Author: Dave Farquhar

American Flyer Gabe the Lamplighter

Dave Farquhar Toy trains
American Flyer Gabe the Lamplighter

Gabe the Lamplighter is a beloved American Flyer post-war train accessory. It combines movement and light, providing something besides the trains that a visitor to a layout can control.

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Why Keith Hernandez isn’t in the Hall of Fame

Dave Farquhar Baseball
Why Keith Hernandez isn’t in the Hall of Fame

Keith Hernandez is an interesting Hall of Fame case. Since he’s kept a fairly high profile since retiring, it’s prizes some people that he’s not in the Hall of Fame. I think he has a case, but there are also clear reasons why he wasn’t a slam dunk. I think he has a fair bit in common with two of his contemporaries, Don Mattingly and Dave Parker.

Keith Hernandez has a case for the Hall of Fame, but his Hall of Fame case comes down to being in the right place but not the right time, and probably not long enough.

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What 1990s kitchen cabinets were made of

Dave Farquhar DIY
What 1990s kitchen cabinets were made of

There was a certain look that defined kitchen cabinets, and to some extent, furniture in general in the 1980s and 1990s. A lot of it had to do with the material. So what were 1990s kitchen cabinets made of? Read more

What is tin lithography, or tin litho?

Dave Farquhar Toy trains
What is tin lithography, or tin litho?

Tin lithography is a manufacturing process involving printing a design on tin plated steel, then forming the metal into a design. Lithography is the specific printing process in this case.

Tin lithography is something of a lost art today, or it is at least much less common than it used to be. Tin lithographed toys were, in some ways, the cheap plastic toys of their era, occupying a lowbrow space alongside cast toys made of pot metal. Today the process is largely used for gift boxes and novelty items.

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What adjusted OPS means

Dave Farquhar Baseball
What adjusted OPS means

Sometimes you hear the phrase adjusted OPS. Adjusted OPS is sometimes also called OPS+, which may or may not help clarify things. So what does adjusted OPS mean? And what is a good adjusted OPS?

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Paint vs primer primer

Dave Farquhar DIY
Paint vs primer primer

To the uninitiated, primer seems like a rip off. An expensive product you put on before you paint that you never see. But primer can be essential. So here’s a primer about paint versus primer, as well as when you need it, when you can get by without it, and what paint plus primer in one means.

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Lionel semi flat black

Dave Farquhar Toy trains

When repainting or restoring post-war Lionel locomotives, many hobbyists used and recommended a Krylon product. That part number was 1613, and it was available at many hardware stores. Unfortunately, Krylon no longer sells it at retail. Fortunately, there is a substitute you can use today for Lionel semi flat black.

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What raising the grain means

Dave Farquhar DIY
What raising the grain means

In woodworking or refinishing furniture, you sometimes hear people talk about raising the grain. What is raising the grain, how do you do it, and why is it important?
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Why Roger Maris isn’t in the Hall of Fame

Dave Farquhar Baseball
Why Roger Maris isn’t in the Hall of Fame

Let’s talk about my dad’s favorite Hall of Fame case: Roger Maris. Maris broke babe Ruth’s single season home run record, but then you never hear much else about him. How can someone break a record that stood for 34 years and not be in the Hall of Fame? Let’s take a look at why Roger Maris fell short of the Hall of Fame.

Dad had no reason to like Roger Maris. He played for the team he rooted for as a kid that left Philadelphia and went west. And then right when he got good, The New York Yankees traded for him. And then of course, he had his best years with the Yankees.

But Dad admired a guy who played hurt. Maris played hurt a lot. And I think it bugged him that the Yankees didn’t really appreciate him outside of his magical 1961 season. Read more

What is a Lionel E-unit?

Dave Farquhar Toy trains
What is a Lionel E-unit?

You don’t have to hang out with Lionel enthusiasts for long before you hear about a mysterious thing called an e-unit. But what is a Lionel e-unit, anyway?

The Lionel e-unit is an electromechanical device that allows Lionel trains to sequence through forward, neutral, and reverse when the operator cycles power to the track, making it easier to simulate train operations. Originally the e-unit operated using a solenoid, copper fingers and a drum to change the motor’s polarity. In recent years, various companies have replicated the e-unit’s function with electronics.

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