Coming to grips with my vises...
- Thread starter rmwarren
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I recall being in a large casual restaurant in Connecticut (Watertown? Waterbury? I can’t remember.) in the 1980s.
It was a two story building, with the second floor as a balcony overlooking the ground floor.
They had a larger-than-Lionel train running slowly around the inside perimeter of the balcony so that it was visible from either floor. It ran a square about 40 to 50 feet per side. Impressive.
Even more impressive is that I clearly remember it 45 years later. (I remember the train set, not the meal.). Waterbury, way up north in Connecticut. I just remembered.
It was a two story building, with the second floor as a balcony overlooking the ground floor.
They had a larger-than-Lionel train running slowly around the inside perimeter of the balcony so that it was visible from either floor. It ran a square about 40 to 50 feet per side. Impressive.
Even more impressive is that I clearly remember it 45 years later. (I remember the train set, not the meal.). Waterbury, way up north in Connecticut. I just remembered.
I'm not trying to de-rail this thread more than it already is, but for you rail buffs, the Illinois Railway Museum is practically in my backyard. In the summer months, with the shop doors open, I can hear their steam engine running up and down the tracks. It's pretty cool. Brings back memories from years ago when steam was commonplace (yes, I'm that old). Sorry for being OT.
To further de-rail...last June, my wife and I spent some time at the National Railway Museum, York, UK:
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Almost every museum we went to during our past visits (e.g. V&A, for the third time, if not fourth, over the years), we came across school visits/trips.
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Almost every museum we went to during our past visits (e.g. V&A, for the third time, if not fourth, over the years), we came across school visits/trips.
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rmwarren
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Keeping with the theme, but not being a railroad buff, I do recommend Stephen Ambrose's book Nothing Like It In The World. He chronicles construction of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads, back when men were men.
I particularly recall one section where the Chinese workers were tunneling thru a chunk of the Sierras from both sides to meet in the middle. To further speed things up they dropped a shaft straight down down into the rock to tunnel from the center to each side and meet up with the other 2 crews. A muleskinner used his team to drag a steam engine up to the top of that mountain so they could hoist the spoils out. I think I've got that right, it's been a while.
It's a fascinating story, including all the politics that went into funding it. The impetuous for speed was because the government gave each company a fixed amount of bonds and land to sell for each mile of track they completed to raise capital. It basically became a race to complete the most miles of track and secure the most bonds and land.
Many years ago, when I still lived in Nevada and had started my real estate career, sometimes "Railroad Sections" of land were mentioned. A section is a square mile based on the original USGS survey of the country. Piecing it all together years later I realized the origin of the term was related to those land grants. History and geography fascinate me.
RMW
I particularly recall one section where the Chinese workers were tunneling thru a chunk of the Sierras from both sides to meet in the middle. To further speed things up they dropped a shaft straight down down into the rock to tunnel from the center to each side and meet up with the other 2 crews. A muleskinner used his team to drag a steam engine up to the top of that mountain so they could hoist the spoils out. I think I've got that right, it's been a while.
It's a fascinating story, including all the politics that went into funding it. The impetuous for speed was because the government gave each company a fixed amount of bonds and land to sell for each mile of track they completed to raise capital. It basically became a race to complete the most miles of track and secure the most bonds and land.
Many years ago, when I still lived in Nevada and had started my real estate career, sometimes "Railroad Sections" of land were mentioned. A section is a square mile based on the original USGS survey of the country. Piecing it all together years later I realized the origin of the term was related to those land grants. History and geography fascinate me.
RMW
Cheese
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In an attempt to "rerail" this thread (pun intended), I recently stumbled upon this item that's been languishing in the basement for the last 30+ years. The original idea was to rehab it but I forgot I had it and I purchased a Will-Burt Versa Vise instead after Richard introduced us to his Versa Vise purchase. [smile]
It's a small Columbian Red Arrow 63 manufactured prior to 1955. It has smooth, one-piece, polished 3" jaws with integral pipe jaws. Total jaw opening is 3", it has a swivel base and it weighs in at around 11#. It really is a perfect little hobby vise or it would be a nice addition to a MFT.
Take a look at the "Code Word" on the 2nd photo...what kind of goofiness was that about?
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It's a small Columbian Red Arrow 63 manufactured prior to 1955. It has smooth, one-piece, polished 3" jaws with integral pipe jaws. Total jaw opening is 3", it has a swivel base and it weighs in at around 11#. It really is a perfect little hobby vise or it would be a nice addition to a MFT.
Take a look at the "Code Word" on the 2nd photo...what kind of goofiness was that about?
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My neighbor is a railroader, and is building two truss bridges for his model railway display situated in his basement, something he has been working on on and off for the past 4 or 5 years since he moved to my province 8 years ago.
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I learned that Rod Stewart and Neil Young are both model train enthusiasts.
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I learned that Rod Stewart and Neil Young are both model train enthusiasts.
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rmwarren
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If I didn't already have enough vises for the estate sale...
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Interesting take on the Versa-style vise, but spendy. Available now on eBay.
There is also a really nice, complete float lock vise. I'm really tempted, this one checks all the boxes.
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RMW
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Interesting take on the Versa-style vise, but spendy. Available now on eBay.
There is also a really nice, complete float lock vise. I'm really tempted, this one checks all the boxes.
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RMW
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Cheese said:
That will derail the thread again, but hopefully a succinct answer will let us get back to talking about vises.
The code word was used when placing an order via telegram --- you would send the single word, the company would look up your account, then ship what you ordered and bill you --- pretty much all companies had such systems, some quite elaborate, w/ special functionality (adding an "s" to bugbear when ordering type from Monotype would get you an advertising assortment of letters for that particular font/size).
rmwarren
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Cheese said:
You'll enjoy it, lots of historical names like Leland Stanford will pop up. I never realized that Sacramento was an ocean port via the river or the implications that navigable rivers have on economic development until I read that history. My Audible collection is up close to 500 titles now, I keep intending to re-listen to that one. It was one of the first audio books I tried.
Most nights I select whatever my brain can handle (i.e. either something that requires serious attention or is "chewing gum for the mind") and wander around the house listening for an hour or two. I'm usually swapping between fiction, history and geopolitics.
RMW
Cheese
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Richard/RMW said:
I'm acutely aware of the importance of navigable rivers as that's the reason for the Twin Cities, Minneapolis & St. Paul. Each city is on the Mississippi river and that became the basis for trapping and trading items with Native Americans. Which then lead to the construction of Army forts, think Fort Snelling.
Then the timber industry was started and the rivers were used to float large rafts of logs down the river to the saw mills which were powered by water.
Later on, the saw mills were replaced with flour milling operations (think General Mills, Pillsbury & Gold Medal Flour) which again were all water powered.
Somewhere in that time line railroads emerged (Northern Pacific, Great Northern & Soo Line) and they transported the finished goods in-land while the steamboats transported goods on the river all the way down to New Orleans although the normal stop was in St. Louis.
Ya, that book will be an interesting read. [smile]
St. Anthony Falls 1855
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St. Anthony Falls 1860
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St. Anthony Falls 1930's with Pillsbury Mill & Great Northern RR.
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