Railroad music ... a great lead-in to our adventure today. Thanks to Johnny Cash for both writing and performing his Folsom Prison Blues and that lonesome whistle blowing away his blues. And also to Arlo Guthrie for his classic City of New Orleans and Steve Goodman for penning this pensive and nostalgic paean to this important aspect of our American history. Doggone if it almost did disappear.
Railroad history in the U.S. is nearly as old as the country itself, dating back to the mid-1820s. Our great nation wouldn't have grown and prospered as it did without the railroads which brought together the young United States and allowed for unprecedented growth and prosperity.
The Golden Age of railroading lasted from roughly the 1880s to the 1920s before other modes of transportation began to displace the industry as the leading means of moving people and goods.
Railroads faced their toughest adversity during the 1960s and 1970s when they lost so much market share that many companies were either purchased by stronger ones or simply went bankrupt changing the face of America forever. After the industry was deregulated in 1980 it began to make a comeback and today is seeing a renaissance.
And, despite the recent news, even Amtrak is beginning to see a rebirth of rail travel.
I mention this all because today we decided to take a drive down to Toledo, Oregon, for an event called Railroadiana. Essentially, it is just a show for Railroad sets, gifts, doo-dads and whatevers. And we were gonna see it all.
Heading down The 101.
But, before we got there, we stopped at the Rocky Creek State Wayside. I've made a list of all the parks, etc., between us and Newport and found that there were 2-3 parks we haven't yet stopped at. Rocky Creek was one of them and so I made it an especial mission to stop there today. Hahaha, I'm fun that way.
A bug's life.
And, besides looking at the flora, we looked out to the ocean to see what marine life was out there today. And we saw these crazy yahoos.
I have to question the wisdom of going that far out to sea in some sit-on kayaks. You can just see them, there in the center-mass of the picture about a third of the way down.
I'm left wondering how they got back to shore because all along the coast I've seen, the waves come in hard and heavy everywhere. Maybe a larger boat comes out and picks them up. I don't know, but I'm sure it's interesting.
Hahaha, see what I mean about the waves. From where those two Honyoks were, I just swung the camera to a bit to the right and shot up the coast.
OK, I'll remind everyone again that generally the pictures are presented in the order they were taken. I mention this again so that you understand, I was all over the map today with my shooting. It was, really, a target-rich environment. I'll be bouncing between the park and the ocean a lot.
Like this shot of the fence put up to keep the mental midgets from falling over the edge. Honestly, you have to marvel at the abject stupidity of some peoples. And, you know, there would be someone at sometime that would figure out a way to fall over the unprotected cliff
Looking down, I even got a shot of a dandelion. It pays to look down every-so-often even if it is in direct contradiction to an old Jody Song we used to sing in the Army.
Ain't no use in lookin' down
Ain't no discharge on the ground.
Hahaha, they're right. I never did find a discharge on the ground but, these days, I'm finding things of a more interesting nature.
Oh, on a personal note, this past year, I recognized that I have been 'retired' from the Army longer than I served in the Army ... and I served for over 23 and a half years.
Woo, woo!! Yay, me!!
Good golly, I do love this Oregon Coast. It is something else. There's just so much to it. I keep trying to compare it to the beach of my youth in Southern California. No comparison. Not that one is better than the other, no. It's just that they're so diametrically different - they're the same thing but they're so doggone different. And at times I do have a hard time reconciling my expectations of going to the beach when I get to wherever it is I'm going along the Oregon coast. I still expect something like I knew once, a long time ago, in my youth. And now I get the rocky, rough and rugged coast of my old age. There's a moral, a lesson in there somewhere.
And that's Whale Cove there, in the inlet.
And, from the ocean to the irises. Hahaha, I'm swinging around faster than a weather vane in a hurricane. But these were all over the place and they do have a certain beauty to them.
See? Remember those two Knuckleheads on the kayaks? Can you see them beaching their kayaks coming through this? I can't. Nope.
Hahahaha, I warned you I would be all over the map today. Here's my Mini. Faithful companion.
