[KC0PET]

Flying boat, the first trans-Atlantic commercial passenger plane (SFAIK). This is a replica at a museum in Ireland, the first landfall in Europe after Iceland, a location scouted out by Charles Lindbergh (location had to have a stretch of reliably calm water). All the original flying boats were scrapped during WWII for material to build military aircraft. This landing in Ireland was also the place where Irish coffee was invented to warm passengers forced to turn back by severe weather during a flight to the USA. BTW: This plane is called "Yankee Clipper" which I believe was the name of an actual flying boat.

I read an interesting book recently, "Empires of the Sky" by Alexander Rose. It goes through the era of Zeppelins and their ultimate demise and the beginnings of commercial airlines. Juan Trippe is highlighted, the founder of Pan American World Airways, and quite the pioneer, the Yankee Clipper was one of his planes.

[WPRESTO]

A smallish steam locomotive. SCAN

[OrchidJulie]

the beginnings of commercial airlines.

My late dad was a flight engineer in the Army Air Corps (precursor to the US Air Force). When he mustered out, Eddie Rickenbacker offered him a job at then-nascent Eastern Airlines. My late molther wouldn't let him do it, she didn't think there was any future in commercial air travel. My dad kicked himself incessantly ever after.

[turbo_bird]

The A-H Sprite I had was significantly smaller that John's MG-B. My Sprite came with a shoehorn for getting in and a can-opener for getting out. You could order one by trouser-size.

I have a homebuilt Lotus 7 that's pretty snug too. I carry my phone in my pants pocket, and it makes a difference to how I fit in the car. I also have big feet, and have to wear much narrower and thinner shoes than normal for anything resembling real driving. I can move the car around the yard wearing my usually hiking boots, but I won't drive it in traffic again with them, that was kind of scary. Here's a shot from many years ago, before I painted it.

Kristian

[unixrevolution]

I have a homebuilt Lotus 7 that's pretty snug too. I carry my phone in my pants pocket, and it makes a difference to how I fit in the car. I also have big feet, and have to wear much narrower and thinner shoes than normal for anything resembling real driving. I can move the car around the yard wearing my usually hiking boots, but I won't drive it in traffic again with them, that was kind of scary. Here's a shot from many years ago, before I painted it.

Kristian

Wow, what a great machine. The Lotus 7 and its progeny are on my short list of cars to own before I die (and hopefully not IN the lotus.)

What's the engine? Looks like a V6 based on the collectors, with some kinda Holley 4bbl on top. Must be a rocket!

[WPRESTO]

Heisler shaft-and-gears locomotive, rarely seen in part because there are only about a score of them still preserved. The design was supposed to provide the high traction and torque of a Climax but was capable of higher speed when on level track. However, the shaft running the length of the locomotive interfered with the size of the firebox. SCAN from the Film Era. The loco was in Nova Scotia.

[KC0PET]

Intuitively, the railroads must maintain the RoW and that cost must be paid by the shipping, the RoW for truckers is paid by state or federal government, but the truckers contribute through taxes. For trucking, its one driver per container. For RR transport, it's one driver for potentially a hundred or more containers (never seen a container train so I don't know how many are in one string). The savings in labor cost for the RR is therefore huge, so for long hauls, RR is probably significantly less expensive, provided the handling and local delivery at each end is reasonable. The first experimental Jerry-rigged container ship vastly reduced the cost of shipping by boat even without the special-purpose loading/unloading machinery that now exists because of the enormous saving in labor costs.

There is a relatively small amount of federal funds that goes to railroads for infrastructure, although I am sure it is a small percentage of their overall cost. The most common example is for highway-rail crossing improvements and I have seen some projects for additional sidings built on Amtrak routes to improve the Amtrak operating schedules. When I worked for MoDOT I occasionally got involved in some RR crossing projects when they had traffic signals close by.

[steamloco76]

RJ Corman RR Company at Clymer, Pennsylvania 12/4/22. KP with DA*50-135/2.8

[WPRESTO]

My late dad was a flight engineer in the Army Air Corps (precursor to the US Air Force). When he mustered out, Eddie Rickenbacker offered him a job at then-nascent Eastern Airlines. My late molther wouldn't let him do it, she didn't think there was any future in commercial air travel. My dad kicked himself incessantly ever after.

Sometime in the 90's we pulled money out of a stock that had done nothing for several years. The cash had been sitting idle for months when Barnes & Noble announced it was starting an on-line selling program and would make a stock offering. I put the idle money into it, and the value of the stock fell like a stone, losing 90% of what I paid withingweeks. The stock that we sold was Walt Disney which soon after under new management jumped up. When I told M abut the B&N purchase she told me if asked, she would have advocated purchasing Amazon, then primarily an on-line book seller. Talk about kicking myself There isn't an emoji that adequately communicates how I feel. Consider where Amazon has gone from about 1995 to now.

[WPRESTO]

Retired milk delivery truck We valued this service when our kids were in diapers. Does such delivery still exist anywhere in the USA?

[Racer X 69]

Does such delivery still exist anywhere in the USA?

Yes.

A local service is over 100 years old.

The Finest Farm-Fresh Milk and More - Pete's Milk Delivery

Started as Smith Brothers Dairy, it is still a family run business today, delivering farm fresh dairy and other items to Pacific Northwest customers daily.

There are other similar businesses all over the US.

I see there are also similar services in England.

[OrchidJulie]

Sometime in the 90's we pulled money out of a stock that had done nothing for several years. The cash had been sitting idle for months when Barnes & Noble announced it was starting an on-line selling program and would make a stock offering. I put the idle money into it, and the value of the stock fell like a stone, losing 90% of what I paid withingweeks. The stock that we sold was Walt Disney which soon after under new management jumped up. When I told M abut the B&N purchase she told me if asked, she would have advocated purchasing Amazon, then primarily an on-line book seller. Talk about kicking myself There isn't an emoji that adequately communicates how I feel. Consider where Amazon has gone from about 1995 to now.

Ooh, that hurts. I don't pretend to know anything about investments (well, "sell high, buy low"), so when I was entitled to a rollover from a previous job, I asked some questions of people I trusted. Long story short, I got a referral to a rep at one of the big investment companies. Set up an IRA and contributed to it, they managed it. Going on more than 35 years with them now, they have done very, very well for me, Different advisor now (the first one got promoted and promoted and retired as a vice president of some investment group within the firm), but he's a fiduciary, looks after my interests not his. Certainly not rolling in dough, but I have an emergency stash.

[Geodude]

Ooh, that hurts. I don't pretend to know anything about investments (well, "sell high, buy low"), so when I was entitled to a rollover from a previous job, I asked some questions of people I trusted. Long story short, I got a referral to a rep at one of the big investment companies. Set up an IRA and contributed to it, they managed it. Going on more than 35 years with them now, they have done very, very well for me, Different advisor now (the first one got promoted and promoted and retired as a vice president of some investment group within the firm), but he's a fiduciary, looks after my interests not his. Certainly not rolling in dough, but I have an emergency stash.

I do well when the market does well. When the market is not doing well... I sweat.

Not sure what this is. The grill is BMW-like, but the insignia is an 'S'.

[Racer X 69]

I do well when the market does well. When the market is not doing well... I sweat.

Not sure what this is. The grill is BMW-like, but the insignia is an 'S'.

Looks like a Lincoln Zephyr.

[noelcmn]