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Weekly News May 10, 2010Description
Another Great Trip, 1982: The fifth Transcontinental Reliability Tour (and my third) for cars made in 1914 and before began at the Lodge at Pebble Beach (CA) and ended at Jekyll Island, GA. Again I attempted it with our 1912 Stanley Model 87, with stronger rims from those that failed in 1979, a new rear axle made by Frank Cooke, and Yamaha Motorcycle hydraulic disc brakes on the front wheels to help us down the mountains. My passengers were Lindsay Greenplate from Pebble Beach to Reno, and Bob Reilly from Reno to Jekyll Island and on to Yorklyn. Our car was shipped, along with three others, from Aiken, MD, to Pacific Grove, CA, only 3 miles from Pebble Beach. Brent Campbell was along with a Stanley he had built for long trips (a great-running car), and numerous friends and passengers who accompanied him for portions of the long trip. Following was Brent’s motor home pulling his trailer, which proved to be a savior for us when we broke down near Holly, CO.
Anthony and Ollie Rippo from the Los Angeles area, he an old friend from Army days, joined us for two nights at Pebble Beach before our send-off near the 18th green at the famous golf club. The first day Lindsay and I drove the 125 miles to San Francisco, and two days later we crossed the Bay Bridge to Oakland to begin the eastward journey. At our first water stop near Alameda, I noticed steam showing around the hood, and investigation indicated a leak in the shell of the boiler. With the whole continent ahead of us, we had a leaky boiler! Reducing the steam pressure to 400# (normal would be 500-550#) we made it across the San Joaquin Valley to Sonora at the southern end of the Mother Lode Gold Rush country, an interesting tourist town. That evening I worked until 11:30 “band-aiding” the leak (under the piano wire winding around the boiler shell) with the hope the leak would be reduced enough for us to continue the trip. Keeping the pressure at 400# maximum, we climbed the next day through Yosemite National Park to the East entrance at Tioga Pass, 9,945 feet in elevation. Dropping over 3,000 feet in 12 miles to Lee Vining, we finished the day at Bridgeport, CA, and the next day we reached Reno. Again I patched the leak with circumferential bands holding the packing material in place. Bob Reilly flew in and Lindsay Greenplate flew out, and again the tour headed eastward.
It was rainy and the temperature below 50 degrees as we followed the old Pony Express route of 1860-61. Austin and Eureka, NV, were little changed from the 19th century. The floor of our motel in Austin was built parallel to the street, but the street had a 5% grade all the way through town. When you got out of bed, it was easy to slide to the bathroom. Ely, NV, was more prosperous, and our eastward trek then took us through Delta and Green River in Utah. Finally we arrived in Grand Junction, CO, in time for the July Fourth Parade in which the 40 or so cars on our tour participated. The day that followed was a most spectacular one as we climbed from Ouray, CO, to Silverton over the “Million Dollar Highway”, and then descended to Durango after going over an 11,000-foot-high pass. At Durango, Charlie Bradshaw, new owner of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge R.R., ran a special train for our group the full length of the line (Charlie participated in several subsequent “Trans-Cons” in his 1914 Cadillac). Brent Campbell and Martha Lang did not go, as they spent the day addressing wedding invitations to that special event which took place in August, 1982. (To be continued in a future “News”).
Special effort will be made to get the Museum back in order after several major alterations, and volunteers at the Tuesday and Thursday work sessions this week will be asked to help. Our first “charter” of the year takes place next Saturday with a birthday party for about 40 people, at which time we will offer a house tour, one train will run, and a steam car ride has been promised. We need about 5 “outdoor and museum” volunteers, and two or three for the big house. Please let Susan or Dan know if you can help. Locomotive 402, rebuilt by Jim Personti, was tested on Saturday and reported to be 100%. Thanks, Jim, for making new pistons, installing new rings, and getting all back together.
Four of our Stanley gauges, rebuilt in England, came back damaged, and we are working to get UPS to settle our claim. Four of the ten glass lenses were smashed. This week, I hope to pick up other parts from the Model 607 that have been nickel-plated at Librandi Plating near Harrisburg. A driving lesson using our Model 76 was given on Thursday to Jeff Pollock, Tim Ward, and Ted Kamen. The Model 740 was taken to Winterthur on Saturday, and thanks go to Art Wallace and Jeff Pollock for their P.R. work and for shuttle transportation.
Richard Bernard and Art Sybell are chairing the June 6 “Steamin’ Sunday”, and there is a sign-up sheet on the bench next to the sign-in book for those who can help that day. Please sign or E-mail Richard at rnbernardjr@hotmail.com if you can help. Susan encourages our talented volunteers to come up with rhymes for “Burma Shave” signs we can use at our Steamin’ Days this year. Remember this sort of thing: “They missed the turn, car was whizzin’, fault was her’n, funeral his’n”? We need humorous ditties that direct motorists to Auburn Heights.
The final deadlines for our spring “Herald” are this week. Susan is helping Rob put the quarterly newsletter together, and provide editing expertise. The Events Committee meets on Tuesday, May 11, at 7:00. The week beginning May 17 is “Meetings Week”, culminating with our quarterly Board meeting on Thursday, May 20. Next Sunday, May 16, is the Linvilla Orchards antique auto show sponsored by the Historical Car Club of Pennsylvania. We have often had five or six steamers take part, and hope several of you want to make the 35-mile round-trip again this year.
Last week, I omitted the sad news of the passing of Arthur C. Hart, Jr. on April 29. Art was a talented artisan who made many parts for the steam car hobby over a 35-year period, and his 1910 Stanley Model 70 was the envy of all in the hobby. He would have been 70 on June 3, and he will be missed. The funeral service was on May 4, and Art’s two daughters and Rosie Esposito, who lived with Art since the passing of his wife Natalie in 2001 and who took care of him during his final illness, listed FAHP as one of three charities to which contributions can be made in his memory. Already we have received some, and we are deeply grateful. We wish all of Art’s greater family our sincere sympathy.
Tom
