Equally interesting are the walls, adorned with railroad and advertising signs; license plates; a poster for the 1940 film classic The Sea Hawk, starring Claude Rains (who resided in West Chester); and a framed feed bag from the Pocopson Mills, which once stood on the store's very site. Equally interesting are the walls, adorned with railroad and advertising signs; license plates; a poster for the 1940 film classic The Sea Hawk, starring Claude Rains (who resided in West Chester); and a...

Fitting Product Design to Production Efficiency Building manufacturing competitiveness on tomorrow's production floor will require strategic conceptual foresight -- including part and product designs optimized for both the customer and the manufacturing and assembly processes. That greatly increases the production floor's competitive value via equipment speed, accuracy and flexibility. Fitting Product Design to Production Efficiency Building manufacturing competitiveness on tomorrow's...

Go back far enough and you're at the very beginnings of machinery itself. The Tonight Show host looks to the past to make his garage more environmentally sound using giant steam and natural-gas engines from the 19th century. What better way than going back more than 100 years and applying some old but proven technology? A couple of clean-burning, monster-size engines seemed like a good way to start. A buddy of mine with a tractor-trailer hauled it from Pennsylvania to our shop, dodging...

More than 2,000 people were expected to attend the lighting, which included a countdown to the lighting of trees in the Commons and around the i wireless Center. He collects antique John Deere tractors, so for the fifth year in a row, they have come to Moline a bit before the lighting to have supper, do some shopping, then find a seat. One couple sat closely on a bench -- the best seat in the house they'd tell you -- his legs wrapped in a blanket, her hat over her ears and tied below her...

Lane's enterprise has steadily expanded over the years to include a large retail area, a catwalk where visitors can observe the packing process, a restaurant and 60 rocking chairs out front. To avoid the interruptions, the Lane family hired a high school girl and put her out beside the road with a folding table and a supply of peaches. From that humble roadside beginning, Lane's foray into agritourism has grown into a full-scale attraction that drew 200,000 people last year. Lane credits...

Corn ethanol production requires the burning of fossil fuels, and threatens water quality and availability, according to a new study by the National Academy of Sciences. During my career, I often told students and anyone who might listen that we would one day pay a very high price for drinking water and may see bloodshed over water rights. Whether the blame is fair or not, a negative image could limit the potential to create more environmentally beneficial fuels, experts say. We should not...