Locomotive Economy

 This awkward little engine is the Economy, built by Baldwin in 1854 for the Ohio and Pennsylvania railway. Here it is late in life in the colours of the Darlington and Cannel Coal Railroad, a railway running between New Galilee and Cannelton, Pa. operated by a sect that called themselves Economites.

  That was a Christian Commune who followed the New Testament strictly while doing very well in business. As they believed in the Millennium, they were celibate and the sect died out in the years after 1900.

Rickman Velocette

 Exquisite. Assembled by a dealer in Oxfordshire, England, Ralph Seymour, it was available road legal or as a racer.

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Snap On valve adjustment adjusting tool

 This is nice solid tool for adjusting valves, attach an appropriate sized socket to loosen the locking nut, then adjust the clearance with the slotted screwdriver knob. The patent date is 1924 so its a hundred eyars old. This one is still in use today. 

Art of the Motorcycle

  This must be one of the longest lasting shopping bags in history. We rode all night to get to the Guggenheim to see the show in 1998, were much impressed and brought souvenirs back in this bag. It's been in use ever since and finally deteriorated to useability. I think its time to relaunch the show.

Tool mutilation

 If the tool you need can't be bought, you better be able to adapt something for the task! The ones above look like tools to make repeated adjustments to some machine, and why keep the end that's never used?

The ones below look like tools made to fit that one specific impossibly-located bolt head found on modern cars and motorcycles. We'll add to the list as we find them.

 

Schuil Duimstokken (Folding Rule)

 Yet another name I've never seen before. Most of the folding wooden rules that appear around here are Lufkin or Rabone Chesterman. Nice to see something from a different country and to find another manufacturer.

 Schuil Holland was founded in 1938 in the town of Leeuwarden in the north of Holland. They moved to nearby Drachten 10 years later, I wonder why? The company is known for manufacturing precision folding rules for carpentry, construction, and assembly trades. This one is nice traditional boxwood with brass hinges, 100 cm long. They also made them in aluminum.

 

Remembrance Day

 Remembering the Canadians at Dieppe.

Know your American Four-Cylinder Touring Car

 

Gravely 526 Two wheel tractor

  This past summer we were removing rosebushes and cutting down some brush and vegetation that had gotten out of control. A friend happened by, saw the job and said "I have a solution". That solution was this 1974 Gravely 526 2 wheel tractor with rotary cutter. It is indeed the solution. This device is not a spectator sport, the bits of branches etc. fly out with enthusiasm but it sure is an awesome destruction machine. Sturdy cast iron construction and the 8 hp Kohler is as basic as it gets, look at that starter, condenser and coil.

Still works as well as it did when it was new. 

 

Tramontina #2 plane

  I came upon the name Tramontina a couple of years ago when I found a hatchet made by the company. The Brazilian company makes quality housewares, pots and pans, kitchen knives and accessories, but this small block plane was a surprise, I did not know they made woodworking tools.