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Lionel smoke pellets

Dave Farquhar Toy trains November 18, 2021September 15, 2023

Lionel’s smoke pellets are certainly iconic, and a memorable part of the post-war Lionel experience. Pre-war trains didn’t have smoke, and after World War II ended, the big three train makers raced to introduce smoke units to give their trains something new. The sight and smell of Lionel train smoke pellets is unforgettable for a generation or three. Why did Lionel stop using smoke pellets, and why can’t you buy them anymore?

Lionel smoke pellets made postwar steam locomotives emit vapors from their miniature stack to create toy train pseudo-smoke. This new twist to Lionel trains became an unforgettable part of the toy train scene and an enduring old postwar favorite.

Where are my apps in Android 12?

Dave Farquhar Android November 17, 2021November 14, 2021

I upgraded my Pixel phone to Android 12, and I couldn’t find my apps. When I swipe up on the home button, I get my running apps, but not the full list. Where are my apps on Android 12?

Swipe up on the desktop and you’ll find your list of installed apps in Android 12. Swiping up on the home button now pulls up the list of running apps.

Add a TCP/IP printer in Windows 11

Dave Farquhar Windows November 16, 2021March 18, 2022

Adding a TCP/IP printer to Windows 11 is a little different from earlier versions of Windows, though not terribly different from adding one to Windows 10. But here’s how to add one in Windows 11, step by step, complete with screenshots. It’s been more than a few years since I was a professional printer administrator, but I guess I still have a little of that in me.

What motivated the FBI e-mail hacker

Dave Farquhar security November 15, 2021November 14, 2021

Over the weekend of Nov 13, 2021, the FBI acknowledged unauthorized emails coming from a legitimate FBI email address to about 100,000 organizations warning them about ransomware. It appears to be the work of a self-styled white hat hacker, or security researcher.

I am a security professional. I am going to remind everyone that these are not the opinion of my current or any former employer. I have strong opinions on the, and those opinions are incredibly unpopular among security professionals. They may or may not agree with me privately, but agreeing with me publicly is not a great idea.

What is a Lionel Pullmor motor?

Dave Farquhar Toy trains November 11, 2021March 10, 2022

Various Lionel trains over the years have featured what they call a Pullmor motor. But what is a Lionel Pullmor motor? Let’s look at the surprising origins of this motor and what you need to know about it, especially if there’s anything you can do that breaks it.

Cheap Windows 11 PC options

Dave Farquhar Windows November 10, 2021November 9, 2021

Microsoft caused a major hubbub when they announced that Windows 11 will not be supported on systems that are more than about 3 and 1/2 years old. That means a lot of still usable systems have to stay on Windows 10 until Windows 10 goes end of life. Here are some cheap Windows 11 PC options. I’ll mostly cover desktops here, as the market for laptops is rather different.

What batteries don’t leak?

Dave Farquhar DIY, Retro Computing November 9, 2021December 8, 2021

Anytime you are dealing with a battery, there is danger of having to deal with leaking. And the more expensive the devices that you put the battery in, the bigger the problem that is. That raises the question: what batteries don’t leak?

History of St. Louis style pizza

Dave Farquhar St. Louis November 8, 2021September 1, 2023

Few things in Missouri are more divisive then St Louis style pizza. From how you define it to who invented it to who copied who to even whether it qualifies as pizza at all is divisive. And the history behind it is surprisingly badly understood. So who invented St Louis style pizza, and when? What is the history of St. Louis style pizza?

Amedeo Fiore, proprietor of Melrose Pizzeria, served a prototypical thin-crust St. Louis style pizza starting around 1945, and created the market for pizza in St. Louis, in addition to probably deserving credit for inventing the style. Joe and Lou Parente, proprietors of Parente’s Pizza, were probably the first to use provel on pizza, sometime in the early to mid 1950s.

What is basswood?

Dave Farquhar model railroading November 4, 2021November 25, 2021

Basswood is a popular hobby wood, but what else is basswood used for? Where does it grow? And where do you buy it?

If, like me, you’ve been buying basswood at hobby shops for years but have never seen a basswood tree, there’s a reason for it. The tree that basswood comes from goes by many other names, including Tilia, Linden, and Lime.

How to tell which PCI express slot I have

Dave Farquhar Hardware November 3, 2021November 3, 2021

If you want to upgrade your PC, you need to make sure you have room to plug them in. Many upgrades, including GPUs, plug into PCI Express slots. Here’s how to tell which PCI Express slot you have, so you know your options.

You can identify your PCI Express cards visually (x1 slots are 1 inch long and x16 are 3.5 inches long), or using the command line from within Windows or Linux. The command line is more reliable and helps you identify an x4 or x8 slot with an x16 connector.