Steve Trafton
Steve Trafton continues his explanation of the Steinway Grand Piano, called Volodya, now located on Whidbey Island, in Washington State. There are two keyboard actions that came with this historical piano, and he discusses their differences.
Demonstrating those two keyboards as she prepares for an upcoming concert at the Trafton home is pianist Nozomi Khudyev.
“Whidbey Island in Washington State is the new home of a Steinway Grand Piano with a prominent history. In the first of two segments, Steve Trafton tells the story of this instrument, which was a preferred choice of Horowitz, Rubenstein, and Cliburn, among many others. Built in 1965, it was considered one of the Steinway Brothers’ finest accomplishments. So much so that signatures of its performers adorn the inside plate of the piano. Vladimir Horowitz even honored the piano by giving it a special name: “Volodya”.
This introduction is followed by a concert segment at Trafton’s home on Whidbey Island featuring Nozomi Khudyev on piano and Efe Baltacigil on cello. Both are renowned musicians in their own right and often appear in the island’s concert series.
Part II of this historical tribute to Volodya (see the future blog entry) tells of the two different keyboard “actions” or sounds that came with this piano. Nozomi Khudyev will then demonstrate the piano and talk about those differences.”
This video combines audio from the Adventure Science Podcast, anchored by Simon Donato, with Steve’s own photos from his many Arctic expeditions. Donato’s podcast is heard and respected by contemporary explorers who recognize that, in 1977, Trafton was among the first modern explorers to recover remnants of the ill-fated English expedition led by Sir John Franklin.
While searching for a Northwest Passage in 1845, Franklin’s two expedition ships became icebound. And over several years, as they tried to escape their Arctic nightmare, all 129 crew members tragically died.
Nearly 50 years ago, Steve deliberately traveled to King William Island during the winter months, recreated the crews’ below-freezing conditions, and conducted his own research along their escape route. (The hardship that Steve and his companions experienced is also detailed in this podcast.) Steve’s excursions discovered camps, cairns, notes, and objects, and he wrote articles about his discoveries. These reports helped to document the narrative of how the crew died.
The Canadian government located the two sunken ships in 2014 and 2016.
Alan Bixby
During 2020, we all found ourselves somewhat limited in our ability to pursue our “usual” schedule of activities. Travel was limited, and for Katherine and I, a continuation of long-distance hiking projects in Europe had to be put on hold. Although we could do several interesting hikes in Washington, Oregon, and several long-distance tours with the old ALF Speedsters in Colorado and down the Pacific Coast Highway, we found ourselves with a considerable amount of the year spent closer to our home on Whidbey Island.
Our solution to this dilemma took several forms. First, we began a series of musical concerts at our home. (I saved video from one of those concerts as COVID CONCERT, in this Blog.)
In addition to the Covid Concerts, I thought this would be a good time to develop an “artistic” compendium of the most significant Arctic Expeditions I was fortunate enough to be involved with during the 1970s and 80s. The first result was a two-volume, large-format set of books outlining these expeditions and displaying what I thought were the most compelling images.
I have already copied those books to my website for my followers to see. They are named:
Arctic Exploration in the Years 1978, 1980, 1981 and 1982
Volume 1 and Volume 2
They are available here. I hope you enjoy them.
The next project which is called Swiss Alpine Hut Hikes in the Mattertal and Val d’Anniviers was one that I had often thought about, but I needed more time to undertake. I wanted to develop a large-format pictorial guide to the best alpine hikes in the Swiss Mattertal and Val d’Anniviers. The hikes described in the book range in severity from easy to difficult. I recommend anyone interested in hiking in the Alps consider any or all of these for their to-do list. This is a new entry to my site and is available here.
The third and current photo-journalistic endeavor I have wanted to do for a long time is now underway.
For the last 50 years, I have been an avid collector of First Edition Arctic and Antarctic Exploration Journals. These include Journals dating from as early as 1802 through the 1920s. A large portion of the collection encompasses the British quest to discover a Northwest Passage.
One of the things that makes these books so compelling is the engravings made from drawings by expedition members and included as dramatic visual documentation of these explorations.
Therefore, I have undertaken a project to photograph and refresh these 170 to 200-year-old published engravings and display them in a large-format book.
The first volume, which I hope to complete by April 2025, will be devoted to the four expeditions of Captain William Edward Parry:
Journal of a Voyage for the
Discovery of a North-West Passage
from the Atlantic to the Pacific
1819-20
Journal of a Second Voyage
for the Discovery of a
North-West Passage from the
Atlantic to the Pacific
1821-23
Journal of a Third Voyage
for the Discovery of a
North-West Passage from the
Atlantic to the Pacific
1824-25
and
Narrative of an Attempt
to Reach the North Pole
1827
This book, in particular, has a special meaning to me because Parry reached a latitude of 82 N, which I was also fortunate to achieve on our 1982 Expedition to the British Empire Mountain Range on northern Ellesmere Island.
As a technical side note, this project involves several steps:
2. Process the digital images. I use an excellent photo processing program called Luminar NEO, which allows me to restore engravings digitally by correcting visual imperfections.
3. Insert the photo file into a Word document formatted to an 18h x 22w page, add the original captions in the original font, and test print for correct lighting.
4. Write a short history of each expedition and develop maps to aid in understanding the context of the engravings.
5. Write an introduction on the history of the engraving process and its use in early 19th-century travel publications.
While there is no profit incentive for this obscure endeavor, I hope visitors to this website will enjoy the Art of Exploration.
As a car collector, you can never overlook the classic Rolls-Royce. Black Horse
Racing added four of them to its collection in 2023.
A 1976 green “Silver Shadow” (shown below)…
…and a 1984 silver and black convertible “Corniche.”
Steve and Katherine Trafton wanted to insure that the timeless luxury forever associated with the English brand of Rolls-Royce, is preserved for all to see.
The Traftons liked the new automobiles so much that they added two more to the car collection. These two pre-war vehicles, in mint condition, joined the collection to share spaces next to other classic vehicles at Black Horse Racing (some of which are shown in other pages of this website). The newest additions, both Rolls-Royce Phantom I models, were acquired in July of 2023, and they both have intriguing histories.
The 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Dual Cowl Phaeton was actually built at the (now closed) Springfield, Massachusetts Rolls-Royce plant. Both vehicles are nearly a hundred years old. The U.S. plant was originally built to accommodate Americans who asked for faster delivery, custom changes, and lower import taxes on their vehicles.
Originally delivered to Samuel Jaskow in 1932, five East Coast owners from New York to Palm Beach, gave title to this vehicle over the next nine decades. Typically, they spared no expense to regenerate its upkeep. Over the past 25 years, this 1929 Rolls Royce Phantom I has been the crown-jewel of the Howard “Dutch” Darrin collection before it was shipped to Trafton’s shop. Red Car Restoration of Rockwall Texas refreshed the undercarriage and restored the fuel system of the car before delivering it to Black Horse Racing on Whidbey Island, Washington.
This car’s front and rear fenders are the only body pieces composed of steel. The rest was hand-formed sheets of aluminum wrapped around a wood structure. Of course, the Rolls cabin and exterior are highly detailed with exquisitely fine hardware and inlaid woodwork throughout.
This rare Rolls Royce convertible sedan is a six cylinder 3 speed manual drive. The new model line was launched in 1925 and followed the previous 20 years of production for the famous Silver Ghost model. The new model-upgrades showed a third more power and better braking ability. Specialist coachbuilders of the day gave it a handsome, elegant body style with a red leather interior that matched the exterior hue.
This vehicle went through a full restoration in the mid 1970’s and like all Rolls-Royce in collections, it’s had regular maintenance to keep it in perfect condition.
The second delivery, a 1930 Rolls Royce Phantom I / Regent Roadster by Brewster, is a strikingly comfortable and practical touring car.
In fact, using it as his personal touring car, the previous owner drove it all the way from the Netherlands to Cairo, Egypt, a distance of about 3200 miles!
His son wrote this letter to Steve upon Black Horse Racing’s purchase:
My father was an absolute Bentley and Rolls Royce enthusiast. Many cars have come and gone. However, the P1 was his most personal car by far.
When I was 19 (in 1999) and had my driver’s license for a month or so, he sent me to London to trade in a Bentley Mulasanne and pick up this car at Frank Dale’s and drive it home, to the Netherlands, a nerve wrecking and great way to gain experience as a young driver.) A few years later, he took the car on an adventurous trip: to drive it from Amsterdam to Cairo, Egypt. This was in 2001, and he drove the car through Europe into Serbia, Bulgaria, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. Countries you would think twice to drive nowadays. As much as he was into cars and sailing, so small was his interest in photography, which is even an understatement. He took a picture at the start of this trip in boring old Holland, and a few pictures at the end of the drive in Egypt, nothing in between.
It makes me happy to know that the car will be in the hands of an even bigger adventurer after all these years, and I wish you many happy trips with the P1. I have attached a photo of this car next to a Pyramid, which I thought was quite unique.
Proof of this feat was established by a photograph of the car next to some vaguely familiar rock piles.
Like the 1929 vehicle before it, some restoration and sorting was performed by Red Car Restoration in Texas. Then it was shipped to new owners at Black Horse Racing.
In late September, we drove to Colorado with the ALF #4 (or the American LaFrance speedster) following close behind us. Well, the ALF was on our trailer. But the scenery and fall colors that we anticipated while driving the central Colorado mountain range did not disappoint.
