LVT - Alligator

Here is a watery LVT-MKIV-AlligatorThis is another vehicle that Higgins developed during WWII. There is a bunch of military vehicle owners that come to the area near the LST here to play with their toys. With all of the LCVP's and LVT's in the area the military reenactors come here to do D-Day each year.

Here it is climbing out of the water. This allowed the 20 soldiers it held to land with dry feet.

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Ships That Go

Here are a few of the ships that I have been on or seen. Actually a few of these are boats.This is the LST here in Evansville. It is a fully operational ship and just got back from a tour up the Missouri River.
A Higgins boat on the LST. Mary asked what was the difference between a boat and a ship. A ship can carry a boat, but a boat can't carry a ship.

The USS Laffey at Charleston, SC. A hero of the Leyte Gulf Battle

Russian Sub. More on this later.

USS Drum at Mobile, AL.

USS Yorktown at Charleston.

Stern of the Yorktown.

USS New Jersey at Camden, NJ. This was my dad's ship during WWII. He was a member of the first crew. My brother and I took dad to see his ship in 2003 which was 60 years later.

Engine room, I always end up in engine rooms. If you visit this blog much you will get to see all kinds of engine rooms. I'm a mechanical engineer .........sorry.

Bow of the New Jersey from the bridge.

My Father in front of the big guns!

B-17

I recently visited my Brother in Ohio and he took me to the airport at Urbana where they are rebuilding a B17. This plane had been restored once and crashed and is being rebuilt again by a very dedicated crew of men spending a huge amount of their own time trying to save an important part of American history.

Here is the cockpit section of the fuselage.
The rear gunners section. Some new parts some old parts.

The rudder is ready for paint.


Rear fuselage section with gunners windows.

Part of an engine.

Inside rear fuselage section.

Wing spar. I was blown away by how the wing was constructed. There is a tubing skeleton inside with spars and then a very heavy corrugated aluminum under skin. A thin smooth aluminum skin then covers all of this.

Parts, parts and more parts. Engine cowling, machine guns and fake bombs.

Good engine in a display case.

The skin that was removed from the wing. Blow up the picture and you will see the names of three of the men that originally built the plane in the 40's. They signed their work. I took the picture upside down so the names would be right side up.

Cars That Went and Go

A brief history of the more interesting cars in my life.'58 Chevy convertible. Was so rusted up if you opened both doors at the same time they wouldn't close without you jacking up the center of the car. Burned a quart a week in its 348.

62 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce Spyder. Unbelievable car unless you are in college trying to finish your degree. College or Alfa pick one only.72 Datsun 240Z. Bought it within two weeks of graduating. Drove it off of the show room floor, still have it after 36 years!





'76 Mike built. Z wasn't fast enough. Built my own Formula V. Won the '79 Central Division SCCA D-Mod championship in a driving rain. Not enough power to spin the tires.

Actually a kit car based on a Chevy Chevette. Just because I could!

'67 Lotus 41C Formula B car. Only car I have ever owned that the frame even leaked oil. Got to love the British! But a wonderful car! Colin knew how to build them.

March Cosworth 79A Formula Atlantic. I can't describe how fast and neat this car was.

Same car with the full body work on. Competing at the SCCA Solo II Nationals in Topeka KS.

Current daily driver Volkswagen GTI 1.8 Turbo. Easy to modify and make go really fast, old mans race car.

Indiana Train Museum

I am starting this blog to put all of my pictures of the different things that go. I am starting with trains because my grandfather was an engineer for the old L&N Railroad. When I was a little kid spending the weekend with the grandparents he would take me to the round house on Saturdays to help him pick up his paycheck. I got to see, smell, hear and feel the big old steam engines being worked on. He also took me to see the last steam engine to leave town. This day is dedicated to him and the path he set me on.These pictures are taken at the Indiana Train Museum in French Lick Indiana recently. This small diesel engine was used at a large grain mill to move the cars around. It's diesel is actually a truck diesel with a truck transmission and then a secondary gear reducer to get the speed down.
This is a 4-4-0 engine. I didn't get the makers name, that doesn't interest me as much as the design details. The cab enclosure was added late in life to give the engineer some weather protection.

This is a really nice engine that I hope they can get running. This is a 2-6-0.

I always appreciate the conditions that the old engineers had to work under. Wide open to the weather and a red hot boiler just feet away.

The full instrument package. Water level on the left and boiler pressure gauges on top. Don't let the pressure get to high or it's too bad!!!

A more conventional 2-6-0 engine.

As this blog goes on you will see a great range of things that go. I am a 36 year member of the Sports Car Club of America with a love of planes, trains, cars and boats.