Jeep-Trains Research Archives

Willys Jeep trains and trams were used all over the United States to pull visitors and tour groups through parks and cities. CJ-2As, CJ-3As, CJ-5s and CJ-3Bs

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Jeeps in the Detroit Salt Mines

• CATEGORIES: Features, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: More on the Detroit Salt Mines from this February 1959 issue of Jeep News.

I saw a reference to jeeps in Detroit’s salt mines on Facebook. After a some research, I found a few more images. The salt is used exclusively as road de-icer.

detroit-salt-mines-truck detroit-salt-mines4 detroit-salt-mines3 detroit-salt-mines2

truck-detroit-salt-mines

https://ephemeraldetroit.blogspot.com/2015/06/salt-city-beneath-detroit-booklet-1971.html

 
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Arboretum Jeep Train Postcard and Slide

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Apparently, the arboretum had at least two different colors of jeep trains. Here’s a slide then of an orange one. It is currently priced at $12.99.

View all the information on eBay

la-arboretum-slide-jeep-tram1 la-arboretum-slide-jeep-tram2

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(Originally posted May 2015)  This was sold on eBay.

This postcard depicts how tram visitors used to tour the former Santa Anita ranch of “Lucky Baldwin”, who made millions in silver.  According to the website, “Occupying the heart of the historic Rancho Santa Anita, The Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden is a unique 127 acre botanical garden and historical site jointly operated by the Los Angeles Arboretum Foundation and the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation and located in the city of Arcadia.”

The park is located here.

 
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More Jeep Train Postcards

• CATEGORIES: Features, Postcards • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

1. This first image shows a Jeep Train in Oceanside, California, though I was unable to confirm “Old World Shop” was located in Oceanside.  It looks to be a CJ-5 with a modified windshield set up and a changed rear area.

jeep-train-guam-postcard

2. This postcard showing a CJ-5 pulling a long tram is from Lincoln, New Hampshire. It looks like some kind of “Smokey Bear” tram.

jeep-train-smokey-bear

3. There is supposed to be some form of jeep under this faux train-engine body. This photo was taken in Manhattan, Kansas. The postcard is available on eBay.

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deibler-trackless-trains-postcard2

 
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‘Grandpa’ Craig’s Pic of the Week: Jeep ‘Wagon’ Train

• CATEGORIES: Craigs Pic of the Week, Features • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Here’s is a postcard from White Springs (data unknown) that highlights the jeep-train-wagons. It appears the train was still being pulled by a 3B, but this color photo shows some black styling was added to the cow, giving it a Holstein look.

conestoga-wagon-train-jeep-white-springs-fl-postcard1 conestoga-wagon-train-jeep-white-springs-fl-postcard2

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Originally posted Jan 18, 2013: On the evening (2 nights ago) that Craig became a grandpa, instead of doing whatever grandpas should do to celebrate, he was busily scanning stuff for us!  It’s clear his Willys Sickness is far more advanced than I thought!  However, to his credit, this really is a cool picture. In fact, it’s so cool, that I managed to skip over the part where he said he became a grandpa! It wasn’t until I re-read it tonight that I felt like a total doof.”

This photo comes from the March 1957 issue of Willys News.  The jeep wagon train operated at the Stephen Foster State Folk Culture Center – White Springs, Florida.

covered-wagon-CJ3B

Floridamemory.com has a variety of photos related to the wagons.  Below are a few of them.

State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/41660

covered-wagon-CJ3B-floridamemory1

State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/73660

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This photo looks like the jeep is a CJ-5 rather than a CJ-3B.  State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/87462

covered-wagon-CJ3B-floridamemory3

 
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1960s? Postcard Of Jeep Tram Fishing on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Postcards • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This Oceanside, California, CJ-5 pulled a tram that transported fishing enthusiasts onto the wharf.  My guess would be that is was owned by San Diego County.

View all the information on eBay

“Rare original postcard.”

year-postcard-jeep-train-fishing-oceanside-ca1 year-postcard-jeep-train-fishing-oceanside-ca2

 
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Jungle Larry’s African Safari Post Card on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Postcards • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Here’s safari tour jeep train postcard from Jungle Larry’s African Safari out of Naples, Florida. It looks like the CJ-5 jeep is pulling a tram.

