Unofficialbmw.com

[dale]

This weekend I'll be driving the 525iT from Minneapolis to Seattle along either I-90 through MN/SD/WY/MT/ID/WA or I-94 through MN/ND/MT/ID/WA.
Just curious if anyone one this board lives along the route.

Dale

[JRS]

No, but you'll eventually see some BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway) trains somewhere along your drive. I am a contractor at the BNSF Railway and you are smack-dab in the middle of their territory.
I've driven from Minot, ND to Fargo, ND in January and it was f-l-a-t. I was driving a 4-cyl Gran Am and an officer stopped us just as we got to Fargo, ND. He wanted to know how long we've been on _that_ road. Apparently, State Troopers closed the highway down because of the heavy winds and snow drifts. I clearly remember doing 65MPH and I only saw one other car on the road (going the opposite direction). Temperature back then was -35 degrees (wind chill).

Drive safe... be prepared.

JRS

[Greenhornet84]

JRS'
Where are you. I thought I saw a post from the Phillipines and now show up in thr=e Northwest. What gives?
Mark

[Roadstergal]

quote:

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Originally posted by JRS:
No, but you'll eventually see some BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway) trains somewhere along your drive.

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Don't forget to get a picture of you next to the DO NOT HUMP stamps on the cars.


http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_402b.html

[JRS]

Roadstergal,

I'll scan my picture of the BNSF Memphis Hump Tower. I had an opportunity to visit that site back in 2001. Before starting at the railroad (11 yrs ago), I never imagined that I'd have to learn a new 'lingo': Pig Iron, Ballasts, High Wide, SD70MAC, Intermodal vs Interline trains, a trains consists of "cars", grain hoppers, Hump Towers, etc....
But now I know what makes a railroad run and what it takes to make it run. I take it for granted every day that what I have learned and what I work on every day is what some Railroad 'afocinado' yearns to 'touch'.

With that said, if there are any *SERIOUS* Railroad buffs out in the BMW E30 group (and located in the 48 contiugous United States), I will make this one-time offer:

Send me a private message through this forum containing your address (home or work or your friends address - I don't care which) and I will send you the 2004 BNSF Full-color Calendar. FREE OF CHARGE. This is good for the FIRST person to send me that private message.

I think some guy on eBay sells them for $20 each.

Dale - for giving us this forum, I'll send you one. I'll just need an address to send it to. Just send me a private message with the info.

Greenhornet, I _was_ in the Philippines and I visit as often as possible. It's a great country. To savor the flavor of the country, one needs to visit the rural, urban, subruban, and metropolitan areas of the Philippines. Each has it's beauty and each has a 'darkness' about it. I see growth everytime I visit. But for the moment, my primary residence is in another country: Texas

I never knew just how big Texas was until I moved here. And I got another reminder during last years New York power outage. I read the Newsweek article on power grids and there are three (3) in the US: West, East, and TEXAS. Texas has it's own power grid. Now if _that_ isn't BIG... what is ?



JRS

[robsure71]

Dale,
I assume you are talking about the 16th, opposed to the 10th. I live in western South Dakota, on I-90. If you like to open it up, this is the place. I just returned froma trip to eastern SD this afternoon, traffic was light, moving at 80-85, gas is 155/gallon. ND I-94 is a little tighter on speeding than SD, but also cheaper. Interstate travel either places you north I-94 and drops down to Mpls, or south I-90 and than a couple hours north to the Twin Cities.
An alternate rout through SD is HWY 212, over 3 hours less driving time, new road in much of western SD from Bellefourche to the Missori river. You'll only see 23 cars and 35 trucks in 200 miles of 2 lane asphalt.
Roads are clear around here now.
Drop me anote if you want any other information, or if you pass through. I'll spring for lunch.

[Greenhornet84]

JRS,
My uncle was the Catholic Bishop in the Philipines from sometime after thr war until 1971 when he died. Both he and his brother, both Oblate missionaries had been interned by the Japenese in POW camps until they were liberated by US forces including my uncle Joe (USN) and the 3 brothers had a reunion with my Dad (USMC) who by then was on a hospital ship in Leyteye Bay. My older brother left the country and went to school there in 1969. I enlisted in the Rgular Army (Our side)
Mark

[JRS]

Greenhornet,

So, you've seen the Philippines but not recently. You should go visit and see the many changes. My first visit was back in 1990 (just after the earthquake hit the Northern Luzon area). I also visited just after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo (and drove through the 'lahar'/volcanic ash). The resilience of the people is amazing. Everytime I visit, I realize what I take for granted.
And I've seen many foreigners going to school in the Baguio City area. The climate is perfect in Baguio City. If I could turn back time, I would've loved an opportunity to go to school in Baguio City.
My last visit was in November 2002. It lasted five (5) days and cost me a fortune... that tale is for another day.

Have a great week.

JRS

[dale]

I did the drive on the 10th and 11th. Drove I-94 out of Minneapolis through ND, to I-90 in MT, and on into Seattle.
I drove the '95 525iT, very nice highway cruising machine.
Only trouble I had was in Eastern MT, there were a lot of patches of ice, and gusty wind. For some reason the car was really unstable in the front, and kept getting blown around, I just thought it was super slick on the road.

When I got to Livingston, where I spent the night, before leaving town I notice the front Bridgestone Blizzak tires were _worn down __past__ the cords_!! I was cruising at 90mph on corded tires! Yikes!
For those of you who don't regularly destroy tires at the racetrack, when you cord a tire, you now have a steel belt for "traction" instead of something good, like ... oh ... rubber! It's like ice when you're on the racetrack. Now I know what a corded tire on ice is like!

There was nothing in Livingston for tires on a Sunday morning, so I pushed on to Bozeman, and bought some cheapo walmart tires for $65 each. Big improvement!

Rob: I try to get to Sturgis about once a year, in spite of the Harleys, not because of them. Family friends have lived there forever. I drove 212 last summer, and the dang construction was so bad I really didn't want to chance it in bad weather.
One of my favorite roads in the Hills is Iron Mountain Road. Wish I still had the Hills for a backyard playground. I attended SD Tech from '86 to '92... didn't want to leave!

Dale

[ 01-12-2004: Message edited by: dale ]

[donaldan]

Small world, Dale, do you happen to know the Larsen borthers, Pete and Neil of the Black Hills Inst. of Paleotological Research in Hill City? They are good friends of mine. I have side interest in things of nature, like fossils. That is how I get to know them. I love the Black Hills area. We usually meet every February at the Tucson Fossil and Mineral shows.

[dale]

Don: no, I don't know the Larsens...but I have been to Hill City many many times. Love dinner at the Alpine Inn.
I was at SD Tech to study Computer Science.

Dale

[robsure71]

The Black Hills are a great place to own these e30s. My ragtop is abit heavy, but the view is wonderful.
Dale, 212 was terrible last summer east and west of Broadus, MT. Beautiful though when driving through the Northern Cheyene & Crow Res. I drove the Highline of MT last summer and that was quite a trip.
When you get back in this area, drop me a line. I run snows all the way around in the winter, great little car for the two lane black top around here.

I teach at Black Hills, but I would buy
lunch for a Hardrocker.

Could be a great place for an e30 tour.