a history of the very impressive Bluebell Railway heritage steam railway of England

 

More info

1974 Lincoln Mark IV

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Western Pacific locomotives with the 'California Zephyr' departing Third Street Station in Oakland, California, 1957

This shows the station itself in the late 1960s.  When Amtrak began in 1971 this station and the trackage ceased operation.

See earlier posts.

short recreation documentary of the former long distance stations of Berlin, lost after 1945

 

Click the cc icon for captions, then the rose icon for language choice.

a Sydney tram at Watson's Bay in 1960

Would boys get excited by a tram like this nowadays? For those who visit Sydney, Watson's Bay, near the northern part of the south peninsula that forms the Sydney Harbor entrance, is a nice ferry excursion from Circular Quay. (Peter Sage pic)

an NZ Steam Inc. excursion with Ab 608 crosses the Waikanae bridge

See our books for lots more. 

a VoPo looks at the engine of a Wartburg 353 in DDR days

VoPo was short for Volkspolizist or people's policeman. It looks like a public relations pic.

'I love looking for good real books'

Pan Am advertisement

But for the 14-episode TV drama series from 2011 on abc, not the airline.

Soo Line with General Motors locomotives advertisement, 1950s

a walk through Moscow's newly renovated long distance train station

Some impressive architecture and a wow appearance.  The nearest equivalent we can think of in the U.S. is the station in Denver, Colorado.

PLM poster promoting the merchant Port of Marseille, France, early 20th century

cars in Plains, Montana, circa 1957

Railroad St, on the other side of which is the railroad line.

Present day view

NZR ED 103 with the overnight express from Auckland begins its journey from Paekakariki to Wellington in 1963

The steam locomotive that had taken it there from the north can be seen reversing into the locomotive depot in the background.  For lots more, get the book Wellington Transport Memories.

South African railway scene circa 1900 art

 This was about the time of the Boer Wars, hence the Union Jack.

SNCF poster warning about electrocution danger, 1952

 

"False key" -- you'd think that both pantographs would first be lowered before working there.

Braniff plane over NYC's Chrysler Building poster, circa 1930

Braniff Airways, Incorporated, began its first scheduled service on Thursday, 13 November 1930. Two Lockheed Vega aircraft inaugurated the new Airline's first flights between Oklahoma City and Tulsa, a distance of 116 miles, and Oklahoma City and Wichita Falls, Texas. The successor of Paul R. Braniff, Inc., and Braniff Airlines, Inc, Braniff Airways, Incorporated (always written out fully), was incorporated in Oklahoma a few days earlier on 3 November.

The new airline was the successor of brothers Thomas Elmer Braniff and Paul Revere Braniff's first airline, which began operations in June 1928, between Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma. The carrier was initially named Paul R. Braniff, Inc., d/b/a Tulsa - Oklahoma City Airline, and in April 1929, it was sold to a conglomerate of airlines and railroads called Universal Aviation Corporation, which was headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. By the summer of 1930, Universal was sold to AVCO or Aviation Corporation, the predecessor of American Airlines. Paul Braniff left Universal, prior to the AVCO purchase, in November 1929, and promptly went to work for a transport airline in Mexico.

In January 1930, AVCO integrated all of its carriers into the new American Airways. American Airways was renamed American Airlines in 1934, making Braniff Airlines, Inc., one of the predecessors to American Airlines. Paul Braniff returned from Mexico and with his brother formed their second airline venture, Braniff Airways, Inc. The new company was formed in Oklahoma, on 3 November 1930 with two Lockheed L-5 Vega single-engine aircraft that cost $US 10,000 each.

Ten days after the new Braniff Airways, Incorporated, was incorporated, the two Lockheed Vegas flew the Airline's first scheduled flights, which carried passengers and express freight, although Braniff would not be awarded an airmail contract until May 1934. The company's routes were between Tulsa and Oklahoma City, as they were for the Braniff brother's first airline, with an extension from Oklahoma City to Wichita Falls, Texas. Braniff quickly expanded its route system to include Kansas City Fairfax Airport on 5 December 1930. The new service operated nonstop between Kansas City and Tulsa and additional new cities were added in early 1931.

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'I bought this good real book in my coffee break'

1947-48 Alvis 14 DLX sedan, convertible

1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V

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New York elevated train station scene, 1940s

Where is not stated.  It could be the 3rd Avenue El, a confirmed photo of which (at 34th street) in 1954, a year before the Manhattan portion of it closed in 1955, is below.

