Image of the Month

This really bizarre locomotive is a Chesapeake & Ohio M-1 steam turbine. Proof that reality is stranger than fiction some times.

 

Image of the Month

With 2011 being the 150th anniversary of the Civil War I wanted to show you this strange looking figure. If you click on the image can you guess what it is? It is railroad related that is certain.

Give up? Scroll down...








It is a Sherman Necktie. If you look very closely you can see this is a railroad rail that is wrapped tightly around a tree.

from Wiki....

Sherman's neckties were a phenomenon of the American Civil War. Named after Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army, Sherman's neckties were railway rails destroyed by heating them until they were malleable and twisting them into loops resembling neckties, often around trees. Since the Confederacy had limited supplies of iron, and few foundries to roll the rails, this destruction was very difficult to repair. They were also called Sherman's bow ties, Sherman's hairpins or Jeff Davis hairpins.

Image of the Month

Its been a long month, and I have been on the workbench building a sawmill for the club layout. However in celebration of my wife taking me to the circus tonight, I offer a rather interesting photograph from a forgotten era when the circus' traveled by train. Yes, Ringling still does, but it is not the spectacle it once was. Just admire the artwork on the side of the baggage car...



I will be back next month with more interesting tidbits and railroad stuff...

Image of the Month

Southern Pacific Roadroad

Southern Pacific RR brakeman Harry Martin smelling a tiger lily found beside tracks w. engineer Jimmy Belote waiting his turn, during regulation cooling-off stop between Sacramento and Reno.

Taken in 1942 by Life Magazine regarding Railroads at War, I really like the contrast in this photo.

Image of the Month

Merry Christmas

-Mike

Image of the Month

I was in Hearne Texas yesterday on the way to College Station to see my new grand daughter :) and of course had to do some rail fanning. I have seen this station before but wanted to get some shots of it. It is a 1901 MP/SP station, it is unique in that is was built between a cross over main line giving it a triangle foot print. I plan on taking more measurements and eventually scratch build this beauty. Nice work by the team that restored this truly incredible structure.

Image of the Month

I was researching this car after I purchased the brass version of it. Apparently Southern Pacific in the early 50's sponsored this car for blood donor campaigns. It was was converted from the SP observation car 2903.
...from the Journal of American Medical Association in 1952...
"A specially equipped railroad blood donor car, named "The Life Line," was dedicated in San Francisco in November at a ceremony sponsored by the Southern Pacific, which built and will operate the car over its lines, and by the Irwin Memorial Blood Bank of the San Francisco Medical Society, which will staff the car and supervise the extensive blood procurement project. A. T. Mercier, president of the railroad, dedicated the car at the conclusion of a morning program. The principal address was given by Dr. John W. Cline, San Francisco, President of the American Medical Association. Keys to the car and passes with which the staff can travel on Southern Pacific lines to and from duty aboard the blood donor car were presented by Mr. Mercier to Dr. Paul M. Aggeler, president of the Blood Bank Commission."

Image of the Month

This is an interesting photo of what appears to be a road gang showing how versatile the Model T actually was....

Image of the Month

The miles this gentleman as seen...

From previous postings you know I am a huge O. Wilson Link fan... here is another one I really like, by clicking on the image you will be taken the Link website, a must see for all rail fans....

Image of the Month

I have always been a fan of Disney and Ward Kimball. Ward was one of Walt's "nine old men" and Walt himself said of Ward and only Ward was a genius. He transformed Mickey from the original mouse portrayed in 1928 Steam Boat Willy into the Mickey we all know and love. He also created Jiminy Cricket to name a few.

Ward and Walt

However, one of Ward's passions was railroads. As you know Walt Disney was quite a railroad fan as well and Ward is the one that rekindled that interest and this was one of the keys motivations that would later become a new concept called "Disneyland".
Ward had one of the worlds greatest train collections as well as he built a full sized railroad in his back yard! Ward called the Grizzly Flats RR, it consisted a station, fire station, water tower, windmill and even a engine house. He ran 2 steam locomotives and several narrow gauge rolling stock. I truly fascinating man.

Original photo of Wards Grizzly Flats RR and Engine House

When Ward passed away his wife Betty began to donate his railroad and in one of the most incredible toy train auctions in history, liquidate his collection.

Since this time, I have been collecting Wards railroad related items. In my search, I was absolutely fortunate in obtaining Ward's Grizzly Flats Engine house plans as seen here. They are fascinating in that they contain his notes and and how he wanted to have this built.
Dated from 1939 and 1940

These drawings will be proudly displayed in my train room.
I will continue to search the planet for items that were once owned by one of the most influential railroad hobbyist of the 20th century.

Ward, you are missed...

Image of the Month

This photo comes courtesy of the Willard Ohio Library.

Image of the Month

I have been so busy of late, I have been remiss in regularly posting here. However I hope this months offering will truly tell of the talents of a gentleman I met during a recent train show here in the Dallas area.

The talented artist I speak of is John Winfield. I was stupefied by his work and immediately ordered one of his works of art and once I received it, I was amazed on how he can capture the spirit and feelings of the moment. This particular work of art is another example of his work and I plan on purchasing a canvas copy of.

It is called "Three hours to Amarillo", click on the image to view the stunning detail of the painting.

I encourage you to visit his website and see what he has to offer.

As you will see, John is an extraordinarily talented man.

Winfield Rail Art

Image of the Month

This is a famous scene from Buster Keaton's "One week" where the couple is forced to move their house and of course of doing so, it gets stuck on the railroad track... well the rest is priceless..

Hearing the piano playing at the front of the theater...


The impending doom as the locomotive approaches...

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The relief as it misses



But unfortunately it was a double main line...

Image of the Month

Happy Father's Day out there...

Image of the Month

During WWII, America's railroads were completely utilized for the war effort. So busy were the railroads this article was published in magazines to explain to the civilian population why the service was not up to par as compared to the pre-war levels. It is a great illustration showing the amount of rolling stock that was required to transport just one armor division...

Please note at the bottom of the page, most railroad advertising and bulletins would proudly show the number of employee's that were serving in the military... it was a unique time in American history.

Image of the Month

This is a curious photograph, it appears to be a safety reminder for the railroad or perhaps an advertisement for Johnsons & Johnsons... the engineer and fireman has a look like "you have got to be kidding"

Image of the Month

This is a shot of the Cotton Belt 819 sitting next to a Southern Pacific U-Boat. Back to the glory days from the 40's to the 90's. My model below is loosely modeled on the 819. The 819 is housed in Pine Buff Arkansas at the Arkansas Railroad Museum. I encourage anyone to support historic railroad restoration. Volunteer at your local railroad museum and get dirty. It is very satisfying work.

Arkansas Railroad Museum

Image of the month

I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. As a kid I would visit nearby Cloudcroft New Mexico. I would explore and admire the old wooden railroad trestle located at Mexican Canyon. Here are a couple of photographs from the past and present of that very trestle. I plan on stratchbuilding this trestle on my layout.




Thanks to the hard work of volunteers this trestle is being saving from further degradation. See more information about their efforts here; http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/lincoln/projects/trestle.htm

Image of the Month

After watching "Voyages, Trains Unlimited" on History International, I was introduced to the photographic work of O. Winston Link. His artistry is unbelievable, unfortunately he passed away in 2001, but his work lives on. I encourage you to take some moments and visit his website at

http://www.linkmuseum.org

Without a doubt, as you will see, he was the best...

Image of the month

Shots courtesy of my friend Steve Milam, these are of the BNSF line north of GWB tollway in Dallas...