The Night Mail

[Oldddudders]

I recall watching a single coach, loaded with passengers, sail gently but unaided through a middle road at Bern station. No doubt a member of staff was on board with control of a brake of some sort.

 

Other nations' railways do not conform entirely to UK ideas and standards.  

[AndyID]

Speaking of vampires and jacks my 76 Impaler Wagon had a bumper jack. The bumpers like everything else on that machine were really sturdy. I did use it a couple of times without any problems.

[AndyID]

5 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

I recall watching a single coach, loaded with passengers, sail gently but unaided through a middle road at Bern station. No doubt a member of staff was on board with control of a brake of some sort.

 

Other nations' railways do not conform entirely to UK ideas and standards.  

 

The green railway of the West used plenty of slip coaches that worked that way too. Probably would not be allowed these days.

[Oldddudders]

9 minutes ago, AndyID said:

 

The green railway of the West used plenty of slip coaches that worked that way too. Probably would not be allowed these days.

A slip at Bicester on the down line being the last example, circa 1961, ISTR. 

[newbryford]

13 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

A slip at Bicester on the down line being the last example, circa 1961, ISTR. 

 

Not the last passenger slip, but a slip vehicle nonetheless.

975397 Test Car 2.

It was used for brake tests on new stock. I believe it's last slip use was in 2009 with the IFA tilt-bed point carriers (one is just visible on the left of the first pic)

The operator pulled a cable to unhitch the coupling.

First pic was from flickr, the other two are my collection - used with permission.

 

(975397 has currently undergone restoration into the RTC red/blue livery at Quorn/GCR)

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2023 by newbryford

[jamie92208]

It's alkicked off on the two new railway thread's. Bothlha e now been locked as Pele who should know better can't resist goi g off topic. 

 

Jamie

[SM42]

Curses that Mrs SM42. 

 

On Sunday she adjusted the clock in the bedroom. 

 

It's a fancy affair that looks like a block of wood with the time lit up in it. 

 

It has three buttons on the back to set it and the instructions are not only writ in letters 0.5 mm high, but also in Polish translated from Chinese

 

She, therefore, is responsible for this clock. 

 

The alarm has just gone off. 

 

Not sure if it was deliberately set for 2214hrs or if some combination of random button presses has done the job. 

 

So much for a good  night's sleep before what I predict may be a busy day at work tomorrow. 

 

Andy

[Northmoor]

24 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

It's alkicked off on the two new railway thread's. Bothlha e now been locked as Pele who should know better can't resist goi g off topic. 

 

Jamie

I have been guilty of contributing to off-topic thread drifts, but sadly there are people who write (earnestly believed) complete rubbish and others who cannot resist biting.  Unfortunately the latter are almost always the same people.

 

On "slipping", there was an aerodynamic trial of the APT in the early 80s between York and Darlington.  It involved two 37s pushing the unit up to 100mph then "letting it roll".  It must have been quite a surprise to any enthusiasts who witnessed the EMU go past at high speed with no apparent means of propulsion.  Nowadays social media would almost certainly be full of the details in advance, but if it wasn't, the conspiracy theories you could start would be hilarious.

[J. S. Bach]

Here I sit in a motel room in Springfield, OH waiting for the big Mid-Ohio Insulator show this weekend. i knew that the weather guessers forecast that it is going to be COLD but they never mentioned the tropical storm force winds accompanying the low mercury reading! 🥶

 

EDIT: Note that I will read/rate most of the posts but will probably not nswer too many until I get back home.

 

Also, I do find the switching on the fly project interesting; even i have few ideas about that although they are somewhat more oriented towards a hump yard. The big drawback is replicating the retarders.

 

Edited November 2, 2023 by J. S. Bach
To add some information.

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the heart of Ohio.

[Winslow Boy]

4 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

No doubt she will tell you that you are short of paint and need to get some more🤭

I think that's probably included in the written instructions to be honest. Mrs SM 42 strikes me as that sort of wife if truth be told.

[BR60103]

Well over half a century ago, Model Railroader had an article about a working hump yard.

The builder was using compressed (blown) air as retarders.  The air ran for a given number of seconds. A fast car would get the full effect, varying down to a slow car not getting any at all.

 

[J. S. Bach]

I remember that one.

[polybear]

7 hours ago, SM42 said:

Curses that Mrs SM42. 

 

On Sunday she adjusted the clock in the bedroom. 

 

It's a fancy affair that looks like a block of wood with the time lit up in it. 

 

It has three buttons on the back to set it and the instructions are not only writ in letters 0.5 mm high, but also in Polish translated from Chinese

 

She, therefore, is responsible for this clock. 

 

The alarm has just gone off. 

 

Not sure if it was deliberately set for 2214hrs or if some combination of random button presses has done the job. 

 

So much for a good  night's sleep before what I predict may be a busy day at work tomorrow. 

 

Andy

 

"Hello Dear, there's been an unfortunate accident with that wooden clock - you know, the one you really like.....the wedding present"

 

"What sort of accident?"

 

"Well I was walking past with an axe when it slipped and I dropped it"

 

"What the bluddy hell were you doing with an Axe??"

 

"Well I was on my way to the kitchen to use it to lever off the lid from a paint tin".

 

"VIA THE BEDROOM??"

 

"I got lost......"

