I miss the clicky clack of the old sign...they should just put in the sound for ol times sake...also when I was half asleep on GCTs floor at 100am the click clak would wake me and send me running for the last train
2019: Enhancing Service Reliability at Metro‑North!In 2019, we made a real effort to improve on our on-time performance for you, our customer. And our hard work paid off!On a year-to-year comparison, the number of times our trains arrived on time in 2019 averaged 94.4%, a 4.3% improvement over 2018. During peak hours, overall performance was at 93.2%, an improvement of 4.2%. <http://web.mta.info/mnr/MilePosts/200101/images/2018-19_cust-serrv-otp_rgb-big.jpg>Much of the increase in on-time performance can be attributed to programs that Metro-North implemented this year.We brought SMARTRACK to our railway projects,so that we could accomplish major infrastructure fixes faster and smarter in a shorter period of time.And we optimized our schedules to allow time for our trains to get around work that was being completed on our tracks and our right-of-way. This made our service more reliable, something, you our customer, could depend on, and that we delivered 94% of the time!Some additional key indicators for performance at the railroad include a 55.4% reduction in cancelled or terminated trains, and a 41.3% reduction in the number of trains arriving more than 15 minutes late. <http://web.mta.info/mnr/MilePosts/200101/jan20milepost.html#top> <>White Plains Station Update
So much can happen in a year! And that is especially true of the White Plains Station upgrades. <http://web.mta.info/mnr/wp-reno/wp-reno.html>In 2019, we checked off a lot of boxes,including a design and functional rebuild of the main station platform, with the installation of new wood platform canopies. We also built half of a new, glass-enclosed modern waiting room, new bathrooms, and created a new, modern ticket office.
Then we built a new on-platform space for our vendor, Tim Horton’s, and installed a new HVAC system for your comfort. New digital screens with clear messaging were also installed on the platforms. And, most recently we replaced the main elevator.Coming up in January, and beyondAs part of ongoing station improvements at White Plains, in January the side platform will be closed in preparation for demolition and reconstruction.Planned for the space will be a new, platform and canopy. The new platform will contain a heating element that will melt ice and snow, reducing the need for salting during winter storms. In addition, a new elevator will be installed, and heating elements will be added to the staircase leading down from the side platform. The side platform will also be extended to the north end of the station to increase the capacity and will include a beautiful art glass railing over Hamilton Ave.As the year progresses,the station lobby will undergo demolition and reconstruction, including the walls, ceilings, floors and glass entrance. New HVAC systems will be installed in the lobby as well as a new concession space for the Newsstand and a large mosaic art piece on the interior wall.During this time, the side platform will be closed through November 2020. Also, to accommodate rehabilitation, the north end escalator will be closed in mid-January. The adjacent stairs will close in early March of this year and reopen sometime in late May.In the second quarter of 2020,the stairs to the garage overpass from the main platform will re-open.All of the station improvements at White Plains are on target to be completed by the end of 2020. We look forward to welcoming you fully to our newly renovated station in 2021! <http://web.mta.info/mnr/MilePosts/200101/jan20milepost.html#top> <>
New Lactation Room Opens at Grand Central TerminalMoms-on-the-go now have their own dedicated space in Grand Central Terminal for nursing their infants —a new Lactation Room, located at Track 36 near Starbucks.Open seven days a week,mothers can request access to the room at the Grand Central Terminal’s Station Master’s Office. A customer service representative then escorts the mother and their baby to the room to unlock it.“Our team at Metro-North strives to continue to find new ways to make riding Metro-North a more positive experience for our customers,” said Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi.“The new Lactation Room will help customers better navigate our transportation network, and I’m proud that Metro-North is supporting women on their journey as new moms.”The ADA accessible roomfeatures climate control, an easy chair, a table, an electrical outlet to plug in a breast pump, and a lockable door for privacy. There is also a phone with a direct line to the Station Master’s Office in case of an emergency, and security cameras at the outside of the room’s entrance for additional safety.So far, reception by the mom-public has been great.Our post of the new room on Facebook received more than 32,000 likes and over 3,000 engagements.