Auto racks in The Bronx.

I found an old slide I had that was taken from the roof of
2698 Bailey Ave, in The Bronx. The slide shows the freight yard
at BN between The Deegan Exp and White Rose Tea Dist Center.
Must be 10 boxcars and at least three, two level auto rack cars.
Each auto rack car has ten Auto's on it and they look like
Corvairs. I think the slide was taken in 1959 or 1960.
I can only think that they were unloaded at the auto whse. at
the north end of Spiten Divel yard.

Jim

Can anybody help him upload his picture to this thread so we can see what he's talking about??

D/

I was a yard clerk at Yonkers Yard in 1960 and 1961, working summers. In 1960, we handled empty "auto racks," double-door box cars with racks for stacking automobiles, returning to Kenosha Auto Transport, for American Motors at Kenosha, Wisconsin. The loads went to the automobile warehouse at FH Yard in Kingsbridge, with is probably the "Spuyten Duyvil Yard" that was mentioned in the first post.

By June, 1961, those "auto rack cars" had been replaced by bi-level automobile racks on TTX flat cars in the same service, Kenosha to FH and return. They were bi-levels because of the limited overhead clearances on the Hudson Division. At about that time, NYC had improved the clearances on the River Division (West Shore) to move tri-levels to a new auto yard in North Bergen.

The bi-levels at BN Yard were probably set off there by DM-2 on its way to Westchester Avenue, and then moved by an FH traveling switcher to FH to be unloaded. FH Yard pointed wrong for a set-off by an eastbound road train, and it was not a good idea to pull the road engines to the east end and try to run around the setoff. BN was a longer yard, and it faced the right way for that move.

I also worked at BN, but I never handled any bi-levels there. BN mostly handled perishables and food products for East View A&P, Mt. Kisco Grand Union, and Bronx Terminal Market, and everything else going up the Putnam Division.

Chief-

I remember in the early 60's seeing Flexi-Vans in I think Yonkers. Would you know if that might have been at Phelps Dodge?

Also, was there a NABISCO plant served by rail anywhere between Hastings-On-Hudson and points south?

Thanks!

Dieter/

Dieter wrote:Chief-

I remember in the early 60's seeing Flexi-Vans in I think Yonkers. Would you know if that might have been at Phelps Dodge?

Phelps Dodge was the corporate name, but it was always known on the NYC as Habershaw, the name of the original company. The Flexi-Vans were not placed at Habershaw. In 1960, before SV-1 began operating from High Bridge, the vans were often moved by an FH traveling switcher from High Bridge to Track 6 at Yonkers, and picked up there by LS-1. If you saw them at Yonkers, that was probably the move.

Dieter wrote: Also, was there a NABISCO plant served by rail anywhere between Hastings-On-Hudson and points south?

Thanks!

Dieter

The only National Biscuit plant I remember was a Beacon. It was served by the Harmon-Beacon Switcher out of Harmon, and it was a good source of traffic.

See if my recollections square with reality.

Gordon

Thanks, Chief!

D/