A New Collection of Old Photo
- Thread starter Teegate
- Start date
Awesome pics again. I love the old funny cars. I might know one of them, I 'm sure we will figure it out. Now I have to drag out my old pics from Atco from the early 80's. Hey AJ we will have talk, maybe we know each other? You are welcomed anytime here at Atco Raceway, even though you work for that "other" track. Haha, just kidding. Tell Michelle I said hello. Tell her it's Dave from Atco. Take care.
This is a guess, but its a Vega in the far lane and a Monza in the near lane. I'm guessing that might be Joe Amato's Alcohol funny car in the near lane. That is a complete guess from the top of my head.
Trailhead
I thought the "other track" was the one in Great Meadows.
I'll definitely find you when I come to Atco. Well that’s if I can pull myself out of that bar you have there. That is the best bar I have ever been to at a race track. BTW why are there dancer poles at the ends of the bar?
We have Q8 this Sunday so I'm sure I'll Michell will come out of the trophy room to watch her boys.. I'll give her your regards.
If you come to Raceway look me up. I'm the tall guy throwing the switch.
aj
Haha, you're right! I threw the switch for a couple of years here at Atco. I'm sure we have crossed paths at some point. Keep in touch. Oh yea, the poles in the bar, I have no idea what they are for? haha:rofl:
The right lane definitely looks like Joe Amato's Hi-Jacker Alcohol Funny. The last year he ran it was 1978, in 79 he switched to Alcohol Dragster. So dating the pic to 1978 is dead on. Also Joe Amato might have been my favorite racer of all time, awesome-down-to-earth guy who knew how to run a business, be fan friendly and drive a race car. I believe he was ranked as the 9th best driver of all time by NHRA. So that pic to us drag racing fans has become somewhat special, in my eyes anyway. A great driver in a car he was not known for and captured at Atco Raceway. Simply awesome. Sorry to go off on a tangent but I'm geeky about this stuff.
Glad you all are enjoying them. I almost have them all scanned up and will pass along a few more from time to time. I am more convinced the photo's of the road with the deer sign is of the Albert property. I found two more and one says "Joe's Place ... no visiting after dark."
I found more photo's of the "modern concrete contrivance" that I have photo's myself of, and Henry Beck mentions when he visited Hampton Furnace and wrote about it in the "Tuckerton Road" chapter of "Forgotten Towns." If any of you visited Hampton Furnace (Skit branch) before the late 80's you would know what I am talking about.
So more to come!
Guy
I found more photo's of the "modern concrete contrivance" that I have photo's myself of, and Henry Beck mentions when he visited Hampton Furnace and wrote about it in the "Tuckerton Road" chapter of "Forgotten Towns." If any of you visited Hampton Furnace (Skit branch) before the late 80's you would know what I am talking about.
So more to come!
Guy
Trailhead,
Without me prompting them all the experts (Walter F-announcer and Tommy R-39 years on the starting line) said Joe Amato. Tell tales were 1) Monza Body 2) Name on the side of the car is “Hijacker” 3) Division 1 numbers on the sail panel.
Amato never raced a Fuel FC’s so it’s definitely an alcohol car. Good guess is the picture was taken at a Division 1 point’s race.
All,
Here are some other photo’s that hopefully some of you will find interesting. About 5 years ago I started corresponding with
a lookout historian and he passed on quite a bit of interesting info to me. One piece of info concerned the Cedar Bridge Lookout (he says
they are lookouts and not fire towers) when it was located on the dirt road to the Forked River Mountains off of 539. The below text starts
when it was moved to that location. The line we will be concerned with is in reference to electricity.
Many years later it was moved and re-erected on a Sand road about a mile east of route 539 and about equal distance from the present
site. When there it was a 110 foot tower, (The Int'l derrick of today) and also had a Flat roof built atop it which was used for aircraft
warning during the World War 2 days. When there, there was no electric power to it and it was subject to a lot of vandalism so the
State moved it out to the main road (539), they lost the flat roof on it in the process of moving and it is said also that a section of the
tower was also bent when moving it, and that's why today it is 100' tall. It was the only fire tower in the State that had that wooden
gable roof, rather unique.
While scanning up the photo’s I acquired, I noticed these two of the lookout in question. Some of you may think you have viewed the
one before, but it is not the same photo. Close, but not the same. Anyway, you can clearly see that there was electricity there. Also, notice
the fence has some damage, which I remember in later days was quite extensive. You can’t see it but we were able to access the tower, and
in a few days I will post a photo of a view from there.
This is my new “Then and Now.” Notice the electric meter. Also notice that was when my Land Cruiser had air shocks. Worked really well
until the cold weather when the air valve would freeze and for some reason the air would escape. The back would drop and the tires would
scrape the body until I could find a gas station to fill them back up. Also notice the stickers in the back window. It was my CB call letters and
handle. Koz1545, Weasel.
Here is the tower view. Notice the tubing with the electricity heading into the cab. Also notice the unique gable roof where there was
a trap door and you could climb onto the flat roof and watch for enemy planes during the war. The rails protected you from falling off.
Guy
Here are some other photo’s that hopefully some of you will find interesting. About 5 years ago I started corresponding with
a lookout historian and he passed on quite a bit of interesting info to me. One piece of info concerned the Cedar Bridge Lookout (he says
they are lookouts and not fire towers) when it was located on the dirt road to the Forked River Mountains off of 539. The below text starts
when it was moved to that location. The line we will be concerned with is in reference to electricity.
