DeWitt Yard, Syracuse, NY

Photographs of Penn Central's (formerly New York Central's) DeWitt Yard in the summer of 1970.  Much of the power and rolling stock still says NYC, but there are enough former Pennsylvania and NYC units lettered PC to remind one that this is indeed the Penn Central.

Click on images below for larger view
 
Alco S-4 Switcher De Witt Yard near Syracuse, NY still saw a considerable amount of activity in 1970 although it was obvious portions of the yard were no longer in use.  This Alco S-4 was typical of yard power on the old New York Central.
Diesels congregating around De Witt engine house. Locomotives from three different manufacturers and both Central and Pennsylvania heritage are parked around the engine house at De Witt.
Car shops and MOW equipment On the other side of the yard (the engine house is in the background) was an open air car shop and a string of MOW equipment.  The jade green former passenger cars caught my eye.  Years later I notice the truss rods on the arched window car.  Lots of modeling ideas there. 

A highway bridge conveniently crossed the yard allowing this picture and the  three below to be taken. 
DeWitt Yard Hump Four covered hoppers roll down the hump in this telephoto view of the hump and surrounding area.  Note the floodlight in the foreground, the hump bypass track and the signal atop the structure at the top of the hump.
DeWitt Yard hump bowl Classification tracks fan out in this view of the hump yard bowl. 
E-Units on passenger train and De Witt Yard Three E units head up a string of head end cars and a coach or two -- a typical Central Passenger train for the era. This view is looking east towards an under used portion of De Witt.  Also, four well maintained tracks are remind one of the pre-CTC NYC mainline.
NYC Alco Century 430 Still lettered for New York Central, this Alco Century 430 sits between EMD locomotives in the engine service area. Note the unusual trucks: Alco Hi Adhesion found only on most C-430's and a few C-425's.
Ex-Pennsy GE U-30B Among the broad mix of power at DeWitt sat this GE U-33C is coupled up to an Alco switcher.
Penn Central SD-45 and U-25B's This lone SD-45 looks out of place in a string of U-25B's.  This mix-or-match practice was typical of the New York Central and followed on into the Penn Central era.
ex-PRR U-28C Still decorated with PRR keystones, this U-28C sits between U-25B's of two PC merger partners.
PRR RSD-15 and GP-7B A former Pennsy RSD-15 and GP-9B bring a string of empty auto racks through the yard. Immediately in front of the Alco is a peculiar octagonal structure.  On the far right is the overpass from which four of the above pictures were taken.
DeWitt MOW Equipment
 Continue the tour with a look at some ex-NYC maintenance of way equipment including a rotary snow plow by clicking on the link to the left.

All photographs and descriptions Copyright (C) 1999, 2000 by Larry Tuttle

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