Cool stuff at Greenfield Village

I heard that Ford actually took the *dirt* from around edison's original buidings, and sent it along with everything else.

Why anyone would want to import dirt from New Jersey is anyone's guess!

Jim

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Only dirt from northern Jersey has that special smell....

gary

Hey Peter,

Happy New Year!

You DEFINITELY must get back to see the Ford Museum too. And a second trip around the Village is well worth it. The blacksmiths they use at the shop next to the Cotswold Cottage vary a lot in skills and knowledge I've noted, so you may well not have missed much yet.

Take care.

Brian Laws>I took my son and nephew down to Greenfield Village in Dearborn near

JR North snipped-for-privacy@bigfoot.com

If ya'll wouldn't be so thoroughly imbued with the acronym swmbo (former swmbo, current swmbo, future ....), that would be kool. Frank Morrison

Took junior there about five years ago. Did you ever see a twenty four year old looking at that big loco, just standing there with his jaw hanging open, same as the six year old beside him! Gerry :-)} London, Canada

I think I was too busy doing the same thing :-) My two most vivid recollections were that huge steam locomotive used for hauling stuff through mountains and the HUGE generator with the massive flywheel that went down into the ground.

I was curious and did some digging just now. The museum has a web site & a picture of that locomotive:

That engine was one of the largest ever built. Used for hauling iron ore from the Missabi range, IIRC. Most of the power related equipment in the museum is still operational (was up to a few years ago, anyway). Ran on compressed air instead of steam. Detroit Edison (?) employees trying to get their Operators License had to test on it. A few years ago, a museum volunteer (retirees who helped maintain that equipment) was demonstrating how he had to hand oil the journals on a big piece and got out of sequence. Reached in the wrong place and was decapitated. Fascinating place, the museum. Had a fire a decade or so ago. Lost a couple acres(!) of teak flooring. No drains. Looking at some of the wooden bed planers and early Gleason gear generators was always a treat. ALong with the Mercedes Mille Miglia roadster with it's magnesium body and straight 8 that hit 10k revs.

The highlight of my visit to Detroit for sure... the only one :o). Greg Sefton

Hey Greg,

What, you missed Hitsville, USA??? Studio "A"!!! The $50,000 glove?!?! The Joe Louis fist? The Bridge? The Tunnel(s) to Canada? Harbor Freight? You'll have to come back!!

Take care.

Happy New Year.

Brian Lawson, Bothwell, Ontario.

Yes I'm afraid I missed those, but I did see where they nabbed Hoffa :o). I will go back, if only to spend another day or 2 at Greenfield. Greg Sefton

Hey again Greg,

Hmmm.. I thought they closed the Machus Red Fox some time back. Is it >>Hey Greg,

Don't know, That was some years back. GS

Building is still there, but it's an Andiamo's now (Italian food). It's a fairly good restaurant, there are a few of them around the area, but nothing to make a special trip for.

That you could miss.

Paul

maybe he wanted to be sure that any "artifacts" moved with the building? --Loren