The whole St John thing is rather interesting. Common use of St is an abbreviation for Saint, and no you aren't going to confuse this Yank - Saint John, New Brunswick is not abbreviated, but St John's Newfoundland is. When used as a person's name, in Commonwealth countries it is usually pronounced "sin-jin" such as the alias Bond use in "A View to a Kill" - James St John Smythe. But American names like that - actress Jill St John, is "saint john"
Most of those New Jersey place names I am familiar with. Been to or through many, others are, if not served by the Reading, served by the CNJ.
It's not just the suggestive names of the PA Dutch towns - but the actual way the roads lead - leaving Virginville (whic is a bit of an outlier being up here near me, and not a half hour to the south where the rest of them are) and heading to Paradise you do indeed pass through Intercourse, unless you make a wrong turn, which will tkae you to BB. Check the map.
Then there are the silly ones in Central PA - made 'famous' by Chuck Yungkirth's model railroad. Gumstump and Snow Shoe are actual place names, not something he made up for model railroad purposes. In the depth of Winter, you probably need snow shoes to get around in Snow Shoe. Some poor sod probably tripped over the stump of a gum tree for the other.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
LastspikemikeSt John as a surname, not a place and Cholmondeley also a surname.
For fun, how about the last name of a figure from the early New York Central days, Featherstonhaugh.
I still remember in 7th grade reading Henry V part 2 out loud and coming unprepared upon the list of place names he invokes before battle. It was NOT good for me ...
wjstix"Wayzata" means "north shore" in the Dakota language; it's located on the north shore of Lake Minnetonka.
Interesting. We have road named Wayzata that runs along the North side of the Caloosahatchee River in North Fort Myers. The name makes pretty good sense now.
According to your post, we are all pronouncing it wrong.
Thank you for the information.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
SeeYou190 There is a city in Minnesota named Wayzata. I do not know the origin of the name, but I assume they just took the leftover tiles from a game of Scrabble and threw them against a wall. The pattern they landed in spelled out the new city's name. -Keviun
There is a city in Minnesota named Wayzata. I do not know the origin of the name, but I assume they just took the leftover tiles from a game of Scrabble and threw them against a wall.
The pattern they landed in spelled out the new city's name.
-Keviun
SeeYou190 richhotrain And then there is Hurricane WV. It is pronounced HER-UH-KIN by the locals. Never call it HURRICANE! That is the same way the farmers in the central-state cities here in Florida pronounce Hurricane, as in the storms. -Kevin
richhotrain And then there is Hurricane WV. It is pronounced HER-UH-KIN by the locals. Never call it HURRICANE!
That is the same way the farmers in the central-state cities here in Florida pronounce Hurricane, as in the storms.
Alton Junction
Doughless I grew up with and graduated with three unrelated kids (we think) with the same last name. Huebner. One pronounced it Hewb-ner. Another, Heeb-ner. And the third, Hibb-ner. I guess none of them liked Hebb-ner.
We had a female engineer that came to work at my location for about a month.
Her last name was Kroch. She told me it was pronounced "Crook". That was the best news I could have heard.
Whew.
richhotrainAnd then there is Hurricane WV. It is pronounced HER-UH-KIN by the locals. Never call it HURRICANE!
And then there is Hurricane WV.
It is pronounced HER-UH-KIN by the locals.
Never call it HURRICANE!
Yes, the town in Ohio is pronounced Lye-muh. Not sure about the locomotive manufacturer.
The locals in Louisville (Lew-ee-vill), KY pronounce it LEW-uh-vull. And, you have to speak it from sort of deep in your throat, like Elvis Presley would.
In my high school class, I grew up with and graduated with three unrelated kids (we think) with the same last name. Huebner.
One pronounced it Hewb-ner.
Another, Heeb-ner.
And the third, Hibb-ner.
I guess none of them liked Hebb-ner.
One kid was 6'4"", the other about 5'6", and the third was a girl, so it was easy to keep them straight.
- Douglas
There is a village with the name Slaithwaite. When spoken say Sloughwit.
Another with the name Appletreewick. Say Aptrick.
We do not want people to get lost do we?
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
zugmann Both are unincorporated areas with zip codes only. Paradise is in Paradise Twp, and Ronks is in East Lampeter Twp, I believe. Jsut like there's no official municipality called "Hershey, PA". It's actually Derry Twp.
Both are unincorporated areas with zip codes only. Paradise is in Paradise Twp, and Ronks is in East Lampeter Twp, I believe.
Jsut like there's no official municipality called "Hershey, PA". It's actually Derry Twp.
