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From: "Ron" rdukarm AT roadrunner DOT com
Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2008 01:49:43 -0500
Subject: Garfield Switchman's Shanty
"Garfield_Switchman_Shanty_ew_c70_nd_2.jpg" - image/jpeg, 627x452 (24bit)

List,

Last year, I posted the attached photos which caused some discussion. Emil Walerko, who took the attached photos of the Garfield switchman's shanty, has provided the following information:

"As far as the switchman's shanty, I believe it was the governing building for the turning wye that originally made up the start of the Dundee Branch, which ran down Monroe Street in Garfield, crossed the Passaic River at River Drive and ran through a classification yard on a man-made fill (that part of Passaic was originally an island as shown in an NJ Midland RRHS article on the branch). The branch interchanged with the NYS&W along the Dundee Canal, and terminated at US Rubber and the the old Allied Chemical tin nitrate production plant along 8th Street. I have a couple of large aerial photos of the 1934 Allied Plant on 8th Street and it shows a camelback, possibly an H class, working the drill.

"The west-south leg of the wye which started on Monroe Street, and curved crossing Commerce Street connecting to a siding that terminated west of the Garfield station, was removed, I am guessing, after steam ceased to run on the branch. Parts of its ROW can be seen from curved sided buildings along Monroe Street. The west-north leg is still in use as an interchange between the New York & Greenwwod Lake Rwy., and NS.

"The shanty stood next to the turnout at the start of the west-north leg, and ran down a siding, so you actually had to perform a switchback to get on the main line. This prevented anyone from tampering with the turnouts allowing a fast moving eastbound train from going down the middle of Monroe Street. The Passaic Rivver trestle at the opposite end of Monroe street could only support B and C class steamers, and SE switchers like the NW-2, SW-7, and Alco S-1, 2. It was not until the last 15 years that the trestle was rebuilt with steel bents to handle NY&GL RS-3, GP-7, and even the U34CH that the NY&GL keep for parts (?)

"When I started photographing in 1967, the shanty was in a faded Erie 2 tone green and a red oxide shingle roof. Later it was repainted all oxide red. I remember it was open whenever the the morning drill crew was there. They would arrive on the westbound side and wait until the last eatbound train, usually at 9:30 a.m. would go by. That is the time of the photo with 932 coming down the line, and I believe that it was the summer of 1971 or 1972.

"I would ride my bike to that spot during the summer, or my dad's 1966 Ford Falcon, and follow the 400 series switcher across the eastbound track, then to the siding, and finally down Monroe Street. At that time they would lock up the shanty, and return about 3-4 hours later with any cars to be put out for pickup. The pickup was made by a 1400 GP later in the week and would drill down the line past Coalberg/Passaic jct. and up the line eventually getting to Suffern, or if it is a short day, would return to Croxton. My favorite shot is taking a picture of EL 450, still in Lackawanna paint waiting at the traffic light at Monroe Street and Palisades Ave., next to a 1970 Camaro SS

"I am not sure about the final disposition of the shanty, whether it was torched like the Garfield Station, or just bulldozed down when they cleared all the underbrush and saplings that grew up around it. In the RS-3 932 photo on your website, the building behind the train was a rubber plant, and parts of the building is still there but used as storage. I am not sure it it was associated with the Armstrong Tire manufacturer which was on the south side of Monroe Street. Its brick building is still there being used by a chain-link fence company and is bordered on the east by the siding that runs by the shanty."

Emil Walerko

Garfield_Switchman_Shanty_ew_c70_nd_2.jpg

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