Earlier this year, the city of Kingman, Ariz., looked into the possibility of a railroad quiet zone to keep trains from sounding their horns when passing through town. The City Council demurred and asked to see whether a similar quiet-zone program in Flagstaff is working. According to a report in the Kingman Daily Miner, the … Continue reading Railroad quiet zone idea gathers steam in Kingman
Category: Railroad
Streetcar Diner will be moved
As expected, the historic Streetcar Diner on the old Riviera Roadhouse property has been donated to the village of Gardner, Ill., where it will be moved in the coming days, reported the Morris Daily Herald. Here's background about the diner, which no longer operates as a restaurant but was restored a few years ago as … Continue reading Streetcar Diner will be moved
La Posada will redevelop east grounds
A new project is being planned for the east grounds of the already-impressive La Posada hotel on Route 66 in Winslow, Ariz. According to an entry today on the hotel's Facebook page: For the last few months Allan Affeldt and his staff have been working on the development of a project that will transform the … Continue reading La Posada will redevelop east grounds
Is the depot suitable for Joplin museum?
A story in the Joplin Globe this week shed light on why officials with the Joplin Museum Complex are hesitating to endorse an idea to renovate the city's historic railroad depot and move the museum there. [T]he existing interior space is less than the current museum’s, he said, based on his staff’s measurements of the … Continue reading Is the depot suitable for Joplin museum?
Joplin museum may be moved into depot
The Joplin Museum Complex in Joplin, Mo., may be moved into the historic Union Depot under a downtown development plan outlined by the city manager, according to the Joplin Globe. According to the newspaper, museum officials are set to discuss the proposal involving the nearly 100-year-old structure on Tuesday. They said they would remain publicly … Continue reading Joplin museum may be moved into depot
Reviving downtown Los Angeles — for real
Los Angeles Downtown News has published a comprehensive article about efforts to revitalize downtown Los Angeles, which includes the original western terminus of Route 66. Unlike previous efforts to boost downtown, Councilman Jose Huizar and the 10-year Bringing Back Broadway initiative seem to actually be making some headway. Among the initiatives quests is to establish a … Continue reading Reviving downtown Los Angeles — for real
Journalist dies in train-car crash near Amboy
I saw a story in the San Bernardino County Sun yesterday in which a man from Las Vegas had been traveling Route 66 west of Amboy, Calif., and suddenly stopped his car on the railroad tracks, where he died when a freight train hit it. The article didn't mention it at the time, but the … Continue reading Journalist dies in train-car crash near Amboy
Book review: “Appetite for America”
The last of the Harvey Houses closed more than 40 years ago, and they barely register a blip in the current public consciousness. But author Stephen Fried makes a compelling case in "Appetite for America" (Bantam, 544 pages, $27) that Fred Harvey and his restaurants and resorts made an impact on tourism, dining and the hospitality … Continue reading Book review: “Appetite for America”
Notes from the road
The neon sign of the historic Tower Theater in Oklahoma City will be relighted during a ceremony Friday evening. The theater, at 425 NW 23rd St. in Oklahoma City, will see its restored neon blazing away again at 6:30 p.m. that day after decades in the dark. Here's more about the theater, according to records … Continue reading Notes from the road
A tasty development
The original railroad Harvey House in Barstow, Calif., which is the home of Barstow Route 66 Mother Road Museum, will also play host to a farmers market starting this weekend, reported the Desert Dispatch. Barstow has been without a farmers’ market for some time, and the Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce aims to bring farmers … Continue reading A tasty development