Martin Guitar Factory

May 14, 2025 

Years ago Harold toured Ovation Guitar with a Navy buddy. Still fascinated with processes and how things are made, Harold was pleased to learn that Martin Guitar Factory in Nazareth, PA, offered tours. So one rainy afternoon, we headed there with Glen and Tanna. 

Making guitars is quite the process. It takes months to make a guitar with lots of drying times involved between glues and varnishes at the various stages. Martin makes approximately 140,000 guitars per year and employs several hundred people. Employees rotate among several jobs within their department, and generally stick with the two or three stations at which they excel. 

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Steamtown National Historic Site

May 10, 2025

While staying with Glen and Tanna, Harold wanted to visit Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, PA. Steamtown is home to the Union Pacific Big Boy 4012. Since his dad was a hostler on a Big Boy in Cheyenne, Harold has always had a special interest in the Big Boys. 

Steamtown has a roundhouse and a turntable and quite a few locomotives. They offer a 20 minute ride on a steam train for a few extra dollars. I was impressed with how well the roundhouse and the turntable had been restored and maintained. A number of volunteers work very hard and their love of railroading shows. 

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