 

"WELL F. WELL FIX IT THEN!!!"

 

"I can't....."

 

"WHY NOT??"

 

"It slipped 27 times....." 

 

4 hours ago, BR60103 said:

Well over half a century ago, Model Railroader had an article about a working hump yard.

The builder was using compressed (blown) air as retarders.  The air ran for a given number of seconds. A fast car would get the full effect, varying down to a slow car not getting any at all.

 

 

Here's an article on braking fitted to a coach; throw in DCC and it'll start to become simpler.  I think making the braking force controllable/progressive will take a little thought:

 

http://www.clag.org.uk/memory-brake.html

[Happy Hippo]

I received a notice about the Warley show and thus found that an on the day ticket was £25.  Getting an advance one although advertised as cheaper, ends up at about the same price after you have paid the handling fee the ticketing agency charges.

 

Is this price levied so that the Warley club can recoup some of the multi million pound transfer fee they paid for DH to join them?

 

it was £20 last year so it's a 25% increase in the entry price.

 

Much as I enjoy the trip over to the NEC by train on the Sunday, and I can afford to go should I wish, I do think there comes a point where the paying public are going to start saying that it's too much.

 

I know the very valid argument that £25 is cheap for all day entertainment, and the massive costs involved for hiring such a venue and the insurance cover that is required

 

I'm going to a local show on Saturday.  £5 entry.  There are only eight layouts, so on a cost per layout basis, Warley is a better deal.

 

It's £2 for the BRMC open day on 18 Nov which has a couple of layouts and various test tracks, so again Warley wins on the cost per layout factor.

 

But the BRMC will definitely beat Warley hands down, in the catering department.🤣

[Compound2632]

1 minute ago, Happy Hippo said:

Is this price levied so that the Warley club can recoup some of the multi million pound transfer fee they paid for DH to join them?

 

Almost certainly that and cashing in on the attraction of Ellerton Road.

 

But what we don't know is by how much the NEC has increased its hall hire prices. 

 

 

[Happy Hippo]

18 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Almost certainly that and cashing in on the attraction of Ellerton Road.

 

But what we don't know is by how much the NEC has increased its hall hire prices. 

 

 

I did make a point of mentioning the massive costs involved.

 

Even a small one day show that hires a local school gymnasium is probably going to stump up between £800-£1k for the venue. 

 

The last time I was involved with organising a show,  we made a very slight profit over costs with the income from ticket sales, and made the rest up with profit from the catering.

 

There will come a point when a big show will make a loss and some serious questions will have to be asked.

 

It is not a secret that the G0G shows at Telford ran at a loss for a few years and they have sinced moved to more affordable venues.

 

Why anyone would want to pay to see Ellerton Road (which is actually in Kingstanding, B'ham) beggars belief.

[Compound2632]

3 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Why anyone would want to pay to see Ellerton Road (which is actually in Kingstanding, B'ham) beggars belief.

 

Hey, my forebears lived in Kingstanding.

[Happy Hippo]

19 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Hey, my forebears lived in Kingstanding.

Exactly🤣

[polybear]

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

I received a notice about the Warley show and thus found that an on the day ticket was £25.  Getting an advance one although advertised as cheaper, ends up at about the same price after you have paid the handling fee the ticketing agency charges.

 

Is this price levied so that the Warley club can recoup some of the multi million pound transfer fee they paid for DH to join them?

 

it was £20 last year so it's a 25% increase in the entry price.

 

Much as I enjoy the trip over to the NEC by train on the Sunday, and I can afford to go should I wish, I do think there comes a point where the paying public are going to start saying that it's too much.

 

I know the very valid argument that £25 is cheap for all day entertainment, and the massive costs involved for hiring such a venue and the insurance cover that is required

 

I'm going to a local show on Saturday.  £5 entry.  There are only eight layouts, so on a cost per layout basis, Warley is a better deal.

 

It's £2 for the BRMC open day on 18 Nov which has a couple of layouts and various test tracks, so again Warley wins on the cost per layout factor.

 

But the BRMC will definitely beat Warley hands down, in the catering department.🤣

 

Bear has never been to Warley - and after hearing many of the horror stories I suspect it's likely to stay that way.....

[J. S. Bach]

To Douglass the clock guy, yesterday I picked up this neat (but very modern) quartz-movement wall clock:

 

I got it mainly because of the temperature and humidity gauges.

$5.35 from the Goodwill.

Edited November 2, 2023 by J. S. Bach

[J. S. Bach]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Bear has never been to Warley ...snip...

We are even, neither have I. 🙃

[Happy Hippo]

The Warley show is fine:  Providing you go on the Sunday: Saturday it is a total scrum.

[newbryford]

3 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Bear has never been to Warley - and after hearing many of the horror stories I suspect it's likely to stay that way.....

 

Like a lot of things in the UK - we only hear about the bad reviews, not the good ones.

 

It is very much a Marmite show - love it or hate it.

I reckon I've only missed 3 or 4 in all the years its been at the NEC.

I've been there as a visitor, layout exhibitor, demonstrator and trader, so have pretty much seen all aspects of the show.

[newbryford]

24 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

The Warley show is fine:  Providing you go on the Sunday: Saturday it is a total scrum.

 

Although last year, the Saturday was quieter than normal due to the rail strikes, which pushed a bit of extra traffic onto the Sunday.