ImaObserver

Since there seems to have been a lot of interest in the subject I will post my summary of the experience for those who wish to read it.

Operating the Locomotive

At the age of 12, I had the privilege of my first ( and only ) opportunity to run a steam locomotive.
I lived near the tracks and was down by the east grain elevator hunting sparrows with my Daisy air rifle when the local freight train which was sorting cars stopped on the side track immediately adjacent to where I was.
I stood in a narrow walkway between two buildings immediately adjacent to the tracks and when the engine stopped directly in front of me the engineer looked down at me and asked "Hey boy, do you want a ride?" Naturally I said "sure", and he said "Then put your gun down and I will give you a hand."
He reached down and pulled me up into the cab with him and the fireman and then had me sit on his lap by the controls. Once on board, he explained the engine controls to me and then had me throw the shifting lever from ”neutral” to the “forward” position. He then instructed me to put my hand on the steam throttle valve lever and open it ”VERRRY SLOWLY”. Unfortunately his definition of "very slowly" and that of a highly excited young boy were somewhat different. Needless to say I turned the valve too far too quickly and proceeded to spin the drivers causing the engineer to grab his hand over mine and bring the engine back under control, after which he again opened it as necessary for a nice slow start. He then helped me get the feel as we moved the short string of cars out past the switch and onto the main line, then paused the train while the conductor/brakeman played switchman. I was then allowed to reverse the grip and slowly back the train toward the other cars sitting on the main line. He took over to reconnect and re-split the train at the appropriate locations. I was then allowed to throw the lever forward and run the throttle and proceed out past the switch again. After the switch was thrown to the side track I was again allowed to reverse the train until it was necessary for him to control the decoupling action. I thought that I was getting to be an old hand at running steam locomotives by then, but after a couple of trips back and forth, he then told me that that was all of the switching, and that they had to go on down the line now.
My ride was over, but before helping me down he took a time card and wrote a note to my parents for me. My mother passed that note on to me after having kept it for about sixty years and I now have it to share with my children and grandchildren.
The note reads "Mr, a good boy you have, I had him on the engine and gave him a ride." It was signed by the engineer whose name was E. A. Radeunz and who lived in a Norfolk, NE.
That act of kindness would have gotten both the engineer and fireman fired today but it gave me a memory that has lasted for more than 77 years and that I share with you today.

Those of you who enjoy woodworking and it's related challenges need to meet Dave Engels. He and his wife Diane own Engels Coach Shop in Joliet Montana. Dave is a past master at everything related to fancy woodworking and blacksmithing involved in hand building everything from buggies to mud wagons, to stagecoaches to 20 mule team borax wagons and even monster logging wheels. My wife and I visited them a couple of years ago on our 60th anniversary road trip.
Check him out at Engels Coach Shop

Upon abandonment of any bases, immediately destroy all assets paid for by our tax dollars. Buildings, roads, runways, other infrastructure etc. No sense in supplying the "enemy", we should have learned that by now.

Shexter:
Obviously your post is not up to the high standards of the Daily Mail because you forgot to state the most important fact.
What is the price of the chicken coop?
:lol:

Is the death of a spouse much different than the death of a marriage?

My first wife turned out to be a serial philanderer and ended up running away with my "best friend", my hunting and fishing buddy. The same one that I later found out had been keeping her from getting lonely when I was on camping trips with the Boy Scout troop for which I was Scoutmaster.
Yes, I kept the house, the cars, the two young daughters 3 & 5 years old, and it took many months (years) to clear up the thousands of dollars in charge account debts that she had run up without my knowledge.

Yet, I was lost and lonesome. so much so that I couldn't stand to hear those whiney country-western songs that were so commonly being played in that day. I now know that I was suffering with deep mental depression at the time.

I was fortunate in that I met a young lady in my home town some months later, the girls loved her and asked if she was going to be their "new mommy". Four month later we were married and we celebrated our 61st anniversary last fall.
Living alone in your grief will not readily cure the depression as will finding someone new to share your life. Doing so will honor the deceased spouse by showing that they were a critical part of your life and that you truly needed their companionship.

How well does it work on Canada geese?

Seems like that is standard practice if your wives find out that there is a bit of temporary surplus in the family budget. :rotflmao:

quote:

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Teenage girls are the worst.

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Wait until two or more daughters sync their cycles with their mother, that's time to take the sons for a weekend trip, fishing, hunting, out of state ball game, etc. etc. until the flames ebb. :lol: :lol:

Worked for the company 19 1/2 years when I received an opportunity to move on into a challenging new industry. My 401K was fully vested after 15 years and I had been assured that it was all mine.
At my final conference at departure, HR informed me that since I had only been with the company for 19 years and I could have potentially worked for them for 45 years that I was only going to receive 19/45 of the "fully vested" retirement benefit that I had earned.
I couldn't afford a lawyer to fight them and the civil liberties organizations weren't interested in it either.
I got my revenge by living long enough to draw that pitiful monthly retirement check from them for more than 23 years so far and intend to keep on going. :doublebird:

Which one was faster?