“So happy to see mamas have a place to go now,” wrote one mother who is a full-time commuter.Wrote another mom, “The stress of traveling when nursing just got a little easier.” <http://web.mta.info/mnr/MilePosts/200101/jan20milepost.html#top> <>A Peek Inside Metro-North's Info Booth <https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/inside-the-mta-information-booth-at-grand-central/2238700/>“In an age where everything is increasingly digital, those behind the glass of the Grand Central Information booth — right below the famous clock where everyone meets — serve scores of travelers (and anyone with a question) with a smile and plenty of helpful hints,” reported NBC New York’s Andrew Siff. <https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/inside-the-mta-information-booth-at-grand-central/2238700/>"On a gray day outside Grand Central, inside the outlook is clear," starts Siff.The NBC 4 New York story <https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/inside-the-mta-information-booth-at-grand-central/2238700/> features Metro-North Customer Service Representative Cleveia Paul, "One of the friendly faces behind that booth."Her job, delivering information, with a smile, and facing questions that are endless. She is one of about 15 specially trained customer service employees. The most frequent question is, "Where is the bathroom?""It's refreshing to get a live person," says a customer. "The information remains personal,” concludes Siff. In the report, Siff even gets to go down the 'secret staircase,' which lies hidden behind the sliding brass door of the info booth. <http://web.mta.info/mnr/MilePosts/200101/jan20milepost.html#top> <>After Rebuild, Mount Vernon’s 14th Avenue Bridge Gets New ArtNew artwork has been installed on the 14th Avenue Bridge in Mount Vernon, NY.In July, the newly replaced bridge opened to the public.It’s simple:Metro-North built the new structure with 200,000 pounds of steel, giving it a 50-year lifespan. The new bridge also provides wider sidewalks and has ADA ramps on the north side.The new artwork adorns the sides of the bridge thanks to MTA Arts and Design, reported Michelle Brown for News12 NY.The artwork called ‘Line to Line’is by Frances Gallardo, a Cornell University artist originally from Puerto Rico, who “took that source material and extrapolated it, creating a new, fanciful and intricate grid on either side of the short bridge,” said The Journal News <https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/mount-vernon/2019/12/13/mta-mount-vernon-bridges-art/4397089002/> reporter Peter Kramer, who also wrote about the new artwork."Line to Line" consists of a dozen black powder-coated aluminum panels into which are cut lines based on the blueprints of Mount Vernon’s original street plot.“The art we are looking at is kind of invented maps based on the very early blueprints of the city’s planning,” said Yaling Chen, Deputy Director, MTA Arts & Design in her interview with Brown.The 14th Avenue Bridge is the first rebuilt bridge in Mount Vernon,and is the first to be graced with new artwork. New art will also adorn the 6th Avenue, 10th Avenue, Third Avenue, Fulton Avenue and South Street Bridges. The art aims to knit the city together, with themes celebrating history, music, nature and diversity.Next on the agenda,is the replacement of the 6th Avenue Bridge in Mount Vernon, slated for 2020 and the 10th Avenue Bridge in 2021.And on December 18, Metro-North announced the approval of the design-build contract by the MTA Board to replace the 119-year-old Third Avenue Bridge <http://web.mta.info/mnr/MilePosts/200101/jan20milepost.html#top> <>Safety Rules of the IssueWe bring you these rules because your safety is always our first priority all year long! <http://web.mta.info/mnr/MilePosts/200101/jan20milepost.html#top> <>Getaway this Winter Season with Metro-North!Thunder Ridge Ski Area <http://www.thunderridgeski.com/>Through March 15Save money when you ride Metro-North to the slopes! Just 70 miles north of Manhattan in Patterson, New York, Thunder Ridge Ski Area’s scenic slopes are perfect for all levels of skiers and snowboarders – from beginner to expert. The package includes a round-trip rail ticket, all-day/all-night lift ticket (night skiing not available on Sundays), free shuttle bus and $5 discount on skis, ski poles, ski boots, or snowboard rentals.For weather and snow conditions call 845-878-4100 or visit www.thunderridgeski.com <https://www.thunderridgeski.com/>See details on this discount package. <http://web.mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_ThunderRidgeSkiArea.htm>Package price from GCT/Harlem-125th Street: adults, $77.75; seniors, persons with disabilities and individuals receiving Medicare, $59; children 12, $64.75; children 6 – 11, $38; children 5, $19; children under 5, $17.Getting there is simple:Take the Harlem Line <http://as0.mta.info/mnr/schedules/sched_form.cfm> to Patterson Station where a shuttle bus meets designated trains [PDF] <http://web.mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/itinerary/itinerary_ThunderRidgeSkiArea.pdf> to take you to the ski area.VR World NYC <https://vrworldnyc.com/>Year-round, Seven days a weekCome play at the largest virtual reality entertainment center in the U.S! Voted the best place to play games (with other humans) in NYC by Thrillist. Zero experience needed. Fight a pro-boxer, jam with your favorite artists, or live out a zombie apocalypse. Includes:Admission(2 hours or All-day access)RFID Enabled WristbandCloth Face MaskSee details on this discount package. <http://web.mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/inbound_VRWorldNYC.htm>Package prices includes Discount admission to VR World: $33.25; children under 7 not admitted and discounted round-trip rail fares. <http://web.mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/fares/fares_VRWorldNYC.pdf>Getting there is easy:Take any Hudson, Harlem or New Haven Line <http://as0.mta.info/mnr/schedules/sched_form.cfm> to Grand Central Terminal. From there it's about a 10 minute walk to 4 East 34th Street.Pine Ridge Dude Ranch <https://pineridgeduderanch.com/>Year-round, Seven days a weekEstablished in 2018, the new Pine Ridge Dude Ranch continues the tradition of the former, Pinegrove Ranch as a premiere, “all-inclusive,” affordable, family vacation destination.Set on a 150-acre site in the Shawangunk Mountains, this ranch-style resort is 4.9 miles from Minnewaska State Park and 7.5 miles from Witch’s Hole State Forest.Day Pass includes:LunchOne free pony ride per ChildAccess to all FacilitiesSee details on this discount package. <http://web.mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_PineRidgeDudeRanch.htm>Package price from GCT/Harlem-125th Street: adults, $67.25; seniors, persons with disabilities and individuals receiving Medicare, $60.50; children 12, $60.25; children 6-11, $30, children 5, $14; children under 5, $12.Getting there is simple:Take the Hudson Line <http://as0.mta.info/mnr/schedules/sched_form.cfm> to Poughkeepsie Station, from there Zipcar <http://web.mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_ride2drive.htm>, Lyft (Use discount code RAILREWARDS), Uber or a local taxi <tel:845-389-0835> can take you to the Pine Ridge Dude Ranch.We can make sure you have something to do every weekend!See a complete list of our Getaways <http://web.mta.info/mnr/html/getaways.htm>. <http://web.mta.info/mnr/MilePosts/200101/jan20milepost.html#top> <> Courtesy Corner Panhandling and Product Sales on Metro-North Trains Are Not AllowedSelling goods, or soliciting donations from customers who are traveling aboard Metro-North trains is not permissible.So, we ask our customers kindly, even if you are feeling kindhearted, please do not to buy products from persons selling items or make donations to persons requesting handouts on our trains.Please make your purchases at a retail location or other licensed street vendor.Metro-North cares about the homeless, and through an agreement with the Bowery Residents Committee <http://www.brc.org/> (BRC), you can also make donations to the homeless at Grand Central Terminal, to our donations boxes <https://www.facebook.com/mtamnr/posts/new-donation-boxes-benefiting-the-homeless-population-within-grand-central-termi/10157557731202082/> located in the main Ticket Vending Machine room. All proceeds go directly to BRC.It’s the courteous thing to do! <http://web.mta.info/mnr/MilePosts/200101/jan20milepost.html#top> Published byCorporate & Public Affairs, MTA Metro-North Railroad420 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10170 www.mta.info <http://www.mta.info/> Mileposts Archive <http://web.mta.info/mnr/MilePosts/archive.htm>
NKP guy The Cleveland Union Terminal had a very large (10' x 10'?) and centrally located blackboard, impressively framed in bronze. In front of it sat an attendant behind a small marble wall. This man used chalk and a ladder to enter the information required. It certainly wasn't as interesting as a Solari board, but there was some suspense as the attendant would write out in longhand what was happening with the train you were waiting for. The only sound the blackboard made was when the chalk squeeked on it as he wrote. When he finished writing he'd grab his microphone and announce the updated information as his voice echoed off the marble walls of the huge waiting room. Who doesn't miss old-time train announcements? What did GCT use before the Solari's were installed? Another blackboard? Where was it located? New Haven's station now has a new board just like the one on the right in the GCT photo. I hate to say it, but it's easier to read and can contain more train information. But still, I really enjoyed watching and hearing the Solari boards clacking away. Which railroad museum will preserve one for visitors to enjoy? Cleveland Union Terminal was a huge impressive place, especially to a little kid like me. Riding the rapids downtown, walking up into the terminal, done up in brass and Marble. Riding up to the observation deck of the terminal tower. You could see the passenger trains from the west on the viaduct over the Cuyahoga river, with steam and diesel Lakers with tugs as escorts. Those were the days.
