TtV-Bird

A '55-ish Ford Thunderbird, the small two seater ones. As seen through my new to me Argus 75.

¡Fuego!

A classic, subtle kustom Mercury. Well, as subtle as a car with flames painted on it can be.

South Shore Line

The Chicago, South Shore, and South Bend Railroad, better known as the South Shore Line, was an interurban that ran from Chicago's Loop, south around Lake Michigan, and out to South Bend. An electric road, the South Shore handled both passengers and freight, and was a popular way to get into the city. Having it's roots in the Chicago and Indiana Air Line, the South Shore fell under the control of industrialist Samuel Insull, who turned the road around and got it turning a profit again. The South Shore's classic orange cars were a fixture in and around the Chicago and eastern Indiana area for the next forty years, and is still remembered fondly by longtime residents.

This amazing South Shore sign used to be in front of the road's Gary, Indiana stop, and now is on the property of the Illinois Railway Museum. It's a fantastic piece, with that little train running across the top and all the chaser lights. The before shot dates from 2006 (and is sadly the only shot I have of it in that shape-note the North Shore sign in the background)-and in the intervening years the museum has completely restored it to working condition. It looks fantastic-I hope to eventually go to the museum after dark and shoot it.

Railway Express Agency

At one time, the local railroad station was the commercial center of a town. Anything that was bought and sold went through the station, either on the way in or out. It was also often the first view visitors and returning citizens saw of their town. A lot of stuff went on at the station, and the stationmaster and his crew needed to be ready for just about anything. This included loading and unloading rail cars, helping customers, and hauling luggage.

This antique cart is in front of the nicely restored station at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois.

TtV Tuesday!

Tuesday, time for ground glass! I enjoy shooting clouds-it's ever changing and best of all free, just go outside and have at it.

Skyliner

Introduced in 1955, the Ford Fairlane was the company's new full sized offering, and proved fairly popular for it's short two year lifespan. The model received a restyle for the '57 year, and along with most of Ford's range the Fairlane grew in size and gained a lower, leaner look. The model also gained a new top-line designation, the Fairlane 500, and a new top, top of the line model, the Skyliner.

The Skyliner was something really special-a hardtop convertible. Retracting hardtops are a bit more common these days, but in the late fifties this feature made the Skyliner unique-it was the only model offered anywhere with such an option. Sadly, although watching a Skyliner go through the motions is a traffic-stopping show, it was an expensive option, prone to malfunctioning (there's a zillion miles of wiring involved), and worst of all took up most of the trunk space. So, only about 20,000 Skyliners were built in '57, and way fewer for the restyled '58 and '59 years.

This one's a '57, and is resting peacefully behind a body shop out in the country. It seems pretty solid-I hope it gets the restoration it deserves.

Robert's

Another small town find, this time in Genoa, Illinois. Robert's Drive In is still in business, although I believe that this sign no longer works. Still, despite having been last painted some time ago, it still points the way to this ice cream stand.