Vintage shots from days gone by!

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SWI66,
Those are some very cool pictures. We had a Woolworth's in our town also. It was a great place to shop.

 

Hey Moefuzz, since you posted several pictures of Dorrance, Kansas a few pages back here are some shots of my Dad painting the Dorrance grain elevator back in the 1950's. After spraying it all silver he looked like the Tin Man!

 

Love the "Kitch " archecture !!!!!!!!!!!!!! This makes my week . scrubba

 

"The Bomber" Service Station (1947 - 1991) and "The Bomber" Restaurant (1991 - present) Owned and operated by Art Lacey/family.

In 1947, Art Lacey of Milwaukee, OR traveled to a Kansas bone yard to perchase a WWII surplus B-17 to install as a gas and service station along Hwy 99 in Oregon. Lacey arrived at the Bone yard and paid $13,000 for a brand new B-17G that was built just at the end of the war and had never seen combat. He asked which plane he had purchased, and their reply was "take your pick" ...of the hundreds and hundreds of them lined up in the yard.

Lacey, an amerture pilot, had decided to fly his new B-17G home to Oregon himself. Never having flown a 4-engine aircraft before, Lacey took some time breezing over the operators manual while taxiing around the field. After taking off (with the aid of a manikin in the co-pilots seat because they would not let him fly alone) and getting used to the controls, he attempted to land.....but realized that he needed a co-pilot to lower the landing gears and aid in the landing. Lacey crashed his new plane and took out a second that was on the ground. The surplus dealers simply wrote them off as "wind damaged" and sold him another from the lot for just $1,500. Lacey then convinced a friend to help him bring the plane home...and with a case of whiskey, they were off.

After flying to Palm Springs for fuel, they hit a snow storm and could not find their way, so Lacey dropped the B-17G below 1,000 ft and followed the railroad tracks. His friend would lay in the nose and yell "TUNNEL" every time he saw one.....and Lacey would pull her into a climb to clear the mountain. Lacey almost hit one and on a few occasions flew low enough that they could read street signs to get their bearings

After getting the B-17G to Oregon safely (though he did buzz a friends house at less then 500 ft ) The worked to get the permits needed to move the B-17 to it's current location via Hwy 99. The City refused....so Lacey just did it late at night and ended up getting a $10 ticket for a wide load without a permit. Lacey Told the truck drivers "Don't stop, I'll pay the tickets...just don't let them stop you"

The B-17G, dubbed the "Lacey Lady" watched over passing motorists and Hwy 99 for 5 decades and suffered it fair share of abuse, vandalism and neglect. Gas station service finally ceased in 1991 and the Lacey's opened a restaurant in it's place. Just prior to Lacey's death, he and his family began a campaign to restore the B-17G. As of present they have the nose section restored and are working on removing the rest of the plane.

Fore more info: http://b17wingsoffreedom.org/index.htm

 

Item 29150 zoom

Description

A double streetcar, owned by the Sanford & Cape Porpoise Railway Co., with passengers in Springvale near Sanford. This was the end of the route from Cape Porpoise and Kennebunkport.

 

The Piranha from "The Man from UNCLE" fame. Was issued in kit form by AMT, costs an arm and a leg now... if you can find one!.

 

The "Lacey Lady", from the good old days when men were MEN!!. Can you imagine going to a GovFed place, buy your OWN functional bomber, fork the cash and take off just like that?. Now 70 years later........... Never mind, it's depressing.

 

Looks like a Collins KW.1 to me. jobob

 

I have one.......

The Drag Race team version of the Pirahna Kit was re-issued and i've seen it around.


If you think the Man from U.N.C.L.E kit is rare.
Find the Girl from U.N.C.L.E version, or the French version of the kit Mademoiselle L'agente Secrete 97.



http://www.c-we.com/piranha/page4.htm

 

Arm and leg in the mail already!.

 

I know, it is a great fantasy of mine to live back in those days.....when anybody could just go buy a used B-17G and fly it home

Like Elwood Blues said..."They were practically givin' 'em away"

I grew up (and still live) close to the "Lacey Lady" and remember when it still operated as a gas station. When my father was a boy, you could go inside and tour it...sit in the cockpit while your car was getting a fill up and service. The wear and vandalism proved to be too much of a toll on the "Lady" and access to the interior stopped sometime in the 1960's

Their plan is to restore the "Lady" original condition and FAA approved Flying condition. Her new home will be used as an educational and interpretive center...as well as a service and maintenance facility.

 

This may have already been addressed, but this is a piece done by Dan McCreary, noted automotive artist.