Joe Michaels
Diamond
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2004
- Location
- Shandaken, NY, USA
A sad event is underway in Schenectady, NY. The American Locomotive (ALCO) plant is being demolished to make way for the usual re-development (offices and condominiums).
I travelled from our home powerplant in the Schoharie Valley up to a remote hydro plant on the Mohawk River at Vischer Ferry yesterday (15 June, 2011) . I made sure to take the route through Schenectady streets as I had heard the old ALCO plant was slated for demolition. As of yesterday, the demolition contractor was moving fast. Demolition had begun at the north end of the plant and was up to the old boiler shop. The boiler shop is the tallest building on the Alco property, it is where boiler barrels were built by standing them on end. "American Locomotive Company" can still be seen in faded paint on the topmost portions of the old boiler shop walls. Looking South through the demolished boiler shop, you can look thru to the big doors on the end wall. It was here that many "works photographs" of new locomotives such as the NY Central J-3 Hudsons were taken.
From what I could see, the interior of the old boiler shop looked to have been gutted of any remnants of the days of rivetted boilers. The premises had been occupied for at least the past 20 years by a structural steel fabricator, so it would stand to reason that anything remaining from the boiler work such as power rivetters, plate rolls, or punches would have been removed long ago.
It's a sad sight, and I doubt any effort will be made to preserve any part of the old ALCO buildings. It's the ALCO site's turn to join General Electric's Schenectady works at doing a vanishing act and becoming parking lots or anything but a good solid heavy industrial plant ever again.
I looked at the ALCO site, knowing I would never again see the old boiler shop standing there with "American Locomotive" still painted on the highest walls. I wondered what the plant had been like in the days when they produced the legendary and powerful steam locomotives like the NY Central J-3 Hudsons, or even the UP Big Boys. Alco delivered their last steam locomotive from the Schenectady Works in something like 1948. By 1968, they delivered their last diesel locomotive and were done with locomotive building. They attempted to go into making equipment for power plants like feed water heaters, but died soon after in a series of corporate takeovers. Now, it is hard to find many people in and around Schenectady who even know that ALCO built some of the finest and most powerful steam locomotives in the world, locomotives that were exported all over the world. I wonder if any kind of historic plaque will be erected, but it will only be a few railfans or people like those of us who frequent this 'board who will take note of it.
I have not hear if any of the original ALCO buildings were to be preserved or converted for re-use, and it would not surprise me if the entire complex was razed. I'll miss driving up to the Vischer Ferry hydro plant and seeing the old ALCO plant. Like most of the engines that came out of it, and like most of the workforce who built those engines, the buildings are now fading into just photographs and memories.
Joe Michaels
I travelled from our home powerplant in the Schoharie Valley up to a remote hydro plant on the Mohawk River at Vischer Ferry yesterday (15 June, 2011) . I made sure to take the route through Schenectady streets as I had heard the old ALCO plant was slated for demolition. As of yesterday, the demolition contractor was moving fast. Demolition had begun at the north end of the plant and was up to the old boiler shop. The boiler shop is the tallest building on the Alco property, it is where boiler barrels were built by standing them on end. "American Locomotive Company" can still be seen in faded paint on the topmost portions of the old boiler shop walls. Looking South through the demolished boiler shop, you can look thru to the big doors on the end wall. It was here that many "works photographs" of new locomotives such as the NY Central J-3 Hudsons were taken.
From what I could see, the interior of the old boiler shop looked to have been gutted of any remnants of the days of rivetted boilers. The premises had been occupied for at least the past 20 years by a structural steel fabricator, so it would stand to reason that anything remaining from the boiler work such as power rivetters, plate rolls, or punches would have been removed long ago.
It's a sad sight, and I doubt any effort will be made to preserve any part of the old ALCO buildings. It's the ALCO site's turn to join General Electric's Schenectady works at doing a vanishing act and becoming parking lots or anything but a good solid heavy industrial plant ever again.
I looked at the ALCO site, knowing I would never again see the old boiler shop standing there with "American Locomotive" still painted on the highest walls. I wondered what the plant had been like in the days when they produced the legendary and powerful steam locomotives like the NY Central J-3 Hudsons, or even the UP Big Boys. Alco delivered their last steam locomotive from the Schenectady Works in something like 1948. By 1968, they delivered their last diesel locomotive and were done with locomotive building. They attempted to go into making equipment for power plants like feed water heaters, but died soon after in a series of corporate takeovers. Now, it is hard to find many people in and around Schenectady who even know that ALCO built some of the finest and most powerful steam locomotives in the world, locomotives that were exported all over the world. I wonder if any kind of historic plaque will be erected, but it will only be a few railfans or people like those of us who frequent this 'board who will take note of it.
I have not hear if any of the original ALCO buildings were to be preserved or converted for re-use, and it would not surprise me if the entire complex was razed. I'll miss driving up to the Vischer Ferry hydro plant and seeing the old ALCO plant. Like most of the engines that came out of it, and like most of the workforce who built those engines, the buildings are now fading into just photographs and memories.
Joe Michaels