Trains and Planes and Golden Spikes!!

After a wonderful breakfast ... thanks to Betty and Dottie ... the Golden Spikes carpooled to the Tillamook Air Museum.  Anyone interested in seeing this amazing building should do so quickly.  The museum's airplanes are being moved to Madras Oregon, and no one seems to know what will happen to the building.  Since there are so few in existence, we hope the Tillamook Port Authority keeps her in one piece.

I have to say at this point that I'm not an airplane enthusiast, although I DO love, love, love to photograph them!!  I lived next to an airport for most of my life and was witness to a couple of bad accidents.  I figure fate was telling me to keep both my feet on the ground!!  So if I mis-name something here, please feel free to let me know!!  Let's start with this one ... I don't know what it is ... but she's beautiful ... and I commend this museum for keeping these amazing pieces of history flying!!

Since this building was originally built to house 8 K-class blimps, people would ask how big is that??  Here's the chart to show you.  The Hindenburg would fit, except the door openings are not quite high enough.

Pictures around the building show the original build.

It's amazing the amount of lumber and the height achieved.  Built by steel workers, they wouldn't guarantee it would last ... but it's still standing.

Outside was Chuckie, a B17 Flying Fortress ... they are getting ready to fly a couple of these planes to an air show in Eastern Oregon.

This P51 Mustang was getting a battery charge.  At this point, the weather was keeping them on the ground.  

Back in the repair hangar, I talked to the guys working on this 1938 Bellanca or Flying W.  They had just blown the engine and were dismantling what was left and hoping to find or make the parts to get her back in the air.

You can't miss the Mini Guppie outside.  The tail section breaks open to allow planes to be placed inside for flight to a repair facility.  Kind of like a big tow truck!!!

What a crazy array of gauges ... this must have been flying by the seat of your pants, because you certainly couldn't see out the very tiny windows!!!

"Kills" by Col. J. R. Shooter Sanders.  

First Class seating in this Lockheed Neptune ... I think I'll fly coach!!!

Everyone's heard of a Mig 17 ... here she is in person.  It's amazing how airplanes have evolved over the years.  

This is a P38 Lightning ... Love to see the "girls" painted these oldies but goodies!!

Now here's a story you probably don't know.  This is an F-14 fighter jet.  Our very own Bob Tucker had his hand on every single one that was made.  Amazing, huh??  See the big air intake on the side?  He programmed the computers that adjusted the air intake fins to keep it at the exact speed required to keep the plane in the air.  That's the best I can describe it.  These planes flew at such a fast speed, that if too much air went through the intake, the jet would flame out ... and that means falling from the sky.  No matter how fast the planes could fly, that system kept them in the air.  Pretty cool!!!  

I doubt this baby could go the speed of molasses, but I'm sure you've seen her perched on top of the sign across from the cheese factory.  Funny ... the front window says CLOSED .. the door window says OPEN.  

And then there were the Trains .....  steam trains!!  The Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad engine ... but really she is from the McCloud River Railroad.

Here's some of the Golden Spikes group of 26 waiting for the diesel engine and the food to arrive for our dinner train excursion to Wheeler Oregon, North of Garibaldi.

Best picture EVER when they pulled up along side of each other!!  We all piled in to the dining car and were soon on our way.  You've heard about riding camels??  They sway back and forth like a ship in heavy rolling seas ... and so did our dining car.  I heard a mention of life vests being under our chairs!!  Thank goodness they served pepsi to calm my stomach, or our table would have been in trouble!!  Amazingly, NOTHING fell off the tables, even though we were rocking and rolling!!

The food was excellent and Dan inhaled his prime rib, as I did the Tillamook chocolate ice cream served for dessert.  Along the way I had a chance to catch a couple of sunset pictures.  It was a wonderful 3 hour tour with great staff.

The spectacular end to another wonderful day in Garibaldi and Tillamook Oregon!!