Then we heard a bark and Carol was off!! I finally got over there and we saw a pod of seals (or are they sea lions?) gamboling just beyond the rocks. There were more than these two but they would dive, splash around or ...
... just float along on their backs just beyond where the waves started crashing to the shore.
And crash they were. Again, I think of the Klutzy Kayakers. Craziness.
We stayed there a good while enjoying the show the seals/sea lions were putting on for us. Carol even tried capturing them with her cell phone camera.
Hahaha, love the zoom. This ol' boy was floating along on his back, too. We had a good time watching these guys playing around.
And getting pictures of these flowers. Oh, it really is springtime and you're gonna see a lot more flowers. But, really, can you blame me? I had never realized that irises grew out in the wild as much as they do here.
And this, which was once a flower, I guess, but it still has a certain elegance and beauty to it.
Hahaha, I had to shoot this. Carol was texting to her sister and the guy in the back ... well, I don't know who he was texting with but I liked that; two modern people a-textin' away.
As we were leaving, Carol saw this guy singing away sitting on top of a bush. He was really hitting his notes.
Hahaha, he was doing a good job of posing for me in between his melodies.
After Rocky Creek, we got back on the road to Toledo.
Fun Facts: The settlement that would become Toledo began in 1866, when John Graham, his son Joseph and William Mackey, claimed land made available by the Homestead Act. The site was called Graham's Landing until a post office was established two years later. Joseph D. Graham, John's son, named the post office for Toledo, Ohio, because he was homesick.
Toledo was made the county seat of the newly established Lincoln County in 1893 but the county seat was moved from Toledo to Newport in 1953.
In 1918, the Port of Toledo leased land to the Sruce Production Division for a sawmill to cut airplane frames for WWI but, unfortunately for them, before production began, the war ended. The mill was turned to processing logs shipped to Toledo by rail in 1923. Georgia-Pacific acquired the operation in 1951 and turned it into a pulp mill.
Toledo had a population of 3,465 at the 2010 census and was a 2009 All-America City Award finalist.
In 1970, the movie Sometimes A Great Notion, was filmed, in part, in Toledo. Starring Paul Newman and Henry Fonda, the movie didn't become a hit but is still remembered fondly in the area. Many remember it as a never-ending party. Newman, one of the biggest stars in Hollywood at the time, was a heavy drinker and a keg of beer was often available on the set. Newman, Fonda and the rest of the cast mingled easily with the locals at a time when security was nothing like it is today.
In fact, during the famous drowning scene with Joe Ben (played by Richard Jaeckel) under the log, both Jaeckel and Newman were drunk on scotch during the scene and there was a lot of ad-libbing going on.
Finally, and this should prove to be a great help to any serious Trivial Pursuit player, the movie is an answer to a tough trivia question: What is the first program to be broadcast on HBO?
You're welcome.
So we got to Toledo for the Railroadiana Show around 1010. The newspaper, Oregon Coast Today, had it opening at 1000. Unfortunately, it failed to mention that opening time was only for Saturday and that today, Sunday, it didn't open until 1200.
Oops!! No problem. Bruno was talkin' at me and so we looked around for a good place to grease. And we found it on Main Street at the appropriately named, Main Street Cafe. And we do know that Bruno must be served.
Looking south on Main Street. Watching out for the traffic!!
And, looking north on the same street.
Both Carol and I were really struck with the downtown area ... the main drag through the burg. Neat, clean and, obviously, empty on this early morning Sunday.
Hmmmmm, no graffiti or obvious signs of the Valued Homeless.
And an appropriate homage to their exciting past put forth in mural form. As we learned a bit more about the city, we were able to look at the mural and go, 'Aaaaahhh..." This parking lot and mural sits next to the City Hall. You'll hear more about it later.
And while we percolated up the street towards the Main Street Cafe, we were treated to some wildlife drama as a smaller bird chased this larger raptor away. They were moving fast across the city skyline and we weren't able to identify either one but it was a fast-paced fight ... and flight.
With my meager abilities and snail-like reaction time, I was able to catch this one raptor trying to get away from the ... angry bird. Hahaha, c'mon, Man, that was semi-funny. Cheez, you guys.
