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Amarillo, Texas: 1943
View of Amarillo, Texas, taken on Santa Fe R.R. trip in March 1943. South Tyler at SW ... full size. Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. Amarillo Street That is Tyler St. and the road heading west (on the left side of the photo) is 10th located in downtown Amarillo. Do you have any more from Amarillo? [Thanks for the info! Yes, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 6:34pm -

View of Amarillo, Texas, taken on Santa Fe R.R. trip in March 1943. South Tyler at SW 10th Avenue. View full size. Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. Amarillo StreetThat is Tyler St. and the road heading west (on the left side of the photo) is 10th located in downtown Amarillo. Do you have any more from Amarillo? [Thanks for the info! Yes, there are more photos by Jack from Amarillo and we'll be posting them in the coming days. - Dave] ArtBoy, if I had a time machine I'd head straight for the Amarillo Academy of Music and Art. Music! Dancing! Expression! I can only imagine the wonderful cast of characters that must have gathered there. AmarilloI live close to Amarillo. Things have certainly changed there. Buildings that are still there...As of the latest round of Google Maps satellite photos: The Academy of Art & Music building, the "...r-a-way" building, and the building housing Frank's (but not the attached house in the rear) are all still there. The large gymnasium(?) building in the foreground looks to be there still, too. The building at the left edge that goes with the Texaco sign is the same building in the foreground of this photo ("Firestone" sign showing in the other photo), and it is still standing. In the upper right center of the photo the domed "Rudy Bauman" building as well as the one in front of it (perpendicular to the street) are both still there. Across the street from those is building housing an old-fashioned service station/mechanic (from the look of it; see the car under the canopy?) that still exists. Most of the houses seem to have been torn down and replaced with parking lots or other buildings. 10th and TylerThe Texaco station was a large drive-through type operation, with tire sales at the back, office to the right, and fuel sales out of the Texas sun. A similar building is found on the right side of the picture along 10th street there. The smaller station building that has "Rudy Bauman" painted on it stood for years, then became a Mexican food restaurant, then was vacant for a long time. I think part of that building is still there, the domed area. There was a scandal around that restaurant when "weird" bones were discovered in its trash, and the local cat population was for some reason reduced. . . . The blonde brick building with the curved roof is now ABC Blueprint. They have everything for surveying and blueprinting, including one of the last transit repair shops anywhere. Lots of cool stuff in there when I was younger, and still today. The house is gone, replaced by parking. The building that says "Franks" is there, now has Mayes Investments in it. The building on the corner is now Blackstone Chinese and Thai Restaurant. Used to be good, but now its just a fast all you can eat lunch buffet. Note the "new fangled" parking meters - an import from Oklahoma City! Those crazy Okies always find a way to finance their cities on the backs of those least able to afford it! Parking meters in downtown areas are one of the things that helped drive businesses out of downtown areas into the suburbs - why pay to park when you could park for free and go into a newer store too boot? Oh well. The red brick streets are still in Amarillo in many places. They are now rough and could use some work, but they long outlive their asphalt replacements. Not everything modern is better! The Music building now has a thrift store on ground level. The whole area is pretty sad nowadays. ViewpointIt appears this photo was taken from the Santa Fe Hotel on the corner of SW 9th Ave at S. Polk St. That building is still there but is looking kinda sad based on photos from google streetview. [A larger version of this photo with additional comments about the location is here. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano)
Amarillo: 1943
General view of Amarillo, Texas, taken by Jack Delano on his trip via the Santa Fe rails from ... Google Maps and search for First Presbyterian Church , Amarillo, TX. The church is still there but not much else. This is pretty ... pictures posted so far I made a rough guess at the size of Amarillo in '43 and put it together in My Maps on Google. Anyone who knows ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 6:35pm -

General view of Amarillo, Texas, taken by Jack Delano on his trip via the Santa Fe rails from Chicago to California in March 1943. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency, Office of War Information. View full size | View even larger. The street running left to right is SW 11th Avenue, crossing South Tyler Street. The building with the red tile roof is First Presbyterian Church at 1100 South Harrison. Another 1943 view of the neighborhood and South Tyler street is here. Larger size!Ohh.. Thanks for the larger size. It's my new wallpaper. :) First Presbyterian ChurchIf you want to see what the neighborhood looks like today go to Google Maps and search for First Presbyterian Church, Amarillo, TX. The church is still there but not much else. This is pretty amazingI used to live right behind the large building directly to the south of First Presbyterian. A lot has changed, but the most amazing thing to me is that stretch of field to the west. WOW! Based on the 3 pictures posted so far I made a rough guess at the size of Amarillo in '43 and put it together in My Maps on Google. Anyone who knows their history of the area, let me know how close I am: Amarillo 1943 AmarilloDrew, I am a native of Amarillo. I was baptised in the church and was the first Bell Ringer group. I still go to Christmas Eve Services and take Mom. She is 93. We had the Pinkney Packing Co. business on E. Third. We lived on the west side on Broadmoor. Mom still lives there. We know much about the history of the Panhandle and Amarillo. I live on a ranch in N. Texas that was owned by one of Amarillo's founders. He brought barb wire to the Panhandle and was one of several who chose the site. Arthur Miller SunrayRanch@Aol.Com (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano)
Lonesome Highway: 1942
... most residents pronounce it /dɛf/ DEF. En Route to Amarillo This is looking northeast on US 60, probably between Hereford and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/02/2024 - 11:53am -

November 1942. "Deaf Smith County, Texas. Panhandle highway." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size. Erastus SmithThe county was named for Erastus "Deaf" Smith (1787–1837), a partially deaf scout and soldier who served in the Texas Revolution, and was the first to reach the Alamo after its fall in 1836. The pronunciation of "Deaf", as used by Smith himself, is /diːf/ DEEF; however, most residents pronounce it /dɛf/ DEF. En Route to AmarilloThis is looking northeast on US 60, probably between Hereford and Dawn. Transposition of WiresOn the left side of the highway there are electric power lines, and on the right side telephone wires on insulators. At the far right of the photo there are four wires on insulators that have been placed on a bracket to change their position on the next pole. This is called transposition. It helps prevent "crosstalk" between the wires - two wires close to each other with different signals. I first noticed this on train trips, and the railway in the distance has signal and telegraph lines that would also transpose the wires. You can see a wire connection to the semaphore signal beside the tracks. Still lonesomeAs can be seen in Doug Floor Plan's post, that stretch of US60 is now four lanes. Whatever prompted the highway folks to do that is a mystery. The "Lonesome Highway" moniker is as appropriate now as then. "White line fever"Highway hypnosis, a phenomenon truckers know well. https://www.pridetransport.com/news-and-events/tired-or-fever-the-white-... The land is vast and unbelievably flatTruman Capote was describing Kansas, but he could have just as easily been describing Deaf Smith County, or most of the Texas Panhandle. I've always compared this part of the world to living at the beach. You're able to look out and see to the curvature of the earth. Structures that are miles and miles away are clear and recognizable, like ships far out at sea. Unfortunately, the flat landscape also lets weather fronts blow right through. There was a time, in the early 1970s in Lubbock, when clear, warm skies were replaced by a dust storm, then a light rain (making everything that was covered in dust now covered in mud), then snow ... all within a 24hour period. After a dust storm, your parked car with the windows rolled up would have dust across the dashboard. I am a lineman for the county --That's all I have today. Middle of NowhereGo another 270+ miles east and you'll probably be in the middle of Nowhere. Flat doesn't beginThe comment about it being flat only hints at it, this part of the plains makes Kansas look like the Swiss Alps. It is actually a bit unsettling to drive through there. POVAs an artist for many years, I see the Point of this photo. The Point Of View (POV) that is. As an art major all of my instructors and professors made it a point (forgive the pun) to stress the importance of using POV as a guide to the whole drawing/painting. Only then could you have a piece that reflected an almost true to life landscape/portrait. This photo in my mind is an excellent example of that art illusion. Note: If you want to see a master of the POV look up Maurits Cornelis Escher (M.C. Esher). You will then understand the importance of POV. Not thereI find it ironic that, to Google, a search for "NOWHERE, TX" suggests "Now here" as a possibility. Where God lost his shoesAs my good friend would say. John Ford was not always right"Put the horizon in the middle and it's BORING." So said director John Ford to teenage Steven Spielberg (an event reproduced in "The Fabelmans"). John Vachon clearly found an exception. That SemaphoreThat railroad semaphore must certainly be a part of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad's trans-continental line. To Chicago in one direction and to the West Coast in the other direction. The Santa Fe was described by Fortune magazine in 1948 as THE top railroad in the U.S. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Landscapes, Railroads, Rural America)
Aerial Amarillo: 1943
March 1943. "Amarillo, Texas, general view, South Tyler at SW 10th Avenue -- Santa Fe R.R. ... there. View Larger Map Skyspotting Amarillo It's amazing to see a vibrant mixed 1940's neighborhood and the ... parkingscape of today. Still in today's picture: Amarillo Furniture Company now ABC Blueprints Franks now Randy's Shoes ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 1:42pm -

