Can anyone help id the truck in the picture of this blog? http://govislandblog.com/2014/06/18/governors-island-archives-unearthed This is the first I had heard of rails here. I’m not surprised as this kind of rail operation was common in fortresses. The piece caught my eye and I thought I would pass on the request for help. If anyone wants to comment on operation etc please feel free. Thx IGN
Also there is a site about this.: http://www.trainweb.org/bedt/milrr/girr.html Thx IGN
http://govislandblog.com/2014/06/18/governors-island-archives-unearthed
Write the address, and then press Enter.
That certainly looks like an old arch-bar truck, possibly 19th Century vintage, I don’t think they were built in the 20th Century, or if they were, not for long.
100-plus years old, at least.
It shouldn’t seem so unusual – once a person recognizes that there was no other practical way to move freight, particularly heavier items, over even short distances until the emergence and adaptation of the internal combustion engine and all-weather paving.
Technology – like everything else, adapts to the forces of supply and demand – often given a “push” in one direction or another by partnering with the state (meaning government at any level) which holds a monopoly on the power to enforce its decisions. And that can lead to some unusual “hardware”, particularly in places like great cities and harbors where the concentration of population encourages it.
Arch bars were failrly commn until the mid-1930s, and survived on non-interchange equipment a lot longer (they were banned from interchange in 1937). I remember arch-bars in service on Soo Line cabooses until 1970 at least. Around 1980 Western Pacific borrowed Nevada Northern’s steam wrecker and returned it with roller bearings in the arch bar truck frames.
Arch bars probably made up the majority of freight car trucks during WW I. There were also “upgrade kits” like Andrews trucks that put a cast frame on top of the same journals. Andrews and similar upgrades were banned from interchange in 1938.
Based on the age I would suggest looking closely at the castings of the arch bar and each wheel. You should see a lot of lettering and numbers including perhaps: manufacturer name and location, date of manufacturer, maybe a railroad name or initials, and some other numbers or letters indicating serial or model or type. And it might be that the arch will have different markings than the arch bar, too. But finding and knowing any numbers or letter cast into the bar or wheel can help you and us identify and explain.
Thanks rcdrye and Henry6! As an old friend of mine once said it’s a wasted day if you don’t learn something new. I didn’t think arch-bar trucks stayed around for so ong, for various reasons.
Reminds me of an article I read several years ago of an agricultural railroad in florida that was using gondolas that still had friction bearing trucks. Needless to say, not for interchange.
When did they stop making archbar trucks for railroads? Also the wheels have a ribbed back. I had thought that was not done til into the 20th century. Thx IGN
By Deggesty on Friday, June 20, 2014 http://govislandblog.com/2014/06/18/governors-island-archives-unearthed Write the address, and then press Enter. Johnny thanks I’ll try to remember that. I use a tablet and it tends sometimes to do weird things. Thx IGN
Archbar trucks were made new at least to the end of World War I, and were so simple to repair that new parts were probably made until they were no longer legal or serviceable. The only cast parts were the journal boxes, and sometimes (but not always) the bolsters and spring planks. Cast designs were widespread by 1910, including the Bettendorf, Barber and other designs. Andrews and some other designs allowed the re-use of arch-bar journals with a cast frame. There were also some stamped steel designs like the Fox.
Once the ICC banned them from interchange, arch-bars were reduced to use on captive equipment like cabooses, tenders and MOW equipment. They were still easy to repair, so some saw long service lives. A notable late user was the D&RGW, on narrow-gauge equipment.
Cast wheels, both of chilled iron and steel, were made as early as the 1880s. I’m not sure of the exact date, but iron wheels were banned from interchange before 1960.
Good group here, fella’s…a few remarks:
Why the railroad stuff on Governor’s Isle? Too move artillery shells from delivering ships to a magazine to the weapons? Why?
There’s a working freight yard populated by I guess maybe 40 cars riding on about a half dozen, maybe more, different designs of early 20th century freight car trucks? They,ve got to be seen, a time capsule…but they’re in a museum appropriately; Go to the yard in Ely of the Nevada Northern. Likely you’ll be inspired to join and support the NNRy.
Hiring out on SP’s Coast Div in engine service Spring of 1960, I joined a club of men, no women, that worked individually, but B.S.'d mutually given an opportunity, about happenings, not history. This is about wheels…a pair of trains ran overnight SF to LA and LA to SF, 20 or so specially painted box cars and cabooses…Daylight engines…hot, hot, hot!
When I hired out the pair of trains had evolved into Piggyback trains, overnight schedules, First Class trains. They were the “Zippers”
But their predecessors, they were, seemed to be named, said those who worked them, the “Steel Wheels,” 'cause iron wheels…high speed and heavy braking and iron wheels?
Not.
From reading thru the various articles warehouses were built for military supplies. Given the time frame it is possible the concern was over sabotage. Governors Island being an island would have made for a more secure location as personal could have been better screened before being admitted. Thx IGN
Excerpt from The Sentinel Isle
“The early years of the twentieth century saw many changes on Governors Island. The garrison troops had already been transferred from Artillery to Infantry and in 1901, work was begun on the addition of made land to the west and south of the Island. Bay Road, now extending between South Battery (The Officers’ Club) and Castle Williams, marks the former south shore line. A new sea wall was constructed out in the bay and the intervening space was gradually built up with dirt and stone from the excavation for the Fourth Avenue Subway, then under construction. By 1912, 102 acres had been added to the Island at a cost of more than $1,000,000.”
https://archive.org/details/sentinelislebrie00bogg
Excerpt from Governors Island Its Military History Under Three Flags 1637-1922
"Congress declared a State of War against Germany on April 6th, 1917, Good Friday, at 3:12 a.m. The Battalion of the 22nd U. S. Infantry sta
Back in the early 60’s I contacted the Commanding Officer of the unit on Governors Island for permission to take some photographs there, You could get some great photos of the NYC skyline from there. I was granted permission after being screened, but was also ESCORTED during my visit.
One thing to note about Governor’s Island - the use of carfloats to service a yard in and around New York was completely normal practice at the time the warehouses were built. This was not only useful for getting “stuff” to Governor’s Island, but also made getting it on ships easier. Cars could be loaded at the warehouses and lashed to “station floats” with a center platform, from which ships could load directly. This was common practice until the mid-1950s and lasted into at least the 1960s.