The Oneonta Roundhouse

by Jim Loudon

ISBN-10: 0-9641119-0-X
ISBN-13: 978-0-9641119-0-5
SCP Product #: SCP-0017
Retail Price: $19.95 - FREE economy shipping*
Physical: 100 pages; 8.5" x 11", b&w interior, softcover, perfect bound, 175 illustrations
Publication Date: ©1993, Leatherstocking Railway HS
SCP Reprint Date: 2009
Retail Distribution: North Country Books
Library Distribution: North Country Books; Square Circle Press
Publication Information Sheet (PDF)

BACK IN PRINT!

Softcover - $19.95
includes FREE economy shipping!

Book Summary

The Oneonta Roundhouse provides the definitive account of the birth, life, and death of the world's largest railroad roundhouse, built in the early 1900s in Oneonta, New York. Jim Loudon, a founding member of the Leatherstocking Railway Historical Society, describes in detail the earlier roundhouses built on the site by the Delaware & Hudson Railroad, and how the company's rapid growth led to the turntable's expansion. He provides specific information about the background politics and the construction of the primary roundhouse, and the improvements made to the monumental building over the years. The book is heavily illustrated, with 122 photos and 53 maps and diagrams, including full schematics for the roundhouse, turntable, and adjacent buildings. Other chapters focus on the D&H's Challenger locomotives, and the coal pocket fire of 1946 that ultimately ended in tragedy. The book's epilogue chapter includes Loudon's photographs of the building's twilight, taken only months before the remaining structure was dismantled.

First published in 1993 by the Leatherstocking Railway Historical Association, The Oneonta Roundhouse went out-of-print after the original printing plates were lost. The book has since been digitally recreated and reprinted by Square Circle Press on behalf of the LRHS.

Book Preview (1MB PDF - title page and four pages)

Book Reviews

"I had always heard about the legendary roundhouse in Oneonta, but with the building long gone I couldn't conceive of its size. Jim Loudon's fascinating narrative, along with his incredible compilation of images and their informative captions, brought the roundhouse to life for me. This book is an indispensable resource not only for railroad buffs, but also for those interested in engineering on a massive scale. It is a valuable document of upstate New York history."

Richard Vang, Publisher, Square Circle Press

Press Releases

(PDF documents)

• 10/30/09 - Reprint Release Announcement

About the Author

Jim Loudon is a native of Otsego County and currently resides in the West End of Oneonta, New York. He graduated from the State University of New York College at Oneonta in 1972 with a BS in Liberal Arts, majoring in art and history. In 1982 Jim organized the Leatherstocking Railway Historical Society, which currently operates the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad tourist train ride, and for which he has served as Conductor, Engineer, and Brakeman. For over two decades Jim has devoted his time to researching the local area's railroad history, authoring several articles on the subject, as well as a second book, Leatherstocking Rails: A History of Railroading Along the Upper Susquehanna (2005). A practitioner of the visual arts, the subjects of Jim's paintings, drawings and photographs include wildlife, landscapes, locomotives and antique tractors.

Author Events

Please contact us to schedule an author appearance, signing, or lecture.

• Sunday, November 1, 2009 - 2:00 pm
  Author lecture
  Greater Oneonta Historical Society History Center, 183 Main Street, Oneonta, NY
  Author Jim Loudon will speak about the railroad's role as part of a larger presentation, "Stories of Oneonta and World War II: On the Home Front," sponsored by the Greater Oneonta Historical Society. Open to the public. More info, contact GOHS director, Bob Brzozowski 607-431-9509.
• Saturday, November 7, 2009 - 2:00 pm
  Author Book Signing
  St. Mary's School, 5588 State Highway 7, Oneonta, NY
  Author Jim Loudon will be signing copies of his books during the annual Holiday Antique Show of the Greater Oneonta Historical Society. Open to the public; books available for sale. More info, contact GOHS director, Bob Brzozowski 607-431-9509.