The Cleveland Union Terminal had a very large (10' x 10'?) and centrally located blackboard, impressively framed in bronze. In front of it sat an attendant behind a small marble wall. This man used chalk and a ladder to enter the information required. It certainly wasn't as interesting as a Solari board, but there was some suspense as the attendant would write out in longhand what was happening with the train you were waiting for. The only sound the blackboard made was when the chalk squeeked on it as he wrote. When he finished writing he'd grab his microphone and announce the updated information as his voice echoed off the marble walls of the huge waiting room. Who doesn't miss old-time train announcements?
What did GCT use before the Solari's were installed? Another blackboard? Where was it located?
New Haven's station now has a new board just like the one on the right in the GCT photo. I hate to say it, but it's easier to read and can contain more train information.
But still, I really enjoyed watching and hearing the Solari boards clacking away. Which railroad museum will preserve one for visitors to enjoy?
Reminder of the long past
After more than three years of planning, the new Big Boards at Grand Central Terminal (GCT) have finally come “on board.”
Replacement of the Big Boards and Gate Boards are part of a Customer Service Initiative, which includes:
At the end of the project, all these different elements will be run from one central system, consolidating those systems in GCT with the outlying stations to drive visual information and announcements consistently across all information modalities.
The new boards didn’t come a day too soon: the old boards were obsolete and the supplier was no longer making replacement parts. Plus, it couldn’t function in real-time.
The new system provides greater redundancy, flexibility, and just a better overall customer experience.
With the older system, when there was a last-minute track change, customers might have to enact what some now nostalgically describe as a ‘cross-terminal dash’ — not terribly practical for most.
Customers can now see in advance where their train is leaving from, and get up-to-the minute updates, such as track assignments, track changes, and canceled train information.
That’s thanks to a new feature, a real-time train data system (RTTDS) which uses digital train data to provide a calculated prediction of train arrival times.
Before we could settle on the final look of the display of Big Board information, we had to work with the New York State Division for Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).
For one, the new boards had to look like they were historic in context — but from which part of history? Though there is nostalgia for the old “flip” motion, we haven’t been using those since 1998 when we last upgraded the boards from their 1960s–era electro–mechanical, flap style version. And when GCT was built in 1913, there weren’t any boards at all!
Still, in trying to preserve historic context
our experts selected a full cap Garamond font to display on the big boards in an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant height and size, and the red, green, and blue colors reflecting the New Haven, Hudson and Harlem lines respectively.
New Gate Boards which will flank the entrances to our tracks at GCT
are also in the process of being replaced. Metro-North will complete the Gate Board installations in GCT before the summer of 2020, and completing the outlying station installation and communication and signal work by early 2021.
If 117 announces a specific train departure, it would look like that at 111, also new, not old.
It is still years away but wonder if LIRR trains track numbers will be in the 200s ?
Does Randy have one for Gate 117 when a train was scheduled to depart from it?
That damn Helvetica is the WRONG solution. And I see they still have the silly gradient fill making the Hudson Line-heading bar difficult to read, and you can't tell me there's any orange in that fuchsia New Haven listing.
I might add that the shiny display is NOT helpful in making the display legible; is it that much of a maintenance issue not to have an antiglare finish?
Note the ex-cutting-edge technology represented by that upper sign. I happen to love those green plasma-tube displays, whether or not they're clear to read, and once again we see the dot-matrix replacements for flap or roll displays (and how readable they are by contrast with the 'new' setup)
Randy Glucksnab photos of two departire gates on the Lower Level
Chicago Union Station follows the usual practice of separate monitors for departure information with the gates showing specific train information only. However, if there has been a track change, the gate for the usual departure track will also indicate that the regular departure is now on Track XX.
Gates on the Lower Level display general departure information until used for specific trains at their platforms.
That's OK, I'd settle for a B-17 or a B-25, or maybe a PBY as an accessory for the watch!
Thanks for all that great information! I did find a 1943 Hamilton Watch ad in a National Geographic of the same year showing the watch in the hand of a young Air Force navigator and with the caption "Beautiful Jimmy, we're right on top of it!" but had no idea of the full history.
I copied the ad and keep it in a box with the watch. And I do un-box the watch and use it every once in a while.
And yes, the army/navy milspec info is on the back of the watch.
Flintlock76I did luck into one of these Hamiltons at a gun / militaria show around 1980 or so.
