Progress is fine, but it's gone on for too long.
with apologies to Ogden Nash...
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
CPR toolshed padlock
Cast iron banks
In 1920, the A.C. Williams Co. of Ravenna, Ohio was the world’s largest cast iron toy maker. They also made piggybanks in a large variety of shapes including these (appropriate) banks.
Testbed
This ex-Air Canada Viscount used in the development of the PT6A-50 turboprop engine model utilized as the powerplant for the de Havilland Canada Dash 7 commuter airliner. The conversion was done by the United Aircraft of Canada, now Pratt and Whitney Canada. The modified plane flew from January to October in 1974.
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| VickerViscount.net |
Monday, May 11, 2026
Warner radial engines
I was surprised to find that Warner is still around supporting their radial engines in the 125-185 hp range. From their site comes this: Warner Engines have powered many different civilian and military aircraft over the years:
Aeronca, Amphibion, Beasley, Bird, Cabinaire, Cessna, Challanger, Commandaire, Consolidated, Conquest, Cosmic, Cross-Foster, Cunningham-Hall, Curtis, Dart, Davis, Doodlebug (NACA), Fairchild, Fleet, Gee-Bee, General, Goodyear (lighter than air), Harlow, Howard, Inland, Issoudun, Laird, Lincoln, Loening, Luscombe, Meyers, Monocoupe, Monosport, Ong, Paramount, Pitcairn, Porterfield, Ranger, Roamair, Ryan, Rearwin, Simplex, Sioux, Sky-Car, Stinson, Swallow, Swift, Travelaire, U.S.Navy (lighter than air) Valkyr, and Waco.
Along with the engines, they sell drawings like these.
VW Jetta in white
More than once people have stopped to look at and photograph this car. So here it is. To me it's just another one of thousands of boring old Jettas, but I guess to some folk it's getting to be a "vintage car"...
Sunday, May 10, 2026
Jas. Clark Electric tools
Saturday, May 9, 2026
Supershort chassis SJ Deusenbergs
Apparently there were only two supershort chassis Deusenbergs made, one for Clark Gable (above) and one for Gary Cooper. I found these two images in different books, each said they were an example of the supershort chassis Deusenberg but Gary Cooper's car looks stodgy compared to Mr. Gable's.
Caille outboard motors
Around 1906, the first gasoline outboard motor was designed by a Yale law student from Detroit named Cameron Waterman. Waterman asked the Caille Brothers, who manufactured slot-machines, to build the first 25 outboard motors. When the motors sold out immediately, Caille began producing their own successful line of outboards, and by the 1920s were making racing outboards.
The company struggled during the Great Depression and was eventually acquired by Fuller-Johnson Company, and outboard production ended by the mid-1930s. I found some conflicting information which says the Fuller Johnson company closed in 1932. In any case, that was the end of the company.














