How Do You Afford This Addiction?

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I spent the majority of my adult life building/maintaining railroad tracks up a mountain for steam and diesel locomotives . It carries tourists on a 3 hour trip ,sorta like the SS Minnow but no one ever got stranded. I'm retired now and loving every minute of it.
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A few times I was able to get ride alongs when things were slow and take a few flights I would have never have the chance to do otherwise. I was also able to take a ride on one of those giant military hovercraft. That was so cool.
Chris_in_SoCal Chris_in_SoCal - I was working in Norfolk Naval Shipyard, for three weeks, in early 1991, while Desert Shield was underway. Just 100 feet from where I was working, LA-class fast-attack submarines sat in port. They are NOT pleasure vehicles! After a couple of weeks on base, I asked if I could hop aboard one while they were restocking. To my surprise, they said yes (everything secret was shrouded)! I got permission to help out "tomorrow" for a few minutes - stoked.

The very next day, Desert Storm kicked off, and the base locked down tighter than my grandma’s budget at the grocery store!
 
chef for 30 years, life sentence, but would not wan't to do anything else really....Been curing and smoking for 10 years or so and enjoy it immensely. Wanted to make a living from it and started doing brunch with all my products this winter but the bar in which I was doing it in folded. Shame as I had great feedback about my smoked belly, sausages and smoked salmon from the customers. Times are hard here, businesses going down all the time. Timing is everything.....
 
Haha I chuckled at that a bit. I had Top Secret clearances with some even higher than that. The down side was all the things I had to give up in life to keep those. I didn't really have a choice. Traveling outside the US was a PITA.
I relate. Worked in spook biz for 9 years, waking up in all sorts of countries, too many clearances. Took me the better part of 3 years to ‘get out’; every interview was same: who was your employer and what did you do? Ahem.
 
I did not know there were cog railways in the US. I experienced them in Switzerland in the past and they were awesome.
This was the first Cog railway in the world ,the Swiss engineers came over to see this one before building their first one which I believe was on Mt Rigi. The US also has a cog RR on Pikes Peak in Colorado.
 
The US also has a cog RR on Pikes Peak in Colorado.
I was about to add this. Runs from Manitou Springs to the top of Pike's Peak. Just about everyone that comes to visit us has to take the ride up. We have to warn them about the altitude, though. Most folks can handle it, but those with respiratory problems need oxygen or stay put. We live at 9100 feet, and if they can't handle our altitude they sure can't handle going up the Peak. It is a bit over 14K.
 
I was about to add this. Runs from Manitou Springs to the top of Pike's Peak. Just about everyone that comes to visit us has to take the ride up. We have to warn them about the altitude, though. Most folks can handle it, but those with respiratory problems need oxygen or stay put. We live at 9100 feet, and if they can't handle our altitude they sure can't handle going up the Peak. It is a bit over 14K.

I remember the railway when I was there. We didn't take it. It was summer so I drove to the top of Pike's Peak. I'm from near sea level but the 14K didn't bother me. All my passengers passed out in the car on the way down though. :emoji_dizzy_face:
 
This was the first Cog railway in the world ,the Swiss engineers came over to see this one before building their first one which I believe was on Mt Rigi. The US also has a cog RR on Pikes Peak in Colorado.

Very interesting I had no idea. We took a couple when we ere there.

Schynige Platte - Great views

Jungfraujoch - The top of Europe
 
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