Last week I needed to take a trip to Dallas to deliver a couple of my prints, and I had some time to tool around my hometown, alone, with my camera. The first place I stopped off was the McKinney Avenue Transit Authority garage. Before I actually got into the garage, I ran into this sweet little lady.
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| This is Rosie. She's 100 years old! |
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The moment I stepped into this streetcar, I could feel a sense of her, like I
feel when meeting a person for the first time. |
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| I don't know what this does, but it's pretty, isn't it? |
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| All rides are free, but please make a donation so Rosie can stay as beatiful as she is now. |
Later, when I finally made it into the garage, I found out that Rosie may love her passengers, but she is a cantakerous old woman. The head mechanic told me that she has a reputation among the streetcar mechanics of MATA. "She'll hurt you if you let her," he told me. I'd be a little fiesty, too, if I were 100 years old!
Find out a little about Rosie's history,
here. And here's a little movie I found of the streetcars that were in operation around Fair Park in Dallas in the 1950's, before the took them all off the road and replaced them with busses. Legend has it that the day after they took them off the road, a huge blizzard hit Dallas. Not a single bus could make it out. That would not have been a problem for these lovely streetcars. I'm so glad we have them back.
love those street cars. I used to take my little son regularly when he was enamored with trains and such. now, at the ripe age of 7, he doesn't much care.
ReplyDeleteI shot some along the way several years ago with my Holga.
I love this series and especially that first interior shot. As for the gauge, it looks like a pressure gauge. It's marked "duplex," but I only see one needle.
ReplyDeleteGuy - My 7 year old used to be in love with trains, too. I miss those days....
ReplyDeleteCraig - The needle has the words "Main Reservoir" on it. I should have asked what it was for. The head mechanic was right there!