There is also a website devoted to the memory of Jungle Larry and his wife Safari Jane.

View all the information on eBay

jungle-larry-safari-jane-cj5-postcard1 jungle-larry-safari-jane-cj5-postcard2

This photo is published on the Jungle Larry website on the store page. I don’t believe it is the same CJ-5 as the stripes are a little different along the driver’s side and the rear bodies are different (along with the lack of top and windshield).

jungle-larry-safari-jane-cj5-2

 
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Baraboo Circus Jeep Train Postcard on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: There’s another Baraboo Postcard on eBay.

(08/04/2014) This CJ-5 used to ferry visitors around Baraboo. I visited Barboo about two decades ago, but never saw it. It must have already been gone.

http://www.circusworldbaraboo.org/our-treasures/history-of-circus-world/

This jeep and tram toured through Baraboo, pointing out various circus sites, including final resting spots in Walnut Hill Cemetery.

This jeep and tram toured through Baraboo, pointing out various circus sites, including final resting spots in Walnut Hill Cemetery.

 
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Lewis and Clark Cavern Jeep Railway Postcards on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features, Old Images, Postcards • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE II: This photo from eBay shows the front the “Dinosaur Jitney” jeep used to pull the tram.

View all the information on eBay

dinosaur-jitney-lewis-clark-photo

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UPDATE Posted Aug 21, 2018: This was last published in 2012. A couple of the postcards are back on eBay.

Originally published November 10, 2012: The Lewis and Clark Cavern was Montana’s first State Park and is located here. You can read about the history of the caves here.  In 1947 the Montana Standard published an article about the cavern accompanied by the photo and caption below. You can view the entire article in this PDF file.

Here are three postcards related to this Jeep Railway.

1. View all the information on eBay

2. I haven’t seen this one on eBay in a while …

3. View all the information on eBay

 
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Daytona Beach Trains & Jeeps

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Here’s an additional Daytona Beach photo sent by Chris of a CJ-5 advertising Dog Racing on Daytona Beach. (note photo #3 below is a 3B also advertising Dog Racing)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/140426483169388/?multi_permalinks=1258870947991597&ref=share

daytona-beach-dog-racing-cj5-ad

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Originally Posted Feb 22, 2019: Thanks to Roger Martin for pointing out these series of jeep pics from 1950s Daytona Beach. These were all posted to the Greetings from Daytona Beach Facebook page.

  1. These 1959 photos show Charlie Fogg’s Beach train, which ran a four mile round trip pulling one or more trams. You can see it’s a jeep under that train facade. That might even be a CJ-3B.
    1959-daytona-beach-jeep-ride3 1959-daytona-beach-jeep-ride1959-daytona-beach-jeep-ride2
  2. This one looks to be a second version of Mr. Fogg’s beach train:
    1960s-daytona-beach-charlie-fogg
  3. CJ-3B sporting a dog racing sign:
    1954-dog-racing-daytona-beach
  4. This ice cream vendor might be a CJ-3A:
    1956-ice-cream-vendor
  5. Mr. Jules “Ted” Tieder, the Ice Cream Man, at Daytona Beach with his CJ-5:
    1980s-mr-tetter-ice-cream-man-cj5
  6. Two 1946 photos of an early jeep (MB/GPW) tram at Daytona Beach:
    1946-mb-gpw-jeep-train-daytona-beach2 1946-mb-gpw-jeep-train-daytona-beach

 

 
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1960s(?) Postcard Pete’s Cave “Shepherd of the Hills Farm” on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Postcards • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Here’s another one of these postcards on eBay. Starting bid is .99.

(08/04/2020) I don’t know much about Shepherd of the Hills Farm, but I did learn that it was a book from 1907 by Harold Bell Wright that became a tourist destination that then played some role in the rise of Branson, Missouri, as a tourist destination.

