Gord Downie and the 1967 GTO

Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip. Thanks to Eva H.D. for this.

Montreal 1940

 

Unknown photographer. Montreal police photograph. I think that may be a police car--check the lights on the bumper. It was in a series of photographs of gambling dens and bordellos in 'wide open" Montreal of the era 1920s-50s. The Black Cat cigarettes advertisement...me ma, Frankie O'Brien, smoked Black Cats.

1957 Pontiac Laurentian

 

Alex Emond, in Saskatchewan "In Elmwood Park, in Swift Current, there seems to be an afternoon gathering of older , retired guys that visit and hang out in a "socially distant" cluster . Maybe their regular coffee spot is down for now . One of these guys drives this 1958 Pontiac. Once we had negotiated a price ( just kidding) he let me take a few pictures . It's all stock, not hot rodded and in great shape . I'm sure it stays in a garage over the winter. Gorgeous. Cheers , Alex"

Dave Alvin. Highway 61 Revisited.

Thanks to Alex Emond for the heads-up. Great Dylan cover.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uFLQFyIYLg 

Crew Cab with Crew

From Reid Cunningham: "Apologies for not getting closer, but the crew was working and I didn't want to interrupt or get in their way. A crew cab Chevrolet that was actually carrying a work crew, configured for rail mode. Usually I see these on the road, it was a treat to see it on the tracks. If you look closely, it's Pan Am Railways, with the same logo as the old Pan Am airlines.
#A quick online search (Wikipedia was much better for this than the railroad's website) shows this is a New England rail company, Maine to NY originally ned Guilford. It seems to have not been a successful railroad, and bought the Pan Am trademarks in 1998 and rebranded itself. While rail traffic has doubled, it has shrank. It's now up for sale if you want to have your own railroad!

"Sighted in Manchester NH, near the old textile mills downtown. The mills have all been restored and house Southern New Hampshire University, start ups, some restaurants and businesses. Intellectual property produced at the mills doesn't require a railroad for haulage."

AL: the wiki link is a good introduction to the impossibly tangled history of corporate shenanigans around railroading in New England. It reminds me of something my grandfather JJ O'O'Brien said--"Nearly impossible to make money operating railroads. The money was in building them."

Volvos, Volvos everywhere

 

from  CNN: 
"Oceanbird might look like a ship of the future, but it harks back to ancient maritime history -- because it's powered by the wind.
"The transatlantic car carrier is being designed by Wallenius Marine, a Swedish shipbuilder, with support from the Swedish government and several research institutions.
"With capacity for 7,000 vehicles, the 650 foot-long vessel is a similar size to conventional car carriers, but it will look radically different. The ship's hull is topped by five telescopic "wing sails," each 260 feet tall. Capable of rotating 360 degrees without touching each other, the sails can be retracted to 195 feet in order to clear bridges or withstand rough weather."

1953 Mercury Monarch

From Alex Emond, in Saskatchewan: "Power to the Purple! A seriously audacious old school custom . Very California ... for Swift Current. The Merc now sits on a 1991 Cadillac and the seats from said Cadillac dictate the interior. The doors are a strange electric trip where the window goes down then the door retracts , like a pocket door, into the body. The ass end was extended 18 inches to accommodate the Continental tire . The owner did all the work and he told me that he has put some 20,00 kliks on it ... Sunday drives , runs to car shows etc. . Time to sell . It's a bit much for me but I have to admire the workmanship. Saskatchewan area code is 306 , if anybody wants an outrageous grocery getter"

AH: Alex posted another Merc for sale a while back. And this one was for sale in Maine back in August