Railfan.net - Dan Syrcher's INSIDE CONCRETE CENTRAL

Dan Syrcher's INSIDE CONCRETE CENTRAL

For years, I've wanted to get an up close view of this elevator. I have passed by it numerous times over the years but was too afraid to enter it on my own. I didn't know what or who was in there. Luck was running with me this year. A former employee of the elevator gave me a private ground level inside tour. I learned a lot and took many pictures.

Even though I took the private tour and enjoyed every minute, in no way would I condone going in there. If you do go, I recommend that you always go with at least one other person. Always keep each other in sight so you both know where each other is at all times. Never assume that it's safe where you're standing and always keep an exit in sight.

Finally, never go in alone. No one will hear you scream on your way down.

Check out the pictures below. Much safer.

Also see Dan's Railfan Photos
and Buffalo Central Terminal Aerial Photos
and West Shore Dismantlement page
and Remnants of the Niagara Falls Gorge Railway
and Liberty Belle B-17 Flying Fortress Ride

You are visitor to Dan Syrcher's INSIDE CONCRETE CENTRAL

All photos © Dan Syrcher unless otherwise noted.
To email Dan Syrcher replace -AT- with the @ symbol on his email address.

Photos 1 through 25 of 60 total [Next (26 to 50)] [All]

Sort By: Alphabetical - Reverse Chronological - Chronological - Reverse Filesize - Filesize

1/60	From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net Date: Fri Oct 22 16:01:13 2010 Subject: Barely visible tie. image/jpeg, 2048x1536 (24bit) 25a_rail_tie.jpg 846844 bytes

2/60	From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net Date: Fri Oct 22 13:57:36 2010 Subject: This fallen structure is where all/most repairs for the elevator operation were done. image/jpeg, 2048x1536 (24bit) 53_Mechanics_shop.jpg 805460 bytes

3/60	From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net Date: Fri Oct 22 16:03:39 2010 Subject: This is a view from the opposite end of the train shed. I only found a few rail ties in the ground and they were in poor shape. image/jpeg, 1536x2048 (24bit) 25_Train_Shed-Opposite.jpg 779739 bytes

4/60

From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net
Date: Fri Oct 22 15:11:43 2010
Subject: I never knew how the marine legs moved. I assumed it was by an electric motor directly connected to the wheels or their axle. Rather, it is a cable/drum assembly underneath that pulls them back and forth.
image/jpeg, 2048x1536 (24bit)
38_Cable_System.jpg 695488 bytes

5/60	From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net Date: Fri Oct 22 15:09:39 2010 Subject: Marine leg bumper. image/jpeg, 2048x1536 (24bit) 39_Marine_leg_Bumper.jpg 665529 bytes

6/60	From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net Date: Fri Oct 22 14:00:31 2010 Subject: This is a close up view of the photo above. You can see where the track bed is merging into one. image/jpeg, 2048x1536 (24bit) 52_Track_Merge_close_up.jpg 665138 bytes

7/60	From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net Date: Fri Oct 22 15:15:11 2010 Subject: This is the only piece of rail related items with a readable stamp. image/jpeg, 2048x1536 (24bit) 37a_Rail_Anchor.jpg 615264 bytes

8/60	From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net Date: Fri Oct 22 14:04:02 2010 Subject: A switch would have been here. image/jpeg, 2048x1536 (24bit) 51_Tracks_merge.jpg 571115 bytes

9/60

From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net
Date: Fri Oct 22 17:16:01 2010
Subject: We are still under that stationary tower but outside looking into the holes in the concrete flooring. You really have to watch your step. There are holes everywhere outside along the entire loading area.
image/jpeg, 1536x2048 (24bit)
05_Stationary_floor.jpg 569466 bytes

10/60

From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net
Date: Fri Oct 22 16:54:32 2010
Subject: This is a top view of a rail dumper.
image/jpeg, 2048x1536 (24bit)
12_Rail_Dumper.jpg 562685 bytes

11/60

From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net
Date: Fri Oct 22 16:08:11 2010
Subject: More cable/pulley apparatus.
image/jpeg, 1536x2048 (24bit)
23Cable-Pulley_sys.jpg 531043 bytes

12/60

From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net
Date: Fri Oct 22 13:42:47 2010
Subject: With the water levels at least 1 foot below normal this year, many things that are usually under water, are not. Notice all the dock retaining rods laying on the river bank. Makes you wonder what or who else might be just under the surface. You didn’t mess around in Buffalo.
image/jpeg, 2048x1536 (24bit)
57_Low_Water.jpg 513505 bytes

