Ace-Garageguy

Lucked into an unbuilt HO scale Roundhouse 3 truck Shay locomotive kit #370 for less than 1/2 of the typical online asking price. These have been around for decades, and the latest ones have "can" motors like this one (as opposed to the earlier "open frame" motors). But the even cooler thing about it is that, not only is it complete and unbuilt, the box contained upgrade parts worth at least another hundred bucks. Included are a more powerful 2-shaft can motor with an extra flywheel, better brass gears to replace the original plastic ones, and multiple packs of cast brass and plastic details. Shay locomotives were developed for applications where a lot of low-speed pulling power was needed, particularly on steep grades and poor trackage with tight turns on logging and mining operations. Power was transmitted to the drive wheels by bevel gears and driveshafts rather than the side rods more frequently seen on steam locomotives. These little workhorses were built in various configurations from 1884 until 1945, weighing from 6 to 160 tons, with several still in regular operation. This kit represents a 70 tonner. The kt, reputed to be particularly difficult, builds up to look like this and includes "custom" parts to date it to a particular period..

Snickers deep fried with a tasty outer batter can make your heart just explode with no other input.

I gotta tell you...the cheapest solution can also be the best. I use cheapo (pawn shop or thrift store) swing-arm lamps with 100-watt-(incandescent)-equivalent LED bulbs, and my bench is almost as bright as day.

No apologies necessary. Just pointing you in the right direction.

Big bummer. I was in Mojave at a conference at the airport just down the road from his shop in about 2011, but the party I was with was in too big a hurry to get going. Always figured I'd get to meet him after I moved out West, looks like I waited a little too long. I learned a whole lot from him over the years anyway though. They don't make 'em like that anymore...

Seven pages of ideas...

Who cares?

Lately, shoppers in my neighborhood seem to be hoarding eggs like they did with TP during the last existential crisis, and I have to wonder if they believe eggs keep equally well.

R.E.M. can mean rapid eye movement, a descriptor for a type of sleep that includes dreaming.

"Time and tide wait for no man."

"Them that's got shall get, them that's not shall lose..."

Larvae of anything, living or dead, has never conjured up the idea of "food" in my unashamedly Western mind...but if I got hungry enough, you just never know.

Man, I really like that concept illustration. If you can pull it off it'll be one seriously cool build. Good luck.

Man, some of the stuff on the web would gag a maggot.

Engine sounds of every kind appeal to me, from steam locomotives to Merlins to Pratt & Whitney J58 turbojets.

Face the music.

Parked on the beach a little too long...

"Havoc, and let slip the dogs of war !!!" cried Orange Julius.

Kinda feel like ----, head hurts, can't focus, tired. Think I'm going to knock off early, go home, have a bowl of soup, and take a nap.

Checkout shock will become a thing if grocery stores follow restaurants and quit putting prices on items.

Favorites of mine include cherry pie, Laphroaig single malts, air-cooled Porsches, Indian food, and fit 5'3" brunettes with blue eyes...not necessarily in that order.

Better, really. 'Cause everybody knows that "a heavy car holds the road".

Poor little car. Can I bring it home and save it, Mom?

Days of Blunders might make a good title for a Tom Cruise movie about current events.

USPS is working pretty well for me lately. Maybe all those complaints I made to supervisors and supervisors of supervisors and big muckety mucks actually had some effect in my region. Nah. Just random chance.