Fascinating shot! Very interesting, thanks for sharing.
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An interesting shot of recent history. Gives a nice glimpse of how people actually used to use railways as a work tool. And those boxcars!.So much more interesting than all these modern metal sided stuff.
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Wow - thanks for sharing! That is classic view of something that is never going to be seen again, horses going by train!
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| Posted by on April 29, 2012 | |
Thanks, Joe, for sharing this outstanding image of an aspect of railroading long, long gone! I barely remember stock cars being in service (on the L&N), and that goes back to the early '50s!
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Joe... Thanks for sharing this classic view of a long-gone era on a long-gone branch line -- it's a real gem for sure! I'm wondering if you recall the function of the cowboy on top of the stock car? I can't tell for sure if he's lying up there just observing the loading process or if he's standing on a platform of some kind (with hopefully some form of leg protection!) inside the stock car?
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You can almost smell the dust and fell that late sumer Texas heat. I'm too young to have ever seen stock cars in use, but have always admired their use.
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Excellent shot. I drive in that area all the time and can still see remnants of the line that I understand was abandoned and ripped up in the 70's
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Jim Sinclair: This photo was taken back in the days of the full-crew law. There are five crewmen. The engineer and fireman are on the engine, the conductor is second from the right with the straw hat and blue overalls, one brakeman is watching at left, and the other brakeman is watching from atop the stock car. The man at the far right standing on the fence is a cowboy. You'll notice that he has a stick in his hand and poking the horses to get them to move into the car.
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To Jim McCulloch: Yes, the branch from Yorktown west to Kenedy was torn up in December 1964 and January 1965. The segment from Yorktown to Cuero was removed in 1972.
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This is a wonderful photo of a scene gone from the conscience of my generation of railfans and railroaders. From the stock cars, single car railroading, and branchline operations in general to overalls and the five man crew virtually everything depicted has changed. Modern railroads are certainly more efficient, but as such are often lacking in the human element and the "character" depicted herein.
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