Scenes

Ralston Steel Car Co. 0-6-0 switcher No. 6.  The Ralston Co. had three steam engines in the 1920's.  The building in the background sat on the east end of the property.  The camera is pointing northwest.  The building is very long and is orientated east-west.  It was the paint and brake shop.  There was a similar building on the northwest end of the property near Cassady Ave.

This photo is taken just south of the Rarig Ave. entrance and is looking west.  Going clockwise starting with the building on the left forefront: 1) use unknown it may have been a machine or wood working shop, 2) edge of building behind housed a stock room and the engine/dynamo room,  3) the building with tall smoke stack housed the boiler, 4) the edge of a building that looks like a frame house was the new Ralston office building, 5) in the foreground, right side of the photo was the brick oil and waste building.

The skilled workmen of the Ralston Steel Car Co gathered for their picture.  All but two men were wearing safety glasses which is some indication that Ralston may have been a good place to work.  The camera is pointed east.

The building at the left was the old CNA&J interurban car barn used at this time as a paint mixing building.  The next building on the left with the sheet metal covering was the paint storage and behind that the air brake shop.   The two peaked brick building in the background were the air brake [installation] and paint shop.  The backside of the Ralston Steel Car Co. new office building is in the center of the photo.  The front of the office building faces north on an alley, which is just south of Forth Avenue.   The steam driven electric generator that provides the power for the steam crane's magnet can be seen at the base of the boom.   The camera is pointing northeast.The use of the building on the right is unknown.

The backside of the Ralston Steel Car Co.'s new office building is in the center of the photo.  The front of the office building faces north on an alley, which is just south of Forth Avenue.  The steam driven electric generator that provides the power for the steam crane's magnet can be seen at the base of the boom.  The camera is pointing northeast.

This may have been the last shop building built for the Ralston Co.  It was the No. 2 Paint Dry House and was also used for a car repair shop.  There were traveling cranes the entire length of the building.  It sat on the far northwest section of the property.  It had six tracks that entered from the opposite end.  The Ralston office building is almost visible through the smoke on the right side of the photo.  The camera is pointing northeast.  The photo is dated 2-13-1920.