#839 Inspiration is the
Trailblazer, first montrail in United States. It opened in 1956 at the Texas State Fair in Dallas *near to Cotton Bowl stadium). ran to 1964.
second source:
Trailblaze Monrail History
The inventor (named Goodell), nor the idea of "monotrails" got much traction in the US (buses/cars/subways won the pulic transportation "wars" in most American citiies).
Disney (as in Disneyland, in 1959) put an updated (on a rail vs. suspended from a rail) version of this inventor's system in, lotta people rode it in THAT context, but again pulic transportation, it never caught on.
Pontiac, in the middle of changing its position in the GM constellation of brands and the industry in general, was doing all it could to redefine itsellf .. performance , style, futuristic, etc. and associating itself with such things because a goal
this actual photo velow of Trailblazer at the Texas State Fair cicra 1957 shows a likly source of inspiration for the illustator. Other contemporary photos follow
So as to question 3. What became of the Trailblazer? in 1964, it was torn down at the Fairgrounds in Dallas, and was the cars (two of them) supposed to be scrapped.
THe monrail cars DID go to a Houston junkyard (i THINK?), where iT sat for years until a local Dallas guy bought it, hauled it up to Wills Point (near Dallas) and turned it into a
private residence.
I dunno IF its still a house .. it was as late as 2012, however. I also do NOT have the address of the house.
