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From: "Schuyler Larrabee" schuyler DOT larrabee AT verizon DOT net
Date: Sat, 10 Jun 2023 13:48:38 -0400
Subject: RE: (erielack) Kennedy Valve in Elmira, NY
"Google_Earth_2013_view_DL_W_line_is_a_rail_trail_ERIE_to_the_left.jpg" - image/jpeg, 1295x759 (24bit)

Well, Lou, it would have helped to know where
Kennedy Valve was located in Elmira.

But after a bit of screwing around with Googling
"Historic USGS maps" (pick the UNH option for NYS,
then after looking at the image map for the entire
state, click n "Chemung," then pick Elmira, and
you want to see the NE quadrant of either the 1895
or the 1956 maps. Now you know better where the
ERIE and the DL&W rights-of-way were.

Now, where was Kennedy Valve located? That took a
while but I eventually got to knowing that they
were (and are) at 1021 EAST Water Street.
(there's a WEST Water Street, which caused a good
deal of confusion). But eventually you can get to
a street location of the business, which is
located right next to the Lackawanna Rail Trail
today. So, it was undoubtedly served by the DL&W.
After 1960+, it's harder to say, since we can't
really know if the DL&W tracks back to the
connection to the ERIE were kept in service to the
Kennedy Valve plant. But I thought I'd check
Google Earth and the historic views. Well, by the
2002, view, it's clear that the tracks are gone.
The 1985 and 1994 photos are useless, not sharp
enough to establish anything about the tracks. So
we have to leave it up to, perhaps, Elmira local
folks to establish when the rails to the plant we
removed. Any help out there??

What kinds of cars served the plant? Well, most
likely iron in some form, since they cast the
valves (usually fire hydrants, though the also
produced other forms of heavy duty valves) out of
iron. I can't say what form that iron might have
arrived in, but iron pigs would be a reasonable
guess, frequently shipped in gons. Inbound would
likely have included covered hoppers of casting
sand occasionally, a lot of coal for the furnaces,
and, oh, lets see, wood for blocking outbound
shipments I suppose. Outbound shipments?
Probably in gons or on flats, likely wrapped so as
to protect the new valves from rust due to rain.
Maybe some in box cars. I don't think any of your
operators would criticize your choices of those
cars.

Part of my point is that the answer to your
question is pretty easily available with your
computer.
> Historic USGS maps
> Google "where is Kennedy valve located in
Elmira?" for an address
> Google Earth for the aerial view of the plant
> Guesses as to freight cars serving the plant -
me and common sense.

I attached a jpeg of the Google Earth view from
2013, the first that shows the area in
decipherable clarity.

Schuyler

-----Original Message-----
From: Louis Schultheis
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2023 10:31 AM
To: erielack@lists.railfan.net
Subject: (erielack) Kennedy Valve in Elmira, NY


Did the DL&W then the E-L service the plant?

If so, what type of railroad cars?
Thanks, Lou


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Image Capture Date   2023:06:10 13:38:43
Image Digitized Date   2023:06:10 13:38:43
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