Mayberry Infrastructure

[GentlemanJim]

Tonight watching episode #4 from season one, Elinore Donahue makes her first appearance as Ellie,,......and parks next to a fire hydrant. I also believe there was a fire hydrant in front of Floyd's Barbershop. Seems odd that we never see a fire truck or fireman in 5 original years of Mayberry. Was there any official fire fighting activity in the episode "Opie and his merry men" where the barn with the still in it burns down? Can't remember for sure

Also, in the "Citizen's arrest" episode where Barney and Andy are going over old records at the beginning of the show it is mentioned that the badged sewer inspector for the City of Mayberry once gave Barney's father a traffic citation.
Seems odd that a little podunk like Mayberry would have a full time staffed position, and even more odd that assuming they did have such a department, why didn't that aspect work it's way into the show at one time or another?

And then there are the street lights broken by Ernest T Bass, someone must have been responsible for those repairs as well?

Garbage collection? Telephone line maintenance? Street sweeping? And I'm sure Helen Crump didn't mop the floors in the school. Seems like a school, Janitor could have made an interesting plot device.

Seems like a lot of missed opportunities there.

[Mayberry'sBadBoy]

Originally Posted by GentlemanJim

Tonight watching episode #4 from season one, Elinore Donahue makes her first appearance as Ellie,,......and parks next to a fire hydrant. I also believe there was a fire hydrant in front of Floyd's Barbershop. Seems odd that we never see a fire truck or fireman in 5 original years of Mayberry. Was there any official fire fighting activity in the episode "Opie and his merry men" where the barn with the still in it burns down? Can't remember for sure

Also, in the "Citizen's arrest" episode where Barney and Andy are going over old records at the beginning of the show it is mentioned that the badged sewer inspector for the City of Mayberry once gave Barney's father a traffic citation.
Seems odd that a little podunk like Mayberry would have a full time staffed position, and even more odd that assuming they did have such a department, why didn't that aspect work it's way into the show at one time or another?

And then there are the street lights broken by Ernest T Bass, someone must have been responsible for those repairs as well?

Garbage collection? Telephone line maintenance? Street sweeping? And I'm sure Helen Crump didn't mop the floors in the school. Seems like a school, Janitor could have made an interesting plot device.

Seems like a lot of missed opportunities there.

Minor nitpick but the barn burning down was in The Keeper of the Flame, not Opie and his Merry Men. As for the infrastructure it was mentioned in the episode Goodbye Sheriff Taylor that there was a bad wreck between a garbage truck and Hook and Ladder down in Fourth and Maine. We do see Mayberry's Mailman in High Noon in Mayberry but his appearance is little more than a cameo.

One thing I've noticed about some of the episodes is that Mayberry has railroad tracks running through the streets (one episode you can see this is in Man In A Hurry) Given we hear trains running in Opie's Hobo Friend and Prisoner Of Love (Despite the Courthouse not being anywhere near the station) it would seem that the town has a train that passes through in the afternoons and evenings, which could've provided some interesting plot points.

[PracTz]

Funny that Mayberry had its own sewer system (as opposed to each resident and business having its own septic tank) unlike most small towns back then ! However it had yet to get automatic dialing telephones and still largely had party lines run by the unseen operator Sara! I would think it would have been easier (and less expensive) to have put in new phones than having to dig up all those streets and put in those sewer lines and treatment center.

[GentlemanJim]

Originally Posted by Mayberry'sBadBoy

Minor nitpick but the barn burning down was in The Keeper of the Flame, not Opie and his Merry Men. .

My bad,...good catch!!

[stevea]

They also could have done some funny things with Sara. She could have been a blabbermouth and listened in on Barney's calls with Juanita, for example (of course, that would have been another actress to hire). And report back to Thelma Lou. Or Otis's conversations about the latest still location.

Green Acres milked the phones for all they were worth.

