Friday Night Steam

A

From:  AmericanRails.com:

The Vulcan Iron Works got its start in the late 1860s due to the growing demand for anthracite coal discovered in central and eastern Pennsylvania. The manufacturer even preceded the H.K. Porter Company by nearly two decades, which became the leader in small, light duty steam locomotives for use in mining and general industrial applications. These models included several different wheel arrangements although the small, "dinkies" were usually the most popular. Ironically, the largest steamers Vulcan ever built were for foreign railroads in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and various countries in Europe. The manufacturer did survive into the diesel era but the competition was too stiff to remain in business and it closed its doors in the mid-1950s. While Vulcan has been gone for many decades now several of its locomotives survive today, some of which are still in operation. Their small size and relatively easy maintenance have made them prime candidates for both restoration and preservation.

Through the years there have been many industrial foundries that have gone by the name of Vulcan with some half-dozen located in Britain and another four in the United States. The reason for this is the meaning behind the term Vulcan; historically it was regarded as the Roman god of fire and smithery. The Vulcan Iron Works, which went on to build mining equipment and locomotives was founded in 1867 by Richard Jones. More than 10 years earlier he had successfully built a steam engine to power a wooden boat in 1835 and with the growing railroad industry and demand for anthracite coal by the late 1840s, realized there was a market for mining equipment and perhaps even locomotives. In 1849 Jones began building machinery although it was not nearly two decades following did he incorporate his company.
Ultimately, he chose Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania at a location on South Main Street for his new operation which was situated within the heart of the anthracite coal industry. The entire property included a machine shop, foundry, blacksmith-boiler shop, pattern store, and an office. The plant also had strategic rail connections to Class I Lehigh Valley as well as the Lehigh & Susquehanna Railroad and the Pennsylvania Canal. The company began to expand as early as 1883 by acquiring the Pittston Iron Works and Wilkes-Barre Iron Works. Soon after this it had branch offices opened in nearby Hanover Township, West Pittston, and Tamaqua. It wasn't until its 1888 takeover of the Wyoming Valley Manufacturing Company, a small locomotive builder, did Vulcan officially enter the market.

Like competitors Porter and the Davenport Locomotive Works, Vulcan's most popular early wheel arrangements were 0-4-0Ts and 0-6-0Ts (also known as "dinkies") although by the time it had stopped producing steam locomotives the company and built some 108 different designs. Through the turn of the 20th century the manufacturer continued to grow and became Pennsylvania's third largest locomotive producer. The World War I period was another time of growth for the company as it employed more than 1,600 at its Wilkes-Barre facility and its locomotives became popular with European countries including Britain, France, Italy, and Germany (other countries in which their products could be found included Cuba, Australia, and Canada).
Around this time the company also began producing its largest wheel arrangements including 2-8-0 Consolidations and 2-6-2 Prairies.  Following the war Vulcan also first began manufacturing non-steam powered locomotives, originally meant for use in the mining industry. These included battery and gasoline operated designs that could be used to move coal both in the mine and outside the shaft. For an idea of what some of these contraptions looked like please click here. By the late 1920s the company was producing small diesel-electric switchers, such as the 8-tonner of 1926. Outwardly, they closely resembled what Whitcomb had been producing for some time.
By World War II the Vulcan Iron Works had reached its peak, employing more than 2,500. However, following the war the company began a rapid decline as steam power fell out of favor for diesels (during the war the government had placed restrictions on diesel development).  Ultimately, Vulcan was in no position to compete against much other larger manufacturers like Baldwin, Electric Motive, American Locomotive Company, and others; it simply did not have the research and development in diesel technology. In all, the builder constructed just 54 diesels the largest of which was a 70-tonner model for the Carnegie Steel Company of Pittsburgh in 1944.

---

.

In 1954 Vulcan declared bankruptcy and closed its doors soon after.   Today, you can still find their steam locomotives at places like Tifton, Georgia; Wiscasset, Waterville, & Farmington (Maine); Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad; Little River Railroad (Michigan); Steam Railroading Institute (Michigan); New Hope Valley Railway (North Carolina); Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad (Ohio); Salem, Oregon; Grapevine Railroad (Texas); and the Laona & Northern (Wisconsin).   For more information about the history of the Vulcan Iron Works please click here.
Related Reading

Today's funny :0)

H/T to Terry!

Just flower pics

Not much going on in Coopville at the moment, so I thought I would share some of my scraggly attempts at gardening. Most are from old seed packets....

This little feller is all by himself

By the coop - the mushrooms are in better shape

These grew from seeds that I saved from last year

I love looking at them - I hope more flower

These are by my roses

My basil in the flower box - I use it almost every day

The weather has turned a lot cooler and  is most welcome after all the hot and humid days. I wish it would last.....

Rhino!

