SRR Roundhouse

ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.


grande man

grande man

Bonafied Grande Nut
Hi everyone.

Back in the golden era of American railroading, the Southern RR had it's yard and roundhouse alongside Birmingham's Finley Avenue. In 1952, the railroad moved it's operations to the new Norris Yard in Irondale. While most of the Finley Yard is now gone (some of it remains to serve American Cast Iron Pipe Co (ACIPCO), the old roundhouse survived. After it's abandonment by the RR, it was converted into a warehouse... The site is now abandoned and I've got my fears that it may not last forever, so I shot it's interior. Exterior photos are difficult due to thick vegetation on one side and an add on building on the other.

Visiting the site was a pleasure even though its in a lousy section of town. I can't help but imagine a bustling scene from the 40s with SRR steam everywhere. The sights and sounds must have been incredible!

This is one of only two remaining roundhouses in the Birmingham area. The other is at the CSX Boyles Yard. The nearby Frisco roundhouse is gone (the turntable remains), Central of Georgia roundhouse... gone, the Seaboard roundhouse on 32nd Street... gone...:(


Note the square hole to the left of top center. It's a smokestack vent. :cool:
BTW, the contrast of this shot was huge. This is a 9 exposure high dynamic range image tonemapped for our monitors. If your monitor is close on calibration, you should be seeing good shadow detail...
2419947048_0d1e762aa4_o.jpg


Another perspective
2422350832_7ee6517d6e_o.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:


You always find such inteesting treasures to photgraph, Eric. Getting that interior with available light must have been a real challenge. Are my eyes deceiving me or is all the window glass in place? Usually, every windws in the building gets broken out within about a month of the building being abandoned. Looks like a real nice section of town now - I'm sure you were prepared. So many icons of railroading being lost - roundhouses, cabooses, signal towers, stations. I wonder how long it will be before the right of way is nothing but track, ballast, and remote control trains?
 
Thanks for checking the photos out everyone. Jim, the windows are actually translucent, corrugated plastic.
 
My God, those are some rich photographs. You've really gotten good at photography, Eric. Very nice.

Oh, yeah. Nice subject, too!
 
RCH said:
My God, those are some rich photographs. You've really gotten good at photography, Eric. Very nice.

Oh, yeah. Nice subject, too!
Click to expand...

Thanks Ryan. I appreciate your comments. It's good to know you enjoyed the photos. I'm having a blast shooting them. ;)
 
Ah, Eric, that would explain why the window "glass" is still in place. What kind of shape is it in structurally? I know it's in a crummy neighborhood, but it sure would be nice to add that to a preservation list.
 
UP2CSX said:
Ah, Eric, that would explain why the window "glass" is still in place. What kind of shape is it in structurally? I know it's in a crummy neighborhood, but it sure would be nice to add that to a preservation list.
Click to expand...


Compared to what I'm used to seeing, this building is in fantastic shape. I'd love to see it preserved. That could be a problem if it's privately owned.
 


Outstanding pictures Eric!

In Toronto the old Spadina Roundhouse still exists with the Steam Whistle Brewery moving in to part of it. From what I've heard part of the unoccupied building still has some artifacts and rolling stock in it. I'd love to take a page from your book and visit those areas but I've also heard they're off limits.

Mark
 
CanuckMark said:
Outstanding pictures Eric!

In Toronto the old Spadina Roundhouse still exists with the Steam Whistle Brewery moving in to part of it. From what I've heard part of the unoccupied building still has some artifacts and rolling stock in it. I'd love to take a page from your book and visit those areas but I've also heard they're off limits.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your comments Mark.

You might be surprised at the reaction you might get just by stopping by the brewery and explaining to the manager what it is you're interested in. There are a lot of folks with historical interests out there. You might get a warm reception. Ya never know till you ask.




Cjcrescent said:
It is/was privately owned. IIRC, the company's owner that used this has died. The family liquidated the company's assets and closed down. I could be wrong about this as one of my Wrecking Crew associates told me this. Sometimes his info, ain't quite right!

FWIW, the inside, minus the tracks, looks just like the inside of the roundhouse at Spencer, NC.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the background info Carey. There is a strong resembalance between the two roundhouses. Nice pano, BTW!
 
Arrrrhhhh! Sorry CJ. In quoting your post, I accidentally deleted your original. :o

Please repost your panorama.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The picture is a composite of 7 different shots. The program used is Panarama Maker from Arcsoft. It came on the CD that had my camera drivers, and an editing program that I have no need for as I have several others.

The program is really simple to use, and you can make pans both vertical and horizonal.
 


Hi everyone. I finally got around to editing this shot (seven exposure HDR) of the Finley roundhouse. It's a view looking toward what was the turntable.

2519481034_770172b6b2_o.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.




Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website (Learn More Here)

Back
Top