[Will Dockery]

Originally Posted by GentlemanJim

Tonight watching episode #4 from season one, Elinore Donahue makes her first appearance as Ellie,,......and parks next to a fire hydrant. I also believe there was a fire hydrant in front of Floyd's Barbershop. Seems odd that we never see a fire truck or fireman in 5 original years of Mayberry. Was there any official fire fighting activity in the episode "Opie and his merry men" where the barn with the still in it burns down? Can't remember for sure

Also, in the "Citizen's arrest" episode where Barney and Andy are going over old records at the beginning of the show it is mentioned that the badged sewer inspector for the City of Mayberry once gave Barney's father a traffic citation.
Seems odd that a little podunk like Mayberry would have a full time staffed position, and even more odd that assuming they did have such a department, why didn't that aspect work it's way into the show at one time or another?

And then there are the street lights broken by Ernest T Bass, someone must have been responsible for those repairs as well?

Garbage collection? Telephone line maintenance? Street sweeping? And I'm sure Helen Crump didn't mop the floors in the school. Seems like a school, Janitor could have made an interesting plot device.

Seems like a lot of missed opportunities there.

When Aunt Bea learned to drive in a color episode there was some sort of city worker (I forget the details of the work he was doing, possibly with power lines) that she has the car accident with.

[biffbronson]

A worker came to trim the trees along the Taylors' street. He told Bee that the car needed to be moved, so Bee attempted it herself - resulting in the damage (she scraped the rear side against a tree).

[Will Dockery]

Originally Posted by GentlemanJim

Tonight watching episode #4 from season one, Elinore Donahue makes her first appearance as Ellie,,......and parks next to a fire hydrant. I also believe there was a fire hydrant in front of Floyd's Barbershop. Seems odd that we never see a fire truck or fireman in 5 original years of Mayberry. Was there any official fire fighting activity in the episode "Opie and his merry men" where the barn with the still in it burns down? Can't remember for sure

Also, in the "Citizen's arrest" episode where Barney and Andy are going over old records at the beginning of the show it is mentioned that the badged sewer inspector for the City of Mayberry once gave Barney's father a traffic citation.
Seems odd that a little podunk like Mayberry would have a full time staffed position, and even more odd that assuming they did have such a department, why didn't that aspect work it's way into the show at one time or another?

And then there are the street lights broken by Ernest T Bass, someone must have been responsible for those repairs as well?

Garbage collection? Telephone line maintenance? Street sweeping? And I'm sure Helen Crump didn't mop the floors in the school. Seems like a school, Janitor could have made an interesting plot device.

Seems like a lot of missed opportunities there.

Well, in today's local re-run a "firehouse" is mentioned, in a color episode that must be the final season, since Sam dominates the story.

[Willbo]

The final episode of TAGS, Andy is at the train station meeting the Italian family. I think that is the only time we ever see the train station.

[Will Dockery]

Originally Posted by Willbo

The final episode of TAGS, Andy is at the train station meeting the Italian family. I think that is the only time we ever see the train station.

So that was the final episode, it was onmy local channel last week.

The episode yesterday was when the blonde girl moved in next door and 14 year old Opie is no longer shy.

[biffbronson]

The Italian family was the final episode aired, but the final one that was produced was the one about Goober's computer-dating, with guest star Nancy Malone ("A Girl for Goober").

[Will Dockery]

Originally Posted by biffbronson

The Italian family was the final episode aired, but the final one that was produced was the one about Goober's computer-dating, with guest star Nancy Malone ("A Girl for Goober").

The first episode of Mayberry RFD with Andy and Helen getting married was intended to be the last episode, I've read.

[hifijohn]

'Ervice is ur mott.'

[Will Dockery]

This looks like a good place to archive this article on when the Mayberry town set was heavily damaged by fire:

https://phantomofthebacklots.com/202...ames-the-post/

[stevea]

Originally Posted by biffbronson

The Italian family was the final episode aired, but the final one that was produced was the one about Goober's computer-dating, with guest star Nancy Malone ("A Girl for Goober").

Yes, on local TV here, TAGS is shown in production number order, and it's totally different from network order.