Author: Dave Farquhar

Marx William Crooks locomotive

Dave Farquhar Toy trains , , , , , , ,
Marx William Crooks locomotive

In 1959, Marx attempted to cash in on the popularity of TV westerns by creating an 1860s style locomotive. Today, the Marx William Crooks locomotive is one of the rarer and more desirable Marx locomotives. You don’t often hear the words “rare” and “Marx” together.

The Marx locomotive was a recognizable model of the real William Crooks locomotive, a St. Paul and Pacific 1861-era engine that still exists today.

Read more

Patch management strategy

Dave Farquhar security , , , , , ,

Vulnerability management and patch management are close relatives. In most companies, think of them as siblings who hate each other. That’s usually how it plays out. It doesn’t always have to be that way, but it takes some thought and strategy from both sides. Here are some ideas for patch management strategy.

Read more

Cleaning copper contacts

Dave Farquhar Hardware
Cleaning copper contacts

There are any number of methods out there for cleaning copper contacts, but some of them are safer than others. Here’s my favorite method to thoroughly and safely clean copper contacts. It’s very thorough, safe, and cheap.

Read more

1541 vs 1541C

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing , , , ,
1541 vs 1541C

The dark beige/tan Commodore 1541 disk drive is rather well known. The lighter beige, almost white 1541c is more of a curiosity. The drives are closely related, but the difference is more than just the color. Let’s take a look at the 1541 vs 1541c.

Read more

Nook charger replacement

Dave Farquhar e-readers
Nook charger replacement

If you lost your charger for your Nook, you have some options for Nook charger replacement. What you need depends on what kind of Nook you have.

Read more

Make a 3/16 scale Marx ore car

Dave Farquhar Toy trains , , , , ,
Make a 3/16 scale Marx ore car

Marx fans often complain Marx didn’t make quite enough variety in its 3/16 scale line. Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to get a bit more variety out of it by making a 3/16 scale Marx ore car. And you can do it all with original Marx parts.

Read more

Check SSD alignment in Windows

Dave Farquhar Windows , , , , ,
Check SSD alignment in Windows

It’s important to check SSD alignment in Windows. If your SSD isn’t aligned, you reduce its performance and its life expectancy. Fortunately in many cases, your SSD will be properly aligned, but it only takes a minute to check.

Read more

American Flyer 1275 circuit breaker instructions

Dave Farquhar Toy trains , ,

In spite of being older and rarer than the Lionel 92 circuit breaker, the American Flyer 1275 circuit breaker usually sells for less. It performs essentially the same function and is easy to adjust.

Here’s how to hook it up.

Read more

Glue coming up between vinyl tiles

Dave Farquhar DIY ,
Glue coming up between vinyl tiles

If you have a problem with glue coming up between vinyl tiles when you lay them, I have a couple of solutions.

And you will want to solve the problem. The glue discolors the tile, and doesn’t get any better with age. It attracts unsightly dirt and then nothing about it looks good.

Read more

Cheap Babe Ruth baseball cards

Dave Farquhar Baseball
Cheap Babe Ruth baseball cards

Everyone who collects baseball cards wants a Babe Ruth card. Unfortunately, cheap Babe Ruth baseball cards are pretty hard to come by. His most famous cards, 1930s Goudeys, cost as much as a nice car. Even though I’m not much of a car guy, the car is more practical. Even unattractive 1910s and 1920s strip cards of Ruth run four figures, especially cards from his early days with the Boston Red Sox. But there are several vintage cards of Ruth’s that don’t always break the bank, including cards from his playing days. You just have to look off the beaten path.

Read more