You should be aware that this is a full Hamilton railroad watch under that fancy Zulu dial. Here's some of the background:
In the 1890s, Hamilton (as part of its line of world-class accurate watches produced in Lancaster, PA) introduced a 16s (pronounced 'sixteen-size'; Lancashire gauge) family of railroad-grade movements. Hamilton movements each had a three-digit number (initially all beginning with "9" for pocket watches) that identified them, and the most cost-effective full railroad watch model was the 21j 992, which became almost the default 'standard' quality railroad watch for normal railroaders. This was manufactured with a variety of damaskeen patterns, and the appearance was modernized through the 1930s by going to straight-line Geneva striping.
Following the work on the truly excellent Model 21 ship chronometer movement, Hamilton redesigned the 992 (and more expensive 23j model 950) with all the wonders of manufacturing and metallurgy used there. This produced the model 992B, which isn't as pretty, but is a whole lot more robust, accurate, and convenient to work on -- it's as much the 'standard movement' for the '40s and after as the 992E (Elinvar hairspring, a topic by itself) was immediately before.
One of the immediate products of WWII was a version of the 992 optimized for military use, with a sweep second hand in place of the usual little subdial at 6:00. This was done by putting a special hollow pinion in for the minute hand, with the second-hand arbor driven by gearing on the back side of the movement from the same gear that would normally drive the small second hand. This was given special number 4992B (note there were other subseries like 2974 comparing watches for Navy service) and one amusing thing you find if you follow Hamiltons on eBay is that many 4992s were converted back to 'standard' after the war to be sold or used as regular watches -- regular full railroad-approved watches -- after the back conversion.
Now, your 4992B is special because it's a Master Navigation Watch -- but you have a bit of a problem. The difference between a Master and a regular navigation watch is that 24-hour 'observatory' dial: there's no physical difference in the accuracy or most of the construction of the movement; it's just that the gears under the dial between the minute and hour hands are revised in ratio by 2:1 so the hour hand that formerly revolved once in 12 hours now does so in 24.
Where the 'catch' comes in is that there would be one Master Navigation Watch on the aircraft (corresponding to a ship's chronometer) which would be used to 'hack' or set the other watches on the aircraft, including the 'regular' navigation 4992s that had 12-hour dials. Because it was the critical time reference, it was always kept in a special padded box, suspended by springs, and was probably kept in as close to stable dial-up position all the time as possible. For proper display you need to find, or at least 'gin up, one of these boxes and keep yours inside.
Hamilton was not the only company that made these. One of my most prized possessions is one that is an Elgin 21j B.W.Raymond, another storied 'railroad' watch name (in this case by the Elgin company). It uses the same pattern dial and looks just the same, probably to conform to the same military standard (which on mine was etched on the back of the case, and I suspect yours is too.)
I'm tempted to note that if you have one of these, you need to browse the Bay and find you a good Model 23 chronograph to keep it company. And while you're at it, a good A-8 jitterbug Elgin timer for your bombardier...
NKP guy You horologists have a language all your own....
You horologists have a language all your own....
I collected pocket watches for a while, but never lucked into a Hamilton railroad watch, "The Watch Of Railroad Accuracy" as the old ads said.
I did luck into one of these Hamiltons at a gun / militaria show around 1980 or so.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhWaCjvI2kQ
I beleive that Grand Central Station is also a Postal Service branch office.
Also, in other places it may be called the "el", but in Chicago it's the "L", even when it's in a median strip or underground.
Returning to the signs (with much appreciation for the clock discussion and picture), note that the type face used is identical to that used for the ticket office signs directly below. So, yes, MN did know what they were doing with the new signs, and they are a drastic improvement over the old, including reasons stated already for objections --- actually regarding the old signs.
Yes, the radio station show was Grand Central Station.
But Grand Central Station is either a 5-route subway station, all A Division or old IRT, even if the 7 has been maintained as part of the B Division since 1942, and a Post Office. The clock and signs are in Grand Central Terminal, not Grand Central Station.
NKP guyFrankly, with four sides, it rather more resembles a dreidel, does it not?
You know, I think I agree. It would need more 'bulge' to the crystal and perhaps the dials too to get closer to spherical. I should probably note that before Mike found that picture I had no ideal the thing was formally called the 'Ball Clock.'
A tour de force, Overmod!
But the GCT clock still doesn't look like a ball clock to me. Frankly, with four sides, it rather more resembles a dreidel, does it not?
NKP guyYou horologists have a language all your own....
It gets worse, too ... but fortunately, sometimes a good ball is just something to watch.
