Heating Help

Now you know why sailors call their bunks...

@ June 20, 2007 5:06 PM in playing hookey w/ my sons on the first day of summer

Racks! Those kid's eyes say it all. Way to go, Dad! Concerning those PT's, it sure would be nice to hear those 4 Packards wind up to full speed, especially if you got to drive. Sure get the attention of everyone in the marinas! What wake laws??? HEHEHE!

Hey! That kid's in my seat!

@ June 20, 2007 3:43 PM in playing hookey w/ my sons on the first day of summer

He's sitting in the trainer's seat of that 5" deck gun on the sub. The other seat is for the pointer, who controls the gun's elevation. A Russian missile boat??? Where'd they get that?? That place really has grown. Last time I was there, all they had was the sub & the battleship, the destroyer hadn't been opened yet and the PT boats were under restoration. Anybody notice if the throttle lever housings on either PT said "Elco"? If it did, they were built in New Jersey at the old Elco Marine Works in Jersey City/Bayonne. They were made of plywood, and featured Packard gasoline engines. You're right, those kids will remember that day with Dad!

For those heading a bit farther afield...

@ June 20, 2007 8:32 AM in Steamtown...

The Adirondack Scenic Railroad operates from Utica, NY to Big Moose,NY and also from Saranac Lake NY to Lake Placid, NY. SPECTACULAR scenery, modern AC/heated coaches with big windows, premium first class car(s) on some runs, historic diesel power, and the nicest crews you will ever meet. The route they use is over 100 years old. The area they serve is loaded with quaint B&B's, chain motels, high-end exclusive resorts, great restaurants, lots of shopping, camping, hiking, mountain climbing, fishing, antiquing etc. Great vacation spot.

RR Museums

@ June 19, 2007 8:37 AM in Steamtown...

Here are some "local" rail museums for all... RR Museum of Pennsylvania, Strasburgh, PA (Museum, static displays of steam, diesel & electric equipment.) Strasburgh Railroad, also in Strasburg, PA 10 Mile train ride behind steam locomotive, parlor car, open car. Shop tours of locomotive and car shop available occassionally. Steamtown, Scranton PA.(see above) East Broad Top, Rockhill Furnace PA.(See above) B&O Railroad Museum, Baltimore, MD. Static displays of steam, diesel & electric equipment, unique completely circular enclosed roundhouse. NJ Museum of Transportation (Pine Creek Railroad) Allaire State Park, Allaire, NJ. Narrow gauge steam & diesel. Steam operates on the weekends & holidays, short train ride, ideal for little kids. Historic iron working village adjacent to Pine Creek Railroad, picnic ground. Whippany Railroad Museum Whippany, NJ Static displays of steam & Diesel locomotives, occasional train rides, call for info. Black River& Western RR, Flemington, NJ Steam & diesel powered train ride in 1920's vintage coaches. Weekends during the summer. Call for schedule. Great discount shopping outlets in Flemington, lots of restaurants. Some trains go thru to quaint artist's colony town of Lambertville, short walk across the bridge to New Hope, Pennsylvania, which features lots of unique shopping, a mule-drawn canal boat ride, and the New Hope & Ivyland tourist Railroad, offering a short steam powered excursion along the Delaware.

Hi, Frank...

@ June 18, 2007 4:17 PM in Steamtown...

Tell her that the hotel that is in the former Lackawanna Rairoad station has a fully-restored stained-glass barrel-vault ceiling and some other very interesting architectural features. It was a Hilton at one time, but has changed hands, I'm not sure who owns it now. The Steamtown site runs several very scenic trips daily behind one of 2 ex-Canadian Pacific steamers, and various events throughout the year.

Great place, try this one , too...

@ June 18, 2007 4:07 PM in Steamtown...

East Broad Top Railroad in Rockhill Furnace, PA. It's near State College. 3-foot gauge that literally shut down overnight, no long decline. The shops are priceless, including a Corliss stationary steam engine that ran all sorts of heavy duty metal forming machines thru a web of belts to and from overhead line shafts. The ancient Scotch Marine boiler no longer is operable, but is still there. They also run a unique tourist railroad with several of their steam locomotives and unique passenger cars. Absolutely faciniating place. Shop tours are usually featured during the summer. Their schedule is somewaht sporadic, calling ahead is highly recommended.

Congratulations, Steve & Family!

@ June 18, 2007 8:09 AM in Have a....

He looks like a happy, healthy little guy. A very lucky one, also, to be brought into a great family. Give him an extra hug for me.

He was a big part of my early TV life...

@ June 15, 2007 8:02 AM in Mr. Wizard

Couldn't wait for "Watch Mr. Wizard"! This great pioneer of educational TV will be sorely missed.

Pneumatics rock!

@ June 13, 2007 8:38 AM in No changes are permenant...

