Robert Pence

I believe Indiana tests for octane ratings. I've heard of stations being busted for dispensing regular as mid-grade, or mid-grade as premium after they got caught in a spot check.

I've read three of Kunstler's books, "The Geography of Nowhere," "Home from Nowhere" and "The Long Emergency." I'm re-reading the last one. Some people dismiss him as having a view that's excessively Apolcalyptic. I think that he has a view rooted in his knowledge of history and everyday observation of how people react to situations and interact with each other. Some dig in with denial and contend that technology will save us and our way of life. I wonder if they actually read what he wrote.

You might enjoy checking out the page in my Lafayette (Indiana) photo set that has pictures of some grand old churches dating 1858 -1872 in a nice old near-downtown neighborhood.

I helped with an archive project at First Presbyterian in Fort Wayne. The congregation dates to 1837, and the present building was built in 1955. Records of the earlier structures, and even some of the early discussion and planning for the present building, often referred to what we know as the sanctuary as the lecture room.

Interesting thread, especially enjoyable since I got to see a few of those during the holiday tour. As far as using my photo, you have my blessing. Glad I could help. Variations on that Colonial / Georgian theme were big among Presbyterians in the fifties. South Bend has one, and Fort Wayne's is exceptionally well-done, although the construction cost the lives of a block of Federal, Italianate and early Victorian homes in 1955.

I like the looks of that area; it seems like the kind of place I'd be very happy to live.

My contribution: Shot before daylight on Friday morning 01/05/2006 about 7a.m. from inside the Grand Wayne Center (convention center) in downtown Fort Wayne, looking south on Harrison Street. I was annoyed they hadn't yet taken down the holiday decorations, but after I saw the photo, I realized they contributed to the strangeness. Nikon D70 18-70mm Nikkor kit lens, at maximum wide angle ISO 200 Aperture Preferred, f/5.6

Wonderful photos! The sepia effect gives them a real classic look.

Aww! They're spoiling the patina!

Treasures!

I noticed that too, and wondered if maybe it was a UFO, or the Star of Bethlehem. Or maybe the Star of Bethlehem was a UFO! :weird: It's probably a lens flare from the bright light in the lower part of the photo.

Some of those changes are very much needed. Some, like biofuels, may offer some relief but are more like chasing rainbows, in the context of the overstated expectations that many people have. If the Dems overreact to Republican energy policies, they'll only keep the pendulum swinging back and forth. Our democratic process has been perverted by short-sighted, uniformed self-interest, and if a majority of the electorate feel inconvenienced by Democrat changes, the Republicans will be able campaign on Reaganesque promises of a Return to the Good Old Days when America was Great. They'll take everything in a landslide and have even more power than before the latest turnover. Radical change is necessary, but it has to be finessed. Brute force will backfire.

:-o :?

Mine was taken in late 1978 or early 1979, probably on a Saturday, so there weren't many people in the place. There were a lot of shops open at that time, though, and during the week it was quite busy. I have several photos from that era on my web site; if you haven't seen them, check them out here.

Do you mean these? Sorry for the hijack, Shawn. :oops:

In the late seventies didn't Amtrak run a transcontinental sleeper by way of a set-out in New Orleans? If I remember correctly, it arrived in the evening on one train and sat overnight, where passengers could use it as a hotel and go out on the town, and then the continuing train picked it up in the morning. I think Amtrak and one of the airlines offered the "train one way / fly the other" package at one time, too, didn't they? I'm thinking it might have been United Airlines, because I remember telling someone that I'd prefer to take the train going and return by air, because although I might reach my destination late, there was some chance my luggage would arrive with me.

Great commercial buildings and houses in those Michigan towns. Adrian has a significant downtown with some great structures, but it troubles me to see so many 19th-century buildings with their upper floors boarded up. Too often, nobody goes up there regularly, and no one notices roof troubles until the damage comes through to the first floor or a partial collapse rains down bricks on the sidewalk; by then the structure may be beyond saving.

