The Night Mail

[Dave Hunt]

6 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Actually that's the top of PB's snorkel.

 

Covert recce for a suspected cake stash.

 

Sadly a bit too early. I've just finished making an LDC for some visitors we are expecting during the week but it is now locked away in a secret location surrounded by bear and hippo traps.

 

Dave

[New Haven Neil]

A very shiny thing, looked ex-works.  

 

Class 47-2, or a 57 😉

There were 2 MK1 catering coaches in the consist, one in chocolate and cream, and a MK2A Brake first at the back, with another 47-2  57 on the rear, dead.

[Dave Hunt]

3 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

I’d happily handle even a big non-venomous snake, anytime; but don’t ask me to handle a frog…

 

I'm with you when it comes to handling non-venomous snakes and have even handled a cobra that had recently been milked of its venom and was dopey due to the atmosphere being infused with incense; that was at the snake temple in Penang. I was never leery of handling frogs and still don't mind the feel of them but having just recently learned that if you pick up a frog its first reaction is to pee, I'm a bit less keen.

 

Dave

[Dave Hunt]

14 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

A very shiny thing, looked ex-works.  

 

Class 47-2, or a 57 😉

There were 2 MK1 catering coaches in the consist, one in chocolate and cream, and a MK2A Brake first at the back, with another 47-2  57 on the rear, dead.

 

Not being well up on modern diesels, when is a 57 not a 57 then? I've had a go at driving a 47 but don't remember it being as big as that.

 

Dave

[New Haven Neil]

6 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Not being well up on modern diesels, when is a 57 not a 57 then? I've had a go at driving a 47 but don't remember it being as big as that.

 

Dave

 

My bad joke I'm afraid, Dave.  A 57 is a 47 bodyshell rebuilt with an American engine, the same prime mover as in an EMD SD40-2.  IIRC the generator was also replaced with the same type as a 56, or something like that.  The presence of the two 57's was causing quite a stir with the enthusiasts in York station, I was only there because we walked past, having crossed the river on the 'new' (it is to us) footbridge next to the Scarbados line bridge.

[Dave Hunt]

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

NRM today, it is ruined.  Absolute shadow of what it used to be, really disappointed. 

 

Spot on Neil. I know several people who used to work at the NRM who now just sadly shake their heads when it is mentioned.

 

Dave

[PupCam]

12 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Spot on Neil. I know several people who used to work at the NRM who now just sadly shake their heads when it is mentioned.

 

Dave

 

And sadly it seems to represent the modern idea of how a museum should be.   So many others find themselves in a similar situation.     A good number of years ago now I went to the science museum after a long absence.   I won't be returning.      I used to love the RAF museum  at Hendon, the operative words here being "used to".     

 

Clearly us old f*rts have no idea on what constitutes a good museum is.     If that's the case, I wish I could re-visit all those "bad" ones from my youth then.

 

Depressed of Puppershire

 

 

[J. S. Bach]

Back to Life Like; for many years, they were located in Baltimore on Falls Road just about a mile up from the Baltimore Streetcar Museum. In these buildings to be exact:

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.3222326,-76.6301325,3a,75y,341.02h,85.96t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sESIvr3DsiYssoOSt_nNHRQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?authuser=0&coh=205409&entry=ttu

[J. S. Bach]

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

A very shiny thing, looked ex-works.  Class 47-2, or a 57

Hmmm, I was confusing the 57 with the 59; basically a real SD40-2 just wearing a different dress to the ball. And the predecessor to the very successful 66. My favorite foreign motor! I have several in 00 but have given up on Dapol's "never someday-to.be-released" 0 scale one.

[Tony_S]

9 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

have several in 00

I have an HO Class  66 made by Mehano

[SM42]

Latest click bait madness is a little known tyre rule. 

 

Do  not mix radial and cross ply tyres. 

 

Not surprised as they haven't shown the public information film about it since the 1970s

 

Can you still buy cross ply tyres?

 

Andy.

 

Edited June 24 by SM42

[Northmoor]

34 minutes ago, SM42 said:

Can you still buy cross ply tyres?

Yes, virtually all motorcycle tyres are cross ply I believe.  You can still buy them for classic cars, often at a premium price though.

[AndyID]

4 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

 

My bad joke I'm afraid, Dave.  A 57 is a 47 bodyshell rebuilt with an American engine, the same prime mover as in an EMD SD40-2.  IIRC the generator was also replaced with the same type as a 56, or something like that.  The presence of the two 57's was causing quite a stir with the enthusiasts in York station, I was only there because we walked past, having crossed the river on the 'new' (it is to us) footbridge next to the Scarbados line bridge.

 

Sometimes referred to as "body snatchers".

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[BR60103]

I have a couple of Cornish Riviera coaches that I bought after they'd been remaindered.  Only manufacturer's note is Made in China in N scale type.  The couplings look very Airfix.

 

[Happy Hippo]

Nyda has a Girlguiding colleague coming over this morning for a planning meeting. I have been allocated a workspace in the garage and am permitted to spill into the front garden if required.

