It's time for Part Two in a series of Special Guest Posts from GDB friend Steve DeGaetano, featuring his collection of vintage postcards from Knott's Berry Farm. relating to the wonderful narrow-gauge locomotives. Part One was a banger, and this installment is equally great! As before, Steve has done plenty of research to enrich our appreciation of these cards. Let's go!
Knott's 7: This next card is undated, but somehow seems newer than the previous card. Still wearing the fake stack and oil headlight, we are also treated to a good view of the long, red “cowcatcher” out in front. The combination baggage/passenger car right behind the Chief’s outstretched arm was converted from the parlor car Chama, and was then known as Calico. It has since been repainted a dark Pullman green with its original name. The caption is identical to the card #6.
Knott's 8: This is a nice overview of Calico Square. No. 40 is in the background, not quite in position to take water from the water tower. The tender carries about 700 gallons of fuel and 25,000 gallons of water. We have one of Bud Hurlbut’s little mine train tank engines in the foreground.
Knott's 9: Another wide shot of No. 41 in Calico Square. The D&RGW reclassified its “Class 70” locomotives to the “C-19” class in 1924 (“C” for “Consolidation”—the name for a 2-8-0 wheel configuration and “19” for 19,000 pounds of tractive effort, or pulling power). Both engines today wear the C-19 designations on their cabs.
Knott's 10: This lovely view of Calico Square features another view of No. 40. I’m not sure when Gold Nugget became Green River, but I much prefer the latter name, which Wikipedia states was in fact the engine’s original name when built in 1881. Dated by the postcard writer May 1977, we get a great view of the converted parlor car Chama, with the front baggage section having been added, here named Calico.
Knott's 11: This postcard features a photograph that appears to be from the early 1950s, but the card design and the barcode on the back is in the style of cards from the 2000s. Again, a nice portrait of No. 40, with the kids showing just how close you could once get to the engines. Note the curved handrail on the front of the engine, above the number plate.
Knott's 12: This is the first of two “vertical” postcards, one of each locomotive. This card featured No. 41 in the glossy black finish she wore when I first got to know her in 1980 (giving us a rough date period). This also represents the engine’s first steps towards a more authentic paint scheme, with accurate Rio Grande Southern tender lettering. While not authentic, I was nonetheless mesmerized by the brass boiler bands and handrails against the deep glossy black.
OK, that's the end of Part Two! Next Tuesday, you'll see the third and final installment of Steve's KBF postcards (plus a little bit extra). THANK YOU, Steve, for all of your hard work! I hope you all have enjoyed these as much as I have.
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EXTRA! EXTRA! GDB friend Pilsner Panther, who is crisp and refreshing (by all accounts) sent along a neat image of silent-film luminary Buster Keaton, in danger of being flattened by one of the locomotives at Knott's Berry Farm! I think that the Gold Nugget (ol' # 40) is bearing down on Buster, but it's hard to be sure. Steve D. will probably know! After a little research, I found a description that said: In 1956, legendary silent film comedian Buster Keaton visited Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, where he was photographed playfully recreating a classic railroad gag. Pictures show Keaton feigning to have his foot stuck in the railroad tracks of the Calico and Ghost Town Railroad, near Western Ave.
What a great photo of a great filmmaker/actor/genius! Thank you, Pilsner Panther.
@ Steve-
ReplyDeleteThanks once again for your knowledge, par excellence, on these beautiful trains.
Thanks, Major.
Knott's 7: I see what you mean about the "fake stack". It'e HUGE, and looks just like a water tower! :-D
ReplyDeleteI think the Chief in this postcard is where they got the inspiration for the Crazy Horse Memorial. ;-)
I never thought it was such a bad combination of colors on the Red Cliff. It's not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love.
Knott's 8: I love the warm lighting in this card. It reminds me of a folk art painting.
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Knott's 12: That painted background mural sure makes this scene look real! I guess it was painted on the back of a building?
Buster: It's been a few decades since I've seen "The General", but it was an eye-opener for me. I didn't think I would relate to an old silent film... I was wrong! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Plus, it was filmed in Cottage Grove, OR; about 20 miles from where I live.
Really nice postcards, Steve. Thanks! And thanks for your knowledge and research. And as always, thank you, Major.
Thanks Major! We know that the engine in the Buster Keaton photos is ol' No. 41, Red Cliff, from the straight handrail above the number plate on the front.
ReplyDeleteAlso of interest in the Keaton photo is the great "Galloping Goose" sign to the left--Which may actually be another relic from the Rio Grande Southern! A very unique piece of railroad history, the Galloping Goose was one of seven automobile/railcar mashups that the RGS had--and Knott's owns one of them! (No.3). For all its unique history and weirdness, I have never seen the Knott's Galloping Goose represented in a postcard.