View all the information on eBay

“Vintage Postcard of the Farm Tour pulled by an old Army Jeep at Pete’s Cave in Shepherd of the Hills in Branson MO
Size Standard 3 1/2 by 5 1/2
Circa 1960s”

petes-cave-shepherd-of-the-hills-postcard-jeep1 petes-cave-shepherd-of-the-hills-postcard-jeep2

 
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Huntington Pier Jeep Beach Tram

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This 1955 photo of the Huntington Beach Pier / Seal Beach Jeep Tram was posted on Facebook and posted to this forum. I searched for more info and pics about the tram, without success. It looks to be a CJ-2A.

1955-huntington-beach-pier-tram

 
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1953 US Navy Smalley Port-O-Spot on ProxiBid

• CATEGORIES: Features, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles, Unusual • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Andy shared this rarely seen US Navy Smalley Port-O-Spot. It’s another odd utility vehicle partly built with Willys-Overland parts. Only a couple hours left in the bidding; the high bid is currently $3100.

https://www.proxibid.com/Very-rare-very-early-rail-car-mover-track-mobile-1953-U-S-NAVY-Smalley-Port-O-Spot/lotInformation/68513627

“Made by Oxnard Heavy Maintenance & Mfg Co. Oxnard California. It has a Willys drivetrain, and it does run and drive.”

1953-navy-port-o-spot-track-mover-kent-oh0 1953-navy-port-o-spot-track-mover-kent-oh1 1953-navy-port-o-spot-track-mover-kent-oh2 Continue reading

 
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William Edwin Pidgeon’s Jeep Train Illustrations

• CATEGORIES: Artists/Drawings, Features, Old Images • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: I thought this was a good post to revisit. I’ve added an obit to the post at the bottom.

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Originally Posted November 18, 2013: Australian Bill Pidgeon (Wikipedia) had a successful career as an illustrator, painter and correspondent from the 1920s through the 1970s. A three-time Archibald Prize winner, one of Bill’s descendants (Peter Pidgeon) has created a wonderful website devoted to Bill’s life. Among the items the site includes are drawings and photos of jeep trains encountered by Bill in the Pacific war-theatre during his trip as a war correspondent for The Australian Women’s Weekly. In his ‘war letters‘ are some detailed observations about daily life in Borneo following it’s release from Japanese control.

One of Bill’s more interesting observations was recorded in Borneo. On August 16th, 1945, he wrote:

From Labuan another four and a half hours of sitting on a barge like a redhot waffle iron will bring you to the area occupied by the 24th Bgde. This is the land of the celebrated jeep train. Steam engines used to haul the train from Weston to Jesselton but on their hurried way out the Nips did their best to incapacitate the locomotives and the RAAF filled the boilers full of holes. So the engineers put iron tyres on the jeeps and shoved them on the rails and hooked the trucks behind.

Here is an example of an illustration and photo published on the site. There are others from an August 4-6, 1945, letter:

1945-08-04-bill-edwin-pidgeon-jeep-train-ill2 1945-08-04-bill-edwin-pidgeon-jeep-train1An additional illustration sketched by Bill that might interest restorers includes a detailed look at designs and colors used to mark one jeep train.

 Obituary from the February 18, 19i81, issue of The Age, out of Melbourne, Australia:

1981-02-17-the-age-melbourne-victoria-aussi

 
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Winter Park Villager: A DJ-3A Surrey Pulling a Matching Trailer

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, DJ-3A, Features, Old News Articles, Postcards • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE:  The two post cards at the bottom of this post were on eBay several years ago. I recently came across some newspaper clippings that give background about the Winter Park Villager tram’s purpose. The service began November 28, 1966, but I could not find an end-date.

This first article discusses the jeep tram’s beginnings:

1966-11-13-the-orlando-sentinel-winter-park-villager-lores

Article dated November 13, 1966, from the Orlando Sentinel

This next article notes that Monday, November 28th, as the launch date for the jeep tram service.

1966-12-01-orlando-evening-star-winter-park-villager-lores

Article dated December 1, 1966, from the Orlando Evening Star

This short article from March of 1967 describes some of the tram’s stops:

1967-03-03-orlando-evening-star-lores

March 03, 1967, in the Orlando Evening Star

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This Winter Park Villager shows a DJ-3A Surrey pulling a matching trailer in Winter Park, Florida. One of these postcards is currently on eBay.

