Arnie's Junk Yard and the Steam Whistle

KerrBear · August 9, 2010

My husband works in a scrap yard so he comes across some interesting items from time to time. The other day an old man who is a regular came in and gave my husband an old steam whistle. The man explained that the granite factory he worked at for 20 years had used that whistle to signal lunch time. He was the one who hit the whistle and when he retired he took the whistle with him. He had intentions of getting it hooked up to some steam again so he could let the whistle ring at home. However, he was just getting older and the whistle was still not getting any use so he figured he'd give to my husband. The whistle is complete, nothing is broken, it needs some light repair where the valve is because it isn't closing all the way but otherwise all the parts are there. That is extremely rare as water gets into the valves and freezes them making them unrepairable.

My husband stuck the whistle in with the pile of "keeper" stuff he likes to collect in his little shed area. A few days after he got it this old man shows up and he's driving an old pickup truck with the oddest ornament you've ever seen!

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4874967922/" title="Eletruck by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/4874967922_42db51506a_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="Eletruck" /></a>

Well, he barely gets to talking with my husband about scrap prices when he looks at his pile and sees only the very bottom of the valve to the steam whistle. He gets excited.
"How much do you want for your steam whistle?"
My husband is floored! He identified only a tiny amount of the whistle when it was buried under hundreds of scrap! My husband pulls it out of the pile for the man to look at it closer. He quickly is impressed by how complete the whistle is and shows an interest in buying it.

My husband purchases the whistle from his boss a few days later.

That day we head northwest to this man's property. My husband warned me that the man was very colorful and we would likely be there for quite some time. When we pulled up into his driveway I could not believe what I saw! His entire yard was nothing but a mini scrap yard!!!!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4875061612/" title="scrap pile by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4099/4875061612_65434306fe_b.jpg" width="1024" height="483" alt="scrap pile" /></a>

I got the chills! It was like a real life episode of American Pickers! Except I was there to pick photos, not heirlooms.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4874440645/" title="IMG_0956 by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4116/4874440645_7f83cf8a07.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="IMG_0956" /></a>

My first thought about Arnie is that he was just as grubby as my husband was when he came off from work.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4875056610/" title="arnie 1 by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4875056610_8fac5e7873_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="arnie 1" /></a>

They also both had identical beards! Arnie was like an older version of my husband. . .

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4875058462/" title="scott n arnie by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4093/4875058462_2cb76df61f_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="scott n arnie" /></a>

I was suddenly afraid of the influence this man would have on my husband and what would become of my front yard. . . We already had several barrels full of copper wire and other scrap metal in our yard, is that only the beginning????

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4874479275/" title="milk can by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4121/4874479275_3a0429b509_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="milk can" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4875085406/" title="Scrap by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4123/4875085406_55b27c8731_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="Scrap" /></a>

Arnie shows us around his property and discussed metal and scrap prices to my husband. All I really heard was "Blah, blah, blah, a ton. Blah, blah, blah, sell when the price is right. Blah, blah, blah." But there was soooooooo much stuff to look at, I just zoned those two out and went snapping away.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4875157036/" title="warhead willy by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4097/4875157036_fab2e997b8_b.jpg" width="1024" height="689" alt="warhead willy" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4874367151/" title="warhead kids by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4120/4874367151_22c410f5fd_z.jpg" width="640" height="413" alt="warhead kids" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4874365195/" title="Willy meter profile by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/4874365195_631e915ea5_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Willy meter profile" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4874971118/" title="Willymeter by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/4874971118_1691acfac3_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="Willymeter" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4874969972/" title="ducky gmc by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4874969972_c72b09c188_z.jpg" width="610" height="640" alt="ducky gmc" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4874475609/" title="Welding by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4874475609_0f037752c0.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Welding" /></a>

I found random animals in his yard. Both alive. . .
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4875049862/" title="Arnies pets by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4136/4875049862_504ae56ecd_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="Arnies pets" /></a>

And dead. . .

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4874968880/" title="Decay deer by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4115/4874968880_e96db7baa1_b.jpg" width="614" height="1024" alt="Decay deer" /></a>

Then we went into his house. I found some more dead animals.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4874452911/" title="Arnies black bear by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4097/4874452911_7eb4c85331_z.jpg" width="420" height="640" alt="Arnies black bear" /></a>

And we went into his basement to find. . .
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4874483255/" title="steam engine by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/4874483255_720a50ec6c_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="steam engine" /></a>

That Arnie makes steam engine fans for fun!!! That's a whole lot of steam engines!

After two hours of looking around and hearing stories from Arnie, we sold our steam whistle to him for $250. He showed us where he was going to put it.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4875095576/" title="steam whistle placement by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4123/4875095576_14cfaa97a9_z.jpg" width="640" height="474" alt="steam whistle placement" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4874452219/" title="Steam tractor 1 by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4115/4874452219_4b11cf3e0c_z.jpg" width="640" height="571" alt="Steam tractor 1" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4875045014/" title="steam tractor 2 by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4875045014_39357ca128_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="steam tractor 2" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4874965670/" title="IMG_0919 by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4102/4874965670_bf8c34ddab_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_0919" /></a>

Thank you Arnie for showing us around on your property and telling us some great stories. You are an awesome person and you really made my day! I don't think I even mind so much if my husband turns out like you. . . Just that the scrap pile will be in the BACK yard. LOL.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skdragerfamily/4875051270/" title="Arnies House by Drager Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4875051270_4dfe686063_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="Arnies House" /></a>

chuckinsocal · August 9, 2010

That's an awesome story and an awesome series. It brought many smiles to my face. Thanks for that.

Dogdots · August 10, 2010

I enjoyed your story and your photos. Looks like you had a fun trip to Arnies

Wow...Arnie and your hubby could be related. They do look alike.

Thank you for sharing your trip

Arnie's Junk Yard and the Steam Whistle

Comments