"OUR" PLACE - SEE NEW THREAD!

Classic Trains General Discussion
4021

Good afternoon everyone. Tom I’ll grab some of BK’s spiked nog and fruit cake. I never turn down a good fruit cake.

Tom Wonderfull xmas series that you are posting today,I’m also glad that VIA was able to square away their difficulties.

CM3 Wonderfull bit o poetry my friend , love the classic old railway tales fer sure.

Ted I’ll comment after xmas on your PCC inquirey as it
's a busy day today and I haven’t the time at the moment to respond coherently.

Don Excellent continuing ‘F’ info. Like Ted I would love more of the nitty and gritty as to the differences,I know that in most cases ( as with E units ) it was minor powerplant changes and window and louver sublties.

BK Yhanks for popping back in. Wonderfull pics of lioving steam as well. Do enjoy yourself at lake Louise. I’ve never stayed over night there but we did have lunch there on my only trip west with my family many moons ago ( I was 11. So it’s a long over do for repeating )

Finally I hope everyone has the Happiest holiday’s possible. Enjoy the times with your friends and families, I will see everyone again on the 26th.

Rob & Heather

4022

G’day Gents!

Just a few short words before winding down and getting ready for the “doings” on Christmas Eve night!

I see we’ve had a few respondents to today, which of course is a good deal for the bar 'n grill - KaChing, KaChing! [swg]

Thanx to all who sent me Email Christmas greetings! Much appreciated and I am happy that you enjoyed mine. [tup]

Today, I’m trying to ensure that there’s a little something here for all - that’s why the continuous nature of the Postings. Really didn’t expect any dialogue. In case anyone is wondering - yes, I really do have a life away from this keyboard! [swg] It’s just the three of us 'round here and we’re all finished insofar as anything of importance is concerned with the preparation for the “big day!” Those days and times are really long gone for the both of us, and Juneau isn’t hard to please!

Thanx, BK for your kind words here and over at the “other” thread. I more than likely will indeed pull the plug on it at the end of this year. It has been much like talking to myself. No sweat - nothing ventured, nothing gained. And guess what [?] We did indeed wind up with some new faces over here because of it. So, for that, I’d say we came out ahead! [tup][tup][tup]

Rob Enjoy this Christmas as never before in your adult life - you’ve earned the break, mon ami! [tup]

Dan Good to see you again, was beginning to wonder whether your days with us as a regular had wound down. Hey, we all understand work and play and how the mixture sometimes conflicts! [swg] Enjoy your Christmas! and we’re all happy to know you are back in good health! [yeah]

Doug Glad to know your trip to the big city was a successful one. Hope the kids liked the tran ride, after all that surely had to

4023

Good Afternoon!

. . . . . . . . . . ENCORE! ENCORE! . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . CHRISTMAS RR TRAVEL #7 of 8 . . . . . . . . . .

Here is an advertisement for Christmas holiday travel retyped from a 1953 advertisement in my private collection:

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

C**hristmas Window on the Water Level Route

Watch New York Central trains roll past this time of year. You’ll see Christmas windows by the hundred . . . bright with the most precious of all gifts. People!

Couples taking their children to see Grandmother (on money-saving Family Fares). Older folk, off to spend Christmas with married sons or daughters - enjoying ever minute of New York Central comfort.

Youngsters from school or college getting a first taste of holiday fare in the dining car. Fathers, away on business, taking it easy in the club car . . . sure that New York Central will get them home “weather or not.”

Those are the year’s favorite jobs for New York Central men and women. So whether you ride with us or meet the train . . . here’s wishing you a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Give Tickets – The Gift that Brings Them Home!
. . . Ask any Central ticket agent how easy it is to
. . . send rail and Pullman tickets as your gift
. . . to someone you want with you at holiday time.

. . . . . . . . . . New York Central</

4024

Merry Christmas y’all. Tom, et al, it has been a while since I last posted and I do apologize for this. The fall quarter at work is by far our busyist time of the year with me working 10 hours per day. This is in addition to the 1 1/2 hour commute I have at the beginning and end of the day. Get home about 7:30 PM, have a light meal and a martini (not necessarly in tha order) then hit the hay. The day starts at 4:30 AM. Fortunately i retire in 2313 hours and 25 minutes. Really looking forward to getting away from the grind. Another reason for my absence is that the computer gremlins have denied me access to about 2/3 of the web including Trains. Cannot figure this out. I can pull up the Yahoo home page, but any of the links (maps, finance, news, etc) will come up with access denied. Do any of the computer gurus out there in the vase ether of the inernet have any suggestions.? For the holidays we are at our daughter’s in Austin and she does not have the problem that I have at home. With some luck i will get the computer fixed and be able to communicate again.

