The Night Mail

[Oldddudders]

A somewhat unusual day - I was invited to go train-watching! This consisted of taking a train from my local station at La Ferté Bernard to Le Mans, train to Tours and the shuttle train out to St Pierre Des Corps, where I was shortly met by Jamie and his mate Andy, who have done this sort of thing before! They are very knowledgeable about SNCF locos and units, and driving round the roads by the massive yards at St Pierre, much underutilised these days, provided plenty of fodder. 

 

However, when we had stopped to check out some new-ish diesels, my eyes fell upon an adjacent building, or at least the slightly faded sign upon it. A Chapelon Pacific being rebuilt! Really, could it be therein? So with slight trepidation Jamie parked in the yard, and a chap came to meet us. He soon twigged that despite our limited French we were really interested, his colleague joined us, and we spent quite some time looking at most of the components necessary for reconstruction, in a shed 66m x 30, I think. [I don't think even Jamie has a shed that big!]  There will be pictures later, but suffice it to say that the loco probably hauled the Flèche D'Or to Calais in its time, and so has more provenance and interest for nous anglais than 'just' another worthy restoration. The two guys think another decade will need to pass before the loco might roll out of the shed, but they were clearly very bucked to find us intrigued and fascinated by their travails. Another positive for Anglo-French relations!

 

To sum up, I never expected to find myself standing inside a Chapelon Pacific cab - even one without a floor! 40 years ago, my then boss, Peter Coster, who has since become a railway author, was in the correspondence columns of Modern Railways discussing the merits of André Chapelon. He would be amazed to know I've been very close to one of his products, albeit in bits!

[Dave Hunt]

Have you been to the French railway museum in Mulhouse? If not, I strongly recommend it for a day out for the three of you. I’ve been twice on days out from UK flying to Basel and thence to Mulhouse and have been thoroughly impressed - and there are some of A C’s finest on display.

 

Dave (a great fan of Chapelon)

Edited June 22, 2023 by Dave Hunt

[Dave Hunt]

Today was really exciting for me too. We spent most of it putting stuff back into the new kitchen cupboards and getting things ready for the flooring chaps coming tomorrow ☹️. Then comes the plumber on Monday, the quartz worktop people on Wednesday and a final visit from the fitter a week today. That just leaves the decorating to do (thinks- since it’s mainly painting I wonder if Polish Andy is busy?) then it’ all quiet on the Hipposhire front until Jill gets the next bright idea. Maybe I’ll even get some modelling in??? 

 

Dave

[Compound2632]

1 minute ago, Dave Hunt said:

Maybe I’ll even get some modelling in??? 

 

You'll be wanting to get that breakdown train looking presentable...

[PhilJ W]

8 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

The Japanese do oodles of Limited Expresses, Tourist Trains and even regular services - such as the airport train below - in a wide variety of cartoon, anime and historical themes

(Hello Kitty Kyoto Airport Train)

It’d be interesting to see what could be done, given Britain’s rich literary and illustration history, to create some special train liveries (assuming that any of the TOCs could be a***d to do so).

Some thoughts:

The L Ashwell Wood Express - as LAW was the king of cutaway illustrations, this would be a train painted as a cutaway drawing exposing all the innards.

 

The Paddington Bear 125HST (running, of course into/out of Paddington Station) 

 

The Dennis The Menace Pendolino

 

The Bash Street Kids Overground Trains - one Overground Train per Bash St Kids character.

 

Other ideas?

 

5 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

There is a wealth of Shakespearean stuff to feed on also.

You would have to find a sponsor which might prove difficult at the moment.

[Dave Hunt]

55 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

You'll be wanting to get that breakdown train looking presentable...

 

The match wagon from the breakdown train got me the S7 group trophy last weekend.

 

Dave

[Flying Fox 34F]

All this talk of Polish Andy, is making me think of The Fast Show and Swiss Tony!

 

Paul

[Dave Hunt]

Swiss Tony wasn't as polished as Polish Andy.

 

Dave

[newbryford]

23 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

This evening, I decided to shift one of my super lightweight baseboards.

 

I did so quite easily, and whilst twirling it around into it's new location, I did something to my back.

 

Now it's a tad sore and I'm quite immobile.

 

Normally this would not be a problem, but Nyda is away, it's Trayne Klubb tomorrow morning, and I'm also responsible for the garden contractors catering arrangements (tea/coffee/cold drinks and biscuits....lots of biscuits!).

 

I shall have to retire to my bed, and get up early to get mobile and supple before the various 'guests' arrive (or just get drugged up so I can't feel anything).

 

 

 

If you'd mentioned this at the weekend, I could have slipped a few painkillers in your muffin (and that's not a euphemism)

[BoD]

4 minutes ago, newbryford said:

(and that's not a euphemism)

 

Yeh, we believe you.

[newbryford]

The nights are drawing in.......

[polybear]

6 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

 

 

Hey Puppers @PupCam - waddaya think of Bear's new image?  Smooth eh?

 

😎

 

3 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

Today was really exciting for me too. We spent most of it putting stuff back into the new kitchen cupboards and getting things ready for the flooring chaps coming tomorrow ☹️. Then comes the plumber on Monday, the quartz worktop people on Wednesday and a final visit from the fitter a week today. That just leaves the decorating to do

 

Hopefully the quartz boys won't have to do as Bear's Granite boys did - the holes for the sink + hob were pretty much cut but not completely (a bit like a part in an etched brass fret - the part is held in place by tabs).  This is so they could transport and move the worktop into place without it breaking.  Then they cut the tabs and removed the scrap part - they did this bit with an angle grinder with a stone cutting disc fitted.  Dust?  Oh yes......🤬

Fortunately only the bare cupboard carcasses were in place - no contents, doors or drawers.

