The Oneonta Roundhouse

Book excerpt: The Oneonta Roundhouse provides the definitive account of the birth, life, and death of the world's largest railroad roundhouse, built in the early 1900s in Oneonta, New York. Jim Loudon, a founding member of the Leatherstocking Railway Historical Society, describes in detail the earlier roundhouses built on the site by the Delaware & Hudson Railroad, and how the company's rapid growth led to the turntable's expansion. He provides specific information about the background politics and the construction of the primary roundhouse, and the improvements made to the monumental building over the years. The book is heavily illustrated, with 122 photos and 53 maps and diagrams, including full schematics for the roundhouse, turntable, and adjacent buildings. Other chapters focus on the D&H's Challenger locomotives, and the coal pocket fire of 1946 that ultimately ended in tragedy. The book's epilogue chapter includes Loudon's photographs of the building's twilight, taken only months before the remaining structure was dismantled. About the Second Edition First published in 1993, The Oneonta Roundhouse has sold over 3000 copies worldwide, a tribute to its story and the continuing interest in railroading history. This second edition includes some revisions, a table of contents, and a new preface by the author. About the Author Jim Loudon is a native of Otsego County and currently resides in the West End of Oneonta, New York. He graduated from the State University of New York College at Oneonta in 1972 with a BS in Liberal Arts, majoring in art and history. In 1982 Jim organized the Leatherstocking Railway Historical Society, which currently operates the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad tourist train ride, and for which he has served as Conductor, Engineer, and Brakeman. For over two decades Jim has devoted his time to researching the local area's railroad history, authoring several articles on the subject, as well as a second book, Leatherstocking Rails: A History of Railroading Along the Upper Susquehanna (2005). A practitioner of the visual arts, the subjects of Jim's paintings, drawings and photographs include wildlife, landscapes, locomotives and antique tractors.