Midcentury Family Room - Family Room Large open concept 1950s family room photograph with gray walls, a ribbon fireplace, a plaster fireplace, and no television.

Family Room - Open Large open concept 1950s family room photograph with gray walls, a ribbon fireplace, a plaster fireplace, and no television.

Fun Things To Do in Medford Oregon

Medford, Oregon is a fun place to visit. It has great food, beautiful scenery, and plenty to do! I'm going to tell you about some of my favorite places in Medford so that when you come to visit you can have an awesome time too.

Vodka tasting at Crater Lake

Want to get a more sophisticated buzz? Some of the best vodkas in the country are made right here in Medford, Oregon. The vodka is distilled from potatoes and aged in barrels that were once used for bourbon or whiskey. A local family runs the distillery, and they produce their own spirits onsite. The business also has tasting rooms where you can sample any of their fine liquors—including gin, rum, and whiskey—to your heart’s content!

If you want to learn more about this process, check out one of these two cool events:

Vodka 101: A Tasting Class – $35 (2 hours)

Learn how vodka gets made by touring Crater Lake Distillery before taking part in an educational tasting session that will teach you how to identify different types of vodkas by taste alone (no glasses required). This class starts at 10 am every Saturday morning but spaces fill up quickly so be sure to book well ahead if you want to attend!

Go to the Medford Farmers Market.

The Medford Farmers Market is a market where you can buy fresh produce, homemade food, and products, and even get your pet's food. The location of market is at the corner of Main Street and Riverside Drive. You can expect to find vegetables that are in season, as well as some out-of-season vegetables or fruits. There are also meat products sold here such as beef jerky, bison burgers, chicken breast strips, and pork chops. You can also purchase desserts like brownies or cookies from local bakeries like Big O's Cookies & Sweets (which has been featured on Food Network).

The farmers market is open every Saturday from 8 AM to 1 PM during spring through fall months (November - April), and closed during winter months (May - October). Admission into the market costs $0 for adults due to its location being part of a public park area; there will be booths selling tickets for rides/attractions nearby if interested in those activities instead!

Hike Table Rock

If you like to hike, Table Rock is the place for you. This trail is short and sweet, but it’s also a great workout. The trail begins at the Crater Lake Lodge and climbs up several switchbacks before reaching Table Rock (a 1,200-foot elevation gain). Once at the top of this plateau-like rock, you’ll be rewarded with views of nearby Wizard Island, Mount Scott, and Mount Thielsen in addition to Crater Lake itself! If you get lucky with weather conditions or go during peak wildflower season (May), there are tons of wildflowers along the way that will make your hike even more magical.

Visit the Rogue Creamery.

Located in a tiny town called Central Point, this artisanal cheese maker is well-known as a tourist attraction. In addition to making some of Oregon's best cheeses and ice creams, it has a tasting room and gift shop where you can sample its delicious products. There's also a restaurant that serves up fresh sandwiches and soups made with their cheese (and you thought sandwiches were just for lunch). If you're not into eating out then stop by for the picnic area where you can pack your own lunch or order one from their restaurant menu to enjoy in the park setting outside!

Look for Sasquatch at Collier State Park.

If you're looking for something to do that's weird and wonderful, then look no further than Collier State Park. You can find Sasquatch here!

Sasquatch is a legendary creature, which supposedly lives in the forests of Oregon and Washington. It is said to eat berries and nuts from trees, but unlike Bigfoot, it doesn't like beer or pizza (or maybe they just don't get along). As with other mythical creatures such as dragons and fairies, there have not been any real sightings of Sasquatch—but that doesn't mean you can't try!

Collier State Park is part of the Coast Range mountains; it covers more than 3,000 acres near the city of Medford. It has plenty of hiking trails where you might be able to spot some furry beasties lurking around the bushes or hiding behind trees—check out their website for more information about camping at this park if you want an overnight stay!

Remodeling Services are an effective way

Medford remodeling is a great way to add value to your home. Whether you are improving the kitchen or redoing a bathroom, there are plenty of opportunities to make your house feel like a new place. You also have many options when it comes to decoration and colors. Medford has a lot going on so let us help you find something that interests you

Revolution Builders is a great company.

