Progress is fine, but it's gone on for too long.

Friday, January 2, 2015

Coco Cola comes to Toronto

In 1905 the trademark "Coca Cola" was registered in Canada and the company built this factory at 65 Bellwoods Ave. in Toronto. The company moved to larger premises years ago but the building and surroundings look much the same today.

Frontera!

Big and beautiful.

Despatch Rider on James

Source: Sturgeon River House Museum

Casige toy sewing machine

Above, a toy sewing machine I picked up somewhere along the way.

Carl Sieper founded a piano lock-making company in Germany in the 18th century. The origins of the company were celebrated in its logo, an eagle holding a key. The company name was derived from the first two letters of his Christian and surnames and of the town of Gevelsberg where the company was located: Carl Siper Gevelsberg.

At the turn of the century, his grandson saw a potential in making cheap, small sewing machines for schools. He landed a contract in 1902 and expanded into other toys. The company persisted until 1975.

The sewing machine I own was clearly made after the war, when Germany was occupied and divided into different zones from 1945 to 1949. Located in what is now the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Gevelsberg was in the British Zone.

I am indebted to the Sewalot site for the historical information above.

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Credit Valley Number 19

Number 19 (also named J. L. Morrison) was built by the Canadian Locomotive Company of Kingston, Ontario in 1881. The CVR was taken over by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1884 and the locomotive got a new number, #186.

Honda Hop up!

My first bike, a C200 Honda 90, arrived in a couple of bushel baskets and among many other things required a cylinder rebore, the dealer suggested a stock CB160 piston, which qualified as a hop up, the engine capacity went to a whopping 106 cc.
These kits would have been the next step except for price. My project was already beyond budget at that stage of my youth, the bike cost $15, piston was $4.80, rings $2.40 and I can't remember how much the boring cost.

The infamous Amish scooter gangs

The Penna. Dutch and Amish Country. Lancaster, Pa: Photo Arts Company, 1975.

Dale of the Mounted in Hong Kong

According to the jacket notes, the author was born in Gibraltar in 1910. His father was a police officer. The family moved to New York, then to Toronto in 1919. Joe Holliday started writing in 1932 and during the early 1940's he was publicity photographer for DeHavilland Aircraft of Canada, helping to publicize Mosquito bombers in overseas operations. His highly popular "Dale of the Mounted Series" included 10 books written between 1950 and 1960. This included one book that focused on the Chalk River Laboratories in Ottawa, a nuclear research facility.