|
| |
Friday, July 24, 2009
Train Hype! Yep, today's the big day. My long-awaited visit with Great Northern
steam locomotive 1355, lovingly cared for by the good folks at Siouxland
Railroad Historical Association (SRHA).
http://www.milwaukeerailroadshops.org/
GN 1355 is in the roundhouse for my visit, but it is amazing to see in person.
It is the cleanest steam engine I've ever seen. Don Dandurand, Ed Sibley and
everyone at SHRA have done a great job putting GN 1355 in top cosmetic shape.
   
  
Don is there to greet me as I roll up at 10am. He gives me the official tour
from smokebox to cab, carefully pointing out all the shop numbers stamped in the
locomotive (on the smokestack, the main rods, the frame, etc.).
Don has to leave for a doctor's appointment, but not before having me hold the 7
chime whistle installed on 1355 when it was on display at City Auditorium.
    
In the afternoon, I wander around the grounds of the old Milwaukee Road
roundhouse and take a few pictures. It is hot. 90 plus and just as humid.
Finally, I say goodbye to Ed Sibley and head off for a late lunch.
    
Bing! Once again my car displays a tire problem. Except this time is says "check
front right tire". I find another gas station and pump 75 cents into the air
compressor. I add a bit more air to front right. It still says to check it.
Hmmm.... WHOA...that tire has over 50 pounds!!!! OK, let's take it down to 40
pounds. The message goes away. A little light goes on in my noggin and I check
the front left tire. It is down to 20 pounds again! Slow leak. I fill it back up
to 40 and call it good. Just get me back to Minneapolis, buster.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Heading home! I check out of the hotel and head off for MSP at 5:45am. Iowa 60
is just as smooth in the other direction. I reach Minnesota about 8am. That's
where the fun began.
Again the NAV system INSISTED I continue on MN 60 instead of the
more-freeway-route of I-90/I-35. OK, I have plenty of time, why not? I'm rolling
along at a steady 70 per (bumpa-bumpa-bumpa-bumpa) alongside the "UP Ethanol
line" until I reach the little town of Windom, Minnesota (I think). Detour sign
for MN 60. OK...wait a minute, the detour is turning us back the way we came!
Now we're putzing around way outside of town with only corn visible in all four
directions. My NAV system is going crazy, scolding me for taking this detour and
sourly announcing "RECALCULATING ROUTE" every 30 seconds.
I am starting to freak because I don't have any paper maps as backup and the
RECALCULATING becomes sterner by the second. At last, I snap and turn left at
the appointed route back to Minnesota 60. Mind you, I've driven a good five
miles already and SURELY the detour must be over by now, right? RIGHT???
No. I reach MN 60 and there are huge ROAD CLOSED signs blocking both directions.
Bastards. They took a wonderful, four-lane highway and closed the entire thing.
Why they didn't just close two lanes and use the other two? Mulishly, I turn
onto the CLOSED road and start driving. The NAV system finally shuts up. It is a
beautiful road with no signs of any construction anywhere (it is Saturday). I am
the only car or person in sight. I pass another set of ROAD CLOSED signs. Then
another. This goes on for a good 5 miles. FINALLY, I notice a big chunk of the
road missing and turn off onto a gravel road. Now I'm in for it. The NAV system
starts valiantly trying to recalculate, "TURN LEFT ON COUNTY ROAD 352 IN POINT 4
MILES...".
Mercifully, I come upon a little town. I cross over the frikken closed MN 60 and
head into it. Mindful of local speed traps, I'm keeping it down at or below the
speed limit. My NAV system shows my arrival in MSP as later and later. I'm about
to stop and ask someone where the construction ends but...there it is. At the
end of town (after a good 20 miles from Windom), Minnesota 60 continues north on
its way as if nothing had happened.
Whew! It is an uneventful trip the rest of the way to Minneapolis. In fact, I
have time to take a nice walk at the Mall of America in Bloomington before my
flight leaves. I hit the local Panda Express for lunch and then punch for MSP to
drop off my rental car. As I talk to the check in guy, it is apparent he is not
impressed by my statement that the "left front tire has a slow leak". His only
comment is, "Well, did you fill it up with air?" "Yes, I did Einstein, twice."
He makes no notation of this, so the next driver will have a fun surprise
waiting for him. Avis, bah! I'm going back to Hertz.
As I said previously, MSP Airport has it set up right at the NWA counter. The
check in kiosks are right at the baggage drop off. And they have a gal directing
traffic to any open kiosks. Simple. Logical. No stress. Wake up Seattle NWA
counter!!!!
Now it's time for the security line carnival of TSA (Thousands Standing Around).
Boy is this line long. It takes an hour, but eventually I reach the equipment.
As I walk through the x-ray it goes off. Lights! Buzzers! A 13 jewel
half-nelson! The TSA guy tells me to take all the coins out of my pockets.
I don't have any. I purposely took all metal off my body. Figuring I must have
just brushed against the side, I go through again. No light show. OK, off we go.
Sometimes I think those things just go off at random. I watched the TSA frisk a
70 year old, white male -- an OBVIOUS, politically-correct security threat. And
so it goes...
I need a drink. In fact a couple more lime margaritas on the rocks do the trick.
Nothing like a little alcohol to take your mind off the flying bus.
They board us on time and every seat is taken as they close the door. As we push
back, the little girl in the seat in front of me starts....SCREAMING! In fact
she was remarkable. At about 2 years old, she managed to scream practically
non-stop for 3 1/2 hours from MSP to SEA. She never shut up or took a nap.
Occasionally, there was a tentative, "shhh..." from Mom or Dad, but in the main,
they just let her cut loose. And THAT was with a PACIFIER in her mouth the whole
way! Precocious kid. Useless parents.
I'm HOME!!!!! Exceptin' it's hotter in Seattle than in Minnesota! That's a
switch. In fact, I'm typing most of this in the Redmond Library which has air
conditioning. The place is packed as houses in Seattle generally don't come with
a/c. And now for my final pictures, a view of the haul from the SPAM store.
Enjoy!
   
THE END
 
|