This company is dedicated to providing quality home repair and remodeling services. From kitchens and bathrooms to basements, roofing and siding, new windows and doors, carpentry, and more - we will help you solve your home improvement issues. Revolution Builders, LLC is a licensed contractor that provides personalized service for all home renovation projects

Revolution Builders, LLC

3619 Aviation Way, Medford, OR 97504

(541) 210-3205https://revolution-builders.com/

Saw a post about how American spell casters would just use guns instead and it got me thinking about other aspects of Americans and magic (most are based on stereotypes that I know, so I do apologize if any are inaccurate or rude, just let me know and I’ll fix it. I’m from Oregon so don’t know the specifics of each area)

Writing things under the cut

Cowboy wizards who summon familiars to herd their livestalk. Protection and trap spells in their chicken coops to keep out predators. Cooling spells stored in hats to keep the wearer cool on hot days.

Western cowboys who shoot first and ask questions later using enchanted guns or summoned weapons to defend their land.

City witches who create biospheres for their herbs and plants to thrive in in their small apartments. Familiars that don’t need extensive walking and specialized care so they can live with their summoner without worry. Bards playing melodies in the streets to any listeners, perhaps a small charming spell or two to get more money from passers.

Appalatian sorcerers who draw magic from forbidden and terrifying creatures, and create wards so others are not drawn to their doom. Farmers who can make the ground defrost for an earlier harvest, or a more bountiful harvest.

Small town druids who grow trees to replace the ones lost as their town expands. Animals being directed away from dangerous areas like highways, and animal shelters where Druidic magic is potent. Small towns around rivers or lakes that are so magical you can taste the buzz of it in the water, and there are regulations on how much can be taken at any time so the water doesn’t disappear.

Housewives in the 50’s who used mage hands and extra assistants to help with their chores, carry bags or reach high places. Who were regularly found guilty of attempting to poison abusive husbands, but not consulting experience witches on which herb would do the trick.

Alaskan hunters who cast protection upon female prey so they can ensure the population isn’t over hunted. Cheap to expensive clothing lines which sell warming clothes, defrosting gloves, familiar only dog sleds and much more

Floridians are the most notorious for chaos magic, mixed with the druids who protect swamps and bayous, and the irregular familiars are sure signs of someone who grew up in the swamp, like crocodiles and snakes.

Southern cooks who imbue each and every meal with comfort and love and safety, and those new to the art take years to master it. Specialized restaurants pop up boasting the best comfort food around, or the spiciest food that makes you literally breathe fire.

Punks who mostly choose not to label themselves as any kind of magic using, often creating janky spells or permanent graffiti. Hairstyles which change color or are actual spikes growing from someone’s head. Tattoos that shift and move, or music that actually deals damage to listeners (not much, but music with lots of screaming is sure to deal some damage, even without magic)

Builders who hire specialized magicians to make foundations strong, create framework in a day, or run deep inspections to ensure it’s a good build.

Techies who summon actual ducks to find mistakes in code, or accident protection with hot machines. Computers that run solely on magical circuits, and can create holographic images and interactive graphics (think tiny stark’s lab with his holograms that move and stuff) tech giants who are exposed for using spells that degrade and can carry unintended curses to users.

The saga of the Dura-Craft Farm House FH500, part 1

All the Dura-Craft Farm House posts will be tagged Dollhouse Diaries, so you can avoid them if you like.

Last Sunday, we were at the Save-a-Pet Thrift in Valley Springs, where we saw this enticing box. It's the Dura-Craft Farm House FH500: "So authentic you can almost smell the hay!"

This is one of my two favorite 1:12 houses, which is reprehensible of me because the window sizing and placement is really not good. Back in 2008, I had bought a completed one, in fixer-upper shape, at an antique store in Phoenix for $60, but a lot happened in 2008, and it did not make some move or other. I'd been thinking that while there was no realistic way anything big from 2008 could have made it to 2024 with me, I wouldn't mind finding another one.

This one was $50. The proprietor of the thrift assured me that the kit is complete. She knew the guy who was trying to build it, and he just ran out of steam because it was complicated. Having built kit dollhouses with Dad over a long weekend, I scoffed. (Spoiler: I'm going to eat my words, unsauced and chewy.)

Obviously, I bought it. (Actually, Dad bought it for me while I protested that I have unspent birthday and Christmas money burning a hole in my wallet, but you get the idea.)

Upon reading the instructions, I found the stamped date when it was boxed up: October 7, 1982.

