A colored look at the Golden Era.

Hey there gents! I have some color photos, posters, and ads from the 20's to the 50's that you all might enjoy.

Just go to my Fotki link and see for your self.

Enjoy.

http://public.fotki.com/Rob1939/vintage_color/

I'm Crying!!

Those photos are great!! I am crying because everywhere you go the traffic is getting worse, and parking lots are full, etc. etc. blah blah....right?

Well those PE cars would solve our problems in urban areas. They also had the "Key System" trains (similar to the PE's) in Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, out to Moraga, and across the Bay Bridge. You didn't need a car.

Now its only things that burn tires and gas. The busses are poor service and go everywhere mostly empty.

What has really IMHO pooched us all is that it seems that only the poor folks ride the public transportation.

Used to be EVERONE rode the trains and trollys, and took pride and OWNERSHIP in them... oh well!

Well Andy, I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m glad you liked them!

You are so right about the bus these days! You know, it is so funny that LA is now trying to bring back the days of light rail. Down here we have the Gold Line, and it is nice! But, LA has lost A LOT of right of ways dew to the dismantle of the PE.

Last time I was up in the Bay Area, I loved the fact that I saw old street cars on State St! I saw one that was painted like a Red Car and others too. San Fran was smart keeping it going!

LA on the other hand was pressured into getting rid of it because of Detroit and the oil companies. They didn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t care about it then, they just wanted to sell more cars and more gas.

Now, we have to pay for their greediness of years past. LA had smog then, but it sure wasn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t what it is today! Could you just imagine what life would be like with out the bus? It would be better, cleaner and a lot less noisy!

There is a really cool museum in Paris California called the Orange Empire Rail Museum. This museum started by a group of men that wanted to save some of the PE cars that were being scraped in the late 50?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s. So, they have some really rare stuff and they run some of them! It?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s fun to ride a PE car!

So, next time you get a chance to come south, you should try and make it out to that
Museum! They have a web sight as well and here is a link:

http://www.oerm.org/


Take care,

Guelph, Ontario (the place I live) has one of the greatest transit systems I've seen--every bus in the city arrives every half hour ni the downtown "Square". Basically, anywhere you need to get in the entire city, you can catch a bus from downtown to that place within a half hour. And, the busses are always full with students and CEO's alike.

And, partly because of it, I think Guelph was rated as one of the nicest places to live in Canada! If a transit system is done right these days, it CAN be successful. it just takes a lot of logic and a little luck

Those are some great photos Wildroot. Thanks a bunch.

Regards,.

Craig

"LA had smog then, but it sure wasn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t what it is today! Could you just imagine what life would be like with out the bus? It would be better, cleaner and a lot less noisy!"

The Indians called the L.A. basin "The Valley of the Smokes." It has ALWAYS been smoggy there. It's just in the way the place is laid out. Other places with similar geography in similar weather patterns tend to be the same: smoggy. (Tucson, Arizona and Eugene, Oregon are two that spring immediately to mind.) Furthermore, the air quality in L.A. has IMPROVED since the enactment of air pollution regulations in California back in the early Seventies.

On the other hand, I know from personal experience that riding the bus in the Los Angeles area is a gigantic pain in an unmentionable area--however, it sure beats walking (usually)!

Oh, I agree with you! First, I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢d like to ask farnham54 what part of Ontario Guelph is in. Is it north or south? I agree with you on the bus systems in Canada! You guys have it made up there! Very well planed, punctual and most every one rides them! I lived in Winnipeg MB for a few months and took the bus sometimes. It wasn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t bad and if you knew the routes, then it made it very e-z! But, down here in Southern California the bus is where crime and diseases are spread. There are some scary caricatures on those things!

Yes, the LA area has had a long history of smog! It isn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t so bad when it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s not summer! Summer brings out some of the worst smog! And yes, it is getting better. Our mountains seem to work against us! They seem to trap it in and not let it go any where! It takes a good solid rain for it to clear. But, if we had nothing but electric powered street cars again, then it would be even better! All I know is that when I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m in my car and I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m behind one of those busses, and that thing starts to go from a stop. OH Brother! You get a snoot full of diesel smoke!

But, I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m glad you boys enjoyed some of my colored stuff. There will be more soon.

Cheers.

Hey Wildroot,

It's about an hour from Toronto, so Southern Ontario.

Sadly, the transit quality is exclusive to Southern Ontario or populated areas--My home town has NO transit whatsoever, except for ones provided by yourself. They used to, since the community is several towns about 20 minutes apart, have a bus that would run between the towns every hour or so which was great for people trying to get from A to B, but not any more!

Oh well, any reason my folks have to insure me on a car is fine by me!

Regards,

Craig

Hey there Craig. Yeah, I know how smaller Towns don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t really have any bus systems. I stayed in Selkirk MB for a few months as well and there they had the Beaver Bus that would take folks from Selkirk to Winnipeg. It wasn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t cheep! It cost about $15. for a two way ticket. When, all the busses in Winnipeg just cost a loony. Also, I did spend some time in Fort Frances Ontario. Great fishing there and it was so lovely! I really like Ontario from what little I have seen.

I also hear that there are some good vintage shops in Toronto! I hope to get up there some day and pillage through them! I did have good luck in Winnipeg though. Found good ties, and for very cheep! Suits, pants and hats all for way cheep! And I have found some good stuff up there in Value Villages too! Canadian thrift shops rock!

Rob.

Hi Wild Root

I love these images. I see Dick Powell was appearing at the Capitol Theatre, a singer who in my opinion was very underrated and who is often overlooked today. Thanks for sharing these pictures.

Regards Phil

Hello Phil_UK, I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m glad you liked the photos! I couldn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t agree more with you on Dick Powell! I first heard his singing in 42?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢nd Street and I just thought WOW! That guy did some cool movies in the 30?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s and most don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t really know him. There are a slew of films he did that are shown some times on TCM. Funny, you know that song ?¢‚Ǩ?ìI only have eyes for you?¢‚Ǩ?? The only version I hear today is the one that was recorded in the late 50?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s whose artist?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s name escapes me at the moment but, it wasn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t till just about 4 years ago that I heard Dick Powell singing it from the movie Dames. When I first heard that, I thought that boy had some pipes! He also was a very talented tap dancer as well! Most of the films Busby Berkley choreographed, Dick was there! I can?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t remember which film it was, but I remember seeing him in a cream belted back double breasted suit that was just stunning!

Good stuff,

Cheers.