They've done a good job of modernizing the Ol' City Hall. Looking good now. I'm thinking it was built during the late 20s, early 30s. A good example of Art Deco with it's angular and symmetrical lines.
They have several stands set up around the downtown with pictures and info about the city and I got this picture off of one of them. You can clearly see the old fire house here. They've since built an annex next to the City Hall in front of the old fire house.
But we were on a mission ... to feed Bruno. And that meant we had to find the Main Street Cafe.
And, we did.
Hahahaha, don't stand between me and my meal. Always good advice.
We opted for a table in the back room of the Cafe, the one with the view of the river and the pulp mill. And of the Union Hall where the Railroadiana Show was being held.
Plus, my faithful Mini. We had a good view and, while we waited for our repast, we were treated to an avian aerial array of swoopin', spiralin' swallows.
Hahaha, they were diving and flyin' all over so quickly I wasn't able to capture a single one with my trusty Canon. But it was fun watching them while we waited.
The back room, where we were, is more like a formal dining room. The front part of the Cafe was set up more like a diner with a counter and stools. The whole place looked like it had been recently renovated. And they did a good job with the decor, too.
Ahhhh, breakfast and/or lunch. Depended on which side of the table you were sitting.
Carol went for lunch and got some Fish 'N Chips. I didn't sample the fish but the chips were tasty.
And me? I got the Old Timer's Special: a two-egg ham and cheese omelet with a side of hash browns and a single slice of toast. Hahahaha, I'm not eating better but I am eating older. And, bada-boom, the coffee comes free with the Old Timer's Special.
Woo, woo!!
After an enjoyable meal, I idly played around capturing some images of the Yaquina River as it moves through the city. To clarify, that's not a junk yard of cars in the foreground. No, it's the parking for the Renaissance Fair the City was holding today. Across the river is part of the industrial area of the Pulp Mill.
The downtown area has all been updated and given a definite facelift. Like this older building. Fresh paint and a new color scheme. They take a lot of pride in their town here. Plus, they must have some substantial money available in the city coffers for maintenance.
Remember I mentioned the parking lot next to the City Hall? It has a mural and the right side of the mural depicted an old Texaco Gas Station. Here's the station. If you go back and look at the old picture of the City Hall, you can see a sign for the gas station next to it on the right.
As you look at this picture, you can see part of the fire house on the left. Love that old architecture. And, look!! Three pumps!! No waiting!!
I wonder why the lady was standing in the middle of the street facing the Livery for this picture taken around 1895, but, there she was. And, true to Oregon, it appears that it has recently rained here, too.
Even back then, there wasn't much traffic on the Main Street.
But there was time for us to get a selfie.
As I look at this picture, I am struck by how many buildings in the downtown area put up shingles when they remodeled. Strange.
Holy Toledo!!
They've got 12 beers on tap!! And fine wine.
Hahaha, I guess this was inevitable. But it's still fun.
And the camera did a great job with the color here.
POW!!
For no other reason other than I like the color. And they have a Mexican Restaurant.
There were several art galleries downtown. This one featured an old door with a lighthouse painted onto it. First off, it's an interesting painting. I'm thinking it's the Yaquina Head Light. Makes sense as that is the closest one to Toledo. Second, it's a door. Hahaha, it could be a functioning, in-your-face door but now it's an easel for some interesting artwork.
I wonder what inspired the artist to use this door to express themselves?
Nicely done.
And from that novel and fresh approach, we come to this prosaic display of nautical nonsense. I guess I'm getting jaded. I've seen this in various shapes, sizes and colors too many times. Still, it ain't that bad ... just a bit too large for me.
Looking down Main Street towards the river, we could see several of the fishing boats tied up. That's the Kiska Sea there in the front. Not a small boat, really.
And the rhododendrons were out in full force. Plenty of these, all over the place.
Love Small-Town America.
Celebrating the local high school with a bench; with a little nod to Oregon University, The Oregon Ducks.
Hahahaha, we're Number One!!
No, really. We are. Both of us. We're both #1.
