Castle Aching

[Nearholmer]

One of the many (largely useless) things that I learned through ten years of spending much of my spare time as a C17th re-enactor, is that traditional rural clothing , which looks a bit quaint to our eyes, is exceedingly practical.

 

Stockings and breeches (which can be 'confined' or 'unconfined'), plus gaiters when needed, are actually better than modern trousers for a largely outdoor life where there is mud aplenty, and the evolution of the doublet into a sort of quilted long waistcoat with detachable sleeves, plus a topcoat, allows all the gradations of cladding needed to cope with our ever-changing weather. And, a broad-brimmed hat is good winter and summer.

 

If we all had to go back to living on the land, in cottages built from local materials, well-insulated, but barely heated, I reckon it wouldn't be too long before we all adopted "costume" for practical reasons.

 

In fact, if it wasn't likely to get one labelled a crazed eccentric, dressing like that would be pretty ideal for our climate anyway.

[Edwardian]

In fact, if it wasn't likely to get one labelled a crazed eccentric  .....

 

No danger of that round here ...

[corneliuslundie]

To bring a rare fact into the discussion (sorry if it disrupts it) when we moved from Swansea (university) to Cambridge the annual rainfall we had to cope with dropped from 48 to 24 inches. But Cambridge was significantly colder in winter.

But i have often said that other countries have climates; we have weather. It is to give us something to talk about.

Jonathan

[Regularity]

In Cambridge, the cold wind blows in from the east, right across the Baltic and the North Sea, picking up moisture which turns to snow. It starts in the Ural mountains, and in the 30s they used to say the politics came with it...

[Hroth]

In Cambridge, the cold wind blows in from the east, right across the Baltic and the North Sea, picking up moisture which turns to snow. It starts in the Ural mountains, and in the 30s they used to say the politics came with it...

Having head-butted a fierce easterly whilst coming down the River Trent towards Torksey (for the Fossdyke Navigation and Lincoln) in early June, wondering what season we were actually in, I can but agree that the eastern side of England is ruddy cold!

 

Btw there is a railway connection, the Fossdyke, built by those pesky Romans, was leased to the GNR in 1846, why I don't know. Did it penetrate a competitor territory?

[ChrisN]

I have often sat on a beach in Wales, in the sunshine, watching the clouds form about a 100yds or so from land and then gradually rise and sail over me to deposit their rain on the mountains behind.  Twice we went up the mountains on such a day to be soaked to the skin only to come back and find that where we had started from was still perfectly dry.

 

Two of our numerous holidays in Wales were in Criccieth, the first was rather wet and we packed the tent while it was raining 'Welsh Rain', (The type of rain that appears only to be a fine mist but is in fact almost solid water).  The second week two years later, was wall to wall sunshine.

[wagonman]

Having head-butted a fierce easterly whilst coming down the River Trent towards Torksey (for the Fossdyke Navigation and Lincoln) in early June, wondering what season we were actually in, I can but agree that the eastern side of England is ruddy cold!

 

Btw there is a railway connection, the Fossdyke, built by those pesky Romans, was leased to the GNR in 1846, why I don't know. Did it penetrate a competitor territory?

 

 

Technically the Foss Dyke was leased by the Wakefield Lincoln and Boston Railway. The line was actually built by the GNR who had to take over the Foss Dyke lease as well. I suppose the canal itself was seen as a potential competitor.

[Caley Jim]

The Caledonian bought the Forth and Clyde Canal, but that was so that they could get hold of Grangemouth Docks, which they developed as a port on the East Coast.  I don't think they were at all bothered about competition from the canal.

 

Jim

[TheQ]

My current house was built around the time of the castle Aching layout, that is, the house was completed in 1906.

When we moved in it had original sash windows ( partly rotten), only 2 inches of ancient loft insulation And it has single brick walls.

That first winter was xxxxxxx freezing, even with the 14 radiators. The previous owners son was an area manager for Shell gas, and no doubt had a good discount.

We've now a foot of insulation and double glazing, But I still can't afford to have the heating set to 21C, so it's set to 18C supplemented by a multi fuel stove in the living room.

 

An additional heater is Ben the Border Collie who is currently leaning on me, head in my lap.

 

3 hours ago you could feel the temperature drop as sunset arrived and the boiler battles to keep the temperature up.

