1970s Photos of Rochester

Thanks guys for your input. I too have spent plenty of time in Hilton with my friend, who's dad is a Hilton Firefighter. I travel Old Hojack Lane at least once a month. Very fascinating to see the track bumper and the Milepost still intact.

Does anyone have any B&O connection at west yard pictures? What was interchanged there?

4x8s are a pain to move. I even cut up a 4x8 and turned it into modules; one side was a yard so it became 2'6"x8' and that was a pain to move around. I'd suggest picking out the key scenes you want to model, laying out your track plans - use actual track, or photocopies of it, to sort out what works - and doing all of it in 2x4 foot "dominoes" that you can easily move yourself. When you cut ends that will adjoin, drill through both at once to create bolt holes that align them properly. And if you build it so it runs like 10 feet by 8 feet in a loop or a U shape, you have something that will fit even in a relatively small spare room when the time comes you have a place to put it.

Ok I will do that. Thanks for the advice. 4X8's are most certainly a pain in the butt to move.

BR&P wrote:Some organization in Hamlin put out a booklet for their Centennial somewhere about 1976. One item I remember (hopefully with reasonable accuracy) was that in....1920 maybe?...during the harvest, ONE customer there shipped out 225 carloads - in ONE week! Multiply that by other customers in Hamlin, and by several weeks during the harvest season, and multiply that again by how many other stations there were along the line....it boggles the mind!

Yes, they did.....I want to say the Seymour Library in Brockport has a copy of this, at least they did last I knew. It's called
"Tracking Hamlin, the White Elephant Line", by Mary E. Smith. I would like to land myself a copy at some point.

In the 40's and 50's there was a West Local,which came out of Goodman Street Yard and worked west one day, back the next. Instead of a caboose, this job used a combine which had bunks, a stove, etc for the crew to stay in at Niagara Falls. (A similar arrangement was used for the Red Line, which worked the East Hojack to Oswego and back). In the busy season extra jobs were called to go where needed, for instance Hamlin. The crew called this the "Hamlin Backup" because the steam engine had to run in reverse one way since there was no wye or turntable available out there.

I bet it took a while to get to both Oswego and Niagara Falls! From what I remember reading, track speeds weren't
all that fast even back then. Quite a few bridges and a couple trestles at Waterport and Burt.

Charlie

Charlie, I don't have an ETT handy but in the 40's and 50's I would think the Hojack was still fairly decent track. I'd guess, off the top of my head, most of it was 30 mph at least. By the 70's it was mostly 10 and in many places even less.

I thought I had a copy of that Hamlin book but have not seen it in years, may be in some long-unopened box. One copy, used, on Amazon at $35.00 for a 24-page book.

I was thinking about getting that book myself. I didn't know if it was going to be of any use. All the info you guys have been providing has been great.

-Josh

Question: I also see multiple sidings in Hamlin. What would the industries be??

Conrail6467 wrote:Question: I also see multiple sidings in Hamlin. What would the industries be??

Hamlin had the Duffy Mott company, which was the biggest customer on the Hojack. After they closed up shop
in 1977, that was pretty much the ballgame and the Hojack's fate was sealed. I'm not 100% sure if there are any
more remnants of the Duffy Mott buildings, but most all of it is gone today, along with the tracks.

Here's a really nice photo taken by Duncan Richards of the last train on the Hojack creeping by Duffy Mott.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duncanric ... 419687736/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Charlie

BR&P wrote:Charlie, I don't have an ETT handy but in the 40's and 50's I would think the Hojack was still fairly decent track. I'd guess, off the top of my head, most of it was 30 mph at least. By the 70's it was mostly 10 and in many places even less.

That sounds right on. I have a copy of New York Central's ETT #17 from 4/25/65 and track speed on the "East Hojack" was 30
mph from West Yard (Oswego?) to MP 94 in Charlotte and west of there to MP 172 was maximum 15 mph and less over many
street crossings.

Charlie

Conrail6467 wrote:Does anyone have any B&O connection at west yard pictures? What was interchanged there?

I know the B&O dropped off coal at West Yard for Russell Station. Perhaps others may know if anything else was interchanged. The '70s was a colorful decade for the B&O in Rochester. In addition to the rainbow striped B&O/C&O units, WM power made some appearances, too.

Thanks again guys. The first module is in the works!!g

Quick question guys, I'm sorry I've got so many of them. I have the 2X2 module ready, but where would be the best place to start?

Pick a spot and start with it. Remember that the construction of the rest of the modules will base off that one. Whether you want to start at an "end" and work your way across the whole thing or start in a "middle" and work each direction is your preference. Depending on how true you're trying to stay to grades will play some difference into this too - if you need to descend from central Rochester to Charlotte Beach, that's a lot of height difference to figure out too. Even to just model a condensed height variation you're looking at at least a few inches difference which you'll need to decide how to tie the boards together at that point to look good.

Either way, I'd personally start from a central point where you might end up branching different directions so that they can be kind of centered within the 2x2 boards most of the way. I think you'll probably want to sit down and draw out a plan first, maybe on some graph paper that you can mark out your proposed lines and scenes and then figure out how that'll best fit onto your 2x2 modules (want as few connections between boards as possible!). Even if you stray from the plans later on you at least have an idea down and can refer to it whenever.

Just thought I'd share these:

http://photo.libraryweb.org/rochimag/ha ... m00023.jpg

Aerial View of Duffy-Mott Plant in Hamlin dated 1950. Looks like a few remnants of the buildings furthest away (west side of the complex) still exist.

http://photo.libraryweb.org/rochimag/ha ... m00024.jpg

The view in 1974. Looking from the west to the east.

http://photo.libraryweb.org/rochimag/hi ... m00135.jpg

An aerial view of the 1965 Hilton fire. Looking south. The hojack runs along the bottom of the frame. It crosses East Ave. just to the left and the Depot would be just off to the right.

Thought I would share those. The Monroe County Library Photo Collection has some really neat stuff. I have spent hours searching through it.