Author: Dave Farquhar

Rough Riders toys 1980s

Dave Farquhar 1980s
Rough Riders toys 1980s

Rough Riders toy trucks were popular line of motorized toys in the 1980s, introduced in 1981. They competed directly with Stompers, which were made by Schaper. Rough Riders were made by LJN. The first-generation Rough Riders were fairly blatant ripoffs of the first-generation Stomper design.

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Ryobi PBP002 battery review

Dave Farquhar DIY
Ryobi PBP002 battery review

Ryobi’s 1.5 Ah batteries have never had the best reputation. But all of my experience was with earlier model. I bought into the Ryobi tool line around 2009 and I’ve accumulated a few batteries and chargers over the years. So I usually just buy the tool alone and use the better, heavier duty batteries. But last year I purchased a tool bundle that included a pair of the new PBP002 1.5 Ah batteries. Is the Ryobi PBP002 battery any good? Read this review to find out.

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Marx train set 4218 for W.T. Grant

Dave Farquhar Toy trains
Marx train set 4218 for W.T. Grant

The Marx 4218 was a low end train set that was the result of a long time collaboration between two large companies while times were still good for both of them. It was an inexpensive electric train set exclusive to W.T. Grant, which was one of the fastest growing retailers in the United States at the time.

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What network drivers are

Dave Farquhar Software
What network drivers are

What are network drivers? What is a network driver? It’s a valid question, no one’s born knowing this stuff. In this blog post, I’ll explain network drivers, why they’re important, and where to find them.

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The best type-in I ever typed in: Crossroads, by Steve Harter

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
The best type-in I ever typed in: Crossroads, by Steve Harter

A question has been going around on social media about the best type-in you ever typed in. I remember it like it was yesterday. Crossroads, from the December 1987 issue of Compute!’s Gazette. Second place wasn’t close. Crossroads was an arcade-style game for the Commodore 64 that I think of as a sort of top-down 2-dimensional Doom-like game.

Yes, I am aware there was a sequel, Crossroads II, published a year later. I didn’t type that one in. I bought the disk. So while Crossroads II was better, I can’t call it the best type-in I ever typed in myself.

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Marx freight set 4205

Dave Farquhar Toy trains
Marx freight set 4205

Circa 1958, Marx introduced a steam freight train set, catalog number 4205, that went on to become one of its best sellers. The set remained in production into the 1960s, but with some changes. It provided an introduction to electric trains at an unbeatable price.

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Commodore 8250 disk drive

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
Commodore 8250 disk drive

The Commodore 8250 disk drive was the highest capacity floppy drive Commodore made for its 8-bit computers. It was a dual drive unit the connected to the IEEE-488 bus used on the PET and CBM line of computers. Each drive stored one megabyte of data on 5.25 inch double sided quad density disks. When you listed the directory on a Commodore equipped with an 8250, the disk read 4133 blocks free.

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We’ll leave the TV and the radio behind ’80s song lyric

Dave Farquhar 1980s
We’ll leave the TV and the radio behind ’80s song lyric

We’ll leave the TV and the radio behind is one of the more distinct and memorable lines in Joe Jackson’s 1982 hit single Steppin’ Out.

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Refurbishing a Lionel 6014 boxcar

Dave Farquhar Toy trains
Refurbishing a Lionel 6014 boxcar

One morning in December, I got a text message from my wife. She’d found some trains in a secondhand store, cheap. They were damaged, but I like fixing up old trains. The highlight of the find was a Lionel 6014 boxcar. It had a busted truck, but was otherwise in reasonable condition. I didn’t have to feel bad about modifying it, and I had just the thing in mind. Restoration is a strong word for what I ended up doing, but some might call it a restoration or a customization.

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Panasonic Business Partner 1650: Tandy in disguise

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
Panasonic Business Partner 1650: Tandy in disguise

The Panasonic Business Partner 1650, also known as the FX 1650, is a PC clone from 1989. Everyone was making 286 based PC clones in 1989, but this Panasonic is a little bit different. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing depends on when you bought it. The label on the back provides a clue.

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