Dura-Craft was an Oregon furniture maker that started using scrap lumber for dollhouses in the late 1970s, with its kit production starting around 1978. From about 1978 through the 1980s was a huge boom period for dollhouse kits, with so many more brands and models than there are today. (Furniture variety peaks in the 2000s, though, go figure.)

The pictures on the box thus show some of the earliest Dura-Craft designs. Dad has built the San Franciscan (that's the one he built while Mom was dying, that she never got to put the furniture in, so you can figure we sold that because we couldn't stand the sight of it). I think he has the Southern Mansion kit in the attic, missing one floor piece, but I refuse to build a plantation house. I've never seen the Chateau!

The first step is to assemble the walls, as the walls are not sheets of plywood or MDF, the way most kits have always been. No, the walls are assembled from individual strips of plywood, about three fingers high, with milled siding. This here is three of the wood strips already glue together.

I am grateful for the milled siding, as dollhouse siding costs a fortune, and all DIY trash-to-treasure substitutes are an incredible amount of work to do. I admire and applaud people who make their own siding from stirring sticks or whatever, but I know I would do poorly at it.

What I'm not grateful for is that the prior builder had assembled the walls with hot glue. Never build a dollhouse shell with hot glue. Don't do it if the instructions say to *cough* Greenleaf *cough*. Definitely don't do it if the instructions say to use wood glue.

Hot glue puts a rubbery, flexible layer between the two surfaces glued together. There is fabulous if you're gluing silk flowers to a hat. It is not fabulous when you have wood that's intended for square, direct joins. The wall sections flap where the joins between strips are rubbery. Some are off-kilter because a rounded line of hot glue doesn't absorb down into the wood the way wood glue does. Many are simply breaking because hot glue ages faster and worse than wood glue.

So every time a join breaks, we have to pick hot glue debris out of the tracks on one side of the wood strip. Dad scrapes at it with a knife. I don't trust myself around sharp instruments, so I alternate between heating it with a microwaved napkin (damp in the center so it doesn't catch fire, but dry on the surface so it doesn't get the wood wet) and picking at it with my fingernails. We have tacitly agreed that we will not attempt to fix every join unless walls refuse to slide into their corner posts, many steps down the road.

There is a great deal of gluing and clamping involved. We're somewhere between halfway and 2/3 of the way through wall repairs, and I'm hoping we didn't jump the gun in gluing that gable back on.

Meanwhile, the box does come with a clear photo of the interior layout!

The interior walls are not optional -- every model of this house that I've seen without those walls has severely sagging floors. The floor edges balance on narrow wood sticks that don't give a lot of support.

I need to see how tall the rooms really are before making a firm decision on who gets this house. If ceiling height is reasonable for Arvin Lebec, who's a tall guy at 7", then it's his. If it runs short -- as sometimes happens with older kit houses -- then I may rebuy the couple intended as the original inhabitants the first time I bought this house: the Archie McPhee barista and hipster action figures.

Tomorrow is yet more wall-gluing. So many walls. So, so many walls.

What Made The Earthquake in Turkey and Syria So Deadly? In Addition To The Quake’s Sheer Strength, The Area Was Ill-Prepared For Such A Disaster

— The Economist Explain | February 6th, 2023

In the small hours of February 6th an enormous earthquake ripped across southern Turkey and northern Syria. It flattened thousands of buildings, trapping their inhabitants in the rubble. Several aftershocks—one almost as violent as the initial quake—followed a few hours later. At the time of publication, more than 3,400 people had been reported dead, with many more injured. The numbers seem certain to rise. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s president, said the country had been shaken by the “strongest disaster in a century”. But why was the earthquake so deadly, and what could have been done to protect people from it?

Earthquakes are caused by the movements of tectonic plates, great segments of Earth’s crust that are dragged about by convection currents in the hot mantle below. Plates vary in size. The Juan de Fuca plate off America’s north-west coast is about as big as the nearby state of Oregon, and the Pacific plate occupies nearly a fifth of the world’s surface. Plates move slowly and sometimes stick and jam against one another in geological faults, creating a buildup of tension. When that grows too great, they can slip suddenly past each other, causing the type of earthquake experienced in Turkey and Syria.

