Photo TR: Huntsville Railroad Depot Museum

[TheRapidsNerd]

I was downtown today and remembered (finally) that I hadn't been to the Huntsville Railroad Depot Museum in over 10 years. Also wanted to stop into the resident hobby store to look into building an HO gauge train to run around my Christmas tree. The store (in a caboose) was closed. Oh well. Had my trusty camcorder and went walkabout anyway.

 

This one's for the railroad fans on the board.

 

EDIT: Just confirmed today (Jan 4, 2008) that Vault Icee is gone from Target AND my fav mom and pop seafood place is closed.

Copula PoV.

 

Part 2 coming soon.

Important safety tips.

Seat in the copula (that top part thingy with the windows).

Some of the interior.

One of a few caboosi at the depot. (Yes I made that word up.)

More Hay! Woohoo!

Hay Ya'll! (from the cattle car)

Geek shot.

Bright idea.

Modified carriage interior.

Passenger carriage.

Steam engineer PoV.

This shot has a story. I was gleefully recording video when the museum curator lady comes out of the gift shop and says "Come here quick, this is neat." She takes me to a spot between the gift shop and the depot that's right by the tracks (I'm a little concerned at what's about what could happen next.) Turns out a freight train is coming by and it's a great photo op. The conductor on the train sees me and blows the horn for fun. The train goes ripping past me, at an uncomfortably close and knee buckling 4 FEET! Did I get it on video? Ooooooohh Yeah! Loud as crap and unnerving, but AWESOME!

Cole Tender a$$ sporting a number 4. Sounds painful.

Cole Tender side.

Cole Tender PoV.

The train right outside the gift shop. I've always kinda like the tea kettle and saddle tank switcher steam engines.

The first of many signs scattered around the place. Obligatory establishing shot. Check.

[kraken613]

Pretty cool. I used to be really in to trains when I was little.

[astroworldfan1]

I went there after coming back from Boy Scout Camp last year. It was fun. But just don't get there 15 minutes before it closes!

[TheRapidsNerd]

Part 2. If anybody wants certain shots for desktops or avatars, pm me. Will do some avatars later on. Ok more train pics...

And finally, after a fun couple hours of touring the depot, it was time for the McCredit of the outing.

 

Thank you for reading.

I've heard bathrooms called many things, but this is a new one on me.

Good place to wait. That ticket office was a bit dodgy, what with the disgruntled telegraph operator and deranged engineer.

Back in the waiting area, it's a southern bell.

Be da be beep....

 

Request immediate work transfer. Stop. Reason? You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Stop. Please hurry. Stop

Truly, a railroad enthusiast.

Train stations were emotional places. Everybody had excess baggage. (2 snares and a cymbol fall off a cliff).

The waiting area. Yes, the railroad was run by giant mice back in the ole days.

Moving on to the Depot/Passenger Station, this sign greats you on your way in.

The caboose hobby train shop that I had originally come to see. It was closed.

Eunice was just a nice lady. It was fun to meet her the one time we went. The biscuits and ham were pretty salty as I recall. Yeah, we miss her.

Sadly, Aunt Eunice passed away in 2004 and the restaurant, which was 5 minutes away from where my family lived years ago, was closed. What you see here is a tribute museum that reproduces the interior. It was closed, so no interior pics.

Eunice's Country Kitchen was a staple small restaurant that was famous to Huntsville. Mayors, dignitaries, sports heros, all went there for breakfest along with the average soul. Mom, Dad and I even went when I was in high school.

Since this is also a kid's museum, they do educational Civil War stuff that can be intents at times.

BIG turn table. The whole spins like a lazy-susan and points the engine to different sets of tracks.

Round House and Turn Table sign.

Most handy.

They have birthday parties this caboose for kids.

Cow PoV. Moo?

Holy cow!...catcher

Shout out to the PA Peeps.

Back outside. This is one of my favorite pics of this set.

Model T PoV.

More shameless local promotion.

The Model T. Ford.

Firefighters are a tough breed, but these guys back in the day didn't even use seats!

1st fire truck driver seat PoV. To the donut shop!

Barrel.

Michael Jackson was here.

The other fire truck and Model T. There's hope for me yet.

And the logo on the door. Did I take a picture of the whole truck like a smart person would? No.

In the building behind the gas pump is a vintage fire truck, a Model T Ford, and another smaller fire truck. This is the lettering on the 1st truck.

Train spotting. There's one!

I built one of these for a 3D project in college and have had a soft spot for them ever since.

Oh how I wish...

Artsy shot.

More caboose.

Mr. Tour Trolley has seen better days.

[spaceace12]

Nice pics, but I want a pigly wiggly photo tr, just joking. I have never seen a PW though.

[Carnage]

I used to be in to trains growing up. (I lived next to train tracks).

 

Though they weren't so cool when a freight train was blocking the tracks, turning a 100 foot walk into a 30 minute walk.

[TheRapidsNerd]

Nice pics, but I want a pigly wiggly photo tr, just joking. I have never seen a PW though.

 

Maybe I can get a couple pics for you in the next few days.

 

I had a good time today. The idea just struck me as a spur of the moment thing. Glad I stopped in. Hope everyone enjoys.

This is the original Eunice's Country Kitchen mentioned above.