Actually the part of the Ronks zip code where the Strasburg Rail Road is in Strasburg Township, but you were close East Lampeter is just north of there, where the center of the Ronks community is.
Here in Maryland we actually have very few incorporated towns, and no local government below the county level outside of the incorporated towns. For example here in Harford County MD, not far real from Strasburg PA, we have three small incoporated towns, Havre de Grace (site of a famous battle in the war of 1812), Aberdeen (birthplace of baseball star Cal Ripken) and Bel Air, the county seat.
I live in the Havre de Grace postal zone, but outside the town limit.
PA has the township local government below the county government.
Sheldon
Both are unincorporated area/ census designated place/whatever with zip codes only. Paradise is in Paradise Township (Twp), and Ronks is in East Lampeter Twp, I believe.
And don't mix up Ronks with Rancks.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
zugmann Overmod There are so many that you can write a lyric comparable to Dave Van Ronk's Garden State Stomp with ... you know. Itonically, there's also a Ronks, PA.
Overmod There are so many that you can write a lyric comparable to Dave Van Ronk's Garden State Stomp with ... you know.
Itonically, there's also a Ronks, PA.
Which is the zip code zone where the Strasburg Rail Road is located.
Strasburg Rail Road
301 Gap Road
Ronks, PA 17572
The railroads station and shops are located just outside of Strasburg and just barely in the Ronks zip code.
And the other end of the line is Paradise.......
Paradise, PA 17562
OvermodThere are so many that you can write a lyric comparable to Dave Van Ronk's Garden State Stomp with ... you know.
SeeYou190 richhotrain The most accepted pronunciation of Chicago is SHA-CAW-GO. But some diehard south side Chicagoans still pronounce it as CHI-CAH-GO. Those are the two pronunciations my wife's family argues about. -Kevin
richhotrain The most accepted pronunciation of Chicago is SHA-CAW-GO. But some diehard south side Chicagoans still pronounce it as CHI-CAH-GO.
Those are the two pronunciations my wife's family argues about.
It is SAW-SUDGE, not SAH-SIDGE.
Rich
richhotrainThe most accepted pronunciation of Chicago is SHA-CAW-GO. But some diehard south side Chicagoans still pronounce it as CHI-CAH-GO.
richhotrain The most accepted pronunciation of Chicago is SHA-CAW-GO. But some diehard south side Chicagoans still pronounce it as CHI-CAH-GO. We elitists scoff at that pronunciation, made with a short I on that first syllable. Rich
The most accepted pronunciation of Chicago is SHA-CAW-GO. But some diehard south side Chicagoans still pronounce it as CHI-CAH-GO. We elitists scoff at that pronunciation, made with a short I on that first syllable.
Nice to know I have been saying it correctly, at least within the scope of my Mid Atlantic dialect.
rrinker The rivers around here may carry Native American names, but the towns are purely invented by the PA Dutch (when not named after English ones - or Welsh ones when you get just outside Philly). I mean, Bird-in-Hand, really? And the one that starts with Blue (not Blue Bell, that's a different town, and merely a flower).
(As a former New Jerseyan who grew up in one of the towns mentioned here, I get to mention this song; yes, all the names are real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpbNdTY0ogQ)
One amusing aside: One of my godfathers was the Episcopal bishop of Philadelphia, and he and I were out in the country talking about the funny names. As we passed an intersection I said "stop, I'll bet there's something licentious about the street names" -- and I walked back to find we were at the intersection of Peters and Leacock Roads...
Best straight place name you can't say without laughing: Nether Providence.
Isn't it "Shi-COG-ah"? In southern OH the big city is pronounced "Sin-sin-NA-tah" by the locals.
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
richhotrainTake a try at Chicago, my hometown.
My wife and her family are from the Chicago area, and they cannot agree how to pronounce it.
richhotrain Take a try at Chicago, my hometown. Rich
Take a try at Chicago, my hometown.
Here in the Mid Atlantic it's a soft "ch" like "su"gar.
gmpullman One I frequently get a chuckle about is the Pennsylvania Dutch area near Lancaster. You won't see very many people in wooden shoes there. These are German descendents, i.e. The Pennsylvania Dutch (Pennsilfaanisch-Deitsch) Now, is it LAN-Caster or LANK-ister? (I prefer the former) Cheers, Ed
One I frequently get a chuckle about is the Pennsylvania Dutch area near Lancaster.
You won't see very many people in wooden shoes there. These are German descendents, i.e. The Pennsylvania Dutch (Pennsilfaanisch-Deitsch)
Now, is it LAN-Caster or LANK-ister? (I prefer the former)
Cheers, Ed
The dormer is a town in England, and also a WWII bomber. The latter is how we actually say it here.
