January is a traditional time to look forwards and backwards, so we’ll clean the windshield and adjust the rearview mirror on the Curiosity Special.

In the land of music, we plan to start on Jan 8 with Art Fein’s Elvis Birthday Bash in Echo Park.  I haven’t attended the last few, but this year I will have some Sun Studio souvenirs to wear.  Gotta make the scene.  Adam Marsland’s Chaos Band should be resuming their “Sounds of the Seventies Sessions” at the Cinema Bar in Culver City—these are always fun.  Back in the '60s, folk music fans had shows they called “hootenannies,” where anyone who was there could get up on the stage and play their favorite tune or tunes.  This is a similar format, only it’s for pop and rock songs of the following decade.  And there’s usually a spot for Evie Sands to sing one of the songs that she recorded back in the '70s—can’t get more authentic than that!  And we might get another “Evening with Evie” like she did in Nov. 2010 much to the delight of what one musician called “The international cult of Evie Sands worshippers.”

One of my musical memories of 2011: Adam Marsland’s second Elton John tribute night at the Cinema Bar in Culver City, backed by Evie Sands on guitar and Teresa Cowles on bass.

Electric railway fans should soon be able to ride the newest segment of LA’s Metro Rail system: the Expo Line.   At first it was thought that the line might open for service in time for the 2011 USC football season, but building a trolley line is not as simple as it was in the days of Henry Huntington.  This will be the first section, ending at Culver City; work is starting on the next part, which will wind up in Santa Monica.  When part II is completed (sometime around 2015), fans of Dr. Demento will be able to ride the rails to Pico & Sepulveda, an intersection commemorated in a song that used to be played once a month on the old “live” Dr. D. show.

 Out in my neck of the woods (the San Gabriel Valley) work should be starting in earnest on the Gold Line Foothill Extension, which will bring electric railway service back to my old home town of Monrovia.  Already we are seeing the foundations and abutments for the bridge across the 210 Freeway taking shape under a separate contract.  Near the end of 2012 will be a major event in San Francisco: the 100th Anniversary of the opening of the Municipal Railway on Dec. 28.  The City knows how to celebrate (I was there in April 2006 when they commemorated the 1906 earthquake and fire—what other city would have parades and historical exhibits to remember the disaster that nearly wiped it off the face of the earth?).  Muni 100 will most likely feature a parade starring their very first streetcar, No. 1, built right there in SF, and 1040, the last “PCC streamliner” built in the US. 

PCC streetcars in San Francisco, at the new Muni Metro East maintenance yard.  The two-tone yellow car is from Philadelphia, but is painted in the 1937 Los Angeles Ry. colors.  Behind it is a car from Newark New Jersey, in the LA Transit Lines color scheme.  Old-time Pasadena residents may remember when the local buses there had the same paint job (long story).  The rusty-looking car on the right is 1040, which is shown as it looked in 2009, before a major makeover—it’s now as good as new.

My wife and I will probably NOT be taking another coast-to-coast RV trip; it took a while to recover from the last one.  We may, as Bob and Doug MacKenzie used to say, “Take off—to the Great White North” at least the British Columbia portion.  One of the local railway historical groups has been busy for the past six years restoring British Columbia Electric Railway 1225, an interurban car that spent about 45 years at Orange Empire, where it ran, but didn’t get much attention—too many Pacific Electric cars ahead of it on the priority list.  In BC is has been, until recently, an “only child” and the center of attention.  About two years ago, BC Electric car 1304 arrived at the restoration shop; this one has leather upholstery and it reminded me of the time I took Pat to a Joan Jett concert.  Many fans of Joan wear black leather attire to shows and she even wrote a song about it.  When Pat saw all the fans clad thusly, she said, “I’ve never seen so many dead cows in all my life.”

This is how BC Electric car 1225 looked two years ago.  The body work is now almost complete, and the motors and trucks should be finished soon. 

Interior of BC Electric 1304, also known as the “Duke of Connaught.”   Note the Spanish leather covered seats.  I commented to the volunteer who was showing us around, “Where we’re from, if you say ‘Duke’ people usually think you’re talking about John Wayne.” 

A bit of trivia about Cloverdale, the town were the trolleys will be kept when a new (and larger) carbarn is completed: It was the movie location for the “Smallville” TV series about the early days of Superman/Clark Kent.

I’m old enough to remember when space travel was in the realm of science fiction books and comic strips.  I even remember when sci-fi radio dramas were aired in the days before TV sets became common.  Now we’ve seen the last flight of the NASA “Space Shuttle” and look forward to seeing the Shuttle Endeavour going on display in Exposition Park, near the Museum of Science and Industry.  I have a family connection to the Shuttle—my brother Neale headed the design team that developed the landing gear hydraulic system.  It was always a thrill to see the Shuttle coming in for a landing with the gear down and locked, just like Neale and his colleagues designed it.  Worked fine, every time!  I’ve already promised him a trip to LA on Metro Rail when the display is set up.  And a word about Endeavour—it was named after Captain Cook’s sailing ship, and probably other seagoing vessels.  One of Pat’s favorite PBS "Mystery" characters was Inspector Morse.  He was quite clear on several occasions that he preferred to be addressed as “Morse,” and never mind what his given name was.  Only his closest friends knew that he was “Endeavour Morse,” so named because his mother was fascinated by the adventures of Capt. Cook.