# Next stop AMBOY!!!!



## SF Gal (11 mo ago)

The Illinois Central ran through Amboy, Illinois and so did this Gal, as I visited that fair small town America to pick up a lot of needlepoint accessories(another one of my hobbies.) gifted to me by a friends relative.
So I was pleasently surprised to see a train museum right in town!
Some photos....

















And of course, they had a model railroad too!!!!!





















































They also had some town history and "glamour" too...








and in the caboose....









It was a neat little town as I have never been there before...if you are in the area, check it out and keep our Americana history alive!


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## Berrychon (4 mo ago)

Do you really buy all that stuff ?


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

The exempt sign on the crossing signal post caught my eye. Never seen that before. I guess that means you won’t hear two longs, a short and a long at that crossing.


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

Lehigh74 said:


> The exempt sign on the crossing signal post caught my eye. Never seen that before. I guess that means you won’t hear two longs, a short and a long at that crossing.


No, you’ll still hear the train horn. The exempt sign is for drivers of school buses 
and haz mat haulers. It means that they are not required to stop at that crossing.


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

Thanks for the answer, I also was wondering about that.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I do wish someone would offer a model of any of the Illinois Central Diesels with the green diamond logo. Last two I had were Athearn GP-38s about 35 years ago.

The crossing signal needs turned 90° so it's facing the road and not the tracks.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Really cool! Always neat to find railway things in the small towns….


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## OilValleyRy (Oct 3, 2021)

Lehigh74 said:


> The exempt sign on the crossing signal post caught my eye. Never seen that before. I guess that means you won’t hear two longs, a short and a long at that crossing.


Yep, that exempt is for vehicles at a “dead” crossing as @prrfan stated.
However such “no horn” signs do exist. I checked Google Streetview but there’s no photos of where I’ve seen a couple. Ann Arbor street in Durand, MI. Approaching the station you cross a connection between EB & SB mainlines. There’s a sign that says “no horn” or something to that effect. Reason being trains can come through at all hours, and houses are literally 30-40 feet away. Astonishingly, I did not notice any yard fences either. Imagine raising toddlers 30 ft from an active unprotected mainline! Yikes!

Photo of said signage from a website to illustrate. There are 4 “quiet zones” in that town.
https://railfanguides.us/mi/durand/IMG_0356.JPG


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## Chaostrain (Jan 27, 2015)

OilValleyRy said:


> Yep, that exempt is for vehicles at a “dead” crossing as @prrfan stated.


Not just dead crossings, also crossings that control traffic signals, usually at auto intersections so you don't have busses and trucks stopping in the middle of the intersection.


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## SF Gal (11 mo ago)

Berrychon said:


> Do you really buy all that stuff ?


No silly! Though I have this one dress that the mink shawl would look divine in, it was a display for 50's fashions and what most ladies wore on the train.
I remember wearing my Sunday best clothes and shoes on the train to go shopping downtown with my Mother, riding the South Shore train line.
Anyway, I did find a few train lapel pins.....









I think they were $4 each. I will put them on my train hats!!!! I have a few as a mini collection.








*Now if I can just find a Santa Fe dress or conductorette uniform, how cool would that be!*


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## OilValleyRy (Oct 3, 2021)

What color were those atsf uniforms? The coat looks darker so I’d guess red coat rather than yellow, over a gray or yellow dress? Gotta paint figures accordingly, ya know? 
On that note I think I’ll need a SouthWest Airlines stewardess figure on my layout. Hashtag catcall.


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## SF Gal (11 mo ago)

OilValleyRy said:


> What color were those atsf uniforms? The coat looks darker so I’d guess red coat rather than yellow, over a gray or yellow dress? Gotta paint figures accordingly, ya know?.....


I have been searching Santa Fe uniforms until I found that picture.
It is all I have found besides the Harvey Girls who waited tables at the Cali depot and on a few dining cars.
I am *pretty sure* (dont hold me to it!) the lady on the left is wearing a red blazer and yellow shift dress with a Santa Fe logo on the left lapel, black leather ballet flats, on her feet.
The lady on the right is wearing red shift dress with french sleaves and a Santa Fe Logo also on the left, yellow leather ballet flats.
Both ladies have a yellow headband in their hair.
The logo I am guessing is a button, like this...








They did have different buttions for the Super Chief, The Scout, The San Diegan, Disneyland, Texas Chief, The Grand Canyon, etc.... and were possibly changed out depending on the destination. It doenst look like they had anything embroidered on their uniforms, IMO.


OilValleyRy said:


> On that note I think I’ll need a SouthWest Airlines stewardess figure on my layout. Hashtag catcall.


 Oh, I think the the stewardresses on the airlines in the 60's had the prettiest uniforms too.








Walking in those 3 inch high heel pumps had to be a challenge in jet turbulance.
My cousin Christine was a stewardess for Piedmont Airlines and went to Wendy Ward Charm school in the late 60's. My Mom got a hold of the charm school pamplet and tried to teach me a few of those lessons in the late 70's. Fun memories. Curious if being a lady conductor or liaison on the railroads held the same high standards before the airlines took a lot of business away?


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## Mixed Freight (Aug 31, 2019)

SF Gal said:


> Now it I can just find a Santa Fe dress or conductorette uniform, how cool would that be!
> View attachment 591321


Cool, yes! But instead of waiting to find something, maybe make your own?

I've made a few things in my favorite railroad motif (albeit haven't attempted any clothing yet! ).


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## Trackjockey05 (Jun 30, 2020)

I live about 18 miles from Amboy, they have the annual Depot Days every august, they have a 50/50 raffle, car show, vendors, bands, etc, the CB&Q/BN ran through there as well, on the North end of town, that steam locomotive is actually an ex Grand Trunk Western engine that was one of several Northwestern Steel in Sterling used as switchers, if you ever get to Mendota they have a nice museum in the former depot there as well as several pieces of rolling stock, I’ve been to Amboy plenty of times but haven’t been in that museum, need to go up there and check it out


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## SF Gal (11 mo ago)

Paul, those uniforms remind me of the Federation of Planets or Startrek dresses the ladies wore on the original show.
Now, I know they sell those uniforms on-line here, I would have to cut the insigna and sleeves but that could work.








Tj, interesting and Depot Dazes sounds like a lot of good old small town fun. I love this part of the country, especially now that the fall colors are turning. Since our Indian Summer has arrived this weekend, I may checkout Mendota, but I really don't have an excuse to go there, if only for the fall colors and the museum. That is a 90 minute drive from home and about $60 in gas for my little Ranger. Thanks for the info, very interesting. 😊


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## fredbon (Mar 4, 2016)

OK, are we talking CA or IL?


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## SF Gal (11 mo ago)

Sorry, Illinois.


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## Trackjockey05 (Jun 30, 2020)

fredbon said:


> OK, are we talking CA or IL?


The one in California is a very sleepy town compared to its Illinois counterpart


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Is it my imagination or is this locomotive missing a pilot truck or two?


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## highvoltage (Apr 6, 2014)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Is it my imagination or is this locomotive missing a pilot truck or two?


I did an image search and came up with this:

Based on a USRA design, #8376 was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1929, one of over seventy 0-8-0 switchers bought by the Grand Trunk Western for its Chicago-Detroit system.


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## Trackjockey05 (Jun 30, 2020)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Is it my imagination or is this locomotive missing a pilot truck or two?


They were built that way, but they do look like they’re missing a pilot truck


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Wow, it sure looks like it really needs a pilot truck!


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