The Night Mail

[Happy Hippo]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

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.

I use sanding sealer on MDF.  

 

Having been working with MDF recently, I noticed it is still very good at absorbing water.

 

Plus the dust is very bad for you.

[AndyID]

Cripes! The roof on our abode is cream-crackered and the composition shingles are letting in enough moisture to rot the ply sheathing. It's "only" going to cost as much as a pretty decent new car to get it fixed but we really have no choice. We've opted for the slightly better version with transferable warranty that we can pass on to the new owners when we sell the place.

[AndyID]

6 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

I noticed it is still very good at absorbing water.

 

 

You're not supposed to whizz on it.

[pH]

28 minutes ago, AndyID said:

Cripes! The roof on our abode is cream-crackered and the composition shingles are letting in enough moisture to rot the ply sheathing. It's "only" going to cost as much as a pretty decent new car to get it fixed but we really have no choice. We've opted for the slightly better version with transferable warranty that we can pass on to the new owners when we sell the place.

Would you not consider a metal roof, out there in the boonies, in amongst all those highly-flammable big sticks?

[AndyID]

3 minutes ago, pH said:

Would you not consider a metal roof, out there in the boonies, in amongst all those highly-flammable big sticks?

 

Did, but now we are talking seriously expensive ottermobliles. Not only that but the screws in metal roofs have to be tightened and replaced periodically (I should investigate the screws in my "utility building" roof).

 

Anyway, this was the boonies when we bought bought it 30 years ago but has since become a haven for billionaire refugees from California. The guy one street down is installing a pad where he can land his helicopter.

 

We are hoping for a really nasty Winter this year so they get the general idea 😂

[monkeysarefun]

30 minutes ago, AndyID said:

Did, but now we are talking seriously expensive ottermobliles. Not only that but the screws in metal roofs have to be tightened and replaced periodically (I should investigate the screws in my "utility building" roof).

 

 

 

 

BHP have announced plans to export Colorbond to the USA.

 

Almost  everything here is made of it now - roofing, wall panels, , sheds big and small, fencing - its cheap   and comes in 22  different pre-baked colours. Using the right fixtures its cyclone rated to withstand winds of over 250km/hr.  No need to p!ss around with the screws once fitted - that just sounds annoying.

 

IN BRIEF

 

 

COLORBOND® steel is pre-painted and consists of a ZINCALUME® core with a baked-on corrosion inhibitor. It comes in a wide range of colour options including lighter colours for better thermal efficiency. 

 

ZINCALUME® steel is made from aluminium, zinc and silicon, offering durability and environmental benefits. It is cheaper than COLORBOND®, but lacks colour choices and has a shiny finish that dulls over time.

 

 

Apparently only one place over there stocks it at present:

 

https://martinsmetalroofing.com/colorbond/#:~:text=Exclusively available in North America,your residence or commercial space.

 

 

 

Edited 5 hours ago by monkeysarefun

[pH]

20 minutes ago, AndyID said:

The guy one street down is installing a pad where he can land his helicopter.

 

We are hoping for a really nasty Winter this year so they get the general idea 😂

A work colleague of my wife’s had a “cabin” on one of the Gulf Islands between the mainland of BC and Vancouver Island, on a high bank above a beach. Two lots over, the owner had a pad and a helicopter. On the way flying to or from the pad, he would sometimes hover in front of Anne’s picture windows and wave to her.

 

Yes, I’ve heard of new residents seeing places in southern BC in the early summer, buying acreage there, then experiencing a winter, selling up and moving on.

 

[AndyID]

13 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

 

BHP have announced plans to export Colorbond to the USA.

 

Almost  everything here is made of it now - roofing, wall panels, , sheds big and small, fencing - its cheap   and comes in 22  different pre-baked colours. Using the right fixtures its cyclone rated to withstand winds of over 250km/hr.  No need to p!ss around with the screws once fitted - that just sounds annoying.

 

IN BRIEF

 

 

COLORBOND® steel is pre-painted and consists of a ZINCALUME® core with a baked-on corrosion inhibitor. It comes in a wide range of colour options including lighter colours for better thermal efficiency. 

 

ZINCALUME® steel is made from aluminium, zinc and silicon, offering durability and environmental benefits. It is cheaper than COLORBOND®, but lacks colour choices and has a shiny finish that dulls over time.

 

 

Apparently only one place over there stocks it at present:

 

https://martinsmetalroofing.com/colorbond/#:~:text=Exclusively available in North America,your residence or commercial space.

 

 

 

 

That looks very good. I'll pass it on to our contractor.

 

Unlikely to change our direction as we are pushing it quite a bit now 😄

[AndyID]

15 minutes ago, pH said:

A work colleague of my wife’s had a “cabin” on one of the Gulf Islands between the mainland of BC and Vancouver Island, on a high bank above a beach. Two lots over, the owner had a pad and a helicopter. On the way flying to or from the pad, he would sometimes hover in front of Anne’s picture windows and wave to her.

 

Yes, I’ve heard of new residents seeing places in southern BC in the early summer, buying acreage there, then experiencing a winter, selling up and moving on.