Turkey is an earthquake hotspot. Much of it sits on the Anatolian plate, a small block of crust squeezed between four other plates, including the Arabian plate to the south-east, which is pushing north-west, and the much larger Eurasian plate to the north, which is moving south-east (see map). Earthquakes are common, though most happen along the North Anatolian fault, the boundary with the Eurasian plate, which runs close to Istanbul. The most recent quake occurred along a different fault, the East Anatolian, which marches with the Arabian plate.

Several things have conspired to make this quake especially damaging. One was its strength. Its magnitude was estimated at 7.8, and the most powerful aftershock registered 7.5. On average there are around 15 earthquakes stronger than magnitude 7 a year. (Because the scale is logarithmic, every one-point increase in magnitude means a 32-fold increase in the amount of energy released.) Its relatively shallow origin (initial analysis suggests its focus was just 18km, or 11 miles, deep) would have magnified the amount of force felt at the surface.

Factors above the ground have made things worse. The initial quake happened at night, when people were asleep indoors, leaving them little chance to escape. Winter cold will threaten the survival of those trapped under the rubble. In Syria, devastated by years of war, the authorities may struggle to organise an effective response.

Although meteorologists can predict disasters like hurricanes or floods, seismologists cannot yet do the same with earthquakes (though it is an active area of research). The most they can offer are devices which detect the fast-travelling pressure waves from a quake that arrive a little before the ground-convulsing shear waves turn up. But these give warnings of only a minute or so at most, and are expensive to maintain.

For now, the best that can be done is to prepare for the worst. Earthquake-prone countries, Turkey among them, generally require buildings to be constructed to resist the forces quakes unleash. But many edifices predate such rules, and corruption means the rules are often ignored by builders. Preparation is further hindered because, even in hotspots, truly devastating earthquakes are rare. The East Anatolian fault has not recorded a quake of this size since the advent of modern monitoring systems, more than a century ago. ■

New Mexico State Hiring Investigator To Probe Fatal Capturing

The solar panels we install lead the trade in effectivity, durability, aesthetics, warranty and extra. We carefully choose our solar know-how to make sure the best long-term worth and longevity for our clients.If we wouldn't set up it on our own home or enterprise, it won't go on yours. NMSU Athletic Director Mario Moccia stated Monday night homes for sale las cruces that Aggies power forward Mike Peake has been suspended indefinitely from the basketball team in reference to the Nov. 19 taking pictures. He added that neither he nor the school could touch upon Peake's enrollment standing as a scholar.

This could be found on Main Street, the place you will see locals promoting handmade art and crafts from serapes to ceramics, in addition to Native American, Mexican and Southern fashion cooking. Based on information from the Greater El Paso Association of Realtors®. Neither the Board nor GEPAR ensures or is in any means responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Board or GEPAR could homes for sale in las cruces new mexico not mirror all actual estate activity in the market. Copyright 2022 Greater El Paso affiliation of Realtors. Sonoma Ranch North is at the middle of recent progress in Las Cruces, together with shut proximity to varsities, church buildings, buying, and health facilities.

Chope’s Bar & Café is one other native favourite for delicious lunch and dinner within the southern New Mexico style. Las Cruces is located in the picturesque Mesilla Valley, between the majestic Organ Mountains and the mighty Rio Grande river. As the second-largest metropolis new homes las cruces in New Mexico, Las Cruces serves as the financial and geographic hub of the southern half of the state.

The four-mile path takes you up into rocky terrain the place you’ll discover a speeding spring water waterfall, historic ruins, and spectacular views of the Oregon needles which at their highest point stand 9,000 ft. tall. If you’re fortunate, you could even spot a couple of native New Mexico creatures like the pink tailed-hawk and golden eagle. The Las Crucescommunity is extremely pleasant and a tremendous homes for sale in las cruces nm aspect when transferring to Las Cruces. You’ll discover town is sufficiently small that you often run into people you understand at your favorite grocery store or cafe. What’s extra is the amazing, rich culture in the neighborhood.

But until Monday, NMSU officials had not spoken publicly about any particular discipline for Peake related to the capturing. Applicants will must have a family earnings of $52,300 or much less, apply to this system and rent home builders in las cruces a contractor. An approved application will end in a ten, 15 or 20 12 months loan to the family, to be paid back to the Trust at 1% curiosity. Click the title above to see the full press launch.

