Ace-Garageguy

Besides the "obvious", many studies that were done in the '50s get redone at vast expense by folks who don't bother to look at research done previously, believing that the smartphone generations are so vastly superior to their forebears, nothing in earlier scientific literature could possibly be of any value. And then they often come up with the same results documented more than three-quarters of a century ago.

...but if you're running your AC and lights and wipers and infotainment and charging your phone you might have a problem...and some can't be pushed off the road if the batteries are dead and they're stuck in "park" mode. Some electric vehicles depend on a separate 12V system to disengage the "park" mode (and that 12V battery system can fail), some require a human weight in the driver's seat before they'll allow it to disengage park mode, etc.

"Son, this beating I'm about to give you, that your mother told me to be careful with so your teachers won't see the bruises, is going to hurt me more than it does you" said the loving father as he grinned and snapped his belt.

With six, you get eggroll.

You know, if this is true, some of these rulemakers really need to get lives of their own and quit living for ways to meddle pointlessly in everyone else's.

Amen. AND...many paint brushes intended for use with oils and acrylics will shed their hair and become useless if cleaned with lacquer thinner. Brushes used with acrylics are best cleaned with water before the paint starts to harden, and those used with oils or enamels should be OK if cleaned with turpentine or possibly mineral spirits or specially formulated "brush cleaner"...but as with many things, over-generalizing advice can be counter-productive.

Picked up a NOS Bachmann Spectrum HO scale EMC gas-electric "Doodlebug" in Union Pacific colors for well under list. EMC (forerunner of what would later be GM's Electro Motive Division...EMD) introduced these in 1924 (though General Electric pioneered the concept around 1905) as one of the first really successful internal-combustion/electric hybrids on the railroads, as a cost-saving alternative to running steam locomotives pulling coaches on short local passenger lines...and not requiring the expense of installing an overhead or potentially highly dangerous 3rd rail power-delivery system for conventional electric trolleys and interurbans. https://www.trains.com/ctr/railroads/locomotives/emc-delivers-first-doodlebug-motorcar/ I'll be needing something besides busses and cars to get my HO-scale workforce from their housing to the steel mill and engine rebuild plant on my post-apocalyptic (Atlas Shrugged) alternative universe (circa 1960) layout. In peak hours, it will pull an unpowered wooden "trailer" intended for use on standard-gauge electric trolley lines, built from a vintage LaBelle kit (with added windows and seating to accommodate passengers). Though most of the "doodlebugs" were gone by 1960, several were modified into special self-powered rail inspection cars by Sperry Rail Service, and served into the 2000s in that capacity. That's a service-life of 70+ years. EMC/EMD would, of course, go on to become the primary builder of diesel-electric locomotives that ultimately made the steamers obsolete. Beautiful Kansas City Southern EMD E-3 from 1939 shown below.

Asian-made brass locomotives: a whole lot of info in one place. https://www.steamlocomotive.com/model/HO-data.php?data=brass

Saying the same old lies ten thousand times doesn't make them true.

Try this. It's kinda like using those fire-hose spray cans.

Number one is better than number two.

Fiat Barchetta isn't quite the same, and though I loved a lot of the older ones, you couldn't give me a recent one.

Rush did Red Barchetta.

This should be interesting...

I'm about 98% sure there are only stock parts in the box, but Mark will know for certain.

Sad thing is that I'm seeing more and more of this from native English-speakers...including professional "journalists". Scrambled messes like "he did stopped..." are more and more frequent. I really have to wonder what kind of "teachers" we have now.

Understand that, while it may appear you're the center of the universe from your perspective, you're not.

Thanks for posting that. For those not familiar with the model railroad hobby, shortly after WW II, Japanese craftsmen became the world leaders in producing exquisite brass locomotives at a time when "Made in Japan" had the same negative connotations as "Made in China" has today. Companies like Pacific Fast Mail imported brass locos and later cars and accessories into the US, at costs that were high relative to the crudely cast metal and later plastic American offerings, but were staggeringly cheap for the quality. Although quality was generally quite high, it could be inconsistent (and early Japanese electric motors and drivelines weren't always the smoothest). But overall the Japanese products rivalled the best that top-tier American scratchbuilders were turning out, and over time the drives improved drastically. Later on, many Japanese brass models incorporated beautiful brass lost-wax detail castings from US companies like Kemtron, Cal Scale, and others. Today, Japanese craftsmen continue to turn out some of the world's best brass railroad models, they have been joined by several Korean firms, and vintage Japanese brass railroad models are expensive and very collectible. https://brasstrains.com/Classic/Trains/Scales/HO-Scale?showsold=True&page=8

A standard PE bending tool won't be much use for "compound curves", as they're made for right-angle straight bends. If compound curves really are required, you may have to fabricate matched dies, and use them in an arbor press. Entirely doable, but rather esoteric and fiddly precision work.

Thanks for all you've posted to date. I just bought one of the Heller kits knowing zip zero nada about it. Now I have some info.

I remembered the Siva 160 vaguely, having once been a VW-based kitcar geek. Had a look just to be sure, and nope. Then I thought it might be something based on SAAB Sonett components. Nope. Finally gave up and found it with a reverse-image search...and posting the results from that is cheating. Interesting little car, something entirely new to me.

Fantastic work, as always. And inspirational too, as always.

Visit ye rosebuds while ye may, and never the twain shall meet, 'cause diamonds are forever, and tomorrow is another day.

Actually, no. Just FYI, mold release agents are quite common, as are lubricants for sliding mold cavity elements, ejector pins, etc. And it it possible for any lubricant to migrate to places you don't want it. Today however, the majority of release agents and lubricants are the "dry film" type, and are specifically formulated to be "paintable" (though thorough cleaning is still recommended). https://www.plastixs.com/products/slide-products/injection-mold-release/specialty-mold-releases/dfl-dry-film-lube-flurocarbon-no-41112n/ https://stonermolding.com/store/product-detail/e436_mold_release_ejector_pin_lube/e436csston02 https://interflon.com/us/industries/injection-moulding-2 https://pmiheat.com/product/dfl-dry-film-lube-mold-release-aerosol/

Them pigs is lookin' better ta me alla time...