Das Binky
This unusual piece of railroad furniture was located just west of the Route 1 and Route 9 overpass where the Morris and Essex lines meet the Pascack Valley line, before both passing through the Bergen Tunnels on their way to Hoboken. I have no idea what it does. I called it as it was called by graffiti, "Das Binky", an obvious homage to its shape resembling a submarine (especially thanks to the "periscope" style floodlight at the top). Judging by the number of rivets on the tank, I figured this may have been pressurized, perhaps filled with compressed air or even steam.
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Train technology
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Location
- Jersey City
- Hudson
- New Jersey
- United States
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Canon PowerShot S70
(Replaced by Canon PowerShot S90)
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©2007 AllAbandoned.com
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EXIF data
| X-Resolution | 180 dpi |
|---|---|
| Y-Resolution | 180 dpi |
| Exposure | 0.008 sec (1/125) |
| Aperture | f/2.8 |
| Exposure Bias | 0 EV |
| Focal Plane X-Resolution | 10816.90141 dpi |
| Focal Plane Y-Resolution | 10816.90141 dpi |
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I think it's the boiler part of a steam track heating system. Back in the 1980s we rode the Bergen Line in the dead of winter and on the way to Hoboken we had a long delay sitting outside a station in some specialwork. Right away I noticed hundreds of feet of rusted-out pipes with steam blowing out of them like crazy. Knowing something about the bad situation in Northeast railroads at the time I figured they had to run something to keep the switches working even if it's all busted up. If I recall correctly, this trip was just after Conrail took over the bankrupt EL so we got to experience the horrors of 1980s Northeast commuter rail and understand why nobody in my generation ever took trains into New York City even decades after the problems were resolved.
-KristonRehberg, 2010-08-04 02:23:35