 

This will mean that I should get the extension to the cassette table finished off.  This should also allow me some time to get the new screens for the front and end made up as well.

 

Once finished, they will be colour coded so they don't get mixed up during transit and end up not fitting the appropriate board

[ian@stenochs]

12 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Spot on Neil. I know several people who used to work at the NRM who now just sadly shake their heads when it is mentioned.

 

Dave

 

NRM is certainly on a downwards spiral.  However it's still kot as bad as the Glasgow Riverside museum. Cars on shelfs high up on a wall, bikes suspended from the ceiling. One locomotive peeking out a mousehole up a wall and the others hidden behind a miscellany of bits!

Yesterday I visited the new narrow gauge Vale of Reihdol museum in Aberystwyth.  Small but a breath of fresh air.  Everything accesible all round so you can actually see, and touch, the exhibits.  Some really rare interesting stuff too.

[Happy Hippo]

Just before the visitation,Nyda informed me that the plug in the downstairs cloakroom was not working:  That is to say the sink was full, and the pop up plug had ceased to function.

 

Fortunately there is a local Screwfix, so a trip down there resulted in the purchase of what is best described as the old fashioned rubber plug and surround.

 

It took about 15 minutes to remove the defunct pop up unit. The cause of the problem was a spring failure in the plug unit.

 

It is now in the scrap bin. 

 

I timed the fitting of it's replacement, which included reconnecting the waste trap: 90 seconds!

 

 

[Compound2632]

26 minutes ago, ian@stenochs said:

NRM is certainly on a downwards spiral.  However it's still kot as bad as the Glasgow Riverside museum. Cars on shelfs high up on a wall, bikes suspended from the ceiling. One locomotive peeking out a mousehole up a wall and the others hidden behind a miscellany of bits!

 

 

The thing to remember is that you and I, the middle-aged white male transport enthusiast (if I may be so bold as to stereotype us) are not either museum's target audience in terms of visitor numbers. If they were to cater principally to the tastes and prejudices of our very small minority of visitors, there would soon be no museum.

[Tony_S]

5 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

timed the fitting of it's replacement, which included reconnecting the waste trap: 90 seconds!

I needed to replace one in a sink a couple of years ago. It too would have been only a couple of minutes but the new one was metric and the old trap was imperial. Same day delivery by Amazon helped out though. 

[Compound2632]

What I should perhaps add is that all those non-middle-aged non-enthusiast visitors are subsidising the museum's ability to make its archives and collections available for serious middle aged enthusiast researchers. 

[Happy Hippo]

9 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

The thing to remember is that you and I, the middle-aged white male transport enthusiast (if I may be so bold as to stereotype us) are not either museum's target audience in terms of visitor numbers. If they were to cater principally to the tastes and prejudices of our very small minority of visitors, there would soon be no museum.

Perhaps it ought to be law that all museums have to cater for 'us' and have a nerd department.

 

I would love to have a good look at the RAF (Cosford) museum's Gloster Javelin. 

 

However, it is suspended off the wall in such a way that you cannot even get a decent picture of it. 

Edited June 24 by Happy Hippo

[Compound2632]

1 minute ago, Happy Hippo said:

Perhaps it ought to be law that all museums have to cater for 'us' and have a nerd department.

 

Speak to your general election candidates.

[polybear]

20 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

The thing to remember is that you and I, the middle-aged white male transport enthusiast (if I may be so bold as to stereotype us) are not either museum's target audience in terms of visitor numbers. If they were to cater principally to the tastes and prejudices of our very small minority of visitors, there would soon be no museum.

The trick is to cater for both groups; I would’ve thought that all these “smart young things” with Degrees, Phd’s etc that seem to be running such places now should find little difficulty doing that….

 

Of course it’s quite possible that Bear may being a tad cynical there….

Edited June 24 by polybear

[GMKAT7]

Good morning HH,

 

As requested yesterday following my loco post, attached are photos of the WIP shunting layout for some of these to play on.

 

The base layout was built by Rob Gunstone (NHY 581/Mr Sheepbloke of this forum) early in 2024 and acquired by me in February. So, the credit for track laying and wiring is all due to Rob.

So far I have added the base coat of track colouring and weathering; I need to bite the ballasting bullet next.

 

The paper cut-outs are my first iteration of structures placement, to provide a reason for the shunt moves. May change as things evolve. One photo shows my Dapol B4 with some kit built/Hornby-bash vans, Rapido BR SR opens and a Kernow BR SR road van.

 

I also have a slightly larger 'roundy-roundy' in the planning stage. Baseboard purchased and track in stock. This will allow the larger locos and coaches/NPCCS to have a proper outing.

 

However, the muddling room (actually our fourth bedroom) is now commandeered by the boy's stuff retrieved yesterday from Durham. It now resembles the stock room of our local charity shop :)

 

ION  Morning tasking completed: Dog walked early, grass cut and edges trimmed.

Bush trim (fnarr, fnarr) now postponed whilst son's washing is drying.

Sanisburys shop pm today as Boss is now out with a friend.

 

Sorry, this sounds more like an ERs post!

 

Cheers, Nigel.