The Sumatran Rhino

YES

NO

Fast Facts for Sumatran Rhinos

By John Lindell, eHow Contributor

• 
  
• 
  
• Share
• 
  
• Print this article

The Sumatran rhinoceros is a critically endangered mammal, with an estimated 200 surviving in wild settings as of mid 2010. The rhino's decline came as a result of hunting--some cultures believe the rhino's body pasts have medicinal powers -- and the loss of its natural forest habitat in Southeast Asia. The species, which is harmless and typically solitary by nature, feeds on vegetation.

Other People Are Reading

• Strange Facts on Rhinos
• Clouded Leopard Facts for Kids

1. Identification

   • The Sumatran rhino can weigh as much as 2,000 lbs. and can grow as tall as 5 feet high at its shoulders. That still makes it the smallest of the rhino types in the world. Its body is covered with hair usually less than an inch long. The ears have tufts of hair on them as well. The horns grow on rough raised areas of the skull. The front horn can be up to 31 inches long, while the rear horn is only about 3 inches high.

   Geography

   • At one time, the Sumatran rhino lived from India into Southeast Asia, with countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos containing populations of the beast. The home of the vast majority of these rhinos as of May 2010 is Indonesia, formerly called Sumatra, and parts of Malaysia. The International Rhino Foundation reports on its website that most Sumatran rhinos inhabit preserves and parks where people actually must guard them from poachers seeking to exploit them.

   Diet

   • The creature dines on bark, shrubs, twigs, leaves, vines, canes and fruits. The species favors the forest edges where there's enough sunlight to help smaller plants grow. The Animal Info website notes the Sumatran rhino likes hilly ground where water is available and the mammal frequently visits salt licks when it can.

   Time Frame

   • Females are able to produce calves at about 7 years old, while the males will mate when they reach the age of 10. The sexually mature females have just one calf on the average of every three years. The gestation period for the species ranges between 15 and 16 months. The young rhinos remain with the mother for as long as 18 months after their birth. If they're left alone by men, the Sumatran has a life expectancy of 40 years.

   Behavior

   • The Sumatran rhino loves wallowing in the mud. The animal has the poor eyesight typical of all rhinos, but unlike most it takes to water well. The Sumatran rhino can swim without difficulty and there are even reports of some swimming in the ocean. The creature will seek higher ground when the lowland forests experience seasonal flooding, then head back to low areas when the weather in higher elevations turns cooler.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/about_7806608_fast-sumatran-rhinos.html

YES

NO

Fast Facts for Sumatran Rhinos

By John Lindell, eHow Contributor

• 
  
• 
  
• Share
• 
  
• Print this article

The Sumatran rhinoceros is a critically endangered mammal, with an estimated 200 surviving in wild settings as of mid 2010. The rhino's decline came as a result of hunting--some cultures believe the rhino's body pasts have medicinal powers -- and the loss of its natural forest habitat in Southeast Asia. The species, which is harmless and typically solitary by nature, feeds on vegetation.

Other People Are Reading

• Strange Facts on Rhinos
• Clouded Leopard Facts for Kids

1. Identification

   • The Sumatran rhino can weigh as much as 2,000 lbs. and can grow as tall as 5 feet high at its shoulders. That still makes it the smallest of the rhino types in the world. Its body is covered with hair usually less than an inch long. The ears have tufts of hair on them as well. The horns grow on rough raised areas of the skull. The front horn can be up to 31 inches long, while the rear horn is only about 3 inches high.

   Geography

   • At one time, the Sumatran rhino lived from India into Southeast Asia, with countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos containing populations of the beast. The home of the vast majority of these rhinos as of May 2010 is Indonesia, formerly called Sumatra, and parts of Malaysia. The International Rhino Foundation reports on its website that most Sumatran rhinos inhabit preserves and parks where people actually must guard them from poachers seeking to exploit them.

   Diet

   • The creature dines on bark, shrubs, twigs, leaves, vines, canes and fruits. The species favors the forest edges where there's enough sunlight to help smaller plants grow. The Animal Info website notes the Sumatran rhino likes hilly ground where water is available and the mammal frequently visits salt licks when it can.

   Time Frame

   • Females are able to produce calves at about 7 years old, while the males will mate when they reach the age of 10. The sexually mature females have just one calf on the average of every three years. The gestation period for the species ranges between 15 and 16 months. The young rhinos remain with the mother for as long as 18 months after their birth. If they're left alone by men, the Sumatran has a life expectancy of 40 years.

   Behavior

   • The Sumatran rhino loves wallowing in the mud. The animal has the poor eyesight typical of all rhinos, but unlike most it takes to water well. The Sumatran rhino can swim without difficulty and there are even reports of some swimming in the ocean. The creature will seek higher ground when the lowland forests experience seasonal flooding, then head back to low areas when the weather in higher elevations turns cooler.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/about_7806608_fast-sumatran-rhinos.html

The Sumatran Rhino is a mostly solitary animal except for courtship and child-rearing.

It is the most vocal rhino species and also communicates through marking soil with its feet, twisting saplings into patterns, and leaving excrement.

