Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Our favorites were the wax lips, wax mustache, chocolate cigarettes, pixie sticks, flying saucers, hot dog
gum, that lipstick candy, wax pop bottles and those spiral licorice with the red candy center.
Oh I had totally forgotten the flying saucers! My brother loved the wax items - not my cup of tea
I rode several of the great old trains during the forties and early fifties. My most memorable experience was riding the Rio Grande narrrow gauge between Alamosa and Durango in southern Colorado. Today the eastern part of the line is still open as a tourist railroad, but back then it was in regular service. They did, however, make a scenic stop along the line. I loved standing on the rear platform.
We tokk the Rocky Mountain Rocket from Chicago to Colorado Springs and we once had a drawing room on the Superchief from Chicago to Los Angeles.
My father often had to travel to New Jersey on business. During the war it was almost impossible for most people to get a ticket, but he could always get one. He would walk up to a ticket agent and say as he slid a bill forward, "I bet you twenty that you can't get me a lower on the Twentieth Century.'' The ticket agent would reply as he smoothly picked up his money, ''You just lost your bet." His employer considered this a necessary expense.
In rail circles as well as at Electromotive, the GM division that built locomotives, the latest talk was when we could expect nuclear electric to replace diesel electric.
I missed the Age of Steam by a bit ... by the time of was born, only a few of our Western roads still ran any steam (I think they were long gone back East), and by the time I knew what was going on (age 3 or 4) there was no more. Nonetheless, since the retirements were still pretty recent, there were still a decent number of commemorative engines still making rounds. Got to see some real monsters (for example, 4-8-8-4s). Nice to see some additional restorations now happening.
While engaged in this thread I began to think about the penmanship contests of yesteryear. I searched for penmanship contests assuming the information would be historical, but I found that penmanship contests are common today. In fact, penmanship is hot.
I was torn between posting on this thread or on the thread about old people learning new good habits. What could be better for physical-mental coordination? How could we better distance ourselves from what the bard called ''unwashed artificers'' and Bulwer-Lytton and Thackeray called more inclusively ''The Great Unwashed'' in their writing.
This would be a real challenge for many of us; I'm a good example as I have both a bone spur and significant muscle loss in my right hand. However, this is worthy of investigation; reprints of early works are available.
-There are books available for young children as well. Any here who wish to do something good for grandchildren would be well-advised to buy some. Children will prefer this to contact with other children. Tell them that games and dirt are for their inferiors. This is for the best children.
Be sure to tell everyone you know who is trustworthy that in these days of government intrusion into communications that cursive may be the only private means of communication.
Remember the old days when my writing that last sentence would have been inconceivable.
When I was in elementary school penmanship was taught and expected. I was reasonably proud of my cursive writing. I can recall distinctly when that era ended, must have been when I was in Jr. High. By the time I was in HS no one cared about cursive writing vs block lettering. By the time I was leaving college, students started to have their own PCs if they were among the supposed lucky few.
Wow, that was a lot of change in a relatively short period of time.
We had desks like these. They came in a variety of sizes from tiny to adult. For anyone not familiar with them, each unit contained the seat of one and the desk of another behind. They were screwed to runners. The desks I used had a compartment under the top for books, papers, etc.
Some places did not phase those out until the 1970s. The old ink wells were good for hiding arsenals of rubber bands and / or tiny paper wads.
This was the type of desk we had when I was in school. We dipped the quill or pen into the inkwell on the right side and learned to print and do cursive. Poor lefties were messy when leaning over to the inkwell.
I had a number like that model, well into the 1970s.
In Jr. High we got the newfangled ones that were a Formica topped facsimile of this, with no storage area and obviously no ink well. Just the work surface and the attached chair.
I missed the Age of Steam by a bit ... by the time of was born, only a few of our Western roads still ran any steam (I think they were long gone back East), and by the time I knew what was going on (age 3 or 4) there was no more. Nonetheless, since the retirements were still pretty recent, there were still a decent number of commemorative engines still making rounds. Got to see some real monsters (for example, 4-8-8-4s). Nice to see some additional restorations now happening.
The Norfolk and Western was the last American railroad to eschew the diesel. It did so until May, 1960. The Rio Grande operated steam narrow gauge lines in Colorado until 1961. Some short lines and industrial facilities had them a while longer. Steam never disappeared. Tourist railroads have carried on the tradiion to the present day.
The Union Pacific is currently restoring one of the Big Boys in the Chevenne shops. I have read that they plan to convert it from coal to oil. That didn't work well at all when they converted one seventy-five years earlier because the configuration of the firebox is different for the two fuels. One of the joys for me when I'm around a steam locomotive is smelling the coal. They'll likely use it for excursions. I'd love to see a run to Salt Lake and back or even Chicago with restored Pullmans or private cars.
There's a company in Chicago that has private cars, restored Pullmans. They've arranged with Amtrak to couple the cars to the City of New Orleans. The trip features the sort of a traveling experience people would have had in 1950. It's very popular, but would be even more so if a classic steam locomotive were pulling it. I'm appending a link to a website which has further links to several railroads including steam.
I rode several of the great old trains during the forties and early fifties. My most memorable experience was riding the Rio Grande narrrow gauge between Alamosa and Durango in southern Colorado. Today the eastern part of the line is still open as a tourist railroad, but back then it was in regular service. They did, however, make a scenic stop along the line. I loved standing on the rear platform.
We tokk the Rocky Mountain Rocket from Chicago to Colorado Springs and we once had a drawing room on the Superchief from Chicago to Los Angeles.
My father often had to travel to New Jersey on business. During the war it was almost impossible for most people to get a ticket, but he could always get one. He would walk up to a ticket agent and say as he slid a bill forward, "I bet you twenty that you can't get me a lower on the Twentieth Century.'' The ticket agent would reply as he smoothly picked up his money, ''You just lost your bet." His employer considered this a necessary expense.
In rail circles as well as at Electromotive, the GM division that built locomotives, the latest talk was when we could expect nuclear electric to replace diesel electric.
I've never done any train travel and the only ones I ever rode on were entertainment venues. Mostly kiddy rides when I was young. I've thought about it often though and a couple of years ago did some research into it. Decided it was probably too costly for me, for the amenities I would want. If I were willing to sit in the 'cheap seats' it wouldn't be so bad but I value my privacy and comfort too much.
I always wanted to ride the Durango to Silverton train. That is such beautiful country. My ex used to go up there, get on the train and then get dropped off about halfway. He'd spend a few days, or a week, camping and exploring and they'd pick him up when he was ready. Thought that was nice of them.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
