Expansion Page II

This photo was taken from inside the north half of the new building pointing to the temporary wood facing.  Paint stencils can be seen leaning against the wall between the two big door openings.  The photo is dated December 12, 1907.  The camera is pointing east.

This photo was taken from inside the south half of the new building.  This side has an overhead crane which is located toward back of the building.  It is very difficult to see, but there is a man sitting on the top left of the crane.  Windows have been installed on the south side of the new building.   The box car on the left is an American Straw Board Co. No. 19 getting retrofitted with a steel underframe.  This photo was taken December 26, 1907.  The camera is pointing west.

This view was taken from the south side of the PRR/B&O RR tracks looking toward the northeast.  Dismantling of the old wood barn continued.  The south half of the new building looks almost complete.  The kids seem to be having their way with the windows.  The tall building (left edge of the photo) will eventually be removed and the new building extended west for a total building length of 1410 feet to become the Punch, Shear Fitting and Erection shop, the largest structure on the property.  The photo was taken December 26, 1907.

A view of the track work on the east end of the new Punch, Shear Fitting and Erection shop.  The train with the Kanawha and Michigan RR and T&OC RR freight cars is on the PRR/B&O RR tracks.  The Kanawha and Michigan RR, Toledo and Ohio Central RR and Hocking Valley RR were all big customers of Ralston Steel Car gondolas.  The photo is estimated to be from 1907-1909 period.  The camera is pointing southwest.

The north property border of the Ralston Steel Car Co. can be seen edged with a pole line and fence.  The tall building and the attached shop building will be replaced in 1912 by the west end extension of the Punch, Shear Fitting and Erection shop.  Follow the pole line to the horizon and you will see a Columbus, New Albany and Johnston interurban car, side view.  To the right of the car is the two-stall CNA&J car barn.  The T&OC RR is coming toward the interurban car barn from the east, but before it reaches the car barn it curves north.  At the left of the picture is a T&OC gondola car sitting on a siding that connects to this sweeping curve.  The barn with the cupola that is sitting on the fence line will have the new office built just east of it.  The barn and new office building show up in another picture.  It is estimated that this photo was taken sometime before 1912.  The camera is pointing east.

Workers are seen dismantling the west end of the old shop building and starting construction of the new building.  The camera is pointing southeast.  The B&O RR/PRR main line is on the far side of the fence, part of which can be seen on the right side of the photo.  

The roof work is a little confusing in this picture.  To the left is the new roof which has two peaks.  To the right is the old roof with one peak which has been uncovered for dismantling.

The build date on the gondolas appears to be September, 1911.  The Ralston Co. received almost all of its supplies by railroad cars such as these.  The B&O RR/PRR main line is in the foreground.  The camera is pointing northeast.

Work continues on the dismantling of the shop building on the west side of the tall building and the construction of the new shop building.  Just to the left of the building being dismantled is a view of the Forge Shop.  The camera is pointing southeast.

This photo shows three of the traveling cranes.  Traveling cranes will be available for the entire 1410 feet of the new Punch, Shear Fitting and Erection shop building.  The head house is still visible in the far background.  The camera is pointing east.

The last of the demolition including the tall building is nearing an end.  The steel work for the new building was now up to the tall building and will eventually connect with the east structure built in 1907.  This eliminated the largest building from the old Rarig Engineering Company days.