MORE Knott's Berry Farm RR Postcards!

They said it couldn't be done! They said it violated all the laws of nature and physics! But Steve DeGaetano has found four more postcards relating to the Knott's Berry Farm railroad. Will this be the last of the series? I bet he'll find additional cards, but only time will tell. As always, Steve has not only scanned his latest acquisitions, but has graciously provided an accompanying writeup. Let's go!

In the last installment in this little series featuring  Ghost Town & Calico Railroad postcards, I mentioned there might be more to present, and I’m happy to say I didn’t lie. It’s been many weeks since I’ve come across a never-before-seen postcard, so I think we might be getting to the bottom of the barrel, but we’ve got a few fun images to examine, so let’s dig in!

The following two images are very similar to scenes that have appeared previously, featuring the vast expanse of Calico Square, which today appears quite crowded. Having just blown its whistle, Gold Nugget is about to start its journey. Make sure to get your penny or nickel on the rail to get it flattened! (Don’t worry, you won’t derail the train).

This one is pretty interesting in that there appears to be a legit train station on the water tower side of the tracks! I have never seen this before. Gaudy No. 41, Red Cliff, is on the point, with former parlor car Chama now converted to combine Calico. A dray or buckboard (Mike Cozart?) sits alongside the locomotive’s tender.

This one is sort of fun, featuring a bevy of glamorous show girls in one of the GT&C’s fancy parlor cars (likely Durango, built in 1880). I don’t think we have any Disneyland Railroad postcards showing an interior view. I’m partial to the young lady in white on the right.

Here is the back of the postcard above. Now, far be it for me to suggest anything immoral or lascivious, but the quotation marks surrounding “show” seem to imply that something more might be in store for male patrons of the evening’s entertainment!

Finally, we have this nice image of Red Cliff, engineer standing by the tender. Nothing unusual, except for the surprisingly dirty stack, and the sheer amount of green foliage in the background. Chama has yet to be converted to a combine. But there is one big difference: This postcard measures 6” x 9”. It’s almost four times as large as most post cards! 

Here’s a comparison:

OK, that’s it for today. To date, this series has presented over 30 GT&C postcards! I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at Knott’s Berry Farm’s historic railroad!

THANK YOU so much, Steve!

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EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it! In Steve's previous blog post about Knott's Berry Farm postcards, he shared one card that featured a photo of a locomotive that he described as one of the true oddities of GT&C history. The card had a photo of a 1903 Baldwin-built locomotive called a “K-27,” a locomotive with two small wheels in front, eight “drive wheels,” and a small set of two wheels under the cab. It’s one of only two such locomotives in existence. So cool! (He wrote more, so go back and read his text). Anyway, I mumbled something about hoping to find a photo of this unusual locomotive - only to find that my folder of recent Knott's Berry Farm scans already had a picture of that very machine! Wow, what a crazy coincidence. As I told Steve, I would have never known that there was anything special about this locomotive if it wasn't for him, although I was puzzled at the fact that it was not the #40 or the #41. Here's my scan:

And just for comparison, here's the postcard that Steve was writing about. I'll probably still look for additional photos of the K-27, but at least I have one!

Birthday Time

It's Sunday, but it's not a Snoozle Sunday! It's our good friend Sue B's birthday, and I couldn't post a bunch of crummy pictures for the occasion. Luckily, she sent me some wonderful scans of herself at Disneyland (taken by her dad, Lou Perry), from an October, 1967 visit. Perfect timing!

There she is, in the Flower Market, with heaps of flowers behind her. I like her orange ensemble! 

Next is this cute portrait of Sue in front of "It's a Small World", which was relatively new at the time (having opened on May 28th, 1966 - about 17 months before these pix were snapped). I wonder if this was Sue's first time seeing that attraction? 

Next, Sue is captivated by the mechanical clock that is part of IASW's facade - something that I can relate to! Not only did I love watching this little free show, but I was always a little worried that I might miss it - in other words, I was happy to wait in line. Good job, Imagineers!