Anyway a very merry holiday (correction: Christmas) and a Happy New Year. (I am not politically correct) Hope to be more communicative in the future.

4025

Hi Tom And all.
A very quick Bathams I’m afraid.

I have been out this morning and we are going again soon and will not be back till after 6 o’ clock. I will definatly catch up on the recent posts. But I wanted to wish all the Regulars ,friends and of course our esteemed bar owner.

A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR
.
And on a Classic Train note in the wordsof a character of an author whose name graced a turn of the century L.& N. W. R. 4-4-0 and later a B.R. Standard Britannia class 4-6-2 loco#70033 CHARLES DICKENS ( a Manchester(Longsight) shedded engine and a regular through Rugby). God Bless Us One And All. PETE.

4026

Good Afternoon!

Well, it has finally come down to the final Post of the day for me <phew!> and a nice way to wind up the day is to acknoweldge the return (albeit temporary I would guess) of wrwatkins *** and of course our earstwhile regular, pwofle Pete!

Without further delay, here is #8 and final!

. . . . . . . . . . CHRISTMAS RR TRAVEL #8 of 8 . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . THE PULLMAN COMPANY . . . . . . . . . .

Here is an advertisement for Christmas holiday travel retyped from a 1948 advertisement in my private collection:

Happy holiday homecoming by Pullman!

This year let your trip itself be a holiday! make it A pleasure all the way – by Pullman. No driving tensions or weather worries . . . no time-wasting stops for meals or lodging. The miles slip by safely and swiftly. You and your family enjoy the peace, quiet and relaxation of your private Pullman “living room.” This very holiday season, take the greatest trip on earth. Home for the holidays by Pullman!

A full night’s rest! For dad, mother and every young member of the family – sleep just comes naturally in soft, king-sized Pullman beds. Next morning everyone’s fresh and rested . . . ready for a busy day.

Your local Ticket Agent will help: 1. Provide information on routes and fares. 2. Help you plan stopovers. 3. Furnish rail and Pullman tickets. 4 Reserve a “rent-a-car” at your destination.

. . . . . . . . . . YOU’RE SAFE AND SURE WHEN YOU TRAVEL BY . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . PULLMAN. . . . . . . . .

4027

JUst want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Years .
Plan on spending a few days with friends and family

TTFN AL

4028

MONDAY’s INFO & SUMMARY of RECENT POSTS

We open at 6 AM all time zones. (Don’t ask how we do that!) [swg]

Good Morning on this day after Christmas – Boxing Day in Canada and Great Britain. Join us in a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee, pastries from The Mentor Village Bakery and our specially prepared breakfasts! [tup] [swg]

ENCORE! Daily Wisdom:

Love your enemies, but keep your gun oiled!

Info for the Day:

(1) repeatBirthday Bash for CM3 set for Friday, January 6th!

(2) I suspect this week will be rather light insofar as patrons are concerned, so many of my Posts will be ENCORE! pieces. Enjoy! For barndad Doug – passengerfan Al and trolleyboy Rob recommend you go with ENCORE! pieces and “save” your newer work until January 2nd.

(3) The next Sunday Photo Posting Day! is January 8th.

SUMMARY

Name ………………… Date/Time …………………. (Page#) … Remarks

(1) siberianmo Tom Posted: 24 Dec 2005, 08:27:48 (201) Saturday Info & Summary

(2) siberianmo Tom Posted: 24 Dec 2005, 08:45:27 (201) Acknowledgments, etc.

(3) siberianmo Tom Posted: 24 Dec 2005, 08:58:19 (201) ENCORE!

4029

All of our regulars know about the Birthday Watch List … however, it needs to be posted repeatedly, just as a reminder regarding who is coming up next for the Birthday Bash …

2005 BIRTHDAY WATCH LIST (rev. Dec 25th):

February 2nd (Kevin – 49)
March 5th (Nick – 45)
April 18 (Al - 63)
May 18th (Tom - 67)
May 27th (Dave - 46)
June 3rd (John) – 46 Just added!
June 24th (Dan - 43)
July 15th (*** – 65)
July 25th (Chris - 51)
July 30th (Russell – 34)
August 16th (Ted - 67)
September 8th (Rob - 34)
December 29th (CM3) – 59 Next up! Friday, January 6th!!

