A week later we were limping along with the plumbing but everything else was working pretty much better than we expected. Four trips as assistant docent were under my belt and the fifth was scheduled for two days before our planned departure on July 30th. Thursday July 28th opened to a typically beautiful day in Chama and I was scheduled for the trip from Chama to Antonito. As usual on such days I get up early and go to the Depot where I sweep the platforms - thus the picture which has nothing else to do with this story. This is a "railroader's trip" in which the train pulls the 13 mile 4% grade to Cumbres. I took the open car to the Osier turn and the Senior Docent handled the coaches and then took the open car on to Antonito. On arriving in Antonito we took the motor coach back to Chama arriving after 6:00pm.
Sometime around mid day on the 27th I figured out that with a little maneuvering we could make the birthday party for our grandson on July 30th. It would be tight and require an 800 mile drive on Friday the 29th and another 300 on the 30th but it was possible. So it was that after arriving in Chama after 6:00pm the two of us immediately started packing for a trip back to Illinois on the morning.
Around ten we cleaned-up, showered and turned in. The alarm at Six o'clock the next morning came much too soon. With no breakfast we went through the checklist and then put the cabin in storage at the RV park. At 9:30am we pulled out of the park - 15 minutes later we stopped and turned around - 5 minutes later we stopped and Georgia pulled out her handbag - 2 minutes later she found her billfold - 1 minute later I turned Old Blue around - thirty seconds later I planted the accelerator on the firewall and we took off up Cumbres Pass. Things settled into a routine after that.
I drove the first 350 miles to Oakley Kansas we had to gas only once during that portion of the trip and other than a sluggish starter motor everything was running very well. Oil, temperature, gas mileage (nearly 20), check engine still a faint glow, everything o.k. - no charge noted, as expected, but was there a very slight discharge on the voltage gauge? No, it had been that way for several days with no impact noted in the electrical system Next stop Salina - 200+ miles on I-70.
G was driving and I fell asleep. On awakening an hour later I noticed she was driving at 80mph - what a shock; Salina showed up really fast.
We gassed up the starter labored and ground down to a stop - is it running? - nothing on the tachometer, no exhaust noise - the seconds seemed like minutes - but the motor was finally running.
My turn to drive into the night and St Joseph was less than four hours away as the sun set to the west.
Dead stop on I70 - a major accident - we turned around and found an alternative route - Backtrack 15 miles - 20 miles north - turn east (charge must be o.k. as the lights were not dimming) and drive 45 miles to Junction City - Slight right then a left and onto I-70.
Why has the check engine light gotten such an angry color and why did the mileage collapse to less than 10mpg?
Two more hours driving and we are close to empty - have to stop but will it start?
Forced to stop for gas - left it running as we filled - scary.
Found the Candlewood Suites and stopped - left the motor running as I checked in.
Pulled around back parked facing downhill and turned off Old Blue - I hope it starts in the morning.
It started, with difficulty, the next morning but we let it run when we gassed up on the way home. We made the party and it was fun.
Old Blue went into the shop last Thursday for a scheduled oil change and later in the day I got the call. The intake manifold had to be pulled off to repair something to do with the emission system. A big bill coming but they were going to work with me because of the new engine they installed. The folks at Jerseyville Ford are terrific!
By the way, the starting problems were related to the the battery I bought at the Chevron Station in Chama - it failed to hold a charge, wrong specs it seems. We have a new Motorcraft battery now and the old one, an Interstate, is going back to Chama for a refund.
Old Blue is running again and we are headed back to Chama on the evening of August 22nd. How about the "Interesting Week?" Why are we leaving early and why was the week interesting? That's the next story.....
