Schenectady (was: NYC mystery location)

I recently obtained a couple of unidentified photos on eBay which I recognize as NYC, taken some time in the 1910s or '20s at the same location. The scene (taken after a fairly heavy snow) shows a multiple-track mainline, but with passenger trains running in opposite directions on the two near tracks. There is an interlocking tower identified only as "9" -- no telegraph letters or name. Behind it is double-track trolley line, and on the opposite side of the track a wood freight house. One of the scenes is a 3/4 view of a Pacific-hauled passenger train, with an engine number in the 3000-series. Assuming NYC, that would place it on the ex-NYC&HR or ex-LS&MS, and exclude the Big Four, MC, etc.

Sadly, I'm not adept enough to transmit the image, but theoretrically the "Tower 9" should place the photo. The trouble is, I wasn't aware that the NYC used numbers to designate its towers, except on the B&A -- and this doesn't seem to be on the B&A. (B&A tower 9 was at Allston, within urban Boston, and this scene definitely isn't there.)

Can somebody tell me where else a "Tower 9" might have been?

BaltOhio-I'm afraid I'm not familiar enough with the New York Central system to be able to identify "Tower 9", however, one place that seems to fit the criteria that you identify is Westfield, NY where the Jamestown, Westfield & North Western (known locally as "Jesus Wept and No Wonder") connected with the NYC. This was in Chautauqua County, the westernmost county in New York State, between Buffalo, NY and Erie, PA. The JW&NW connection was considered important enough that many limited stop passenger trains on the NYC did stop in Westfield. IIRC, there was a tower east of the station on the north side of the NYC mainline.

Here's a link to a photo of a JW&NW car at the Westfield NYC depot courtesy of Dave's Railpix.com". Does the depot resemble the photos in your possession?

http://www.davesrailpix.com/odds/ny/htm/james01.htm

The photo is taken looking southeast from trackside, with Buffalo to the left, Erie to the right. Lake Erie is less than two miles away to the photographer's back. The "heavy snow" also would fit the criteria. The JW&NW ended passenger operations in the fall of 1947.

That's the Hotel Westfield in the background. I did a lot of railfanning here in the late 1960's/early 1970's. The last passenger train stopped here on "A" day in 1971. The depot has since been purchased by a private individual and has been beautifully restored.

BTW-forgot to mention when I first posted my reply that the NYC freight house was east of the passenger depot on the south side of the tracks.

Another link with more photos of the Westfield depot:

http://wnyrails.org/cities/westfield.htm

Thanks, Art. In the interim, it turned out that my mystery location was just west of Schenectady. But your Westfield links were far more interesting -- especially the trolley pics, which I'd never seen before.

BaltOhio wrote:Thanks, Art. In the interim, it turned out that my mystery location was just west of Schenectady. But your Westfield links were far more interesting -- especially the trolley pics, which I'd never seen before.

Just out of curiousity, what was the name of the trolley/interurban line in question?

The FJ&G (Fonda, Johnstown & Gloversville Railroad).

The railroad lasted longer than the interurban and interchanged with New York Central at Fonda.

Best source of information is http://www.ginosrailpage.com/

Actually, the electric line may have been the Schenectady Ry. at this particular point. The NYC experts tell me that SS-9 (as NYC identified it) was just west of the Mohawk River near the Sand Bank D&H interchange. I think the city line extended a bit beyond here, although the track was indeed used by the FJ&G in any event.
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Not to shill for the competition, but I had the two photos in question on the forums.railfan.net site a while ago under Fallen Flags - NYC, if anyone is curious. The poles for the trolley line can be seen at the far right behind the tower in the second view.