Vintage Things That Have Disappeared In Your Lifetime?

[jamespowers]

Mine was a real sleeper (i.e., a car that doesn't look like it can go as fast as it does), so I took a lot of people by surprise. It topped out at about 90 mph, but a friend had a '63 with a larger engine and got his up to around 120 mph on an empty stretch of freeway while I was riding with him once. :eeek:

A VW going 120?! Were the doors and fenders falling off?

 

[Gregg Axley]

A VW going 120?! Were the doors and fenders falling off?

That's living on the edge!
If he had to stop quickly, would the car do a summersault? :eeek:

 

[Big Man]

One "vintage" thing I remember that has disappeared in my lifetime is the train picking up the mail. When I was a youngster, my aunt used to walk with me down to the railroad tracks where we would sit on an old log and watch for the mail train to come by. There was a tall post with a big hook on the top right beside the tracks. Jim Parks, the Mailman, would climb the ladder on the post and put the large canvas mail sack on the hook. When the mail train would come by there was a big hook they let out from the mail car (usually the second or third car from the engine). The hook from the mail car would grab the mail bag right off the post. The train never slowed down. I always thought that was such a fun thing to watch.

The old post is now long gone, but the cement footing where it once stood is still there. Every time we cross the tracks, I point to it and tell my grandchildren about how the mail bag used to get snatched off the post by a speeding train. I'm not sure they believe me, as it sounds all so unreal these days.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

A VW going 120?! Were the doors and fenders falling off?

 

[Shangas]

I remember when that ad came out. It caused a LOT of controversy, from what I recall.

One "vintage" thing I remember that has disappeared in my lifetime is the train picking up the mail. When I was a youngster, my aunt used to walk with me down to the railroad tracks where we would sit on an old log and watch for the mail train to come by. There was a tall post with a big hook on the top right beside the tracks. Jim Parks, the Mailman, would climb the ladder on the post and put the large canvas mail sack on the hook. When the mail train would come by there was a big hook they let out from the mail car (usually the second or third car from the engine). The hook from the mail car would grab the mail bag right off the post. The train never slowed down. I always thought that was such a fun thing to watch.

The old post is now long gone, but the cement footing where it once stood is still there. Every time we cross the tracks, I point to it and tell my grandchildren about how the mail bag used to get snatched off the post by a speeding train. I'm not sure they believe me, as it sounds all so unreal these days.

I know what you're talking about. The sacks used on those mail-runs were all specially-designed and made. Ordinary sacks of the time were not sufficient, since the speed of the train meant that the hook would smash into the sack and rip the whole thing open.

They're called MAIL CRANES, by the way. Or Postal Cranes. There were also ones which allowed you to drop off mail. The mail-sorters hooked the sacks onto the sides of the carriages. When the train ran past a crane, the crane-arm whipped the sack off, and it landed in a basket by the side of the tracks. Then the local postman would come along, pick up the sack and carry it off. He might load up the crane with outgoing mail at the same time, for the next train to snatch up on its way through.

[video=youtube;-bc-qvuoARA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bc-qvuoARA[/video]

 

[jamespowers]

That's living on the edge!
If he had to stop quickly, would the car do a summersault? :eeek:

Stopping it would be like the cartoon where the guy stops the car and it grinds down into the ground until there is nothing left and he hops off.

 

[jamespowers]

One of the premier reasons why I wouldn't even THINK of owning one.....

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I'd rather have the one on the bottom. Defensive driving, ya know!

 

[MissMittens]

A phone that's just a phone?

No problem.

haha! love it

 

[MissMittens]

I'm speechless, lol!!!!

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I'm glad it was enjoyed. I was worried about offending my friends here on the Lounge. Glad a laugh was had lol

 

[Zombie_61]

A VW going 120?! Were the doors and fenders falling off?

To be honest, it was actually a nice smooth ride. And no, no body parts were harmed.

...If he had to stop quickly, would the car do a summersault? :eeek:

Unless they've been modified, VWs from that era have drum brakes all around. At normal speeds stopping wasn't usually a problem; at 120 mph you'd just sort of slow down far more gradually than would be desirable...right up to the moment you ran into whatever you were hoping to avoid. lol

 

[Gregg Axley]

But you were getting good gas mileage.
Up until that point...

Since James has a fascination with Darts, I'll share a short story.
In HS, a buddy of mine got his up to 120mph, not a big deal for a 340 GT. What he didn't know was he should have bled the brakes more the previous day, after putting new shoes on the car. The brake pedal went to the floor, but he managed to gear down (4 speed) to 60mph before hitting a tree. Well at 60 a Dart doesn't turn left or right suddenly, at least very well.
Surprisingly enough, the car (and the occupants) survived the crash, and the car only needed an A frame (and some engine dress up parts replaced). That model Dart is okay, but into the 70's? Blech.

 

[jamespowers]

I'm glad it was enjoyed. I was worried about offending my friends here on the Lounge. Glad a laugh was had lol

Well, we understand it from a historical perspective. ;p

 

[jamespowers]

To be honest, it was actually a nice smooth ride. And no, no body parts were harmed.

Unless they've been modified, VWs from that era have drum brakes all around. At normal speeds stopping wasn't usually a problem; at 120 mph you'd just sort of slow down far more gradually than would be desirable...right up to the moment you ran into whatever you were hoping to avoid. lol

Reminds me of the Cadillac without brakes in Fletch Lives.

 

[bburtner@moran]

Slide rule.

 

[dnjan]

I still use my slide rule. Great for "making up" data for exams that is close enough for the students to be able to correctly analyze it, but not so perfect that the answer is obvious.
(We used to use the term "dry-labbing" when we made up results. Frowned-upon from a scientific perspective ... )

 

[HudsonHawk]

Isaac Newton thought the slide rule was the bane of civilization. He said "the kids these days can't even do a simple differential equation without one of those modern technological trinkets".

 

[jamespowers]

Isaac Newton thought the slide rule was the bane of civilization. He said "the kids these days can't even do a simple differential equation without one of those modern technological trinkets".

And he was right. Look at what we have now with bigger crutches.
Let's also remember that he spent a huge amount of time trying to turn lead into gold and other nut bar ideas so......

 

[LizzieMaine]

We may have all those technological crutches, but I still can't do differential equations. I can't even do long division.

Thank you, New Math. Speaking of "nut bar ideas."