We ambled on down to the end of Main Street and, further up the river, we saw some of the main industry here in Toledo.
And, the reason we are here. The railroad. The twin ribbons of steel that decided the fates of many a city and helped create a nation. If your town was bypassed by the railroad then it was regulated to being a side note in history. Commerce and history passed by and moved on over to the city lucky enough to land the railroad.
Americana...
And a gull.
Hahahaha, oh, don't act all surprised!! It's inevitable.
And, since we are totally retired and have no restraints on us other than how much energy we have available and how hungry we are at that particular moment, we wandered around along the river.
I sure don't claim to understand this little boat; how it came about or what its purpose is but, doggone it, that's one cool little tub, ain't it!?!
Hahaha, I could totally live there. At least vacation in it.
Looking up the river towards the mill on the left.
And, from that same spot just turned around, the industry that fuels this city.
And the railroad.
Floats. Hahaha, they're colorful and, if they break loose and we find them, they make neat nautical decorations for the yard. Hahahaha, you'll see. Keep on reading.
As we meandered back towards the AWPPW Union Hall (Association of Western Pulp & Paper Workers) where the show was being held, we saw that the Toledo Centennial History Center was now open.
They set this Center up in 2005 to celebrate the first 100 years of the City and liked it so much, they decided to keep it. Cool.
Let's go!!
Before the railroads, there was the river ... and it was a major method of transportation in the days of horsepower. Cities naturally grew up where there was water; water for daily use, for irrigation, for transportation, for power to move mills and machinery. Rivers were a prime consideration in deciding where to grow a city. And then railroads winnowed them out and made some great metropolitan areas and others into small town American memories.
Toledo may not have become huge, but it survived and contributed to the building of America.
And just like railroads tied us together and brought us closer together, so did this new-fangled thing - the telephone. A switchboard from early Toledo. Hahaha, kids today would freak out if they had to go back to using phones as crude as these were.
Numbah, puh-leese...
OK, take a good look at this picture of Toledo, it was taken in 1918. I want you to compare this picture to the next one down, the one showing a diorama created from this photo.
But for right now, see the tents there, in the background? Hahaha, let's visit some history ...
Fun Facts: The Spruce Production Division was a unit of the U.S. Army, established in 1917 to supply the army with high-quality Sitka spruce and other wood products needed for the production of aircraft for the war effort in WWI. Sitka spruce was the most important tree species because its combination of lightness, strength and resiliency was ideal for aircraft production.
The division was part of the Army Signal Corps's Aviation Section (when they first began using planes in the military, they mainly used them for communications and so the Signal Corps got control of the fledgling branch). The workers in the division were members of the Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumbermen (that's a lot of "L's" there), a union specifically established to support the Army's wood production operations.
The division produced nearly 150 million board feet of spruce in just 15 months, halting work almost as soon as the war ended. Interesting side story, Col. Brice Disque was then put on trial for accusations that he had wasted millions of tax dollars. He was eventually found not guilty of malfeasance.
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| Col. Brice Disque |
The Division had a large impact on logging in the Pacific Northwest. Logging companies adopted working conditions similar to those the division used and they took advantage of the new logging roads and rail lines the division had built to access more timber after the war.
Here's the diorama created for the Centennial. Not bad, eh?
Impressive!!
OK, I admit it. I have a great affection for old photographs. They give me an insight into a time long past that will never, ever happen again. I enjoy them tremendously. And because I do, I like sharing them. You always share what's important or entertaining to you with your friends.
So, here, some glimpses into a life gone by in Toledo, Oregon.
With as few pictures that were taken during these days, you wonder at the decision they made to get their dog out there and have him sit up for this picture with three men from the Telegraph & Cable Office.
How important were the rails back then? Their presence either made or broke a city. Literally.
Hahaha, looks like Oregon ... evergreens and fog. Some high school boys out in their jalopies. I'm gonna guess that this was taken in the late 40s or the early 50s. What do you think? The clothes help to place it plus the old jalopies the boys are tooling around in.
Hahaha, rumble seats. Couldn't get away with those today!! The Coupe to the right has a rumble seat, too. Hahaha, today's daredevils could take a cue or two from these guys in living dangerously.
