Item 1: Click for Image

Showing express yards. Note close clearance of cars. Obstruction on platforms limiting vision. Weeds covering tracks in center of photo. Debris all over this yard in and on and around tracks. This is a very congested yard and sometimes has as many as seven to ten engines working this yard. This is a push, pulled and spotting of cars for express and mail. This view is to the west from 16th Street. This is referred to as the 17th Street yard, or the mail, baggage, and express yards. There is very close clearance in this yard and all switches are called blind switches due to the fact that they have no lights. One of the blind switches is in the lower left center. The firemen must help observe the line-up on these switches. Upper center of photograph shows a workman walking around the end of a car. Personnel in and about this yard, and express on ramps (right center of photo) are a constant danger that must be observed by the engine crew in this yard to prevent many serious injuries. Tracks curve to the left and right here and at times either the engineer or the fireman alone will have the view.