Thomas W.P. Slatin

Writing, Photography, and Website Design

Apr-2-2008

Ghost Train

Two Train Cars

It’s really hard to believe, but in the weirdest and most random of places, you can find old relics from the past such as these, that are still somewhat intact.  I found these trains along US-209 in Kingston, New York, and I decided to get a closer view.  (View The Flickr Photo Set)

Closed Doorway Empty Train Car (1) Empty Train Car (2) Ghost Train Intact Passenger Car (1) Intact Passenger Car (2) Intact Passenger Car (3) Intact Passenger Car (5) Intact Passenger Car (6) Intact Passenger Car (7) Kitchen (1) Kitchen (2) Kitchen From Doorway Messy Passenger Car (1) Messy Passenger Car (2) Messy Passenger Car (4) Railroad To Hell Safety Gate Safety Gate (2) Safety Gate (3) Vacant Passenger Car (1) Vacant Passenger Car (2)

These train cars were massive, but due to their abandoned state, there were places in the floor that seemed to give way every so often.  I was kinda afraid at times that I might fall through the floor.  In the kitchen area, half of the floor had given way completely.  Someone had laid down a couple old sheets of plywood as a feeble attempt at repairing it.  Sadly, the plywood sheets had fallen through before my arrival, preventing me from exploring the kitchen any further.

The place was creepy.  Birds were flying in and out of the broken windows, and there was evidence that a homeless person might be using one of the passenger cars as shelter.  These cars smelled like mildew and decay, and everywhere you looked, there was spray paint, loose floor tiles, and rust.  Sadly, these cars had suffered their share of vandalism and garbage dumping.  There were many doors, cabinets, and panels that were still able to be opened, but almost all of them contained garbage or empty spray paint cans.

It’s unusual for me to find a place like this that hasn’t been photographed extensively.  In fact, only one other person on Flickr has a photo from this place that is on the map.  My photos are also mapped (or geotagged) on the Flickr map.

I should probably note that the property on both sides of the railroad track has posted signs.  In the United States, the railroad corporation owns the property on which the tracks sit.   Of course,you should always attempt to get permission before going anywhere, especially in places such as this!  And for safety sake, take someone with you when you go into a place like this in case you fall through the floor (like I might have, had I not been careful).

Stay tuned.  This summer I am planning on exploring more and more places like this, especially on public lands in the Adirondack Park.

Posted under Photography, Web Design

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