A handy device for adding oil to that old automobile, from the pre-plastic bottle era. Remove the engine oil cap, insert spout, drop a can SAE30 into place and squeeze the handle to make a hole in the can. Manufactured by the Artra aluminum foundry in St. Charles, Missouri. The company was founded by Arthur E. Hoelting and partners, seemed to still be in operation into the 1980s.
Progress is fine, but it's gone on for too long.
with apologies to Ogden Nash...
Friday, April 26, 2024
Boiler explosion
"Ok, I think we should make a big steel cylinder with lots of tubes rivetted and/or welded in place, fill it with thousands of gallons of really hot water and pressurize it to 250 or 300 pounds per square inch, Then we should put it on wheels and run it down a railway track at 60 or 80 mph. What could go wrong?"
In this explosion, it looks like the front end of the boiler blew forward, tearing off the smoke box and smokestack, dragging most of the tubes along with them. No word on how the crew fared.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Cars in the 'hood, Mustang convertible
I'd drive that! According to an innocent bystander, this is a 1967 model. He pointed to the taillights and the horizontally folding rear window.
Boston by balloon
Taken in 1860 by James Wallace Black, surely this aerial photograph of Boston must be the first such feat?
Not exactly, the actual first birds eye view taken from a balloon was taken 2 years earlier. French photographer Gaspard-FĂ©lix Tournachon, captured the first aerial photographs, photographing Paris from a tethered balloon at an altitude of sixteen hundred feet. Due to the primitive developing system, the feat required him to carry a complete dark room with him. Unfortunately, those photographs have been lost.
This Boston photo shows The Old South Meeting House on the left (still there today), where Washington St., cutting down diagonally meets Milk St, winding down to the harbour.
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Welland Canal-sized cargo carrier proposal
From Greatlakes-seaway.com; A distinctive type of vessel was developed for use in the inland canal system. The Great Lakes "canaler", a bulk carrier that is literally a self-propelling barge, with machinery at the stern and navigating bridge up forward, had a long, almost box-shaped cargo hold between. The "canalers" using the third canal had a maximum length of 79.9 m (262 feet) and could carry as much as 2,700 tonnes (3,000 tons). Larger ships were also built to sail from the Lakehead (Lake Superior) to Port Colborne where their 13,500 tonnes (15,000 tons) of cargo were transferred to several small "canalers". However, it soon became evident that these larger vessels should be able to move into the lower lakes and, between 1907 and 1912, plans were made for enlarging the canal once more. That canal opened in 1931 and is still in use today.
Continental wrench
192/ ABC Motorcycle
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Heidelberg , Germany Tram
A turn of the (last) century four wheel Heidelberg tram, complete with colourful advertising shown in the 1960s. Fast forward another 50 years and at least the advertiser is still doing well.