The Night Mail

[jjb1970]

14 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

It is easier to get a visa for a holiday in China than India. 
 

 

The Chinese tend to be arch pragmatists. I have never had any issues there, their rules on things like taking photographs at airports and sea ports are very relaxed and it's fine as long as it isn't a dual use military installation. Much freer than Singapore, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan on that one. Everything is under surveillance but that's increasingly the norm around the world. Perhaps contrary to assumptions people talk and whinge about the government and things, though I am not so naive as to imagine the limits on that stop short of what we expect in Britain. 

[jjb1970]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

I did wonder what would happen as we travelled to various EU and Schengen countries on cruise ships. I assumed our passports wouid get stamped on entry to the first Schengen country and stamped when we left the Schengen zone. Didn’t happen, in fact told don’t take passports ashore, if you hadn’t got any other government photoID , carry a photocopy of your passport. I think the cruise line do submit names and passport details for passengers and crew going ashore so I suppose they are recorded for the 90 in 180 day stay rule but certainly not in our passports. 

 

I don't know how it works for passengers, but immigration clears the ship and crew as part of the arrival checks. Some ports still need you to show your passport to get in/out of the terminal, others issue a shore card, others just ask for ID of some sort. Assuming shore leave is allowed.

[SM42]

2 hours ago, rockershovel said:

The EU really haven't forgiven Britain for leaving, and closing the cashbox while they were about it. Nor do I think they ever will. 

 

They don't seem to care as much as the British think they do. 

 

I'm always amused by those who cry sour grapes when the UK is treated like a country not in the EU.

 

But this is not the place to reopen that debate. 

 

Andy

[jjb1970]

I try and avoid the whole 'B' thing as it just seems to end up sucking the oxygen out of the room and polarizes people. Which in fairness is true of politics in general these days. I enjoy political discussion and current affairs, but these days it is so polarised and it ends up in a lot of shouting and posturing. Which adds nothing to anything. Hence why I avoid the news as much as I can.

Edited August 6 by jjb1970

[SM42]

Well the Malta Lake Railway isn't happening today. 

 

I am sat within sight of it, but as the car continues to defy logic and throw up faults I am at the dealership next door taking full advantage of the European warranty. 

 

 

We have a restaurant booked at five which is around 10 minutes by tram from here. 

 

Andy

[Happy Hippo]

 

Only another 30 cm to dig down.

 

Currently,  it's approx 2m x1m x 0.5m deep and took just over 45 min to dig.

 

I'll finish it tomorrow morning before it gets too hot.

 

It reminds me why I didn't pursue a career as an infantry soldier. 

[Tony_S]

2 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

 

I don't know how it works for passengers, but immigration clears the ship and crew as part of the arrival checks. Some ports still need you to show your passport to get in/out of the terminal, others issue a shore card, others just ask for ID of some sort. Assuming shore leave is allowed.

Last year we were supposed to land in France but the weather wasn’t within parameters for tenders so the ship to Sardinia instead. We went ashore, by tender, and had a nice day. No formalities at all. However at lunch we were talking to a couple whose daughter worked on board but said due to the change of venue at short notice, crew couldn’t leave. 
When we called at Civitavecchia we were told local regulations required us to carry passports to leave and enter the port area. No one checked. However this was also a port where people could board and join the cruise. The Italian authorities had forgotten to send anyone to check the passports of those people joining. They had to wait many hours in a secure area until a decision was made that they could board but wouid have to surrender their passports for the ship to return them at the last EU port on the cruise. 
Tony

[AndyID]

58 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

 

Only another 30 cm to dig down.

 

Currently,  it's approx 2m x1m x 0.5m deep and took just over 45 min to dig.

 

I'll finish it tomorrow morning before it gets too hot.

 

It reminds me why I didn't pursue a career as an infantry soldier. 

 

You should have let me know and I would have nipped over with the backhoe on the tractor. Would have taken a couple of minutes to dig that.

[AndyID]

Our three children were all born in the UK and we moved to the US when they were five, three and two. They are still technically UK and US citizens but the US doesn't recognize dual citizenship. Once you become a US citizen you are liable for US income tax and the only way to get out if it is to renounce US citizenship.

 

At one time the US made you surrender your UK passport when you became naturalized. But they had to return it to the UK who sent it back to you. They don't bother doing that now.

