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

Sunday, September 15, 2024

Side cot Sunday

Ride hard, sleep right where you want.

thanks, Rolf!

Saturday, September 14, 2024

The company seems to have dealt in marine engines at the beginning of the last century. I suspect it was a short lived venture, no information comes up. That area of the city has been built over, anything industrial is long gone. I’d like to see the engine trouble book.

Friday, September 13, 2024

Dynamic Fab

It seems there is a neverending list of companies that made C clamps, but maybe, as they say, you can never have too many clamps.

Once again no information for the name online, just a couple on ebay.

Torpedo boat USS Alarm

The USS Alarm was built at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and launched in 1873, an attempt by the Navy to introduce experimental new technology to the military. Times were changing, newfangled steam power was being accepted as well as breech loading guns. The Alarm was to be a fast sleek Torpedo boat, and featured a 24 foot long ramming bow. The torpedos were attached to extending spars at the bow. An attack would consist of the torpedo boat ramming an enemy ship while extending explosives on spars towards the ship. There was a single forward firing 15 inch Dahlgren gun to increase the firepower. Provisions for filling the hull with water to decrease its silhouette were also tried.

Instead of paddle wheels or propellers, the ship was fitted with a new design "Fowler Wheel" which was a vertical shaft with 4 paddles attached. The paddles were feathered by a cam till they approached the starboard where the paddle wheel extended to provide forward motion. It was not successful, it was very inefficient and the boat never achieved the speed anticipated. There were additional modifications tried but the boat was reduced to a gunnery training vessel, probably never used and scrapped in 1898. Pretty sure this was an exercise in deadends. More here.

Also here.