Re: (erielack) team tracks without platforms

["Paul Brezicki" <doctorpb_@_bellsouth.net>]

Team tracks could also have end or side ramps for unloading farm and other equipment. Also in some cases they had overhead cranes. Erie's two "inland stations" had them; the one at 28th St was removed in the 1950's, while the less specialized 149th St terminal in the Bronx had a large gantry crane spanning 3 tracks; it remained in use until the terminal was closed in the late 60's. It also had an end ramp. 

Produce terminals in larger cities had one or more team tracks as well as one or more tracks at unloading platforms where produce was transferred to the auction building. Another more modern example is the track for unloading bulk commodities into trailers, either via a storage silo or more directly using a pneumatic cyclone-equipped device connected to the hopper car and bulk trailer via hoses. I don't recall EL getting into this but NYC and then PC had several such "Flexi-Flo" terminals. IIRC Todd posted photos of one in Syracuse.

The team track is making a comeback as today's "distribution center", where a wide variety of commodities are unloaded for truck delivery. For small customers, this is often more efficient than using the customer's siding, and another example of RR's emphasis on "wholesale" transportation.

Paul B

From: "Chuck Yungkurth" <raildata_@_comcast.net>
Subject: Re: (erielack) team tracks without platforms

It seems to methat the function of "team tracks" is not very well understood 
by this forum.  Viturally every station had a siding or track for carload 
unloading. Freight houses were used primarily for warehousing LCL shipments.

If a receiving industry got an entire carload of a commodity, it was spotted 
on a "team track" or siding for unloading by the company unless the company 
was large enough to have private sidings. The consignment was unloaded into 
trucks (formerly teams) and hauled to the revievers location.

In Scranton the DL&W, D&H, CNJ, and Erie all had large areas of sidings with 
areas paved with cobblestones near them. The DL&W team tracks were laocted 
behind the building where the shopping mall is now. D&H had team trackage 
adjacent to it's passenger station on the lower end of Lackawanna Ave. At 
the same end of Lacakwanna Ave. was "the wholesale block" where there were 
many produce distibution companies. All of these unloaded fruit and other 
items from refrigerator cars. During the 40's and 50's there were usually 
around 10 to 15 refrigerator cars being unloaded at these team tracks.




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