[TenTec] RE: sterba

[ac5e at comcast.net]

That brought a laugh: I have been on the water wagon since Christmas of 1955. And when I did hist 'em I only drank one bottle of burbon at a time. A man could make a pig of himself if he drinks too much at one settin'. 

Actually I was told the rotating rhombic was on Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy property near the Mississippi River in Illinois. The guy who had it built was supposedly a noted sportsman who kept a duck and goose hunting lodge and an unofficial wife or two in the same area. 

The story came up when I admired a brace of engraved Winchester 21's with engraved sparks and gold inlaid telegraph keys in a gun shop in Des Moines. The dealer asked me if I knew what they were, and when I told him I did he dug out some pictures of the flatcars and an artists rendering of the antenna. 

The flat cars were weighted so they could move the train without tipping a car over. The antenna proper was supported on 2,000 foot catenary ropes and when the train crew got the antenna aimed they would stop and connect backstays from the poles to deadmen stationed every 15 degrees beside the track. As soon as they had the backstays connected they winched the catenaries tight and the old boy was ready to play radio. 

Even at that time an engraved 21 was way out of my pocketbook range so I had to pass on them - but I did pick up an interesting story. As well as a nice Stevens Favorite. 

73  Pete Allen AC5E


> Pete's right. It was south west of chicago near batavia. After the tracks 
> were dismantled, the property was sold to the government. That is where Fermi 
> lab 
> has their accelerator ring!   Hey! I'm empty, guess i need another pint!  HI, 
> Hi.  Tim
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