OK, a little disclaimer here ... the pictures are presented in the order, or is that disorder, in which they were taken. There's no rhyme or reason to their presentation other than this is the order in which I encountered, saw, came upon while perusing the exhibits in the museum.
So, here's an area celebrating the schools of Toledo ... back then. Hahaha, I can't see today's kids sitting at a desk like this for long.
I didn't get a chance to really dig into these exhibits but this is what I gathered from what little I did read.
The Ross family was prominent in the city early in the last century. The father had started the first movie house in the city and the family ran it. Eventually, as Mom and Dad passed on, one of the daughter's acquired sole ownership and then built the larger Ross Theater, the one featured in the movie, Sometimes A Great Notion. (BTW, the movie was based on a Ken Kesey novel and predated the more famous adaption of one of his books, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest by five years)
These chairs were from the 1921 version of the movie theater. Great craftsmanship but, I gotta think it wasn't all that comfortable of a viewing experience. Hmmmm, maybe this is the reason so many of the early movies were 10-15 minutes one-reeler serial movies.
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| Where do I put my Extra-Large Diet Coke? |
Here they are, The Five Ross Sisters. I don't know which one it was that bought out the others and then build the Ross Theater.
Fun Fact: I went on-line to try and find a picture of the Ross Theater and this was the only one I could find. And I tried several different searches.
Here's the caption to this picture: The Ross Theater was operating prior to 1941 and continued until at least into the 70s. It was demolished in 1991 and a government office building sits on the side of the theater today.
No one seems to know who the guy is or who's driving the van.
Small-Town America.
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OK, let's get back to the museum and this bargain!! Only .25 cents and you could learn all about batons by just reading this 5 Minute Baton Book.
I'm sold!!
Fun Fact: The Internet puts this publication around 1942. I can see why, every good army needs some quality Baton Twirlers to lead them into war, right? Right!!
And, also from WWII, these kids, celebrating their Victory Gardens.
This Meat Store was located on the riverfront.
Hahaha, you bought your meat for the day and cut it right off the carcass hanging in the store. Oh, goodness, the times they were different back then.
And from the Meat Store to the Mercantile. I like the high ceiling. Necessary before the days of air conditioning. It allowed the hot air to rise and get circulated easier. Plus, in those days before electricity and lightbulbs, you needed sunlight to adequately illuminate your work area. High ceilings allowed larger windows and that meant more light.
Obviously they weren't using that space for anything else.
Smile, dammit!!
Ok, don't smile.
I just liked this. Someone got a letter for the Pep Squad. There was a time when boys were either the only ones on the Pep Squad or were an integral part of the coed team. And, yeah, you had to be a good athlete to be on the Pep Squad, just ask my sister who cheered for El Monte (Boo) High School back a hundred years or so. Or, even, ask my Granddaughter who just finished her first year of college. Yeah, she cheered and was one of the ones they threw up into the air. Scary.
They're The Boomers!!
I'm not sure if that's a bear or a wolverine. Regardless, they're The Boomers!!
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I'd have liked to been there when they were giving out these advertising lighters.
And this lucky boy got a new Razor Strop as a graduation gift when he graduated form the Barber's College in 1949. Gosh, a college degree in Barbering. Whoda thunk!!
The Centennial Museum was fun but it was only the beginning. Honest, we had more fun waltzing around the museums and shops in Toledo than we did at the Railroadiana. You'll see.
Next up on our crazy whirlwind of fun was the Things Found Mercantile & Gallery. It's a great store and we got to meet Keith.
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It's quite a store and filled with, well, it's hard to explain what it is filled with. Why don't we just go in and you can see for yourself.
First thing we both spotted was this 14-year old beauty.
Obviously, she owns the store and let's her human pets pretend to run it.
Carol couldn't resist.
Alrighty, then, let's get started.
Hahaha, molas from Panama. We bought ourselves a few of these back in the day when we were stationed in Panama.
They've got an eclectic selection of goods, doo-dads, gee-haws and this and thats.
Hahaha, eclectic is an understatement.