Alrighty, in addition to the photos that Sue sent, I'm going to post a few nice ones from my collection. These just happen to be dated "October, 1967"; it would have been amazing if Sue showed up in these pix, but no such luck. Still, they are good ones.

I love this view of  Tomorrowland as seen from Tomorrowland Station. it was a World On the Move, with the Skyway, Peoplemover, Autopia, and Monorail. Seeing that the Peoplemover train is without passengers, I have to wonder if this picture was actually taken before that attraction opened? If so, that would be pre-July 2nd. 

Next is this quite nice look at the loading dock for the Jungle Cruise; I like the composition and color (though that might be somebody's finger in the lower left corner). The jungle itself looks magnificent, and as always, I love seeing the old boats with their striped awnings.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUE!

Strasburg Rail Road, August, 1970

In the little mountain town of Strasburg, Pennsylvania (OK, OK, there are no mountains), lucky visitors will find the Strasburg Rail Road (not "railroad", apparently). The Strasburg Rail Road is a heritage railroad and the oldest continuously operating standard-gauge railroad in the western hemisphere, as well as the oldest public utility in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Wikipedia page for the Rail Road has a pretty comprehensive list of locomotives and rolling stock (past and present) - at first I thought that this example was not mentioned, but I believe that it is the Reading 1187, a camelback A-4b class 0-4-0 "Switcher" type steam locomotive, built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. 

Chartered in 1832, the Strasburg Rail Road Company is today a heritage railroad offering excursion trains hauled by steam locomotives on 4.02 mi (6.47 km) of track in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, as well as providing contract railroad mechanical services, and freight service to area shippers. The railroad's headquarters are outside Strasburg, Pennsylvania. The railroad hosts 300,000 visitors per year.

The stained glass detail on the windows helps to identify this one as the "Henry K. Long", manufactured by the Laconia Car Company. It is formerly from the "Boston and Maine", and... named for Strasburg Rail Road Company founder and first company president (1958-1963). Put into service at Strasburg in 1975. It sure appears to be in service in this 1970 photo. 

I'm glad to see that this caboose is not loose. Constructed in 1925, Strasburg Rail Road’s Caboose 12 provides a glimpse of what it may have been like to be a crew member of an early 20th-century steam train. Climb into the cupola seats for a truly unique view of the train. (Note: Cupola seating does require ascending and descending a ladder.) Caboose 12 has a steel frame with a wood superstructure and is built to specific specifications by the Detroit, Toledo, and Ironton Railroad.

The Strasburg Rail Road is one of the few railroads in the U.S. sometimes using steam locomotives to haul revenue freight trains. The nearby Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania occasionally uses Strasburg Rail Road tracks to connect to the Amtrak Philadelphia-to-Harrisburg Main Line junction in Paradise.

Before snowplows were invented, a guy would sit on the cowcatcher with a little tin shovel (and sturdy mittens). Why would I lie?? This is the SRC-66  Snowplow, made by the Russell Snow Plow Co. around 1902, and it saw use on the Wellsville, Addison, and Galeton RR, as well as the Buffalo and Susquehanna. The guy with the mittens was pretty peeved, his wife had just knit him a new pair (with cool skulls). 

This one took a bit longer to identify, as it turns out it must have been on loan to the Strasburg RR. Although originally identified as #3566 due to a sunspot on the number (huh??), (it) is actually #3556 which has been preserved at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and was loaned to the Strasburg Railroad at times. Built by the PRR Altoona Shops in 1886, it's an excellent example of an early open platform wooden coach car. Most were destroyed by fires during train accidents so this is a remarkable car. 

I hope you have enjoyed your visit to the Strasburg Rail Road! I'd sure love to go there for real someday.

Nice Randos

For your mid-May Friday, I have two swell randos for you! This first one is hand-dated "August 1, 1959", and is a nice shot of guests resting their feet in Frontierland, not far from the Mark Twain load area. A skinny serviceman strolls by  - I'll rely on you guys (Chuck) for any further info about him! He looks so lonely, doesn't he have a friend? It appears that the Flag (just visible through the trees) is the familiar 48-star variety, even though Alaska had joined the Union on July 4th of '59. Alert the media! 