13/60

From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net
Date: Fri Oct 22 16:18:54 2010
Subject: This is outside the shed. These cable/pulley assemblies are all over the unloading area.
image/jpeg, 1536x2048 (24bit)
21_Cable-Pulley_sys.jpg 513211 bytes

14/60

From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net
Date: Fri Oct 22 16:11:32 2010
Subject: More cable/pulley apparatus. This is at the end of the shed.
image/jpeg, 1536x2048 (24bit)
22_Cable-Pulley_sys.jpg 505895 bytes

15/60

From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net
Date: Fri Oct 22 14:15:06 2010
Subject: This is the manufacturer of the wheels for the tower; New York Car Wheel.
image/jpeg, 2048x1536 (24bit)
48_Car_Wheel.jpg 490251 bytes

16/60

From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net
Date: Fri Oct 22 15:07:03 2010
Subject: This “truck” is in poor condition even though it is still sitting on both rails.
image/jpeg, 2048x1536 (24bit)
40_Marine_Leg_Axle.jpg 457379 bytes

17/60

From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net
Date: Fri Oct 22 13:45:36 2010
Subject: This is the north face of the elevator. I have always wondered what that little “office,” lower left, was for. There isn’t much room in it. I am told it was where the shoots on both sides were operated from. Couldn’t have been even remotely fun it’s so small.
image/jpeg, 1536x2048 (24bit)
56_North_Face.jpg 455944 bytes

18/60

From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net
Date: Fri Oct 22 15:00:43 2010
Subject: A couple of years ago, I cruised by this elevator and it was mostly intact. Over the past year alone did the siding really start to disappear. It will be more difficult now because the steps inside have been removed.
image/jpeg, 1536x2048 (24bit)
42_Skeleton.jpg 445174 bytes

19/60

From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net
Date: Fri Oct 22 16:59:44 2010
Subject: Now standing outside the elevator track side. There are 5 sets of tracks. All the rails have been pulled except for the train shed. Each of the 5 tracks inside the train shed have 3 unloading dumpers. The cars are pulled through the shed by an attached cable. Lots of overgrowth outside the shed but much of the apparatus inside the shed is still in place.
image/jpeg, 2048x1536 (24bit)
10_Train_Shed.jpg 437178 bytes

20/60

From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net
Date: Fri Oct 22 16:51:52 2010
Subject: This is the bottom of the rail dumper. Beneath the dumper is the collapsed conveyor belt going inside.
image/jpeg, 1536x2048 (24bit)
13_Lower_Rail_Dumber.jpg 431826 bytes

21/60

From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net
Date: Fri Oct 22 15:17:41 2010
Subject: While walking along the unloader rails, I was hoping to find a time stamp to get a date of manufacturing. No luck. All rails are too corroded along with a split rail here.
image/jpeg, 1536x2048 (24bit)
37_Broken_Rail.jpg 431508 bytes

22/60

From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net
Date: Fri Oct 22 14:08:17 2010
Subject: The next three pictures are what visually remains of the track bed coming out of the train shed. All 5 tracks begin to merge here.
image/jpeg, 2048x1536 (24bit)
50_Track_Bed.jpg 424377 bytes

23/60

From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net
Date: Fri Oct 22 15:28:47 2010
Subject: Speaking of no room for errors: This is the locker room with the showers in the far right corner. One person died here when one of the silos collapsed on the locker room, crushing the employee to death.
image/jpeg, 2048x1536 (24bit)
34_Locker_Room.jpg 420375 bytes

24/60

From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net
Date: Fri Oct 22 15:04:57 2010
Subject: Looking up about ¼ of the way to the top.
image/jpeg, 2048x1536 (24bit)
41_Falling_Apart.jpg 405820 bytes

25/60

From: "Dan Syrcher" sst703 -AT- verizon -DOT- net
Date: Fri Oct 22 15:25:07 2010
Subject: In this picture you can determine which silo collapsed and was repaired. Compare the construction of the original silos next to it. The brick building is the second and third floor of the locker room.
image/jpeg, 1536x2048 (24bit)
35_Repaired_Silo.jpg 398627 bytes

[Next (26 to 50)] [All]

Railfan.net Contributor Photos Index

Railfan.net Main Page