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All about the Arcade & Attica Railroad

Moderator: Benjamin Maggi

 #586659  by BSOR Patarak
 
In doing some research through old A&A ICC Valuation records, I came across one entry that might shed some light on the sand house. Around 1918, there was a mention of the building of a "Combination Sand and Water Tower at Arcade". I assumed that the BA&A had built it due to an old fire map showing a small structure near the same spot as where the sand house stood. It may have only been a tool shed or something else. The BA&A had other water tanks along the line and probably didn't build anything new at Arcade in the early years. Once the Buffalo & Susquehanna built through Arcade, they built a large tank on the south corner of the wye. The BA&A no doubt used that at Arcade. As for the A&A, when they took over, they tried to take every step to make the railroad as efficient as possible. They did purchase the Arcade tank from the W&B, but due to it's location away from the shop, and the fact that it was a standard outside tank, it makes sense that the A&A wanted a different arrangement. It fits in then that they would want to build a combination Sand House/Water Tower. Being enclosed, it was easy to heat the structure to keep the water thawed year round, and it also was easy to use this heat to keep the sand warm and dry as well. Interesting stuff.....
 #587074  by Benjamin Maggi
 
How is #18 filled now? Does the A&A use a firetruck, or is there a water storage tank nearby that is used. I would imagine that you don't fill it up with a garden hose!
 #587096  by jgallaway81
 
Ben, there is pipe in the enginehouse.
The pipe runs along the top rafters toward the front of the shop, to a point roughly twenty feet from the front, where it drops to about 24"-30" above the floor. There the pipe is controlled by a valve and the hose is connected.

The hose is then run out to the tender. When the larger firehoses are used, it is placed within the tank's hatch. When the smaller rubber hose is used, it is fed through a smallish 2" diameter hole in the tank's roof.

I theorize the hole was originally designated as a air exhaust port for when the tank was being filled by a large capacity delivery system such as an overhead tank.
 #1061567  by Benjamin Maggi
 
I have been watching that. I wonder if it was built by the same guy who owned Freshwater Models.