This is one of my favorite Jack Delano photographs. I had posted it over seven years ago, and again two years later during discussions about wooden floors sometimes seen in roundhouses. And yet again the topic came up at our weekly railfan breakfast recently, so here we are.

We’re at the Chicago and North Western’s yard in Chicago, and it’s December of 1942. The roundhouse could be a rather chilly environment, and these workers helped combat the situation by burning coal in open steel “drums” to provide a bit of warmth. I suspect that these heaters were fabricated right there in-house, and I’m sure that they are contributing to the haze inside. Also note the tool carts and acetylene bottle. One can barely discern the silhouette of a worker in the distance just above the pilot of the steamer at center (click on the photo to see a much larger view).

If you look carefully you’ll notice the wooden floor in this roundhouse. It’s a series of wooden blocks set on end to create the floor. Such floors were fairly common in industrial facilities many years ago. They provided a surface that was resilient and “kind” to the heavy, metal components that would be placed (or dropped) on them.