vessels in Valparaiso, Chile, 1978

A view looking pretty much due east. The main container terminal is to the left.

1964 Ford Galaxie

Alpar scenic flights over Switzerland poster, 1936

This airline, based in Bern, was active from 1929 to 1947 when Swissair took over most of its operations.. The Bern-Belp airport continued to be operated by an Alpar successor company.

Amtrak 'Surfliner' poster

"This poster is one of a set created for Amtrak by the Michael Schwab Studio to advertise California routes. Amtrak inaugurated the Pacific Surfliner (San Diego-Los Angeles) in 2000 to replace the San Diegan, started by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1938. The name change came about as a way to rebrand the service after an intense period of investment in the 1990s that included refurbished tracks and stations, new rolling stock and increased frequencies. The poster features a Surfliner whose bi-level California Cars wear a distinctive silver and blue livery. The train glides along the shore with the ocean seemingly within reach, and the bright sun shines from above to warm the scene. Graphic Artist: Michael Schwab (American) for Amtrak." (From the Amtrak website)

'ah there's the transpress nz book'

1963 Morris Oxford

narrow gauge Baldwin on the Lake Tahoe Railway, California, circa 1910

This was a 16 mile (26 km), 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge line that ran from a connection with the Central Pacific Railway at Truckee, California to the waterfront at Lake Tahoe. It began operations in 1900. It was leased to Southern Pacific in 1926 who converted it to standard gauge the following year.

Southern Pacific bought the assets outright in May 1933 and abandoned the line in 1943.

During the narrow gauge years the line used 4 Baldwins, details here

English Electric multiple unit alongside the Hutt Road and Wellington Harbour, 1964

For lots more, see the book Wellington Transport Memories

1961 Buick Le Sabre

double-decker taxi?

We think this page gives the explanation.

bus on the Sudetenstrasse near Schreiberhau, Germany, 1937

Obviously, the trees have grown a lot since and rather obstructed the view in this spot.

cars in De Smet de Naeyerlaan, Wenduine, Belgium, 1956

Almost all the buildings in this avenue are now 7-story apartment blocks. What is the car in the centre-right?

NZR envelope, 1937

You wonder what the letter inside was about...

For lots more, see the book New Zealand Railways Memorabilia

the first Fiat from 1899 and Carpano, 1954 poster

The connection isn't at all obvious, although Antonio Benedetto Carpano was an Italian distiller famous for having invented Vermouth and consequently the apéritif.

These days the suggestion of a symbiosis of alcohol and cars would be frowned on.

Renfe promo pic next to the Ria de Vigo, Spain

No date - 1960s?  This is headed southwest for Chapela not far from that station.

1951 Cadillac Coupe deVille

ignorance of even classic books

Three pages in a book called The Lexicon of Stupidity from 2005.  The situation is certain to be worse now.

trams in Bad Warmbrunn, Germany, 1920s

Obviously taken at 4:48 pm; from the parked car probably late 1930s.

Now in the greater Hirschberg/Jelenia Gora area in Poland, this suburb is now called Cieplice Slankie Zdroj, see earlier post and this webpage here.

1925 Alfa Romeo 6-Cylinder

From the length of the hood, you'd think it was rather more than 6 cylinders.

1949 Delahaye 163 diesel bus and truck

The chassis for 5 tonne trucks and 28 to 40 seat buses.

'a good book and a cup of coffee give me pleasure'

"Berlin - Symphony of a Metropolis" (1927) silent movie by Walther Ruttmann

(Music should be added.)

1953 Ford Zephyr 6 ad

Presumably, that is an outfit for going hunting in.

tram in Reichskanzlerplatz, Berlin, 1920s

Today called Theodor-Heuss-Platz, this was named Reichskanzlerplatz between 1908 and 1933 when it was renamed Adolf-Hitler-Platz.

