Sunday, March 30, 2014

My Hometown

My Hometown
~The Boss...Bruce Springstein~
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77gKSp8WoRg

As many of you know, our relatives and friends, worked at the American Locomotive Company, in Schenectady, New York.  It was a mainstay of our childhood.  As much a part of our surroundings as the Big N, Two Guys, St. John's and St. Mary's Church and of course, the General Electric plant.  

We saw this yesterday, in the town of Frisco, Texas.  Fast forward to 2014.  Tonight, I'll remember.....my hometown.

The blurb I found on the internet recites:

Union Pacific Steam Locomotive "Big Boy" 4018

Build Date: December, 1941
Builder: ALCO, Schenectady, NY
Current Status: Static
Road: Union Pacific
Configuration: 4-8-8-4

Union Pacific's route across the high plaines of Wyoming, including Sherman Hill, and the Wasatch Range of Utah (part of the original transcontinental railroad),  provided significant challenges to moving heavy freight. As steam locomotive technology progressed, Union Pacific ordered larger, faster and more powerful locomotives: 2-8-8-0s in 1918, the three-cylinder 4-12-2s in 1926, then 4-6-6-4s in 1937, and ultimately a locomotive which could move freight over steep Sherman Hill unassisted and maintain a fast schedule. In 1941, Union Pacific received the first out of an eventual 25 locomotives in the 4000 class dubbed "Big Boys," the last five of which were delivered in 1944. At the time, these were the longest and among the heaviest, most powerful steam locomotives in the world.
Big Boy 4018 was in service and assigned to Wyoming's Cheyenne-Green River territory in September of 1957, having received its final repairs at the Cheyenne shops in April of 1957. By October of 1957 engine 4018 was stored serviceable at Green River. 1958 saw several 4000s in service on the Cheyenne-Laramie segment only. As a result some 4000s were stored at Laramie at the end of 1958, and the last six 4000s located at Cheyenne were placed into service for just 15 days in 1959. Union Pacific 4018 was officially retired in 1962 and donated in 1964, traveling from Wyoming to Kansas City, then south via the Santa Fe into Dallas. In 1998 the museum was approached with a proposal to restore 4018 to operation for a feature film which did not materialize. Union Pacific 4018 remains on static display at the museum site in Dallas as it has been since 1964. There are no plans for an operational restoration.

The Vineyards RV Park - Part II

Because this park is so big, I haven't had a chance to get to the other side of the park. The pictures in the first post are located here

The Vineyards

Entrance & Office is located inside guardshack


nature trails

Open House today, so some festivities going on

Picnic tables under canopy

view from that 1st road to the right off main road
1st road off to the right after entering


plenty of room

example of sites on "turn off" of road.  You can see the RV at the end.  This probably holds 2-3 lots

good amount of room between lots

beach pic taken from behind.  You can see a pic from the other side of the water, in this post.  You can get an idea of how big the distance is by comparing pictures.

Our lot is located across this water where you see them in the distance


a treed lot in the shade

I took this to show you there are 4 RV's in this pic, situated every which way

The interior road that takes you to the other side of the water, where we are
5th wheel had to be 40 ft long plus the length of the truck. 

Friday, March 28, 2014

Denton, Texas: Historic District















The Vineyards Campground, Grapevine, TX

1501 North Dooley Street
Grapevine, Texas   76051
(817) 329-8993
VineyardsCampground.com

Cabin

Adjoining cabins share the same deck



2 Sites show nice distance between them
A site along the road

Beach and playground across the water

Site

Road between sites

Marina across the water

Mallard Ducks walk amongst us

Our lot
Tucker doesn't quite know what to do with his 2 feathered friends....

4 Dishes from the Pacific Rim

These recipes are from the book Pacific Light Cooking, by Ruth Law.  They are carefully crafted recipes that are light.  Nutritional data is...