[Photo for GL courtesy of Deborah Matlack]
For those who don’t know, there are still trains and train tracks on First Avenue in Sunset Park. This pic comes our wide-ranging photog, Deborah Matlack. She writes, “I had occasion to be on First Avenue in the 40’s, and got this shot of a Union Pacific caboose in the track area. Everything is fenced in, I don’t remember fencing years ago.”
5 responses so far ↓
1 dave // Feb 20, 2009 at 11:33 am
Sorry, it’s not a caboose, it’s a small engine refered to as a “yard dog” because they’re mostly used in freight yards to put trains together.
Very nice photo, though. I remember the first time i saw a train down there on the street, scared the pants off me!
2 cc // Feb 20, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Nice shot. But that’s no caboose.
3 Jim // Feb 20, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Know your feeling Dave; when I lived in the Kensington area years ago, I asked someone about the train tracks on McDonald. He said they were still used, and I figured he was pulling my chain. Then one day driving south on McDonald, I glanced up at my mirror while stopped at light at Ditmas Ave. Behold, an engine was behind me! Got my attention.
4 deborah matlack // Feb 20, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Thanks, Dave. Guess I don’t know my caboose from a hole in the ground. “Yard dog”, interesting. Jim, thanks for info about train tracks on McDonald, I wonder if they’re used today. Always fascinated by choo choo trains, especially in the city.
5 Bruce // Feb 20, 2009 at 6:44 pm
the train tracks on McDonald have been paved over for years.