Starting at the famous World War II Camp Hale, Katherine and I chugged up the 10,000 foot Tennessee Pass on the continental divide and continued to Leadville. Then we drove along many backroads to Cottonwood Pass at 12,000 feet, and over Keebler Pass. What a journey it was. Here are some of our photos.
On the way back to our home-base in Washington State, we stopped at the Rangely, Colorado Automotive Museum to see our good friends Bud and Vicky Seigel, and also to check in on the ALF #1 which is a duplicate of the ALF #4. It resides at the antique car museum after its notable excursion in the Peking to Paris Race of 2016. Stop in to see it sometime.
Believe it or not, you missed a great concert at the Trafton’s. Well, maybe it was a trio of wonderful musicians, two of whom wore masks. But we know who they were. Here is a three-minute excerpt from their full performance. If you want to watch the whole show, click on this link, and you’ll hear Brahms, Chopin, Saint-Saens, (Francois) Schubert, and Morricone. Featuring musicians: Angelique Poteat on clarinet, Efe Baltacigil on cello, and Nozomi Khudyev on piano.
We started our trip at 8 am from the Antelope Point boat launch near Page, Arizona. Our goal was to Kayak to Labyrinth Canyon about 15 miles up the lake. The August weather was clear, and by 10 am, it was HOT, about 97 degrees. Fortunately, a gentle breeze was blowing across the lake, so the kayaking was very pleasant, and we made good time. After about 10 miles we found a hidden little cove whose entrance was big enough for kayaks but too small for any boats. So we decided that this would be a perfect campsite. We pulled in and soon had our camp set up and spent the rest of the afternoon swimming in our little cove and relaxing in the shade of the beautiful rock formations that surrounded our camp. Because there was very little light pollution at our remote campsite the night sky was spectacular! Our trip just happened to coincide with the annual Perseid Meteor Shower which added to the ambiance.
The next morning, August 12th, we set out at 7 am for Labyrinth Canyon. The water was smooth and calm (no boats this early in the morning), so we made good time and soon we were entering the Canyon. It was well worth the effort of paddling all the way from Antelope Point. The canyon was about 4 miles in length and an intricate system of twists and turns beneath beautiful sandstone walls. Toward the end of the canyon, the walls narrowed down to about 15 or 20 feet. After several hours of exploring the byways of Labyrinth Canyon, we started back to camp. Kayaking on Lake Powell after about 9 am is not for the faint of heart. The wakes of dozens of houseboats. runabouts and jet skis ricocheted off the rock walls along the lake creating a chaotic, churning mass of 2 to 3-foot waves that made the going interesting but difficult. (One old-timer told us that kayakers refer to the lake at these times as the “washing machine.”)
In the early afternoon, we got back to camp and settled in for a quiet afternoon and swimming in our cove reading in the shade. We also prepared for our paddle the next day back to Antelope Point.
About 2 am, as I was sleeping peacefully minding my own business, something ran across my face. I assumed it was a fly or some such creature of the night and flicked it away. Bam! I bolted upright. Something had bitten or stung my little finger. It stung about 5 times as much as any bee sting I have ever had (and I’ve had quite a few in my time). I picked up the flashlight and began looking for the culprit thinking that it may have been a spider. After a few minutes, I found, what I thought was the culprit. A brown spider. By now my whole hand was on fire. Katherine and I corralled the little bugger and put him in a plastic bag if I might need to show a doctor if things didn’t improve.
After this interruption, I tried to get back to sleep but that proved to be harder than I had hoped since now the pain a gone clear up to my elbow, and by 4 am it was to my shoulder. Finally, at about 5 am sleep was not going to happen so, Katherine and I got up and started breaking camp. We figured it would soon be light enough to start our return journey. As I was putting gear into our kayaks, while Katherine was stuffing our sleeping bags she called out, “what’s this.”
“This” was a bark scorpion.
He had apparently been hiding under my sleeping pad during the night and had ventured out to explore my face, sting me and return to his hiding spot. We captured him, put him in with the aforementioned spider, finished packing, and set off for Antelope Point.
It was a beautiful morning, with great sunrise, and calm waters. My arm’s pain had decreased from about a 9 to 7 with numbness only up to my elbow. Things were looking up!
The effects of the scorpion sting wore off in about 48 hours. Katherine’s and my memories of our Lake Powell kayaking adventure are all good, but should you decide to follow in our footsteps, WATCH OUT FOR THE DAMN SCORPIONS!!!!!
A few years ago, Katherine and I, along with my brother Ike hiked the John Wayne Iron Horse Trail (now known as the Palouse to Cascades Trail) from Seattle to the Idaho border near Tekoa Washington. This May, as an add-on to that, this May, we decided to hike the Columbia Plateau Trail from Spokane to Pasco. These trails are perfectly suited to spring hiking, and since the mountains, our usual haunt was still snowbound, the Columbia Plateau Trail became our goal.
We started our 140-mile hike at the Fish Lake Trailhead in Spokane and hiked 7 miles along the trail to Fish Lake, just outside Cheney, Washington. From there, it was another 13 miles, through the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge to Amber Lake.
The next week we returned to Amber Lake and hiked 14 miles to Lamont and then another 13 miles to a remote farm road (McCall Road) near the intersection of the John Wayne Iron Horse Trail with the Columbia Plateau Trail. We finished with a hike of 12 miles from McCall Road to the town of Benge.
In the third week of May, we returned to Benge and continued toward Pasco by hiking 12 miles to Hooper. Along the way, we encountered several fledgling great horned owls who were just learning to fly from their nest in the basalt cliffs, which lined the trail. Hooper was another 15 miles to McAdam and finally 9 more miles to the town of Kahlotus.
In the last week of May, we returned to Kahlotus and followed the trail 11 miles through several long tunnels, around several long train trestles, and through patches of tumbleweed to the Snake River near Lower Monument Dam. From the dam we continued on along the river 12 miles to Voto Road and then another 12 miles to the Big Flat Habitat Management Unit. The final leg of our journey was 9 miles from Big Flat to Sacajawea Historical State Park at the intersection of the Snake and Columbia Rivers in Pasco, Washington.
This was a great Spring outing, and we recommend it to anyone searching for something to do during the Covid scare, and any other time they want some fresh air and incredible scenery.
June 23, Katherine and I took ALF 4 on the 200-mile drive from Newhalem, Washington, over the North Cascades Highway to Winthrop for lunch. Then, on past Twisp to the Columbia River at Pateros, along the Columbia River to Wenatchee and then up to Blewett Pass.
The weather was perfect, though a very hot 95 degrees along the Columbia. But the scenery was great. I highly recommend this drive to everyone.
Another perfect day, and Katherine and I were off to the Yakima River to Kayak, the 18 miles, from just south of Ellensburg to Yakima, through the Yakima River Canyon. We put in at the South Ringer Public Access point. The river was still running at a reasonably high watermark, and the current was swift. Even though the rapids were only Class 1 and 2, we had to be watchful when the river split at several points to avoid taking the wrong turn and ending up in a log jam or having to dodge trees lying across the river (so called “sweepers”). Another couple wasn’t so lucky that weekend and drowned after being trapped under a log jam.
We successfully navigated the obstacles, and after 3 hours of beautiful scenery in the canyon, we pulled out at the Roza Dam, just north of Yakima.
I would recommend this trip highly, but would recommend putting in at the Big Horn access site south of Ringer Public Access to be on the safe side and avoid possible log jams!
A week after our return from our Fall hike in Europe, Katherine an I left for Rangely, Colorado to pick up where we left off on our (ALF or American La France) tour of the western states. Our plan was that my brother Ike would come with us to drive our truck and trailer along behind to act as a safety net in case some major mechanical issue arose. I also convinced Tim Taylor and his wife Judy to meet us in Rangely and tag along for a few days as we drove the ALF through eastern Utah on the way home to Whidbey Island. Tim was the Manager of the Black Horse Racing team when we set the Land Speed Record in 2010 at Bonneville, and the person responsible for the fabrication of the two ALFs in the Black Horse stable.
On Wednesday October 2nd, Katherine and I caught the early ferry boat to the mainland and drove over Snoqualmie Pass. We met Ike in Cle Elem at 7:00 a.m., then drove by Yakima, Pasco, Pendleton, La Grande, Ontario, Boise, Twin Falls, Salt Lake City, and Evanston, Wyoming where we stopped for the night after driving 900 miles. We still had over 200 miles to go, but we were in good position to reach Rangely by noon on the 3rd.
The next morning, we pushed on, past Fort Bridger, and Manila. Then we retraced our route from earlier in the year through Flaming Gorge and Vernal, Utah, and finally through Dinosaur, Colorado and on to Rangely. After a quick lunch at a local Café we drove over to the Rangely Automotive Museum to be reunited with the ALF. At noon, Tim and Judy arrived and Bud gave us all a grand tour of his remarkable collection of vintage cars and motorcycles.
On Thursday October 4th, Tim and I went to work preparing the ALF for her homeward journey while Ike, Katherine and Judy left to explore a nearby arroyo with interesting sandstone features. Almost immediately Tim found the cause of the misfire that developed during the last leg of our trip to Rangely. The electrode between the distributor cap and the rotor had disintegrated so that we were only receiving a very weak charge…and sometimes no charge at all. After a quick trip to the local NAPA store for parts, we were able to fix the distributor cap. A few miles of road-testing confirmed that the ALF was road worthy.