The rhino spends a large part of its day in wallows. When mud holes are unavailable, the rhino will deepen puddles with its feet and horns. The wallowing behavior helps the rhino maintain its body temperature and protect its skin from ectoparasites and other insects

1. Identification

   • The Sumatran rhino can weigh as much as 2,000 lbs. and can grow as tall as 5 feet high at its shoulders. That still makes it the smallest of the rhino types in the world. Its body is covered with hair usually less than an inch long. The ears have tufts of hair on them as well. The horns grow on rough raised areas of the skull. The front horn can be up to 31 inches long, while the rear horn is only about 3 inches high.

   Geography

   • At one time, the Sumatran rhino lived from India into Southeast Asia, with countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos containing populations of the beast. The home of the vast majority of these rhinos as of May 2010 is Indonesia, formerly called Sumatra, and parts of Malaysia. The International Rhino Foundation reports on its website that most Sumatran rhinos inhabit preserves and parks where people actually must guard them from poachers seeking to exploit them.

   Diet

   • The creature dines on bark, shrubs, twigs, leaves, vines, canes and fruits. The species favors the forest edges where there's enough sunlight to help smaller plants grow. The Animal Info website notes the Sumatran rhino likes hilly ground where water is available and the mammal frequently visits salt licks when it can.

   Time Frame

   • Females are able to produce calves at about 7 years old, while the males will mate when they reach the age of 10. The sexually mature females have just one calf on the average of every three years. The gestation period for the species ranges between 15 and 16 months. The young rhinos remain with the mother for as long as 18 months after their birth. If they're left alone by men, the Sumatran has a life expectancy of 40 years.

   Behavior

   • The Sumatran rhino loves wallowing in the mud. The animal has the poor eyesight typical of all rhinos, but unlike most it takes to water well. The Sumatran rhino can swim without difficulty and there are even reports of some swimming in the ocean. The creature will seek higher ground when the lowland forests experience seasonal flooding, then head back to low areas when the weather in higher elevations turns cooler.

Sponsored Links

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/about_7806608_fast-sumatran-rhinos.html

From: n.wikipedia.org:

• The Sumatran rhinoceros is a member of the family Rhinocerotidae and one of five extant rhinoceroses. It is the only extant species of the genus Dicerorhinus. It is the smallest rhinoceros, although it is still a large mammal. This rhino stands 112–145 cm high at the shoulder, with a head-and-body length of 2.36–3.18 m and a tail of 35–70 cm. The weight is reported to range from 500 to 1,000 kg, averaging 700–800 kg, although there is a single record of a 2,000 kg specimen. Like both African species, it has two horns; the larger is the nasal horn, typically 15–25 cm, while the other horn is typically a stub. A coat of reddish-brown hair covers most of the Sumatran rhino's body.
• en.wikipedia.org · Text under CC-BY-SA license

• Scientific name: Dicerorhinus sumatrensis
• Biological classification: Species
• Belongs to: Dicerorhinus

Today's funny :o)

Toikeys

Three turkeys went though the yard. They came from the woods across the road, hopped over our stone wall and headed for the back of our property. Still no little babies - just three adults.

Charlie and the girls were out front by that stone wall digging for bugs. There was no warning call from Charlie at all. I guess he didn't think they were a threat.

(Sorry for the ending - there is no editing program for the movie files - anyone know of
 a free one to download?)

He doesn't mind the vultures either. Or the many crows that hang around. But he does give a warning to the girls if he spots a hawk. He knows the crow's hawk warning cries, too as he hustles his girls under the deck or into the pen. It's interesting to watch how they all interact with each other.

Hey - can 'ya spare a wrench?

H/T to Viralnova

See That Pile Of Old Junk? Well, What This Guy Turns It Into Blew Me Away… Seriously, WOW.

John Piccoli is a 70 year-old man. He is also restricted to a wheelchair because he had polio as a young boy. But those two facts aren’t the most important things about this man. John is an artist. Not only is he an artist, but a very unique one at that. The Australian man doesn’t use paints or clays to create his pieces. Instead, he uses a small crane and a pile of scrap metal.
You won’t believe the outcome.

This is what he starts with.

This is John Piccoli.

And THIS is what he makes.

It’s hard to believe something this beautiful was fashioned out of old wrenches.

Lots of them.

30 years ago, John started making small garden sculptures from the wrenches he collected.

He kept at it, honing his craft.

Years later, he is still making sculptures for gardens…

But now, they are large-scale pieces.

And the places accepting his works are museums and galleries.

The Leaping Fish

A Fisherman and Net

The Warrior

Horse and Cart

A close-up of the large cart.

Two Mustangs Battling

The Little Mermaid

A Family of Deer

The Love Seat.

John is able to work in three dimensions in his workshop with the help of a small crane. Being confined to a wheelchair hasn’t thrown a wrench into his visions as an artist.
Via: The ReUse People of America
John has talent and gumption that is rare to find. Not only that, but the medium he chooses to use is one of the most unique you’ll stumble across. Share his work with others.