 

 

Unfortunately a lot of the places here are "Summer Homes". The good news is they all burglar-off when it gets a bit chilly 🤣

[J. S. Bach]

3 hours ago, AndyID said:

Ah! And standard gauge too.

And nice US motors on the point! But please do not ask me which brand as all the newer ones all look the same to me now.

[J. S. Bach]

2 hours ago, AndyID said:

 ...snip... If that's not possible the best bet is a chunk of metal. Just allow for differential expansion with temperature changes  ...snip...

I suspect that the small size of the baseplate would make that relatively inconsequential.

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[Chris Snowdon]

2 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

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.

Thanks AndyID - I was looking for a word, I think it's "hygroscopic"?  Water-absorbing.  PVA and acrylics seem to be this as water-based, and stuff like MDF, chip-board, cardboard, even ply, alll appear to have this property due to using cellulose.  I gather that "marine ply" uses a different glue, but am still hazy (like the varnish).

[Chris Snowdon]

1 hour ago, pH said:

A work colleague of my wife’s had a “cabin” on one of the Gulf Islands between the mainland of BC and Vancouver Island, on a high bank above a beach. Two lots over, the owner had a pad and a helicopter. On the way flying to or from the pad, he would sometimes hover in front of Anne’s picture windows and wave to her.

 

Yes, I’ve heard of new residents seeing places in southern BC in the early summer, buying acreage there, then experiencing a winter, selling up and moving on.

 

A long time since I was last in Van City, but gathered back then that the preferred commute between there and the Island was an Otter (or Twin).

[pH]

1 hour ago, J. S. Bach said:

And nice US motors on the point! But please do not ask me which brand as all the newer ones all look the same to me now.

GE Evolution Series ES44DCi class:
https://www.railtram.com.au/es44dci-class

 

From this page:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,1544432

 

The relevant information is:

 

“The ES44DCi is a special order locomotive for Rio Tinto. It is a GE ES44DC with increased cooling capacity that is built on a 76' frame, which is the same length as the AC6000CW frame but several feet longer than the normal ES44DC frame. The much larger cooling system of this locomotive required the longer frame.”

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, J. S. Bach said:

And nice US motors on the point! But please do not ask me which brand as all the newer ones all look the same to me now.

 

 

Due to the topography of the Pilbara (ie a 350km  long gentle decline from the mines to the port) the major miners (LOL) are moving to battery powered locos that charge up on the downhill leg via regenerative braking  then use the battery to power the empty trains back to the mine. 

 

Gina Reinhart has taken delivery of some pink ones, made by the US company Wabtec.

 

https://reneweconomy.com.au/gina-rinehart-unveils-a-bright-pink-electric-locomotive-to-beat-forrest-at-his-own-game/

Edited 2 hours ago by monkeysarefun

[jjb1970]

6 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

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!

 

 

 

Something that I found quite eye opening on recent visits to the US was how much stuff on the shelves of CVS and Walgreen pharmacy cum convenience stores is locked or behind barriers. They're often quite convenient if on a trip and I need toothpaste, shampoo or basic stuff but some of them now feel rather intimidating.

[jjb1970]

GE were quite successful in the Chinese market. China bought a lot of C36-7 locomotives (I think they were the biggest customer for that model, class ND5 in China). The Tibet railway relied on GE C38AChe locomotives (class NJ2, which had full width cowl bodies) and the class HXN5 is called AC59ACi by GE. 

 

Bachmann make a very nice HO model of the Chinese version of the C36-7, ND5 in both versions. The first batch were pretty much identical to US locomotives apart from the handrails, the main batch had a redesigned cab which looked very different.

[pH]

51 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

… battery powered locos that charge up on the downhill leg via regenerative braking  then use the battery to power the empty trains back to the mine. 

Interesting that there’s no mention of any diesel backup power. So it would appear that the electricity generated by braking a loaded train downhill is sufficient to power an empty, with auxiliaries like lighting, air conditioning etc., all the way back uphill.

 

I wonder if any North American railways will be interested. Probably not a wholly electric consist - too risky on a line carrying a more intense service of different types of train. Plus loads go both ways on most routes. But, say, two out of five or six locos on a train, charging their own batteries but also taking current from the diesels which would otherwise be ‘burned off’ in dynamic brakes.

[jamie92208]

5 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

Unfortunately a lot of the places here are "Summer Homes". The good news is they all burglar-off when it gets a bit chilly 🤣

 

We also have a good selection of " Maison Seccondaires" most of which are shuttered for the winter now. 

 

1 hour ago, pH said:

Interesting that there’s no mention of any diesel backup power. So it would appear that the electricity generated by braking a loaded train downhill is sufficient to power an empty, with auxiliaries like lighting, air conditioning etc., all the way back uphill.

 

I wonder if any North American railways will be interested. Probably not a wholly electric consist - too risky on a line carrying a more intense service of different types of train. Plus loads go both ways on most routes. But, say, two out of five or six locos on a train, charging their own batteries but also taking current from the diesels which would otherwise be ‘burned off’ in dynamic brakes.

I think they run with at least one diesel loco in the consist on each train. 

 

Jamie