On Friday October 5th, we spent most of the morning doing maintenance on the ALF, checking the brakes, fluid levels, etc. By noon we had the ALF loaded on the trailer and were ready to go. We said our goodbyes to Bud and promised to return next year. We left Rangely that afternoon and headed for Grand Junction. After crossing Douglas Pass, we then took Interstate 80 west across the Utah/Colorado border. We exited the Interstate near Cisco, Utah and then off-loaded the Alf and Katherine and I began our drive along the Colorado River, through Castle Valley to Moab, Utah. Ike drove the truck and Tim and Judy followed as we made our way through the high desert landscape. Castle Valley views included great sandstone mesas and towers reminiscent of an old western movie set. After 40 miles the road entered a canyon and followed the river all the way to Moab. This day had been one of the best “ALF tours” we had ever driven.
On Saturday October 6th, we left early for a tour of Arches Nation Park. After entering the park, the ALF started up the steep road to the high plateau that features the spectacular sandstone natural arches and formations for which the park is famous. We stopped to visit Wall Street, Double Arch, the Windows, Delicate Arch and Landscape Arch on our fifty-mile tour.
On Sunday Oct. 7th, we said good-bye to Tim and Judy, who needed to return to Dallas, and Katherine, Ike and I loaded up the ALF, then drove south to Blanding, Utah. At Blanding we turned west on highway 95 heading toward Lake Powell. After a few miles we pulled over, took the ALF off the trailer, and began our one hundred and seventy-five-mile tour north to Capital Reef National Park and Torrey, Utah. Once again, the drive was through beautiful high desert terrain. sandstone mesas, sweeping lake views and narrow canyons which made this trip well worth the effort. Shortly after passing through Capital Reef came to the town of Torrey. This marked the end of the ALF tour. We loaded the ALF one last time on its trailer and headed for home, certain that we would return next year to further explore more of the American southwest.
Back in July (2019), Katherine and I, along with our friends Alan and Nancy Bixby loaded our 1915 American La France Speedster on its trailer and left home for a two-part tour of the western states, during which we would drive our old race car over 850 miles. We started by driving to New Halem, Washington where we unloaded “The Revenant” and started up over the North Cascade Highway toward Washington Pass. Our old chain drive ALF performed admirably, chugging its way up through the mountains past Diablo Lake, up to Rainy Pass (4875’) then on for another four miles, past Cutthroat Peak to Washington Pass (5476’).
.
The view from the pass was spectacular with Liberty Bell Mountain (7720’) rising above us. From here we began our descent toward the town of Winthrop, pausing briefly to photograph Silver Star Mountain and the Wine Spires just east of the Pass. Soon we reached the Methow River Valley and stopped in Winthrop for lunch and to load the ALF back on its trailer. After our rest stop, we headed down along the river to the town of Pateros, Washington at the confluence of the Methow and Columbia Rivers before continuing on to Grand Coulee where we spent the night camped out on Lake Roosevelt.
The next day we drove to Fort Spokane where we off-loaded the ALF and drove north along the Columbia River to Kettle Falls, Washington. We reloaded the ALF on the trailer and then drove east on Highway 20 to Tiger, Washington and south along the Pend Oreille River to Newport, Washington. From here we drove on east to Sand Point, Idaho where we spent the night.
After having a restful night at Sand Point, we drove north to Bonners Ferry, Idaho then south to Libby, Montana. Just outside Libby we off-loaded the ALF and started on a beautiful fifty-eight-mile drive north along the eastern side of Koocanusa Lake to Eureka, Montana. After searching in vain for a suitable campground, we settled for camping out under the stars in the town park. We should have taken note of the nice green grass we were camped on in an otherwise parched landscape, because at two a.m. the sprinklers came on and Katherine and I had to beat a water-soaked retreat to our truck till the next morning.
.
The next day, we trailered the ALF seventy miles to Whitefish, Montana where we off-loaded and started our drive to Glacier National Park. We followed Highway 2, along the middle fork of the Flathead River up through the mountains and then on to Marias Pass (5222’). The climb up to the pass was a long one and the ALF’s 14.5-liter engine overheated several times which meant that we had to stop occasionally to add water to the radiator and let the engine cool down. But the old warhorse chugged on and by mid-afternoon we had made it to East Glacier Park Village where we stopped for the night.
We got an early start the next day and, with the ALF back on its trailer we drove on to Browning, Montana then south to Choteau and on to Helena, Butte and finally Anaconda. We off-loaded the ALF here and drove the last forty miles up into the Big Hole where we made camp at Fish Trap Campground along side the Big Hole River.
After a restful night at a beautiful campsite next to the river, we decided to drive the ALF on a “Grand Tour “of the Big Hole Valley and the Pioneer Mountains. First, we drove south along the Big Hole River to the Town of Wisdom, and then on to the town of Jackson. From Jackson we followed the road up and over Big Hole Pass (7360’) then to a back road running north through the Pioneer Scenic Byway to Wise River. This section of the tour was challenging with its steep up and down hill sections and many hairpin turns. I should mention here that the ALF weighs in at 8000 pounds and has no power steering so it is not a trivial undertaking to drive it. But all the effort was well worth it, given the scenery which surrounded us.
.
After our drive through the Pioneer Mountains we came to the town of Wise River. From here it was but a short drive back to our campsite and a welcome cocktail hour.
On the day after our “Grand Tour” we packed and departed the Big Hole for Salmon, Idaho. First, we drove down the valley back to Wisdom and then due west for twenty-six miles, over the Continental Divide at Chief Joseph Pass (7252’) and then over Lost Rail Pass (7014’) before heading south toward Salmon. Once again, the road was steep and there were numerous hairpin turns, but soon we were in the Salmon River Valley. Here, the going became easier. We stopped at the outskirts of Salmon and loaded the ALF back on the trailer before driving south to Idaho Falls and then east to Alpine, Wyoming. We pulled over into a rest stop, unloaded the ALF and drove south along the Idaho/Wyoming border for eighty-one miles to Cokeville, Wyoming. After a short rest stop and reloading ALF on its trailer we drove on to a campground at Manila, Utah where were spent the night.
The next morning, we off-loaded the ALF once again and left Manila and then entered the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. We turned off the main road, Highway 44, at Sheep Creek and drove the “road less traveled”. This drive was well worth it. While we had to contend with poorly maintained sections of primitive road and a steep winding drive to 8300” before returning to the main road, this loop drive was spectacular. Bright colored sandstone, beautiful aspen grooves and vistas of the surrounding mountains combined to make this portion of the trip literally the high-point.
.
After returning to the main road we drove on along a high mountain plateau before coming to the long steep descent into the town of Vernal, Utah. Once again, the challenge of a steep descent, punctuated by many hairpin turns made this section a struggle. But to rest is not to conquer! At last we reached Vernal. During this arduous day, ALF had started misfiring occasionally and by the time we reached Vernal this misfire had become progressively worse. An electrical issue had arisen and we would have to deal with it before we drove much further. In addition, the weather had turned hot. Afternoon temperatures were nearing 100 degrees.
.
As we left Vernal, I was trying to come up with a Plan B. How to fix the ALF, and how to deal with the heat, which would only get worse as we headed south to Moab, Utah. While I mulled this problem, we drove on heading southeast, crossing the Utah/Colorado border at Dinosaur. We maneuvered through the Coal Oil Basin and arrived at Rangely, Colorado where we stopped for gas. As I was pumping fuel and doing a safety check of the trailer, a tall, lanky fellow, about my age (73) came over to me and asked the usual questions about the ALF. As we talked, he mentioned that he had a car collection and that we should stop by and he would show it to us before we left town.
.
I really did want to get moving down the road right then, but there was something about this guy that piqued my interest. So I agreed to follow him. We drove about a quarter mile and he turned into the parking lot of a beautiful building with a sign out front that said Rangely Automotive Museum. This guy was for real!
He introduced himself as Bud Striegel and he had been collecting cars and motorcycles for decades. As a businessman Bud had run an oil pipeline construction company. Now that he was semiretired, he was devoting more time to his car collection. He recently had finished building his museum which he opened to the public and was just enjoying life. After we toured his collection I said, “How would you like to have the ALF on loan for a few months in your collection?” So, we struck a bargain. He could have the ALF at the museum till October, when we would return, after the weather cooled down to pick it up and continue on our way to Utah. In the meantime, I wouldn’t have to trailer the ALF home and trailer it back to Colorado to finish our tour after the weather cooled.
.
And so, thus ended the first leg of our tour. We had driven the ALF five hundred miles, were in position finish the tour in the fall, and had meet a new friend along the way.
The Grand/Grand Traverse
Over the past ten years Katherine and I have undertaken a “Grand Traverse” of Europe. Our goal has been to hike from the headwaters of the Thames River to the Slovenian border. After completing the Thames River Trail in 2010 we then set out from Ostende, Belgium and hiked across Belgium to the intersection of the Belgium, Luxemburg and German borders. Then south along the Luxemburg/German border to France. After that we would hike south across eastern France to Lausanne, Switzerland. From Lausanne our trek continued via a high route across the Swiss Alps to Lichtenstein and on along the mountains of the Swiss/Italian border. Our route then followed the Italian/Austrian border through the Dolomites and Austria’s Leinzer Alps to Plockenpass near the Slovenian border.
As of the beginning of September, 2019 we had completed all but a small segment of our intended route about 150 miles in length, in southern France between St. Maurice sur Moselle, France and Lausanne, Switzerland. For “extra credit” we had also completed a hike around and over Mont Blanc (2010), around the Matterhorn (which I climbed in 1996), and the famous climbers “Haute Route’’ between Chamonix, France and Zermatt, Switzerland (2012).
Since we were nearly at the end of our “Grand Traverse” we decided to expand the project by adding a traverse from Lausanne to Monaco on the Mediterranean, thus turning our traverse into a West/East and North/South” Grand/Grand Traverse” of Europe.