SNCF & Air Inter poster, 1965

Air Inter, legally registered corporate name Lignes Aériennes Intérieures, was a semi-public domestic airline in France that operated from 1958 until it merged with Air France in 1997.  More info

New York traffic in the 1930s, advanced colorization

yum yum for classic car fans

Seen in Governor's Bay, NZ. (Diane Lovegrove pic)

Malayan Railway goods transport poster, 1950s

The locomotive depicted will be a Malayan Railway Class 20; a fleet of 26 diesel-electrics introduced by Malayan Railways (now KTMB) in 1957 to mark the country's independence. Manufactured by English Electric (built at the Vulcan Foundry), these 1,500 hp engines were the first mainline diesels on the Malaysian meter-gauge network. They have an obvious resemblance to NZR's Ef class from 1954.

tram and trailer on Phetchaburi Road, Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok had a meter gauge system on 600 V DC which covered 53.5 km/33 miles and closed in October 1968. This looks like a pic from the last decade.

The last Sydney tram leaves La Perouse for the Randwick workshops, February 1961

Anzac Parade? (Dennis O'Brien pic)

'would you like to read a good real book with me?'

a Mainline Steam 4-8-2 with a passenger train travels north out of Paekakariki NZ

Paekakariki is the base of Steam Inc, while Mainline Steam's base is further south at Plimmerton.

1966 Alvis Series IV promo pic

One of the early examples of draping a woman over a car to enhance sex appeal, although this one looks more upper class and older than what followed.

ship 'Sunprince' of the Saguenay line in the Panama Canal 1950s

The M.V. Sunprince was a 2,895 gross-ton Canadian-built "Park" class cargo ship (originally the Shakespeare Park). Built in 1945 by Saint John Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Co., she was operated by Saguenay Terminals (later Saguenay Shipping), carrying general cargo and bauxite to and from the Caribbean. In 1959, she was sold and renamed the Salammanna. No scrapping date available.

boating on the Norfolk Broads, England, posters, 1920s

Advertisements by LNER whose network served the surrounds.

1947 Allard 'L' Type 4 seat Tourer

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diesel multiple units on the Conwy Valley line, Wales posters, 1994

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historic Moscow Metro trains in action

 

"To celebrate the Moscow Metro’s anniversary, a line up of trains from across different eras ran in a parade on the Circle Line." It includes a look at some of the famous station interiors.

Route 66 turns 100

 from the Los Angeles Times:

Route 66 unofficially ends at the Santa Monica Pier. Its technical terminus is at Mel’s Drive-In. (David Fouts / For The Times)

With the end of the Middle East conflict nowhere in sight and the average cost of California gasoline more than $6 per gallon, a road trip is probably the last thing Californians want to do right now. But if you’re driving an electric vehicle or don’t mind spending more at the pump, we have some ideas for a trip along America’s Mother Road. Route 66 is turning 100 this year, and to celebrate the iconic highway’s centennial, The Times put together a mega-guide that covers the entire 2,448-mile [3,940 km] route. From Chicago to Albuquerque in one trip, then Albuquerque to Santa Monica in another, The Times’ Christopher Reynolds spent 17 days on the road. Across eight states, he scouted out vintage motels, new businesses, neon signs, friendly Muffler Men, road food, vivid characters and 20th century ruins. “The roadside signs and buildings, restored and ruined, cry out for more than a drive-by snap,” Reynolds wrote. “And people are happy to see you, because Route 66 is what keeps some of these towns alive.”

a tanker train crosses the Daugava river in Riga, Latvia

Possibly a TEM class switcher but it's too distant to be sure. Railways are in the Russian 5' gauge. Riga is a river port not far from the Baltic (Ost) Sea which is the distance out of sight.  The building in the center is the National Library.

'good real books are my thing, not e-readers'

a KiwiRail DL class pulls a freight train into Napier NZ from the south in late afternoon sun

See earlier posts.

the 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' car of the 1968 movie

It was built by the producers for the movie which was set around 1912.  There were some actual vintage vehicles in the movie, however, like this 1913 McCurd 32.4 hp 5-ton Box Van --

1975 Ford Grenada

 

ex-CSD 4-8-2 steamer 475.101 with a fantrip

The 475.1 class was produced in a run of 147 by Skoda in Pilsen from 1947 to 1950 (this one in 1948) for express trains and were very popular among railroaders of Czechoslovakia. In Czech they were called "slechticna" or noblewoman.  Final withdrawal occurred in 1980.

cars in Welch, West Virginia, 1946

The town now is very quiet. -- approximate equivalent view

the Slupsk tramway, Poland

Actually this is just a static display on a short length of track as a "reminder of the 1000 mm gauge public tram transport, in operation in 1910–1959".

Well, it's nice that the municipality now appreciates trams unlike in the 1950s, but why not recreate an actual tramline as a tourist attraction?

Details of the somewhat on-and-off nature of the history, in what was the German town of Stolp until 1945 are here.