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Here’s another view of the same combo. One of these postcards is currently on eBay

winter-park-the-villager-post-card

 

 
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1960 Article on the Los Angeles Arborteum Jeep Train

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This June 25, 1960, article the Los Angeles Times shares the news that the jeep train would be expanded to two trams, rather than just one. Based on other articles, it appears the one-tram jeep train was started sometime around 1955.

1960-06-25-losangeles-times-jeep-train-lores

 
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1944 Article on the Burma Jeep Trains

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Old News Articles • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

The article shares information on why the GI’s had to use jeeps on the tracks and the dangers they faced. The photo is from a later newspaper.

1945-01-31-evening-sun-jeep-train-burma-lores

January 31, 1945, in the Evening Sun, Baltimore, Maryland.

From the Tucson Daily Citizen, October 23, 1944:

1944-10-23-tucson-daily-citizen-jeep-trains-lores

 

 
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Tucson’s CJ-5 Garbage Jeep

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Old News Articles • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

In 1963, the city of Tucson, Arizona, was looking to save money on garbage costs. That summer an experiment was tried whereby a CJ-5 towing three garbage trailers was used to cut garbage transportation costs. I could not find any information on how long the experiment lasted.

This first photo showing the jeep, trailers and how a trailer was dumped into a larger truck, was published in the Tucson Citizen May 24, 1963:

1963-05-24-tucson-citizen-cj5-garbage-jeeps-lores

This article from May 22, 1963, published in the Arizona Daily Star, provides more information on the experiment:

1963-05-22-arizona-daily-star-jeeps-garbage

 
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CJ-5 Modified Into a Train Engine

• CATEGORIES: Features, Unusual • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Roger Martin shared this Canadian Jeep Junkee photo of a CJ-5 that (I think) has been transformed into a train engine. I tried to learn more, but had no luck. It’s unclear to me where this might be located.

jeep-train-cj5

 
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Postcard of Wisconsin Deer Park on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Postcards • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Here’s another example of a Wisconsin Dells Jeep Train, probably from the mid-1960s.

View all the information on eBay

“3-1/2 x 5-1/2 (Standard Size) postcard.”

1965-wisconsin-dells-jeep-train-postcard1 1965-wisconsin-dells-jeep-train-postcard2

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Originally Posted April of 2017: Seth spotted this postcard depicting a jeep pulling visitor trams at the Wisconsin Deer Park at the Wisconsin Dells. Opened in the 1950s (see history here), the park still operates, but there’s no evidence that the trams are still used, The closest thing to a jeep tram is a kids train.

jeep-safari-tour-jeep-jeep-train-wisconsin-dells1 jeep-safari-tour-jeep-jeep-train-wisconsin-dells2

 
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Chimpanzees and Battery Powered Jeeps

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features, Old Images, Old News Articles, Postcards • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: A newspaper article from May 20, 1950, published in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, provides more information about the jeep-driving circus chimp named Nero. He passed away later in the year.
1950-05-20-st-louis-globe-circus-chimp-jeep-drive2-lores

1950-05-20-st-louis-globe-circus-chimp-jeep-drive3-lores 1950-05-20-st-louis-globe-circus-chimp-jeep-drive1-lores

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Originally Posted January of 2013: This 1950 postcard shows some chimpanzees driving a battery powered jeep.  They were part of a Chimpanzee show at the St. Louis zoo started in 1925. Chimps were taught to ride bicycles, tricycles, motorcycles, ponies, a Great Dane, and more. You can learn more about them in the January 8, 1951, issue of Life Magazine.

“VINTAGE POSTCARD – CONDITION: VG. DATE/ERA: 1950s-60s. Standard Size 3.5×5.5.”

