Re: PC: 2003 Penn Central Convention

[Jerry Jordak <jer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi guys,

Allow me to add my kudos and accolades for the 2003 PCRRHS convention. Dave 
and Fran did a most excellent job in hosting us, even the group of us who 
came in by Amtrak the day before. A full writeup on the convention will 
appear in the next issue of the PCRRHS POST, and I'll be posting photos of 
the event on the PCRRHS web site in the next week or two.

(Any listers who were at the convention, who brought a digital camera, and 
would like to share some of their photos for the PCRRHS web site, please 
send them to me off-list at jer -AT- smellycat.com. Thanks!)

Probably the highlight of the convention for me was the trip to the 
Railroad Museum of New England. Not only did I get to get my photo taken 
with my favorite U-boat (NH 2525), but I also got to help with manually 
cranking over the prime mover on an FL9, and I got to blow its Hancock air 
whistle. This FL9 fan was grinning the rest of the day Friday.

What was probably even better than playing with a full-size FL9, though, 
were the folks at the convention. Not only did I get to see some old 
friends again, but I got to meet a lot of new ones as well. It was a real 
pleasure seeing each and every person there.

An update for those of you who were there: my hand is doing much better 
now, and the stitches come out on Monday. (For those of you who weren't 
there, I sliced open my right hand on a broken glass while washing dishes 
on Tuesday night--about two hours before my ride to the Amtrak station was 
supposed to arrive! I really didn't think I was going to make it. 
Fortunately, the ER was quiet that night, and they got me sewn up and out 
of there in a little over an hour, so I still made the train.)

I'm already looking forward to next year's convention in Altoona. In the 
meantime, we have a year to gather up more crankers to show! (And I have a 
convention report to write...)

-JWJ