This September Katherine and I set out to complete the first leg of our Lausanne to Monaco hike and to then head north and whittle anyway at the remaining 150 miles of our West/East European traverse.
High Level Route La Chapelle D’Abondance to
Chamonix, France
September 9, Katherine and I flew to Geneva, Switzerland and then took a train to Montreux. After overnighting in Montreux, we took a short train ride to Monthey, Switzerland then hired a car to take us to our starting point at the Hotel Les Cornettes in La Chapelle D’ Abondance (3350’), France.
I should add that in 2014 we had hiked over the mountains from Lake Geneva to our starting point, but persistent rain storms prevented us from going any further.
We started along the road out of town and, in about a half mile turned right at the metal cow sculpture and headed up into the foothills toward the Trebentaz Hut (6102’).
After about three hours, we arrived at this scenic perch high above the Valle D’ Abondance.
The next morning, we set off from the hut and climbed up and over a pass (7000’), and then down and across a beautiful plateau to the Col de Bassachaux (5833’).
After a short rest we continued across rolling terrain to the Col de Chesey (6535’) on the Swiss border.
From here it was a short hike to our stopping point at the Refuge de Chesery (6470’) where we spent the night.
On the 12th, we left Chesery and hiked up to the Portes de I’Hiver (6877’)…
…and then down once again Chaux Palin (6047’) and across a long rolling plateau…
…and down to a farmhouse at La Poyat (5347’). Here the trail rose sharply up to the Col de Croux…
…and into France once again. Then it was down again to 4660’ before climbing up to the Col de la Golise (5453’). From the Col de la Golise it was a long downhill trudge to the village of Samoens (2306’). This strenuous day had a total ascent of 2200’ and a total descent of 6365”!
We set out from Samoens at eight the next morning (the 13th) and hiked along a river for about two miles before beginning our hike back up once again. We hiked up the Gorges des Tines, using ladders to climb past several cliffs…
…and on upward to the Chalet de Lignon (3870’) where we had lunch before continuing on up the Collet d’Anterne (5892’).
Here we were treated to our first view of Mont Blanc. We had reached another high plateau and it was but a short walk to our stopping point for the night the Chalets d’Anterne (5932’).
On the 14th we continued on and hiked up to the Lac d’Anterne (6750’) and then up to the Col d’Anterne (7405’), a 5100’ ascent from Samoens.
Then it was down again to the Pont d’Arleve (5240’, a bridge across a small river at the bottom of the valley. From here it was a three hour slog up a mountainside to the Col du Brevent (7769’). What a view!
The entire Chamonix Valley lay before us. After a short rest we headed on up the Le Brevent (8284’).
Here we intersected the trail we had taken during circuit of Mount Blanc in 2010. After resting on top of Le Brevent we took the tram down to Chamonix and spent the night before heading north to the St. Maurice sur Moselle.
Hike Between St. Maurice sur Moselle, France and
Porrentruy, Switzerland
September 15: After a good night’s rest and some great French cuisine in Chamonix, Katherine and I set off for St. Maurice Moselle, the endpoint of our hike through the Moselle River Valley, about 150 miles north of Lausanne. We traveled by bus from Chamonix back to Geneva, where we caught a train to the beautiful town of Strasbourg, France where we spent the night. The next morning, we traveled by train to Nancy, France and then to the small town of Remiremont, France.
September 17th, we left Remiremont and traveled by bus to our starting point at St. Maurice sur Moselle.
We hiked up a trail which climbed from the Moselle River Valley up to the summit of the Ballon d’Alsace. We took a short rest here and admired the great Bronze Statue of Joan d’ Arc.
From here we hiked a short distance down the road to a statue commemorating the lives of soldiers tasked with disarming land mines during World War II.
Then we followed a trail on down through the forest and along the La Savoureuse River to the town of Lepuix and on to the town of Giromgny, France, where we spent the night.
September 18th, we left Girongny and hiked out of town where we picked up the trail through the foothills and down to the village of Bas-Evette. From there, largely on bike paths, we hiked another ten miles into the city of Belfort, France where we spent the night and planned the last leg of our route to Porrentruy.
September 19th, we left Belfort and hiked on country roads and bike paths east to the small town of Delle, France and then took the train to the town of Porrentruy, Switzerland.
September 20th, we took the train back to Delle and hiked a short distance along the road to the Swiss border at Boncourt, Switzerland in the foothills of the Jara mountains.
From Boncourt we followed trails through foothills and along a river valley to Porrentruy.
We now had only about one hundred miles left to go on the West/East European traverse. Our plan is to complete this last segment of our journey in the Spring of 2020.
.
.
June 6, 2019: Katherine and I flew from Seattle to Dallas, then boarded our flight to Lima which landed in Cusco, Peru. We arrived on the morning of June 6 and spent the day with a walk around Cusco while acclimating to the 11,250-foot elevation of the Andes Mountains.
.
June 7, 2019: We spent this day taking longer walks which included several up and down hill-climbs in town. Then we watched the military parade at the central square celebrating Inti Raymi’rata…or the summer solstice… which actually occurs later in the month.
.
.
(Click image to view large size.)
.
.
June 8, 2019: We moved to our new hotel and met the rest of our hiking group. Afternoon was spent touring the city of Cusco, which included a visit to the Santo Domingo Church built atop the ruins of the Inca Temple Coricancha (Temple of the Sun). In the late afternoon we drove to the top of the hills around the town and walked through the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, a magnificent Inca fortress.
.
June 9, 2019: On this morning, our group boarded a van which would drive us to the starting point of our hike through the Andes. Along the way we stopped at the Inca site of Quillarumiyoc. Then we drove on to Mollepata, a small town where we had lunch before continuing on to Challacancha at 11,900-feet. Here we would start our hike of two and a half miles. There was 800 feet of elevation gain to Soraypampa and our accommodations at the Salkantay Lodge. The lodge is situated at the edge of Soraypampa and is dominated by spectacular views of Humantay Peak (19,412 feet) and Salkantay Peak (20,500 feet).
.
.
June 10, 2019: We started early for a 1,200-foot hike up to a beautiful emerald green Humantay Lake, nestled below the imposing peak of the same name. Once we had explored around the lake we continued up to the top of a knoll (14,000 feet) where a shaman blessed tomorrow’s hike over Salkantay Pass (15,213 feet).
.
.
June 11, 2019: We started early again for our 8 mile hike over Salkantay Pass. Leaving Soraypampa behind, we made a gradual ascent up the valley toward Salkantay Peak. Rounding Humantay, the trail steepened as we switch-backed toward the pass. Since the group was moving a little slowly for Katherine’s and my pace, we moved ahead and arrived at the pass about 20 minutes before the others. The hike to the pass was about four miles and 2523 feet of elevation gain. After a short rest at the pass, we began the 4-mile descent to the Wayra Lodge (12,812 feet) where we spent the night.
.
.
June 12, 2019: Starting at about 9 am we began our 3400-foot descent down from the breathtaking alpine scenery we had enjoyed during the last few days and then disappeared into the cloud forest below. Three hours later we arrived at the Colpa Lodge (9,914 feet), located on a 1,000 promontory above the confluence of three rivers.
.
.
June 13, 2019: Today we continued to descend by hiking down a step-way trail into the Santa Teresa River Valley. After 5 or 6 miles we began to hike past coffee plantations, banana trees and passion fruit orchards. We hiked on for another two or three miles to a big suspension bridge which crossed the Santa Teresa River. We met a van which drove us about 30 miles down valley and then hiked up an old trail to Lucma Lodge. At 7003 feet in altitude, we were now 8,210 feet lower than Salkantay Pass.
.
.
June 14, 2019: After breakfast we set out for climbing up the Inca Trail toward Llactapata Pass (8,974 feet). The 2,000-foot climb seemed easy in the denser air of the lower altitude. After crossing the pass we began our 3,165-foot descent to the Urubamba River in the valley below. On the way down we got our first view of Machu Picchu in the distance, across the valley. As we approached the river, we walked past avocado orchards and bamboo forests until we reached the train station for the ride up to Aguas Calientes, located a short distance from the ruins of Machu Picchu.
.
.
June 15, 2019: After breakfast we caught the bus up Machu Picchu (7292 feet) and spent the whole day exploring. Rediscovered by American Hiram Bingham in 1911 and restored to a great extent during the intervening years, we were able to appreciate the intricate Incan architecture and stonework. We also walked to an Inca drawbridge. Built into a vertical cliff, it also was one of the entrances to Machu Picchu. Another hike was up to Inti Punku (the Sun’s Gateway). That afternoon we toured the various structures and received lectures on the “city” of Machu Picchu itself.
.
.
June 16, 2019: We returned to Machu Picchu where I hiked to the top of Huayna Picchu at 8,835 feet. That is the prominent mountain which is the viewpoint for many pictures of Machu Picchu. While I was climbing, Katherine climbed the much higher Machu Picchu Mountain (10,007 feet).
.
.
June 17, 2019: We returned to Cusco and celebrated our 40 miles of hiking trails with 9800 feet of elevation gain and 15,237 feet elevation loss. This was a spectacular journey!
Those Traftons were at it again and this post shows a few more photos and some short video clips of their Alaska adventure.
Click on any image to see all of them in larger sizes.
At about 6 PM PDT, this was their progress. You can see exactly where the boys are now by checking their GPS.
Of course, nothing much happens in Alaska or the Yukon, or B.C. You just see an occasional cow by the road, and then you move on.
