Phillip Winchester Collection

CNY Chapter National Railway Historical Society

Derailment in Clyde, NY (4) - Image Source

Collection Facts

Extent:

160

Dates of Original:

c. 1904 - 1940

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Historical Context

Phillip Winchester was a division engineer for the New York Central Railroad based in Syracuse. His job required inspections and design work for the NYC throughout Central New York State. This often meant photographing new construction, repairs, rolling stock, locomotives, and derailments as documentation in his territory. His father, Robert H. Winchester, was apparently employed by the NYC subsidiary Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg (RW&O) Railroad, and took extensive photos of winter snow clearing operations in Northern New York.

Scope of Collection

These photographs provide historic views of 1930s and 1940s railroading on the NYC that included a new station and grade elimination in Syracuse, and of snow clearing operations in Northern New York State between 1904 and 1912. Both Phillip and Robert Winchester's negatives were donated to the Central New York Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, which maintains the collection.