 

In the days of Castle Aching there were 4 open fires and a coal fired stove in the kitchen. It must of been a big task running around from fire to fire keeping them running safely. I would think this house alone would have used at least 10 tons of coal in a winter but then some all year round for cooking. Now we use just over a ton...

[Regularity]

I would think this house alone would have used at least 10 tons of coal in a winter but then some all year round for cooking.

10 tons of coal = 1 private owner wagon’s worth...

Edited December 3, 2017 by Regularity

[Donw]

Some odd ideas mixed up with good info in that lot. Storage Heaters can give a warm house just as small radiator can make a CH system insufficient. Most Storage Heaters installations were designed as background heat. The trouble with Storage Heaters is the heaters holds the most heat in the morning and the least last thing at night. You can regulate the heat output by opening vents The automatic ones seem ueless but done manually it can work well. Living in the countryside it was them, oil or solid fuel. As the electric supply on overhead wires often failed during storms the Storage heaters did keep some heat in. The supplementary heating was a wood burning stove. 

 

In old houses the Chimney was a huge chunk of masonry and the inefficient fire would put load of heat into the masonry which would release back into the rooms overnight. A bedroom where the chimney passed through one of the walls could be quite warm by bedtime. Stone cottages had thick walls which helped. Possibly the worst houses were the nine inch solid brick victorian ones with small fireplaces.

 

Modern houses are much better insulated but I have my doubts about how long they will last.

 

Don

[Poggy1165]

I honestly think this country could usefully invest in a massive insulation programme, not just for houses but public buildings and even factories. It would probably save building several power stations. 

 

Was it not on the Settle and Carlisle line that some stations had triple glazing put in by the Midland?

[Edwardian]

I honestly think this country could usefully invest in a massive insulation programme, not just for houses but public buildings and even factories. It would probably save building several power stations. 

 

Was it not on the Settle and Carlisle line that some stations had triple glazing put in by the Midland?

 

While we are at it, we can stop the insane practice of siting radiators against external walls underneath windows!

 

Continental Europeans have it right with those ceramic stoves.  Better than open fires.  Some fine examples at Hampton Court, installed by Dutch William, who was no doubt unimpressed with our barbarous ways!

[Nearholmer]

There is a logical reason for putting radiators where we do, under windows, because it leads to air circulation, due to warm air rising across the window, and an even temperature across the room. If heaters are put on the opposite side of the room, it tends to lead to a lump of warm air on one side, and a lump of cold air, under the window, on the other side.

 

If the window is very well insulated, triple-glazed maybe, so get close to the insulation levels of the outside walls, or the window is very small, the effect will be less pronounced.

[Edwardian]

There is a logical reason for putting radiators where we do, under windows, because it leads to air circulation, due to warm air rising across the window, and an even temperature across the room. If heaters are put on the opposite side of the room, it tends to lead to a lump of warm air on one side, and a lump of cold air, under the window, on the other side.

 

If the window is very well insulated, triple-glazed maybe, so get close to the insulation levels of the outside walls, or the window is very small, the effect will be less pronounced.

 

Hmm.  Seems to me a fine line between "circulate" and "escape"!  Our heat should circulate well, since the landlord has clearly never replaced the thin, and rather brittle, Nineteenth Century glass. We don't have double, let alone triple glazing!

 

Returning briefly to the Great Castle Aching Cork Catastrophe, I spent yesterday printing, gluing and trimming another Templot print-out. 

 

I discovered many things.  One of the things I discovered is that Pritt Stick does not stick paper to cork, but UHU does.  Another thing I discovered is that I should not use the Memsahib's cookery books to weigh things down unless I want grease spots all over them.

 

The other thing I discovered is just how distorted the Templot print had become through sticking it to the cork with PVA.  The close-up shows the new print on the board, the pencil lines the outline of the distorted version.  No wonder Don's flowing lines lost their flow and the station no longer fitted on the board!

 

I ran out of time, but have brought the second front board in, and I plan to get the cork down this weekend.  I have tried my best to edit out the Landlord's emphatic wallpaper.  It is rather distracting.