With typical American originality, one of the boys yells, “Hey!”. No wonder this cow made no motion to acknowledge them. It should be “MOOO”, you know.
They decided to drive ALF #4 for a-ways and then trailer it, even though the 1925 classic speedster gave them no problem. You can just imagine the strange looks they received from an occasional oncoming vehicle, as they drove a very isolated Alcan Highway. “Martha! What was THAT?” Those oncoming cars may have thought they were entering the Twilight Zone.
Anyway, here are some photos that the Alaskan Pony Express just delivered. From Christochina to Fairbanks, to the Yukon and south:
More Later…
Refusing to accept defeat, the Blackhorseracing.com team took the sick 1915 ALF #1 classic speedster all the way back to Seattle (on a trailer) and are immediately returning to Alaska to retrieve ALF #4. This time, they are taking a different route up the Alcan, from Cle Elum, Washington north all the way back to Glennallen, Alaska. Here are photos of some of the crew who participated including Steve and Katherine, Matt, Guillaume, Dwight and Byron.
As of 2:15 PDT, Steve, and Dwight had crossed back into Alaska on their way to Glenallen and ALF #4. Follow along here.
The plan, hatched over a hearty meal, is to drive the ALF #4 part of the way down the Alcan and then trailer it back to Seattle.
Here are a few photos from their journey.
Well some mornings you can barely chew through the straps on your straight-jacket. Frustration attacked the Blackhorseracing team as their ALF#1 overheated again and it could not even be coaxed to work for it’s chug down the Alcan Highway. You’d think this car was built in 1915 or something. So here’s the deal: the working ALF #4 was warehoused and left in Glenallen, Alaska, while the ALF#1 is being trailered back to Seattle for a waterboarding torture. The team feels that if they separate the twin classic cars, it’s an appropriate punishment for the difficulty they put the racing team through.
Anyway, the scenery has been lovely, even through clenched teeth. All four team members are riding in the Dodge Ram as they trailer south to Seattle.
As of about 4:30 PM Yukon Time, the crew was stopped temporarily at Watson Lake, Yukon Territory.
Watson Lake is primarily known for its Sign Post Forest…
The dry-mouthed boys paused for an anticipated refreshment and went looking for the appropriate recreation. Unfortunately, they found a recreation center, but it was not exactly what they hoped for.
So they continued south. As of 6:15 PM Pacific Coast Time, they are here:
At Good Hope Lake
After picking up Guillaume Marceau and his father at the Anchorage Airport, and after an extra day of engine tinkering and severe indigestion from ALF #1, a decision was made to trailer that classic-car for a ride back to Seattle. Well, it’s punishment you know. Here is the GPS link for the remaining ALF #4 so you can follow its progress. Steve is driving ALF #4 with Guillaume acting as navigator. The two other fellows will enjoy their views of Alaska in the Dodge Ram with trailer. There may still be downtime repair during the journey, so be forewarned. It’s not as if they are in the middle of nowhere with early 1900 cars you know…..oh…right. Well, it’s not as though they are in the middle of Mongolia you know.
Here is Guillaume trying to solve the overheating problem by feeding ALF #1 a bottle of Pepto Bismol.
But nope.
ALF #1 is much too valuable to become a doorstop (although they threatened it by reminding it of this steam shovel they had seen the day before). So a decision was made to load the sick puppy on the trailer, and drive it back to Seattle.
Brother Byron and Wife Katherine said their goodbyes and winged their way back to civilization as Steve, Dwight, Guillaume and Rick were left to drive south to Seattle along the Alcan highway where traffic signals are just rough guidelines and arrival at your destination is not a foregone conclusion.
Anyway, here are a few photos:
The proposed route for today.
You may want to look at their GPS destination (see the link above), then go over to Google Maps and
Browse the Street View Images to see what they are seeing (as below).
More when there’s more…
At Whittier, Alaska both American LaFrance vehicles
unload to begin the journey down the Alcan Highway to Seattle
The Traftons (which include Steve, his wife Katherine and two of Steve’s brothers Dwight and Byron) are “LollyGagging” Alaska until other Blackhorseracing Team members (Guillaume Marceau and his father Rick) arrive on Monday. So here is their LollyGag Map:
Since it is considered disgraceful to allow grass to grow beneath the feet of any Trafton, the four travelers drove north from Anchorage to explore Alaska. They started on Thursday by temporarily shedding the two ALFs at an airport hangar in Anchorage. They had to mark time until their team would land-launch toward Seattle on Tuesday. So why not head toward the Arctic Circle like any average person would do? Through noon on Saturday (August 25), they drove 1150 miles. Staying the first night at Healy, then driving to Manley Hot Springs, reversing direction to touch base at the Arctic Circle and then going beddy-bye at Fairbanks on Friday night.
It just so happens that Katherine has a connection to Manley Hot Springs.
This is 
what she wrote:
.
.
.
.
“Married at 25, my grandfather’s young bride (age 19) eventually joined her husband at Manley Hot Springs by traveling alone from Seattle by boat, then railway, then barge and overland stage in 1914. While there she worked for his uncle Frank Manley who had established a gold mining camp.
.
.
.
.
.
My grandfather’s job was to carry the saddlebags of gold on horseback over the Chilkoot Pass down to the boats headed to Seattle. He used to tell us the story of how he met a group of men en route who offered him a drink by their campfire. They had spiked the drink in hopes that they could steal his saddlebags! Fortunately, my grandad recognized his impairment and jumped off the horse to run alongside and sweat it out!
He managed to prevent the robbery!
My grandparents left camp on a dogsled to head for Fairbanks on 28 November 1914. Never made it to the hospital! My dad was born on the dogsled, in the snow! Needless to say, he was an only child!
Frank Manley was quite a character. Left Texas with some reputation. Established a better one in Alaska as “having taken more gold out of Alaska than any other single individual”. He then moved on to California and discovered oil in Bakersfield.”
But hey, the Arctic Circle still waits. So the Trafton’s backtracked their route, traveled across the Yukon River and then stopped at the exact location of the Arctic Circle for a tourist shot.
Steve checked-off another bucket list item by standing next to the Alaska Pipeline.
Then all four Trafton’s headed for sleep in Fairbanks.
As of noontime on Saturday, they headed south through Delta Junction and the Alaska Range. And here’s what they saw:
This is not fair. More tomorrow…
From the Inside Passage and ports of Ketchikan and Juneau, we have received word that blue skies and great weather accompanied the Alaska ferry on its winding way north. (At least the Trafton Crew has escaped the smoky skies of the northwest.)
The ferry has now docked at Whittier and both ALFs vehicles (American LaFrance) have disembarked. Click on the GPS live links below to follow the touring progress of both ALFs (displaying numbers and 1 and 4) through Alaska:
.
Here are a few photos from the ferry ride through the Inland Passage showing the harbors at Ketchikan and Juneau. Then pictures showing a personal tour of the ferry’s diesel engines, to the 56 mile drive up to Anchorage from the port at Whittier, and finally parking to wait for other team members arrival by air on Tuesday, August 28th.
Both the 1915 and 1921 American LaFrance Speedsters are now being ferried to Alaska for an adventurous driving tour back to Seattle!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Before the trip, 
new decals changed the driver’s names and destination. “Alaska to Seattle” replaced the older “Peking to Paris” stickers and both vehicles were serviced for the 2500 mile journey.
The ferry ride started from Bellingham, Washington and will disembark in several days at Whittier, Alaska.
We will follow that journey with live GPS, video and photos from the adventure. So watch this space!
The Trafton Expedition is featured this month in Visions of the North blog.
While searching out the 1845 lost expedition of Sir John Franklin, Trafton and his team discovered not only Franklin’s campsite, but a 100 year old note, left by another search party.
Read more about Trafton’s discovery in Russell Potter’s blog titled Visions of the North. Potter is Professor of English and Media Studies at Rhode Island College.
And read the entire story in Trafton’s latest book called At The Edge;
The New Book is finally here! Whew.
Here is an example of how an otherwise normal Steve Trafton has lived his life while pushing extremes. It’s an exuberant and diverse read about how living on Easy Street may become your own blind alley. Being absent from life is not what this guy is famous for. Instead, he says that taking risks and being restless in your field of interest is a road map to a fulfilled life.
Stephen Trafton is not really your average guy though. During his lifetime he has:
Of course he also:
What makes this achievement-oriented man tick? Well, there’s a method to his madness and it’s revealed in his book called At The Edge: A Life in Search of Challenge.
This former CEO of Glendale Federal Bank (now CitiBank) shows how you can push human extremes. Trafton first discovered his passion for the outdoors at the age of 12 when he scanned the Olympic Mountain Range from a perch thousands of feet above his family’s campsite. He had only left for a short walk, but ended up climbing Boulder Peak to the chagrin of his worried parents. Little did they know that this solitary adventure would spark a future life at the edge.
From retrieving the bodies of climbers caught in devastating avalanches,
-to roaming the remote Arctic in a dozen journeys.
From surviving hurricane force winds while trapped in a mountainside tent,
-to reaching pristine summits of unclimbed peaks.
These are events that shaped the life of an American adventurer, driven to do things that few people have tried.
With color photographs that help document his many excursions, escape into the mind of a true explorer who thrives on the next adventure.
You can read excerpts as well as see extra photos (starting with Baffin Island 1978) that were not published in the book. See the New Book tab above for more.
The 1915 American LaFrance Speedster was driven by Steve and Katherine Trafton to Jackson Hole, Wyoming where they started the tour.
.
.
.
.
.
