This is a terrific postcard. It has that mid-20th century stylishness that is just so cool. The lines and colors are sleek and clean; there is a sense of realism without any of the ugly details found in the real world. The snow is pure and unmuddied, there are no dead branches on the trees, and the lake is clear and perfectly still. The rail cars aren't a string of solid retangular boxes clanking around the bend; this train is composed of a semi-liquid space age polymer that allows the coaches, sleepers and club cars to just ooze around the corners.

There must be many other examples of railroad postcards done in this style, but I've only seen one other (hint: it's coming up!).

This postcard also extends that universal truth about passing trains: When a train comes past, people will come out and watch and if there aren't any people around, the bears will come out and watch.

Here's another postcard of the Shasta Daylight as it skirts the base of its namesake between San Francisco and Portland. The Shasta Daylights went into service in 1949, and were always pulled by diesel power.

This was mailed in October, 1968, from a son in Portland to his mother in California. He's glad Detroit won the Series (he won $4).