View all the information on eBay

1950-chimpanzee-stlouis-zoo-jeep-train-postcard1

1950-chimpanzee-stlouis-zoo-jeep-train-postcard2

You can view some additional pictures at Jalopy Journal (scroll part way down the page). The quality seems good enough that they may be from Life Magazine, but I tried, but failed to locate their original source. Here is one of the images.

chimps-jeeps3

On December 13, 1950, several newspapers announced that Nero had passed away. Here’s an article from the Southern Illinoisan:

1950-12-13-southern-illinoisan-nero-chimp-dies

 
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January 1950 Popular Mechanics Article on Tinkertown

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UPDATE: Jerry contacted me about a locomotive jeep he would like to restored (see near bottom). He noted that it was used at Tinkertown and found this older post while hoping to learn more. So, this post is a complete redo of an early post that focused just on photos in a January 1950 issue of Popular Mechanics.

It is probably no surprise that the Los Angeles metroplitan area was a hotbed of theme parks and carnivals following World War II. In particular, there was Beverly Park, which is claimed to be the park that stimulated Disney’s interests in theme parks.

One of those carnivals was a traveling kiddie carnival called Tinkertown. Articles show it existed at least from 1950 through 1952, operating in Monrovia, Wilmington, Los Angeles, and other LA area towns.

1951-12-06-wilmington-daily-press-tinkertown-carnival-lores

December 06, 1951, Wilmington Daily Press, Wilmington, California. Tinkertown Kiddie Carnival announcement.

Tinkertown appears to have owned, at one time or another, at least four unusual jeeps. One was a fire jeep made from a CJ-2A, shown below in red.

A second jeep appeared to have been a stretched (probably surplus) WWII jeep made into some kind of fire jeep used to tow a small Ferris wheel.

The article above refers to the jeep as a “fire engine”; perhaps it was modified during WWII? Here’s a better image:

1950-01-popular-mechanics-stretched-jeep-lores

A third jeep-related setup was a train possibly made from a jeep (or jeep-engine-powered at the very least). It is pictured here:

 

The fourth known jeep was a jeep turned into a locomotive. It’s the one Jerry now owns (along with two of the tram cars), one he’d like to restore. It’s in surprisingly complete condition. He’s hoping to learn more about the manufacturer and/or Tinkertown. Here’s a photo of his train:

jerry-tinkertown-train-lores

Here’s how it looked in 1950:

Continue reading

 
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Fairchild Gardens Jeep Train Postcard on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Postcards • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Still available.

(05/20/2019) This jeep-train carried visitors through Fairchild Gardens.

View all the information on eBay

“Postcard Florida CJ-5 Rambler Jeep Fairchild Tropical Garden”

jeep-train-fairchild-gardens-postcard1 jeep-train-fairchild-gardens-postcard2

 
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Highland Hammock State Park Jeep Trains, Sebring, FL

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: There’s another Hammock State Park postcard on eBay. The original post is from 2013.

“This is a very cool black/white postcard that shows a jeep “Conducted Tour – Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring Florida” It is unused, but has a hand written date of 1955 on the back. It is in excellent condition.”

View all the information on ebay

hammock-state-park-cj2a-1955 

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Original Post from 2013:
Highlands Hammock State Park ran tour trains from at least 1948 – 1962.  As the first photo shows, they started with a CJ-2A.  It looks like a set of benches on a platform with wheels.  By 1962, the park shifted to CJ-5s.  It also appears they added sides.  I images that was safer.  These are all from the State Archives of Florida.

http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/56346

hammock-state-park-cj2a2

http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/56343

hammock-state-park-cj2a

http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/78488

hammock-state-park-cj5

 

 
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More Tour Jeep — Jeep Train Photos

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Derek Redmond shared some more jeep-train and tour jeep photos he’s uncovered on various sites. Cool stuff!
La Roche-en-Ardenne  Belgium 1980 Spa Belgium

AtlanticCity

 
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Postcard from Fantastic Caverns on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Postcards • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Another postcard with this image is back on eBay.

(08/01/2015) You can learn more about Fantastic Caverns here: http://www.ewillys.com/2012/11/22/bill-visits-the-fantastic-caverns/

“Springfield Missouri~Jeep & Tram Thru Fantastic Caverns~1960s Postcard”

View all the information on eBay

postcard-fantastic-caverns1

postcard-fantastic-caverns2