Everywhere they went, the ALF became a surprising center of attention
to the many tourists who had only expected to see wildlife.
The Grand Tetons provided a magnificent backdrop,
even though smoke occasionally intruded.
A welcome rain came on just one day
and did not affect the drive north to Yellowstone Park.
It was across the park and up the Bear Tooth Highway
to the 11000 foot summit for incredible views.
Then it was time to trailer the ALF and drive on to
Earthquake Lake, Beaverhead Rock, Three Forks and its museum,
Ennis and over the hill to Virginia City.
It was on to the Big Hole Basin and
isolation near Wisdom, Montana.
While jumping off the trailer Steve broke his foot in two places.
But after it was attended to in Anaconda,
Steve was back to the more serious business of touring for Blackhorseracing.com.
Time to head back to Washington State,
so Katherine helped load up the ALF to head back.
Pretty good trip. Yes it was.
Maxwelton’s July 4th Parade on Whidbey Island was a typical small town affair. As a matter of fact, Maxwelton doesn’t really have a town. But nevertheless, a fun time was had.
July 4th, 2017 was as good an excuse as any for the ALF and the Black Horse Racing Team. Here are a few photos from that day, some contributed by David Welton of WhidbeyLife Magazine.
.
See some of the photos we took below. Click on any one to see it in close-up.
.
.
.
.
.
A small central Washington parade and Combine Demolition Derby sounded oddly interesting. So Steve and Katherine Trafton took their 1915 American LaFrance (ALF) vehicle east across the mountain highway to Lind, Washington.
.
.
.
Later, touring Washington’s Palouse country, they stopped in at Dayton for the All Wheels Weekend and surprisingly won the highest award. See the photos below.
Click Photos to Enlarge the Collages
.
.
.
The Classic Auto Show in Los Angeles played host to one of our two ALF (American LaFrance) vehicles on January 27-29, 2017. Some of the Black Horse Racing Team was in attendance to answer questions put to them by attendees. Steve Trafton was also interviewed for the podcast at HorsePower Online. (The podcast is also available online for both the iPhone and Android.)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
See some of the photographs from that event in our Gallery.
.(Click to view in close-up.)
From Byron Trafton:
Black Horse Racing’s Peking to Paris Rally ended in Mongolia. Our #1 car (Revenant) lost the water pump in the uplands of Inner Mongolia. Our #4 car (Liver Eater) pushed on to the Gobi Desert on her way to Ulaan Bataar where the engine had a profound event – blowing a hole in the engine-block and oil sump. Great adventure nonetheless, in great old cars.
(Below) The Liver Eater and crew (Tim Taylor – Driver/Ike Trafton- Navigator) at the race start next to the Great Wall of China.
Tim Taylor and Dwight (Ike) Trafton
The #1 car (Revenant) alongside the road in Inner Mongolia with a broken water pump.
The Game is on. Crossing the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.
Late day showers in the Gobi while headed to Ulaan Baatar.
Later the sunset on a lonely road hundreds of kilometers in the middle of nowhere.
After 40 hours with no sleep, the Liver Eater crew camps along the route for several hours of rest.
Game over – a connecting rod exits the block and oil pan.
Liver Eater rides into Ulaan Baatar for shipping home.
The Revenant, while repairable is also headed home to avoid destroying a second engine. Black Horse Racing only has one spare engine left, so the goal is to husband resources.
CURRENT STATUS:
BOTH cars have been put in containers where they will travel by train to Beijing and then shipped home.
Steve, Katherine & Ike Trafton will return from Ulaan Baatar to Seoul and then on to Seattle Friday afternoon June 17, 2016 at 12:20pm (PDT) on Korean Airlines flight #19.
Tim Taylor will fly home via Hong Kong to Dallas.
From Ulaanbaatar
Liver Eater’s Last Ride
Heartbroken and outta luck, Ike Trafton and Tim Taylor gave up the ghost on a lonely road in Mongolia.
Ike Trafton sends the following post:
How to load a 4 ton car without a winch or lift truck:
– Simply back up to an embankment
– Use a pick-up and a section of cable to control the cars roll (and block a high speed road in the process)
– tie it down with old cables through the wheels (you can always re-powder coat)
..and voila, finished!
Now for the 100 kilometer drive to Ulaan Baatar – hoping the Liver Eater doesn’t break loose under braking and take us out for what we did to her.
More updates later …
Ulaanbaatar, Capital City of Mongolia
What a Place To Be Stranded! Ulaanbaatar
Here is basic information to help you follow:
.
Here is Katherine Trafton’s diary of what happened on the previous day June 13, 2016:
After a long, uncertain night in the Chinese uplands, Steve, Katherine, and the broken #1 car “Revenant” were picked up. They arrived at the border just in time to see the #4 car “Liver Eater” and her crew before crossing into Mongolia. Steve and Katherine had a far more arduous crossing than Tim and Ike – but that story will be told later.
For now, the Liver Eater and crew crossed after four hours of courteous, but officious, Chinese and Mongolian processing. And then we were racing across the Gobi Desert.
Mongolian roads held some challenges…and sites! The Gobi landscape and skies however combined to be beautiful to drive across.
As the sunset, the massive potholes in an otherwise high speed road resulted in the Liver Eater’s air seats getting a good workout.
Finally, after one massive pothole put too much slack in the steering wheel, we decided to pull off in the desert and call it a night. Hiding off the road to avoid crowds the Liver Eater and crew settled down for their first sleep in 40 hours.
Liver Eater was churning along smoothly all day, giving Tim and Ike confidence that Black Horse Racing would get the #1 Revenant repaired and have both cars back on their way to Paris.
After six hours sleep, and steering adjustments, the Liver Eater was back on the road.
Running smoothly at sunrise, her crew was busy – driving and taking selfies in the mirror.
We even had breakfast from the snacks we got during a previous fuel stop.
We were flying to Ulaan Baatar, the Gobi giving way to upland grassland, when…
BOOM! Tim turns to Ike and says, “we’re finished.” 100 kilometers from our destination and…
The connecting rod came through the engine block and oil pan.
The rod is still there. Initial forensics according to Tim is the crank shaft still looks good.
So, while we wait for the recovery crew in the beautiful Mongolian countryside, the Liver Eater’s race is over – for this year.
Erenhot, on the Border of China and Mongolia
(with Updates Below)
Here is some basic information to help you follow the route:
.
Leaving Erenhot
Going Straight to Ulaanbaatar
Probably Self Serve
And this photo from Katherine confirms what we have often suspected.
Camel in the Middle of the Roadway
#1 Revenant Location
Day Two. Into Mongolia (with updates below…)
Here is some basic information to help you follow along:
The #4 vehicle “The Liver Eater” nears the Mongolian town of Sonid Yougi (you’d think a Mongol made up these names?)…
.
But #4 appears that is not stopping in this Mongolian town. Instead it is driving on.
.
Meanwhile, the #1 car remains stopped. Oh Boy. More later…
.
.
UPDATES @ 3:15 PM PDT or 6:15 AM Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
.
Here is the update and explanation for the events noted above from Ike Trafton. The #1 Revenant just started its movement on a tow-truck (at 3:15 PDT) going toward Erenhot. That’s about 12 hours after it pulled to the road side. According to Ike, the #4 vehicle will continue on tomorrow, while the #1 vehicle is being transported directly to Ulaan Baatar and will meet up with them there.
.
.
From Erenhot, Ike Writes: The day started hectic, but we were away at our official start time. The #1 car led off through the early morning rain on a 600 kilometer journey for the day.
Meanwhile in the #4, Tim enjoyed a relaxing morning drive…
…while Ike kept the “Liver Eater” on track from his navigation station with the GPS plotter, Monit rally display, and the tulip guidebook for our route.
While the #4 is running well, the #1 faced a series of mechanical challenges. The first was a sheared key connecting the water pump and alternator that resulted in loss of electrical power. As the Chinese crowd helped push the injured vehicle out of an intersection, Tim arrived and we quickly got it moved to a gas station.
After three hours of work, the damaged parts were replaced.
Additionally all the plugs were replaced as a further attempt to preclude trouble.
Unfortunately, only a couple hundred kilometers later, the “Revenant” was down again, with a possible water pump problem – related to the earlier alternator problem.
Steve and Katherine remained with their vehicle, awaiting a tow, while Ike and Tim continued into Erenhot with the “Liver Eater.” As of midnight here, Steve and Katherine are still alongside the road awaiting their tow. Tim and Ike are prepping the “Liver Eater” for departure tomorrow and awaiting the #1 and her crew.
.
The race has moved from the coastal plains and river valleys of eastern China, and is now poised to cross the Mongolian Plateau and the Gobi Desert. As the sheep and goat herder below proves, modern technology of motorcycle shepherding has arrived, at least, in Inner Mongolia.
.
.
.
Update @ 4:00 PM PDT: There may be no web site posting from Ike tomorrow June 14, since they are scheduled to camp somewhere in Mongolia. Katherine emails that she and Steve made it to the hotel in Erenhot (remember that it is early morning there). But both of them will continue on through the next night of camping and then to Ulaan Baatar. The #1 Revenant is still being transported by tow-truck and will meet-up with the group in two days at Ulaan Baatar. It will be there that Tim Taylor (the chief mechanic) will take a look at the vehicle and fix it. Hopefully. Probably.
.
.
Remember, Erenhot in Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is completely built on a desert. Here are some travel pictures that they have little time to see…
Day One. The Race is Underway.