The story of Mr. Ball's self-confident foray into the world of actual high-precision timepieces is a bit amusing. He started by decrying what he called 'smokestack jewels' on watches ... things like cap jewels on the gear-train arbors, or jewels on the mainspring barrel ... but wound up touting 23jewel specials right up with the 'best' of the watch-porn makers. He was no manufacturer's bigot, either: he had nearly-identical-looking 21 and 23 jewel movements from Waltham, Illinois, and Hamilton (minutiae like the shape of the fixing stud at the end of the hairspring being the only way you can tell).
Interestingly enough, there were still highly accurate Balls made into the Swiss era, first as pocket watches and then as both hand and self-winding wristwatches. I keep waiting for the current "Ball Watch Company" (which I believe is in Hong Kong) to make modern interpretations of actual Ball railroad watches ... but that isn't where the market seems to be.
NKP guy If it's A Seth Thomas clock, why does the sign in the photo refer to it as a Ball clock?
Please don't tell me this is a question.
It's called a 'ball clock' because with its four curved faces on a pedestal it's round, like a ball. Same with 'ball watches' (which are an actual thing, the round crystals magnifying the dial and hands on one side and the view of the movement on the other)
As far as I know, Ball did not make large repeater or tower clocks, as Howard did. About the largest I have seen, from the jewelry side of his business, were carriage clocks (platform escapement) and I have yet to see one built to railroad standards, let alone with full cap jeweling.
Reminds me a bit of a college roommate who was telling me of a stint 'riding the rods' during the summer -- he indignantly asked me, the railfan, why they labeled cars 'Hydra-Cushion' when they didn't seem to ride any more softly than other boxcars...
If it's A Seth Thomas clock, why does the sign in the photo refer to it as a Ball clock? Webb C. Ball of Cleveland and his famous clocks & railroad watches comes to mind. Curious.
Overmod somebody needs to be the wingnut that holds Western civilization together. At least in his own mind...
somebody needs to be the wingnut that holds Western civilization together. At least in his own mind...
Gasp! Wheeze! Now I'm having hysterics!
Now that I've caught my breath, I've tried further research on the clock. It was built by Seth Thomas, (Why am I not surprised?) but I can't find anything about who made the opal glass. Could have been Tiffany, anything's possible, I think by 1913 Tiffany had forgotten more about making art glass than anyone else in the world knew at that time.
Anyone remember the old, classic, "Grand Central Station" radio show? I'm sure David does! But for the rest of us who are too young to remember old-time classic radio, here's the intro...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpCYr4eOXys
And while listening, how many of you felt your imaginations kicking into overdrive? See? Old time radio still works!
NKP guy Flintlock76 OK, stand by everyone, I did some research. The clock faces aren't opal, they're opal milk glass. So I guess we can call the "real opal" thing a factoid after all. And the appraisal of the clock by Sotheby's for anywhere from ten to twenty million dollars is apparantly an urban legend as well. Another factoid. As I suspected! Flintlock76...every time you post something I learn something! Thanks for looking into this matter for me. And you never come off as a Cliff Clavin-type.
Flintlock76 OK, stand by everyone, I did some research. The clock faces aren't opal, they're opal milk glass. So I guess we can call the "real opal" thing a factoid after all. And the appraisal of the clock by Sotheby's for anywhere from ten to twenty million dollars is apparantly an urban legend as well. Another factoid.
As I suspected!
Flintlock76...every time you post something I learn something! Thanks for looking into this matter for me. And you never come off as a Cliff Clavin-type.
Aw shucks, now I'm blushing!
54light15 have heard that there is a place by the Oyster Bar where you stand by the entrance and face the wall and speak at a whisper and someone on the other side will hear you perfectly. I could be wrong about the location but I am told it's by the Oyster Bar. It's an amazing place.
This is a fact, not a factoid. The Oyster Bar is approached by going down a ramp (and what a ramp! Huge & impressive chandeliers, marble and stone everywhere, wide enough to drive two or three cars abreast, etc). Halfway down is a landing and just to the right is the spot you want. It's right outside the main entrance to the restaurant. The effect works because one is under a small dome or rounded ceiling.
The Oyster Bar! Mmmmm.
"I'll have the fried Ipswich clams with a glass of on-tap lager, please."
daveklepperAbsolutely! The Blue background is old. White-on-black is new. See the second posting, please.
Dave, sorry about that. I misunderstood. The white on black is very clear and easy to read.
York1 John
Absolutely! The Blue background is old. White-on-black is new.
See the second posting, please.
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