Frank's Place: April 2011

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Electric City Trolley

Philadelphia Suburban 76, derailed on the second run of the season, just after Noon today, just north of the Brady Yard.

Friday, April 29, 2011

New Jersey Transit "Comet Coaches" next to the administration building. These are expected to be used for excursions by the Erie - Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society at some point in the future. They also own the Nickle Plate sleeper seen in the distance.

Steamtown

One of the few remaining Lackawanna Railroad milk cars. This one had been converted to M-O-W service.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Scranton

Looking towards Adams Avenue, from 5th floor Scranton Life Building.

Scranton

Side view of the Mears Building, from the 5th floor of the Scranton Life Building.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Scranton

Courthouse Square from the fifth floor of the Scranton Life Building, yesterday afternoon.

Scranton

Looking west down Spruce Street, from the fifth floor of the Scranton Life Building yesterday afternoon.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Delaware - Lackawanna Railroad

Westbound Delaware - Lackawanna freight passing Steamtown mall last Friday morning.

Steamtown

Nickle Plate sleeper City of Lima at Steamtown, last Friday morning.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Nay Aug Falls

Nay Aug Falls this morning

Nay Aug Park

Flowers in Nay Aug Park this morning.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Erie Railroad: Wyoming Division

Milepost 12 is still hanging in there.

Steamtown

At the end of Bridge 60 this speeder shed has recently made an appearance. I'm not sure where it was moved from, but it is a welcome addition.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Steamtown

Reading FP7's 902-903 at Steamtown, these units are scheduled to pull several excursions this upcoming season, starting with the Tunkhannock Viaduct excursion on Saturday May 28.

Steamtown

Union Pacific 4012 yesterday morning at the Steamtown entrance.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Embassy Vinyl

Saturday was the annual Record Store Day event, we stopped by Embassy Vinyl at the corner of Adams & Mulberry Streets. It's always a worthwhile stop.

Steamtown

A bleak Saturday morning at Steamtown, freight trains sitting on the mainline.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Nay Aug Falls

All that rain yesterday had the falls roaring this morning.

Step Falls

Step Falls viewed from the Harrison Avenue Bridge, this morning.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Smitty, Dragonwyck, and the Allen Theatre

The recent passing of Dragonwyck's Bill Pettijohn had me reminiscing:
Smitty claimed to be Dragonwyck's manager for the first year I was at the theatres. Maybe he was, there was some connection with the group. They played at his "Save the Allen" benefit on Sunday, April 16, 1972, along with a number of other Cleveland bands.One time that spring we found these old lanterns in the basement of the Ohio, under the stage. We brought them back to the Allen, they were so old that when he filled them with kerosene the glass globes crystallized. He got one of those Cinerama screen ribbons and lettered it Dragonwyck, and let it dangle from one of them (Draggin' wick!) I know he used to hang out with them at the Viking Saloon on Chester across from CSU.

One Sunday morning the big story was how everyone was at a party in a building around the corner from Public Square the previous night.The building with that big Cinzano sign on it. For some reason the police came, someone leaned against a window to see what was going on, and it fell onto a police car. Unfortunately I was a bit young to be at such events, but I sure heard a lot about it that morning!

Dragonwyck played an unauthorized concert/rehearsal in the Allen sometime that summer, probably late June/early July, 1972. What made it unauthorized was there were no stagehands present, which was a big no-no with the union. They had a rented truck they pulled around that little bend in the alleyway so that it wasn't visible from Dodge Court, lest some stagehand happen to see it. They then went out to dinner. Unknowingly they blocked a limo from those IT&T people that had offices, and an entrance from the Bulkley Building Annex alongside the Allen. I'm sitting in the office, by myself and one of those IT&T people storms in, demanding I move the truck. Of course, I can't do that, I'm 15, don't know how to drive, and don't have the keys. That guy cursed me out for a good 10 minutes before storming back out. Everyone had a good laugh at that when they returned.

One evening that July, I'm in that office on the mezzanine, the one Bert Legrand used, and Smitty calls me on the phone. He's roaring drunk, telling me about the big tour he's planning for Dragonwyck. It was around when the Stones played the Rubber Bowl, so there's probably not a coincidence. He was going on and on about how they guys in the group all like me and want me to go along with them in some capacity. I seriously doubt those guys knew who I was, other then the "Kid from the Allen," maybe. But either way that didn't happen.

The other incident I recall is when they played at the new Mad Hatter, on 18th, right around when it opened. For some reason they wouldn't let Smitty in without an ID. Smitty was around 40 then, no way he even looked close to being 21, but he couldn't enter.

I always remember the people in that crowd. Smitty's much younger girlfriend Vera-Lynn, those Lakewood hippies, Poe, Kevin, and the rest whose names I forget. It was quite an introduction to show-biz for me.