ReplyDeleteMy original comment (and 20 minutes of my life) was eaten by my iPad. Can’t blame Blogger - it’s this stupid latest iOS update that makes touching the screen anywhere an exercise in “I wonder what will happen next…” And now it appears that this replacement comment never posted, either. Grrr…
ReplyDeleteHere’s the only part that survived:
JB, yes, that mural is painted on the back of the John Wayne/Good Time/Charles M. Schultz Theatre, where Stu29573 saw the Brady Bunch live in concert in 1974. The “Night Watch” sculpture is (was?) located just outside the frame to the right.
Maybe I’ll come back at lunch with a follow-up. In case I don’t, thanks, Steve and Pilsner Panther, for today’s photos!
Oh boy, more trains!
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve and Pilsner Panther, and of course, Major!
I love the view of the train from the Mine Train. We have a good view of the benches where my Mom would wait for us because she was terrified by the “dynamite” explosions at the end of the ride.
Lots of good memories in these pictures, and now I know a lot about the locomotives too.
JG
Nanook, unfortunately people aren’t as interested in my deep knowledge of tricycles.
ReplyDeleteJB, they should get robots and AI to finish that Crazy Horse memorial. I’m tired of waiting! I don’t hate the colors on the Red Cliff as much as some, though they *are* a bit weird. You’re right, that one with the painted mural was positioned just right, it looks a bit like a backdrop from an old movie. I saw “The General” (and other silent classics) in a film class that I took (mostly as an excuse to watch great old movies projected on a screen), and was blown away. “The General” was filmed in a cottage?? Even more amazing!
Steve DeGaetano, ha ha, it figures that I’d guess wrong!
Steve DeGaetano, oh yeah, I forgot to mention the Galloping Goose sign. So you think that might not have been made just for KBF? It is surprising that after 70-ish years (?), there has not been a single postcard with the Galloping Goose.
Chuck, I’m sorry your iPad misbehaved. I can’t stand using mine to do any comments of any length, it’s just too clunky for me. Did John Wayne cry when they removed his name from that theatre? He was a big softie. The Brady Bunch live in concert? That might be even better than when I saw The Monkees at Magic Mountain (it was only Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz, with session musicians making up the rest of the band).
JG, I love that your mom got so caught up in the Mine Train ride that she couldn’t take the explosions! Did your dad try to convince her that it was all perfectly safe? Maybe it was easiest to just let things go the way they needed to go.
OK, I’m back.
ReplyDeleteMy original comment pointed out the Galloping Goose and provided some info, but Steve already covered it above. Here’s a photo of Knott’s example: GALLOPING GOOSE PHOTO. Of the seven Geese produced, six survive today along with a reproduction of the original one which was scrapped in the 1930s.
The RGS built the Geese to be able to economically provide service during periods of reduced traffic, and Knott’s uses theirs the same way. Because my family always visited in the off season in the ‘70s, while I was familiar with their steam equipment I never saw it operating until November of 1993. BTW, the Goose is no safer to ride than the train; it has a near 100% hold-up rate.
You will all be proud of me that I looked at these pictures during breakfast and didn’t retch once.
I think the Chief is pointing at the pain scheme and demanding someone fix it.
ReplyDeleteIn the second pic, I can see the antique AC unit in the shack. Much better for the people working in there than at the DL ticket booths.
Thanks everyone for the comments, and thanks Chuck for the Goose explanation! We went to Knott's every year for decades, and I never knew about the Goose until I was much older. To this day I've never seen it in operation or ridden it.
ReplyDeleteFor all its unique history and weirdness, I have never seen the Knott's Galloping Goose represented in a postcard.
ReplyDeleteSteve, there might not have been a postcard of the Galloping Goose, but Knott's issued a Galloping Goose pin 5 years ago, as a part of their 100th Anniversary pin. It was #25 out of 100 pins issued. Apparently, they still have some of the pins left and they have marked them down:
https://merch.cedarfair.com/products/pin-galloping-goose-25-of-100?srsltid=AfmBOooysk_IyyjX2EUd3l4g6yP4dR7e12UpvvTcn3wasEAU_xbTzfen
.......the John Wayne/Good Time/Charles M. Schultz Theatre
Chuck, you left out the current name of the theater, "The Walter Knott Theater." I wonder how Charles Schultz' family felt, when they removed his name from the theater? I have frequently heard a story about John Wayne having a falling out with the Knott Family. If it's true, I wonder if they removed his name because of the falling out, or if they had a falling out because they removed his name? Maybe they could have ironed things out, if they had just installed a robot of John Wayne in the theater, and had it talk about how his brother used to be a mailman and how he always envied him because of that.
Sorry, I just realized that they are sold out of that Galloping Goose pin!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete