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Location DB > United States > Texas > Tyler > The Rail Road Backshop
 Name
The Rail Road Backshop
 Viewing Options
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 Database Info
created by Explorer Zero on 2/11/2006 11:56 PM
last modified by Explorer Zero on 9/1/2007 1:23 PM
 Viewability
Publically Viewable Publically Viewable
This location has been labeled as Demolished, and therefore can be viewed by anyone.
 Overview
 Description
A large turn of the century railroad maintenance building surrounded by a busy rail yard on one side and an active seed company on the other.

The abandoned building which is the subject of this DB location was approximately 36000 sqft two story brick exterior on steel frame.

Just south is an active freight terminal with trucks constantly coming and going. Directly west is the Union Pacific yard office. I watched rail workers coming and going to switch engines in the yard and a RR security man driving around in a white crew cab Ford pick up with a light bar. Do not park on the rail road property. (this building may have been on railroad property)

Its easy enough to hike in from the neighborhood just south of the site but watch for bums and hobos. The yard was full of them today trying to get out of the cold wind.

UPDATE: There were two old buildings. One is a warehouse and office for the seed company. The other is now demolished It was so dilapidated Im surprised it stood as long as it did. There were major structural problems with this building. The large window boarding and patch panels were blowing off the roof in the high wind when I was there. Many of the steel girders were rusted completely through.
 Basic Information
Type: Building
Status: Demolished
Accessibility: Easy
Recommendation: forget it
 Physical Information
Address

Tyler, Texas
United States
Owner:
  • See a map of this location
  •  Hazards
  • rust
  • unsafe flooring
  • flooding
  • water
  • crumbling bricks and falling debris, fast moving freight trains, yard birds and hobos
  •  Interesting Features
    19th century architecture + abundant rust and decay + hobos
     Security Measures
  • location borders on Union Pacific property
  •  Historical Dates
    Built: 1890
    Closed: 0
     Required Equipment
     Recommended Equipment

     History
    This building was once a backshop for the Southern Pacific Railroad which dates back to around 1890. (a backshop was what they called a maintenance shop located within the railyard)

    I also found reference to a turn table or roundhouse at this site (not to be confused with the round incinerator structure still present) where locomotives could be turned around to head back down the line in the other direction but it was demolished long ago.

    There wasnt much more history available online for this location. At some point this building was converted to a cotton gin or feed mill of some type. Some material handling equipment from that operation was still present as well as the large round structure which is similar to incinerators seen at seed mills or cotton gins used to burn waste and hulls.

    This building was demolished on August 31 2007.

     Media Coverage

     Future Plans

     Stories
    Some Bad Mexicanos
    Sun, Feb 19th, 2006
    posted by Explorer Zero


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     Photo Galleries
    Click to view gallery
    Pistolero
    Sun, Feb 12th, 2006
    posted by Explorer Zero
    5 pictures
    Click to view gallery
    Backshops
    Sun, Feb 12th, 2006
    posted by Explorer Zero
    40 pictures
    Click to view gallery
    Gone now
    Sat, Sep 1st, 2007
    posted by Raticus
    2 pictures
     


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     Moderator Rating
    The moderator rating is a neutral rating of the content quality, photography, and coolness of this location.

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     Validation
    This location's validation is current. It was last validated by Emperor Wang on 9/1/2007 3:22 PM.

     Latest Changes
  • on Sep 1 07 at 15:22, Emperor Wang validated this location
  • on Sep 1 07 at 13:53, Explorer Zero updated the main picture
  • on Sep 1 07 at 13:23, Explorer Zero changed the following: Display Name, Owner, Latitude, Longitude, Publically Viewable, History
  • on Sep 1 07 at 13:07, Explorer Zero changed the following: Real Name, History, Status, Recommendation, Security Measures, Required Equipment, Description
  • on Sep 1 07 at 5:12, Raticus added some pictures to a gallery
  • on Sep 1 07 at 5:10, Raticus updated gallery Gone now
  • on Sep 1 07 at 5:09, Raticus deleted 1 pictures from gallery Gone now
  • on Sep 1 07 at 5:09, Raticus added some pictures to a gallery
  • on Sep 1 07 at 5:08, Raticus added some pictures to a gallery
  • on Sep 1 07 at 5:06, Raticus created a new gallery
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