March 1943. "Amarillo, Texas, general view, South Tyler at SW 10th Avenue -- Santa Fe R.R. trip." This is the uncropped version of a smaller image posted here five years ago. 4x5 Kodachrome by Jack Delano. View full size. Frank's creativityHe sure comes up with some imaginative and fascinating window displays. Academy of Music & Art"Music Dancing Expression" I thought that was illegal in Texas. Old Stomping GroundsI spent the first six years of my life exactly here. Fortunately not quite old enough to be seen running away from home in my pedal car in Jack's picture, but old enough that some places well-depicted in that picture are among my vivid early memories. No A/C !As a Californian I can't imagine living there in the summer. Dear ShorpyAfter googlemapping I found the location, the photo was taken from the Santa Fe building(now the Potter County tax office) and looks S.W. The intersection you can actually see is SW 10th Ave and S. Harrison St. At least two of the buildings are still there. View Larger Map Skyspotting AmarilloIt's amazing to see a vibrant mixed 1940's neighborhood and the mostly barren industrial parkingscape of today. Still in today's picture: Amarillo Furniture Company now ABC Blueprints Franks now Randy's Shoes ???R-A-WAY=Blackstone Cafe/Young Sushi Academy of Music & Art now AKA Gaylynn's Bail Bonds and others? Texaco Station now Vacant Blue Bird Station now Qdesignworks ??? now Computer Shop The older St. Mary's Cathedral School buildings on the far side of Elwood Park . . . to put up a parking lot. Comparing this photo to the current view, it's striking how completely the homes near the center of the photo have been replaced by parking lots. And in each of the aerials in Google Earth since 1995, those lots are largely free of cars and people. It would be interesting to know how much of that transformation just happened on its own, and whether it was aided by scorched-earth urban renewal practices common in the 25 years after World War II. A December 1961 news article from the Amarillo Globe Times indicates that urban renewal was hadn't really begun yet. Two lonely people!I can find a grand total of TWO people in the whole town! One is standing next to a car at the house with the turret directly above the Conoco gas station, and the other is waiting on the corner to the right of the white building with a dome in the center of the picture. Wood Paneled SedanI am puzzled by the wood paneled sedan at the intersection across from the Conoco station. It looks to be a 1942 Buick, but to my knowledge, they did not make a wood paneled sedan. They did make a station wagon, but no sedan. [Looks like a taxi - tterrace] Many buildings still there!A view from the air, today: http://binged.it/MNr0bT And of course, the building this shot was likely taken from. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Sunray: 1942
... Black I grew up in Fritch, Texas, which is between Amarillo and Borger and not too far from Sunray. My dad worked at the carbon ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/28/2024 - 2:43pm -

November 1942. "Worker at carbon black plant. Sunray, Texas." 4x5 inch Kodachrome transparency by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size. You might want to considerA mild cleanser. Exfoliant scrub. Moisturizer. And maybe lose the ciggies? I'm just sayin' is all. Overloading the lungsPossibly had some lung-related health issues later in life? CigsI bet he didn't wear a seat belt either. Yikes. Beautiful!What an astonishing photo; it's got such depth and a kind of coldness. Great find! Make this one a print!Make this one a print! Please! I adore the work of this photographer. Print now available!Here he is. Just the thing to brighten up the den. Carbon Black PlantI grew up in Aransas Pass, Texas in the 1940's and the "Carbon Black Plant" out in the scrub Oak brush just off the coast of Redfish Bay, East of the town, belched dense black smoke constantly . . my neighbors, the Gentry boys, came home from work every day looking just like this fellow . . . a damp rag was required to wipe off our clothesline to remove the black soot before the wash could be hung out. Seemed completely normal at the time! Sunray Carbon BlackI grew up in Fritch, Texas, which is between Amarillo and Borger and not too far from Sunray. My dad worked at the carbon black plant in Borger in the 1950s & '60s. Sometimes we'd pick him up after work. The men would take a shower at the end of the day at the plant, but he could never ever wash ALL of the black off. The "whiteface" cattle in the area always had gray faces. We rarely had a problem with the carbon black getting all the way to Fritch - about 15 miles - but we had relatives in Buenavista, a "suburb" of Borger who had a lot of problems with laundry hanging out, etc. Seemed completely normal at the time to us too but sure seems funny now. Not ha-ha funny but kind of sad funny, I think. SunraySurprisingly, carbon black exposure is NOT associated with increased risk of lung disease. I was raised in Borger,TX. home of a huge plant. In the fifties and sixties,before regulations,the black covered everything. Even now google the image and you will see the black patch west of the city. I thought all wild animals were coal black until I was twelve. My Dad worked there for many years, is ninety now and no lung disease. As a native and a physician, I investigated the risk from the carbon and confirmed the really is not a risk to health in spite of the look. One speculates that the pure charcoal/carbon may have at worst been neutral and possibly had some protective effect from carcinogens. Unfortunately, most of the men working there also smoked cigarettes and did suffer the consequences to health. Look at this guy.Look at this guy. Look into his eyes. Try to understand the fatigue he was feeling. Do you really think he's worried about lung cancer!? I mean seriously, try to take yourself out of the "I know what's best for you" 2000s, and remember that, long ago, people used to live their lives and work hard every day. (The Gallery, Bizarre, Kodachromes, Factories, John Vachon)
Amarillo, Texas: 1936
... "Dust storm. Note heavy metal signs blown out by wind. Amarillo, Texas." Medium format nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein. View ... still blows like this I live in Canyon, just south of Amarillo, and work in Amarillo. The wind still blows like this around here . . ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 10:52am -

April 1936. "Dust storm. Note heavy metal signs blown out by wind. Amarillo, Texas." Medium format nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein. View full size. CarThat's a nice Chrysler Airflow. I'm sure it needed some touch up paint once the storm ended! It still blows like thisI live in Canyon, just south of Amarillo, and work in Amarillo. The wind still blows like this around here . . . and every so often we get the dust to go with it. On an interesting side note most of the trees around here grow leaning toward the north due in part to the prevailing winds from the south and southwest. Woody Sang"So long, it's been good to know ya......" Do your homework, EricThat is a Hudson Terraplane, not an Airflow. Tsk. AirstreamMy mistake. The headlights should have tipped me off. It's an Airstream, not an Airflow. There is a saying...In Oklahoma and Amarillo (Texas panhandle), they say their windsocks consist of a brick welded to a chain. (The wind rarely stops blowing.) DustRight now I'm reading "The Worst Hard Time" by Timothy Egan. This photo, along with others in the book, really brings to life something I'd heard of but never thought that much about. It's really amazing that people lived with dust like this for years. I Am Wrong AgainI must be getting old. I used to go to many car shows. I am humbled. Worst Hard TimeThat book moved me to tears. It's incredible to learn in detail just how tough some folks had it. I was humbled. Hudson TerraplaneThe car across the street is a 1936 Hudson, not a Terraplane. The car in forefront, left, is a 1930 Hudson Eight. Thank you. De GustibikeI spent most of life in Amarillo and it does, indeed, blow constantly. I remember not wanting to ride my bicycle because of the wind. Always from the Northeast and gusts up to 60 mph. Every day was a bad hair day. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dust Bowl)
Amarillo Again: 1943
Amarillo, Texas, in March 1943. "General view of the city and the Atchison, ... bigger . 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. More Amarillo here and here . RR Yd WOW, what a great picture, when ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 6:36pm -

Amarillo, Texas, in March 1943. "General view of the city and the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad." View full size | Or even bigger. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. More Amarillo here and here. RR YdWOW, what a great picture, when you go to the even bigger photo you'll notice what looks like a couple of military vehicles on the bottom left on flat cars and notice the round top box car bottom center, I believe a rarity even back then. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Amarillo Yardmaster: 1943
March 1943. Yardmaster at Amarillo, Texas, railyard. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 4:15pm -

March 1943. Yardmaster at Amarillo, Texas, railyard. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. paperless officeNotice how neat and arranged everything is? Bet he knew where everything he would need was .... and could get to it faster than someone today with the best of computers. Atlas ShruggedRead 'Atlas Shrugged' recently - this picture pretty much fits my imagination's. YardmasterSure brought back memories. My father was a yardmaster for the Erie Railroad in Meadville, Pa. in the 1950's and 60's. As a child I would go with my mother to pick him up after work and would go into the yard office. He was the westbound yardmaster and his clerk sat directly across from him at a two big desks. The phone was just like the one he had to stay in touch with the other offices along the system to Cleveland. They had a big pigeonhole system that the waybills for the freight cars were kept in when they would make up the order for the cars and their destinations in the length of cars pulled by the engines. The office was a busy place and they had three shifts each day on both the east and westbound sides of the division yard. He worked the midnight shift for almost twenty years as the yardmaster. During the night in our small town we could hear the trains pumping the cars in the process of making up the trains even though we were several miles from the train yard. There were numerous trains each night in both east and westbound moving along the system between Chicago and New York. There was always a saying in our home that when we would hear a train whistle we would say, "there goes a new pair of shoes." As long as the trains were moving Dad had a job and money to support us all. Both of my grandfathers worked all their lives for the Erie railroad. It's sad now when we visit Meadville and see that the yard just barely exists. The yard office that I remember as a child is no longer there. The new yard tower that he moved to in the late 60's is still there but doesn't appear to be functioning. Thanks for the picture and the thoughts it brought back. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Amarillo From Above: 1943
March 1943. "Amarillo, Texas, general view. Santa Fe R.R. trip." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 6:37pm -

March 1943. "Amarillo, Texas, general view. Santa Fe R.R. trip." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the OWI. View full size. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Pageant of Pulchritude: 1927
... Miss Florida, and Miss Douglas may well be blondes. Miss Amarillo could possibly be a redhead, you just can't really tell. A ... bathing suit (Miss Cleburne), and outstanding hair (Miss Amarillo). I can well understand the assembled crowd on the seawall, soaking ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/19/2019 - 5:17pm -