Great systems, if the air supply is kept clean & dry, they work "forever", and no electronic motor can equal the close-off punch of a 13" actuator. Developed in the 19th century, before electricity was available, but when buildings grew exponetially in size, the pneumatic control system was an off-shoot of the pneumatic tube systems then used for routing documents around office buildings. You can still see systems like that in some drive-up windows at banks. Steam-powered air compressors provided the air pressure, and thermostat bi-metal elements moved up or down in response to temperature changes, allowing more or less air to escape, thereby moving a pneumatic diaphragm up or down, positioned a valve or damper provided modulating control before electricity was available. Inherently safe, because unless you are switching electricity with air pressure, no sparks or electric current to worry about when combustible gases or vapors were present! No one has ever come up with a more successful control strategy for school unit ventilators than was done with pneumatic day-night automatic control. Sadly, many of these systems have been destroyed needlessly because either no one understood how they worked, or mistakenly disabled their outside air dampers thinking it would save energy. Parts ARE still available, and many pneumatic systems soldier on here in NJ in our office buildings & pharmaceutical plants. Any questions about them, shoot me an email.

The worst is over!

@ June 7, 2007 8:03 AM in Make me laugh....

You've passed the milestone. The carvings should dwindle, but keep that hard candy or gum handy for the next couple days. Like Jimmy Buffet says "Chew a little Juicy Fruit, it's good for your soul" (and lungs, too). Hang tough.

ASSE 1070...Been getting lotsa calls on this

@ June 6, 2007 9:00 AM in ASSE 1070...Been getting lotsa calls on this

There is a new ASSE performance standard out for mixing valves used on whirlpool tubs, "human car wash" showers, Roman-style tubs etc. Honeywell has a new mixer to help you meet the codes, our new AM1-1070's are certified to meet the new ASSE standard. They can be distinguished from our other mixing valves by their black setpoint control knob. 1.8 Cv, union compression, union cpvc, union pex, union NPT, and union sweat fittings in sizes from 1/2" to 1". Temp range from 70-120 degrees. Available from any Honeywell distributor.

JCA, hang in there...

@ May 29, 2007 1:57 PM in Make me laugh....

I kicked it cold turkey 28 years ago after two packs a day for 12 years. Best thing I ever did. Once you get past the first 2 weeks, it's basically over. Hard candy like sour lemon drops or "Jolly Rancher" helped, so did chewing gum. Stay away from smokers, throw out or give away all smoking materials, hide the ashtrays. Watch "Discovery Health Channel" when they are operating on someone with lung cancer. Try eating an apple or orange when you feel a craving. Semper Paratus! You WILL knock this monkey off your back!!!

Congrats, Dan & Family...

@ May 29, 2007 1:38 PM in How I spent my weekend (Dan H.)

I don't know who looks happier! Just wait until the grandkids arrive! How do you spell spoiled? Grandma & Grandpa!

The early stuff & Traveling Wilburys...

@ May 24, 2007 4:36 PM in Hey everybody its Bob Dylans B-day

were his best IMHO. Even today, the dripping sarcasm and underlying sadness of "Positively 4th Street" makes for a great breakup song. "Desolation Row" brings to mind the engravings of Old London by Hogarth. Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel, plus Pete Seeger are about the last of the "Old Folkies" still standing. Time to head down "Highway 61"!

Best wishes, and congratulations!

@ May 14, 2007 6:16 PM in I'm now a Grandpa too!

You got the best of both worlds, one of each! Let the spoiling begin!!!

AQ2000

@ May 13, 2007 9:58 PM in MPO and Contender ( Ron Jr. )

Hey, Ron, good to hear from you. Drop me an email with your mailing address, and I'll send it out.

Congratulations!

@ May 13, 2007 9:48 PM in You can call me Grampa Mark (ME)

Enjoy him while he's "little", next thing you know, he'll be borrowing your tools, and asking for the car! You also will understand that bumper-sticker classic "If I had known grandchildren were so much fun, I would have had them first!"

Back in my saftey equipment days...

@ May 13, 2007 9:43 PM in Can any one spare a band-aid?

there were kevlar gloves, designed to prevent the kind of injuries inflicted by razor-sharp sheet metal. Any safety equipment store should have them, even some distributors, or try a company called "Direct Safety", a catalog house. No sense suffering when you don't have too! Good luck on the new venture.

Great job (as usual)

@ May 11, 2007 3:02 PM in MPO and Contender ( Ron Jr. )

Fantastic work, Ron. Check out our new Aquatrol 2000 next time you're in the market for a reset system.

How could you forget...

@ May 10, 2007 9:53 AM in Someone mention \" Good Music \"

Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) He's a contender for best guitar player ever! Clapton, Paul Simon(before his accident), Hendricks, George Benson, BB King, Chuck Loeb.

Sorry for your loss..

@ April 26, 2007 9:09 AM in Prayers Needed

Losing your Dad is tough enough without the added problems with this gold digger he was involved with. Time & prayer heal all wounds, take your time and remember the good times. May he rest in peace.

Among many favorites...

@ April 23, 2007 5:19 PM in My favorite Quote

"Never kick a skunk!" Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt "Indeed,Madam,I am drunk. But you are ugly, and in the morning I shall be sober." Winston Churchill "Reality is only just a word." Harry Chapin "It's got to be the going, not the getting there thats good." Harry Chapin