[Donw]

I presume the grease spots are coming off the cookery books onto the plan. The other way round could be disastrous! Provided you use a track gauge when fixing the rails down the distortion is not critical any gaps or bits to cut out would be in the plain track obviously. The important thing is to get the alignments right amoungst the turnouts.  The great advantage of Templot over pre-printed templates is that it can define the alignments even when the track is curved. In fact if I don't have a templot print I would prefer to use the Bendy stick method just drawing a few lines and marking key points. nice to see progress.

 

As for the windows, you cannot do much in a rented property. Taping bubble wrap over the glass in windows where you don't want a view. Thick curtains may be your answer a piece of batton and some clamps to hold the bottom of the curtains onto the windows sill could deal with any draughty windows during darkness. Unless of course you are like Marion who wakes with a headache unless the bedroom windows are open and the heating turned right down. Guess who seems to get most of the draught.

At one time posh houses went in for shutters on the insides to keep the warm in. Multiple layer insulation has rendered this unnescessary.

Don

[Edwardian]

I presume the grease spots are coming off the cookery books onto the plan. The other way round could be disastrous! Provided you use a track gauge when fixing the rails down the distortion is not critical any gaps or bits to cut out would be in the plain track obviously. The important thing is to get the alignments right amoungst the turnouts.  The great advantage of Templot over pre-printed templates is that it can define the alignments even when the track is curved. In fact if I don't have a templot print I would prefer to use the Bendy stick method just drawing a few lines and marking key points. nice to see progress.

 

As for the windows, you cannot do much in a rented property. Taping bubble wrap over the glass in windows where you don't want a view. Thick curtains may be your answer a piece of batton and some clamps to hold the bottom of the curtains onto the windows sill could deal with any draughty windows during darkness. Unless of course you are like Marion who wakes with a headache unless the bedroom windows are open and the heating turned right down. Guess who seems to get most of the draught.

At one time posh houses went in for shutters on the insides to keep the warm in. Multiple layer insulation has rendered this unnescessary.

Don

 

Thanks, Don.  No distortion now I have reprinted, so I should be fine.  The distortion had fundamentally altered the angles and curves, as well as increasing the size, of the plan and it simply would not align with the baseboard!

 

Cured now. All set for my next mistake!

 

I suppose I had better think about where the wires will go.  Drill for droppers, or burrow through the cork to the front edge (there will be boxes stored under the layout)?

[Regularity]

Any problems you may get with wiring are likely to be due to soldered joints, either to the rail or a switch/feed, so whether you run them underneath or above won’t make for a lot of difference. Wiring on top means you don’t have to keep lifting up and putting back the baseboard.

[Nearholmer]

Droppers.

 

Because, when (notice that I didn't say 'if') you want to change something later, it is so much easier to alter connections to droppers than it is to start digging-up your scenery.

 

And, you are less likely to forget where your wiring runs through the scenery, and drill a hole through it to plant a tree.

[Compound2632]

And, you are less likely to forget where your wiring runs through the scenery, and drill a hole through it to plant a tree.

 

I trust James isn't using real water too...

[Edwardian]

I trust James isn't using real water too...

 

Not unless the roof leaks!

[Northroader]

And when you do,the hole for the wire for the droppers, is it a snug fit, or loose, and do you bung up the slack fit with a bit of blutak or some such, so as when you do the ballast, and drip runny pva mix over it all, it won’t run down the droppers and drip over any cookery books, carpets or whatever?

[Hroth]

Droppers.

 

Because, when (notice that I didn't say 'if') you want to change something later, it is so much easier to alter connections to droppers than it is to start digging-up your scenery.

 

And, you are less likely to forget where your wiring runs through the scenery, and drill a hole through it to plant a tree.

"Then he nailed right through a cable

POP

And out went all the lights!"

[corneliuslundie]

And keep a careful record of your wiring, so you can actually find out which wire is which when things do go wrong. Colour coding can be useful unless you are colour deficient. So can those little plastic thingies with numbers or letters on which you can slip onto the wires.

But above all, make a careful record and then put it somewhere where you will be able to find it in three years. Including the pins used for each connection on any plugs and sockets.

Plastic combs for binding documents make pretty useful cable tidies.

I was recommended to take each dropper to a brass screw inserted into the underside of the baseboard and then make any connections to that.  I have done it but not consistently I am afraid.

Jonathan

[BG John]

Radio control seems so much easier!