The End of a Rolling Era

By Don Rittner

When the Albany Iron Works, or as it was known in recent times, Portec Rail Products Inc., closed its doors in 1989, it not only ended the life of a historic rolling mill, but quietly disbanded a family of workers representing some 150 years of solidarity.

David Fogarty and Frank Scorsone know it well since between the two of them they worked there for almost 30 years.

Fogarty worked at Portec for 14 years. He was the plant manager when Portec ceased all operations in Troy. Dave began work in 1975, at the age of 22, working as a machine operator and worked his way up to become manager in 1987, two years before the mill closed. Frank, who began working there at age 20, also in 1975, was the "relief man on the hot line." In essence, he performed all the jobs from cutting rail, punching holes for bolts, stamping the rail, and whatever else was needed to do while a fellow worker took his break.

According to Portec’s Web site, the company makes "rail lubrication and friction management systems for hi-rail, on-board and wayside application as well as insulated rail joints, rail anchors and other track accessories. In addition, Portec Rail Products Inc. offers a complete line of rolling stock products that include intermodal container locks, auto rack bridge plate, heavy equipment tie-downs and other load securement devices, locomotive drop tables, freight car jacking systems and mobile intermodal car jacks."

Here in Troy, Dave, Frank, and the other workers fabricated rail joints. These are splicing bars that hold the ends of two rails together. They brought in raw material in the form of used railroad car axles or billet steel from the Auburn rolling mill then took the iron, heated it up, hot formed and shaped it in a forging process. It‘s ironic that the foundry’s last use was as a forge, since the first industrial site at that location was the Star Forge that latter was incorporated into the Albany Iron Works. They also made bonded rails (two rails bonded together) and even made the tracks for StoryTown’s (Great Escape) train ride. It was particularly hard work in the summer from the heat of the furnace (no air conditioning) to freezing in the winter (no heat unless you stood by the furnace). A mandatory 12 hours a day four days a week, 10 on Friday, and 8 on Saturday made for a long week. During winter months, almost everyone wore a beard to keep warm.

There were between 145-189 men that worked for Portec and they all knew the history of the foundry, in particular the rolling of the plates for the U.S.S. Monitor. In fact, it was Dave that donated the remaining two hull plates to the Hudson Mohawk Industrial Gateway. The plates were found when they were renovating a storeroom. You can view them now on exhibit at the Burden Museum off Polk Street. There were actually a few plates found but some were cut up in pieces and given to various people as gifts as well as to Rensselaer town historians. Sand Lake Town Historian Judy Rowe has a small piece hanging in her office. Frank has a piece at home. Before the rescued plates were donated permanently to the Gateway, they were loaned for exhibits at the New York State Museum and in Philadelphia.

Fortunately, the workers received a severance package and Dave, Frank and about 10 other former employees found work in Green Island’s Norton Saint-Gobain Company, which makes sandpaper. While there are no reunions from the workers of the Albany Iron Works, many still talk to each other and fraternize, since most were local South Troy and Watervliet residents. Frank retired from Norton after 13 years and is a short order cook for the Famous Lunch. Dave still works at Norton. On October 31, 1989, the day of the mill’s final closing, there were many tears shed but Frank and Dave told me that everyone would go back to work there in an instant. There was a real bond between the workers and they loved working at the mill. All that remains now is a photo taken of all the workers together for the last time - itself historic by the very nature that it represents an end of an era.