Not on the list [?] Send me an Email with your birth date (month-day-year).
Corrections too!

Names of those in The Legion of the Lost will be dropped in 2006.

Tom (Siberianmo) [4:-)] [oX)]
Proprietor of “Our” Place, an adult eating & drinking establishment!

NOTE for all: Check the SUMMARIES

4030

Good Morning all of you holiday survivors. Tom, I’ll indulge in some of yesterday’s Christmas cookies, pastries and a cuppa Java. I trust everyone had a happy Yuletide and looking forward to a better 2006. This year was rough but exactly one year ago the worst cataclysm in modern times hit Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India claiming over 200,000 lives. Let’s hope for their recovery and remember with humility how really frail we are in the face of natural forces. Yesterday, was much like the Christmas tune “Silent Night” hereabouts. With just a few friends and lots of fond memories, I languished in the serenity of the season rather than the helter skelter gift swaping too often repeated in the past. I highly recommend this approach as it it is so much more purposful than the other alternatives. As you know “Our” Place is closed on New Years Day which is probably a good thing. Again, this special Day of renewal may be celebrated with wild reckless abandon, as is the custom, or a thoughtful inventory of the past year’s fortunes along with the folly. Resolutions? A nice custom but merely a passing thought for most of us. For me, jotting down unfulfilled goals and wishes for the future will bring sharper focus on how “short life really is.” Maybe something as simple as taking that postponed trip we have always dreamed about or setting our sights a little higher than before can bring some urgency to our attention. We surely can’t stop the clock which is exactly what we wish for by taking no action toward fulfilling our hopes and wishes. Okay, enough of the [#offtopic] [soapbox] ramblings from me. Boris, you can take the mistletoe off your Elve’s cap now. If it didn’t work for Christmas, it won’t work for New Year’s Eve either.[alien] Happy rails to all.

4031

Good morning, Tom. I will take a bottomless cuppa Joe and some plain donuts from the bakery. I sure hope everyone had a great Christmas. The wife and I went to her folks and that’s it. Sat around the house. We didn’t even get each other a gift this year. Since the health scare I’ve had twice this year, we decided we just want each other. Christmas is indeed a time for reflection. I thought of my departed parents,long lost friends, and bygone times. I am thankful for what I have and high on that list, are my friends. Included are the regulars of OUR PLACE. Although I’ve only met Russell in person, I feel everyone else is a bunch of good guys!
Watched “White Christmas” with Bing Crosby Christmas eve. Never seen it before and found it a delightful movie. Had some train sequences in it and were wondering about the realities of them. One inaccuracy I noticed was a Santa Fe passenger train racing by the camera when the storyline was the main characters were heading to New York from Florida. That should have been ACL or SAL perhaps. How about the onboard sequences??? Were the drawing rooms, diner, and vestibule scenes accurate??? I enjoyed the conductor’s uniform. How about some specifics about the station shots and the heavyweight equipment shown??? Gentlemen, I must rely on your knowledge and experiences for these answers. I hate inaccuracies in films.
Speaking of films. I hope everyone has seen “Polar Express”. We got a DVD copy recently after seeing the film twice at the theater last year. Just a few inaccuracies in it as far as the railroad sequences (defying gravity excepted!).

4032

Hi Tom and all, nothing does it like 7-Up and Christmas cookies, if there’s any left, and here’s a toast to all who celebrate the day after:

“By the age of 16 Dempsey was a hobo, riding railroad freight cars from town to town across the Midwest, taking fights wherever he could. He would often fight men who were older, stronger and more experienced than himself. Fighting under the alias Kid Blackie at the time, often his only compensation was a free meal at the saloon where he fought. It is unclear how many fights Dempsey took before his first official pro fight in 1914, but it was likely near 100 fights. Boxing is very different today. In Dempsey’s day there were no sanctioning bodies. Fights were often unfair matchups, fixed outcomes or downright bizarre contests. In 1922, Dempsey was slated to fight three fighters on the same night before receiving a telegram just before getting into the ring from the New York Boxing Commission stating that he would only be permitted to fight one person that night and that the bout was required to go to a decision. Its obvious boxing was quite different in those days. In addition to the bizarre contests and absent or strange regulations, there was no three knock down rule and no neutral corner rule. You could literally hover over your opponent and punch him as he attempted to get up from the canvas. For those who think boxing today is barbaric, take a look at boxing during Dempsey’s era!” (RingsideReport.com)

http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/photos/celebrities/120.shtml Happy Boxing Day
http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/photos/celebrities/980.shtml Polar Express
http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/photos/celebrities/bingc.shtml Dreaming of a White Christmas
http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/photos/celebrities/1375-d.shtml Thanks for the memories
http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/photos/celebrities/982-f.shtml Christmas stockings filled
http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/photos/celebrities/38.shtml 5-Star service on the Union Pacific
http:

4033

Good Morning!

And the commercialism of the season continues on as the ru***o the stores to get those “bargains” continues. Ah, the joy of it all! [tdn]

We had a marvelous Christmas at our house, and in spite of the miles separating us from loved ones, the telephone somehow manages to bring us together, even if only in voice. [tup]

Yes, earlydiesels Dan we have seen the Polar Express and also have the DVD. In my contributions to this thread, there are many references to it being a “top shelf” flick, destined to become one of the Classics for Christmases to come. [tup][tup][tup] And I’m sure you’ve seen my Polar Express Lionel O-gauge shelf railroad pix.

Given that this is an animated movie, with a totallly wonderful fictitious story line, WHO CARES ABOUT “inaccuracies!” [?] What in the world can be “inaccurate” when it comes to the mind’s eye of the creator of that story [?] Nonetheless, we have viewed it several times as well and have to say that the “extra” DVD with our set really contains some “good stuff” as well.

Hollywood and movies have taken license with virtually every thing they produce, or so it seems. Just think about the last production of the bombing of Pearl Harbor - that surely was a revisionists effort - hardly placed the blame where it belonged, etc., etc. How many in our society, and perhaps throughout the world, view movies and come away with believing that what was portrayed is precisely how it happened. Sad. So, your Santa Fe train comments should be of no suprise at all. Just part of what THEY consider to be entertainment, I suppose. Another one that comes to mind is “Mississippi Burning,” totally off track insofar as the facts are concerned - but, once again, THEY decided to tinker with reality in order to produce what they believe to be “entertainment.”

I noticed that no one Posted h

4034

Good Morning!

. . . . . . . . . . ENCORE! ENCORE! . . . . . . . . . .

Here’s another Fallen Flag for the gang from Classic American Railroads: (first appeared on page 119)

Delaware & Hudson (D&H)

Headquarters: Albany, NY

Route mileage in 1950: 765 – 2000: 1,381

Locomotives in 1963: Diesels – 153

Rolling stock in 1963: Freight cars – 9,394 Passenger cars – 55

Principal lines in 1950:

Albany-Troy-Mechanicville, NY – Montreal, QC (Napierville Junction Railway trackage Rouses Point, NY-Montreal)
Binghamton-Oswego, NY (Erie trackage)
Nineveh, NY-Wilkes Barre, PA
Hudson-Buttonwood Yard, PA
Delanson-Mechanicville, NY
Schenectady-Balston Spa, NY
Saratoga Springs-Tahawus, NY (U.S. Government trackage North Creek-Tahawus)
Troy-Castleton, VT (B&M trackage Troy-Eagle Bridge, NY)
Whitehall, NY-Rutland, VT
Plattsburg-Lyon Mountain, NY
Plattsburg-Ausable Forks, NY
Fort Ticonderoga-Ticonderoga, NY
Oneonta-Cooperstown, NY
Cobleskill-Cherry Valley, NY

Using CONRAIL trackage in 1976:

Oswego-Buffalo & Niagara Falls, NY
Wilkes Barre-Harrisburg,PA-Washington, DC
Scranton-Allentown, PA-Newark, NJ
Allentown-Philadelphia

Passenger trains of note:

Laurentian (New York-Albany-Montreal)
Montreal Limited (New York-Albany-Montreal)

Of note:
All cars south of Albany handled by NYC.

Enjoy! [tup]

Tom [4:-)] [oX)]

Are YOU getting the most CURRENT information when yo

4035

Good Afternoon!

