O&W From the End of the Line to the Roundhouse and Shops
The O&W ended (or began, depending on your point of view) here, on the south side of East Bridge Street in Oswego. The switch is the crossover so O&W engines could run around their trains via the NYC track.
The track to the right is the New York Central, the one on the left is the O&W, although the power pole tells us there have been no trains on the O&W track in some time. Barbeau Studio
The O&W depot was located on East Bridge and Third Streets. Early schedules suggest the RW&O and New York Central trains stopped here and at their own station on the west side of the river. Second and third photos, Sue and John Hudson Collection, courtesy John Taibi
A New York Central plow train passing the station, probably in the 1940s. Barbeau Studio
By the early 1950s, the Loblaw grocery store had replaced the O&W depot for several years. Note the Ames Iron Works in the background. Barbeau Studio
Passenger trains were almost a thing of the past when the Mountaineer observation car was host to a nattily-dressed group of businessmen. Recognize anyone? The car is parked on the north side of East Cayuga Street, with Ames Iron Works in the background. I wonder what that carman in the left background is thinking about all this? Barbeau Studio
This aerial photo shows the freighthouse and team tracks north of East Cayuga Street. Barbeau Studio
Frank Barbeau climbed atop a boxcar to take this view looking south at the freighthouse on the left and in the distance, with the whitewashed first level walls, the passenger station. Barbeau Studio
From Schuyler Street, we look back toward the river. The J.B. McMurrich coal dock so often seen in views of the O&W trestle is straight ahead. The track on the right is NYC. Access to the coal docks required the O&W to cross over the NYC track around East 9th Street. D. Diver Collection, Cornell Univ.
Turning around to look east along Schuyler Street, an O&W crossing guard's shanty is on the left, and a crossover to the NYC on the left. Note the streetcar tracks crossing all three railroad lines. D. Diver Collection, Cornell Univ.
At what appears to be East 12th Street, we see the O&W tracks curve off to the right and the NYC to the left. Ahead is the roundhouse, the stores building (later to become the freighthouse) and the car shop. Barbeau Studio
This is believed to be the original Oswego Midland car and locomotive shop near where the later roundhouse was located. Note the locomotive boiler on the flatcar. D. Diver Collection, Cornell Univ.
These scenes, probably from the early 1900s, show the Oswego roundhouse under construction. Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 3 Photo 4 O&WRHS Collection
During the construction, we see the car shop building with the roundhouse going up in the background. O&WRHS Collection
Another of Frank Barbeau's aerial views shows the roundhouse with most of its roof gone, the stores building and shop. The Oswego Soy Company factory is at the top. Barbeau Studio
Imagine sifting through a huge box of negatives and suddenly coming across a series of negatives of your favorite railroad. Frank Barbeau did a lot of accident photography, so he wasn't really looking for great shots of engines, cars or buildings-just what was needed to satisfy the insurance company or court requirements. Hence, this series of 6 8x10" negatives of FT #803 just arrived in Oswego, probably with train NO-2. The heart beats faster in anticipation of a great early shot of this unit on a negative which could be blown up to extremes for detail. Barbeau Studio
Then you get to shot #1-and you're crushed. Just a couple of steps backwards. Ah, the frustrations of a rail historian; so close and yet so far. Barbeau Studio
After the 803 probably moved further up the track, we see a view of the switch which sends the main track curving to the right toward the docks and the lead to the enginehouse (in the former car shop building) heading straight to the left. Note the three color signal turned away from the track and the derail on the right-most rail. Barbeau Studio
Was the reason for this series of photos a derailment? A shot of the derail completes the views and leaves many questions. Barbeau Studio
In June, 1994, Marty Leukhardt, took these shots looking toward the same bridge. The O&W track is now Conrail yard track. Marty Leukhardt
With the coming of the diesels, the roundhouse was phased out and the old car shop building changed into a diesel enginehouse. Here we see FT 805 ready to leave southbound. O&WRHS Collection
Marty Leukhardt also took these June 1994
views of the stores building (south
side) and the carshop/diesel house.
Marty Leukhardt
