I imagine this to be a nearly state-of-the-art steam shovel at the time of the photo, at the time of excavations for the Barge Canal, somewhere in New York State. Unfortunately, I see no brand info on the machine, and I don’t know its evolution. Check this link for starters.

I have questions about the composition: why was the photo taken while this person was on the left side of the tracks. Maybe he was a spectator or assistant to the photographer of Gardner & Davis? Who were Gardner & Davis?

H. S. Kerbaugh was involved in many projects involving large machines like this.

To me, this image evokes a sense of the effort involved in creating the Barge Canal infrastructure. For this reason, I’d love to know the location.

Anyone help?