Steam & Excursion > OSH calendar is back

OSH(Orchard Supply Hardware)is back and free, but I bought some light bulbs.

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Was not super impressed with it this year. hard to beat the likes to Kotowski etc. But, it's still alive and kicking...

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

And good news for Oregon OSH calendar fans with 2 stores in Portland area and number three about to open. Heads up Seattle, plans afoot to build a few stores in Seattle area quite soon. Seems when Sears cut them loose Lowes' stepped up and said well now with expansion plans to boot.

Was I at the same curve?

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It would certainly seem so, Haruo. Was your photo the basis for the artist's painting?

Just to bring you up to speed a bit, this artist is a young 21 year old autistic (high performing) Japanese kid from Santa Cruz and railroads/railroading seem to have a great appeal to those on the autistic/Aspergers/bipolar spectrum-------numbers, schedules, timetables etc fascinate them-------Rob Carlson who founded the Altamont Press Timetables is a classic example of Aspbergers----------interesting that Lowe's not only chose to carry on Al Smith's railroad calendar tradition, but also selected this artist. Now if they could just lure Mike Kowtowski back!!! :=)
C.
PS--OSH had just moved into the Portland Tigard area before Lowe's took over and nice to hear Lowe's is looking to expand OSH to the Seattle area. That's one less calendar I have to mail to a rail fan friend!! :-)

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

Thank you nycman. I am not that artistic, but when I saw the calendar for the first time. I questioned myself, "Wasn't I there before? It sure looks like the foot of the Stairs to the Stars on the Niles Canyon line." and looked for a look-alike. As CarolVoss said, it was drawn by an autistic and very artistic 21 year old and his info ia at www.kensonetrackmind.com.

I like Ken's cover illustration!

Steve Mitchell
http://www.yardgoatimages.com

Ardenwood Wrote:
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> OSH(Orchard Supply Hardware)is back and free, but
> I bought some light bulbs.

Hey Ardenwood-- Thanks for the info but you're several days late. We already knew about this days ago. But thanks anyway!

KRK

Thank you KRK. Having read that the calendar is no more, I did not get one until yesterday. Better late than never they say.

I got my OSH calendar a few weeks ago, but I was at the East Pasadena store today and found the place in the throes of a major remodeling. Darn near went back to the car and got my hard hat. Looks like Lowe's is putting some serious $$$ into at least some of the OSH locations.

We have a pretty new OSH here in Torrance. It's really nice. If the other stores are patterned after this one, I think people will like it.

As for the calendar, I think the artist is talented although I didn't care for some of the subjects in this one. It also looked to me like some of the originals were cropped to fit the size and format of the calendar, giving them odd an composition in the finished product. That's just speculation on my part but it seems like that was the case, which made an overall impact on the final outcome.

I would suggest that all would read the inside cover about the history of the calendar. This is the 40Th anniversary of OSH calendars, not all have been railroad related. Many artists have contributed. The historic store on West San Carlos in San Jose has been replaced with a new store (I'm still finding my way around in it). The staff has been very generous about handing out the calendars. My hat is off to Lowes for keeping OSH and the calendars alive.

Norm O.