I almost totally forgot - we had a WHITE CHRISTMAS! [yeah] It rained well into the night, but when we awoke to take Juneau for his very early AM walk, the snow was falling. Big, heavy flakes - sticking to everything but the streets, which isn’t all that bad. Guess we had about an inch or a bit over. Made for a great start to a wonderful day. It’s all gone now - but, who cares [?] A WHITE CHRISTMAS is a rarity in these parts, in these times.

Okay - on with the ENCORE!

Here’s another Fallen Flag for the gang from Classic American Railroads: (previously Posted on page 124)

Union Pacific (UP) – (passenger ops)

Headquarters: Omaha, NE

Mileage:

1950: 9,9720
1996: 22,785 (trackage rights included)

Locomotives as of 1963:

Steam: 29
Diesel: 1,347
Gas-turbine: 49

Rolling stock in 1963: Freight cars - 54,959 Passenger cars – 851

Principal lines in 1950:

Omaha-Ogden, UT via Cheyenne, WY
Ogden-Los Angeles via Las Vegas, NV
Julesburg-La Salle, CO
Granger, WY-Seattle, WA via Montpelier, ID & Portland, OR
Pocatello, ID-Butte, MT
Hinkle, OR-Spokane, WA
Ogden-McCammon (Pocatello)
Cheyenne & Borie-Kansas City via Denver
Topeka, KS-Gibbon, NE
Marysville, KS-Valley (Fremont) NE

Principal lines added as of 1996:

Salt Lake City, UT-Oakland, CA via Sacramento, CA
Freemont & Omaha-Chicago
Nelson, IL-St. Louis
Chicago-Green Bay via Kenosha and Oshkosh, WI
Chicago-Milwaukee via Bain, WI
Milwaukee-Minneapolis
Minneapolis-Kansas City v

4036

Wow, Deleware Hudson and Union Pacific on one page. Hi Tom, I’ll have a Crown and soda if you please. Mike, lots of nostalgia on “name” trains and personaities of the 30s thru 50s. The Dempsey piece certainly falls into line with “Boxing Day” in the U.K. and Canada. There was a time (as a kid) I never missed “Saturday Night at the Fights” on N.B.C. radio “live.” The “fight game” fell into other “mob” enterprises and I lost all interest. Speaking of personalities, I do recall riding the same train as Ella Firzgerald once out of Chicago. She never left her compartment with her several Toy Poodles before I detrained in Kansas City. Really, you never knew who you might run into at major train stations even in the 1950s. I met Robert Mitchem and Jerry Lewis at B/W/I on different ocassions too. Well, thanks for sharing that with us. Dan, glad you had a nice, if uneventful, Christmas. I’m convinced those quiet moments are just as touching as any others can be. Oh, on the movie sets, there is little attention payed to accuracy except by a handful of Directors. That seems to be changing for the better lately but there is a long way to go. Doug, so old Chi Town “broke the bank,” eh? I always booked my trips through Chicago rather than St Louis because I really love that City. More than once I arrived home “a day late and a dollar short.”[:O] Right now, I’m viewing the Travel Channel’s “Globe Trekker.” The Hostess is traveling a lot by trains and this confirms the validity of much that has been written on their System. From China to Siberia, there is a gauge change and they literally hoist the cars up and change the trucks (boggies) from underneath. [#oops]I just got a call and my driving assistance is needed. Hopefully, I will be back on-line early tomorrow. Happy rails.

4037

Good Evening!

. . . . . . . . . . ENCORE! ENCORE! . . . . . . . . . .

More on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) of the Fallen Flags from The Official Guide of the Railways - Aug 1956 (previously Posted on 127)


Thrilled travelers tell us “There’s nothing like the view from B&O’s STRATA-DOME” …… Route your passengers via B&O and they’ll sing your praises too

Passengers traveling in a B&O Strata-Dome marvel at the thrilling panorama and natural beauty of the ever-changing scenery.

FLOODLIGHTS AT NIGHT

Powerful floodlight beams provide a novel view of the landscape after dark.

This exclusive B&O service between Washington and Chicago is offered at no charge!

Strata-Dome Dieseliners between

CHICAGO – AKRON – PITTSBURGH – WASHINGTON

The Capitol Limited (All Pullman) – The Columbia (Deluxe-Coach) – The Shenandoah* (Pullman and Coach)

THROUGH SERVICE TO AND FROM BALTIMORE, WILMINGTON, PHILADELPHIA AND NEW YORK.

