The personal and professional website of Douglas Van Bossuyt
The RAMROD ride headed up to Tipsoo Lake on the north side of Mount Rainier for a spectacular view. The Mountain Cloaking Device was mostly turned off and gave us a stunning view of the high reaches of the mountain.
The flock of PC800s and friends lined up in the parking area by the lake with Mount Rainier in the background.
The motorcycles waiting for the next leg of RAMROD.
What a majestic mountain! I will have to climb it someday.
The RAMROD riders stopped at Reflection Lakes to take in the view of Mount Rainier. As was promised by the RAMROD ride leader, the mountain cloaking device was on. We did see some very pretty clouds though.
PC800s and friends in the parking area.
The lakes still had a great deal of ice on them for being the end of June.
I jumped over the wall and started wandering around in the snow.
The mountain should be up there somewhere.
RAMROD riders taking a break.
Mountain wildflowers along the road.
An awesome siren and PA speaker mounted to an older Goldwing.
Yes, that is a lower spoiler on a 1989 PC800! This is the only one that I have ever seen in person. I think that it really looks sharp on the bike. It’s too bad that they are so rare otherwise I might purchase one for my bike.
A closer view of the lower spoiler or valiance (as I have also heard it called). Note the custom lettering on the rear trunk lid. Yes, it says “Princess.” There is also an interesting radio antenna mount off of the right rear crash bar.
A side view of the radio antenna.
I love the custom lettering!
This particular PC800 also had an interesting highway peg installed.
An aftermarket intercom unit installed in the left side glove box pocket.
The whole RAMROD crowd in one shot.
RAMROD stopped at the little town of Elbe for lunch at the Mount Rainier Railroad Dining Company. It took a bit of maneuvering to fit all of the PC800s and allied bikes into the gravel lot.
Old dining cars and cabooses serve as the restaurant.
In the private dining car that we reserved for RAMROD riders.
After lunch I wandered around a bit to look at the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad equipment and the old Elbe Evangelical Lutheran Church.
This congregation was originally founded in 1893 by settlers from Germany. The church was built in 1906. It is incredibly small and picturesque.
Inside the church.
A small organ or piano in the corner.
An old locomotive that is on static display at the Elbe depot of the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad.
This is a geared locomotive. It was designed for logging railways where steep tracks and hastily laid rails were the name of the game. Perhaps someday in the future this engine will be restored to join the other engines in the railway’s operational steam engine fleet.
The front wheels and gear set.
A big u-joint on one of the drive shafts coming from the pistons.
Another u-joint that feeds power into a wheel set.
The little depot at Elbe. At one time, passenger trains from Tacoma would pass this way on their way east. Now the line only serves as a short tourist train route.