"Second International Pageant of Pulchritude and Eighth Annual Bathing Girl Revue -- Galveston, Texas -- May 21-22-23, 1927." Panorama by Joseph M. Maurer. View full size. Blondes vs Orthochromatic FilmThere were blondes back-in-the-day, though not the percentage of faux blondes that you see today. The most common film used in Cirkut cameras in this period was Kodak Verichrome. It was very well suited to the exposure challenges this type of imaging poses and developed to a density range that was an excellent match to the contact printing papers of the day. It was, though, orthochromatic. As a result, blond hair with any yellowish or golden hue would reproduce much darker than it would seem to the eye. Miss Oak Cliff, Miss Florida, and Miss Douglas may well be blondes. Miss Amarillo could possibly be a redhead, you just can't really tell. A touching pictureMost of these young women look so happy and sweetly pleased with themselves. I hope this day was a pleasant memory for all of them, even world-weary Miss France. Pour me another."Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder." Happy Birthday Mr. PresidentToo bad Miss Monroe didn't have the same attributes as Marilyn. :^{ Countries and townsSuch a diversity of locations: from American cities and towns (Shreveport, Kerrville, Ogden, Monroe, Pine Bluff, Bessemer) to European countries (Spain, Portugal, Italy) to other nearby lands (Mexico, Cuba). Special mentions are in order: perkiest (Miss San Antonio), scowling stereotype (Miss France), coolest bathing suit (Miss Cleburne), and outstanding hair (Miss Amarillo). I can well understand the assembled crowd on the seawall, soaking in all the pulchritude. Galveston Does Not Have A Great Beach -- Been ThereFirst thing I noticed is every contestant is wearing heals heels on a sandy beach. How many sprained ankles resulted from this practice? Third from the left (between Dallas and Amarillo) is so busy showing off her beautiful ringlets she hasn't noticed her sash has flipped over. I suspect Miss Point ? (between Douglas and Bessemer) spent the most time practicing her pose in front of a mirror. I like the saucy bows on the hose of Miss Portugal. I think Miss New York and Brooklyn look lovely standing next to each other, outfitted in similar attire. Sea changeCompare the swimsuits and favored body type in this pageant to the pictures we've seen of Iola Swinnerton just five or so years earlier. What a change! A lot of beautiful curvesincluding the seawall in the background that is pretty much the same age as the young ladies. It is an engineering marvel that was completed in 1910, so it is only 17 years old in this picture. The seaway runs straight along the beach, but has a convex curved face. It only looks curved because of the way the panoramic camera (probably a Kodak Cirkut camera) scanned the image. Enthusiastic Model. My vote is with Miss San Antonio for her devil-may-care smile and sassy pose. Her name was Florence Zoeller. Game of ClonesWhat a collection of scrawny legs. However I would choose Ms. Ottawa to win in this category, IMHO. Cora, Countess of GranthamMiss Vancover (sic) looks a lot like a young Elizabeth McGovern when she was in the movie 'RAGTIME'. Take a bow. Take two.Miss Portugal's hosiery ... I can't even. She may be my style icon for today. But the winner of that whole shooting match had to be Miss Third-From-The-Left (I can't read her sash). Miss SpellingMiss "Vancover" doesn't seem disheartened by her forgotten "u." Who wonThe Charleston contest? By the way, really like the new, easier to read format! Didn't they have Blondes back then?Out of 38 contestants, not even one. And the winner was --Miss New York, Dorothy Britton. She was also Miss United States at the time. Dorothy won $2,000 and a silver plaque. (Panoramas, Pretty Girls, Swimming)
The Upper Hand: 1919
... decided to come east with his friend, Sam Houston, of Amarillo, Texas, and see the sights. Bygone Comics This photo made me ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/22/2012 - 9:32pm -

1919. "Ralph E. Madsen, the tall cowboy, shaking hands with Senator Morris Sheppard at Capitol." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Perpendicularity Washington Post, Aug 13, 1919 Texas Giant in Washington R.E. Madsen, 7 feet 7 inches, Counter Attraction to Marines. R.E. Madsen, of Ranger Texas, came to Washington yesterday to see the Marines parade. He tried to join the Leathernecks once and the recruiting officer looked at his 7 feet 7 inches of perpendicularity and said he was too good a target. So he thought he would anyway get first hand information on how ferocious a brigade or two of Marines look, by coming to Washington. In front of the White House a woman fainted during the parade. Madsen picked her up and took her out of the crowd. When she regained consciousness she looked at the tall cowpuncher and fainted again. Madsen is perhaps the tallest man in the world and is still growing. He is only 22 years old and was a cowpuncher in Ranger country. Since the discover of oil there has not been much punching to do, so Madsen decided to come east with his friend, Sam Houston, of Amarillo, Texas, and see the sights. Bygone ComicsThis photo made me think of an oldtime (and possibly politically incorrect) comic of my youth titled "Mutt and Jeff," about two close friends, one of whom was exceedingly tall and the other exceedingly small and their zany antics. And then came to mind the nursery rhyme about "Fat and Skinny" who had a race, all around my pillow case, Fat fell down and broke his face and Skinny won the race." Harmless nonsense in the old days, forbidden and offensive today? Quite the short lifeRalph Madsen, born in Norfolk, Nebraska, died in 1948 at the young age of 51. He was billed in circus side shows as the world's tallest man and had a couple of nicknames: Sky High Madsen and High Bill Madsen. No bigger than a minuteMorris Sheppard, the senior senator from Texas, was in office from 1913 until his death in 1941. An ardent Prohibitionist, he was one of the authors of the Volstead Act, and remembered for his conviction that "there is as much chance of repealing the eighteenth amendment as there is for a hummingbird to fly to the planet Mars with the Washington Monument tied to its tail." And, Hence,the Texas expression: A long drink of water. Nothing has changed.It appears that even back in 1919 politicians were looking for any opportunity for a photo op. No pony for himHis horse must've been a helluva animal. Farkifiedhttp://www.fark.com/cgi/comments.pl?IDLink=4365981 Tall TexThat should be Ralph MADESEN, aka Texas Madesen, aka Sky High Madesen. Here is a link to his single IMDB credit: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0534839/ ["Madsen" seems to be the preferred IMDB spelling. See link below. - Dave] http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0535239 (The Gallery, Curiosities, D.C., Farked, Harris + Ewing, Politics)
A Fork in the Railroad: 1943
... on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad between Amarillo, Texas, and Clovis, New Mexico, as it is ready to start again, after ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/04/2013 - 3:05pm -

March 1943. "Sumnerfield, Texas. Brakeman running back to his train on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad between Amarillo, Texas, and Clovis, New Mexico, as it is ready to start again, after having waited in a siding." Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. FencesThere seems to be one too many fences, if they're to keep cows from straying. The same field fence ought to serve to protect the road and the tracks. Almost homeI'm a former Easterner, gone native to the desert Southwest thirty-some years ago. Driving I-40 from NC, one is choking with green. In west Texas things fully open up, and you finally see horizon all around. This was once the western edge of Dust Bowl country; to some it still looks desolate, but to me it looks like home is just up the road. Excellent clarificationsJack Delano's caption confused me, too, because of the switch being lined for the main track. The clarifications submitted by swaool and Larry Doyle paint a perfect picture of what is going on. Another thing that caught my eye is that the caboose is not yet clear of the fouling point, which explains in any case why the brakeman is running. I'm not a frequent commenter, but I do read what others say. There sure are a lot of knowledgeable people here at Shorpy! Same as it ever wasI've driven across a good deal of this country over the years, but never have I seen country as open and unobstructed to the horizon as west Texas and eastern New Mexico. You can drive for hours and just not really see anything other than fence posts for as far as the eye can see. I'm willing to bet that this view hasn't changed much in the past 70 years. Thanks to Delano and DoyleAnother great photo of the plains and trains by Delano and a wonderful explanation by LarryDoyle. The wait is just beginningMore likely that the brakeman (or flagman) has just lined the switch back after his train pulled into the siding. He's running to catch the caboose, as his train will pull down to the other end of the siding to wait for the opposing train, or to be run around by a faster train going the same direction. SummerfieldNot Sumnerfield. May be labeled Sumnerfield, but it's actually Summerfield, Castro County, Texas. Flat Pair Signals, againAnother exhibit of Santa Fe's Flat Pair signal system: Square blade semaphores with number plates, which every other railroad in North America considered an oxymoron. See post of 3/20/13, https://www.shorpy.com/node/14899. Also, note the frog (the point where the two rails intersect) at the bottom edge of the photo does not have flangeways, in either direction. This is a spring loaded frog - each wheel passing through pushes the interfering rail aside. The brakeman is running, not to get back to his train that has stopped, but rather to catch up to his train that is not going to stop, proceeding slowly away from him. The conductor is likely standing next to the photographer on the rear of the caboose, ready to "pull the air" and stop the train, but only if the brakeman stumbles. A rare picture of an everyday scene, repeated across the country thousands of times a day, every day, for over a century - Now, seen no more. Thanks, SHORPY, for posting this gem. The way it looks, nowGoogle now shows a six lane highway, a large Prairie Skyscraper just off to the right of the siding signals, and the overhead view shows a giant oval of track to service the grain elevator. View Larger Map A further bit of explanationOur train has "Train Orders" from the dispatcher (or, without specific orders we may just have the timetable showing where opposing scheduled trains are due) and must take this siding get out of the way for the opposing superior train. The engineer of our train and stops just short of the pictured switch o enter the siding. The front brakeman, also called the "headman", walks ahead of his engine, unlocks the switch ("turnout") to route the train into the siding, gives a hand signal to his engineer to "come ahead", and our train starts slowly ahead. He climbs aboard the engine as it passes by into the siding. The conductor in the caboose and the rear brakeman, also called "flagman", have copies of the same orders that the engine crew has. From this paperwork the flagman knows that there will be a meet with the opposing train, and that he must restore the switch for the main track to permit the other train to use the main track and proceed forward. The flagman and the conductor go out onto the rear platform of the caboose - the conductor stations himself at the "emergency brake valve" (in case the flagman stumbles) and the flagman stands on the bottom step of the caboose, on the OPPOSITE side of the track from the switchstand. Years of experience has taught him which side of the track every switchstand is located, and he knows that if gets off on the opposite side that he cannot inadvertantly throw the switch ahead of time and accidently derail his own caboose! The engineer knows exactly how long his train is. He has a list showing him the number of cars in the train and their lengths, and experience has taught him how far it is to every landmark, so he knows not only where his engine is, but also where his caboose is! He slows to a walking speed as the caboose approaches the switch. As soon as the caboose passes over the switch, the rear brakeman steps across the track, realigns the switch for the main route and locks it. He then runs ahead to catch up to his caboose, and at this moment Mr. Delano immortalized his image on film. When the engineer nears the other end of the siding, he stops and waits for the opposing train to pass. Then the proceedure is repeated and our train returns onto the main, and our rear brakeman makes another "dash" to catch up with his own caboose on the main track. (Note that on the Santa Fe with flat pair signals he need not realign the switch when it is marked with a letter "S", as in the photo, to indicate that it is a spring switch. The engineer may "run thru" the switch and it will re-align itself.) Amazing! All done safely without front end/rear end communication, nor communication with the opposing train. Hundreds or thousands of times every day across the continent. And, the dispatchers communication to our crew telling us all this was expected to happen was as simple as a Train Order stating, "EXA 567 WEST MEET EXA 2651 EAST AT MILBORN". From that simple statement, everyone else knew what his job was. -LD Switching switches and fencesThe letter "S" on the switch stand probably means "Spring", when a train exits that end of the siding, a Head (front end) Brakeman doesn't have to throw the switch, the train's wheel flanges do the job, and the spring pushes the points back in place. The extra fence on the left is probably to protect the railroad from wandering cattle on the side road, the field fence only protects from cattle out standing in their field. Another Delano grand slamAs already pointed out, the switch is definitely a ‘spring switch,’ so designated by the letter “S" on the stand. There are two ways to go through a switch: facing point and trailing point movement. The Delano train had approached the switch as a facing point move, so called because the train faces the switch points as it comes near. Even though the switch is spring loaded, that characteristic is of no benefit to the Delano crew as the switch springs keep the points lined for the main. Hence, the switch must be operated by hand for a route into the siding, and restored for the main by hand once clear. Were Delano headed in the opposite direction, from siding to main, the spring loaded benefit would come into play. Even though the switch is lined for the main, coming out of the siding the wheel flanges compress the point springs such that the switch provides a perfectly safe route to the main. In such a case, the movement constitutes a ‘trailing point’ move. Historically, main line switches were by rule required to be lined for the main once a train was clear of them. Today, in dark track warrant territory a crew can be granted permission to leave a switch ‘wrong’ by checking box 21 on their track warrant. Computer assisted train dispatching will force a line 19 on opposing authority for a different train, requiring it to stop short of the switch before hand operating it. Spring into actionFor those not lucky enough to get a locomotive ride and view a spring frog in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWIB2iF6ld4 Sorry about the shaky video...I only had a few seconds to get the camera up and running. This is video of switching done on the Oregon Pacific Railroad taking a loaded reefer car into the Helico spur in Milwaukie Oregon. I would have expected that the AT&SF spring frog would have had a larger gap for the main than what is shown to keep wear down. Spring frogs are one of the nicest things to operate over while on the main. My speeder on several runs have ran main-main over these at speed and they are just the smoothest thing. Such a pleasure compared to other regular frogs. Also, here is a photo from the L.A. area of an old Pacific Electric spring frog where the main line has the wide opening and the siding (to the left) has the closed side of the frog. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Jim and Jack: 1943
... several items to the museum at some point. Jeff Ford Amarillo (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/14/2009 - 10:30am -

