Freightrain

The Chinese buy up everything, copy it and then remake it as cheap as possible to flood the market. Unfortunately Summit sells this stuff. A racing buddy lost his car to a garage fire. He went to summit with a LARGE insurance check to replace parts. He had two large carts full rolled out to him. He looked it over, returned it all due to nothing make in American.

Oh I'm sure I can get pictures a bit easier then that if it came down to it. I just never asked for any. I just got a text from a buddy asking for assistance.

I run Quaker, but not on regular basis. I hate that hill personally. The Willys is not mine. I'm building it for a fellow. A friend started the project 5 yrs ago doing most of the basic fab work. I got pulled in to do build the wiring harness and it just went from there. I hope to have it completed this summer(so does the owner).

My work is very flexible and I can take time off without too much fuss(as long as I don't have anything to do LMAO----sarcasm at its finest). Keep in touch.

I heard all the fuss about this, but did not remember hearing about the reason for it. I'll put a "Thank you" out there for helping out!

Fontana? That had me cornfuzed. It's on Fortuna LOL!! I know where that is exactly. Right behind Camper World where I bought my trailer 20 yrs ago. It's off Arlington Rd exit(120 mm) on Rt 77. Pretty easy to get in / out of. About 15 minute from my house, and it's half way between my house and work. I used to cut across that way. Let me know your schedule and we can hook up. There is suppose to be another big dyno house in Akron, off Kelly drive. The Willys I'm working on was just up there a couple weeks ago. They have a big number chassis dyno also. I would have to ask the name. Here is a quick clip of the Willys after unloading it from the trip to the dyno: BillyT. I work at a machine shop in Barberton( Bar-beer-ton for others. Lots of Bars, lots of Beer, and the women all weigh a TON) for 31 yrs now. I only play truck driver on the weekends when I'm going to the races. Yes, they have been cutting back on the scale houses. The one on East bound 224(by Seville) is closed, West is still open. South 77(by Boliver) is open, north is closed(or it is the other way around?). North 71, above Columbus is closed(by rt 36). Pretty sure the border houses are still open, just the internal ones are not getting rebuilt. I'm pretty sure they aren't waking guys up at rest stops and truck stops, but they do catch them on the road. I know the rest area out on eastbound rt 30 by Upper Sandusky is a hot spot. See lots of red tags on truck sitting in there when I go buy. I'm guessing they catch them on the road, pull them into the stop and do a check. That way they are not on the highway and have a chance to get run over.

Paul, I don't have plans on attending the NMRA event. I used to go to the Labor Day event back when it was the Ford club(PFCA).. It closed down and NMRA took it over. It went down hill and I quit going a few years ago. National Trails is right at 2 hours from me. I'm in Canton, Ohio. Work in Barberton. Where in Akron is George's place? Only place online I see is Dayton.

I looked at mine this morning, still hasn't moved from Sunday. Guess mine is doing okay. I hope you got yours fixed.

Glad we only got 2-4" inches here! I dodged the bullet of having to put the plow on the tractor again this winter. I admit, I kinda have fun plowing, but then I'm done and want it all gone fast!

Going back to mid 70's, I was about 10 yrs old and I was with my Dad and maybe my sister too? We were down by Atwood Lake, coming home from something? There was a train parked in town(likely for lunch?) and we stopped to look at it. The engineer asked if we wanted a ride(don't recall any details of where he was headed). Dad unfortunately had to tell him we had to get home(don't recall why). Ugh. You don't get those kinds of offers these days. There was a local group, back in the late 80's? The acronym was "STEAM", Silver throttle.....sumthin. They had the little steam engine from the local city part(Mother Goose Land). They were storing it on some back space at one of the Timken plants in town and working on restoring it. I don't ever recall what happened to the organization or the engine? This group in Cleveland is about an hour drive for me, so it's close, but not close enough for a quick trip. I'll try to make some time to get involved. With their involvement with CSX you can get your schooling to be Conductor, brakeman, engineer, etc. The two young fellows working with me that day were working on their hours.

9-0-nuthin was what I heard about them.

I had covers made years back, don't recall what I paid for them. Still have one on the truck as I removed the second battery box a few years ago. I had original covers til I hit one of our wonderful bridge expansion joints and it threw the one cover off. Nearly through me into the roof. No sense in trying to save it. Once I get the air start installed, not sure if I will sell the boxes/covers or keep them around just in case.

Yup. Certain Lionel stuff can fetch big dollars. My dad had HO, I did also. My sister had N scale. I ended up with all of it, all boxed up in the attic. I wanted to rebuild a layout about 20 yrs ago. I got two 4x8 tables built in the basement and the money pit started. I wanted two main lines an lots of big curves to hand the larger engines. Track/roadbed and switches were adding up quickly and the budget just wouldn't support it then. It all got torn down when I moved in 2004 and hasn't seen the light of day. I do have some G scale from my Dad that I set up upstairs that I run occasionally. My g/f bought me the green Mack switcher engine: My dad was going to build an outdoor layout using the G scale stuff. Unfortunately he passed long before he got around to actually putting it up.

My dad purchased a "DD40" for his HO layout. I remember them being a very large engine(even in HO) and you had to have a large radius layout to run them. I still have all his engines, including a cab forward(another very cool piece I always liked).

Or Mike Harrah's motor: It's coming along, this is the first time I've found an updated video from when the dyno video came out: This stuff was just cool growing up and would love to have something like it:

Always liked the earlier jeeps(whatever model number they were), mid 70's or so. With a 304 v8, side exhaust and a 3spd. Man, they sounded GOOD!! I think about that more and more. How we used to have some really cool stuff to drive. Not a bunch of buzz'n 4 cylinders and Hybrids. Ugh. I've run into a fellow I knew about from college in mid 80's(didn't know him, just his car). He drove a very nice black '70 Chevelle, 454/4spd to school. Ran into him a few years ago at machine shop I use and he still has that car. I just miss being able to drive stuff like that everyday like it is "normal".

Tuesday? You mean Monday the 2nd? LOL!! Ya, every year I get older the more I hate the cold. Blah.

Big Boy....down right favorite. Would love to ride 4014 when it gets finished in 2019. Likely never get to, but would be a real thrill.

Reel mowers, made for people with common sense. Thus they aren't made for the general public anymore. I still remember a neighbor lady trying to clean a clog out of a std push mower once while it was running. Almost lost her hand. Today's mowers have more safety crap on them then should be allowed by law. Of course there are still people dumb enough to run over their kids with a lawn tractor and not realize it. WTF?

Well it hasnt drop a pound. I think I'm good to go. Polishing is next.

Unfortunately I don't have any. Just a text asking for me to check around.

Well I had a few leaks to deal with. The drain plug was loose(duh, forgot to roll it over and check it) and the pop off valve is likely pretty dry rotted too. I plugged them and it is holding steady. Will see tonight if it moved at all. I have a polishing kit coming, I have a new Dewalt 5.3 hp grinder to use. Just waiting on my brackets to get powder coated. The new fuel tanks should be here late this week. Can't wait to polish them!

Ya, there is a WHOLE lot more going on in the cab of a steam engine.

Pretty cool, lots of good interior shots, sounds, chrome 5 hole budds, twin sticks, etc. (watch for the nekkid lady from Winfall at the end ;)....sorry it is not NSFW)

Ok, a friend has a buddy that bought a rat rod. It is suppose to be a 1948 Mack on a 49 Dodge chassis. It came with a Dodge title but he wants to change it over to 1948 Mack title. He is looking for a title. He is also looking for a passenger outside side door handle if anyone knows of one.