Monday, September 7, 2026

Illinois Central E6 with a passenger train at the Chicago 63rd St station, 1953

This looks to be the CTA station rather than the Metra station but the wooden platforms seem to still exist - https://maps.app.goo.gl/erX8MLvUetcxxoZr5

1970 Toyota Celica


Stockholm Tunnelbana (metro) train, Sweden, 1960s


The first line opened in 1950 as the first metro line in the Nordic countries. Today, the standard gauge system system consists of three lines and 100 stations, of which 47 are underground and 53 above ground. The system is owned by Region Stockholm via SL, the public transport authority for Stockholm County. It covers 105.7 km (65.7 miles) and is the only metro system in Sweden.

In the pic is a C2 type train from 1950 which were the most numerous class; they were withdrawn by the end of 1999.

1971 Toyota Carina sedan

Sunday, September 6, 2026

Montreal and Southern Counties Railway trolley car, Canada, mid-1950s


The Montreal and Southern Counties Railway (often abbreviated M&SCRC or M&SC) was an electric interurban/streetcar line that operated for nearly 47 years providing a transport link between Montreal and various communities on the South Shore of the Saint Lawrence River.  The railway began operations on 1 November 1909 and officially shut down on 14 October 1956, following declining ridership.

Originally built by the Grand Trunk Railway, the system came under the control of the Canadian National Railway in 1923 when Grand Trunk was absorbed. 

The main interurban line ran 47 miles (75 kilometers) from Old Montreal, crossing the Victoria Bridge into St. Lambert, and extending deep into the countryside all the way to Granby, Quebec. A shorter, dedicated suburban branch also served the city of Longueuil. 

In Montreal and dense suburban hubs, the M&SC shared tracks directly with local streetcars, running right down the middle of the street. In rural areas, it transitioned to its own separate, dedicated right-of-way where it could pick up speed.

Car #600 belongs to the 600-series fleet built around 1917 specifically to handle the long-distance expansion line to Granby, Quebec and features a heavy wood and steel composite frame painted in the dark green Pullman livery of the Canadian National Railway system. 

The roof line includes a "deck roof" profile with small clerestory windows for ventilation. These were primarily single-end cars and because they only had a driving cab at one end, they were frequently coupled back-to-back in trains of two or three cars so they could be driven in either direction without needing a turnaround loop.

Because these cars traveled through freezing Quebec winters, they were equipped with a Peter Smith coal-fired heating stove. Located inside the main cabin, this stove fed heat directly into a series of forced-air pipes running along the floor boards to keep passengers warm. 

M&SC had 4 dedicated express freight cars and 4 milk cars. Because the line ran deep into the agricultural South Shore communities, these cars were vital for hauling farm produce and daily milk jugs straight into Montreal every morning.

1954 Citroen Big 15


an SNCF steam-hauled passenger train crosses the Viaduc de Chaumont, 1957

The Chaumont viaduct is located at kilometer point (PK) 260.757 of the Paris-Est to Mulhouse-Ville line a few hundred meters from the junction of the Blesme - Haussignémont to Chaumont line and less than a kilometer before entering Chaumont station when coming from Paris.

The viaduct is 600 meters long, includes 50 arches that rise to 52 meters and was built over 1855-1856.

Friday, September 4, 2026

'would you like to experience a good real book on my bed?'

cars in Eagle River, Wisconsin, circa 1959

 
Present day view

Boeing 747 SP promo poster for United



The Boeing 747SP (for Special Performance) is a shortened version of the Boeing 747 wide-body airliner, designed for a longer range. It is the highest flying subsonic passenger airliner, with a service ceiling of 45,100 feet (13,700 meters). Boeing needed a smaller aircraft to compete with the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and Lockheed L-1011 TriStar tri-jet wide-bodies, introduced in 1971/1972. Pan Am requested a 747-100 derivative to fly between New York and the Middle East, a request also shared by Iran Air, and the first order came from Pan Am in 1973.

The variant first flew on July 4, 1975, was approved by the Federal Aviation Administration on February 4, 1976, and entered service that year with Pan Am.

Of the 45 built, one remained in active use as at August 2026.