 

2 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

The match wagon from the breakdown train got me the S7 group trophy last weekend.

 

Dave

 

Can we have some piccies please?

[AndyID]

 

2 hours ago, newbryford said:

The nights are drawing in.......

 

You beat me to it 😀

 

Or as my Dad wold have said, "Aye, the nights are fair drawin' in."

 

The view from behind my unattached utility building. Has a distinct autumnal hint, wouldn't you say?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 22, 2023 by AndyID
forgot pic!

[AndyID]

Never trust a bear.....

 

https://news.yahoo.com/bear-likely-attacked-killed-person-171251437.html

 

And it wasn't a grizzly. (Human remains were found in Bear's tumtum.)

[Happy Hippo]

16 minutes ago, AndyID said:

 

 

You beat me to it 😀

 

Or as my Dad wold have said, "Aye, the nights are fair drawin' in."

 

The view from behind my unattached utility building. Has a distinct autumnal hint, wouldn't you say?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time to service the plough!

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[jamie92208]

Good moaning g from the Charente.  Yes as Ian has said a reset grand day out was had yesterday.Andy and I had our annual expedition to Saint Pierre des Corps, which is an I dustrial suburb of Tours.  It consists of a vast complex of railway yards and associated industry, a few houses and the main line station on the Paris to Bordeaux line.  It has a large SNCF works and two lndependent loco works, one of which builds industrial Locos.  Ian had a book to return to me, railway related by some mischance, saomeet up was organised.  After first buying some food on the station, we set offbycar to see what was aroundmany, ocos were see and thetnenn. Retardation workshop was found. Apparently built by the British in 1946 and alit's dimensions and fixings are imperial.  The roof supports are 8 x 8 timber pillars.  Much amusement was had trying explain feet and inches.  However it was an unexpected bonus.  Piccys will appear on my Moves at Limoges thread in due course.  We then dropped Iaback at the station and watched an

Few trains before spend g the last 3 hours up on my favourite bridge watching more trains in the sunshine.  I even managed not to trip up this time so no blood was spilt and I survived unscathed.  

 

Jamie

[polybear]

6 hours ago, AndyID said:

Never trust a bear.....

 

https://news.yahoo.com/bear-likely-attacked-killed-person-171251437.html

 

And it wasn't a grizzly. (Human remains were found in Bear's tumtum.)

 

Ah, but if you caught someone building a house in your back garden would you be happy about it?

 

"Before the attack, Steven Jackson had been drinking coffee outside on the property where he was building a home, deputies said".

 

 

 

Edited June 23, 2023 by polybear

[rockershovel]

What are "unattached utilities"? Something a bear might find appetising? 

[AndyID]

19 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Ah, but if you caught someone building a house in your back garden would you be happy about it?

 

"Before the attack, Steven Jackson had been drinking coffee outside on the property where he was building a home, deputies said".

 

 

Well yes, I might bump them off but it's a bit unlikely I'd eat them too. (I do have a backhoe.)

 

I think Bear was more interested in food, as usual.

[rockershovel]

Some thought-provoking issues arising from the recent submersible tragedy.....

 

Firstly, that USN and/or USCG seem to have detected the implosion at the time, by means of their own

 

Secondly, that once suitable equipment could be brought to the scene, the debris was found within a couple of hours

 

Thirdly, their must be a huge invoice somewhere in the offing, for all this. I greatly doubt that the actual operators had appropriate insurance cover, under the circumstances... but the support vessel is presumably a charter? They could be in for an uncomfortable time in court. 

 

Fourthly, don't reporters do any research at all? The USCG officer did a neat side-step, but the reporter asking the question about "recovering the bodies" should go STRAIGHT to the Naughty Step and stay there.. "poor staff work", as they say in the military....

Edited June 23, 2023 by rockershovel

[polybear]

10 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

Some thought-provoking issues arising from the recent submersible tragedy.....

 

Firstly, that USN and/or USCG seem to have detected the implosion at the time, by means of their own

 

Various locations in the West had the technology to detect the Kursk disaster (admittedly a somewhat bigger bang) 23 years ago, so I'm not surprised they detected something.  Releasing information about "banging being heard" is somewhat poor though, as it gave hope to families & friends that just wasn't there.

 

10 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

Thirdly, their must be a huge invoice somewhere in the offing, for all this. I greatly doubt that the actual operators had appropriate insurance cover, under the circumstances... but the support vessel is presumably a charter? They could be in for an uncomfortable time in court. 

 

Insurance Companies are absolute masters at doing their very, very best to dodge paying out - especially when the sums involved are $$$$$$$$$.

[Happy Hippo]

39 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

What are "unattached utilities"? Something a bear might find appetising? 

Fingers apparently.

 

 

[AndyID]

2 minutes ago, polybear said:

Releasing information about "banging being heard" is somewhat poor though, as it gave hope to families & friends that just wasn't there.

 

 Very clever, not to mention retrospectively cynical. The USN had no means to corroborate that the apparent implosion was the sub until it had hard evidence. If they had said they had heard a "pop" and it turned out to be caused be something else that would have been even worse. The "banging" they heard was likely unrelated.

 

So, given the information that they had, how would you have released it?

[Willie Whizz]

The sea is full of strange sounds and noises, whose origins are frequently obscure and whose direction of source is easily distorted. This is why navy submarines and anti-submarine frigates carry an absolute mint’s worth of the finest electronic detection gear and teams of highly-trained specialists wearing highly-tuned earphones to try and detect the difference between a Russian ballistic missile submarine’s engine and a sea urchin farting during lovemaking. 
 

And they can still get it wrong; to this day nobody knows how many whales died during the Falklands Conflict, but with 1980s technology nobody was prepared to take the risk.