Many years later it was moved and re-erected on a Sand road about a mile east of route 539 and about equal distance from the present
site. When there it was a 110 foot tower, (The Int'l derrick of today) and also had a Flat roof built atop it which was used for aircraft
warning during the World War 2 days. When there, there was no electric power to it and it was subject to a lot of vandalism so the
State moved it out to the main road (539), they lost the flat roof on it in the process of moving and it is said also that a section of the
tower was also bent when moving it, and that's why today it is 100' tall. It was the only fire tower in the State that had that wooden
gable roof, rather unique.
While scanning up the photo’s I acquired, I noticed these two of the lookout in question. Some of you may think you have viewed the
one before, but it is not the same photo. Close, but not the same. Anyway, you can clearly see that there was electricity there. Also, notice
the fence has some damage, which I remember in later days was quite extensive. You can’t see it but we were able to access the tower, and
in a few days I will post a photo of a view from there.
This is my new “Then and Now.” Notice the electric meter. Also notice that was when my Land Cruiser had air shocks. Worked really well
until the cold weather when the air valve would freeze and for some reason the air would escape. The back would drop and the tires would
scrape the body until I could find a gas station to fill them back up. Also notice the stickers in the back window. It was my CB call letters and
handle. Koz1545, Weasel.
Here is the tower view. Notice the tubing with the electricity heading into the cab. Also notice the unique gable roof where there was
a trap door and you could climb onto the flat roof and watch for enemy planes during the war. The rails protected you from falling off.
Guy
10-4 Good buddy! I was known as the Packrat. What are the holes in the side of the tower? Did some enemy aircraft spot them first?
Good one!
All,
Here is another “Then and Now” from the recent photo’s I acquired. This photo shows Harris Station in 1978 and today at the Jersey Central RR. For those who don’t know, Harris Station is where the tracks are just below Apple Pie Hill. Notice the bend in the very top of the tree just above both vehicles. Also, look closely inline with the back tire in the left photo and you will see the informational sign I was hanging on in a previous photo in this thread. The photo’s were taken from the same spot, but the differences in the camera’s make them appear at different distances. The full size photo of the one on the right makes it look more exact.
After visiting there we headed over to the Pioneer Gun Club along Friendship Bogs. A few years back while hiking with Ed Campbell we visited the back of it and examined the cinderblock foundations of a long gone building. Recently, while looking over historical aerials I found that building when it was intact. It was obviously part of the workings of Friendship Bogs, as was a few other hidden ruins in the area which I will look for in the near future. In any event, we visited this particular ruin again today and photographed it.
If you want to see it when it was still there, go to historicalaerials.com and search by Lat and Long at:
39.74413
-74.57413
Notice in the 1956 aerial that the Pioneer Gun Club was not there. I had always though it was since the property at that time was owned by them, and surveys show that. However, it is there in 1963 but it is not the tin building it is now. There was an arson fire there around 1964 which destroyed it. The 1970 photo shows the tin building, but the building in the above photo is in ruins. Remember, the state did not own Friendship Bogs until 1982 so we can’t blame them. Deaths, crop failure, and most likely business problems ended the farming there. By 1970 it had returned to a more natural woods state.
Guy
Here is another “Then and Now” from the recent photo’s I acquired. This photo shows Harris Station in 1978 and today at the Jersey Central RR. For those who don’t know, Harris Station is where the tracks are just below Apple Pie Hill. Notice the bend in the very top of the tree just above both vehicles. Also, look closely inline with the back tire in the left photo and you will see the informational sign I was hanging on in a previous photo in this thread. The photo’s were taken from the same spot, but the differences in the camera’s make them appear at different distances. The full size photo of the one on the right makes it look more exact.
After visiting there we headed over to the Pioneer Gun Club along Friendship Bogs. A few years back while hiking with Ed Campbell we visited the back of it and examined the cinderblock foundations of a long gone building. Recently, while looking over historical aerials I found that building when it was intact. It was obviously part of the workings of Friendship Bogs, as was a few other hidden ruins in the area which I will look for in the near future. In any event, we visited this particular ruin again today and photographed it.
If you want to see it when it was still there, go to historicalaerials.com and search by Lat and Long at:
39.74413
-74.57413
Notice in the 1956 aerial that the Pioneer Gun Club was not there. I had always though it was since the property at that time was owned by them, and surveys show that. However, it is there in 1963 but it is not the tin building it is now. There was an arson fire there around 1964 which destroyed it. The 1970 photo shows the tin building, but the building in the above photo is in ruins. Remember, the state did not own Friendship Bogs until 1982 so we can’t blame them. Deaths, crop failure, and most likely business problems ended the farming there. By 1970 it had returned to a more natural woods state.
Guy
Wow, look at how small the trees are in the '78 photo. and they look like cedar. Guy, are we definitely looking in the same direction on this one? Okay, maybe not since you took the last in '03 and were not trying to match them up. I do recall there being cedars looking south I think. that would explain it.
that shot in the FRM area, I think I know where that is and still has some weird things on the trees (though I am sure not the same things) I could be wrong about the spot.
Jeff
that shot in the FRM area, I think I know where that is and still has some weird things on the trees (though I am sure not the same things) I could be wrong about the spot.
Jeff