Classics 4

The starting point of this particular post is the fact that the Spring 2026 CSNY Study Tour is coming up April 3 and 4, a Friday and a Saturday. The meeting location is Newark, NY, and the focus is the Erie Canal in Wayne County including the Sodus Canal. Never heard of the Sodus Canal?…

will van dorp

February 12, 2026

2–3 minutes

Canal Society of New York, CSNY, CSNY Study Tours, vintage autombiles

Registration information will be forthcoming here, as well as on the CSNY Facebook page.

The connection to the photo below is this: I took the photo during the Fall 2024 Study Tour of the Black River Canal. However, when a collection of antique automobiles happened to be on the same property as some canal ruins in Lowville, we got distracted. 1. Guess the year and model?

If you’ve never been on a CSNY study tour, most attendees ride the coach, with ongoing commentary from a local guide or two. In the photo below, attendees are transferring from the coach to Venera, an excursion boat. 2. Guesses?

I’m unfamiliar with the Cohocton area, but I’m guessing this photo was taken during a study tour of the Genesee Valley Canal. 3. Makes and years of truck, car, and pickup?

I don’t believe this photo was taken on a study tour, but it should be relatively easy to identify. 4. Guesses?

The location of this photo should be easy. What I find amazing is the vintage of the cars juxtaposed with the woman aboard the barge.

Any thoughts? 5.

The two barges are being towed by a tugboat. Any guesses on the tugboat? Might it have been a Bouchard boat? When did canal barges cease to have crew/families aboard?

Guess the lock? With some of these it might be easier to identify the location of the photo than the year of the car. 6.

7. Location and automobiles?

8. This would truly be a classic.

My guesses: 1. 1933 Chevrolet. 2. Coach is a 1950s Flxible Clipper; car is a 1959 Ford. 3. 1958 International, 1960 Dodge, and 1957 Chevrolet pickup. 4. Lock 17 and 1959 Chevrolet. 5. It’s clearly lock E-6, and the two cars in the middle . . . not sure, but to the left it’s a late 1940s Buick and to the right, it’s an early 1950s Pontiac woodie. 6. I wanted to say a 1957 Packard, but the grille is wrong. So, how about a 1957 Studebaker President. 7. Spencerport looking north, and I’d say an Oldsmobile, a Plymouth, a Ford wagon–all mid-1950s–and an older Buick in a time when cars were all two colors. 8. Since this was in the CSNY archives and the canal and the railroad run parallel to each other across central NY, I’m guessing the canal is nearby, passibly off to the right.

Got any photos of 1940s and 1930s automobiles/trucks along the canal? I’d love to see them. I’ve got more of these also. Let me know if you want to see them.

6 responses to “Classics 4”

Jack Wright

February 12, 2026 at 7:23 pm

Will

Your right on with the years and makes of the vehicles. The bus and tour boat looks like it might be around Macedon, there is a lock in the background but these old eyes can’t make out the number. The double tow entering Lock 6 is interesting, old timers have told me that barges were often towed in multiples like that. Perhaps these barges were privately owned and hired the tug. By the time I was old enough in the mid fifties to go by the canal myself most barges were pushed.I really enjoy your articles here as well as your blog.

Reply
1. will van dorp
  
  February 12, 2026 at 7:41 pm
  
  Thanks for commenting, Jack. Always good to hear from you.
  
  Reply
unabashedc3f8a5d033

February 13, 2026 at 12:13 pm

This is a great post!

Cohocton, NY is between Avoca and Wayland, NY along today’s I-390. The photo shown is the Erie RR station. The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western RR (DL&W) operated through this town too. The Erie line was abandoned after the merger of the Erie and DLW which was in 1960. The photo, I would say is late 1950’s? The depot is looking a bit rough around the edges. The DL&W line is still in service today between Painted Post, NY and Wayland, operated by the Bath and Hammondsport RR (a subsidiary of the Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad.

Eric Johnson

Reply
unabashedc3f8a5d033

February 13, 2026 at 12:15 pm

The last photo of the car and passenger walkway over the track, is there anyway to get a larger view of this? The railroad signal mounted on the walkway bridge has a number plate on it. The number plate would be a good indicator of the location of this railroad station (it is on the New York Central, somewhere).

Eric Johnson

Reply
1. will van dorp
  
  February 13, 2026 at 12:52 pm
  
  Eric- Thanks much for your comments. I will send you a copy of the largest highest-res version I have in the archives.
  
  Reply
unabashedc3f8a5d033

February 15, 2026 at 2:03 pm

Sorry. I forgot to attribute this to Eric Johnson. His response follows: “I think I have it figured out!    Little Falls, NY on the New York Central mainline! The number plate would be 21632, which translates to milepost (MP), MP-216.32.   This is 21632 miles from Grand Central Terminal in New York City.    New York Central measured their mileage from New York, Grand Central Terminal to Buffalo, NY.   Buffalo Central Terminal is MP-437.   As an added tidbit.   The mileage from NYC ended there.    Buffalo Terminal was MP-0 going west to Chicago (which is about MP-520 to 525).

Attached is a photo I found on an internet search of the Little Falls station from the web page of Mohawk Museums, dated 1898 (the web page link at bottom if you care to look)   One can clearly see the footbridge and steps over the main tracks and the station canopy roof that that partially blocks the number plate in the blown up view that was sent.    Looks like there may be signal masts on the footbridge, but not very clear.   And things could change with railroad signaling over the years due to operations, trains getting longer, etc

To be honest, I never saw photos of the Little Falls station before, so this was some new discoveries.    And I am a rail enthusiast too!    I like all things railroad (was employed in the railroad industry for 38 years, just retired) and also marine subjects like the Great Lakes, canals and our inland rivers. (I do subscribe to Tugster blog. I enjoy both of these).    Funny, I worked for the RR in New York State (Oneonta, Cooperstown, Albany) and only had a passing interest in the Barge Canal.    Now, that I am back in Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh area, my hometown, I really have a keener interest in the Barge Canal, Erie Canal.    Guess distance makes the heart grow fonder?”

Reply