Here is some basic information to help you follow along:
Here is the route they followed on their first day of travel:
. First Day’s Route
Katherine Trafton emails:
So happy you are following us! Car #1 and #4 are traveling together. We need to because we cannot travel the speeds of the other cars. We have to watch our temps. We climbed to 220 degrees often today. I could have brewed tea with the water bottles that we stored in the floorboards.
Our challenge is to follow the map correctly which we have done very well, and to try to have no mechanical issues. That requires us to not exceed 40 mph.
We had a very exciting day today! The Great Wall was spectacular. Weather was warm. Heavy truck traffic during two of the legs. Up at 0330, breakfast at 0500, in the car at 0530 to get to the start line by 0730.
No stop for lunch. Worked on car maintenance (tire pressure spark plug checks, etc) till 2030, dinner, shower and bed! We are car # 1 tomorrow with 0700 departure.
Katherine
.
.
And here is Ike Trafton’s daily update:
0300 began our prep this morning; we removed the header wrap and we mounted electric fans on the “Revenant” radiator (#1 car) to enhance cooling.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Steve and Katherine would start first and have the honors of the big “photo” start of the rally.
Katherine and Steve Trafton
Katherine, as usual was a hit with the dragon dancers who entertained before the start.
Katherine with Two Dragon Dancers
While Steve and Katherine are the beauty team in the #1 car, Tim and Ike are the support crew in the “Liver Eater”, car #4. We provide the car management and navigation services when required, which isn’t too often.
Tim Taylor and Dwight (Ike) Trafton
Then, after a quick 0500 breakfast, we hit the road for the start from the Great Wall.
Approximate Route to Follow
Live GPS tracking while underway
Of course the beauty team has the gas station staffs begging for photos; in fact the hardest part of the trip thus far is the hundreds of Chinese drivers trying to take photos of the two cars. We’ve even had them race ahead and walk out on the expressways to get a photo.
Of course the three hole, coed restrooms at the three gas stops we made today all varied in amenities.
Oh My.
Close up view in satellite mode
After 12 hours of driving, we arrived in Datong and began our preventive maintenance checks. The first 450 kilometers are behind us, and we have confidence that both American LaFrances are up to the challenge so far.
(Click to see individual photos.)
One question still remains from the day however – did Steve really hit that sheep or not?
Of course, Datong, China has some great things to see, but if you are in a race, you probably don’t have time. Shucks.
.
.
Here is the full map of Team Black Horse journey. It’s a long ways to go yet…
Final Vehicle Check
The list of Participants in the 6th Peking to Paris Motor Challenge is hefty, numbering 115 vintage cars from many countries and they’re all roaring to go. Each car in the competition has a GPS tacker that is mounted on the car itself. For our web site visitors to view the tracking page, follow this link – https://rpsrally.com/our-services/tracking-services/ where (if you scroll down) you will see all of the competitors listed.
Listing of Competitors
To open the tracker for either Black Horse Racing car, click on the text or the picture for the #1 or #4 car (see arrows) and it will take you to your own tracking map.(Steve and Katherine Trafton are driving the #1 car named “Revenant”, while Ike Trafton and Tim Taylor are driving the #4 vehicle, named “Liver Eater”.
Tracking Close Up
In the close-up (above), you can see where the cars are located on the map,
Tracking in Long Shot
…or you can view an expanded street map (above) of their location by scrolling with your mouse wheel (hold the Ctrl key and then roll Forward on the wheel, or hold the Ctrl key and roll Back on the wheel). In the left column, you can click on any line to see where the cars were…or are…at the moment. And you can also change your overhead map-view to Satellite (see top left of map). Try it out when you can!
Meanwhile, here is the latest from Ike Trafton:
..
.
Here is a picture at our last breakfast in Beijing, which we are ready to see in the rear view mirror.
.
.
This morning we repacked the “Revenant” (Car #1) and “Liver Eater” (Car #4), and prepped them for the safety and technical inspections.
Teddy the Teddy
Teddy the Teddy Bear has become the mascot for Black Horse Racing, and was present for inspections. Both cars passed the safety and technical inspections without issue. We received our navigation maps, tulip books, and official documents for the race after passing.
Finally the formal welcome-aboard briefing and dinner. All is Go for tomorrow.
We start the race at 0800 from the Great Wall of China.
Time to Go See the Cars. Oh Goodie!
Ike Trafton writes from Beijing:
Have You Seen This Man?
After collecting our Chinese driver’s licenses this morning – and this is Tim Taylor’s shown here on the right (the name says so; just because the picture doesn’t) – we headed to the warehouse to pick up the cars.
I’ll Take That One Over There…
As you can see, the mad dash to get in the cars and on our way, was somewhat slowed by the number of other entrants admiring the “Revenant” – our car #1.
#4 “Liver Eater”. (Well Every Car Has To Have a Name. )
Car #4, the “Liver Eater” was parked next to the third American LaFrance entry from Austria, known as “The Beast” from its previous successful Peking to Paris Rally in 2013.
After checking for fluids and leaks, there was a mad scramble to get to the gas station.
.
Puffer Bellies in Panorama
The two hour drive back through Beijing saw a number of cars overheating, have starter issues, and other assorted challenges. The ALF’s took a couple of breaks on the way to the hotel simply to ensure our water temps were managed well on the 90 degree day. Every time we stopped, traffic backed up as the local citizens slowed to take pictures, honk, and generally marvel at the ALFs.
A Rolls Phantom
The drive also presented us with our first chance to navigate via the rally tulip book directions. We had no issues, and even recognized when the directions were incorrect by 1 kilometer as we neared the hotel.
The Chinese gas station attendants were a bit overwhelmed.
.
Gasaholics Anonymous
After arriving without issue at the hotel the ALFs again were scrutinized by the competition as unbelievable pieces of work. Some other rally entries parked across from the “Revenant” and “Liver Eater” at the hotel lot were impressive by their character or their design for speed.
My Other Car is Bright Red You Know…
The Liver Eater
The Revenant
Team Black Horse Vehicles at the Hotel
Tonight we are on our way to a cocktail reception, and tomorrow our cars are inspected, as we begin our last prep day in Beijing before the start of the endurance rally.
From Team Black Horse Racing in Beijing, all is well.
Flight Path to China
On June 7, the team left San Francisco for Beijing at 11:34a PDT.
Ike Trafton writes:
The United 747 flight was eleven hours, smooth and uneventful. There was clear weather across Manchuria and northern China, until we started our decent into the smog of Beijing. It reminds us of LA smog in the 70s.
We were met by a facilitator who insisted on helping to carry the clutch plate bag….
After the hour drive from the airport, we arrived at the Shangri-la Hotel near the Beijing Zoo.
Then, after scoping out the competition in the lobby (who also arrived early), we held a strategy session in the outdoor bar with a few bottles of Tsingtao.
We did a training hike down to a local park – not unlike Central Park or Green Lake in Seattle. This resulted in a possible next project for Black Horse Racing of crossing the Bering Strait in a giant ducky…fortunately Steve couldn’t find the owner, so this idea died…for now.
Meanwhile Tim was back in the room with visions of clutch plates dancing in his head…
…maybe he just had too many squid chips.
This evening we get our Chinese drivers licenses; but until then, we did a bit of exploring down in the Forbidden City,
…and in Tianimen Square looking for those elusive tanks.
The surprise of our explorations was that Katherine was a minor celebrity with the local girls wanting their pictures taken with her.
Katherine was quick on the pick-up with the “V” sign and the occidental grin.
A Chinese Police Briefing was attended by all rally participants, where we learned: red means stop; green means go; and don’t drink and drive. Our reward for listening attentively is our Chinese Driver’s Licenses. So much for today’s activities.
We had an interesting conversation with the driver of Car #5 – Max from Australia. He drove the 2010 Peking to Paris and indicated eight cars never made it out of China – except on the back of flat bed trucks. Apparently vehicle prep and testing are the early downfall of many starters.
From your Black Horse Racing Team, all’s well.
(Our Facebook page is @blackhorseracingusa. See https://www.facebook.com/blackhorseracingusa)
Just before they board a flight from San Francisco to Beijing, China on the morning of June 7, 2016, Dwight Trafton sent this update:
Flew from SEA to SFO in clear weather seeing all the cascade volcanoes on the way: Rainier, Adams, St. Helens, Hood, Jefferson, Three Sisters, Shasta, and Lassen Peak.
Flight from Seattle to San Francisco
The only glitch was that the aircraft slammed on its brakes and squealed its tires while taxiing away from the gate – a ground vehicle had apparently violated rules of the road and cut in front of it. But following that “brake check”, all was well.
Team assembles together to start the journey. Dwight Trafton, Tim Taylor, Steve Trafton, Katherine Trafton
Team Black Horse all linked up at the San Francisco airport. Following a good steak dinner and restful night at the Airport Marriott, we are up and ready to head to the airport for an 11:00 AM departure to Beijing (12.5 hour flight).
The four member team will stay at the Shangri La Hotel in Beijing and assemble with the other drivers for the rally which begins on June 12th. They said they would be sleeping in used tents and eating watery-gruel. Oh sure…
Visit our page on Facebook @blackhorseracingusa to be notified of regular updates. (https://www.facebook.com/blackhorseracingusa)
The 9000 mile Peking to Paris Endurance Race is nearing its start date of June 12th! Katherine and Steve Trafton are meeting with brother Dwight Trafton and crew Chief Tim Taylor in San Francisco for the flight to Beijing, China. From there they will drive their two vintage American LaFrance speedsters across the Asian and European continents together with 120 other rally vehicles. See the full route below (click to make it larger):
Their travels will take them through China, Mongolia, Russia, Belorussia, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and France. It’s a long Sunday drive of 36 days.
