The PRR St. Clair Ave. roundhouse was like railfan Disneyland in the mid '50's. Steam, exotic diesels, even imported Santa Fe 2-10-4's, and the fuel tanks they required since they were oil burners, seen right. They were all here. And the photographers who showed up were welcomed by friendly PRR employees. Hundreds had been downsized out of a job at the adjacent 20th St. shops over the prior decade. That includes the foundry's shutdown in 1955 as evidenced by the smokeless smokestack towering above and behind the facility. Maybe that fatalistic view of what the future employment prospects were could explain why the welcome mat was rolled out when John showed up with his friend the late Bill Rosenberg, twice, in the month of August 1956. Today, most evidence of any facilities is obliterated in any satellite view.
Photos of North America's favorite First Generation locomotives. EMD, ALCO, Baldwin; essentially anything that represents the OG wide cab diesel locomotive
