The
Golden Age of Railroads in New York’s Capital District describes
the exciting history of rail transportation in the Capital Region of
New York State during the height of operations from the late 1800s
to mid-1900s. Although the book was designed as an easy-to-read
overview of railroading in Upstate New York, it contains many
details that will be of interest to beginners and rail historians
alike. Important but sometimes little-known facets of the rail
systems include detailed descriptions of the local yards and shops
of three interstate systems, the towns and industries served, and
the effect that the electric street railways had on the steam
railroads and life in general.
The text is aided by more than 100
vintage photographs and maps. Several appendices help readers
comprehend just how massive the railroad industry was in the Capital
District, such as a list of some 120 individual local railroad
companies, junction points, interlocking tower locations, and two
different freight customer directories.
Some of
the vintage photographs include two track layouts of the West Albany
yard in the late 1800s and in 1920, the floor plan of the Saratoga
trolley station, multiple photos of the three largest stations
(Albany, Schenectady, Troy), multiple maps showing how the railroads
operated through villages and cities, photos of all the principal
yards in the area, photos of the railroads serving various
industries, and dozens of previously unpublished photos of steam
locomotives and trolleys as they served the Capital District.
The book features many early
photographs from the collection of the late Joseph Smith, provided
by his grandson Kenneth Bradford. The Golden Age
of Railroads in New York’s Capital District: 161 pages, 8½ X 11,
perfect bound soft cover.
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