I am writing to both the Albany list and the Rensselaer County list. I am searching for information on early 1900 railroad crews in the Troy area, prompted by a reply I received recently to a picture I have posted on the Troy Irish Genealogy Website. The picture and information I submitted are at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~nytigs/EdDuffyInfoPage.htm Ed Broecker wrote to me and believes a "railfan" may be able to shed more light on the subject. Ed gave me permission to share his reply: If you can find someone in the area who has an historic interest in the railroads of the area, I would think they can make a pretty good guess concerning this group. It seems to be something like a yard gang, with the foreman or supervisor in the center of the second row wearing a tie and clean shirt. One of the men in that row seems to have his shoulders covered in coal dust, another seems to have oil or some other stain across his shoulders. The rest seem to be in fairly unsoiled clothes and so were perhaps brakemen in the yard. It is a complete unit - supervisor, clerk and perhaps engineer, fireman and brakemen for a switch engine. Something like that. The date can probably come from someone identifying the equipment - are they sitting on some sort of platform on a work car. You can see a door in the wall behind them, small wheels and a 90-degree bar that is used to perhaps uncouple the car without going onto the tracks between cars. That is a very old car with the iron straps at the corners. Apparently their identity is tied to the ladder or tower that is purposely in the photo, in fact one of the men has his hand on it, indicating perhaps that it is an item of pride for him. Or maybe he is just trying to keep his balance. I don't really know what I am seeing, but I am sure there is a dedicated railfan in the area who can tell you. <end> Any information about this crew or crews like it in South Troy in that time frame would be appreciated. Joan Howe