Started raining
again
In the 20's~30's men rode 28" Bikes [not like todays 27's which are simply a 27" tire on a 26 inch frame] While women rode 26" Bikes.
During the War while lots of the men were at war, their Parents gave the bikes to the Scrap drives.
no war means the Bike makers continue with the 28"er. OTL post war the bike makers announced that they were postponing manufacturing the 28 till the post war scarities were over.
This is OK as with no War whe have no GI Bill Home Loans. No Lewitttown Suburbs.
Suburbs are built but like all pre war Suburbs they are along the Rail lines [Railroad companies financed a lot of these]
With More urban population, there is no post war demand for cars from the returning GI's [why the bike makers never did start remaking the 28"er].
The distinction between Town Cars and Touring Cars continues. As does a
Niche Market for Quiet Elegant Steam and Electric Cars.
With the Urban centres remaining strong so do the trolley companies, While America remains the most Automobiled Nation, It remains possible to survive without one.
During the 30's the battle between Steam and Diesel power heated up in the Railroad industry.
In 1941 the two biggest Locomotive Manufacturers introduced their latest steam Locomotives, Designed for the Transcontinental Market, and Designed to compete with the new Airlines.
The first were to be delivered in 1942, and the Rail Companies were planning Massive upgrade to the rails to handle these 120~150 MPH super Locomotives.
OTL after Dec 7th these orders were canceled, Post war the Diesel took over even for passenger trains and steam died.
ITTL The deliveries will be made as will the Rail Upgrades, Giving Passenger Trains a chance to compete with the Airlines.
The Competition will be a lot more possible, as the building of the American Autobahn System will probably be slower and less Extensive.
Perhaps plans in the 60's to [just] Dual Lane [divided Highway] the existing US Highway System that was built in the 30's by the New Deal.
Also OTL It was the War and the need for large Planes and very powerful Engines for The Bombers, and the large long Runways built for these bombers all around the world that doomed the China Clipper.
However ITTL land based Passengers Planes Have to compete with Zeppelins [ITTL no Ban on Helium Sales] China Clippers, and High Speed Trains, without the Boost of WW2 developments.
In the late 40's and early 50's the latest wave of Urban Immigrants began arriving in Americas large cities.
As the Immigration Law had closed America off from Over sea Rural populations, this wave came from Americas Rural population.
I don't see anything ITTL that will stop the large Black Migration from the Rural South to the Large Cities.
However while ML King and Malcolm X Will be working for Civil Rites, they will have several problems they didn't have OTL.
No Black Veterans, and no Blacks who worked during the War, but got fired, when the White boys came home [Seniority].
Not Sure - but my guess is this leads to less politically active Black Class.
Instead of OTL's Baby Boom - born & Grew up in post war Era of Prosperity - Liberal Young People, whose Generation is 75~100 % larger than their parents,
they will have to work With TTL's Baby Bust. [1930 ~1945] They were born & grew up during the worse depression in History. only 70~75% as large as their parents generation, they are Socially and Economically conservative.
They are not interested in Sit ins, or Marching for Social Justice. They want to be let in Peace to get a Job and start their Families.
I'm also wondering about the -Yellow Peril- ITTL. I am kind of assuming no post 1935 war with China. I do this as there seems to be no Embargo, leading to a Pacific War.
This mean Japan is a powerful Regional power, And a lot of fear of the Yellow Peril in the US.
1/3 of Hawaii's population is Japanese, 3% of California's is Asian, With no War and relocation, and No war time Boom, I see these figures staying about the same for the next couple decades.
With no War Hawaii and Alaska remain undeveloped, Probably don't become states till the late 70's.
As The Philippines got their independence peacefully in 1945, Philipino Immigration slowed as subject to the Asian exclusion Act.
During the 50's~60's Porto Rico is the main Hispanic Group influence in the US.