Choo Choos and Jukes
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Day 3: April 7, 2023 Choo Choos and Jukes Comment via blog |
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Not only does Sugarcreek have the World's Largest Cuckoo Clock, it also
has the world's largest doughnuts and there is enough to let everybody
have one.
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The reason that I'm in Sugarcreek and the second focal point of the trip
is the Age
of Steam Roundhouse and Museum. This incredible complex of buildings
and tracks was not originally built as a tourist attraction but to handle
one man's set of trains. The gift shop was added and the public welcomed
in 2019 following the death of owner Jerry Jacobson in 2017. He had sold
his 525-mile Ohio Central Railroad System in 2008 but kept all the
steamers along with some of the other early gear.
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Before the 18-stall roundhouse was completed in 2011, the most recently
roundhouse construction in the country had occurred in 1951. The
collection of 23 steam locomotives immediately filled it. There is a huge
exhaust hood above each stall to vent smoke and fumes. Steam locomotives
must be intensely inspected every fifteen years and part of that
inspection is measuring the thickness of the boiler walls using
ultrasound. The measurement is done in square foot sections as seen on the
boiler in the fourth photo. The last photo shows our guide Glenn.
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Steam is the main focus here but there are a few diesels onsite as can be
see on the far side of the big turntable.
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All sorts of repairs and restoration happen inside the big back shop. That
second pictures shows that the inside of a boiler is not just empty space.
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I arrived at the Robins Theater in Warren, Ohio, before it filled up so
I could look around a little. The recently restored theater celebrated its
100th birthday on January 9. This is the stop I added to my trip because I
was "in the neighborhood".
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The Weight
Band opened the show. Guitarist Jim Weider and keyboardist Brian
Mitchell were with Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble Band and Jim also played
with The Band. These guys will be at Cincinnati's Ludlow Garage on the
16th.
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Southside
Johnny's voice may have lost just a little of its edge but he doesn't
seem to have lost much energy. And he certainly hasn't lost that wonderful
ability to surround himself with great musicians. I know no details about
the current set of Jukes but they definitely kept the house rocking.
In that third picture, Johnny is chastising a fan for not singing during "Just Walk Away Renee". He did, of course "sing" a line after Johnny handed him the mic. There were plenty of cool high-energy moments but one I really liked was when the trombonist, with a wireless pickup in the horn's bell, left the stage and oompahed up and down the aisle. |
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