The rivers around here may carry Native American names, but the towns are purely invented by the PA Dutch (when not named after English ones - or Welsh ones when you get just outside Philly). I mean, Bird-in-Hand, really? And the one that starts with Blue (not Blue Bell, that's a different town, and merely a flower).
Amazing how many people want to say "reading" like something you do with a book. It's "redding". Californians apparantly had to spell it phoenetically to pronounce it properly.
Overmod dehusman And the city in Texas is named for the fellow Sam Hew-ston, and they will fight you over the pronunciation. Texans fight over other stupid wrong things too. You have to ask them something like 'if everything is bigger in Texas, is it true that Texas has the largest midgets' to shut them up sometimes. Look where that fellow Sam "Hewston" came from and you'll see where the right of it is. It's little different from those folks who established Versailles, Kentucky ... although they are correct in so pronouncing the name of the '70s Lincoln competition to the original Seville Nova...
dehusman And the city in Texas is named for the fellow Sam Hew-ston, and they will fight you over the pronunciation.
Texans fight over other stupid wrong things too. You have to ask them something like 'if everything is bigger in Texas, is it true that Texas has the largest midgets' to shut them up sometimes.
Look where that fellow Sam "Hewston" came from and you'll see where the right of it is. It's little different from those folks who established Versailles, Kentucky ... although they are correct in so pronouncing the name of the '70s Lincoln competition to the original Seville Nova...
Just never ask a New Yorker where "hew-ston" street is.
And some of those clever sounding neighborhoods? SoHo just means SOuth of HOuston.
SeeYou190 tstage ATLANTIC CENTRAL SeeYou190 Albany, New York: All Buh Knee Albany, Georgia: Al Bin Ee Or... Just be like Florida, and name your cities things like Apalachicola, Kissimmee, Okahumpka, Steinhatchee, Immokallee, Weewahitchka, etc., and laugh at the tourists trying to pronounce them. -Kevin You left out Okeechobee...... Sheldon And Ichetucknee... Well, I could not make an exhaustive list... we have hundreds of cities with Native American names that are difficult for tourists to pronounce. -Kevin
tstage ATLANTIC CENTRAL SeeYou190 Albany, New York: All Buh Knee Albany, Georgia: Al Bin Ee Or... Just be like Florida, and name your cities things like Apalachicola, Kissimmee, Okahumpka, Steinhatchee, Immokallee, Weewahitchka, etc., and laugh at the tourists trying to pronounce them. -Kevin You left out Okeechobee...... Sheldon And Ichetucknee...
ATLANTIC CENTRAL SeeYou190 Albany, New York: All Buh Knee Albany, Georgia: Al Bin Ee Or... Just be like Florida, and name your cities things like Apalachicola, Kissimmee, Okahumpka, Steinhatchee, Immokallee, Weewahitchka, etc., and laugh at the tourists trying to pronounce them. -Kevin You left out Okeechobee...... Sheldon
SeeYou190 Albany, New York: All Buh Knee Albany, Georgia: Al Bin Ee Or... Just be like Florida, and name your cities things like Apalachicola, Kissimmee, Okahumpka, Steinhatchee, Immokallee, Weewahitchka, etc., and laugh at the tourists trying to pronounce them. -Kevin
Albany, New York: All Buh Knee
Albany, Georgia: Al Bin Ee
Or... Just be like Florida, and name your cities things like Apalachicola, Kissimmee, Okahumpka, Steinhatchee, Immokallee, Weewahitchka, etc., and laugh at the tourists trying to pronounce them.
You left out Okeechobee......
And Ichetucknee...
Well, I could not make an exhaustive list... we have hundreds of cities with Native American names that are difficult for tourists to pronounce.
I only mentioned Okeechobee because my mother lives there........
selectorI think there must be a 'correct' way, but you'll have arguments.
There are plenty of people who cannot spell 'Walschaerts' either -- some of whom attempted to game the system by proposing that we simply term it 'Walschaert' for simplicity. Like the Post Office arbitrarily simplifying 'Pittsburgh' for a few years, or later requiring weird address syntax to suit their early OCR systems.
Well, I live pretty close to there, I can be at the Strasburg Rail Road in less than an hour, and in Lancaster City in an hour and 20 minutes.
We deal with the PA Dutch (Amish) all the time, some of them built my deck 25 years ago. And while they all speak good English with their own unique accent, they also speak a version of German that is somewhat frozen in time from about 1720.
They don't own or drive cars, but they will pay the "English" to drive them to a construction job and just sit there all day while they work.
The people in Lancaster PA, and in this region, mostly say LANK-ister.