I really liked this. The big ear is a napkin holder and the two smaller ones are salt and pepper shakers. They'd fit right in on my red formica-topped kitchen table.
Have you got Prince Albert in a can?
Well let him out!! He can't breathe!!
Do you need some small odd thing to repair, complete or add to ... whatever, you could probably find it here.
Play games much?
Hahaha, look at this!! Right in line with our railroad adventure today is this railroad telephone. This is the Crescent, 1925.
And when it rings, you just lift up the roof and, BAM!! There's your phone!!
Hahaha, great fun.
You missing a tile from your scrabble game?
I can see where these guys have had a lot of fun collecting all this stuff and the presenting it for sale.
Hahaha, a Tom Thumb Typewriter. Oh, good grief, do I feel old.
Looking towards the front of the store. Way over there on the counter top on the right is the boat I eventually bought. I've been looking for one for the mantle for a while now and I finally found one that I could afford and liked. You can just make out the sails.
It was sort of an impulse buy and so I didn't get a picture of it in the store. Here it is, safely home and proudly sitting on the mantle ... for now.
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It was a farraginous collection of the this and that.
My Dad left me a box camera like those at the top. He used it to take pictures of his baby boys way back when. Tommy has it now. Still works, too.
The owner was hard at work on a box of some kind while we were there.
Remember these?
Haha, 25 cents for a tin of aspirin? Never again.
I remember these from shop!! Our freshman year we had to take a General Shop course. We rotated between wood, metal and print shop. Then, my sophomore year, I chose to take Print Shop cause it was the easiest one and one where I had the least chance of maiming myself horribly for life.
I remember these. The ones we used were a lot smaller. I used to set type a long, long time ago.
Mind your Ps and Qs, now.
We had a blast in this store. There was just so much to see that I think we walked around the store two or three times we just kept seeing new things.
I was tempted by this sail boat but, it didn't work for me. Hahaha, clarinets and Mr. Potato Heads. What a great store!!
If you ever get to Toledo, be sure and stop in and visit this store. It's fun and the atmosphere is as casual and as friendly as the owner and the stuff for sale. We had a great time there. Oh, I also got some more postcards from Panama.
Could you use the grill from an old military Jeep-Willys for a wall decoration?
But we had to get along, and so we left the store and ran across these.
Mother Nature kicks butt, doesn't she!!
Part of a window display. Nicely done.
Then I saw a window display of old clocks. For you kids out there, the two openings in the face of this clock were for the keys used to wind and set this fine piece of machinery. You had to open the glass face and then wind the clock each day to keep it running with the correct time.
Oh, the humanity!!!
Hahahaha!!
And I found that I'd unintentionally taken a selfie while I was shooting another of the old clocks. A selfie of me and of my new boat.
Hahaha, I know!! I live a wild and crazy life!!
Looking down 1st Street towards the AWPPA.
My Dad was a big supporter of his union and I grew up in a union family but, I have to think that unions today have changed and are more an impediment to getting the job done than they are a facilitator. I think they're beginning to hurt the people they're supposed to represent. They've gotten out of control in their demands and how they represent their members.
'Nuff said.
And as we walked up to the Union Hall for the show, we were able to see the Railroad Museum across the street. They have this U.S. Mail Railway Post Office on display there.
And we finally made it to the show; Railroadiana!
There were some neat things there ... like this game.
Railroad Rush Hour!!
The Train Escape Game!!
You're the engineer... you switch the trains to escape gridlock!!
Hahaha, what red-blooded boy wouldn't want that under the Christmas Tree, right!?! Plus, it looks like there might be an engineer's cap in there somewhere!!
Woo, woo!! Chugga-chugga...
And then there was this!!
Electric Trucking!!
YOU control the action!!
And it has "5 ACTION STATIONS"
Oh. My. Gosh!!
And I could control ALL the action!!
I want!!!!
Hahaha, you don't see these around, anymore.
Hey, Buddy, got a match?
No, not since Superman died.
I'm sorry, I didn't realize just how much fun we had when I was a kid!!
