Car Thread

[2railjon]

My brother is in the middle of restoring his 1967 hardtop E-Type he found in California. (No rust anywhere, lucky bastardo)






Mine was a rag top.

[sarge]

Today was another lovely autumn day, so we went out to explore the battlefield a bit more. I admit, having now lived here almost exactly ten years, it’s the first time I’ve done this since before we moved here permanently. My, the changes over that time! I do believe little open cars on a sunny fall day are the only way to see it, and certainly was the final bit of motivation for me.

In our last cruise, we rather skipped the second day’s events. Here is the freshly restored Peach Orchard, site of a vicious and famous engagement:




One of the advantages of doing this with a little roadster is you can take photos without parking in pretty much any direction. Hence, here is the Confederate view of the base of Round Top. They tried to assault up those rocks to gain the high ground already held by Federal troops, most famously 20th Maine




These views off Round Top give an idea of the ground and of the advantage of terrain “enjoyed” by the established positions of the Union infantry. We’re just below the position of Joshua Chamberlain’s 20th Maine.






Now, let’s go back to the third day and Pickett’s Charge again, this time from the Confederate perspective. Over the wheel down “Confederate Avenue”, the road that runs athwart the axis of advance and just behind the LOD of the assault.




View over the field of Pickett’s Charge- the perspective from centre of Longstreet’s Corps




This view is on the Confederate left limit of the assault.




The Virginia monument:




The chariot de jour, the brave and valiant Piddles, leaves it’s trademark oil-spot at the Virginia monument.




For my good mate Jon, the Mississippi monument.




Not fun here, stuck behind traffic going through the town itself at high noon…




…much better, headed back north on the B-roads.

[sarge]

Jon:

I want to see what he does with that E. I do love 'em; desperately pretty things...

[rogruth]

Sarge,

Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC are known for historical buildings and parks.
IMHO many Northern towns and cities are not given the notice they should have.
York,Gettysburg and Lancaster in PA and several in the mid Hudson valley especially.
Familiarity does seem to breed contempt.
There are many places in this area I have not seen but have seen many more
historical places than people that have been here forever. They talk about some
places I haven't seen but they are usually ones were the natives hunt and fish.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

stuck behind traffic going through the town itself at high noon…

[sarge]

That's as bad as it gets in my life anymore.

You have DC, the Beltway, Bethesda all day long!!!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

That's as bad as it gets in my life anymore.

To even think of considering writing that down in any form of a description as something approximating "traffic" is a gross misuse of the word.

You have DC, the Beltway, Bethesda all day long!!!

Indeed I do although I do not have DC - I only go in there to get to the train station to collect or drop off my mother in law.

And, I get to and from work in under 30 minutes going across the Legion Bridge twice a day - 18 miles each way! There are 12 intersections with lights, 4 stop signs and and of course the obligatory cavity search upon entering campus. If you how to deal with it, it can be dealt with efficiently and speedily, and I do. Playing the appropriate music helps - think a nice restful live rendition of Radar Love,

Now, Heaven save them all if I ever do go back to driving a car that actually can go fast...............

[sarge]

To even think of considering writing that down in any form of a description as something approximating "traffic" is a gross misuse of the word.

Yep, it took 15 whole minutes, fifteen, I tell you, to get through town!

It was awful!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

To even think of considering writing that down in any form of a description as something approximating "traffic" is a gross misuse of the word.

Yep, it took 15 whole minutes, fifteen, I tell you, to get through town!

It was awful!

I used to walk across town back when Gilbert's was out on Steinwehr.....

[healey36]

Looks like it was a good day Sarge.

Gilbert had a great shop...wasted a considerable portion of my youth hanging out in there.

On my way to Upstate today, spotted a truckload of Willys Jeep Wagons on 81 just south of Scranton, presumably on their way for a restore:



There was a second truck with two more specimen considerably worse for wear. (There's no rule about taking pictures with your phone while driving, right? Just no texting... )

Healey

[sarge]

You are thinking about Dickie Gilbert. Tommy has the shop on Water Street that has only been there for 15 years or so about which I reserve judgement.

I liked Dickie Gilbert's on Steinwehr; a true olde tyme model train store with O Scale brass, old kits and bits and bobs. Went overseas, he was there. Came back and it was gone; I understand after one helluva family fight. I bought my first brass import from him, thought I had finally hit the big time, a USH L4b Mohawk brand new. That was a long time ago.


Like the Jeeps, although my short list has only the MB (or Ford GPW) on it. I would amend that with an M151 if one crossed my path at a price I could afford at the time, though...

[healey36]

Were Dickie and Tommy related? Probably a dumb question. You're right, I wasn't aware of another shop. I've heard Don Carver refer to Tommy Gilbert's shop...always thought he was talking about the one on Steinwehr. You know you're in a great shop when many of the kits were tied closed with bits of string. I think I still have unbuilt Airfix kits laying around that came from that shop.

Hanging out in Schenectady with the kid...if you need me to check on anything in Niskayuna, let me know...

The M151 was the one referred to as the Mutt, correct?

Healey

[Tony-h]

Yea! I know all about Gilberts. Back in the middle 60s I was going skiing at Roundtop but just had to stop in. BIG decision....Go skiing with the 50$ in my pocket or turn around with a HOn3 brass EBT 2-8-2 in my pocket. Still have that loco in the box!

Tony

[sarge]

If I remember the story right, Dickie was Tommy's uncle. The story I heard (so take it for what it's worth which might not be very much) after I came back and all this had gone down was Tommy thought he deserved the shop after Dickie because he worked there. Some direct descendants took exception to that assumption and a great ecclesiastic discussion ensued with much bad blood. Tommy went and opened his own store (with his dad in the back room) in competition, there were accusations, it was all pretty ugly.

Dickie's store closed up after the immediate family sold it off (and not to Tommy), and as I think about it Tommy might have been on Water Street longer than that 15 years, for this whole mess happened longer ago than that.

This is local model railroad club lore, so take it as that. I was out of the country and missed it.

[robert.]

"spotted a truckload of Willys Jeep Wagons on 81 just south of Scranton, presumably on their way for a restore"
Were they headed north or south? This week is the Hershey car show. I did one of my DC.area trips yesterday. Went for Philly to Purcellville Va. over to Annapolis then to Savage and up into north Baltimore. Sometimes it's hard to believe you don't see more wrecks along the highway. I show a guy driving an Old dominion double trailer. This Bast#$d was watching a movie on his cell phone.He should have been yanked from the cab and flogged.