Bob's THEW SHOVEL/The Adventure of the Last Type No.0

摘要

Sometimes great opportunity presents itself when least expected or recognized. Such was the case at the 1998 HCEA National Convention and Old Equipment Exposition in Lapeer, Michigan. Bob Kelly was taking a breather from rolling boiler tubes on Rusty McGinness' Erie steam shovel when a man wandered over to ask Bob if he would be interested in another steam shovel. The man's name was Greg Shabuiak, and he was from Hamilton, Ontario. While visiting his sister in Jerseyville, midway between Toronto and London, Ontario, Greg had gone out walking and came across a most unusual looking steam shovel sitting in someone's front yard. He didn't know anything about make or model, just that it was unusual and mounted on wheels, not tracks. Up until this point Bob had been searching around for a steam shovel of his own. However, steam shovels weren't growing on trees anymore and good ones were becoming almost impossible to find; the active search had been moved to the background. With Greg's revelation, Bob's quest came to the forefront again. Greg said he would get more information when he next visited his sister, and Bob returned to his work with a sense of anticipation. This was September. Waiting for information can be nerve-wracking, so when no word had come by December, Bob made contact only to learn that Greg still hadn't made a return trip to Jerseyville.