[jamie92208]

Swimming pool steps finallup. The instructions s were not yvery helpful but I got there in the end.  Using a battery drill to put screws in 2" above the waterline was interesting but I didn't get the drill wet. Online reviews mentioned some aluminium poles that weren't included in the list of parts or instructions.  They are 1" diameter and about 3' long.  They have now joined the might be useful someday stack in the shed.  Beth finds the new steps a lot easier to use and they don't wobble. 

 

Jamie

Edited August 6 by jamie92208

[Happy Hippo]

2 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

You should have let me know and I would have nipped over with the backhoe on the tractor. Would have taken a couple of minutes to dig that.

I did have the offer of a JCB and backhoe, the problem being the JCB could not get into the area.

 

We can get a mini digger in if required, but the exercise is good, as is the practice for when I need to build a fallout shelter....

 

Or get rid of our useless Parish Councillor!

Edited August 6 by Happy Hippo

[polybear]

9 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Looking forward to a photo of @polybear ‘s “Twin” trundling along his layout soon.

 

😱

 

9 hours ago, Tony_S said:

 

Here are mine from a 2021 photo. 

 

 

That's a very nice layout you have there Tony - could we see some more piccies pretty please?

 

6 hours ago, DenysW said:

Modern myth. In as far as it existed, the cashbox was actually Germany and Holland, and the UK did not fight for better parity for them. Also, if you look at the net UK contribution to the EU as a fraction of UK GDP, it's tiny, less than the error in funding calculations for the NHS.

 

What they didn't like (and struggle to understand) is rejecting ever-closer union having signed the documents that included it.

 

I'd be quite happy with a Common Market (which is how it all started - I think); as for the rest of it - you keep your snouts out of how we run our country and we'll keep ours out of yours.  I suspect many other countries/populations of EU may well feel the same.

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

Swimming pool steps finallup. The instructions s were not yvery helpful but I got there in the end.  Using a battery drill to put screws in 2" above the waterline was interesting but I didn't get the drill wet. Online reviews mentioned some aluminium poles that weren't included in the list of parts or instructions.  They are 1" diameter and about 3' long.  They have now joined the might be useful someday stack in the shed.  Beth finds the new steps a lot easier to use and they don't wobble. 

 

Jamie

It's got to be asked what was it that wobbled Jamie? No rude replies please.

[DenysW]

2 hours ago, AndyID said:

the US doesn't recognize dual citizenship

On reading (my children's) US passports the US does recognise the existence of dual citizenship but will not send the US marines to rescue you if you get caught dodging conscription in the second country.

 

On reading 1970s international law books (in the British Library, because I'd been too lazy to order my music books in advance) the US may recognise that you have not undone your US citizenship by 'showing allegiance to a foreign power' such as by entering the US on a non-US passport, or voting in non-US elections if it's either (a) clear-cut or (b) you have better lawyers than the US government choses to put up in your case.

 

 

[DenysW]

48 minutes ago, polybear said:

I'd be quite happy with a Common Market (which is how it all started - I think);

It all started as a common trading arrangement for iron and steel in the late 1950s. The Treaty of Rome that the UK (eventually) signed up to was the next stage and included the infamous (to the UK) Ever Greater Union.

[4630]

I believe it was coal and steel. 
 

It was referred to as the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)  and was established in 1951 by the Treaty of Paris. 

[The White Rabbit]

Evening all,

 

'Things' have been a bit busy lately, so it's a return to NM after a bit of an absence. However, this post is not for ERs. I too have been busy with earthworks. And concrete, mortar and timber.

 

Item:

 

The uncharitable and cynical might suggest it's a last ditch defence against marauding Bears and Hippos keen to deplete my strategic cake reserve and I have been loopholing all round the house so as to provide small arms ports. I'll admit there has been a moat dug underneath this one. Though no punji sticks have been planted (yet!) - it's to be lined in concrete. 

 

Actually, the real reason for all this is some preliminary work for a garden railway (SM32). To save a lot of fiddling about with stock and avoid muddy boots on carpets, I'll be building a fiddle yard inside, with a track leading out into the garden. Due to the slopes on the site and drainage required, some of the construction does look a tad suspicious! 

 

Less liable to misinterpretation is the indoors shunting plank built from leftovers and oddments. I rather fancied an Inglenook layout to experiment with couplings and practice controlling locos. A loop and an extra siding adds interest with very little extra space needed. Progress so far:

 

 

Time to go and sand down some more wagons to prep them for new PO liveries...