Yep, they all look pretty weary, perhaps the August heat was taking its toll. A nice hamburger and Coke will help. I like mom's coolie hat (a familiar Adventureland souvenir), though NASA technology made that boy's Donald Duck hat much more efficient and practical for cooling the noggin. 

I suppose one's mileage may vary as to whether this next photo is "nice" or not. Date-stamped "August 1962", it's a crazy double-exposure. We can see those amorphous concrete sculpture/bench thingies that were behind the Monsanto House of the Future, as well as some of the informational displays in the background. But we can also see a popcorn wagon and the helpful Cast Member, wearing his straw boater. (is he holding a long paper bag?). To the right, the entrance to the Opera House when it held the sets from "Babes in Toyland".

Matterhorn Bobsleds, March 1961

The Matterhorn Bobsleds, a ride that was a real stroke of genius by Walt and his boys. Let's build a huge copy of a real mountain, and turn it into a rollercoaster! There'd been smaller "scenic railways" at amusement parks for many years, but they were tiny compared to Walt's version.

This first photo is pretty fun, mom (presumably) turned around and grabbed a picture of one of her daughter's as their bobsled careened down the (totally) tubular steel track, past an icy waterfall. I can't tell if the girl is having fun or not, her brow is furrowed! In the distance, we can see the parking lot.

From a more stable position, mom captured this shot of another bobsled as it splashed through some glacial runoff. So great!

 

MORE Stuff From the Box

I'll bet you have a hankerin' for more STUFF FROM THE BOX. Hanker no more!

First up is this nice tin-litho whistle, an appropriate advertising item for Whistle "golden orange refreshment". I can just imagine it in an ice-cold bottle, neon orange and intensely sweet and tart.

I have a few more examples of vintage employee badges, starting with this one from American Motors Corp. in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Hey, I've been there! AMC generally made cars such as the Nash Rambler, the Gremlin, the Pacer, the Javelin, and even four-wheel drive vehicles such as the Jeep Wagoneer. To name but a few.

I love this next item, a well-worn badge from the Empire State Building Corporation. Nearly all of the nickel plating has worn off, somebody had this for many years. They probably had to keep giant gorillas from climbing the edifice (a squirt bottle usually worked), a never-ending job. "I wish I'd never heard of Skull Island!". 

Next is a little Good Luck charm that belonged to my mom, she thinks she got it from a vending machine. I always loved the little four-leaf clover under the clear bubble, and always feel luckier when holding it.

Here's a photo of a little bracelet sporting charms of some popular foodstuffs, such as Heinz cooked macaroni, tomato juice, and soups, along with Chase and Sandborn coffee, Shredded Ralston cereal, and a can of Old Dutch Cleanser, DON'T EAT THAT. Years ago I shared photos of a similar charm bracelet, but I'd forgotten all about this second example.

And finally, yet another employee ID badge; I'm guessing it is post-WWII (though perhaps not by much), from General Electric's plant in York, Pennsylvania. 

There is much more STUFF FROM THE BOX to come!

GDB 20th Anniversary!

You probably woke up this morning thinking that it was an ordinary Tuesday. But you are mistaken! Today is the 20th Anniversary of Gorillas Don't Blog - the blog with the dumbest name! Two decades, ye gods. Most of you know the story of the origins of this blog, so I won't rehash it for the umpteenth time, but I will say that I never imagined that I would still be blogging 20 years after I started this hobby (I guess it's a hobby?). I am grateful for the friendly community that has miraculously formed, somehow the trolls and weirdos have stayed away (probably because my readership numbers are relatively minuscule!).  

My "saved" folder of extra-special scans is not exactly overflowing, but I chose a few really nice examples for you. Starting with this aerial view of Disneyland! I love aerial views. This photo is undated, but the presence of It's a Small World means it's post-1966. The Haunted Mansion? Post-1969. The Indian Village (where the Dance Circle was) is there, and that remained until 1971. I don't see anything else that helps (perhaps you do), so I will pencil in "1970" for now.