Go Maher Restoration Scholarship Essay “Speak about the biggest natural disasters in the US and how it has impacted communities”

1906 San Francisco Earthquake

Throughout the history of the United States there have been many natural disasters that have dramatically affected and impacted communities. One of these natural disasters being the 1906 San Francisco 7.9 Earthquake that left 80% of San Francisco (about 500 city blocks) destroyed and burnt to the ground by the fires that the earthquake ignited. The earthquake was caused by a shift in the San Andreas Fault which is just off of the San Francisco Peninsula. The land just to the east of the fault which includes the San Francisco Bay moved south while the west was pushed north.  The quake lasted from anywhere between 45 to 60 seconds and was recorded to be felt through southern Oregon to southern Las Angeles and parts of Central Nevada. Along with the great amount of damage, to rebuild the city took about $235 million (about $6.3 billion in 2018) to rebuild the city. The reconstruction of San Francisco wasn’t until 1915, 9 years after the disaster. Not only did it cost 100s of millions of dollars, there were 3,000 deaths and 400,000 residents left homeless. Although 9 years may seem like a long rebuild, for the amount of damage that was done, 9 years for San Francisco to be rebuilt was actually quite fast. Although the long term effects from the earthquake drastically changed the city was the loss of trade, industry, and the loss of population with the majority of victims moving south to Los Angeles. Los Angeles at the time was one of the most Urban places on the west coast during the 20th century. During the reconstruction of San Francisco, builders were making more stable and denser building to stand a high rector earthquake to hope that nothing will match the damage that was done again. Developers made such houses and structures although Urban cities throughout California and anything that lays upon the fault. Structures that will roll with a rolling earthquake and stick its ground during a major fault shaking earthquake. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake will live in history as the deadliest earthquake in U.S. history.

Isaac Lee Patterson (1859-1929) was the 18th governor of Oregon, serving from January 10th, 1927, until his death on December 21st, 1929. He was the first of Oregon’s governors to be born in Oregon, his birthday coming seven months after Oregon joined the Union. A fiscal conservative, Patterson modeled himself on Calvin Coolidge. His administration did, however, work to improve Oregon’s highways.

One of the main difficulties in traveling around Oregon was the lack of roads along the Pacific Coast. A 1919 map shows no roads whatever between Neskowin and North Bend, a distance of 133 miles, roughly one-third of Oregon’s coastline. Numerous rivers flow out of the coastal mountains toward the Pacific, and all of these needed to be bridged for a highway to function. Enter Conde McCullough, Oregon’s master bridge builder.

Anyone who has driven U.S. 101 across Oregon has driven across at least one of McCullough’s bridges. The southern-most, spanning the Rogue River on the northern end of Gold Beach, was opened to the public in 1932. Named for Patterson, when opened the bridge was the longest on the Pacific Coast between Astoria, Oregon and San Francisco. Incorporating structural elements pioneered by French engineer Eugène Freyssinet, the 1,898-foot-long bridge seems almost simple when viewed from the roadbed. Get below the bridge and its true beauty shines. The combination of 7 large arches and numerous small ones is gorgeous.

I took this photo (one of many I’ve taken of the bridge) from the south bank of the Rogue, looking toward the northeast. I used a Nikon Coolpix L3, and took the photo on December 1st, 2006, just a week before my new Nikon DSLR arrived. I’ve since taken many photos of the Isaac Lee Patterson bridge, but this remains my favorite. It also serves as the January photo for my 2023 Bridges of the Western U.S. calendar.

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Building a home is a dream come true, but it can be hard. From the construction to design, it can be overwhelming and confusing. Choose VanWey Homes to get rid of all the worry and have the support you need to build your dream home.

VanwWey Homes uses quality products and employs the best in the business to make sure that your home is durable, comfortable, and uniquely yours! Our customer service representatives, designers and construction experts are here to help you from start to finish. We also pride ourselves on the individual attention we give our customers, we will listen to your every query, concern, and suggestion to make sure that the house we build for you is flawless!

Our end to end care for the project is a guarantee for a happy home! From floor plan to landscape, VanWey Homes can help you pick the best products while offering you the best service. We have qualified designers who have an eye for detail and have made our company a local favorite to help you make your ideas come alive.

VanWey Homes specializes in building from scratch. We can make sure that every single corner of the house is built to your specification and/or requirement. Whether you want marble floors, special order light fixtures or simple but elegant designs, VanWey Homes can make it all happen. Reach out to us today and we can build you the house you are meant to be in!

