High-quality black-and-white photographs of large old machines and tools

**cmarlow** · Jan 12, 2019, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by PJs

...Also note someone is having a castle with a turret built in the background. Pic is pretty pixelated and perhaps water-colorized but good contrast at distance, and the framing is great. Over all a great pic of the times.

Thanks Jon.

I think the castle might be a church.

**PJs** · Jan 13, 2019, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by cmarlow

I think the castle might be a church.

Could be and I thought of that, just haven't seen a bell tower/steeple of that shape before...perhaps some form of Orthodox?

**CharlesWaugh** · Jan 13, 2019, 11:24 AM

It sure looks like a Russian Orthodox 'onion dome' steeple - with the trefoil cross on top like THIS

**cmarlow** · Jan 13, 2019, 02:00 PM

Possibly orthodox, possibly spanish. If there was any way of guessing which city these cranes or steam shovels were being assembled in it might be possible to use an index of old churches to both ID the church and the location of the yard.

**PJs** · Jan 13, 2019, 02:32 PM

Originally Posted by cmarlow

Possibly orthodox, possibly spanish. If there was any way of guessing which city these cranes or steam shovels were being assembled in it might be possible to use an index of old churches to both ID the church and the location of the yard.

I have no reason or clue why but Detroit comes to my head...flora and fauna would be tell tail I think.

**Toolmaker51** · Jan 13, 2019, 02:56 PM

PJs' examines these photos in detail. Upon receiving his tele-messages, I'm off to enlarge them and do the fine-toothed comb biz. You'll always find something neat. This time, the connection between axle and wheel hub; a unique drive indeed.

**cmarlow** · Jan 13, 2019, 03:04 PM

I am thinking the units (in the background right) which the crane is being used to assemble are likely Erie Model B steam shovels because of the wide iron wheels on them. The Marion or Buckeye units are the same style and they might be Marion Model 2B shovels. I think the time frame would be @1910.
Marion assembled quite a few shovels to dig the Panama canal. Is it possible this is an assembly yard in Panama?
I googled historic church images for Panama and some of them look like the church tower in the picture.
I doubt if they are in Panama because of the pine trees, but since I have no idea whether pine trees grow in Panama I am merely guessing.

**PJs** · Jan 13, 2019, 03:26 PM

Anybody catch the guy sleeping next to the tree? Sorry but it feels like the north east to me based on the architecture of the house next to the Model T...the chimney in particular. The trees are too grainy for any real discernment but again it doesn't feel like Panama flora and fauna...but never been there so I may be wrong. Thew and Marion company were based in Ohio...perhaps a yard for them. You may be right that the Thew was used to build the bigger Marions. Starting to get to the edges of my knowing of these machines.

PJ