I noticed another Thomas character has been recalled. Apparently Coughy the Chlorine Car has caused skin burns during testing.

http://img90.imageshack.us/my.php?image ... smaag5.jpg

he he!<grins, maniacally>

That car is part of the new "Old School Thomas" knock-off line the Chinese were researching.



Great stuff, but they seem to be having some difficulty getting it approved by the US regulators.

How about a rail preservation spin...

Rusty the Rustbucket
Rusty belongs to a town that think he's cute in the park down the tracks painted bright red and used as a vagrant hangout. Rusty is still red but actually has almost no paint left. The accents of white dust finish the color scheme. He'll never be let go because he is such an asset to the community.

Patty the Parts Pile
Patty is a steamer that was going to ply the high iron again, but turned into a jigsaw puzzle when the people who took her apart lost interest. Now she sees many different places, all at once.

Polly PCB Packer
Polly is a historic electric locomotive but no one can see her because she's cocooned in plastic to protect little children from the teaspoon of cooling oil still in her transformer.

Jim the Junker
Jim's a boxcar at the back of the yard. His frame is rusted out and he is packed with worn out parts (many from Patty). Jim has set where he is so long he has sunk into the dirt and can't be moved. There is an interpretive sign about Jim but it was in the way so it was tossed inside him too.

Timmy the Trolley Bus
Timmy is not actually a trolley bus but a modern diesel city bus with bright paint and brass railings. He is kept in tip-top shape with tax money while the real trolley buses at the museum rust away.

Gary the Gondola
Gary had the crap beat out of him by the railroad and looks a lot like a paperwad. He hasn't seen a coat of paint since arriving. The museum has ten more just like him but won't sell any because they are "our cars".

Mary the Mine Motor
Mary worked in the mountains mines a long way from here, so why she is in this museum is anyone guess. The kids like to sit on her though.

Wanda the Wonder
Wanda is the only assembled steam locomotive at the museum. They list her as operable even though she doesn't have an FRA certificate and hasn't run in a decade. Most of the volunteers like to spend their time polishing Wanda.

Dick the Diesel
Dick does all of Wanda's work. He has fresh paint over the bondoed rust holes in a color he never wore when he could do real work. He looks at Patty and figures he'll be there pretty soon.

Paul the Plymouth
Paul shifts for Dick. He has to be fixed each time before he is used because he never gets any maintenance. Paul looks at Dick and figures he'll be there pretty soon.

Dave the Donor
Dave is Dick's twin but doesn't look much like him any more. Dave is running out of parts for Dick, but makes a good wildlife habitat.

Tommy the Tie Inserter
Tommy sets in the dirt watching volunteers change ties by hand because nobody bothered to try a new spark plug in his engine.

Willy Wig-Wag
Willy lies on his back in the weeds as kids throw rocks at him. He sometimes wishes he went the way of his crossing mate.

Bill the Baggage Cart
Bill was in someone's garage until they died and the widow wanted him gone. Nobody knows where Bill came from originally, but he is good to keep pieces of Patty on.

Sammy Semaphore
Sammy always shows all clear because he is rusted in that position and his mechanism is somewhere in Jim. He is thankful he is upright and by the track unlike Willy.

Bill the Boring Machine
Bill was free. He requires more power than the museum can afford in a year, so he mostly holds the ballast down and has parts of Patty leaning on him.

Sally Station
Sally is the only one that lived here before the museum. she is brightly painted and full of pictures of trains that ran nowhere in the area. Patty's whistle and bell are proudly displayed inside. There are brochures on the counter with Wanda's picture on them.

Earl the Enginehouse
Earl is home to Wanda and Dick. There's room for Polly and Paul but the space is filled up with whatever won't fit in Jim. Earl is made entirely of 2x4s assembled with finishing nails. Earl groans whenever the snow accumulates.

Please remind me again why we stay involved with this stuff......

Howard P.

That shouldn't be funny because it's so true. Still, I couldn't help but laugh.

That was creative,sad, and funny all at the same time.
How about Porty the Pullman Sleeper, Randy the RPO, and Carla the Club Car waiting around for restoration?

Bill

She stays because the kids like her, and that's partly because she's their size, but most important in their eyes, she's the only rolling stock that visiting kids are allowed to sit on!