While looking through the Library of Congress archive for (unrelated) images, I came across this aerial image looking at the Martinsburg, WV complex. I am curious when the right-hand roundhouse came down...

The photo in question looks effectively north across the east-west main, with the station/hotel across the tracks from the right-hand roundhouse. It was the right-hand *eastern*, or newer (I think it was 1872?) roundhouse, that burned. It was sometime while I was editing my NRHS chapter's newsletter, which would put it around 1988-1991....... wait, Roberts' "East End" says May 14, 1990, caused by juveniles burning abandoned pallets. Much of the walls are still standing. The 1866 western roundhouse is the one still standing.

Thanks, hard to tell the year even after zooming in on the original 20mb TIFF version of the photo. Unusual that there was no date anywhere on the file. The GP-7(or 9) in front of the right-hand roundhouse is no help!

If you can get that close, how about identifying automobiles on the streets?

Les

Tried that, Les. Not sure why it is, but the range of ages was so dramatic it was hard to tell. The best I could figure was late 60's early 70's. But there are an awful lot of late 50's models down there too! :-)

Stephen:

I understand your problem. You need an expert on cars. These days I myself cannot usually tell one from another! When I was younger of course, it was easy. I could tell, say a `53 Dodge or a `56 Chevy or a 1960 Ford in a second. If you have an expert look over all the cars visible in the photograph and the newest one he spots is say a 1971 Plymouth for instance, you know at least that the photograph can't be any earlier than that year (or late 1970 at least.) It might be later, but can't be any earlier. That will tell you something.

The fact that there are a lot of late 1950's models might be telling too. In the "old days", not a lot of cars lasted 100,000 miles. Again, an automobile expert could probably tell the life expectancy of say a 1958 model and by the number on those on the streets, pin down an expected earlier date. In other words, he might expect 10% of the cars pictured to be 1958 models if the picture was 1968, but only 3% of the cars are from 1958. Thus the picture probably predates 1968.

Of course, this is all predicated on whether you know an automobile expert, and also, if you actually care that much to try to pin the date down closer.

Les

I can not help you date the photo but if you ever get to the Martinsburg station look at the bottom strap of iron on the fence along the east end retaining wall. So many people have stood there with their feet on the fence strap rocking back and forth that the once square straps edges are now worn into a radius.

If the engine in the photo is a SD-7 or 9 they were gone around the mid seventies. The GP-7 and 9s lasted until about 1980 I think.

John Bohon