For Those Attending the St. Louis RPM in Collinsville, IL on July 25-26

[Roger Holmes]

For those of you coming down from the North on Interstate 55 (Mike Skibbe, Bill Denton and others) I want to give you a heads up that I-55 Southbound is totally closed at the I-270 interchange due to work on two bridges between there and the Collinsvile exit.  I-270 takes you to the west for quite a distance but there is a well-marked detour on I-270 which mentions a route to Collinsville.  Our normal trip to St. Louis from Springfield IL is about 90 minutes but took well over two hours this past Wednesday (7/16) so plan for this travel delay.  Semi traffic is unusually heavy due to a many months long closure of I-255 South which is the normal truck by-pass around St. Louis.The good news is that I-55 Nothbound is unaffected so you will have a straight shot home from Collinsville.

I hope to see you there if I can hitch a ride with one of my fellow local train club members.  I am awaiting cataract surgery and I only drive around home in the daylght until I can see properly again.  The best part of the " Good Old Days" is that we were young.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Damn, now I'm rethinking not booking that last minute flight to go hawk https://workwith.edkapuscinski.com/ to the gathering of Historical Societies.

[C855B]

Thank you for the heads-up, Roger! That I-255 closure made a big mess out of our running into the city, as well.

However, I can't make RPM this year. You will be greatly amused as to why - playing in the orchestra for an opera production that weekend, Mozart's The Magic Flute. Young fella I've known since he was in high school is taking on the project as his MA thesis. He tells the group that it's the first true opera produced in our city, but I don't have the heart to tell him there was an honest-to-gosh opera house here over 100 years ago, back when the city was a regional hub.

[Roger Holmes]

Ed--If  your post means that you are thinking of flying to STL for the show, this road issue won't affect you at all because the airport is SE of the city and Collinsvile. If you are renting a car don't take 270 from the airpot. Go a bit south of the airport and take I-70 east and pickup I-55 North to Collinsville.

Mike--If I could see better I'd offer to come play percussion with you.  I am hoping to have my eye fixed before concert rehearsals start in early September.  I play better when I can see the music.  My last sentence will probably draw a lot of drummer jokes!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ed--If  your post means that you are thinking of flying to STL for the show, this road issue won't affect you at all because the airport is SE of the city and Collinsvile. If you are renting a car don't take 270 from the airpot. Go a bit south of the airport and take I-70 east and pickup I-55 North to Collinsville.

I had thought about it for about 5 minutes. But I realized the ROI probably wasn't there.

Plus we're going to be fostering a puppy. lol

[skytop35]

Roger,

Thanks for the heads up but the Modutrak crew and layout won't be traveling to Collinsville this year. We just spent a week in Novi, Michigan for the NMRA convention and the two shows were just too close together to allow us to attend both. Have fun !