March 1943. "Conductor James M. Johnson and brakeman Jack Torbet having lunch in the caboose on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad between Waynoka, Oklahoma, and Canadian, Texas." Medium-format nitrate negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. ATSFThe wearing of trainman badges (Conductor, Brakeman) on a fedora style hat really seems to have been a Santa Fe thing that was not prevalent on other railroads. That's a bad brim.The brakeman is sporting one very cool lid and I think he knows it. Jack Delano does it once again. Nice mug, buddyMy grandmother had those huge white stoneware mugs that could keep coffee hot for hours. The glaze was crazed from decades of us. When her farmhouse was emptied, I always regretted not snagging one of those. They likely were thrown out. I can't say much about the tin cup the other guy is using. The heat conductivity would burn your fingers and lips, and you'd have to drink fast if you wanted anything hot. The only time a metal cup was a good idea was dipping it into the milkhouse cooling trough for a cold drink. By the way, I've never seen anyone look more dapper in overalls, of all things, than this fellow. It's as if he should break out in song after tapping out a rhythm on the table with his cup. ToppersFedoras rock! Warm TopperJust found another one of my grandfather's Kromers in a box of hats last night. It's just like the one hanging on a nail behind the brakeman. CaboosesA good friend retired from the railroad and was working when the caboose was still used. The railroad had the caboose as someplace for the workers to stay when they were not on shift. For long cross-country trips, the caboose was used for sleeping and recreation. The railroads determined that this was a luxury for the workers and then eliminated the caboose. Nice Mug, Buddy reduxI agree with Jano on the mug. As a potter, I looked at the bowls and mug first. The bowls look like Japanese tea bowls, with a nice foot ring. The mug reminds me of the days on the road as a musician drinking cup after cup of coffee from just such a mug. Thick and heavy, they could keep a cup of coffee warm for hours. They are the bright spot in the photo, in the center. Whose hat is hanging on the wall? This is a great photo with superb detail. AT&SF trainmanMy grandfather, an AT&SF engineer during the same period these men helped get freight over the road, had his "Engineer" badge on a ten-gallon Stetson. After he exclusively ran diesels (this was in 1953, he was a passenger engineer), he switched over to a white hat just to make the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific engine crews envious of working conditions on the Santa Fe. I still have the hat and badge. Worker's Paradise - NOT!The caboose was hardly a "luxury for the workers." First up, it’s not the safest place on earth. Especially during steam days, the slack action (the front of the train starts before the back; the force of acceleration is transmitted and increases between cars) could be so severe that crewmen were thrown from their seats and injured — have also heard of cabooses being jolted so hard the stove broke loose from the floor. Rear end collisions were also a fact of life, adding to the danger. In helper districts, it was possible to shove too hard and buckle the underframe. Cabooses in this period were assigned to a conductor; they didn't go "cross-country," but roughly 100+ miles between division points. The car served as office and lookout to increase safety, its function as bedroom and kitchen was secondary – engine crews stayed in nearby boarding houses or railroad hotels — train crews slept in the car, spotted on a designated caboose track in the yard or near engine service areas. Basically you never left your job, and yards were never quiet day or night. They added weight to trains, generated no revenue, added switching and maintenance costs and were basically wearing out by the 1980s. Technology and progress made it possible to eliminate them, much as diesels replaced steam. Mugs still availableGreat photo, and my eye went to the mugs as well. These are still available. I found my first one at the Original Cafe in L.A. in 1992. Cost two bucks, and is (or was?) a place that Jim and Jack would recognize. I have another which I bought maybe 5 years ago, at a restaurant supply store, for not much more. The difference was that this one had the handle in the "wrong" place. Thanks again for this great photo -- made my lunchtime today. The coffee pot on the floor would look great in my kitchen, too. Sweet vestThe guy on the right looks to be wearing a Brown's Beach Coat vest. Very nice piece of Americana workwear. The guy on the left is just pure style from his fedora to his railman boots. Love this photo. This is a beauty.I LOVE SHORPY! Jack's TimebookJack Torbet's railroad timebook is on exhibit at the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon, Texas. If I recall correctly, it's open to a page from WWII. Timebooks are where railroaders keep a record of their trips for pay and tax purposes. Apparently Mr. Torbert donated several items to the museum at some point. Jeff Ford Amarillo (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Westbound Freight: 1943
... types of more advanced design. Donated to the city of Amarillo, Texas in 1957, the 5000 is still around, sitting in a park. Re: ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 4:15pm -

March 1943. Westbound Santa Fe freight on a siding at Ricardo, New Mexico, waiting for the eastbound train to pass. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. FSA/Office of War Information archive. Camera?Does anyone know what type of camera Mr. Delano was using at this time? Re: Jack Delano's CameraGraflex Speed Graphic press camera. LocomotiveThe locomotive, for those interested, is #5000, known affectionately on the Santa Fe as "Madame Queen". She was AT&SF's first 2-10-4 Texas type, built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1930. The Queen was an experimental locomotive which paved the way for 35 more Texas types of more advanced design. Donated to the city of Amarillo, Texas in 1957, the 5000 is still around, sitting in a park. Re: Jack's CameraThanks. Although somehow that's not as exotic as I was hoping for. # 5000Great shot of a beautiful engine. Judging from the semaphore signal being clear (green) for the main track facing west, I believe #5000 is waiting on a west bound train to pass not a easbound, unless the eastbound hasn't reached the signal block to make it go yellow then red. Anyway, another great pict from Jack. Re: #5000The train is facing west. Look at the shadow. >> Judging from the semaphore signal being clear (green) for the main track facing west, I believe #5000 is waiting on a west bound train to pass not a easbound, unless the eastbound hasn't reached the signal block to make it go yellow then red. Re: #5000Sorry, meant to say signal is facing east for a west bound move, I know the train is facing west since it's going west. ATSF 2-10-4You forgot #3829, the first ATSF 2-10-4, an improved 2-10-2 with a four wheel trailing truck instead of the standard two wheel truck. She proved the value of the concept and although some sort of makeshift affair she had a long successful life. #5000 Madame Queen was a complete new design, she would have been the class locomotive for many more but the Depression intervened. So she never was repeated and the Northerns and Texas types that came much later looked quite different again. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Pontiac Purveyors: 1936
... my uncle's hot pink '56 Pontiac down the brick streets of Amarillo, Texas, with my mother and aunt in the back seat asking, "Do you think ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/17/2014 - 9:03pm -