*On the Shenandoah, Strata-Dome is operated on alternate dates. Available only to Pullman passengers on the Shenandoah.

BALTIMORE & OHIO RAILROAD

Enjoy! [tup]

Tom [4:-)] [oX)]

Are YOU getting the most CURRENT information when you log in [?] If not, why not [?]

4038

Happy Christmas one and all (Tiny Tim,if memory serves)-Well I do hope Santa had a little something for each and every one of us-whilst I too abhor the comercial aspects of the festive season there is something very pleasing about the choosing,giving & receiving of gifts amongst ones loved ones. Am happy to report that small daughter has spent the last week 2 inches off the ground and slightly blurry at the edges with excitement-Her other granny & grandpa plus 6 out of 8 aunties & uncles for the week then collect auntie Sarah from the airport on the way home-Oh to be 5 years old again......[^] Right,[4:-)]TOM-Assuming the bar is open again,lets start the staff party now-that should give us all time to recover before new years eve rears its ugly head.
O.K-If you could put a crate of Staropramen within easy reach and dig out that bottle of 150 % proof Jamaican rum from behind the till we can get started-Ill go and give the Wurlitzer a tickle,got a bit of a 60s head on tonight having just played to a roomfull of demented rugby players & the like up in Dodge city (Cardigan) so how about-Satisfaction,Get off my cloud,Paint it black,She loves you,Hard days night,My generation,Stay with me,See Emily play,Jumpin Jack Flash,Gimme shelter-- -think Id better go and sit outside for a while,things seem to be moving around a bit …back later,nick[C=:-)]

4039

Evenin! Gents!

Well, Ted visited twice this day and apparently Nick has returned from his get-away, so all’ well with the world! [tup]

Of course the bar is OPEN, why in the world do you think I’m HERE [?] Better let me have a bit of that stuff you’re drinkin’ so that I can share your wave length, Sir Nick! [swg]

Staff Party! whenever you’d like - perhaps we should wait for the return of Chandler Rob, just to make it complete. [tup]. But we can give it a head start, just keep ‘er goin’ until our Chandler makes it back. [yeah]

The bar belongs to Leon the Night Man, so ring the bell, Boris, this round is on me!

Expect more of the same through the week, Gents, as the ENCORE! pieces continue. So don’t be shy those of you who have Posted some extra-good stuff in the past - dig it up and Post it once more time.

Happy to know that Christmas has been jujst what you have hoped for, one and all. For each of us this time of year can be the most stressful or blissful. It can be a time for reflection and a time for giving. As I grow older I have learned that it is far better to receive than to give! [swg] Whatever works!

Later! [zzz]

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

4040

Hi Tom and all.

A pint of Bathams please.

Hope every one had a good Christmas. Good Christmas thoughts thanks TED, DAN and TOM ours was pretty quiet but we didnt see any of the snow Tom saw.

WANSWHEELMIKE Thanks for the Jack Dempsey info and the great links [tup]. I read recently that Boxing Day got it name when Royalty gave out gifts on that day. Although in the U.K. it became and still is one of main sporting days of the year.

EARLYDIESELS DAN You are so right about railways in movies. I remember an early James Bond film in which he leaves Eastern Europe en-route to Paris by train On the way his train is shown being hauled by British Railways Jubilee and Royal Scot 4-6-0 class locos and this was before the Channel Tunnel was built [%-)]. On other films which involve train travel, when they show the locomotive, it is very often a different one each time, sometimes a loco which would be very rare for the line the film is showing. I think film makers do a bit better nowadays though.

Hi NICK just seen your post. Glad to see you back and what a great set of songs [tup]

TOM Thanks for the Christmas RR travel and the Encores, I can hardly believe it was nearly 80 pages ago that I first read about the floodlights on the B&O train [wow].
That must be a wonderful photo to have with you and Jack Dempsey. A great boxer. Many years ago when B.B.C. radio used to stop transmitting at night. they used to have special broadcasts for the Championship fights in the 50s and 60s often at 2 or 3 in the morning in the U.K. which many people would stay up to listen to them. A different age indeed.
By the way TOM what is the exchange rate at the Second National Bank Of Mentor Village[?][:)]. PETE>