The record by the American Evangelical preacher Billy Graham. What interested me about this was the small road train in one corner of the record sleeve.
Naturally, this required further digging. It seems that a whole fleet of these vehicles was built to carry visitors around the 1964-65 World's Fair in New York.
The trains consisted of a single-seat tractor unit, and three passenger cars, each capable of carrying 20 people (in five rows), for a total of 60. There were also some smaller vehicles, with a single bench seat in the front, with a driver sitting behind his passengers. These Escorter vehicles could be hired by the hour.
The trains were built for the Fair by the Clark Equipment Company, of Battle Creek, Michigan (also the home of Kellogg's). Clark was mainly a maker of specialised industrial vehicles.
The smaller Escorter vehicles were built by the Kalamazoo Manufacturing Company, of Kalamazoo, Michigan.
The vehicles were operated by Greyhound, the big inter-city American bus company. They carried the running Greyhound logo, and the slogan 'Go Greyhound ... and leave the driving to us'.
The tractor had a Continental 3-cylinder engine. The thing above the front cab, which looks like a wing, is actually a sun-roof. The steering wheel was in the centre of the vehicle. Each tractor towed three passenger cars, with open sides, and a roof.
Once the Fair was over, Greyhound sold the vehicles off, and many went on to carry out similar duties in other places across America.
Naturally, there were souvenir toys of these Glide-A-Ride trains. These comprised the three-wheel tractor unit, and a single four-wheel passenger car. They came in a cardboard box, with a lift-off lid.
The smaller three-wheel Escorter was also available as a toy, although these seem to be less common on the second-hand market.
Both boxes are marked Big L, which was the Lowell Toy MFG. Corp., New York 56, N.Y. The end of the boxes, and the toys themselves - at the rear - are marked Made in Japan. They appear to be mainly printed tinplate, with plastic steering wheels, and concealed wheels underneath. Both are friction-powered.
Here is some background information on the Greyhound Glide-A-Ride trains.
What great little toys.
Six photographs, all from Worthpoint.
Here are the rest of the Glide A Ride toy photos, this time showing the smaller Escorter vehicle.
I wonder if any of your American readers ever got to ride on one of these ?
Paul Adams from New Zealand
No, but I rode on a Greyhound bus!
ReplyDeleteAre you sure it wasn't a Greystone chuckling Red Baron? ha ha
DeleteAmazing items and excellent research Paul. These toys would easily fit as extensions to any space toy collection. The box of the Glide-A-Ride reminds me of those Sears Exclusive Toys which I adore too.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Arto. They do seem to be floating above the ground, as though levitating.
ReplyDeleteThose are some really fascinating toys Paul! My family never made it that far east for a visit (living in Wisconsin) but the World's Fair theme was big back then regardless of where you lived.
ReplyDeleteI was in London at the time but my New Yorker wife rode in these when her family took a VIP Tour of the Fair. On other visits she was part of the masses lining up for each exhibit.
ReplyDelete