It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 4:03 pm

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 1 post ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Cast Iron Crossbucks and a New Years Greeting
PostPosted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 10:19 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 11:12 am
Posts: 569
Location: Somewhere off the coast of New England
This is actually a response to a thread on Railroad.Net concerning a set of still standing cast iron crossbucks.

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 871#488871

The bridge deck is asphalt paved over the planking. For those of you who are familiar with the site, both the flower shop and former restaurant that is under reconstruction are former railroad / canal company buildings

A little bit of digression -
I generally try to spend New Years in the Princeton area as several of us attempt to recreate parts of our misspent youth by donning our dress uniforms and and holding a formal regimental style dining in to welcome the new year. Unfortunately, at my age, partying all night means 9:30 or 10:00 pm. It becomes a tad frightening to realize not just how many centuries of service are represented by the officers and senior NCOs who attend, but how many centuries of retirement. This year we had something over thirty officers and NCOs along with their Ladies (or Gentlemen).

The President of the Mess is normally the senior serving officer present and the Vice-President, normally referred to as "Mr. Vice" (or in this case "Ms Vice") is the junior serving officer present.

Irrefutable proof that I am getting a bit older is that my son-in-law (who I sometimes still think of as the lieutenant who somehow managed to date his Battalion Commander's (my) daughter for almost six months without his battalion commander finding out about it) is a retired Lt Colonel. His daughter, Granddaughter Number One (Meghan), and her husband are both captains (Yes they were here and Meghan says hello. She does still try to at least skim over these boards.) This year's Ms Vice was a nineteen year old university sophomore enrolled in in Naval ROTC who also happens to be Meghan's cousin (Granddaughter Number Two). She pulled rank on her high school senior sister and chose Ms Vice over being the designated babysitter.

Granddaughter Number Two's mother grew up within walking distance of that bridge. There is a sort of a family tradition when so many of us are together to drive around somewhat randomly looking at houses we have lived in, changes to the town, and anything else of interest and to try to take some photographs of everybody someplace recognizable. The result of this was that, since I wanted to take a look at that crossbuck myself, on Tuesday afternoon last week my significant other and I found ourselves walking across both of those bridges and up the tow path as far as the basin with a slew of children and grandchildren while Meghan explained the workings of the mill (red building in the background of one of the pictures), the old locks, and the current sluices. I managed to insert only a brief word about the British Army retreating to New Brunswick over the stone bridge because New Jersey Transit was not running that day. My son-in-law and I were able to absolutely enthrall Grandsons Number One and Two with stories of bootleg cab rides on the branch. I think my son in law is actually envious of the fact that I once fired an H-9 on that branch. His rides were in an AS-10 (RS 1 to those of you who do not speak Pennsylvania)

Most of this year's pictures were taken on the stone bridge. Some passerby was kind enough to take all of the cameras and get some shots of everybody for us. The picture that I think I am going to enjoy the most was taken in front of the crossbucks and shows me with Significant Other flanked by my daughter and son-in-law with Meghan and her husband in front of us. In front of them being held on a leash by her brother Eric (Grandson Number Two) is a huge Lab-Dob mix and in their arms is a young (16 months old) lady who is named after both of her maternal Great Grandmothers and is generally referred to en familie as Julie.

Wishing you all a slightly belated happy New Year,

GME


Offline
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 1 post ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


 Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 111 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: