As a blogger, at the moment, I need a rest from those bureaucracies which I find so exasperating, and perhaps visa versa. I suppose it would be a good time to stop and reminisce some more about trains, both model and real. Shown above was the real deal when the 0 gauge was king. Before I go too far, let me state that growing up I never had a train. For a few years I had a friend whose father, looking back, was rather obsessed with the hobby. He had the transformer shown. It was 275 watts, and could operate four trains and an assortment of accessories. For many years, Bloch's Hobby Store, in the 400 block of 7th Street, was a model train expert. Trains were also sold at Pollard's Firestone Tire Store, also on 7th Street.
I've presented a number of Barber Quarry branch line photographs in previous posts. The one below shows the siding at the former Traylor Engineering Plant on S. 10th Street, now owned by the AEDC. About 20 years ago the track was removed for the entire length of the former rail line.
photogragh by Mark Rabenold, 1987reprinted from April of 2013
That must have been one heck of an electric bill!
ReplyDeleteThe new Lionel ZW-L boasts some 700 watts. In the real trains world we just learned that the new "high-speed' Amtrak line out west goes 80 mph. Oy.
ReplyDeleteMichael, First of all let me thank you and congratulate you on such a fascinating Historical Blog ... what interesting and amazing stories you have published!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great picture of the old Traylor factory (I have loads more if ever you need them.) My company FLSmidth sold it about 13 years ago ... Now we build our stuff overseas in places like China and Turkey :-(
Since 1905, that Factory has built so much incredible equipment and exported all over the world via the railroad in the picture. The equipment lasts for ever ... Incredibly I am currently working on the repair of a crusher that was built in 1917 ! What a testament to the Traylor Company and the people that worked there throughout its History and subsequent ownership of Fuller Company and FLSmidth.
It is so sad to see it derelict
Steve Harris