I found these awful-looking specimens on a side track at a scrap yard in a small central Pennsylvania town. There were 3 passenger cars, and a bevy of old freight cars - some of the boxcars were outside-braced. As you can see, rust was everywhere - and one of the boxcars even had an opening cut in the door, just big enough for a homeless person to enter and exit. Not sure if the person was "home" when I visited - didn't bother to check - but the welcome mat wasn't out!
This one looked to be in better condition, but not much. It was formerly NYC/Amtrak. Wonder what they all look like inside?
All 3 had non-rotating-end-cap bearings (obsolete) and appeared to be missing one or more important brake parts - probably removed by the homeless and sold for scrap. Not to mention serious rust-through on the 2 worst, and holes through the side sheets on all of them, from where they screwed on the sheet metal to protect the windows. Last servicing marks were from the '75 to '77 era...most likely no maintenance since then. Forty years out in the weather with no maintenance isn't good.
We might soon be looking at these cars in a slightly different form - the many razor blades we have to use to keep our facial and body hair at bay...
Then we visited a Pennsylvania town with a rather unique name....the picture speaks for itself!
Till next time, enjoy!
It is nice to get away from time to time. It is always sad to see things that were once useful now relagated to the scrap heap but that is the way of the world.
ReplyDeleteI think that the Penna. Dutch area is a great place to visit but some of their all you can eat buffets can really pack on the pounds. The people are very nice and very tolerant.
On this trip were you in capris and sandals with your peidcure showing or were you in pantyhose hose and ballerinas.
Just asking.
Pat
You're so right about the buffets. Did the Shady Maple in East Earl once...and that was enough for a long time. The food was good, but everyone ate far too much!
DeleteRain was forecasted the whole time, so wearing my ballerinas was fine...I think my wife was hiding my silver toe nails...LOL! Traveling was in denim capris, a generic women's polo, panty hose, necklace, ballerinas and my purse. For the meeting, substitute black stirrups for the denim capris and change to my dressy flats. A casual businesslike appearance...
But I wasn't quite masculine enough to eliminate all of the "Ma'am's" - more about that in a post I'll work on after I get everything caught up from being gone!
Mandy
I like the selection of capris with panty hose, etc. You are likely correct that the ballerinas may have been intended to hide the silver toe nails but it does seem like the general trend towards woman's wear is well established.
ReplyDeletePat
And I hope it continues. But I keep waiting for "the other shoe to drop," as it always has in the past!
DeleteMandy