The wreck of the T. P. Leathers

Joan and Thomas Gandy, The Mississippi Steamboat Era in historic photographs, Dover Pub. 1987

 Sailing down the Mississippi river on October 22, 1896, just north of Natchez, the hull of the overloaded T. P. Leathers opened up and started filling with water. The pumps couldn't keep up and the crew was jettisoning bales of cotton as it ran onto the river bank where it sank. A nearby steamboat, the J. B. O'Brien, arrived on the scene and took the passengers into Natchez. Much of the cotton was rescued. The boat was raised on the 29th, and by November 21, the boat was back in business, hull repaired, boat refurbished and freshly painted.

1934 Hupmobile

 One of famed designer Raymond Loewy's first automotive designs, the Aerodynamic line was introduced in 1934, the cars featured dramatically faired-in headlamps, a three-piece windshield, and a fastback rear design. Introduced at the same time as the Chrysler Airflow, the designs were just too radical for buyers.

 Hupmobile closed in 1939. 
 

West German padlock

 These things turn up all over the place online and seem to be considered collectable. They're stamped with a size 35mm or 45mm and Made in West Germany (which means between WW2 and 1990) but no manufacturer name. Too bad this one came without a key.

 

Wapwallopen

  Candidate for the best locomotive name ever. This freight engine was built by Baldwin in 1865 for the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad. Note the auxiliary roof over the coal section of the tender, probably provided for the fireman's protection.

 PS, "Wapwallopen" is actually a town in Pennsylvania, and is a native word for "place where the wild hemp grows".

Making a cut with a lathe

 

From a South Bend instruction manual from 1920. That's a cut depth of nearly an inch in steel. The flat belt on my South Bend wouldn't have enough traction to do that...

GM parts

 I recognize this as probably a steering king pin on a 50s GM car or truck but the box has no part number. I like the care that GM put into the design of a box for a lowly mechanical part.

 

Monday Mystery, Clamp

 This looks like a really useful thing for... some thing... any ideas?

Chrysler for 1955

 Twin-Tower tail lights that say "Stop" with great authority.... 

Sidecar Sunday

 

Wrenchking

  A patent pending wrench, made in the USA. There is an odd springloaded step in the open end which apparently provides a ratcheting action. Unfortunately I did not try it out. Does it work?