[ebl]

"Pretty cool. I used to be really in to trains when I was little." 9kraken613)

 

I still am, and I live 100 feet from a busy Union Pacific line. Lots of trains to see---freight, passenger, commuter. We get 'em all.

 

Nice TR. We have the Orange Empire Railway Museum out here, about 100 miles from my house down in Perris, CA. What's nice is that you can ride vintage streetcars there, and they have Ward Kimball's old barn and a train or two of his there. Definitely worth a visit. I went about three years ago, and it's time to go back.

 

Eric

[kraken613]

They are kind of how I got into rollercoasters. When I was little I always thought of a rollercoaster as a really big fast train. Kind of neat never really had thought about how I got into them.

[RIP Psyclone]

^Does Juliana like Piggly Wiggly?

[TheRapidsNerd]

^ LOL! Careful friend, Nay might get jealous. Remember how "hot" she is?

 

did your local Target get rid of Vault Icee?

Great googly moogly! I'll check on that pronto and post here.

 

We have the Orange Empire Railway Museum out here

EBL, great site! Glad you mentioned that and definately worth doing. Seeing the steam engine taken apart was pretty cool.

 

Kraken613, I feel the same way. They seem so separate, yet one begat the other in some ways.

 

Thanks all, for the kind words. I'll see what can be done on a Piggly Wiggly PTR. God help us all.

[Carnage]

That's quite the mullet you had going there.

[BeemerBoy]

1 rail > 2.

 

Cool random report though.

[mcjaco]

^ LOL! Careful friend, Nay might get jealous. Remember how "hot" she is?

 

And we wonder why the ladies don't stick around here very long.

[TheRapidsNerd]

TheRapidsNerd wrote:

^ LOL! Careful friend, Nay might get jealous. Remember how "hot" she is?

 

And we wonder why the ladies don't stick around here very long.

 

(Chuckling) Yeah, I was kidding him about that, but you do have a point.

 

1 rail > 2.

LOL! Good one and I needed that laugh this morning.

 

That's quite the mullet you had going there.

 

That was my Perry Richardson (FireHouse) Poodle Perm Starter Kit. Got the Biggest Hair award my high school senior year. It was a parental comprimise, so I went with it. Good times, good times.

 

Thanks all.

[RIP Psyclone]

New avatar, anyone?

PIGGLY WIGGLY!

[ebl]

Back in the '60s, my dad worked for Piggly Wiggly when they had 'em out here in California. Unfortunately, they all closed years ago. I don't remember what they became, though.

 

Eric

[TheRapidsNerd]

New avatar, anyone?

 

Awesome! LOL! Thanks man.

 

Well, it's official, now I have to do a Piggly Wiggly PTR. Suffice to say, there's nothing one big ham won't do for for another. (Me and my big mouth...)

[dandaman]

I live maybe a quarter-mile away from two different sets of tracks (one north of here, one just south). I always used to run to the back door (facing south) every time I heard the faintest hint of a CP Rail horn. One time we even had a steam train roll on by! Sadly, the development of housing over the years has conveniently put four street's worth of dwellings so that I can only hear the trains go by now.

 

Awesome TR.

[ebl]

^ That's why I'm happy about where I live. Our back yard backs right up to a state highway, and right across the street is one track with a siding. That way, I get a front row seat for lots of rail action!

 

You think it'd be pretty noisy, but after awhile (we've been here 9-1/2 years), you get used to it.

 

Eric

[Carnage]

^ I grew up next to a busy set of train tracks. Same thing, we barely noticed the trains. Only one's we noticed was the passenger train at 5pm and the odd train blocking the tracks.

 

Though the tracks did really hurt the resellability of our house. When we were selling we had people come view the house who wouldn't even come in. They'd just send the agent up to tell us they were skipping because of the train tracks.

 

The joke was on them though, the crack house across the street was MUCH worse then the train tracks.

[TheRapidsNerd]

When we lived in Colorado Springs from 80-83, Dad's cousins owned the railroad depot restaurant (Geseppie's?) down town, and it was always a big treat to have dinner there and watch the trains go by.

 

On a side random side note, the same cousins had a ranch in Gunnison Colorado, which is the setting for the latest AVP movie.

 

Matter of fact, we rode the incline a couple times in Manitu Springs and went to Santa's Workshop/The North Pole park not far from there. That's where I rode a Herschel Little Dipper called The Candy Cane Coaster (1st credit) and didn't like it at all. Was about 6 or 7 then.

 

Wow. Just a flood of old memories...

[TheRapidsNerd]

An interesting footnote here. When I talked to the curator, I asked if the depot would be interested in copies of my work. The lady said possibly and gave me an email to send sample pictures to. Got a positive reply today (Jan 2, 2008) wanting more pictures. Just sent off the next round. Since these folks are on a shoe string, I just donated the pictures for the public good. It'll be interesting to see the response and what becomes of my photo work.

 

Hey, if my creative stuff can benefit whatever community I'm a part of, I'm all for that. Everybody wins in the long run.

 

Will keep folks posted on what happens.

[coasterdude5]

Sounds great, must be an honor. Props to you for donating them.

[TheRapidsNerd]

^ A bit of an honor, perhaps. I just did it because it felt like what should be done. Something higher suggested I do this, so I followed that suggestion. Hope the pictures help the depot in whatever capacity.