The Dolly was the original steam train that ran through here, then last version of it was a "Doodlebug" so you DO remember it! They tore our tracks out in the 80's. They used to store one of those little track cars in a shed here but the last years they used trucks with the added steel wheels. I was watching a RR video about Midwest RR's on TV awhile back and they had a segment on the M & StL that showed a steam locomotive crossing the trestle at Keithsburg. 50 years ago railroads crisscrossed the county, now there isn't a single one left and except for the depots you'd be hard pressed to find any sign of them. I think I know the yard you are talking about and if I do at least part of it was till there a few years ago, all grown up with trees and brush but when the leaves are off you can still see the cars back in there. I'll have to slip down there when I get a chance and see if anything is left. My wife got me a DVD set of "Sky King" and I just picked up the full set of "Highway Patrol" Now THAT is some traditional stuff! If you want to see "new" 50's cars in action I highly recommend it.
Rudebaker, Now I could tell you a story or three about that trestle over there in Keithsburg. That was another place we used to go to when I was in my younger years. We would go across to about the middle. Jump in the ole river. The river current is about 4 to 6 mph, so by the time we swam to shore, we could come out right there at Keithsburg, where the beach used to be. Another day, another story about going up and down the Mississipi river in Skip Jacks. HellRaiser
Love the maintenance cars. They used to call the passenger cars doodlebugs or Goose. Here's one that's still in operation at the railroad museum in Golden, CO. They've got two, both powered by Ford Flatheads, run on the old Rio Grande Sounthern line to Durango. Originally there was room for passengers in the converted Buick and frieght and mail in the box, but they've converted the box to carry passengers as well. Flathead power, air brakes. http://www.flickr.com/photos/80651083@N00/2326837406/
And......This would be a good day, to stop at the ole hang out, and get a Maid Rite. OH.....It's gone too..... I know, I could go up to Milan and get one. ( I still do when I get back that way.) HellRaiser
We lived right beside an Erie railroad track (in the country) and the train only went by once a day (once one direction and once back). I remember my dad telling me about one time him and his cousin took the tires off one of their cars and just ran the rims on the rails and took off down the tracks. They went to the next road turned around and came back. Can you imagine doing that today?
#7 is in Chama, that's the video above. #s 2, 3 and 5 are in the Railroad Museum in Golden. Both run them, but Golden you can ride them most of the time, Chama (Cumbres & Toltec) is only occasionally.
Maid Rite, now there's a piece of Midwest "tradition" for ya'. I haven't had a Maid Rite in a long time, I love those things. Great, now I'm hungry for one.... OK about make that 4 Cheese Rites! My cousins owned the old Maid Rite building next to the old fire station for awhile and gave me the big metal "M" that had been on the front door.
The M&StL had them, too, in last days of their passenger service in the 50's. They would pull a modern, stainless steel coach behind it, which made an interesting contrast. My brother and I rode one many times between Hopkins, MN, and Britt, IA, to visit our grandparents, who lived in nearby Kanawha. The M&StL actually went to Kanawha on another branch line from Belmond, but there was no longer any scheduled passenger service. However, you could still buy a ticket to ride the caboose from Belmond to Kanawha, which we once did for fun. Great memories
no steering at all, AND the clubs make you drive them slow even if you hot rod them up,,,,,, 2 speeds F 2 speeds R and a hand throttle...no steerinfg wheel at all,,,,,,yuk,,,,,, and get used to this ,,,,clack,clack,,clack..clack..clack,,, clack... "ring the bell " clack..clack,,,,,,clack,,,,"blow the horn."..clack clack clack,,,,
But there was something about that...putt..putt..putt of those little engines as they went down the tracks. The last one I heard of those was out in Durango this past October. First thing in the morning, one would go by the motel. About 1/2 hour later the train would come by. Then in the evening, here would come the little track inspection car with it's familiar putt...putt...putt sound, then it's little whistle as it came to a crossing. I can't quite put my finger on it, what the fascination about those little things was. Maybe it was just because it was mechanical and had a motor. But for this old man, it was the sound of that putt..putt. putting of those little engines. Then it was finding one of those little Maytag washing machine motors, to make our home made go cart's go. I remember I took the exhaust pipe, then ran in into a piece of eves spout to make the sound louder...You'd really be in hawg heaven to use one of those little twin cylinder maytag engines...Whoopee....Oh well...that's how some of us got starting in building something with a motor, four wheels, something to sit on, and something to steer it with.. Who needs brakes???? HellRaiser
First "car" I ever drove was a go-kart made out of angle iron from an old bed frame with a 1-1/2 HP Briggs and wheels off a push mower and it had no brakes. I was about 8 I think and it scared the living crap out of me, as well it should have.
What I like about these early cars, is they still managed to retain the hubcaps. Nice touch for an industrial "tool
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