Check back at this site to follow their progress. We expect to have almost daily updates of their trip, with dialog and photos provided by Dwight Trafton. Some locations, of course, have hardly heard of the Internet, so transmission may be somewhat sporadic.
For more background information on the retrofitting of two vintage ALF speedsters for this race, see our previous pages at this site. And for more information on this race, go to the official Endurance Rally Association web site.
Although some of the Peking to Paris race details are more fully explained on the web site of The Endurance Rally Association, here are the facts about the two vehicle entries from The Black Horse Racing Team and Steve Trafton.
.
.
Arriving in Long Beach on its way out to China, the 1925 American La France #4 was winched out of the car hauler onto a flat bed truck. It was then rolled off the ramp of the flatbed. Quite a tense operation. The ALF has 2 inches to clear on each side of the car hauler.
.
.
.
What is the schedule for the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge?
The cars start 1 minute apart. Since Trafton’s vehicles are numbered 1 and 4, they will start the race only 4-5 minutes apart. The route they follow is by map given at the beginning of the race and by GPS in Mongolia.
What other kinds of vehicles are entered?
Why are certain cars favored over others?
How did you decide on this race and why did you choose to move ahead?
As in other rallies, there are timed legs in the race. The winner overall is the car with the least deductions for the timed event.
There are some preparations for mechanical problems, but if a car breaks down in Mongolia it can ruin your day.
The Black Horse Racing Team made a few last minute changes to the two rebuilt American La France Speedsters. They now have cables to easily connect both cars’ batteries together. Why? In case one car needs a jump they can now charge one car without removing the floor and accessing the battery box of the other. They also installed a number of inverters to recharge the cell phones, laptops and camera batteries. Modernity intrudes.
And there were a few creature comforts installed to benefit the occupants who will need to drive 10-12 hours per day in order to complete the 300-400 mile legs.
Although the trip runs about 36 days there are three or four rest days, when drivers can work on their cars or take a rest from driving. There is accommodation in hotels in the larger cities. But what about remote areas?
Although most of the route does not have to contend with security issues, the group is encouraged to stay close to the others when traveling through unknown or potentially unfriendly territory. China, Mongolia, Russia and Siberia are generally safe. Belarus does not have the same negative issues of the Ukraine (and the political situation has changed this years’ route). Driving the larger cities will be more closely monitored. But what about protection from the weather?
We will follow Steve and Katherine, Tim and Dwight’s daily progress and post regular Blog Updates of the journey. Dwight (Ike) Trafton is providing team-updates through email…i.e. when he can access a server. But there are some remote areas that are simply without communication. In Mongolia and Eastern Siberia especially, “broadband” is not a common word. But each car carries a satellite telephone, so in theory an emergency phone-call could be made from any point. If only Marco Polo had known about satellite phones at the time, he could have called ahead for pizza.
Most of the gasoline is trucked in along the route and costs about $6 to $8 per gallon. For vehicles that get 3.5 MPG, have 130 horse power, 1000 pounds of torque, and a weight of 8200 lbs each, this amounts to a lotta fuel.
The second rebuilt American La France (ALF) speedster was recently tested north of Seattle and made ready for transport to China. The upcoming Peking to Paris Motor Challenge takes place from June 12th to July 17th 2016. Shown below you’ll see the Number One vehicle in that race, driven by Steve Trafton and his wife Katherine. This rebuilt car will travel overland for 9000 miles with another 119 vehicles registered for that road rally. One of two virtually identical speedsters in the BlackHorseRacing team to make the overland journey, both were rebuilt from old fire engine chassis. The other model will be piloted by Trafton’s crew chief Tim Taylor, with Steve’s brother Dwight as the backup driver.
Here, Steve loads ALF#1 into the truck that will carry it to San Diego where it then will be loaded on a ship for China.
(Select first image to see them in closeup.)
Mark Greene recently did a comprehensive audio interview with Steve Trafton on Mark’s 5-day a week podcast for www.CarsYeah.com. The interview covered Steve’s many extreme life-adventures, his land speed record, plus his business career and interest in cars. If you’d like to hear what he had to say, follow this link.
Watch these short video clips as Steve Trafton describes the vehicle that he is road testing before the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge Race in the summer of 2016.
Other questions are answered in audio clips below.
What do you expect to learn from this road test?
Why do you have two separate vehicles?
What’s the progress on the second one?
You mentioned both your brother Byron and your wife Katherine being with you for road testing.
Were there problems that you did not anticipate?
Are there major parts that you have fabricated yourself?
Give me the general specifications for the vehicles.
What has happened in this road test that you didn’t expect ?
On the next blog, more questions will be answered about why the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge was chosen.
.
In this series of photos, follow the progress of end-stage preparation before road testing our updated American LaFrance vehicle. The first of two similar Steve Trafton roadsters entered in the upcoming road rally, this version was initially rebuilt in Rockwall, Texas from an original 1925 fire engine chassis. Then it was hauled on a trailer to the northwest United States where it was painted and further prepped. Components were specially forged and more modern accessories were fabricated for the 9000 mile transcontinental journey to be held during the summer of 2016.
Earlier, this ALF roadster was driven a short distance. Now, more tuning and electrical work is taking place. The new transmission works fine. Brakes are being adjusted. The heavy steering will be evaluated over a longer distance.
So this American LaFrance vehicle will soon be road-tested by Steve and his wife Katherine in advance of the July 2016 Peking to Paris Motor Challenge. Meanwhile, an orientation meeting in London was recently held for participants in the road rally. We’ll report on that meeting in our next installment.
.
The first of two American LaFrance rebuilt roadsters arrives in Washington State.
.
.
After its arrival in the northwest, the first vehicle was prepped for painting:
.
.
This roadster was painted dark blue.
.
Rebuilt in Rockwall, Texas, the first of two American La France vehicles is nearing completion before its test drive this fall. The Peking to Paris Motor Challenge Race is next summer, 2016.
The 14.5 Liter La France engine comes to life after decades of silence! The sound is very much like a World War Two aircraft. We hope to have it tuned and in the first of two cars in about two weeks.
http://youtu.be/WwfE4aroQLo
These photos show progress on the American La France Roadster as of March 15, 2014. Tim Taylor also talks about fuel consumption and its availability along the 9000 mile journey.
Tim Taylor talks about fuel efficiency and the need to take gas filters along the route.
One of two roadsters being built for the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge receives work on its engine, exhaust system and radiator. Here the solid silver radiator is being polished and test fitted.
The engine is being assembled in this series of photos.
And the exhaust system is being built here.
Tim Taylor talks about road testing the vehicles.
The two American La France Roadsters being assembled for the 2016 Peking to Paris Motor Challenge Race are on schedule. Follow progress in these photos and recorded comments by Tim Taylor, in charge of rebuilding.
How far along is this project?
Two old (fire truck) vehicles are being re-built as roadsters for the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge of 2016.
We’ll have further progress updates and comments from Tim Taylor as the rebuilding process continues.
The American La France Roadster (one of two) is being re-built in Rockwall, Texas.
This is a synopsis of what has been done to date. We will update this page from time to time so you can follow the progress!
Building the Road Rally Racing Roadster: After the 2010 Bonneville Land Speed Record adventure the Black Horse Racing Team set about coming up with the next challenge we would undertake. We settled on three possibilities.
The Bonneville idea was appealing and we certainly had the experience and team to build a new car and try for another, even faster record. We even researched what it would take to build a 350 mph plus car to race in 2015 and 2016. But land speed racing is a very “lonely” one person oriented sport. Even though the team gets to participate in building the car and preparing it for a record run, only one person gets to drive and experience the actual race. No…… Bonneville would have to wait.
Vintage F1 racing certainly has its appeal, but is fabulously expensive and it is also very driver oriented. So many people would spend thousands of hours working on a very temperamental car so one person can drive around a road course. That’s not to say that we won’t take the Black Horse F1 car to the track for fun, but as a goal and prolonged endeavor it leaves something to be desired.
So at the suggestion of Tim Taylor, our team leader, we decided to enter two cars in the 2016 Peking to Paris Motor Challenge.
Once the decision was made we had to settle on what cars to enter. We wanted something durable, because of the demands of a race that covers over 9000 miles, crosses the Gobi desert, Siberia and Russia, and the Alps before finishing at Paris. We wanted something unusual and interesting because it would be a complete departure from anything we have worked on in the past. We wanted something that would continue to be fun to drive on long distance tours after the big race. Finally we wanted something vintage, pre-war with some panache!
We considered a couple of old 1920s or 30s Rolls Royces, Bentleys, Morgans, Chevrolets, Fords etc.
After a lot of consideration we settled on two early American La France Speedsters. These 14.5 liter, 18 foot long, 7500 lb. cars fit the qualifications nicely. Often nicknamed the “Beast” or “Brutus” they started life as American La France fire trucks built in Elmira, New York. During the 1920’s, a number of car enthusiasts bought the bare chassis from the factory and converted existing fire trucks into “Speedsters” by re-bodying them with custom coachwork.
Late in 2013 and early 2014 Tim searched the country for enough of these old fire trucks to construct two of these speedsters for the P to P Rally. We also decided that my wife Katherine and I would drive one entry, a 1915 and Tim and my brother Dwight would drive the other, a 1925 in the 2016 race.
In early 2014 the original trucks were torn down to the frames, the engines were pulled and the drive train dismantled. The frames were sent to the sand blaster and taken down to bare metal, examined for cracks or any defects and then painted with epoxy primer.
