Time to RUN AWAY FROM HOME: Part 3

Choice number 3 in our Run Away Adventure!

So far we've tried plane and ship. If those didn't strike your fancy, how about the train; specifically the Sunset Limited on the old Southern Pacific Line?

I rode the line several times, but it was always at night so I saw very little. Only once did I have a private room which was quite nice, though amazingly small. It was sufficient for me with a convertible couch, toilet, and sink. I was sick at the time, so I really didn't get to take advantage of much of anything.

Now, sadly, there was no real dining car when I rode the train. It was a snack car with a microwave. I sat up for hours one night eating microwave popcorn and talking to a friend while others sat at a nearby table playing cards. Elegant dining with great service it was not. But then, we're going back in time so the heck with how it is today.

(SOURCE: National Geographic, November, 1954)

What I really love about this ad are the illustrations; wonderful 1950s modern.

Click on any image to see it larger.

Sadly, as in yesterday's vintage ad, people of color were always relegated to service positions, never as patrons. Jarring to the eye now, it's actually good these ads exist to remind people of our history. Though the railroads offered good jobs for African-Americans, it's heartbreaking to think that they were relegated to only certain positions. People today need to remember how far we've come and how, without vigilance, we could slip back to the old days.

And now, how about taking the train even farther back in time. I give you 1937.

BRIDGES: Railroad Bridge to Quaker Oats Company

This bridge in Cedar Rapids, Iowa apparently dates back to 1898. That's the only information I have. When I looked at the card I'll admit I was wondering what the bridge was used for. I thought it might be for cars, but trains seemed more logical.




Click on either image to see them larger.

Here is a shot of the bridge today taken by PolarisFinder.

(SOURCE: Panoramio; PolarisFinder)

I love old railroad bridges. They look quiet, almost waiting for the rumble to start down the tracks. A bridge that only comes alive every once in awhile. The rest of the time it's just a quiet structure. Can't you just hear it? The slow rumble as it approaches the bridge from either side, especially in darkness, headlight shining through the beams and cutting through the river in jagged shapes.

To see more bridges click on "bridge" in the labels below.