Here's the entire photo, with good views of the backstage areas to the north (left), some vacant lots that I assume belong to Disney today, HoJo's, the lovable Interstate 5 Freeway, the massive parking lot (along with the Harbor Gate), and more.

One yellow Mine Train trundles through the Rainbow Desert... notice the trestle bridge crossing that pond. The Mark Twain is well underway, and the Columbia is in Fowler's Harbor. I admit that it's hard to discern, but just above the "g" of my blogspot watermark, you can just see the round Dance Circle, and the roof of the stadium-style seating to the right of that.
 

To the left is the Global Van Lines headquarters, and to the right of that is the Roundhouse and the show building for It's a Small World. Small details such as the Pirate Ship and the Motor Boats are fun.

I put in this additional view at the last minute because I wanted to show you the large area that was behind Main Street and Tomorrowland. Along with the Peoplemover trains that are on the tracks, there are several in that backstage area (since the Peoplemover trains don't have wheels, does anybody know how the trains were moved when they were off the track?). Jungle Cruise boats are lined up at the dock in the Rivers of the World, and I think we can even see the white roof of the Carnation milk truck in West Center Street.

More parking lot! Along with various motels that I can't identify. There's the Grand Hotel in the upper right. But I'm most fascinated by that miniature golf course to the middle-right! Does anybody have any information about that? This is new to me (or I forgot about it, more likely). I tried to look it up on Google, but only found endless references to the miniature golf course that used to be at the Disneyland Hotel.

Now we're back on terra firma, with this rare August 1962 photo from inside the Monsanto House of the Future. It looks surprisingly warm and inviting (if a bit small); my guess is that the house had received at least one redecoration since 1957. This appears to be the "boy's room", with a toy sailboat, a relief map of California, a model of the Santa Barbara mission, a cool sculpture (is it "modern", or "primitive"??), and best of all, a wicker moose. I think that clock thing is also a radio and intercom, how did they squeeze so much technology into that one device? In the bottom right, a book with a red-orange cover...

... why, it's "Our Friend the Atom"! I know this is a tangent, but "Our Friend the Atom" is a 1957 episode of the television series Disneyland describing the benefits of nuclear power and hosted by Heinz Haber. It was part of the publicity campaign for peaceful uses of atomic energy, following Dwight D. Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace" speech at the UN General Assembly in December 1953.  The episode was broadcast on January 23, 1957, and repeated on April 24 of the same year. In 1956, Golden Press published a children's book, The Walt Disney Story of Our Friend the Atom, using artwork from the show.

Let's head over to Frontierland, for this lovely view of the Gullywhumper Keelboat, returning to the dock on the western shore. But the most interesting detail is that skeletal Old Mill structure, presumably there to give a sense of the scale (mills DO have scale!) of the final building that would be built there. Tom Sawyer Island opened to the public June 16, 1956, so I would guess that this photo is from early '56.

I'm always happy to see a photo of the Tomorrowland Spaceman. He towers over that woman… of course she didn't grow up with the 38% gravity of Mars. The little red flag on the Spaceman's antenna is a little silly, but it helps cars to see him when he's on his recumbent astrobike. Say hello to Screechy the Iggle!

And finally, here's a super nice look at a section of Old Tomorrowland, with the Hat Bar nearest to us. Notice the pile of Keppy Kaps, along with what seems to be beanies of different colors, and maybe cavalry-type hats (?). To the left, the Flight Circle, and out of frame to the right, the Rocket to the Moon  show building.

That does it for this 20th Anniversary post. I would (once again) like to offer a grateful thanks to all of the Junior Gorillas for sticking with GDB for so many years, and for your fun and informative comments. I've been lucky enough to meet some of you in person, and have even met some in Disneyland, which has been amazing. I can guarantee at least one more year, since I have most of those posts already completed! This is what happens when you don't go outside. 

