Saturday, February 28, 2015

Star car, 1920s


There were British and American marques with this name: the American was assembled by the Durant Motors Company between 1922 and 1928 and sold as the Rugby in British Commonwealth countries.

Velocar trike, England, late 1930s


"I say Jeeves, this is a lot more fun than driving that Bentley."

1954 Bedford Utilecon

Ideal for the family with 5 kids.

1968 Austin 1800


"The car of the century" - no modesty here.  The Sydney Opera House was clearly well advanced by this stage although it didn't open until 1973.

from Paris to Bordeaux by the Chemins de fer de Paris à Orléans, mid 1890s


Only 8 hours 30 minutes for the trip.  Today you can do it in 3 hours 16 minutes on a TGV, although you will want to leave from the Montparnasse station rather than from Austerlitz.

ships at Funchal, Madeira, art, 1935


Created for the Norddeutscher Lloyd ship line.

cars outside the National Theater, Budapest, Hungary, 1960s


We think the one in the foreground is a Skoda 1101.

Kerr Stuart 0-6-0, Ocean Beach Railway, Dunedin


Dating from 1929, now preserved at this museum.  Info about it and the museum is here

Marshall Islands vintage car stamp art, 1997

'20th century - Dawn of the Automobile Age'

Pacific Electric car on San Pedro, L.A., 1960



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This quaint corner turret, often seen on old buildings in central Europe, but rare anywhere else, is still there.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

by train to see Halley's Comet, Australia, 1986


A photo of Halley's Comet taken at the time (source)
It may seem a little odd excursion, but away from the pollution, haze and lights of cities, the night sky in the cloudless Australian outback is an impressive experience.

trams in Hastings Street, Napier, early 1920s


For more, see earlier posts and our books.

1972 Chevrolet bus


A brochure for Spanish speaking countries.

the 'Bremen' from 1938/1959

Four screw turbine ship. 32,335 gross register tons, length: 212 metres, breadth: 27.5 metres, speed: 23.5 knots, passengers: 1,122.  Flagship of Norddeustche Lloyd, biggest and fastest German passenger ship.
This was built in 1938 by Chantiers et Ateliers de St. Nazaire in France, named Pasteur. She was purchased from Cie. de Navigation Sud-Atlantique in 1959, extensively rebuilt and renamed Bremen, In 1970 the ownership became Hapag-Lloyd after the merger of NDL and HAPAG. In 1972 the ship was sold to Chandris Lines, Piraeus, renamed Regina Magna,  Eventually she sank while being towed to scrappers in 1980.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

weird tourism poster, Mexico, 1940


Quite cryptic this one: a topless brown woman with a rather hostile expression raises her arms against a mountainous landscape with a steam train in it, proclaiming in English (so presumably aimed at Americans), "For the same victory!"

The same victory as what?  And what does sightseeing in Mexico have to do with it?  This was the first full year of WW2, but America wasn't in it until December 1941, and Mexico wasn't in it until 1942.

new Palmerston North mayor Grant Smith wants to save the 'Capital Connection' train


In fact according to this stuff article it is at the top of the new mayor's list of priorities.  The local Member of Parliament for this area also wants to see the train continue.

Geoff Churchman's views on the issue, and a nice pic, are here 

50 years of Wigram aerodrome expo card


As can be seen, the base dated from 1917, named after transport and air force pioneer Henry Wigram. The RNZAF left in 1993 and the private aerodrome was closed in 2009. Since then the site has been developed for housing by the Ngai Tahu iwi under the name Wigram Skies. The historic control tower and hangars remain as they are heritage protected buildings. and the RNZAF museum, Air Force World, remains.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

the alpine railway town of Modane, France









FS class E636 locos (see earlier post)






Situated at over 1 km in altitude, this town is close to the border with Italy and both road and rail have tunnels known as the Tunnel du Fréjus, see earlier posts.  Freight trains from both France and Italy can be seen in the yard here and a changeover of electric locomotives from the 1,500 Volts DC of the system in this part of France to the 3,000 V DC of the Italian system.  It is also on the route of TGVs from Paris to Turin (and Milan).  The town's population was 3,400 in 2012.