[SM42]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

😱

 

 

 

I'd be quite happy with a Common Market (which is how it all started - I think); as for the rest of it - you keep your snouts out of how we run our country and we'll keep ours out of yours.  

 

The problem with common markets is that there needs to be a common set of rules across them.

 

Rather like the market rules in Surrey are not unlike those in Lancashire.

 

Thus  like all counties in Great Britain, despite a local government in each region,  a central legislature and executive  sets and administers the rules around trade, standards and taxes  etc.

 

Otherwise it would be chaos and not  a very common market.

 

Andy

Edited August 6 by SM42

[Happy Hippo]

24 minutes ago, The White Rabbit said:

Evening all,

 

'Things' have been a bit busy lately, so it's a return to NM after a bit of an absence. However, this post is not for ERs. I too have been busy with earthworks. And concrete, mortar and timber.

 

Item:

 

The uncharitable and cynical might suggest it's a last ditch defence against marauding Bears and Hippos keen to deplete my strategic cake reserve and I have been loopholing all round the house so as to provide small arms ports. I'll admit there has been a moat dug underneath this one. Though no punji sticks have been planted (yet!) - it's to be lined in concrete. 

 

Actually, the real reason for all this is some preliminary work for a garden railway (SM32). To save a lot of fiddling about with stock and avoid muddy boots on carpets, I'll be building a fiddle yard inside, with a track leading out into the garden. Due to the slopes on the site and drainage required, some of the construction does look a tad suspicious! 

 

Less liable to misinterpretation is the indoors shunting plank built from leftovers and oddments. I rather fancied an Inglenook layout to experiment with couplings and practice controlling locos. A loop and an extra siding adds interest with very little extra space needed. Progress so far:

 

 

Time to go and sand down some more wagons to prep them for new PO liveries...

Anyone who is busy building a railway in the garden need not fear a Hippo stealth raid.

 

NHN will  no doubt agree that having a sloped garden, is not a bad thing to have with a garden railway providing you put in adequate foundations for the track bed.  It certainly stops the you back from creaking, as you can service locos at a sensible height.

 

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

That's a very nice layout you have there Tony - could we see some more piccies pretty please?

Found a bus on bridge photo. It isn’t there now

 

[SM42]

7 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Anyone who is busy building a railway in the garden need not fear a Hippo stealth raid.

 

NHN will  no doubt agree that having a sloped garden, is not a bad thing to have with a garden railway providing you put in adequate foundations for the track bed.  It certainly stops the you back from creaking, as you can service locos at a sensible height.

 

 

With a flat garden, copying HH's excavation heroics and building your control centre shed 2' 6" below ground level and the railway outside 18" above ground, it is at a nice height indoors. 

 

The only problem with the plan was that the shed is 28' by 9' and to ensure drainage and avoid damp, the hole it is in is 2ft bigger all round. 

 

 

 

Andy

[Tony_S]

Found this one from my old 0N30 layout 

[SM42]

Mrs SM42 has gone to the pictures with her sister ( it's an open air screening rather than at a cinema)

 

I am thus sat at home, full of a very nice dinner which made doing some prep work for painting ( what me?) tomorrow very hard work indeed. 

 

Dinner was ( Kotlet schabowy)  AKA breaded pork and had anyone asked how I found the potatoes, the answer would be I lifted the kotlet and there they were. 

 

It was flippin huge. 

 

The cheesecake to follow was also a well proportioned portion. 

 

Andy. 

Very stuffed.

[Craigw]

6 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

I try and avoid the whole 'B' thing as it just seems to end up sucking the oxygen out of the room and polarizes people. Which in fairness is true of politics in general these days. I enjoy political discussion and current affairs, but these days it is so polarised and it ends up in a lot of shouting and posturing. Which adds nothing to anything. Hence why I avoid the news as much as I can.

 

One of the "wonders" of social media is the polarising. People who are passionate about politics tend to talk to each other and wear their hearts on their sleeves. Nothing wrong with that, but they also tend to shut out differing views and thus live in a self-reinforcing echo chamber. That does not strike me as healthy. I have political views, but like religion I try to keep them to myself. I keep social media for cats, cat rescue, model railways, military modelling and bad jokes. It works well for me. 

[New Haven Neil]

58 minutes ago, The White Rabbit said:

more wagons to prep them for new PO liveries

 

The PO wagons were one of our better ideas at Trackshack, John and I pored over many volumes of PO wagon books to try to pick liveries that were attractive, do-able and in a basic way North, South, East and West.  Sold well, indeed I still get questions about them.