Cub Scouts in the 50's

[RememberSchiff]

Saturday, Jan. 29, 1955, a train ride in western Massachusetts. On that date 57 Cub Scouts from Pack 96 participated in a train excursion from Pittsfield, MA to Great Barrington, MA and back. A first train ride for most of them but more Scout adventures were ahead.

Source: More reminiscing of author's train ride and other Cub Scout experience in the 50's. 

https://www.berkshireeagle.com/history/cub-scout-packs-dens-berkshire/article_7e10f4d2-7c69-11ef-836e-db34f4c1778a.html

Something special about a journey together on same train, bus, plane. Years ago, we planned a train trip  to a  camp site at a state park. A first train ride for many.  Many pennies placed on rails for the locomotive to press on departure. 

Edited September 27 by RememberSchiff

[skeptic]

My first real train experience that I remember was also in Scouting.  Going to the 1960 Jamboree via Santa Fe RR from San Bernardino, around about for ten days before and after the event and getting the feel of what a railroad was.  Today, much of the glamour is gone, but it is still a great experience if going cross country.  They have the two level cars to view the scenery, and they even have the night sky visible on some trips.  We slept in the pull down births, ate in a dining car attached to a cook car with a woodburning stove, and traveled a couple thousand miles.  Still one of the highlights of my life and of Scouting.  Took the train to PTC  few years ago.  Was a nice reminder, and I occasionally go locally on short trips.  Of course, I also experienced the old So Cal Red Cars in the fifties.  One of the most stupid things they did was get rid of them in favor of the freeways.  You could go almost anywhere, and make connections, including to the Grand Central in L.A.  

[RememberSchiff]

My first train ride came as a Boy Scout in a Philmont contingent travelling by bus. Enroute, we stopped at snow-topped Pikes Peak in Colorado. We wore our summer uniforms  - shorts and short sleeve shirt with a light red jacket and a straw cowboy hat. More costumed than uniformed. 

Excited to ascend, we loaded onboard the Cog Railway passenger car. My adult advisor tapped my shoulder and quietly advised  "Your fly is down." Oh, I attempted to remedy, but my zipper was BROKE!  Worse, my other pair of shorts was on the contingent bus at some faraway parking lot.  Too faraway. Leadership in crisis.  My solution was to wrap my jacket around my waist. 

Mostly, I froze. More sensibly attired tourists remarked that I should put my jacket on.  At the Peak, standing in the back row against a snow bank, I temporarily wore my rumbled jacket for the requisite group photo.

Every scout knew my situation. Some older scouts kindly reassured me not to worry. We will get this fixed so I would not have the same problem at the Mt. Battie Cog Railway. Patrol Method at work. 

Somewhere between there and Cimarron, the zipper was repaired.  Surprisingly, there was no cog railway at Philmont or at least then. With my patrol, and my fly closed, I hiked up Mt. Battie filled with unaware confidence.  All was right, well except where we could see those spinning tornadoes out on the distant plains.

I was prepared but payment would come due.

Battie would claim my pocket knife. 

Later back home, for some reason my face appeared blurred on the Pikes Peak group photo. 

My parents assumed fidgeting, a common scout malady. 

RS

[skeptic]

A cog train is also an unusual and fun ride.  Rode the short one in the L.A. area, Angel's Flight I believe, as a kid.  Was told there was one on Mount Wilson, but never saw or rode it, but I also never visited its observatory.  In Europe in the sixties rode a couple of cog trains, as well as long cable cars.  We also used to have a small miniature RR at Griffith Park; think it is no longer running, but not sure.  Still would love to do the Grand Canyon steam train, but not likely now.