Seasons Greetings to our readers

The year has been very much the same as last year and we could almost repeat last year's message. New governments in both the US and NZ are creating new challenges, while the steady decrease in those who like books and the steady increase in those who only know electronic media and devices continue the gloomy outlook.

We wish all readers and especially customers a Happy Christmas and 2018.

tram in Biggin Street, Dover, England, 1900s

Dover had the second tramway system built in the UK. It covered a distance of 4.9 km in Cape Gauge and and was in operation from 1897 to 1936. It was noted for having the worst ever tram accident in the UK which occurred on the system in 1917 in which 11 were killed.

More

ex-lighthouse tender

A Classic Ernie Lane model, launched approximately 1952 as a lighthouse tender in the South Island and was in survey until 1998.

Made of Kauri carvel construction, powered by 98 hp Gardner diesel delivering 7-9 knots, 13 metres long, beam of 4 metres and draught 1.7 metres.

one use for an old Lada

the Bell Bus fleet outside Parliament in Wellington, circa 1930

For more, see the book Wellington Transport Memories.

rebuilt EMD SD45 of the SP on Tehachapi

Near the Bealville tunnel number 2.  A GP40 of the Rio Grande is behind it.

South Bend watch advert with a steam loco, circa 1920

This company produced watches from 1905 to the end of 1929.

Hong Kong junks poster, 1979

two 'allahu-akbarists' in a SUV mow down pedestrians in central Melbourne

Fourteen people have been injured, several of them critically, after pedestrians were mowed down by a car in Melbourne's CBD in what police say was a "deliberate act".

A white SUV showed no sign of slowing as it hit people at the busy intersection of Flinders and Elizabeth streets about 4.40pm, including some waiting at a tram stop.

Full story

half cab bus in Sandgate, England, 1920s?

the Amtrak train that crashed in Washington state was 50 mph over the speed limit

An Amtrak train was travelling 50 mph over the speed limit when it careened off an overpass south of Seattle, killing at least three people, federal officials confirmed.

Bella Dinh-Zarr, a National Transportation Safety Board member, said at a Monday night news conference that information from the event data recorder in the rear locomotive showed the train was traveling at 80 mph (130 km/h) in a 30 mph (50 km/h) zone when it derailed.

Full story

traffic in Mercer and Wakefield Streets, Wellington, early 1960s

A trolley bus, cars and a van for Nestlé Chocolate parked on the left. The Wellington City Council building in the centre still exists, but an curved additional building was constructed in the early 1990s in the central foreground area and a new library to the left foreground.

For lots more, see the book Wellington: a Capital century.

model of the early Wellington Harbour Ferry, 'Cobar'

See our books for more.

Japanese railroad stamps 2016

We can't read Japanese.

Porsche wins the 1983 Le Mans 24 heures poster

1970 Chevrolet s/w ad

'I knew a transpress nz book would tell us what we want to know'

New York Port Authority bus terminal original promo, 1950

Info

Bergbahn art, Switzerland (?)

No info.

1961 Cadillac series 62 coupe

Blue Star Line ship 'New Zealand Star' (2)

Details from bluestarline.org :-

Built: BremerVulkan Schiffbau & Machinenfabrik, Vegesack, Germany
ON: 334615
Dimensions: 168.36 (BB) x 22.36 x 8.973/9.961 metres
Tonnage: Gross: 11300;  Net: 6626
Propulsion: 9-Cylinder 2 S.C.S.A M.A.N. K9Z86/160E oil engine by the shipbuilder.
Type: Refrigerated Cargo Liner
Launched: 1/05/1967 (Yard No. 930) as New Zealand Star 2 for Blue Star Line
Completed: 9/1967
Converted: 11/9/1977 to container ship by her builders and renamed Wellington Star (3)
Tonnage Coverted: Gross: 11393; Net: 6503;  Dimensions unchanged
Demolished: 1993 at Chittagong

Sister ships: Southland Star

Fokkers VIIa poster art, 1928

"Use the air way". The Fokkers VIIa CH-159 of Switzerland was registered in March 1928.