That sound you hear is #ChooChoosday pulling into the station. If you like looking at pictures of trains, I’ve got some good news for you. Because, buddy, with dozens of visual collections documenting the history of our nation’s railway systems, the Hagley Library has all the looking at pictures of trains you can handle.
Today’s train is the Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway, the “World’s First Rollercoaster”, seen here in a ca. 1895 photograph by William H. Rau (1855-1920). This railway was originally built in 1828 by the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company to transport coal between the company’s mines in Summit Hill and their transport center in Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania.
This railway operated between two mountain summits, Mount Pisgah and Mount Jefferson, and relied on a combination of animal power and gravity to transport cars and freight between these two terminals. In 1846, animal power was replaced by two two steam-powered funicular systems to haul the cars uphill, but travel downhill continued to rely on the power of gravity.
In 1872, the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company completed a tunnel that allowed for a faster, more efficient line of railway travel. But the Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway continued to operate for thrill-seeking human cargo, who had begun riding this route as early as 1827 (making this not just the first rollercoaster, but the first operational U.S. railway of any substantial length to carry paying passengers).
By 1874, the railway was being operated by the Central Railroad of New Jersey as a tourist attraction, selling 80-minute, 18-mile rides to approximately 35,000 tourists each year for the cost of $1. The thrill ride was sold to the newly formed Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway Company in 1929, who operated it until 1932, when it was closed due to financial strain caused by the Great Depression.
The images here are part of the Hagley Library’s collection of William H. Rau lantern slides (Accession 1971.360), but the railway also appears in James Zellner glass plate negatives (Accession 1974.278), Railroad postcards collection (Accession 1995.229), Locomotives and views of Mauch Chunk contact photographs and negatives (Accession 1969.092), and in some of our collections of published material. To view digitized images of the Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway, click here to see them in our Digital Archive.
"Two guys chained together is gross… this is what you were into? You were with Light at school… too." - Page 42, Chapter 37: The Eight - Death Note Black Edition III
[[ I was expecting some kind of evil line by Light, instead I get Misa being perverted, I swear to god dude. This is also SFW. ]]
Looking around the room, Nate failed to notice anything that could help the two of them. It was completely bare, how unfortunate for the two of them. His shoes were slightly dirty, shorts crinkled. I would describe N, but there wasn’t a good view on him, considering they were both chained together back to back.
"You know, I should have just turned you in when we first met. Now look what you’ve gotten me into!" Nate grumbled, tapping his fingers angrily on the floor. They were both in some kind of floating airship, there were insignia’s everywhere so the two of them both knew exactly where they were. Neo-Plasma airship, this meant daddy Ghetsis was on board, and would probably be in here promptly to give his son a good scolding for being naughty. "No Christmas presents for you this year then Harmonia." he teased.
"Knock it off, this is serious. Do you understand what’s going on? My father has literally captured me, you just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I apologize." N explained calmly, also scouring the small room. Nothing but bare cream walls and floor. It was comforting at least I guess.
Nate’s cheeks folded with his smile, N was always so nice to him despite his clearly bitter attitude. “I’m sorry for snapping at you, I just don’t see a way we can get out of here.” he admitted, staring at the tiny window lined with bars. You could fit something small through there. Wait, an idea occurred.
"N!" Nate shouted, "Have you e-
"Yes, I have. Now, if you could sing along please?" N interjected, beginning to whistle a familiar tune to Nate. Its sound resonated throughout the small room and out the window. The faint high pitch of his whistle was motivating, and Nate cleared his throat approaching his lyrical solo.
"Juuuuusttt whistle while you worrrkk" Nate began pitching, the two of them co-ordinating a duet, hoping for N’s odd Poképowers to kick in.
And they did.
Suddenly, a large Unfeazant crashed into the window, shattering the bars everywhere. She was followed by a series of Pidove who began kicking the dust around in the room. This was their chance. Unfeazant Air Slashed the chains from them, and they both climbed aboard happily, watching Ghetsis angrily throwing his cane down as they took off. "Darn those kids! Not again!" he mumbled angrily, storming off.
7. Your character walking in on mine making a shady transaction.
[[ Out of all the options I think I got pretty lucky ]]
The usual spot, the usual time. 6pm on a Wednesday, Aisle 3 in the gas station by the processed peas. Nate rocked on his heels, staring falsely into the glassed refrigerator illuminated in front of him. It was dark outside as the winter months rolled in now, the faint sound of a bell chimed as another walked into the store, approaching Nate.
Greeting Nate again, he dug about in his pockets nervously, jittery as usual. "Look calm down alright, nobody’s going to catch us. Just relax and keep your voice down." he calmly told the boy. His babyface could fool anybody, but the guy was actually 22, just trying to make a living, give him a break.
From his pocket Nate produced his wallet, folding open the leather and removing a short stack of cash from it, bound by a pink ribbon, tugged off and returned back to his pocket. Nate licked his thumbs. “It’d be a shame if the rate went up again, don’t you agree? We’ll settle on £200 this time, alright? Tell the big man in charge I’m not in the mood for negotiating prices.”
The boy hastily agreed, shoving a small brown paper bag into his grasp. What the hell was this kids problem? I mean, it was one th- ding
"Were you followed?!" Nate immediately grasped him by the collar, demanding an explanation. This gas station was a ways out of town, nobody ever came in. Ducking slightly, Nate’s eyes wandered through stacked cans to see a shirtless man wa- Marlon?!
Shit. Nate crumpled the edges of the bag together and held his visor down, pushing his accomplice away. However, before he could make his getaway a voice startled him from behind.
"Hey Nate! What’s up dude, I didn’t expect to see you like, all the way out here man. Who’s your friend?"
Oh right, Nate forgot Marlon was a little dopey, it was like he was blazed 24/7 anyway, even if he did notice the suspicious activity he would forget about it straight away and mumble on about dolphins or something. He was a little strange like that.
"Y-yeah. I’m good, pretty chill right now. This is.. uhh, this is nobody. I don’t know this guy."
Marlon picked up some tinned pineapple slices, reading the label. He wasn’t even listening.
