home depot Archives - The Silicon Underground

Central Hardware, St. Louis history

Dave Farquhar — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 11:00:54 +0000

St. Louis-based Central Hardware was one of the first big-box home improvement chains. It peaked in 1993 at 39 stores in six states in the midwest, employing 3,700 people. It was once the 19th largest hardware retailer in the United

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Are LED light bulbs worth it?

Dave Farquhar — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 11:00:56 +0000

I’ve been buying modern forms of light bulbs for almost 15 years now. So when someone asks me, “Are LED light bulbs worth it?” or “Do LED lights really save you money?” I can answer the question. I was more

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Replace your UPS battery

Dave Farquhar — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 11:00:58 +0000

My UPS started squawking one Friday evening, the tell-tale sign that the battery was dead or dying. When that happens, it’s time to either replace the UPS battery, or replace the entire UPS. Hopefully you can just replace the battery.

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All about the Lionel RW transformer

Dave Farquhar — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 12:00:15 +0000

The Lionel Multi-control Trainmaster RW is a sturdy tin box of a transformer from early in the postwar era. The presence of a whistle controller is the only thing that really distinguishes it from a prewar transformer. Lionel made it

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Add an outlet to a light switch line

Dave Farquhar — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 12:00:53 +0000

For any number of reasons, a lot of rooms, especially bathrooms, don’t have enough electrical outlets. Those rooms probably do have light switches, though, and that’s good news. It’s possible to add an outlet to a light switch line. The

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Attach Marx lighted accessories and hide wiring in one step

Dave Farquhar — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 11:00:09 +0000

A frequent question I read is how to attach tin accessories, such as Marx light posts and light towers, to a layout in a semi-permanent but reversible manner. I have found a way to do this, and as a bonus,

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Make display shelves out of rusty track

Dave Farquhar — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 11:00:58 +0000

Some people try to fix rusty track, while others argue it isn’t worth the bother. But if you’re in the latter camp, you still have options besides trashing it: Make display shelves out of it. My local train shop offers

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Save money on appliances

Dave Farquhar — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 11:00:40 +0000

If you want to know how to save money on appliances, I have some unconventional advice: Buy used. Yes, really. Here’s how to buy used (or refurbished) appliances and save big money without getting ripped off. I’ve had a number

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All about the Lionel LW transformer

Dave Farquhar — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 12:00:14 +0000

The Lionel LW Trainmaster is a 125 watt transformer that Lionel produced from 1955 to 1966. They are reasonably durable and Lionel made them for a long time. That means you can find them easily on the secondary market. They can be

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All about the Lionel 1033

Dave Farquhar — Fri, 25 Dec 2015 12:00:12 +0000

The Lionel Multi-control 1033 is a 90 watt transformer produced from 1948 to 1956. They are reasonably durable and were popular in their day, which means there are still a lot of them floating around so they tend to be

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