The Night Mail

[polybear]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Not necessarily - it all depends on the “Chocolates for Christmas” orders (all at true “trade” prices and in “trade” [i.e. large] quantities).

 

Any benefit due to exchange rate fluctuations goes into the BTBAB* kitty. No orders, no benefits from currency exchanges.

 

*Buy The Blokes A Beer 

Can iD supply Cadburys Dairy Milk at trade though?  I’ve yet to find better….

[AndyID]

10 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

OK, Andy, clue me in.

 

I get reversing up the driveway in a car with rear wheel drive (traction ‘n’ all that), but a FWD? Surely tractive effort would be the same moving forward and backwards. Unless it is the gearing/gear ratio when going in reverse that makes the difference?

 

I really have no clue, please enlighten me.

 

Yes, as others have pointed out it's because more of the vehicle's weight is on the downhill end. Technically the center of gravity acts at a point lower on the slope. Not only does that favor drive wheel at the lower end but it's a real disadvantage for drive wheels at the higher end.

 

There's another aspect too. The driving torque tends to transfer weight on the suspension towards the rear of the vehicle. It's quite obvious on FWD cars when they accelerate quickly from a standing start. The front end of the car rises because there is less load on the front suspension and there is an increased load on the rear suspension. The same is true on RWD drive cars so the driving wheels are less likely to slip.

[jamie92208]

7 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

 

In Swizzerland, apparently!

 

Morning, from a breezy, sunny and rain-free rock, 15c and that'll be about it I should think. 

 

We're not immune to the sporting activities here, in fact the Fraggles are a sporty lot, having local footie, rugby and hockey leagues for both sexes  (and some mixed in hockey - yes, mixed!) as well as the 'national' team playing in a north-west UK league.  Motorcycling of course goes without saying, and the only sport either of us is interested in.

 

Not sure of today's agenda, herself is cleaning gutters, not a job I can do due to not being able to stand on a ladder rung - because trashed foot.  Watching would be good sport actually, but would likely involve having gutter yack flicked at me for laughing, so I am keeping out of the way.  Then who knows, likely a light lunch somewhere as we're off out to the Big City for a curry with friend Jayne this evening.

 

Oh-oh, Mrs NHN approaches, better pretend I'm doing something.

Have you tried wearing a pair of clogs Neil.  They don't give at all and there is no pressure  point like a pair of shoes.  I used to wear them on shed when working at the Ratty.  Very comfortable. 

 

Jamie

[Dave Hunt]

17 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

I had the left hand brake line snap on a display jump into HQ British Forces Antwerp. 

 

It was akin to trying to land an aircraft with only the right hand side flaps operating.

 

Which I did once. This was the result:

 

 

The runway is is a couple of hundred yards beyond the aircraft.

 

Which is also where the right main wheel is.

 

Dave 

Edited 35 minutes ago by Dave Hunt

[Tony_S]

25 minutes ago, AndyID said:

It's quite obvious on FWD cars when they accelerate quickly from a standing start.

It was embarrassing in a Ford Escort we had.  It would bounce if you tried to move too quickly from stationary. It wasn’t a problem in our Clio or with the Fiesta. Perhaps we are just more sensible now. With a modern Land Rover you just select a terrain icon that looks like what is outside the car and off you go. The access to the  cottage we had in Dorset earlier this year had inclines probably steeper than those found on roads with mud gravel and patches of concrete. A new icon appeared on the instrument panel showing hill descent control had been applied.