Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:01:20 -0400
Reply-To: Oliver Mueller-Heubach <groundhogging@MAC.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Oliver Mueller-Heubach <groundhogging@MAC.COM>
Subject: Re: Fryeday Content.. some GM trivia and news on the VOLT (NVC)
In-Reply-To: <b86178850808151408g4e70b86bj2384107cf202ee15@mail.gmail.com>
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Here's One (sorry- long):
For background info on the Futurliner, go to www.futurliner.com
DAVE GARROWAY AND THE FUTURLINER
While at the Fleetwood Farms County Cruize-In in London, Ontario, Canada
we had lots of stories of the Futurliner's and the Parade of Progress as
it made its way through Canada during
the 1950's.
As Gail Snow (Futurliner volunteer) was talking to one gentleman, he
told this story:
"Just now as I was looking at this vehicle, I realized I had seen it
before. I had not thought about it since I was 5 years old. Now I
remember how huge it was, being so short at the time."
Gail asked him where it was, if it was about 1953 at the time, and what
a spectacle it must have been to see 12 huge vehicles.
He answered, "Yes, it was 1953, in New York City, but I only remember
seeing one."
(Since he looked elderly, I thought not to ask him if it were about 1941
when he had seen it...luckly)
>From Don Mayton now:
Our information on the Parade of Progress never had the Parade going
into New York City. The complete tour schedule for the USA and Canada is
contained in our recently released book; "GENERAL MOTORS PARADE OF
PROGRESS AND A FUTURLINER RETURNS". However, we did recall a story from
one of the Paraders, Renald Goyette (Rennie), who was a Parader from
August of 1954 until the end of the Parade of Progress in July of 1956.
Without any editing here is, THE REST OF THE STORY!!
Don!
My memory of 52 years ago is not like it was yesterday or even this
morning for that matter.
After the Parade terminated in the West -- Seattle I believe -- all
Futurliners, support vehicles and their crews came back to Detroit and
many of us went our separate ways.
Because of the popularity of "Our American Crossroads" exhibit
throughout the shows in all major cities of the U S, word came down that
Dave Garroway wanted to have this feature on one of his Monday morning
"Today Show".
Having had the assignment given to me to maintain the exhibit by Joe
Zell and Bill Higley who followed as Exhibit Maintenance Supervisor
while on the Parade, I was given the opportunity to drive the Unit to
NYC about the last week in July. This particular display was by tape
controlled strowger switches -- those used in automatic telephone
switching stations at the time, which flipped dioramas as the narrator
talked about the changes to the country because of the advent of the
automobile. I was experienced in this equipment thanks to the US Navy.
We had automatic telephones on the Aircraft Carrier the USS Oriskany CVA
- 34 in 1950 which I as an IC (Interior Communications) Electrician, was
responsible for as part of my duties.
As I recall, there were no Expressways, not route 80 or 90. I don't
think I took the PA Turnpike either though it was in operation I
believe.
It was a matter of getting the proper road maps and designing a course
to reach Times Square in time for the morning show three of four days
hence.
One must know that our Futurliners were not Greyhounds. Maximum speed
was about 50 maybe 52 MPH on the straight and level highway (main
roads), meaning it would take us 14 hours to do the 700 miles if we
could maintain 50. So, I figgered four days.
The second day out about 5 or 6 PM, "Crossroads " and I was limping
through a little town in PA I'd call "Pennsyltucky"! It was evident we
were not going to get out of town. This "Liner" had seen it's last mile
as I coasted to a Service Station with a Repair Garage on the side.
Recall this vehicle had left Detroit in the Mid 1953 went to the East
Coast, down to Florida, back up through the Ohio Valley through upstate
NY, through Canada back to Florida for the winter of '54 back up through
the Midwest, down through Texas and to San Angelo for the winter of '55
to the West Coast, down to San Diego up to Seattle and back to Detroit
by July of '56. Many, many faithful miles for this little transmission
that died on us in the hills of "Pennsyltucky"
A phone call to Bill Rodewig who was in charge of all vehicles for the
Parade gave us assurance someone would be there in the morning with a
new Tranny.
(Because you have my Confidential Address Book Don, I am not able to
look up the names and cannot recall the names of the two Technicians who
came to our rescue. I can see their faces but names aren't coming out of
the brain chip)
The men showed up early Saturday morning with the new Transmission and
with the help of the Garage personnel we were able to get the unit
installed and running in a matter of hours. We had still lost nearly a
day's travel so it was up to us to make up the time. Driving all day and
night and consuming a lot of "No Doz" and taking cat naps and more "No
Doz" saw the miles pile up. Sunday brought about the same schedule and
the new Tranny was not complaining for the job it has and was doing..
Sunday night we arrived in the "City" and parked at the Side entrance of
the studio. With the help of the Studio Technicians, "Crossroads" was
given a dry run very late into the evening and I was confident all
dioramas endured the trip and were ready for the Monday Morning News ---
Today Show --- with Dave Garroway..
The exhibit performed flawlessly and the show was deemed a great
success. Multi million viewers saw what the beginning of the U S auto
industry brought about for America and for that matter --the World.
The return trip to Detroit was uneventful to the point I don't recall
anything to talk about! Everything performed flawlessly.
Oh, I didn't even get to meet Dave Garroway, and for the life of me
cannot recall the narrator for "Our American Crossroads", a little ole
man from down in the holler of Kentucky. I can just hear his voice now!
Amazing, eh?
"Tailwinds and Happy Landings!"
*Renald "Rennie" Goyette ---- Parader August 1954 thru July 1956.*
*36624 Brittany Hill Court
Farmington, MI 48335-2903
H-248 477 4013
C 248 921 5651
On Aug 15, 2008, at 5:08 PM, honemastert wrote:
> GM Dreaming..
> http://tinyurl.com/5kc8lk
>
> Check out that 'Futureliner' (looks like something from the
> Simpsons!)
>
>
> Battery CZAR
> http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/print/6488
>
> A good Friday afternoon read.. positive article
> on US engineering for a change and the GM Volt's
> progress from this months IEEE Spectrum magazine
Oliver Mueller-Heubach
groundhogging@mac.com
