FMC/link belt: they canned her a month before Christmas.

That's the FMC that I know all too well.

[J. S. Bach]

It’s funny. That photo shows guys moving in an unloading direction. It also shows a foreman who keeps a sloppy loading dock

And a person sitting on the roof of the first car doing absolutely nothing.

[robert.]

Here is the rail line it's on
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panhandle_Trail

[MurphOnMillerAve]

It’s funny. That photo shows guys moving in an unloading direction. It also shows a foreman who keeps a sloppy loading dock

And a person sitting on the roof of the first car doing absolutely nothing.

Pretty darn clever, Dave, I never noticed him at all . (I think that means I need to slow my roll.)