The Night Mail

[AndyID]

2 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

There is a "brand" of refrigerated box cars here called "Cryo-Trans" that every car of theirs that I have seen (with maybe two exceptions) has the bottom half almost completely covered with that carp. Some photos here:

 

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ftsa&q=CRYO+TRAN&atb=v170-1&iax=images&ia=images&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.trains.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F01%2FTRN_Cyro_Trans_Sold_0106.jpg&pn=1

 

That large light-colored area is a tempting target.

 

What I don't understand is how they can afford to do it. Any time I buy a can of spray paint I'm shocked at the price.

[jjb1970]

The weather here has been pretty poor for the last couple of weeks, it's the back end of one of the two monsoon periods. It's not so much that it's any wetter, and temperature and humidity are normal rather it's just constantly grey and overcast. We came to Arab Street, the area around the Sultan Mosque for lunch as there are loads of excellent Turkish and middle Eastern restaurants but it's another grey day. Good food though. And the daughter wanted a new kabaya sarong and this is a good place for them.

 

[polybear]

4 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

Graffiti annoys me, if someone designates a wall or something for 'street art' then that's fine (a lot of local authorities have tried designating subway tunnels etc) but painting someone's wall, a train or anything else without authorization is just vandalism regardless of any artistic merit.

 

 

 

I'd designate the tunnel sections between Underground Stations (those truly underground) as a free-for-all canvas (but no closer than 50m to a station so it can't be seen).  The only rule is it has to be done during rush-hour though; trains won't be stopped and the power stays on.  Tunnels get inspected once a month for any "bits" the rats have left behind.....

 

Anywhere else and for first offence you lose a paw, as well as any entitlements to any benefits or NHS - for life.  Second offence and it's the other paw too.

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, jjb1970 said:

The weather here has been pretty poor for the last couple of weeks, it's the back end of one of the two monsoon periods. It's not so much that it's any wetter, and temperature and humidity are normal rather it's just constantly grey and overcast. We came to Arab Street, the area around the Sultan Mosque for lunch as there are loads of excellent Turkish and middle Eastern restaurants but it's another grey day. Good food though. And the daughter wanted a new kabaya sarong and this is a good place for them.

 

Most strange. No litter. Not normal at all. Or people, I use that term advisory, sitting drinking or frozen due to Spice. Definitely weird.

[jamie92208]

Off to a model railway group meeting,  a good day ahead. 

 

Jamie

[ian@stenochs]

11 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

Also today I took delivery of a Hobby Holidays 7mm chassis jig after seeing one in action at the Warley at Statfold show. Turns out it was the last one in stock and in all probability there won't be any more so I was lucky. I was also lucky in that Jill didn't see it arrive and ask awkward questions such as, "How much???"

 

Dave

I got one of those not long after they were first marketed.  Excellent tool which has paid for itself many times over and made assembling a set of loco frames square, a doddle!  

 

Mine has an MDF baseplate so I gave it a couple of coats of varnish to seal it against any problems with flux splashes and I always give the slides and axle rods a wipe with an oily rag before putting away until the next build.  
 

I’m just about to get mine out again as yesterday I cut out the frames for one of the 12 Apostles!

Ian

 

[PhilJ W]

4 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

What I don't understand is how they can afford to do it. Any time I buy a can of spray paint I'm shocked at the price.

They probably steal it.

[Happy Hippo]

This morning was spent trimming our side of the hedge from the oak tree by the house, down to the road.

 

After I've digested my lunch, I'll do the other side, which finishes it off. 

 

Well, at least until the spring.

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

This morning was spent trimming our side of the hedge from the oak tree by the house, down to the road.

 

After I've digested my lunch, I'll do the other side, which finishes it off. 

 

Well, at least until the spring.

So your digesting the hedge and then going back for another helping this afternoon.

 

Well I can think of better ways to get some roughage in your diet, but given it's you I suppose we shouldn't be surprised.

[Hroth]

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

This morning was spent trimming our side of the hedge from the oak tree by the house, down to the road.

 

After I've digested my lunch, I'll do the other side, which finishes it off. 

 

Well, at least until the spring.

 

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

So your digesting the hedge and then going back for another helping this afternoon.

 

Well I can think of better ways to get some roughage in your diet, but given it's you I suppose we shouldn't be surprised.

 

All I can say is that if HH has finished the hedge off, there may well not be enough left to regenerate come next Spring! 🤔

 

[AndyID]

9 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

Most strange. No litter. Not normal at all. Or people, I use that term advisory, sitting drinking or frozen due to Spice. Definitely weird.

 

I think there might be a little strip of paper in the foreground.

[J. S. Bach]

That looks more like a marking on the pavement.

[AndyID]

Looks like Tesla has run into a "spot of bother" with its self-driving crepe. Good!

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, AndyID said:

 

I think there might be a little strip of paper in the foreground.

Yes but no individuals weaving  around pedestrians on scooters or even Chuggers. I've come to the conclusion that's it's not real and must have been generated by AI. How could anybody live like that.

[Dave Hunt]

11 hours ago, ian@stenochs said:

Mine has an MDF baseplate so I gave it a couple of coats of varnish to seal it against any problems with flux splashes and I always give the slides and axle rods a wipe with an oily rag before putting away until the next build.  

 

A good tip Ian; I shall do likewise.

 

Dave

[polybear]

14 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

A good tip Ian; I shall do likewise.

 

Dave

 

I varnished all sides simultaneously to avoid any risk of warpage (which I guess it shouldn't do as it's MDF); I stood it on the points of four drawing pins after doing the bottom side so I could then do the top surface.

[Dave Hunt]

As you say Bear, MDF that thick shouldn't warp just from being varnished but better safe than sorry as they say so I will try your technique.

