The motel is pretty well protected by the two wings, but it does depend on which direction the wind comes from. When it swoops down the length of the courtyard, it is bitter bitter cold. We haven't lost as many of the tree branches in the old trees as we expected to, but have some. It really helped that the tree trimmers got a lot of the weaker branches cut off before they could be ripped off in the high winds.
More terrific news!
Structural Report from William S. Thomas, P.E., Thomas & Israel Engineers, 517 N. Polk, Amarillo gave this information, which I quote, "...The Triangle Motel has a concrete pier foundation with a 4" concrete slab. The piers are 12' diameter, 4' to 5" deep with a 1'4" bell spread 9' to 10' apart. It has wood framing. The exterior is stucco with brick. The ceiling joists are 2x6 on 16" centers. The wall studs are 2x4 on 16" centers. The roof joists are 2x4 on 24" centers and well trussed to ceiling joists. The roof boards are 1'x8' shiplap. The roof is a built-up composition.
"It is this Engineer's opinion that the foundation is in good condition. Some floors are not level. The wall framing, where not exposed to the elements and are not warped or rotted could be reused. Some of the other roof joists may be reused by cross bracing the joists. New roof board would need to be installed and new drains need to be installed. The interior wall framing needs to be replaced where damage from the elements has occurred (approximateldy 10% of the structure). New sheet rock or plaster would need to be installed.
The electrical system would not meet code and would need to be replaced. The plumbing would need to be overhauled: new fixtures installed, drain lines cleaned out or replaced. New flooring needs to be installed in all rooms and the tile removed or covered with new flooring. All doors and windows would need to be reworked or replaced. The interior trim would need to be replaced and new paint or wall covering installed. The exterior drainage is basically flat. The natural drainage is to the South and East. A drainage plan to control the surface drainage would need to be in place."
I'm leaving some of the older information in place so that new people reading the site will know of the developments and so on that have already taken place.
Surprise!!! We have pictures--loads of pictures--even if they are a little complicated to reach. Pat has been working on these. Check the More Photos button, click the red dumpster in the middle of the bottom row. This brings up a small window with four ikons. Click the right hand one and it takes you to a page filled with photos.
All the albums at the top of the page are filled. After clicking one of them, go to the menu at the left and click Slide Show. You'll be able to see all those photos, pretty much from the beginning. A few show some of the units packed with waterlogged furniture. (Just think of the period furniture we would have had if those roofs had been cleaned occasionally!), thousands of yards of moldy carpeting, abandoned toys and clothes, some appliances-- 70 tons of what has to be called pure junk--make that just junk. Both lanes were packed with mattresses, lumber, tree limbs, doors, nearly everything imaginable.
Several slides show the different units' dreadful messes that faced Alan and Pat at the very beginning. Some show the dirt-packed sidewalks, curbs and gutters before they were dug out. More of the slides show the work done clearing the carports, and the roads around the courtyard. All of the rooms are now cleared. It really does look like a completely different place. Can you see why we feel that the really hard work has already been finished?
Pat has a computer now at the site, so when he can't be working outside, he is doing research. Alan is still working at his painting and is out of town quite a bit.
Hope you enjoy all those pictures, and that you'll drop us an email and tell us that you've been reading these pages on the website. They're fun to write. I hope they're fun to read.
Route 66 Today
Marianne McNeil Logan
It's time to roll through midwest's best
to reach the western coast;
our Mother Road--Route 66--
still offers travelers most
in beauty, Nature's grandeurs; gifts
we find in restored towns
still show the pride that once reigned wide
like antique gems in crowns.
Museums, restorations all
delight nostalgic taste
as tourists on Route 66 see history, retraced,
by driving to and looking through
historic sites that show
enchantment that ancestors found
where awesome dreams still glow.
Route 66 embraces past
with views of yesteryear;
as small towns struggle to survive
when re-built sites appear,
new generations carry on
forefathers' dreams of old--
the quilting bees and rodeos
are cherished like pure gold.
Huge superhighways are for speed,
not history that's real;
you'll find along Route 66
antiquities' appeal.
Those traffic lights on city streets
can boast of hi-rise shine,
but can't compare with old-time charm
our folks and towns combine.
Published in Route 66 PULSE Newspaper May 2007
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