I mean, if I had had this (and a train set, too), I could have TOLD my electric trains when to GO! STOP! BACK-UP!
Oh, the fun.
Oh, to be an AUDIO-ENGINEER, "controlling electric trains by the SPOKEN COMMAND!"
Obviously, these sets weren't too well taken care of.
Hahaha, I remember these. My Mom loved miniatures. She collected miniature old-time furniture for shadow boxes and she also bought these H-0 scale model kits. I remember one especially, of an old, two-story house with a wrap-around porch. She put it together and had it on display in her house.
This model makes me uneasy. I know, it's silly, but it reminds me of the towers I saw at Dachau, the ones they had around the Concentration Camps in Nazi Germany. Yeah, I know they're both different but it reminds me of it.
All of it was fun. We both enjoyed seeing all the stuff they had on display. Oh, they had Model Railroad magazines and much more.
Carol had gotten into a conversation with one of the guys working there and he remarked that the Train Museum, the one with the sign that said "Open Tuesday through Saturday", was open today because of the Renaissance Fair and the Railroadiana Show. And, he said, his wife was over there working in the snack bar.
Hahaha, 'nuff said. We had one more stop to make before we left Toledo.
Not only did we get some history, but we also got some art ... graffiti maybe, on the Motorcar.
Ridin' the rails with the Yaquina Pacific Railroad.
This is cool. There's a seat up front where you sit and then pedal yourself down the tracks. See the bike pedals? And you can pull on the bars to assist and go even faster. They have a balance wheel on the far rail, see the little yellow wheel? A fast and easy way to get here and there along the track.
Unfortunately, I just didn't get any good pictures inside the caboose. Another relic of a past long ago. Still, I've always thought and still think it'd be a gas to get an old caboose and renovate it into an apartment. It'd be fun to buy a lot and then plunk the caboose down on it and enjoy life.
Hahaha, the Caboose Family!! They should write a book about it!! Hahaha, they did!!
Here's the Rail Post Office. A rolling, functioning and important part of the U.S. Mail system.
There's the bags for sorting the mail and then, in the rear, all the mail slots for all the different places they served on this route.
They had things compartmentalized so they could ensure efficient delivery of the mail. Which, in those days, was the only way to get news from loved ones.
Nice little office, eh?
In the Post Car, we saw this, Owney, The Mail-Pouch Pooch.
Fun Facts: The book is based on an actual dog. Owney appeared in the Albany, NY post office in the autumn of 1888. No one knows where he came from but he came in, nestled in some mail bags and went to sleep. The postal workers liked him so much, they kept him.
Eventually he began riding along with the mail wagons, sitting up on top of the mail bags, as they postmen made their rounds. As his travels started taking him further an further away, the Postmaster issued him a collar inscribed "Owney, Post Office, Albany, New York". As he traveled, the Albany Post Office fastened a note to Owney's collar asking the employees of the Railway Mail Serivce to record his trips by attaching leather and metal baggage tags to his collar.
His collar quickly became too heavy for Owney so the Postmaster made a special harness-like jacket for him to wear that would spread the weight of his souvenirs more evenly on the mixed-breed terrier. As the tags added up, the workers started keeping the tags and put them away as a tag collection of all of his travels.
On August 19, 1895, Owney boarded a steamship in Tacoma, Washington, and traveled to China, Japan, Singapore, Suez, Algiers and the Azores before landing at New York City and then being sent back to Tacoma where he arrived on December 29, 1895.
Owney became very popular across America and was the darling of dog shows. Unfortunately, Owney died in Toledo, Ohio, on January 11, 1897 from a gunshot wound after he bit a postal worker that was mistreating him.
He was preserved by a Toledo Taxidermist and exhibited at the Post Office Department's Headquarters in Washington, D.C., before being given to the Smithsonian where he resides now.
Owney was getting old. He was near the end of his life in this picture.
He quite famous and has had several books written about him.
And they even have a replica of the stuffed Owney for sale.
Hahaha, a stagecoach shotgun. Handy little tool in those close quarters.