Source: https://cedricroshanblogs.medium.com/looking-for-your-dream-house-vanwey-homes-is-here-to-help-649e2f8675b2

SP 3830, SD9 in Eugene by Steve Sloan Via Flickr: Southern Pacific (SP) SD9 3830 sits in Eugene, Oregon with fellow SD9 3914 on June 21, 1974. Judging by this photo, 3830 apparently retained its steam generator right up to rebuilding. According to good sources, including Strapac's fantastic SP Compendium series, SP 3830 was built in May 1954 by EMD as a model SD9, builders number 19460, SP 5371, SP Class DF-120. In 1965 it was renumbered to SP 3830 EMD SD9, SP Class EF618-1. This locomotive was upgraded in Feb. 1976 emerging as SP 4412 SP Class EF618E-1. The disposition of this locomotive is, 4412 was retired in Sept 1995. Sold in Feb 1996 to Progress Rail. Went to Nevada Northern in Ely, NV before becoming BHP-Nevada 203, then Rock & Rail 203. Current status not known.SP 3830, SD9 in Eugene — Southern Pacific (SP) SD9 3830 sits in Eugene, Oregon with fellow SD9 3914 on June 21, 1974. Judging by this photo, 3830 apparently retained its steam generator right up to rebuilding. According to good sources, including Strapac's fantastic SP Compendium series, SP 3830 was built in May 1954 by EMD as a model SD9, builders number 19460, SP 5371, SP Class DF-120. In 1965 it was renumbered to SP 3830 EMD SD9, SP Class EF618-1. This locomotive was upgraded in Feb. 1976 emerging as SP 4412 SP Class EF618E-1. The disposition of this locomotive is, 4412 was retired in Sept 1995. Sold in Feb 1996 to Progress Rail. Went to Nevada Northern in Ely, NV before becoming BHP-Nevada 203, then Rock & Rail 203. Current status not known.

Revolution Builders, LLC

Business address: 3619 Aviation Way, Medford, OR 97504

Business phone: (541) 210-3205

Website: https://revolution-builders.com/

Description: For two decades we have been building homes and renovating homes in Southern Oregon. As a local home builder and general contractor, we understand the regulations and have the connections with quality craftsmen to to meet and exceed your expectations and prove you with lasting quality.

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Introduction to the Railbike Blog

Welcome and thank you for visiting the Railbike Blog, a place that I intend to develop as the premier resource for railbiking in North America. Over the coming months, not only will I write reviews of each of the excursions currently on offer, I’ll also explore the people, politics and technology that have shaped modern railbiking. 

What is railbiking? While I offer a more specific definition below, it is exactly as it sounds: pedal-powered vehicles used on railroad tracks.

In the past two years, I’ve pedalled 8 routes and count another 8 across the continent to pedal this year. Please let me know if there are any excursions I’ve missed and should add. Also, if anyone knows of a legal opportunity to ride a bicycle fit with an outrigger for rail travel (photo above right), please let me know. Here is the list of North American routes to the best of my knowledge.

Previously Pedalled:

Rail Explorers Rhode Island Division: The Northern Ramble and the Southern Circuit

Rail Explorers Las Vegas Division: The Southwest Ramble

Rail Explorers Catskills Division (NY): The River Run

Rail Explorers Adirondack Division (NY): Saranac Lake to Lake Clear and “Into the Wild��� from Tupper Lake to Lake Clear (neither currently on offer)

Rail Explorers Delaware Division: Brandywine Valley (not currently on offer)

Revolution Rail Co: North Creek, NY

Planned to Pedal:

Railriders (WA): North Pend Oreille Valley Lions Club 

Railriders Joseph Branch (OR): Joseph to Enterprise and Minam to Wallowa

Oregon Coast Railriders (OR): Bay City to Tillamook and Wheeler

Vance Creek Railriders (WA): Camp 1 to Shelton

Adirondack Scenic Railbike Adventures (NY): Round trip Thendara to Carter Station

Belfast and Moosehead Lake RailCyclers (ME)

Please read below for my working definition of modern railbikes, along with a brief history of the concept. In coming posts, I’ll offer more detail on how the current vehicles and routes came to be. I look forward to sharing this with you.