 

Dave

[polybear]

23 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

As you say Bear, MDF that thick shouldn't warp just from being varnished but better safe than sorry as they say so I will try your technique.

 

Dave

 

It also means you (a) get the job done in half the time, and (b) you only need to clean the brush once rather than twice per coat.

[monkeysarefun]

13 hours ago, polybear said:

 

I'd designate the tunnel sections between Underground Stations (those truly underground) as a free-for-all canvas (but no closer than 50m to a station so it can't be seen).  The only rule is it has to be done during rush-hour though; trains won't be stopped and the power stays on.  Tunnels get inspected once a month for any "bits" the rats have left behind.....

 

Anywhere else and for first offence you lose a paw, as well as any entitlements to any benefits or NHS - for life.  Second offence and it's the other paw too.

 

 

There are limitless pristine  canvasses in the Pilbara iron ore region  you could send them to improve.  Just don't mention the 50 degree temperatures or lack of habitation for hundreds of  thousands of square km...

 

 

 

 

11 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

They probably steal it.

 

 

All spray cans are under lock and key here and only sold to over 18's. It can be a little annoying going to hobby shops and asking for Tamiya primer -  I don't know how much of a wall a standard graffitist can cover with a 100ml rattle can!

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by monkeysarefun

[AndyID]

35 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

There are limitless pristine  canvasses in the Pilbara iron ore region  you could send them to improve.  Just don't mention the 50 degree temperatures or lack of habitation for hundreds of  thousands of square km...

 

 

 

 

 

 

All spray cans are under lock and key here and only sold to over 18's. It can be a little annoying going to hobby shops and asking for Tamiya primer -  I don't know how much of a wall a standard graffitist can cover with a 100ml rattle can!

 

 

 

Ah! And standard gauge too.

[Chris Snowdon]

18 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

Graffiti annoys me, if someone designates a wall or something for 'street art' then that's fine (a lot of local authorities have tried designating subway tunnels etc) but painting someone's wall, a train or anything else without authorization is just vandalism regardless of any artistic merit.

 

On the art argument, I don't deny some of it is indeed very impressive (which doesn't alter the fact it is vandalism in the vast majority of cases) but most of it is just garbage, dumb statements or markers for the most part.

 

These days I really notice it. When I lived in MK and worked in London because it was all around I tuned a lot of it out as background white noise and didn't notice it that much. After living somewhere where it is as rare as rocking horse droppings it just jumps out when I return home or make trips to Europe and the US. A few months ago I had to visit Brussels for a week, I love Belgian trains, it is one of the few rail networks I think the UK really should study to examine ways to improve (in my experience there really aren't that many I would say do passenger transport better than British railways despite the issues) but graffiti is terrible in Belgium and on Belgian trains. The below were not unusual.

I think it was on my first trip to Brussels when I was appalled by the sheer paucity of a lot of continental graffiti.  Cheap tagging, but I do understand that for some taggers, they are showing their mates where they have been and when (think "TOX" within about 25 miles of central London).  Some of the political stuff is lost when done in a hurry - Was that done by an Anarchist, or by CND?  Some of the post-privatisation liveries in the UK haven't been much better - Think FGW and "crossing the beams" - but even good vinyls can look like good graffiti and I wonder whether that is deliberate?

 

On another thought, was it Bob Kiley who instructed that trains be taken out of service (both in NYC and London) after tagging?

 

regards

cs

[Chris Snowdon]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

It also means you (a) get the job done in half the time, and (b) you only need to clean the brush once rather than twice per coat.

The effect of various adhesives, paints and sealants on wood, card, MDF (etc) never ceases to amaze and terrify me.  No matter what I try to match or mate, it always warps, even if I do a panel on both sides as evenly as I can.  My only success has been with grey masonry paint, which seems OK on both chipboard and card.  I cannot say why.

 

regards

cs

[monkeysarefun]

19 minutes ago, AndyID said:

 

Ah! And standard gauge too.

 

 

...Unlike the rest of W Australia which is 3ft 6..

 

 (The Pilbara network was built to standards set by the Society of Nth American  Railroads due to the Australian ones lacking standards for heavy haulage at the time).

Edited 30 minutes ago by monkeysarefun

[AndyID]

3 hours ago, AndyID said:

Looks like Tesla has run into a "spot of bother" with its self-driving crepe. Good!

 

The problem is their system only uses information from cameras. (Other systems also include lidar and even radar for added security.) The other major issue is it's heavily dependent on AI (artificial intelligence) which really isn't in the slightest bit intelligent. AI is basically a guessing game - given enough data there's a good chance you'll come up with a good decision but when the visibility gets a bit dodgy the probability of a good decision falls like a rock.

 

A Tesla running on autopilot killed a pedestrian and there were other serious accidents too. No doubt Musk will try to write that off as part of a "learning experience" which is a bit like a midwife saying "I only drop babies on their heads very occasionally".

 

If that sounds a bit like a rant you are 100% correct.

[AndyID]

11 minutes ago, Chris Snowdon said:

The effect of various adhesives, paints and sealants on wood, card, MDF (etc) never ceases to amaze and terrify me.  No matter what I try to match or mate, it always warps, even if I do a panel on both sides as evenly as I can.  My only success has been with grey masonry paint, which seems OK on both chipboard and card.  I cannot say why.

 

regards

cs

 

Anything that can absorb moisture (or already contains moisture) can warp. Sealants can slow the process down or potentially accelerate it. MDF is unlikely to warp if it's kept at fairly constant humidity and temperature. If that's not possible the best bet is a chunk of metal. Just allow for differential expansion with temperature changes 😂

 

That said my "detached utility building" (occasionally referred to as a "shed") undergoes some serious changes in humidity and temperature and the 3/4" MDF on the workbenches seems to be as flat as it ever was.