"1936 Pontiacs and salesmen at the Mark Hopkins Hotel, San Francisco." Lined up at the Bottom of the Mark. 8x10 inch Kodak safety negative. View full size. Third Car is a 1935 ModelThe third car with the headlights attached to fenders and different insignia is a 1935 model. Could this photo have been taken in late 1935 when the 1936 models were introduced? Fender sittingDon't try that on your new car today, you'll wind up with dents. Car number 3Is a '35. Guessing that #4 is your base model with no straight 8 engine or emblem, and painted as opposed to chrome grille. Some are new, some are notVitojo, the two that have the headlights mounted to the fenders are 1935 models; the rest are '36 models. Notice also that on the '35 models, the side elements of the grilles contain vertical bars, instead of the horizontal bars seen on the '36 models. Cool hood ornamentThat Pontiac hood ornament; the Indian w/the ring around it was very fragile --I wonder how many were intact a year later Different PontiacsThe third car from the front is a 1935 Pontiac. It is very similar to the '36s. The '35 introduced the first "turret top". The most noticable difference was the front door hinge location, which was moved from the front to the back. Re: Third car from the front or the backI think the car with the headlights not attached to the nose is a 1935 model while the others are 1936. Someone near my house had a 1936 Pontiac similar to these for sale last year. I would drive by and think how great it would be to own something like that, but boy you would have to know a lot about old cars (and where to get parts!) to maintain something like that. What no tailfins?I was born just as cars were starting to sprout tailfins, but if asked to draw a car today, one representing all, this is the silhouette that comes most often to mind. A lasting design statement. I love those grillesI do, I do, I do. "The wheels will fall off", as Mom would sayMy father, a genius certified by the U.S. Army, loved Pontiacs, even more than the Cadillacs, Studebakers, and Jaguars he'd owned. Perhaps it was the adventure aspect--searching for mechanics in the most remote scenic byways of pre-interstate America. All of us kids remember vividly our made-up games of collecting bottlecaps to while away hours as Dad and the Sinclair greasemonkey reattached the wheelhub of our '56 Chieftan, our '59 Starfire, our '63 GTO or our '66 Bonneville so we could get on with our vacation. It was no wonder that whenever Dad came home grinning with the new one, Mom would say simply, "The wheels will fall off". Heading home two weeks ago, the turn lane onto my street was blocked by a police cruiser. "An accident", I thought. But no, the officer was merely protectively blocking off traffic for a man in one of the last Pontiacs built, its right front wheel, hub and all, detached and lying over on its side nearby. Dad finally admitted at age 80 that Mom was smarter. Nevertheless, one of my fondest memories is as a child of three, driving my uncle's hot pink '56 Pontiac down the brick streets of Amarillo, Texas, with my mother and aunt in the back seat asking, "Do you think this is a good idea?" Thank goodness the wheel didn't fall off. Pontiac StripesThose long stainless stripes that sweep down over the front of the hood decorated Pontiacs in one form or another, every year for 20 years and became more or less a Pontiac trademark thru' 1955 or '56, second only the the Indian Chief. Third Car InterlopersThe two Pontiacs with the headlights not attached to the nose are 1935 models. The other Pontiacs, with the lights attached just behind the grille, are from 1936. The 1935 models were the first with the "Silver Streak" running down the hood. The two cars in the background are 1935 Fords. Third car from the front or the backHeadlamps not attached to the nose and different insignia. What would be the difference between these and the others? Very stylish cars indeed. The Silver Streak PontiacsThe two Pontiacs with headlights attached to the fenders instead of the nose are 1935 model year cars. Also note that the third from the back has turn signals on the fenders, this was called the "Improved" model and it also featured a more artistic hood ornament. The hood ornament on the third from the front is the normal 1935 version. [I believe those are parking lights, not turn signals. -tterrace] Silver StreakThis was the second year for the brand identifying metal band down the hood and on the trunks of some models and would stay around through 1956. FascinatingNearly 20 years later my grandfather, father and two uncles would strike exactly the same pose outside of the family business with their company Buicks (Dad's was a cherry red convertible). (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco)
Car Noir: 1977
... his wife's pink '57 Star Chief up the old brick streets of Amarillo, Texas. I remember it like it was yesterday. My aunt, my parents, ... 
 
Posted by rizzman1953 - 06/23/2012 - 5:45pm -

A very quiet night, after midnight in Medford, Massachusetts. Not sure of the make or year of the car. View full size. Car I.D.Pontiac, ca. mid-late '60s, possibly a Bonneville. I'm sure somebody out there will know all the specifics. "The wheels will fall off"1962 Pontiac Bonneville coupe. My dad kept buying Pontiacs after 1956, after a series of Jaguars and Studebakers. We had a '56 Chieftan, then a '59 Star Chief, then a '63 GTO, then a '64 Grand Prix, and finally a '65 Bonneville. And, yes, indeed, at some point or other, each and every one of those Pontiacs had a wheel fall off. By about the third one my dad brought home, my mom would look disdainfully at all that chrome and say, "The wheels will fall off". So we switched to Cadillacs in '65 (I still have that one) and back to Jaguars (and I still have all those). When I was three, my uncle let me drive his wife's pink '57 Star Chief up the old brick streets of Amarillo, Texas. I remember it like it was yesterday. My aunt, my parents, and my 4-year-old sister were in the back seat. I remember my aunt saying, "Do you think this is really a good idea?" and him replying, "Look, he's doing just fine". And I was. And I still have never hit anything nor been hit. And have great insurance rates to prove it. Maybe ya' gotta start 'em early. Truth is, I remember all those times on the side of the road with wheels off very clearly and quite fondly. It was good family time with mom singing to us kids while Dad traipsed off sullenly to the nearest town. 2 door PontiacLooks like a 1964 Pontiac Catalina. GuessingPontiac, Grand Prix, 1965 or so? I think it is......about a 1963 full sized Pontiac to me. It's a 64The fore and aft bumper profiles identify the year: they were unique to 1964. The wheels are 8 lug fins. CatalinaJD nailed it -- '64 Catalina 2+2 2-dr hardtop. Total production for this model just under 75,000 for the year. Always liked this roofline, shared with Chevy's Impala, Oldsmobile's Dynamic 88, and, possibly, Buick's Wildcat. 1964 Pontiac Bonneville two door hardtop My neighbor had one very much like this! 389 CID with four barrel Rochester carburetor, most likely a two speed Power-glide automatic transmission and gas was 28 cents a gallon! Although in 1977 it was more like 98 cents! My brother had a 1965 GTO where I had my first date in a car where he gave me the keys! Thanks for the memories! Another Pontiac MemorySome years back, I had a neighbor who was a storm-chaser and always off in the SUV hunting tornados. Always gone when I wanted to mow and always leaving his black vinyl over yellow '65 Catalina coupe well over the lawn I needed to mow. It didn't take me long to figure out the '65 Cadillac key worked in that car. So I always just got in and moved it. But I always turned it backwards from the way it had been. I never told him my keys fit. (That was the last time I drove a Pontiac. Probably not far enough for the wheels to fall off.) Without glareLet's make that 1964 Bonneville coupe: 64 CatalinaLooks like a '64 Catalina to me w/ 8 lugs. I can't tell if it's a 2+2 or not. Pontiac went from 4 speed hydramatics to 3 speed slim jims (~61 -62) to Turbo 400's ('65) and 375's (mid '70's?) in full size cars. No two speeds in full size cars. No powerglides I recall in any Pontiacs, two speeds were Super Turbine 300's in the intermediates and Firebirds. Clearly CatalinaThis is not a Bonneville as it is missing the side trim that is on the Catalina. The Bonneville also has heavy chrome trim along the fender bottoms and rocker panels. The Catalina name is on the front fender. The Bonneville has the model name on the back fender. A comparison of the Bonneville and Catalina is shown below. I flipped the Catalina photo horizontally to make the comparison easier so the Catalina script on the front fender is backwards if you look closely. Zoom, ZoomI think the Catalina crowd is right. If you zoom, it does look like it says Catalina in the script form unique to that line, and the point is correct that Bonneville's name was on the rear fender (in a serifed font) and Catalina always on the front. But chrome alone would be not so reliable, as I've found many Bonnevilles without the rocker chrome and many Catalinas with it. The name position IS the giveaway. I'm finally convincinced it's a '64 Catalina due for a wheel to fall off. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Bluetooth: 1943
March 1943. "Amarillo, Texas. Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail dispatcher in the general ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/01/2009 - 11:27pm -

March 1943. "Amarillo, Texas. Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail dispatcher in the general office." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano. View full size. Way Out WestLooks like something Wile E. Coyote would get from Acme. Modern technology?I always find it interesting to see the "technology of the time" in action and to wonder. That man could not possibly imagine what would exist in 2009. Blue Tooth headsets? Trains that run on schedules designed by computers? Excel spreadsheets that are self generated? The mind boggles! High speed trains floating on a cushions of magnets and air? [The future was more like: The rise of truck freight and the demise of his employer as an independent company; bankruptcy, dissolution and nationalization of the passenger-rail system with the disappearance of the major carriers. - Dave] Hilarious TitleI laughed out loud when I saw the headline and picture. Some things are the sameOne of my friends is a dispatcher for a US railroad, and he let me sit in with him one evening. Mostly computerized, of course. Many safety features built in. But they still use the grid paper that you see on this desk, to track train movements. Train OrdersThis dispatcher is practicing the art of directing rail traffic by the use of train orders, communicating with his order operators by telephone. The microphone on his chest is activated by a foot pedal while the speaker is an open "party line" to all his operators as well as the offices of yardmasters, wayside telephone boxes, etc. The box in front of him is used to patch in the person he wishes to address. He dictates the orders to one or more operators simultaneously while at the same time writes the orders in his train order book. To ensure accuracy, each operator reads back the order one by one while the dispatcher underlines each word or number in his book. When the orders are ready to be delivered, the operator (on the Santa Fe) rolls them up and ties them with a string which he attaches to a train order delivery fork. When the train is approaching his office he will stand a prescribed distance from the track and hold one fork up at the correct height so that the engineman can place his arm through a loop in the string. The operator then takes the second fork and holds it up for the trainman in the caboose or in one of the passenger coaches. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Diesel Freight: 1943
... paint colors for this locomotive. As a child growing up in Amarillo in the 50s-mid 60s I recall most of the Santa Fe engines I saw had the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/23/2013 - 9:53am -