Definition

For the purposes of this blog, a Railbike is a non-motorized, pedal-powered rail vehicle used for inspection and maintenance-of-way or for recreation on railroad lines. Railbikes are distinguished from motorized draisines in that they are pedal-powered in the manner of bicycles. For the same reason, they are further distinguished from handcars, velocipede handcars, and hand-powered draisines (NB, European systems tend not to use this distinction and use the generic term draisine universally). While initially used for track inspection and light transport of rail materials, typical modern examples are for recreational tourist excursions. Most modern railbikes run on disused railroads or on shared track with tourist railroads, although this does not preclude railbikes from operating on purpose-built tracks.

(The author on a Rail Explorers tandem railbike during the “Into the Wild” excursion in October of 2016, Tupper Lake - Lake Clear, Adirondacks, NY)

A Brief History

Unsurprisingly, the evolution of the railbike is tied closely to the evolution of both the railroad and the bicycle. Given the need for a lightweight rail inspection vehicle, light enough to be easily removed from tracks to clear the way for oncoming trains or to reverse direction of travel, the inventors Perry and Aspinwall patented the original three-wheeled velocipede hand-car, which was later improved and mass-produced by the George S. Sheffield Company of Three Rivers, Michigan, US in 1883 [1] [2].

(Advert for Geo S. Sheffield's early three-wheeled handcar, 1883 [4])

Following the introduction of the chain-driven bicycle in the late 1860s, which was mass-produced starting in 1885 by British inventor John Kemp Starley as the Rover Safety Bicycle, Charles N. Teetor of Hagerstown, Indiana, US, patented a four-wheeled pedal-powered railbike called the Railway Velocipede, one of the earliest examples of a pedal-powered railway vehicle [3]. A side-by-side tandem version with passenger seating was produced by Orenstein & Koppel of Berlin, Germany six years earlier [4].

(Sketch of Teetor's pedal-powered, chain-driven Railway Velocipede from the original 1895 patent [3])

(Orenstein & Koppel side-by-side tandem with passenger seating, c.1890 [4])

Following Dunlop's 1887 invention of the pneumatic bicycle tyre and subsequent mounting improvements by Michelin in 1891, the Sears and Roebucks Catalog offered the "Harris 20th Century Railroad Attachment" in 1908. The catalog described the attachment as transforming "the ordinary bicycle into the most practical and durable device obtaining high speed on railroad tracks, making a regular railroad velocipede out of an ordinary bicycle...this attachment has become very popular with railroad and telegraph employees, both male and female" [1] [4]

(Harris 20th Century Railroad Attachment as seen in the Sears and Roebuck catalog, 1905 [1])

Abandonment Creates Room for Recreational Railbikes

The 20th-century trend toward the use of private automobiles, buses and airplanes decreased the use of trains in many countries [5]. Large-scale abandonment of railroads followed the Beeching cuts in the UK in 1963 and the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act in the US 1976, the latter leaving almost 35,000 miles (56,000 km) of disused track [1]. By the mid-1970s, the magazine Popular Mechanics advertised conversion kits for using standard bicycles on abandoned railroads available from the American Railbike Association [6]. Thus, the abandoned railroads created a space for a new form of leisure.

(Advert for conversion kit, Popular Mechanics,  February, 1976)

References

Melin, B., Railbike: Cycling on Abandoned Railroads, Balboa Publishing, San Anselmo, CA, 1996

US Patent RE10303 E, Handcar, https://www.google.com/patents/USRE10303

US Patent 569683 A, Railway Velocipede, https://patents.google.com/patent/US569683A/

Thomas, J., Historic Builders of Velocipedes and Other Hand Powered Vehicles, http://velocipedes.blazerweb.co.uk/newsletters/Newsletter19b.pdf

Gallamore, Robert E. and Meyer, John R., American Railroads: Decline and Renaissance in the Twentieth Century, Harvard University Press, 2014

Popular Mechanics, It's New Now: Riding the Rails-Bicycle Style, February, 1976, p 87, https://books.google.com/books?id=B-IDAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

