PT Boat Forum


Moderated by: Dick, Jeff D

The PT Boat Forum ª PT Boats of WWII ª  PT Boats - General

Page: 1 of 1

« Back to Topic Index Page 1 | Replies: 5

 Author  Topic: The Elco Naval Division today
Frank J Andruss Sr

TOP BOSS
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Apr 22, 2021 - 5:55am
When we think of the Elco Naval Division in Bayonne, New Jersey we think of a vast complex that was needed to produce the wonderful Elco PT BOATS. Now this vast complex is no more. To give you an idea as to what is there now and to realize where Elco once was I am enclosing these photos sent to me by friend and Bayonne resident Andy Shanahan. The white border along the edges shows where Elco once stood. There is a Marina out front called the Elco Marina.

jx3In.jpg
jxOhZ.jpg
jxmMf.jpg
jxWua.jpg


Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am | IP Logged

NWSaint

Full Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of NWSaint  Posted on: Apr 22, 2021 - 9:07pm
smh.. looks like a retirement village.. like Del Boca Vista in Seinfeld..


NW.


Total Posts: 28 | Joined: Apr 17, 2021 - 10:57am | IP Logged

PRJM3

Advanced Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of PRJM3   Send Email To PRJM3 Posted on: Apr 23, 2021 - 4:37pm
I really enjoy 'Now And Then" comparison photos and from a military standpoint the publication After The Battle provides excellent now and then photos. The B&W photo of the Elco facilities that Frank provided here must be from a different perspective than typically seen as I never before noticed the railroad trestle along the south side of the facility. Footings for some of its piers are visible in the current photos. Having an interest in long defunct eastern railroads (my grandfather worked for the B&O, my uncle the PRR, my father temporarily for the P&LE, and me temporarily for the Union Railroad inside a US Steel plant) I wondered what was the purpose of the trestle by the Elco facility.

A little research determined that the trestle is the eastern end of the Newark Bay Bridge, a massive four-track bridge with vertical lift sections to clear waterborne traffic. http://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/2020/08/1926-lostconrailcnj-bridge-over-newark.html It's not the best text at this link, but a better selection of pictures.

My initial thought was that that's a lot of bridge to serve the needs of Bayonne, but the railroad line actually funneled a lot of passenger traffic to the Jersey City Terminal on the other side of Bayonne. From there ferry boats transported the commuters to New York City. I have several books on railroad ferry boat operations from NJ to NYC that include the Jersey City Terminal, but none of them include information on how the railroad traffic got to the NJ side.

I also wondered why there are two tracks of the bridge occupied by stationary freight cars in this 1940 picture. That's pretty valuable trackage to use for storage. A bottleneck of freight traffic trying to get into NYC? Where the western end of the bridge would have been is currently a Norfolk Southern transfer yard where shipping containers are transferred between trains and trucks. That property is shaped like a classic railroad freight yard from the 40s and would have been the place to store cars pending movement - at least till it filled up.

Frank, do you have any other pictures of the Elco facility that show more of the bridges? Apologies for the diversion but the harbor railroads serving NYC are even more fascinating than the steel mill railroads I grew up with.

Randy McConnell (Randall J. McConnell III)

Total Posts: 94 | Joined: May 25, 2009 - 2:47pm | IP Logged

Frank J Andruss Sr

TOP BOSS
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Apr 24, 2021 - 4:30am
Randy here is one photo that show some of the railroad bridge you are asking about.

jxfAm.jpg


Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am | IP Logged

Frank J Andruss Sr

TOP BOSS
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Apr 24, 2021 - 4:36am
Randy I found a few others that were sent to me by Bayonne Resident Andy Shanahan. In one photos you can see the Elco complex in the upper part of the photo. Andy sent me a photo as well of the old bridge supports as well.

jxuI0.jpg
jxKhc.jpg
jxrMT.jpg


Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am | IP Logged

Frank J Andruss Sr

TOP BOSS
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Apr 24, 2021 - 4:40am
Here is Shifty the little loco that ran materials in and out of Elco.

jx9Gt.jpg


Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am | IP Logged


Lock Topic

 

Forum Legend

New Member

Reply to topic

More than 25 posts | Full Member

Reply to topic with quoted message

More than 50 posts | Advanced Member

Edit Message

More than 150 posts | MASTER

View profile

More than 300 posts | TOP BOSS

Email member