March 1943. "Flagstaff, Arizona. Diesel locomotive entering town along the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad between Winslow and Seligman." Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Color scheme You are correct, the blue and yellow was for freight and the silver and red was passenger. That isn't to say it was a hard fast rule, but there was different gearing on passenger locomotives for a higher speed. SighThere are a bunch of those old girls rotting away in the Union Pacific yard In Cheyenne, WO. Very Similar To 103Very similar locomotive to this Shorpy post from years past. Perfect SolutionDiesels don't need water, which is why early diesel power flourished on ATSF, particularly in the southwest. Locomotives like 2-8-2 3137 in background wouldn't last much longer in the arid divisions across Arizona, but she did have ten more years in her on the eastern divisions, not going to scrap until 1953. Color SchemeConsidering the Santa Fe emblem and the engine number, I suspect Vonderbees has the correct paint colors for this locomotive. As a child growing up in Amarillo in the 50s-mid 60s I recall most of the Santa Fe engines I saw had the red and yellow paint scheme as shown in this previous Shorpy post rather than the blue and yellow scheme. Currently living less than two blocks from a BNSF line, I see lots of the red/yellow scheme though the red is more orange red than I remember as a child. Rationing exemptionsEMD was the only manufacturer permitted to build diesel-electric locomotives during the war, even though diesels were what most railroads wanted. Having never built a steam locomotive, they were exempt from the War Production Board's requirement to use only old and well-proven technology. This special exemption gave EMD a huge advantage over Alco and Baldwin after the war. In the end, General Electric was and is the only company able to compete. Much of their output was allocated to the ATSF, due to the water supply problems already mentioned. [Electro-Motive was a division of General Motors, not General Electric. - Dave] I meant that General Electric was and is the only locomotive manufacturer able to compete with Electro-Motive, until recently a division of General Motors. Re: Color SchemeI always figured the blue and yellow color scheme was for freight trains and the red and yellow was for passenger trains. Does anybody know? Nice styleThe front of this is how all the passenger diesels looked when I was a kid and I think it's still by far the most attractive design. I don't know why they departed from it. Lectrogeek68 is basically correctin that General Electric was EMD's only true competitor until their roles reversed in the 1990s, and GE displaced EMD as the dominant locomotive manufacturer in North America. In 2010 Caterpillar purchased what was left of EMD from a consortium of private equity firms who purchased the division from GM in 2005, and is seeking to reverse that. I honed many a cylinder liner and rough cut more piston castings than I care to remember at EMD's McCook plant during the summers of my undergraduate college years. At the end of their careersHere is a photograph of some sister locomotives stripped of various parts including their road trucks awaiting scrap. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Santa Fe Time: 1939
... over his right shoulder. To see a Santa Fe dispatcher in Amarillo from the same era see this Shorpy photo . Tighten cap. Tip ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/22/2018 - 10:57pm -

April 1939. "Office of train dispatcher and Western Union. San Augustine, Texas." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Extra keys under the typewriter?Can anybody figure out what's going on with the extra row of keys (?) under the spacebar? Operator, I'd sayThis busy guy is doing the work for an entire station, I believe. He's probably in and out handing up train orders, doing telegrams for the public and the railroad, taking phone calls from up and down the line, and, if you look to the left side of the photo under the calendar, he's also the ticket seller. That's what the rack is full of. Likely a broom just out of sight for his slow periods. And, he probably has to maintain and wind that beautiful clock with the interesting face. What a fella! Train Order Operator / TelegrapherThis man appears not to be a dispatcher (a person in charge of train movements on a subdivision) but rather an operator / telegrapher who relays instructions from the dispatcher to the train using typed or handwritten messages (see the bottle of Sheaffer Skrip ink to the left of the telephone). You will note that there is no train sheet on the desk in front of him to record train movements, and a dispatcher would probably not have time to be distracted by the sending or receiving of Western Union messages. Train orders ready to be delivered to upcoming trains would be hung on the hooks above the desk -- perhaps we can see the corner of one over his right shoulder. To see a Santa Fe dispatcher in Amarillo from the same era see this Shorpy photo. Tighten cap. Tip bottle to fill the wellAnd on the left, a bottle of Sheaffer Skrip ink, with the little side reservoir just inside the lip of the bottle. Convenient for filling your fountain pen without picking up the crud from the bottom! But it looks as if our railroad man didn't follow the first line of the instructions. Dispatchers and TelegraphersDispatchers and telegraphers usually used special typewriters. Railroad rules usually specified train orders be hand written or typed in multiple copies on a thin semitransparent paper called flimsy. If typed they must be in all caps with no punctuation, so there is no shift key. All letters were caps. I suspect this particular typewriter had the extra row of keys for typing characters that would normally be accessed with the shift key. Railroads normally didn't use all characters, but this feature may have been useful for Western Union telegrams. This also explains Western Union's use of the word "STOP" instead of ".", as most railroad typewriters had no "." Another railroad oddity is that there is no ribbon. Multiple copies were typed "in manifold" using double-sided carbon paper. The image on the first and all odd numbered pages was actually imprinted in reverse by carbon on the back of the paper, and read through the paper, while even numbered pages were impressed with their images on the front. Phone TerminalUpper right corner of the photo shows a telephone connection strip. It appears the lines going N have been cut. Was this the most northern station? Covetous!I would dearly love that beautiful Seth Thomas clock! 10:22:52 and a fraction; can't tell if it's 3 or 5 beats to the second, but it's certainly finely divided. And with a precision, temperature compensated pendulum. 1909 Seth Thomas ClockAnd if you have a spare $112,000 lying around you can own one too! Exra row of keysI suspect this is not an ordinary typewriter, but a form of teletype machine. The extra keys may have been to transmit various codes or information, other than printable characters. Number PleaseWhen we were kids back in the early 60s we had a candlestick phone just like the one shown here (no dial). Unfortunately we played with it as kids do and ultimately messed it up so bad, taking it apart etc., that Mom ended up tossing it. Similar to the one here, it came with a large metal box in which all of the telephone circuitry and bell were housed. Later on I guess Western Electric figured out how to cram all that stuff into the phone itself. Re: Number PleaseThe "large metal box" on which the candlestick phone rested was, in this photo, wood; you can see the dovetail joints on the curved corners. The box itself was called a "subset" and housed the meager electronics to make the phone operate, as well as the bell on top. The crank wound a dynamo, also inside the subset, to generate electricity to make a call. (Technology, The Gallery, Railroads, The Office)
Plains Grain: 1943
... on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad between Amarillo, Texas, and Clovis, New Mexico." Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/09/2013 - 10:13am -

March 1943. "Farwell, Texas, at the New Mexico state line. Going through town on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad between Amarillo, Texas, and Clovis, New Mexico." Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. "The Last Picture Show"All that's missing is a svelte Sybil Shepard, Jeff Bridges and Sam the Lion. Or Tatum O'Neal in Paper MoonI would love to have been Peter Bogdanovich's location scout. Plains, Grain and AutomobileNeat capture of a moment in time. It does look like one of Bogdanovich's movies. Paper Moon is one of my faves. If you get a chance, read the book (Addie Pray). Very different from the movie and based in Alabama. He decided to shoot in Kansas for the landscape and what a great decision it was! Here We Go AgainNo, I'm not singing. I'm grousing once again about the fact that, in my opinion, most of these changes we see when comparing the current site with the ones portrayed in these great photos don't measure up. Ice gang was right on the money, and EVERYTHING in this photo is gone. Even the trees are gone and having visited this part of the country, they could sorely spare them. Bah. See the USA. . . in your Chevrolet. That's a 1940 model in the photo. Trailer looks home-made! Pretty sure- - I found Plains Grain buildings foundations: 34 23' 19.67"N 103 02' 37.28"W Am I right? View Larger Map Trailer "Trailer looks home-made!" Yes indeed -- in fact, it is based on a car frame with the body removed, you can see the differential in the rear axle. The load is --- coal maybe?? Not to quibble, butPerhaps this photo was mislabeled by Mr. Delano when it was archived. When zooming into the Google map at link provided, it appears that the point at which this photo was taken the train may already have crossed the state line into New Mexico, in spite of the road sign that necessarily had to be placed beyond the tracks. In any case, you're seeing into the tiny burg of Texico, New Mexico far more than you are seeing any of Farwell, Texas from this angle. Kudos to Ice gang for locating this obscure crossing! Coming round the bendThe plume of smoke in the distance is surely from another train coming this way. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads, Small Towns)
California Ramblers: 1967
... in Texas. We had made a trip from home in East Texas to Amarillo and back in a 1959 Ford Fairlane 500 sedan -- in August! -- and Dad ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 06/06/2019 - 1:56pm -

