Title
Weekly News February 28, 2011Description
Driving a Stanley with Very Poor Planning: In June 1980, our annual Eastern Steam Car Tour was hosted by the Bourdons in Woodstock, Vermont, with headquarters at the Shire Motel. Weldin Stumpf decided he and Dorothy would drive in his 1913 Stanley Model 77, and I did the same in our Model 87. We entered late, so our accommodations were across the street in the antiquated New England Inn, which had reasonably good food. On our day of departure, we planned to leave Yorklyn after lunch and drive to the Holiday Inn at Port Jervis, New York, about 150 miles, that afternoon, continuing the next day the remaining 250 miles to Woodstock.
Those of you who know me realize I’m not very smart sometimes, and the day of departure was no exception. From Yorklyn, we had planned our route to go up Route 82 to Unionville, then 842 to Hayman’s Orchard, thence to Northbrook, Marshallton, and onto Route 322 southeast to Downingtown, wherefrom we traveled Route 113 to Lionville and Route 100 north, a favorite short-cut. I left first, knowing that Weldin and Dorothy would not be far behind. The trouble was, I completely forgot the route we intended to follow and instead went up McFarland Road to its intersection with Route 1 at the Kennett Medical Center. Waiting there for perhaps 15 minutes, I was puzzled because the Stumpfs did not come up behind. My mistake dawned on me! In the days before cell phones, how were we to find each other?
Weldin and Dorothy were equally surprised, for after moving along at a good clip for 15 minutes or so, they saw nothing of me and the big Stanley. They retraced their steps to Auburn Heights, but I was not to be found or heard from. In the meantime, I proceeded west on Route 1 and then north on 82 toward Unionville, hoping for a rendezvous. I continued on the original planned route but stopped at Northbrook and waited for some time, since no trace of the other Stanley had appeared. I called home, but no one there had seen the Stumpfs. After a considerable time, I decided to move on, thinking that they must be ahead of me. Alone, I went all the way to Port Jervis and never did see them. After finishing my dinner an hour later, they pulled in just before dark. The next day we kept together and made out much better, arriving at Woodstock in good time.
It was a good tour. Bob Barrett, manufacturer of hydraulic brake kits for Stanley cars, was there with his newly invented portable side-by-side tandem bicycle, and the Keen Steamliner he had bought from the estate of Charles Keen of Wisconsin. The bicycle worked better than the Keen car, and I rode side-by-side with Bob’s wife, Jill. A couple of months before, Weldin and I had worked on Hyde Ballard’s two Stanleys, his 1908 Model K now in our collection, and his 1924 Model 750. Hyde had recently moved to New London, New Hampshire, following the death of his wife, Mary, and had moved his cars to a new garage behind his home in New Hampshire. He brought both steamers to Woodstock, driving the 750 over the road and trucking the Model K. The first day of the tour, he scorched the boiler on the 750, and Weldin lay underneath the car trying to tighten the tubes, as we felt some obligation, since the water-level automatic must have failed him. Hyde wanted me to fire up and drive the K, but I was reluctant, as I knew the condition of the car was questionable at best, and I told him I didn’t like to drive others’ cars. I did fire it up one afternoon, drove it around town giving rides, and had my photo taken with Rhoda Marriott Green (daughter of racing car driver Fred Marriott) and Mike May in the Model K. Six years later, I bought the K from Hyde Ballard.
Our return trip was less eventful. Weldin Stumpf had suggested that 14-year-old Mark Herman might like to ride back with me, and his parents would come to Delaware to take him home. All worked out as planned, and a week that started poorly ended very well.
Work Nights: Last week was another busy week for volunteers at Auburn Heights. On Tuesday night, Steve Bryce, with help from Ted Kamen and Bob Jordan, repaired the water tank from the Model 76, soldering on a new copper angle to reinforce one of the tank’s seams. Jeff Pollock, Emil Christofano and Mark Russell completed the removal of the fenders and running boards from the Rauch & Lang. Mark also put a coat of paint on the new front floor boards for the Model 607. Mark Hopkins worked on the train display in the museum, laying out the upper level track bed on the museum floor in preparation for its reinstallation above the existing layout. On Thursday night, Emil Christofano and Steve Bryce met with Dave Walls to discuss options for replacing the upholstery in the Rauch & Lang. Emil, Jerry Novak, and Lou Mandich also worked on disassembling and cleaning the car’s leaf springs. With the water tank out of the Model 76, it was a good time to inspect the engine, so Bill Schwoebel, Steve Bryce, Jim Personti, Tom Marshall, and Sal Gioia took on the project. After finding excessive play in the main crank and wear to the slides and other components, it was decided that the engine will need to be removed for additional evaluation and work. After a lesson on Tuesday night from Jerry Lucas on how to mount tires on the new rims for the Mountain Wagon, Bob Stransky, Ted Kamen, and Tim Ward completed mounting all five tires.
Did You Know? You can support FAHP with qualified charitable distributions from your IRA! One of the provisions of the recently enacted Tax Relief Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010 reinstates qualified charitable distributions (QCDs), allowing IRA owners over the age of 70½ a unique opportunity. These individuals may contribute up to $100,000 per year directly from an IRA to a 501(c)3 public charity with no federal tax consequences. Gifts made to grant-making foundations, donor advised funds, or charitable gift annuities are excluded from these rules. If you make charitable donations from your IRA, you can credit this amount toward satisfying any required minimum distribution (RMD) you might have from your IRA(s). This strategy can also lower your income and possibly decrease the taxes you pay on your Social Security income.
Check with your tax advisor to determine if a lower annual income may also have a positive effect with regard to deductions, exemptions, and tax credits. For those who qualify, if you are considering a donation to F.A.H.P, you may want to consider making those donations from your IRA. Your financial institution will need to make the donation directly from your IRA to a qualifying charity to have this strategy work for you. Many qualified investors may welcome this opportunity to support the mission of FAHP. Gifts in support of FAHP’s ongoing initiatives can be made directly to the organization or to an endowment fund established at the Delaware Community Foundation. For more information on how your gift can support FAHP now and into the future, please contact Susan Randolph, Executive Director, by email or phone at 302-239-2385.
