'wow, I wish I had discovered real books earlier'

Deutsche Bahn satire

"Is 4 a lot?"
"It depends.
"Hours delay on the German Railway? No.
"Free seats in the Intercity Express? Yes."

Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train climbs Horseshoe Curve, 1941

With double-header steam, locos not identified.  For info on Horseshoe Curve, see this post from 2011. (Charles W. Cushman pic/Indiana University Archives)

1958 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith

Being auctioned by Webbs of Auckland in August -- more info and several more pics

old traction photos of Chicago and surrounds

A good blog for fans of trolleys and electric trains we've stumbled upon is The Trolley Dodger -- link -- which has an impressive number of large format pics taken decades ago, mostly greater Chicago but also some elsewhere. 

This one, obviously, was taken on Chicago's "L" Loop with a North Shore Line train on the left and CTA cars in the right background.

ships in Barcelona, Spain, 1955

The sailing ship at bottom may have been a training vessel.

British seaman's record book, 1950s

Refer to the book All at Sea (details at right).

older SNCF baggage/parcels car

Seen at Lausanne, Switzerland, in the mid-1970s.

English Electric ads from the 1950s

The loco in the top photo may resemble an NZR De (from 1952) but, as per the caption, it was supplied to Jamaican Railways.

The ad below from 1955 definitely shows an NZR Df class (from 1954), though.

Canadian Pacific SD40-2 lash-up

At least the first three units are, the 4th unit in CSX livery may be something else.  Seen in Beach Haven, Pennsylvania.

1946 Ford Super DeLuxe

a gondola or similar aerial transit system being considered for Griffith Park, L.A.

As Los Angeles officials ponder ways to cut down on traffic in and around Griffith Park, an engineering firm hired by the city is analyzing the pros and cons of installing a gondola or similar aerial transit system that could ferry riders in and out of the park.

The firm, Stantec, announced this week that it’s in the early stages of compiling a study on potential routes for an aerial tram and the costs associated with building one.

City leaders ordered the study last year, after reviewing a list of 29 recommendations from an outside consultant brought in to analyze traffic issues in the communities surrounding the 4,511-acre park.

This isn’t the first time an aerial tramway to the park has been considered. It was part of a draft master plan for the park unveiled in 2005—and later scrapped. A revised plan adopted by the City Council in 2015 called instead for a subway stop near the Los Angeles Zoo—something that now seems unlikely, given Metro’s busy project schedule over the next three decades.

Private developers have lately renewed talks of an aerial transportation system.

Full story

1974 Chevrolet Caprice 4-door hardtop

1971 Ford Galaxie 500

1969 Dodge Polara

Rescue of the Brive-Aurillac railway line, France

It is a line that traverses difficult terrain, as demonstrated by the above pic of a tank loco with a merchandise train on then new viaduct taken near Lamativie in the mid 1960s.  The track has been neglected in recent times, but this year the three regions through which it passes have co-ordinated to refurbish it and it is due for reopening in the middle of next month, according to this webpage

'No, I just wanna read my book'

a use for that older bus

Central Railroad of New Jersey Alco RSD5

See earlier post on the RSD5, a classic unit. This one was seen at Arlington, Pennsylvania, in April 1968.

1966 Ford Galaxie

1936 Wolseley

A little presence of British amid all the American cars!

1963 Skoda Octavia promo

1966 Chevrolet Impala Convertible

fishing boats in Folkstone, England, 1950s

For pictures of ones in NZ, see the Nets, Lines and Pots books.

ship 'Blue Master' in Sydney

But Sydney in Nova Scotia, Canada, not Australia, No date, but obviously when there was still a railway connection to this small port.

1965 Ford Zephyr

One of English Ford's icon cars of the 1960s.

1973 Lancia 2000 Sedan

1929 Henderson Excelsior motorcycle

Seen in Napier last February. It looks like a KJ Four, see this page

1964 Buick Electra 225

1957 Nash Ambassador

1955 Messerschmitt KR 200

"Limousine comfort"? Hmm.

KR stood for Kabinenroller (cabin roller). The 200 came from the 191 cc Fichtel & Sachs two-stroke single cylinder engine, which was operable in both directions of crankshaft rotation. About 40,000 of these were made between 1955 and 1964.

SNCF TGV poster circa 1990

"Nearer to the heart of France." During the 1990s the units' colour changed from orange to pale blue

NZ's Parliament House with a couple of cars outside, early 1950s

Obviously quiet, so perhaps during a weekend; that looks like a 1949 Studebaker in the foreground. The wooden building in the left background was replaced with the Beehive in the 1970s.

ticket counter with a difference

"It go to ma place"

1951 MG TD

Union Pacific 'Centennials'

The class leader at Omaha, Nebraska, 1969. (UP postcard pic)

"The DDA40X is a 6,600-horsepower (4.92-megawatt) D-D [Do-Do]experimental diesel-electric built by General Motors' EMD division in La Grange, Illinois, for the Union Pacific Railroad. Nicknamed "Centennials" because they were built around the 100th anniversary of the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad, and "Big Jack", the DDA40X uses two diesel engine prime movers, each rated at 3,300 horsepower (2.46 megawatts).
"The DDA40X is the most powerful single-unit diesel-electric locomotive ever built, surpassing the ALCO Century 855 built in 1964, which was rated at 5,500 hp (4.10 MW). However, more recent designs, such as the EMD SD90MAC and GE AC6000CW, have come close; both of these locomotives were rated at 6,000 hp (4.47 MW). It is also the third-most-powerful internal-combustion locomotive ever built, exceeded by the Russian Railways GT1 and Union Pacific GTEL gas turbine units. [At 98 ft 5 in (30 metres)] it is the longest single-unit diesel locomotive ever built."

A total of 47 were manufactured between April 1969 and September 1971 of which 13 survive today, including No. 6936 which is still in service with UP.

More

cars and buses in Pershing Square, L.A., 1954

The bus on the right (rear view) looks like it has Pacific Electric livery.  What is the car on the right?

Makeover plans for Pershing Square (which contains a lot of bricks/concrete) were announced by the City Council 3 years ago, but nothing has happened since.

Ae 6/6's on the Gotthardbahn, Switzerland, 1964

An SBB/CFF promo pic showing a double-header with a passenger train.  For more, see this post

automotive feelings

1935 Austin 7

Seen during last February's Napier Art Deco Weekend; it belongs to a guy who does Art Deco tours around Napier, although probably not in this!

Weinxettelwand Tunnel on the Semmeringbahn, Austria, 1920s

Before the line was electrified.

three NZR Road Services buses, one on its side, 1959

A scene captured by an Evening Post photographer on the Lower Hutt side of the Wainuiomata Hill Road on 10 December 1959 after the Leyland Comet had capsized on the curve visible on a rainy day.  The other two are Bedfords.  The tow truck was a World War 2 Scammell (now in Richardson's Truck Museum in Invercargill?).

This road has long been four lane, but is still steep and twisty.

Renfe old chocolate and cream liveried electric multiple units, Barcelona, Spain

These were built 1934-1957 by SECN (this one WR #360 in 1944) for 1500 Volts DC from overhead. One car of a two car set was powered by four traction motors (one hour rating in total 920 hp, continuous rating 816 hp). Seen at Barcelona-Villanova in 1964. Info and more pics