My grandparents and great-grandparents made every possible effort to make English my, my siblings, and my cousin's first language. I've had to re-learn my mother language almost from scratch. I must confess that it is relatively easy being the closest language to English and having studied Spanish, French, Hoch Deutsch, and Russian. My forebears intentionally left little linguistically for me to learn.
Thank you! My late wife grew up speaking a micro language called Lemko. It is sometimes considered a dialect of Ukrainian, but bears influence of Polish, Slovak, and some Hungarian. Its speakers are in Southern Poland. It was the old Austro-Hungarian empire when her four grandparents arrived here over a century ago.
But I'd like to hear more about the trains you grew up with in Iowa. Steam, Interurbans, Mixed Trains, etc. I missed out on all that. My parents moved to Vermont from suburban NYC area in 1956 when I was four and my brother two. Had they moved to Detroit, I might have experienced the last of GTW steam as described in the current issue of CT.
Frisian (or Plaat) is also spoken in Germany in areas near the Dutch border; areas including Emden, Aurich, and Leer from where my great-great and great grandparents emigrated. We grew up speaking Low German and English at home and High German along with English in church until the early '70s. And yes, Plaat is quite similar to English. I tell my wife it's akin to a mixture of English, Dutch, and German.
Fr.Al I say God Bless your grandparents and great-grandparents then! Frisian? As a language buff that piques my curiosity. Frisian is a micro language spoken in the Netherlands. It is supposed to be the closest language to English.
I say God Bless your grandparents and great-grandparents then! Frisian? As a language buff that piques my curiosity. Frisian is a micro language spoken in the Netherlands. It is supposed to be the closest language to English.
As a very young boy growing up in northeast Iowa, I can remember watching the Land O' Corn whizzing by my aunt and uncle's house in Manchester. That was quite a sight to see!
Believe this is true. NYS&W got those cars.
Wizlish KCSfan The Land 'o Corn was originally a two car train consisting of a gas electic "doodlebug" combine power unit pulling one coach. I have heard that locals referred to it as the "Can o' Corn" in that era. Was it not run with a Motorailer consist (both units powered, but the rear one with only one engine,not two)? And that only for a comparatively short time -- the Motorailers being wrecked, and when rebuilt sold to the Susie-Q? My understanding was that during and immediately after WWII the train was run with conventional equipment and steam power. I have no idea what specific type of equipment, though.
KCSfan The Land 'o Corn was originally a two car train consisting of a gas electic "doodlebug" combine power unit pulling one coach. I have heard that locals referred to it as the "Can o' Corn" in that era.
Was it not run with a Motorailer consist (both units powered, but the rear one with only one engine,not two)? And that only for a comparatively short time -- the Motorailers being wrecked, and when rebuilt sold to the Susie-Q?
My understanding was that during and immediately after WWII the train was run with conventional equipment and steam power. I have no idea what specific type of equipment, though.
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KCSfanThe Land 'o Corn was originally a two car train consisting of a gas electic "doodlebug" combine power unit pulling one coach. I have heard that locals referred to it as the "Can o' Corn" in that era.
I lived in Elmhurst and also would like to watch the Land O' Corn both ways at West Ave. Sometimes when the inbond was late I would estimate the speed of about 90 mph. Loved the striking colors and occasional E-9's great horns and unusual double white bulbed oscillating headlights. I moved to Wisconsin along the Soo Line and eventually hired out there at Stevens Point, doing many different jobs and finally retiring as a dispather on the CN
The Land O' Corn began handling Flexi-Vans for the Post Office in 1960.
The last run was August 5, 1967.
The Chicago-Sioux City run had the Hawkeye (11 & 12) until Amtrak began.
Amtrak's Black Hawk ran Chicago-Dubuque from Feb 14, 1974 until Sept 30, 1981.
The Land 'o Corn was originally a two car train consisting of a gas electic "doodlebug" combine power unit pulling one coach. I have heard that locals referred to it as the "Can o' Corn" in that era. Somewhere in the 1946-48 time period it was converted to a modern lightweight streamliner pulled by a single E diesel locomotive with a consist as describe above by Art. I don't know exactly when it was discontinued but would know it was in pre-Amtrak times probably in the late 1960's or early 70's. Currently there are plans to reinstate passenger service over that portion of the old Land 'o Corn's route between Chicago and Rockford.
Mark
From the June 1954 Official Guide, The IC 'Land of Corn', Trains 13 and 14.
Number 13: Lv Chicago 5:15PM, Ar Waterloo 10:55 PM
Coaches - Deluxe Reclining Seats - Chicago to Waterloo
Cafe-Lounge - Chicago to Waterloos.
Diner - Chicago to Freeport, Ill.
Number 14: Lv Waterloo 6:45AM, Ar Chicago 12:15PM
Coaches - Deluxe Reclining Seats - Waterloo to Chicago
Cafe-Lounge - Waterloo to Chicago
The April 1971 Guide shows only the 'Hawkeye', no 'Land of Corn'. This was the last month before the start of AMTRAK.
Art
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