They've done a great job of putting this museum together. We were done and heading down the ramp towards The Loose Caboose, the snack bar. We didn't even get down the ramp when the fine fellow standing there in the Loose Caboose asked me if we had signed the guest book. When he heard we hadn't, he ordered me to go back and sign it.
And I did.
He was a friendly sort, once you've signed the guest book. A retired teacher, he lives in Newport and has fun working with the museum here in Toledo.
And making this little boy's dreams come true with a genuine Superman cup. I mean, DC is good but DC in a Superman cup!?! De-Leesh!!
Some of the Renaissance folks were spilling over onto the Railroad Museum.
Lunch.
Unfortunately, the bun was like Superman ... hard as steel.
It wuz tuff!!
I ended up eating the polish dog by hand and chucking the bun. I think even Superman, himself, would have had trouble with that bun.
Eating al fresco and enjoying the day.
It's irritating and destructive but, honestly, there is some real artwork going on here. Shame it is misguided.
Here's the Loose Caboose. This lady admitted she was married to the fellow at the RailRoadiana Show. She did because we had to describe him as the guy with the walker who had fallen down some steps and really injured himself badly a while ago.
Yeah, he's mine.
I didn't mention the Bun of Steel. All the profits went to the museum so I let it ride.
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Thanks, Yaquina Pacific Railroad Museum. We enjoyed it.
We opted out of the Renaissance Fair. Heck, having lived through that time period we already knew what was there.
Hahaha, shops and things to buy.
And we were right.
We already have enough stuff and I sure don't need a walking stick. At least, not now.
And this guy looked pissed. He came out and began walking back and forth behind the commodes like he was walking off something.
What's the matter, Renaissance Moses?
OK, it's spring here in Oregon just like it is spring where you're at. And with spring comes flowers. And we passed a bunch as we were leaving today.
From these little weeds to some real beauties.
So I'll keep the conversation to the minimum and let you wander through at your own speed until you get to the beach, again.
Sometimes it seems like shooting fish in a barrel.
Too easy.
Uh, wow!!
Uh, wow, Teil Zwei.
Whew!! That was fun.
So we hit the road again. Heading back on home. In going there, we slipped by the waterfront in Newport. Too crowded for us but we did get to see the tall ships that were there visiting. Then it was The 101.
And we stopped at another spot between us and Newport that we haven't yet visited. It's not a State Park, though. It's called Moolack Beach. The name is from a Chinook Jargon word for elk.
It's a rough beach and obviously undeveloped. You can quickly see that by the route you have to take to get down to the beach. Yeah, undeveloped. Both of us were more than a little worried about going down the path. But we did. We're not smart like that.
Hahaha, we're adventurers!!
Here's the path we went down. It quickly got a bit steeper and the footing was tricky ... and slippery.
But we made it because, deep down inside, we're both like young gazelles. Agile and sure-footed.
Hahahaha!!! Right.
But we had a great view of the Yaquina Head Light about two miles south of us.
And then this one caught sight of a ball-like object up the beach and was off like a shot.
Hahaha, another float for her growing collection!!
Annnnnd, another picture of the Lighthouse.
There weren't a lot of people on the beach but these folks were actively engaged in creating a fire ... and maybe a driftwood fort.
Some rough seas today.
Looking back towards the shoreline. The forest walks right up to the beach.
And this one was busy bragging about her latest acquisition.
Nailed it!!
Carol had to hold it down with her foot to keep it from blowing away.
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And this was the path back up.
Undeveloped, my gigantic rear end!!
It was positively feral!!
And soon enough we were back on the road again happy that neither of us had gotten hurt going up that stupid trail. It wuz steep!!
With our trophies in hand, my new sailboat and Carol's new float, we merrily sped across the Oregon landscape back to Gull House.
It was a good day. No, really, it was a great day. What started off as just a small jaunt down to see a toy railroad show turned into a full-blown day of adventure and fun.
Hahaha, no hyperbole from me, Bub. Nosireee, Bob!!
We had a good time and we enjoy ourselves. In the bargain, we also learned a little more than we knew before and we got a couple knick-knacks for the ol' casa.
What a day.
Live is good.
Hooah!!
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