Summer 1967. Just think how much more exciting this shot of my mother, father and brother enjoying a Kodachrome vista of the Sierra Nevada would be if, instead of our sedate 1966 Rambler, we had a red 1960 Chevy wagon. View full size. Oh, but your RamblerOh, but your Rambler American 440 wagon is lovely! AMCWe had one just like that, except it was two-tone bronze and tan with an interior to match. Dad bought AMC cars from 1960 until they were no longer available, one reason being that they all came with air conditioning standard. That's pretty important in Texas. We had made a trip from home in East Texas to Amarillo and back in a 1959 Ford Fairlane 500 sedan -- in August! -- and Dad swore never again. Regards, Ric RamblerOh, I rather prefer the Rambler to the red Chevy. RamblingThat's a Rambler Classic. The Rambler American had rectangular taillights with rounded corners. Regards, Ric CoordinatesThat looks more like Sequoia Natl Park or Kings Canyon, than Yosemite. Any chance you remember where you were? And, T, those socks with the sandals are a dead giveaway for your NoCal roots. In those days, being SoCal meant never wearing socks with sandals. Except perhaps for the way, way inlanders from places like Berdoo and Riverside. You may have noticed that distinction on your Knottsberry Farm trip. Even may have thought no socks were gross. While SoCals thought it was gross TO wear socks with sandals. Just another playful contrast between the two states within a state. You ever figure out the dividing line go south from Larkspur? From the south going north on the coast, I always thought of Santa Barbara as the last SoCal frontier outpost. Just felt different once you passed Goleta, Isla Vista, and UCSB. Inland? Probably Magic Mountain these days. Kind of strange that you never hear the word CenCal. It's like a DMZ, or a purgatory. Just kidding, all you CenCals. I lived in Merced for a year, and Santa Maria for two, so I have an official CenCal tour of duty insignia. The Human GPSYou're absolutely on the beam, A. Tipster, that was indeed taken on our 1967 Sequoia/Kings Canyon camping trip. I also know exactly what you mean by feeling that Santa Barbara marks the beginning of Southern California. Other Rambler points: yes, it's a Rambler Classic Cross Country. We had to get after-market A/C, though. Can't remember why we're missing a rear wheel cover. Tterrace, Child GeniusI don't mean to get personal but I find it absolutely miraculous that even as a youngster, you took all these hundreds of INCREDIBLE photos, which are now stirring great memories in all the Shorpy fans. How wonderful of your parents to provide the encouragement, equipment and money, as well as the self-confidence required, to cultivate their budding genius photographer. These pictures are as real as it gets, EVERYONE can identify with them, they cannot be "fabricated" and they strike a nostalgic chord in anyone who lived in those days. I find these even more realistic than looking through old magazines as it is obvious they are candid shots and you were a genuine American family. We cannot thank you enough for sharing your wonderful photos, please keep on taking pictures and know that you have a natural gift as a photographer to convey familiarity in your shots. Nothing short of amazing. A fine line indeed...Thanks, Older than Yoda, I'm glad you and others are getting a bang out of the stuff I've been submitting, but I do want to reiterate that many of the photos were taken by my brother; in fact, he's slightly ahead at this point, 41 to 35. And yes, I certainly do acknowledge my parents' policy of... I think benign bewilderment would be the best way to put it. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Travel & Vacation, tterrapix)
Noonday Rambler: 1962
... Gonna Need a Bigger Station Wagon Made a trip from Amarillo to San Angelo, Texas in the same car, in the very same color. Mom and ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 08/30/2017 - 5:54pm -

Glistening from a wash, wax and chrome polish job by sixteen-year-old me, our 1956 Rambler station wagon basks in the sun on the ramp of our garage on Walnut Avenue in Larkspur, California on a summer day in 1962. I'm sure I was paid something whenever I did this, but I actually enjoyed it; in fact, I always volunteered. I recorded my effort this time by clicking off three shots with my Kodak Brownie Starmite, using Perutz black-and-white 127 roll film. Fun auto fact: since we bought it from a Hudson dealer, our Rambler was Hudson-badged; it and Nash badges were discontinued after the 1957 model run. View full size. About that front tagSo tterrace, what's up with the 56 year on the front tag if this pix was from 62'? Was the front tag not necessary in California then and thus was just historical decoration? [California supplies yearly renewal tags for the rear plate only. -tterrace] Had A Friend...who had one of those; I remember that the upper a-arms tended to break, letting the attached front wheel assume strange geometries. He wouldn't get rid of it, though, because the front seat folded down into a bed. Ah, youth! WeightDo you know how much that baby weighed? [2992 lbs. - Super Cross Country 4-door wagon. -tterrace] PleaseColorize it, it makes me more nostalgic for Grandpa's red and black Buick Roadmaster. [Better yet, the real colors. -tterrace] My first driving experience!I learned to drive in one of those 1956 Rambler station wagons, owned by a neighbor. It had a three-speed shifter on the steering column, if I remember correctly. I had driven a Ford tractor, but driving on a road at speed was WAY different. That car was a chalky baby-blue and I can't say if the seat folded down. I also had forgotten how pretty that front end was. I love that emerald-green paint job, tterrace. Class! Ed Andersonand Bill Reddig were the guys who designed this car, for model years 1956 and 1957. It was offered as one of the first muscle cars in 1957 as the Rebel. Slogan"Stick out your chest like you owned a Nash." Billboard copy, sergeant to recruit, 1950s. Polo Green Hash, and trunnionsWith the Nash/Hudson merger, and the rebadging of cars, the cars acquired the nickname "Hash" for a time. As for this car, paintref.com shows the colors to be Polo Green (code P-75) with a Frosty White top (P-72). [Ours left the factory solid green; the dealer (Priola Motors in San Francisco) talked my father into having them paint the roof, reasoning that it would help keep the passenger compartment cooler. I remember the white chipping off a bit around the edges over the years, and it never could get a real shine. -tterrace] PersonFromPorlock's comment on the front end could be related to the trunnions. While most other carmakers used upper and lower A-arms with kingpins, (switching to the use of ball joints around the time this car was made), Nash/Rambler/AMC used a split upper arm with the upright in between (having the coil spring above it), and a trunnion containing a bronze bushing and thrust bearing holding the arm halves to the spring perch above and to the knuckle below. The 1956 models like this one used upper and lower trunnions; later, the lower one was eliminated, replaced by a ball joint, like on our '66 American. AMC continued to use an upper trunnion up until the early 1970s, when they finally went to an all ball joint setup. Periodically lubricated, the trunnions should last indefinitely. Here's a good treatise on assembly of upper trunnions, specifically for the '63-'64 Ambassador and Classic. Llicense plate tagThe CA plates in 1956 had the year stamped into the plates, front and rear. [Had this photo been from the back you'd see a 1962 validation sticker applied between CALIFORNIA and 56 on the rear plate. - tterrace] We're Gonna Need a Bigger Station WagonMade a trip from Amarillo to San Angelo, Texas in the same car, in the very same color. Mom and us four kids rode with Berniece, the wife of Dad's business partner, and her 6-year-old daughter Glenda. By the time we got to San Angelo, every one of us kids had been bitten by Glenda at least twice before we got to the motel. We spent the whole two weeks of that vacation hiding from Glenda. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
Cow Town: 1943
... on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad between Amarillo, Texas, and Clovis, New Mexico." Nitrate negative by Jack Delano for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 6:07pm -

March 1943. "Hereford, Texas. Passing the depot on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad between Amarillo, Texas, and Clovis, New Mexico." Nitrate negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. It's Still ThereAlways good to see these old places survive. View Larger Map HerefordI've got personal photos taken from this same spot, only facing the other way to capture a nice view of the co-op elevator instead of the old depot. I'm not sure what my interest in the grain elevator was other than the huge "Hereford Grains" sign on the side of it. I wish I'd turned around and snapped a photo of the old depot to present you instead but the Google version is also okay. When I was in Hereford, a container train passed through town every 20 minutes all day and night long. It's a busy railroad town. It's also a busy feedlot town with all the aromatic scents that go with it. You folks on the east coast miss out on so many olfactory experiences that go with where your BigMac started from. CleanWhat I just love about these Jack Delano photos along the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe line is how he makes everything look so CLEAN. Then and NowI really enjoy seeing then and now pictures. You should consider an album of them. We used to have one of those depotsThe Santa Fe RR runs through Chillicothe, Illinois. One of my earliest memories (summer 1944) is a visit to the train station there, an almost exact duplicate of the one in Hereford. My mother took me with her because Eddie Cantor (among other celebrities, I assume) would be making a short stop on the way to Chicago on trip to promote buying War Bonds. My grandfather, a then-retired conductor for the Santa Fe who had worked for some 40 years, often took me with him when he went to talk with some friends who still were still working at the station. When we moved back to Chillicothe, we lived 2 blocks from the depot. The sound of the trains lulled me to sleep many nights. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Low Noon: 1936
... afterward was quite a chore. Gene Howe, a writer for the Amarillo Globe News, claimed that the dust storms were healthy and invigorating ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/18/2008 - 3:41pm -

March 1936. "Heavy black clouds of dust rising over the Texas Panhandle." 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the FSA. View full size. Dust StormsThis photo brings back memories. Our schoolhouse in Tulia, Texas, had no electric lights (or indoor plumbing), so we were dismissed when a duster rolled into town and made everything as dark as night. To avoid breathing the dust, we tied handkerchiefs over our noses while walking home from school. The storms left a coating of dust about a quarter of an inch deep on everything inside our closed-up houses. The cleanup afterward was quite a chore. Gene Howe, a writer for the Amarillo Globe News, claimed that the dust storms were healthy and invigorating and maybe he was right. The dust storms and the effects of the Depression left us with backbone to spare. I don't recall anybody in those days complaining about how tough times were as opposed to all the whining heard in today's America. Dust BowlWe lived in Arkansas on the river across from Oklahoma and even though Texas and Oklahoma were the worst hit, my folks got plenty of the dust. It certainly gave us backbone for years to come. This generation shouldn't wonder why great and great-great grandparents died so young. They worked themselves to death way too early. It would be hard to visualize today's teenager cleaning up the mess with a straw broom, bar of lye soap, and old rags. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Dust Bowl, Landscapes)
Linescape: 1939
August 1939. "Great Plains and highway north of Amarillo, Texas." Medium format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/01/2020 - 4:04pm -