Main Street Stuff, August 1962

Here are two familiar views from 1962; I'm sure you can understand my dilemma: "What do I say about these photos that might enhance their effect?". In this first example, I'm a bit stumped on that score. We've got the solid and stately (but not too stately) Main Street Station, and the original yellow passenger cars; watching some of those early black and white "Disneyland" (the TV show) episodes, it's pretty neat to see the cars being built on soundstages at the studio. I've always wondered how much say Santa Fe had in naming each car; the one in the center is "Colorado Rockies". Other names were "Navajo Chief", "Painted Desert", "Land of the Pueblos", and other names that evoke the romance of travel.

This next one would be pretty nice, except that it suffers from shadows that went way too dark. But we can still appreciate the beauty of the buildings along Main Street as the shadows crept across the street. Notice the movie on the marquee of the Main Street Cinema: Cupid Vs Cigarettes. That's some title! As we can see, it was "a riotous comedy". Looking it up, it is a 1912 short film starring Bert Caldwell and Edith Gardner. My favorites!

 

Mother's Day, and Jungle Snoozles

It's Mother's Day! And while I don't have any of my own family photos this time, GDB friend Sue B. was kind enough to send some scans of some 1960 snapshots featuring her as a baby, her lovely mom, and her Great Aunt, who lived in Hollywood, Florida. Which explains the landscape looks so tropical.

There's smiley little Sue, with her mother, Donna. Such a cute photo, and Donna looks so proud and loving.

Nutrition is important, as is fiber, which is why Sue is eating a palm frond. Uncooked palm fronds are full of vitamins and minerals! Donna knows that her baby is getting her recommended daily allowance of riboflavin, and any mother would be happy about that.

Baby Sue is having fun with her Great Aunt... I hope she can tell us a little bit about here in the comments.  Did Sue ever visit her when she was old enough to remember? I was kind of worried when I first saw this photo, because some palm trees are toothy and sharp, but this one looks safe and smooth! THANK YOU for sharing these, Sue!

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Oh boy, here are some real hard-core Snoozles™, I hope there are no children reading. These are all from the Jungle Cruise, source of many Snoozles.

Is that a bull elephant in the distance? Or his mother in-law? I can never tell. I can't see if the pachyderm is wearing lipstick from back here.

I hope to never find myself meeting a man-eating rhinoceros in the jungle. With their mighty incisors, they can eat a full-grown human in four chomps. But if you sing "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive", you might get the rhino to pause long enough that you will be able to run for safety. Pro-tip!

Is this the worst photo ever taken of the Jungle Cruise crocs? IT MIGHT BE!

Las Vegas, 1950s

I've had a small number of scans of vintage Las Vegas slides in a folder for a long time. Years. I think it's about high time to use them!

The first three feature photos from "Last Frontier Village", also known as Hotel Last Frontier, which opened on October 30th, 1942 as the second resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The western-themed property included 105 rooms, as well as the Little Church of the West. A new owner (William J. Moore) added a western village in 1948. The village consisted of authentic Old West buildings from a collector and would also feature the newly built Silver Slipper casino, added in 1950. Below, a mother and son pose with a genuine old train, which I assume was a static exhibit.

I don't really think of rusty jalopies as something you'd see in an "old west" setting, but I've managed to keep my cool, somehow! I'll bet that in the 1950s, and "antique" like the one below could be had for a song.

Here, mom poses with two disreputable cowpokes, they managed to not spit or cuss for the entire time she was there - maybe they're not so bad after all! This got me to wondering if the tableau of Whiskey Bill and Handsome Brady (at Knott's Berry Farm) was the first example of this kind of "photo op", or if it was a more common thing back then?

This next one is from a different batch; it was a bit of a mystery to me, but we can see "Free Ride to the Silver Slipper" on the cable car (possibly a repurposed San Francisco cable car?) - and as we just read, the Silver Slipper was part of Last Frontier Village. It's hard to be certain, but I assume that the cable car was perhaps attached to some sort of motorized conveyance.