GET TO KNOW THE RIGHT PEOPLE

Consider Each Investment as a Business - The goal is not only trying to get the next best deal, but instead is looking to create a legacy in the real estate industry. • Adapt to Changes - The industry is constantly changing, leaving many inflexible companies stagnant. One of the major trends is the need to adapt to technological advancements as well as maintaining the overall quality of service. • Understand the Markets - While most investors do not comprehend their market and the frequent changes that occur, Fortune Builders provides the ability to gain market share utilizing the tools, resources, and network of experienced investors available. • Keep High Ethical Standards - Most businesses will compromise their ethical standards to earn more money. American Home Buyers & Sellers will build its foundation on trust, team work, integrity, and hard work. • Develop a Focus or Niche - An unparalleled level of quality and service put American Home Buyers & Sellers into a niche of its own by having a specialty in its market that will help the Company to attain its goals. ​ • Be Excellent Customer Service Representatives - Building business relationships with private lenders and customers is essential. Unlike other real estate companies, American Home Buyers & Sellers is committed to guaranteeing customers full satisfaction. ​ • Stay Highly Educated - As with any business, it is valuable to stay up to date with the laws, regulations, terminology and trends that form the basis of the real estate investor's business. Staying current does require additional work, but it can be viewed as an investment in the future of the business. Investors who fall behind risk not only losing momentum in their businesses, but also legal ramifications if laws are ignored or broken. Ignorance is no excuse when it comes to the law. Successful real estate investors invest time and supply the effort to stay educated, adapting to any regulatory changes or economic trends. ​ • Establish a Network - The owners want to support and create great opportunities for the organization, so the group of associates with whom they associate and network is composed of well-chosen mentors, business partners, and clients. The network allows everyone to challenge and support one another, and can aid in advancing one's career through shared knowledge and new opportunities. The development of a network is understood because much of real estate investing relies on tested systems rather than on reading a book.

American Home Buyers & Sellers, LLC is the West Coast's premier real estate solutions company with offices in Long Beach, California and Southern Oregon. Our company specializes in solving complicated real estate matters for people throughout the United States. Whether foreclosure, inherited property, probate, tax liens, abandoned land, fire damaged property, or surplus inventory we help find CASH BUYERS FOR YOUR HOUSES! Since its inception, American Home Buyers and Sellers, LLC has helped hundreds of home owners find solutions to their complicated real estate problems. Whether the homeowner is looking to sell or just looking for a FULL CASH OFFER we can provide a quick and easy solution by connecting you with Real Estate Investors across the United States and Beyond! American Home Buyers & Sellers, LLC specializes in property wholesale and is the foremost expert in this arena. We can help avoid tax liens on family property and avoid bankruptcy when dealing with stressful real estate situations. We work with each home owner individually and explore all possible options.

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Revolution Builders, LLC

Our remodeling construction services will build the specific designs you are seeking, along with enhancing them with local skills and expertise.

We will build your modern, rustic, contemporary architecture or something in between. Our results will be in the timetable we have discussed and on track with the budget, we have agreed upon.

We are a residential general contractor located in Medford, Oregon.

For years we have been specializing in custom residential and commercial remodeling and Revolution Builders, LLC. We help homeowners create a vision for their homes by planning, designing, pricing, and building their dreams.

We know the rules and have the connections with high-quality craftsmen to fulfill and exceed your expectations, as a local housebuilder and general contractor.

We offer a high-quality, professional home renovation service that will assist any homeowner in upgrading their property. From taking measurements to developing the design and managing the project, we will help you achieve the interior appearance and feel you desire!

We are proud of the five qualities that build our business if being a residential general contractor: experience, flexibility, a solid reputation, integrity, and listening skills.

For two decades we have been building homes and renovating homes in Southern Oregon. As a local home builder and general contractor, we understand the regulations and have connections with quality craftsmen to meet and exceed your expectations and prove you with lasting quality.

Revolution Builders, LLC

3619 Aviation Way, Medford, OR 97504

(541) 210-3205

https://revolution-builders.com/

MAP: https://www.google.com/maps?cid=1050003253826938032

Places for people. People places. People need places to be people. We build those places. Also know as spaces. Space builders. Space cowboy. You see how this works? #people #places #spacecowboy . . . . . . . Www.Jovickbuilt.com #southernoregon #customhomebuilder #jovick #jovickbuilt #contractor #generalcontractor #construction #newconstruction #remodels #residential #longliveourbuildings #home #homebuilding #homebuilder #customhomes #buildingscience #leed #usgbc #earthadvantage #netzero #oregon #roguevalley #ashland #carpentry #finehomebuilding #homestead #homesteading (at Southern Oregon) https://www.instagram.com/p/CVd8xCuvNKg/?utm_medium=tumblr