After a long time trying to log on and getting kicked off and having to reset my password(every time I tried to log on) I finally got on. Picked up a few new pieces;one of which was very unusual:A Phillipines Jeepney that was actually made in the Phillipines!Made by the ProMite Company it is die cast metal about 1/20th to 1/24th scale and the side skirts are cardboard. The front bumper was missing so I made one out of a piece of 1/2 inch Lexan and some 2-56 threaded rod. spray painted with Rust-O-Leum yellow and brushed with 1-Shot(lettering enamel)Medium Green.Still have to paint the inserts silver and do a very thin black stripe on them.
God, I remember riding those! Dad did too! Got tossed from the back steps in Olongapo, loooong before any back streets were paved, and ruined his buddy's raincoat on landing! The second time we came in to Olongapo, we were at the main (Alava) pier, even though Constellation was a Carrier. This was after our time doing the Kuwaiti tanker reflag ops in '87. Normally, the carriers go to the Carrier Pier, but somehow, we lucked out. So my buddy 'Oatie' Oates and I, we volunteered to take mail sacks off the ship. Guys who did that were first off the ship before even the officers, let alone any chiefs. Well, we dropped the sacks on the pier and made a beeline for the main gate. After we got outside, and had surprised everyone that we were even there that fast, we threw 500 Pisos at a Jeepney driver, ordered him to run us up to Barrio Bareto, "And step on it!" He was bitching because he wanted to get more sailors onboard, but I said that we bought the Jeepney's use, and to get a move on! So he swore in Tagalog, and took off like a raped ape! We got up to where we were going, paid the bar maid some money to ensure there was plenty of San Miguel on ice, and that's my Jeepney story.