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American Flyer 594 animated track gang with O gauge track

Dave Farquhar Toy trains December 5, 2017December 3, 2017

The American Flyer 594 animated track gang is an interesting accessory. A.C. Gilbert released it in 1946 and 1947. Lionel reissued it in 2006. Although Gilbert marketed it for its S gauge trains, you can easily use it with 3-rail O gauge track. I’m actually disappointed that Lionel didn’t say how when it reissued this accessory.

What about scale, you ask? The figures are about 1½ inches tall, so they are much closer to O scale than S scale. So there’s no need to worry about that. It looks fine with O gauge trains. For that matter, it looks equally good with prewar or postwar O gauge trains. And it doesn’t look bad with S gauge trains either.

How big are baseball cards? It varies.

Dave Farquhar Baseball December 4, 2017November 1, 2017

Baseball card sizes varied over the years, but if you’re asking how big are baseball cards, you’re probably thinking of the most common size. The most common size for baseball cards is 2 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches, the same size as a wallet-size photograph.

Computers in 1980

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing December 1, 2017June 5, 2026

Computers in 1980 were rather different from computers of today. They could do the fundamental things a computer of today can do, but by modern standards, they were much smaller and less powerful. In the mid 1980s, Commodore Grace Hopper said we had the Model T, computing-wise. In 1980, we weren’t quite at the Model T yet.

Still, computers in 1980 were interesting. We’d never seen anything like them.

Commodore 64 vs IBM PC

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing November 30, 2017August 15, 2026

The IBM PC and Commodore 64 were introduced about a year apart. The PC came out in 1981. The 64 followed in 1982. They were two of the most important machines of the 1980s, and both have long legacies. Here’s the story of the Commodore 64 vs IBM PC.

Although the two machines share a legacy, for the most part they existed in different worlds.

How long to study for CISSP

Dave Farquhar security November 29, 2017November 19, 2017

People frequently ask me how long to study for CISSP. Unfortunately it’s hard to give a set answer for that, but I can tell you how to figure out how long you need to study for it. That’s almost as good.

Don’t believe anyone who tells you they can get you ready in x number of days or weeks or even months. No one can know where you are relative to what you need to know to pass that test.

What does IBM do now?

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing November 28, 2017October 29, 2024

What does IBM do now? Does IBM still make computers? If not, what does IBM make now? IBM’s days as the dominant maker of personal computers ended long ago, but IBM is still #32 on the Fortune 500 list.

How does IBM make money without selling anything to consumers anymore?

Christmas village layout ideas

Dave Farquhar Model Building November 27, 2017March 26, 2023

Setting up a Christmas village can be a fun way to decorate for the holidays. Some people set up rather elaborate and impressive displays. Here are some Christmas village set up tips and layout ideas from a model railroader.

Some people build villages with hundreds of buildings. Not everyone has that the space or budget for something like that. Even with a modest collection, you can set up a memorable village. Here’s how.

A quiet mechanical keyboard

Dave Farquhar Hardware November 24, 2017March 27, 2024

I need a quiet mechanical keyboard. I also want it to be small, to fit on my laptop desk. And I want it to be cheap. And durable. I don’t want much, do I? I might as well ask for world peace while I’m at it.

The Velocifire TKL01 claims to be all of the above, and delivers more than I expected.

Commodore 64 connectors

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing November 23, 2017March 19, 2024

If you’ve ever looked at the back and wondered what all the Commodore 64 connectors are for, wonder no more. I’ll explain them to you.

What does a CISSP do?

Dave Farquhar security November 22, 2017October 14, 2017

A CISSP is a professional certification. To attain CISSP, a professional must pass a six-hour, 250-question test and must have five years of professional experience doing work related to computer security. But after attaining the certification, what does a CISSP do?

An easy question on the test would involve what you have to be concerned about when running network cable through an HVAC duct. A medium-difficulty question might ask whether the CDMA or GSM standard for cell phones is more secure, and why. A hard question or series of questions would involve reading several pages of executive summary about a data breach and making recommendations to prevent it from happening again.