August 1939. "Great Plains and highway north of Amarillo, Texas." Medium format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. I am a lineman for the countyAnd I drive the main road Searchin' in the sun for another overload I hear you singin' in the wire ... Vanishing pointSuch a clever lady and photographer, to step off the road from the expected view, and instead follow the perspective line of the telephone poles and wires. Times have changedWhere do the birds sit now? Very different todayNow it's in color. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Landscapes)
Floyd's Place: 1938
... FSA. Floyd's Place I found one in Seattle, in Amarillo, in Oblong (Ill.) and in Tennessee. Wish I could find the one in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/10/2008 - 8:55pm -

Summer 1938. More of Floyd's Place: "Roadside inn, Central Ohio. The figure of the body, originally distributed to advertise the Newark Indian Mounds, has been redecorated." View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the FSA. Floyd's PlaceI found one in Seattle, in Amarillo, in Oblong (Ill.) and in Tennessee. Wish I could find the one in Ohio - I'm sure it's no longer there, but would like to know where it was. It looks familiar. Newark Indian MoundsThey're actually pretty important, sometimes called the American Stonehenge. Here's a great article. Floyds in OblongThe Floyd's Place in Oblong, IL is just a little dive bar. It doesn't really look anything like this place, although there are some shops in town that have that same sort of style. http://floydsplace1951.com/history.html (The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Eateries & Bars)
League of Nation: 1917
... in general attended the game. Marvin Jones , of Amarillo, Tex., doesn't like Republicans. He defeated his Republican opponent ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/22/2012 - 8:38pm -

1917. Washington, D.C. "Congressional baseball game. President and Mrs. Wilson." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Donkey Kicks Elephant 'Donkey' Kicks 22 to 21 Wilson Tosses the Sphere The Democratic donkey had a kick in all of its figurative four legs yesterday. He won the annual congressional baseball game from the Republicans by a ninth-inning rally - won it after the President of the United States had given up hopes for his party and returned with Mrs. Wilson to the White House. The score was 22 to 21, but, despite the fact that 43 men crossed the counting board, it was the most exciting congressional game for years. The entire proceeds are to go to the Red Cross, and in addition to the sum realized from the gate receipts, hundreds of dollars more were obtained from contributions and from the sale of score cards. President Wilson and Mrs. Wilson sat through eight innings of the game. he was cheered when he caught a ball and threw it out to the Umpire Clark Griffith before the game started. In the seventh inning, Representative Sydney Mudd, pitcher for the Republicans, drove a foul ball into the presidential box, which Mr. Wilson barely managed to dodge. Vice President Marshall sat in a box behind the catcher and Speaker Champ Clark was perched far back in the grand stand, and rooted for the Democrats. Members of the diplomatic corps, cabinet members, army and navy officials, members of Congress, and officialdom in general attended the game. Marvin Jones, of Amarillo, Tex., doesn't like Republicans. He defeated his Republican opponent in the 1916 election by 30,000 majority and defeated the Republicans yesterday almost single handed. Seven times Jones faced Pitcher Sydney Mudd and seven times he drove out ringing base hits. Four times the Texan led rallies which lifted the Democrats out of the slough of despond. He stole five bases, and once he took a lead off base in order to draw a throw and give a Democratic runner a chance to score. ... Umpire Clark Griffith had a busy day. In the eighth inning McClintic tackled Farr in football style to prevent him from scoring and Jones tagged the Pittsburgh representative. When the men arose Griffith waved Farr across the counting station and the Democrats gathered around Griffith and inserted some remarks into the record. ... In the line-up were the following: Democrats: Jones, of Texas, third base; Bankhead, Alabama, left field; [Pat] Harrison, captain, short stop and pitcher; Nicholls, South Carolina, center field; McClintic, Oklahoma, catcher; Rouse, Kentucky, first base; Webb, North Carolina, pitcher and shortstop; Whaley, South Carolina, second base; Sears, Florida, right field; Mr. Harrison concluded to be pitcher before the game was over, and being captain, Mr. Webb had to retire, much against his will. Republican line-up: Miller, Minnesota, captain, shortstop; Morin, Pennsylvania, first base; Mudd, Maryland, pitcher; Johnson, South Dakota, catcher; Sanders, Indiana, center field; Ireland, Illinois, left field; Bacharach, New Jersey and Elston, California, third base; Vestal, Indiana, right field; Norton, North Dakota and Kalaniaole, second base. Washington Post, July 1, 1917 I laughed, I criedDave, you have out-done yourself in the clever title department with this one. Party FoulOne wonders if Congressman Mudd didn't actually take aim for Wilson. The election of 1916 had been a very close and divisive race! On a side note, Wilson was a former ball player himself, having been forced to quit because of frail health, and I have read somewhere he was the first president to attend a World Series game. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Politics, Public Figures, Sports)
Eastbound Freight: 1943
... an eastbound freight on the Santa Fe Railroad between Amarillo and Clovis, New Mexico." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/13/2015 - 11:21am -

March 1943. "Parmerton, Texas. Passing an eastbound freight on the Santa Fe Railroad between Amarillo and Clovis, New Mexico." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Safety firstThe train we are "riding" is on the siding, and most likely not moving here. The man down the track, and probably another on the other side, is watching the moving freight on the left for any signs of equipment dragging or hot bearing journals. When the train passes, and they get clear, they will return to the caboose and proceed. Boxcar cabooseLooks like one of the wartime emergency cabooses the Santa Fe converted from wooden boxcars. Here's a little closer look at one: Caboose bench seatsWhen or why would some need the bench seats on top of the caboose? Caboose benchesThe benches are on the roof of the caboose for the same reason that there are benches in the cupola of the caboose from which Mr. Delano snapped this picture. They are there to provide a place for the rear trainman to ride where he can see the train ahead to inspect for signs of problems: derailment, shifted loads, smoke, etc. Also, to pass signals to the engineer (remember, no radios at this time in RR service). Though most cabooses had a rooftop cupola, or side view bay windows, for protection from the elements, in the rush to press cars into service during the war some roads didn't bother to enclose the seats. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Long Train Going: 1943
... on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad between Amarillo, Texas, and Clovis, New Mexico." One of hundreds of photos documenting ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/20/2013 - 1:46pm -

March 1943. "Canyon, Texas. Approaching the town on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad between Amarillo, Texas, and Clovis, New Mexico." One of hundreds of photos documenting Jack Delano's trip from Chicago to California on a Santa Fe freight for the Office of War Information. View full size. A Cold DayThe the length and contrast of the plume produced by the steam locomotive up ahead indicates it's a cold day in Texas. The picture appears to have been taken hanging out the window of the caboose cupola. I'll bet the crew was happy when he closed that window upstairs, letting all the heat out! I would love to have made this trip. That so much wood is in sight ahead is interesting for many unfamiliar with railroads of the era. We often think of metal and railroads, but even in the mid-1940s, wood was still used extensively for boxcar sheathing. Reefer cars (note upward protruding latch for the ice hatch) like the one just in front of the caboose the photographer is riding in were still almost exclusively wood-sheathed to help reduce heat transmission. The war had a lot to do with what could be seen along the nation's railroad lines, too, in terms of construction materials. Some "war emergency" cars were produced, framed with steel as before, but using wood sheathing for the sides instead of steel, which went to the war effort. Virtually every car the could be pressed into service was repaired and operated. Thus many older cars continued in service when they otherwise would have been scrapped and replace by new. The effects of the Great Depression also contributed, since many railroad held off ordering new equipment, then found themselves handling greatly expanded war traffic while the equipment order they might have placed just before the war was set-aside until victory. It was a good thing, but FDR's relatively limited attempts at economic recovery never really lifted economic activity enough to escape the Great Depression. It was the war itself, with its huge economic stimulus, that finally ended the Great Depression. A lesson about holding off on economic stimulus and austerity budgets that should needs to be emphasized as we struggle into the 6th year of the Great Recession. That's also why there's still a lot of wood in sight along the iron road. Still hauling freight.This curve appears to be about 3 miles north of the center of Canyon, TX and about a mile south of present day Interstate 27. After Canyon the track turns southwest toward Clovis, NM and continues westward toward Albuquerque and Los Angeles. Since the early 20th century this track has been part of the Santa Fe Railroad's(now BNSF)Southern Transcon route between Chicago and Los Angeles. These days you'll see a lot of inter-modal(container) trains on high-priority schedules with transit time from Chicago to Los Angeles in the neighborhood of 55 hours. Are those passenger cars?It looks like there might be a block of about 8 passenger cars deadheading in the freight train, just to the left of the signal. Not unheard of, but I would think unusual in view of the shortage of passenger equipment during the war. Or maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me, which would not be unheard of either. Yeah, they might be passenger carsHard to tell but they sure don't look like freight cars. Could be a repositioning move of troop cars from one base to another. Clovis had some WWII bases near it as I'm sure other towns down the line did. What I'd like to know is what kind of locomotive was pulling them. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Wayne Crouse: 1940s
Wayne Crouse in Amarillo, Texas, circa 1940s. Portrait by Gray Studios of Amarillo. Gray Studios was opened in 1910 by Claude Gray and is still in ... 
 
Posted by historic-kate - 06/14/2018 - 9:32am -

Wayne Crouse in Amarillo, Texas, circa 1940s. Portrait by Gray Studios of Amarillo. Gray Studios was opened in 1910 by Claude Gray and is still in business. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
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