2013 STOCKTON
PIZZA PARTY AND
SLIDE SHOW PRESENTED BY
A N D
Harkening back to the interurban era, Mitch Markovitz created these classic timetable covers for the “new” South Shore Line.
that had seen no rebuilding or modernization except for the interior paint — turquoise walls, a cream white ceiling, and black trim. Now that was interior décor for you, but I liked it. I couldn’t believe how rough the track in the street in East Chicago rode. Our next trip was three years later. The
South Shore Line had left the streets of East Chicago. They were now running along the Indiana Toll Road. We took the train that day from Hyde Park to Michigan City just for a train ride and lunch. Car 103, a bag- gage car (the term the South Shore used for a coach/baggage combine) was the head car. A modernized South Shore Line car had a grey wood grain strip of floor vinyl on the walls, a ceiling reworked with cream colored metal and fluorescent lights from Adams & Westlake, wide “real railroad style” picture windows, new luggage racks, and nice seats with cloth “South Shore Line” head covers. The fact the car had a drinking water cooler and a bathroom were a plus. When I was in Boy Scouts we went on our camp-outs at The Indian Dunes State Park. On Saturday mornings we’d set out for our five mile hike. When we got to the spot near Wilson Shelter where some of the trails split, the troop would march east, and yours truly took himself south to the South Shore Line depot at Tremont. I spent hours there at the station that looked like an orange summer cottage on the lake. There was an original edition of the South Shore Line poster “Faithful Service” that hung back be- hind the coffee and ticket counter. There was a comprehensive map of interurbans printed in 1927 that hung framed and untouched on another. I would always ask the trainmen if I could compare watches with them as stan-
dard time was still an important rule on railroads, and my grandma had just given me my Hamilton Railway Special for my birthday. This was the mid-’60s and as the world was preparing for the space age and living like The Jetsons, I was preparing to re- main in the 1930s. There was an engineman on the South Shore Line by the name of Lloyd Powers. He hired out in 1922 and he was the best dressed engineman I’d ever seen. I was standing on the Tremont plat- form as his westbound train came to a halt. He leaned out of the cab in his starched white Kromer cap, white shirt, black tie, and pin striped overalls and matching jacket. That was it. Even though I was developing as an artist and painter and I would work at my father’s studio from time to time, I really had to be a railroader. I wanted to enter the family. I wanted to join a credit union. Many years later after I had gone to art
school I indeed went railroading. First the Chicago & North Western, and then the Mil- waukee Road (because they still had stan- dard blue trainmen’s uniforms). In fact, I tried to hire out on the South Shore in January 1970. It involved the Shore’s semi-silly superintendent and the fact I wear glasses. A lot of you may not re- member but there was a time when a rail- road operating department wouldn’t hire you if you had less than 20/30 vision. Of course once you were in a union you could wear all the glasses you wanted; one of those famous rules that had its roots back in 1873 or something and no one saw fit to get rid of it. They wouldn’t hire me. The superintendent also remarked, “Ya gotta git rid of that hairdo.” I was living north of the city, a foreign land to us South Siders, and I became home-
Coming out to Stockton for Winterail 2013? Then join us on Friday, March 8 at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center for our 2013 Pizza Party and Slide Show! Your $10 ticket gets you pizza, soda pop, and admission to our Friday evening shows. We will be showing traditional slides as well as digital presentations.
LOCATION
SCOTTISH RITE CENTER 33
W.ALPINE AVE. STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA
SCHEDULE
5:00 P.M. PIZZA IS SERVED
6:00-10:00 P.M. SLIDE SHOWS
TICKETS
$10 PER PERSON PAY AT THE DOOR
CONTACT
STEVE BARRY
EDITOR@RAILFAN.COM
Winterail is not affiliated with this event. Proceeds from this event will benefit NRHS programs. See you in Stockton!
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