There's no really good alternative to daylight schedules, but an interim or stopgap measure might be set-out cars. Back in the day, the Nickel Plate ran a set-out sleeper between Fort Wayne and Cleveland. There was significant business travel between those two points, probably from GE, and the overnight accomodation was popular for business travelers. The eastbound sleeper was spotted at the depot in Fort Wayne, connected to station steam and power for heat/light/air conditioning, and an attendant was on board. Cleveland-bound travelers could check in after 8 p.m. and go to bed whenever they liked. At the time, there were restaurants and entertainment spots near the depot. An eastbound train picked up the car late at night and arrived in Cleveland in the wee hours, where the sleeper was set out at the station. I think passengers had until 7 a.m. or so to detrain and go about their business. The same concept would work with a coach, for passengers who don't want to or can't shell out the premium fare for sleeping accomodations. I have a vague feeling I may have posted this comment before. If so, please excuse and chalk it up to senile babbling.

Sorry 'bout that, Casey! I can't help myself. Lacking a life in winter, I have nothing to do but lurk around the forums waiting for an excuse to bore people to death by slathering them with trivia. :-D

Rolling stock located for possible initiation of daylight service in Ohio:

Uh-Oh! :-o I tried, but I can't stop. Here I go: < :type: >They're classification flags, and are sometimes used in place of the classification lights that are similarly placed on mainline locomotives. They mostly apply to passenger trains, and date to an era when railroads would respond to high-volume ridership by running more than one train to cover a particular schedule. The extra train is known as a second section. I've heard of a few cases where even third sections might run on some schedules during holidays. White flags or classification lights designate an "extra" train, not on the regular timetable. This might designate a chartered excursion or a private train carrying railroad business and inspection cars, or even a high-and-wide special, a locomotive with one or two cars carrying outsized cargo that requires special routing and scheduling to avoid low viaducts and meeting opposing trains on adjacent track. Green flags or classification lights indicate that another, usually second, section follows. Red flags or classification lights are displayed on a train following one displaying green flags or classification lights, and indicate that no more sections follow. In a case where three sections ran, the first two would carry green flags or lights, and the last train would carry red flags or lights. That's different from the signals beside or over the tracks. I'm not an expert on those; there are a lot of variations on different railroads, and a lot of permutations of position and color. Generally, though, I think the colored signals are roughly analogous to red, yellow and green traffic lights. Some railroads use position lights; for example, former B&O and Pennsylvania RR trackage. They have six lights arranged in a circle against a black target or background, and are lighted in opposing pairs to create different aspects. There are permutations and variations that have special meanings, but typically a vertical pair indicates clear, like a green traffic light. A horizontal pair is an unconditional stop, like a red traffic light. A diagonal pair means approach, but be prepared to stop. </ :type: > Sorry 'bout all that. :roll:

When I was in my early teens, I was with my aunt having lunch with a friend of hers who had just received her PHD. I asked her, "What's a PHD?" She: "You know what BS stands for, don't you?" Me: "Y-yes." She: "Well, the next step after BS is MS, and that stands for More of the Same. After that comes PHD, and that stands for Piled Higher and Deeper."

Americans don't have a corner on stupidity; we just have more money and opportunities than a lot of other folks to indulge our stupidity through ostentatious consumption. Seen in Johnstown, PA, October 2006:

I like them, especially the University photos. The composition is good, and photography is more in the photographer's eye than in the hardware. It doesn't take an expensive camera to get pictures for posting on the internet. Keep posting!

A few photos from Hesston Steam Museum north of Laporte, Indiana. It's a neat place to see and ride behind steam power. This two-foot gauge locomotive was built in Czechoslovakia in 1940, and the workers at the factory hid it under a straw stack to keep the Germans from getting it. It stayed hidden for years after WWII, and came to Hesston in 1988 via a collector in California. When the museum got it, it had never been run. The train on the right is 1/4 scale, and runs on 14-inch gauge track. It's part of a very large and diverse collection that came to Hesston from the estate of publishing magnate R.R. Donnelly Another two-footer, this locomotive was built in Germany in 1938 by Orenstein & Koppel, survived WWII, and worked in East Germany into the 1960s. It's the fiercest two-foot locomotive I've seen; it's designed and built like the big ones, with eight drive wheels and superheated steam. The small train on the left runs on 7-inch gauge track and is 1/8 scale. There are several of these live-steam locomotives that operate at Hesston, and their detailed authenticity and craftsmanship are marvelous to see. They're also a lot more powerful than you might expect, given their size.