Let's discuss this old photo

[AllanY2525]

I remember when Strouss's Department Store was downtown, and there was an
indoor catwalk over the street which connected the Strouss's building to the
parking deck across the street.  As a kid, I used to love to stop right in the
middle of the catwalk and watch the traffic pass underneath it.

[Towntalk]

When did the Erie RR stop it's passanger service thru Youngstown, and when were the tracks finally abandoned?

Wasn't the tower on Hubbard Road servicing the New York Central trains? I seem to remember going down to the tracks right of way to watch the trains go by as a kid. Most were freight after the New York Central stopped it's passanger service.

Does anyone have any photos of the old New York Central Passanger station? When I saw it, the main part of the station was closed and passangers had to go to the lower level.

[Oldmill]

What a blast into the past !  Jay , what you are talking about is the old Erie Lackawanna "Hazel street crossing Watchman shanty. I was the last person to man that crossing and closed it down in January 1984. It appears the photo was taken from the top floor or roof of the old Binama Bldg.  We also had a crossing watchman located at Westlakes (tower)and  Hubbard road just east of logan ave.  I worked these crossings from 1976  until closed in 1984.  Wow this really brings back memories.

[jay]

I believe the Consolidated Store is in the distance.  The county jail is now at that location.

[Towntalk]

If I'm not mistaken the title was Gate Guard.

On busier roads there was a tower and gates that were raised and lowered from the tower which was also equipped to control some of the signals.

At one time. before the Wick Avenue bridge was built there was such a tower. Somewhere in my library I have a photo showing the Wick Avenue tower.

In later years these towers fell into disuse and all the gates were controlled from a central location that was located in the P&LE yard in Struthers. The Dispatchers tower had a huge board that showed the location of every train in the district and as it passed a road the light on the board turned red and the gates were lowered. Once the train passed th light would turn green and the gate would be raised.

[jay]

There used to be a person in the little building just north of the tracks on the west side of N. Hazel Street.  When a train would be approaching, a man would come out of the building and hold some type of sign to prevent automobiles from crossing the tracks.  Was there a special name for that type of building and that type of job?

[Towntalk]

What a great old picture.

The Higbee Building and Parking Deck, The Warner Theater are the ones that I recognize. The old Erie RR tracks were still there. I don't remember the Parking Deck on the North Side of the street though.

Golly, this picture had to have been taken in the 1970's before the new County Jail was built.

From the angle, it looks like the picture was taken from the Erie Terminal Building.

The tracks are gone, the Fifth Avenue Bridge has changed, the New County Jail built ... Higbee Building gone, both parking decks gone. The Steel Museum would be visible on the North side of the photo.

[jay]

This photo was taken many years ago by Frank Villani.

What has changed in the photo?  Name some of the buildings.  What new buildings have been added after this photo was taken?