The Denver Zephyrs

The Denver Zephyr was a streamlined passenger train operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad between Chicago and Denver. It operated from 1936 to 1973. The Denver Zephyr continued operating after the Burlington Northern Railroad merger in 1970. BN conveyed the train to Amtrak in 1971; Amtrak would merge it with the Chicago–Oakland San Francisco Zephyr and drop the name in 1973.

**UPDATE** The photo below (not a postcard) was sent to me by reader inquiring about another post and saw the Denver Zephyr card. She was kind enough to send me a scan of a great family photo taken sometime between 1934 and 1936 next to the Mark Twain Zephyr. On the back of the photo is written "Maiden Zephyr". From what I could find out, the first service trip from Hannibal to St. Louis was on Sunday October 27th, 1935. There was a ceremonial event on October 25th and normal service on October 28th. So somewhere in that timeline is when the picture was taken...BTW, the Mark Twain Zephyr is for sale!

More on the Mark Twain Zephyr here:  http://www.railmerchants.net/mt-zephyr.htm

The Flying Yankee

The Flying Yankee was a diesel-powered streamliner built in 1935 for the Maine Central Railroad and the Boston and Maine Railroad by Budd Company and with mechanical and electrical equipment from Electro-Motive Corporation.

The eventual goal is to restore the train completely to running condition. The train was moved to Lincoln, New Hampshire, on August 10, 2005, to the Hobo Railroad where the mechanical restoration is taking place.  More info at:  http://www.flyingyankee.com/

RPPC - The Kalakala Ferry - Puget Sound, Washington

The Kalakala was a ferry that operated on Puget Sound from 1935 until her retirement in 1967. Kalakala was notable for her unique streamlined superstructure, art deco styling, and luxurious amenities. The vessel was a popular attraction for locals and tourists, and was voted second only to the Space Needle in popularity among visitors to Seattle during the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. The ship is known as the world's first streamlined vessel for her unique art deco styling.

After nearly being scrapped, the Kalakala is being restored

On or about January 22nd 2015 the Kalakala will take her final voyage. She will be towed from her moorage in the Hylebos Waterway to the Blair Waterway where she will be scrapped

http://www.kalakala.org/

"The Most Varied Trip in Holland" - Circular Tours

I don't have but a hand-full of foreign postcards in my collection and will be the first foreign card that I've posted on Postcards Etcetera. I like this card on several levels. It's a transportation themed card which is one of my favorite topics to collect. I also love the look of this card. The circular design, the cities shown with the modes of transportation between them is very cool.

International Harvester Coca Cola Truck - 1939

This over-sized (7.5" x 4") advertising postcard touts the new International D-300 COE (cab-over-engine) delivery truck.

In 1939, International Trucks introduced its all steel Metro body styling, offering a very attractive design look and feel. The appearance was very smooth with no projecting fenders or corners. Some people commented that the appearance resembled a “loaf of bread”. The large flat sides and rear end design offered an abundance of advertising space which store merchants thoroughly enjoyed for their business. 

Santa Fe Trailways "Victory Liner"

This 8" x 3" postcard is of the "Victory Liner" that was used for the purpose of transporting workers to various "war plants". Built out of plywood during WW II in Santa Fe’s Wichita, Kansas shops to conserve valuable war materiel. The Victory Liner was used to transport civilian employees to military arms factories during the war. It had a passenger capacity of 117. 

The photo below is from a Google search and shows

the unusual way this bus was steered.

Ted Larsen Oldsmobile Dealership - Alhambra, California

Shown are 3 RPPCs from the Oldsmobile Dealership of Ted Larsen, I believe that these are from the early to mid 1950's. Alhambra is a city located in the western San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States, which is approximately eight miles from the Downtown Los Angeles.

The Flying Squadron, Springfield, Massachusetts

In 1906, Springfield received the first fire apparatus built by the Knox Automobile Company that was located in Springfield. By 1909, the department had 5 Knox units in operation. The photograph that was used for this postcard shows 2 chemical and hose cars operated by Squads A and B and 2 cars used by the chief and his assistant. I found this information in the book “Images of America: Springfield Firefighting” by Bert D. Johanson and Nancy B. Johanson; Assisted by Fred Rodriguez.

The first modern and “state-of-the-art” fire engine was built in 1906 by Knox Automobile Company in Springfield, Massachusetts who later became famous for its fire trucks.

This card was printed in Germany and published by the Springfield News Company circa 1909 under the name "Poly Chrome". Their style has been described as "colors so bright and so flat that they almost resemble screen-prints."