[Clatterville trolley]

I had to chuckle when I found this thread and saw that it was dlshady from Alabama. I thought that I might know him, but on closer inspection found that I was a generation behind! However, I knew that he had to either be related or was working at Dan's shop or both because in one of the photos I saw shop towels folded neatly and stacked very straight on very neat and clean shelves. Also, in another photo I noticed the tools all laid out like a surgeon would for surgery.
I had the pleasure of meeting Dan a few years ago at MetalMeet in Oblong, IL and have watched some of his other work on their site over the years. I remember that several on that site kidded him that he must check his stack of shop towels with a framing square to get them stacked that straight and neat.
Great to see that he is not only passing on his skill in metal work / restoration / wood work, but is instilling the same ethic in keeping everything in place and ready to not only find quickly, but use effectively.
His grandson will never forget this and other lessons Dan has most likely passed along to him and his dad as long as he lives.
My own father always had trouble letting me do anything on my own and would either do it for me or take it out of my hands to do it 'right'. So, it took me a lot of years to feel confident enough to tackle any project, but through persistence and the old, but effective, school of hard knocks I managed to at least have the confidence in myself to take on larger projects that I wanted to do, such as antique car restoration. Still find that I have a hard time finishing projects and am too quick to launch off on yet another project when the first (or was that ten) project(s) aren't completed.
What has helped me more that anything is the realization that I just really like to work on old cars and trucks and if I finish one that is great, but if I don't, so what I've had a great time working on it. Really noticed that attitude helped free me up to do a lot more work and get a lot more accomplished - not feeling like I HAD to finish it has freed me to finish more - go figure!
I talked to a recently retired gentleman the other day that had a great outlook on retirement: "If I don't enjoy doing something I just do something else I enjoy, retirement should be all about that and not about what you did for a living if you didn't enjoy what you did for a living."
Way to long of a post, and a long way around to saying - Way to Go!! Dan, Dlshady, and 12 year old son for taking the time to do this together. Terrific project!!
Jay Self