Abandoned train in Glenmont
The last stop.
Sebastien's Urban Decay Tour of the Capital Region™ took him to Glenmont recently and this abandoned train.
He says he's not sure about the train's history, but maybe you know something. Here's what he and B do know:
The eight rail cars are entirely derelict and rusting; apparently they were supposed to be part of a living museum that was scrapped. [...] the last three cars are commuter cars that were supposed to represent different eras of rail travel but are now neglected. One photo has a logo that reads "The D&H - Delaware and Hudson 1823-1973 Sesquicentennial", and the D&H is also the name of a building right next to 787.
Here are more photos of the site by B, Mike and Paul -- who has an especially good shot of the locomotive.
Earlier on AOA:
+ The Starlight Music Theatre
+ Central Warehouse
photo: Sebastien B
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Comments
Great photos, Sebastien! I looove those texture shots. Thanks again for the link, guys.
... said Paul on Jun 4, 2009 at 1:25 PM | link
Great stuff; as always!
... said Summer on Jun 4, 2009 at 2:26 PM | link
The best part about AOA is being part of the Smart Kids Club. This stuff is awesome.
... said komradebob on Jun 4, 2009 at 2:26 PM | link
So... where is this exactly? This Glenmont resident is curious!
... said Ewan on Jun 4, 2009 at 4:42 PM | link
@ewan: we (at least I) would rather not expose the location publicly, to avoid any "accident" (see my DISCLAIMER on the photoset page), but I can tell you privately; sebastien dot barre at gmail dot com.
... said -S on Jun 4, 2009 at 5:39 PM | link
As a huge fan of photographers w/an eye for the weird beauty of urban decay, I have to say: Great job, you guys! :)
... said Kim on Jun 4, 2009 at 8:13 PM | link
If you're a fan of trains, we have one of the country's most renowned train photographers in the area. He's Jim Shaughnessy and he lives in Troy.
... said Brian M on Jun 4, 2009 at 9:26 PM | link
@Brian: thanks for the info Brian, I didn't know. I indeed found some of his beautiful photography online, illustrating this 2008 article in Wired for example. I'd like to contact him to ask if he knows about this train, but I'm not sure he has a "presence" online (several other Jim Shaughnessy do).
... said -S on Jun 5, 2009 at 12:22 AM | link
I stayed at the "Hotel Wellington & Garage" in 1976 (sleazy) and again in 1983 (nicely refurbished); was out to Albany both times for railroad/railfan trips.
Am ineterested in that trainset. Looked up Glenmont in the DeLorme and suspect the train is on the former Albany branch of the West Shore RR, either that or the remnant of the now-abandoned and ripped up D&H line out of Albany west to Voorheesville. Will ask around among Albany railfans because some of these cars may be significant. One engine looks like ex-ConRail, the other an Alco RS-something; the paint scheme looks like Port of Albany rather than D&H. The D&H logo suggests a car used on the D&H Sesquicentennial train in 1973-4 and sad to seen it come to such an end. The car with the chairs seems like a former lounge/parlor car perhaps from the Amtrak Adirondack before TurboTrain and Amfleet days. Suspect some of the cars may be from a set that were stored under Grand Central Terminal that got vandalized and torched by some homeless people.
Now the bad news: USEFUL POINTERS:
I know you guys like to be artistic but for historical use it would help to put in a few straight photos too. Same with the Wellington, classic sleazy old inner-city hotel, not much in the way of interesting stand-out decor inside when it was open, but sad to see so many shots wasted on puerile drivel. I was trolling through the Internet for demolition pictures for the Wellington.
Hey, a very useful site All Over Albany. Believe it or not the Bank Headquarters building that was the former NYC&HRRR station looked wretched in 1976: ceiling caved in, a real WW II-type ruin--and it had been an active station until early 1969! I was told the reason it was restored and turned into bank headquarters was that demolising it would have required dynamiting that would have wiped out downtown Albany.
... said Thos on Aug 29, 2009 at 8:13 PM | link
Thos, I assume you read the comments on the Wellington post that explained a little of the technical difficulties we face on these shoots, and our genuine attempts at briding the artistic/documentarian divide.
In the case of trains, I know I'm wholly ignorant of the intricacies of the subject and guess that the otehrs shooting probably are too. This site will probably be revisited, so if you could help us by telling us what specifically an enthusiast would be looking for, what details or generalities would help in this identification, that would be great and hopefully we can get those shots next time. Though, as with the Wellington, there are other considerations; this site is choked by trees and armpit-high weeds, with rusted metal, broken glass, and worse scattered everywhere. Some things are just not practical, such as broadside shots of the cars without this $800 10-22mm lens. I'm currently taking donations, if that's what you're really looking for.
... said B on Aug 31, 2009 at 9:21 AM | link
Based on some of the stenciling on the engines and cars visible in the photos, it appears these relics were 'saved' for restoration by a local historic railway.
If you know where to look (and, no I won't tell you :) ) the train is visible on Google Maps.
... said komradebob on Aug 31, 2009 at 11:15 AM | link
The blue engine looks to me like an Alco Century Series, maybe a Century 430.
... said Daniel Humphrey on Dec 31, 2009 at 12:53 AM | link
Sorry to burst your bubble, that looks nothing like an Alco Century. (there are only 5 C430s left) That's an ex-Conrail GE U25B, a (nowadays) rare, nostalgic engine in its own right. The other engine is a former D&H RS3. I think the Mohawk & Hudson Chapter of NRHS owned these, which they've obviously forgotton about.
... said Nick Serrano on Mar 12, 2010 at 9:54 PM | link
They're not forgotten. See this thread: http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=128&t=42743&st=0&sk=t&sd=a
... said Russell Nelson on Mar 26, 2010 at 1:29 AM | link
Russ, thanks for that link; a lot of info to slog through but it looks like they really know what they're talking about.
... said B on Mar 26, 2010 at 1:52 PM | link
I believe this project was put together in the eighties by some members of a Railroad Historical Society. It was done with a government grant - just more taxpayers money gone to waste. Some of the people that organized this project consisted of Conrail management at the time, They have since either retired or left this area years ago. It was originally parked along a fence on the River Road in Glenmont and could be seen by the road. The Delaware and Hudson RR was bought out by the Canadian Pacific.
... said Lynda VonDuhn on Apr 10, 2010 at 1:17 PM | link