We were not so great at the start of the 82 season; we had just come off the train show and converted our equipment to a road show. The transition was very difficult for the family and the few of us that were left. Our spirit was a little on the low side at the beginning of the 82 season because we had left one of the very unique symbols that filled us with so much pride and at home... the train and our muscle had scattered in the wind. We were already tired leaving winter quarters as this was as hard of a job as we had ever done to date at that time. What was created through the years had been re-worked and re-racked in 6 months to make Davenport and continued well into the season.
We had to deal with the rumors that it was over, we had been bought out, our train had been condemned on so on but we took it. There was only about 6-10 of us or so left in winter quarters and Chuck Bodle, CJIII, Charlie G. Jules Catarzi, Wayne Jones and us worked some long days. It was like a 6 month tear down and set up in the rain it was a mess but we did it. I was in the paint shop when Jim moody was brought in to help us paint some of the trucks and I sprayed so much paint that year it was incredible.
By the time we got into the big spots we were doing pretty good and the show looked good plus by the end of the 82 season were doing a lot better as we worked out quite a few bugs, we had learned to move a truck show, we had a new crew despite all the transition problems at the start we were feeling much better. The best part and the bottom line through the combined efforts of both shows we had put on a great show were ever we played.
Carl LeMay
RAS 1979-95