The Night Mail

[AndyID]

41 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Someone needs to take you in hand, Jamie. You can’t just palm us off with the same old tired puns, you need to get your finger out, do some reading so that next time you can make a decent fist of it!

 

But does HH really didg it?

[jamie92208]

I'll wimp out of the punning game but readers might like to see a photo of my birthday present from Beth.

It's and SNCF lantern that she found somewhere.  I suspect it' runs on r=paraffin or petrole as it's called here but appears to have a tank on the rear as well as in the base.  As a result, I'm not sure how to use it but plan to take it to Ruffec station and have a chat with the Chef du gare. If Ican get it to work it would be great.   It would nicely complement my 1930's miners safety lamp.

 

Jamie

Edited November 1, 2022 by jamie92208

[AndyID]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

Sounds like the perfect excuse to buy a MIG Welder.......

 

Mr Lincoln has performed very well over the years (and I even got a substantial price reduction because he had been dropped in transit which distorted his undercarriage but made no difference to his operation.)

 

So far he has been involved in the construction of two snowplows, a snow-blower, a fork lift for the tractor (for lifting logs), a log splitter, tow hitches for the tractor (front and rear), a jig for converting railway sleepers into stairs and quite a few other bits and pieces. I probably got my money's worth 😀

[AndyID]

12 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

I'll wimp out of the punning game but readers might like to see a photo of my birthday present from Beth.

It's and SNCF lantern that she found somewhere.  I suspect it' runs on r=paraffin or petrole as it's called here but appears to have a tank on the rear as well as in the base.  As a result, I'm not sure how to use it but plan to take it to Ruffec station and have a chat with the Chef du gare. If Ican get it to work it would be great.   It would nicely complement my 1930's miners safety lamp.

 

Jamie

 

Wicked!

 

😀

[polybear]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

.................it but plan to take it to Ruffec station and have a chat with the Chef du gare.

 

Chef du Gare to Jamie:

".....that's the one that was nicked last Thursday!!" 

[Winslow Boy]

24 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Chef du Gare to Jamie:

".....that's the one that was nicked last Thursday!!" 

 

You can see the headlines now can't you ' Villages rocked by arrest  of Brit ex-cop'  He says he's been framed. Gendarmerie looking for his female açomplice. One of his neighbours Madam Fanny, 80 said  thez knobs were flashing'

[Oldddudders]

Despite all sorts of setback - no-one’s fault - Sherry’s heart op went ahead yesterday afternoon. I rang the hospital last night and she was in Intensive Care and looking good. Even so, it was a lovely surprise when she rang me at 07.15 today! Already out of bed and sounding a mite wan, but even so!

 

So I am on a GWR Castle Class DMU (latter day HST) to Plymouth, with intent to visit. Sunshine and showers but the day looks bright!

[Happy Hippo]

3 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

I'll wimp out of the punning game but readers might like to see a photo of my birthday present from Beth.

It's and SNCF lantern that she found somewhere.  I suspect it' runs on r=paraffin or petrole as it's called here but appears to have a tank on the rear as well as in the base.  As a result, I'm not sure how to use it but plan to take it to Ruffec station and have a chat with the Chef du gare. If Ican get it to work it would be great.   It would nicely complement my 1930's miners safety lamp.

 

Jamie

I run my Brake van lamp on citronella oil. It burns well and keeps the midges at bay.

[Happy Hippo]

4 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Sounds like the perfect excuse to buy a MIG Welder.......

I wouldn't buy any Russian aircraft.

[polybear]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

I wouldn't buy any Russian aircraft.

 

Bear just knew I was getting lined up for a smart reply.....🤣

Edited November 1, 2022 by polybear

[simontaylor484]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

I wouldn't buy any Russian aircraft.

Ukrainian farmers may have a couple for sale along with various armoured vehicles. One owner some damage perhaps 

[polybear]

48 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

Ukrainian farmers may have a couple for sale along with various armoured vehicles. One owner some damage perhaps 

 

They can even offer a choice of one careful sorry, careless owner examples; they have a special offer on at the moment - a large drum of T-Cut with every one purchased...

https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/03/list-of-aircraft-losses-during-2022.html

 

(Bear would bet a VERY large slice of LDC that various examples of Aircraft black boxes have found their way Westwards and are currently being closely examined by "interested parties")

 

 

[Happy Hippo]

20 minutes ago, polybear said:

(Bear would bet a VERY large slice of LDC that various examples of Aircraft black boxes have found their way Westwards and are currently being closely examined by "interested parties")

 

 

When I was based in BAOR we used to get occasional visits from an American 'demonstration' unit which had a number of  (then) current tanks, APCs and soft skinned vehicles.  Also on display were various small arms and light artillery items and AAA assets.

 

We presumed that a lot of this stuff was courtesy of the Israelis.

 

We also came to the conclusion that to fit into his 'seat', a T62 tank gunner had to be recruited from a family of one legged dwarves.

[BoD]

3 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

Sunshine and showers but the day looks bright!

 

Good news Ian.  Hope it stays that way and Sherry continues to make good progress.

[TheQ]

Aircraft Radars are also of interest, any bits intact will be looked at with great interest.

The biggest RAF station has  / had a collection of ground radars "acquired"  for our aircraft to play against...

[Tony_S]

21 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

We presumed that a lot of this stuff was courtesy of the Israelis.

I suspect a bit later all the stuff that former Warsaw Pact forces had once they joined NATO was also available. It seem that former Russian stuff is now helping the Ukrainian forces as well as that donated by farmers. 

[Tony_S]

25 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

T62 tank gunner had to be recruited from a family of one legged dwarves.

My Dad said he felt being a person of small stature he was at an advantage getting out of tanks in a hurry. 

[Happy Hippo]

46 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

My Dad said he felt being a person of small stature he was at an advantage getting out of tanks in a hurry. 

You can also curl into a smaller ball and create less of a target when under fire.

[SM42]

East wing decrating now has a deadline. 

 

New blinds are being installed next Tuesday, so I'd best get on with it. 

 

Andy

[Happy Hippo]

9 minutes ago, SM42 said:

East wing decrating now has a deadline. 

 

New blinds are being installed next Tuesday, so I'd best get on with it. 

 

Andy

Make your deadline Sunday, as Monday will be a write off....

[SM42]

19 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Make your deadline Sunday, as Monday will be a write off....

 

I've allowed for that. 

 

I'm moving stuff about and getting ready for masking up to start tomorrow. 

 

Then ots down to sanding and filling the imperfections and then getting some paint on

 

Hopefully by tomorrow evening I will be waiting for paint to dry.

 

Second coats on Thursday and Friday. Contingency day Saturday. 

 

If all goes well I'll be on skirting painting  on Saturday 

 

Andy

[jamie92208]

4 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

When I was based in BAOR we used to get occasional visits from an American 'demonstration' unit which had a number of  (then) current tanks, APCs and soft skinned vehicles.  Also on display were various small arms and light artillery items and AAA assets.

 

We presumed that a lot of this stuff was courtesy of the Israelis.

 

We also came to the conclusion that to fit into his 'seat', a T62 tank gunner had to be recruited from a family of one legged dwarves.

I'd heard something similar about one of the Russian tanks that the loader had to be a left hander of 5' or under so any conscript who fitted that description automatically  went to a tank unit.  Perhaps it was the shortage of such recruits that made them fit the auto loader with shells in a ring round the turret. These are proving a tad troublesome  in Ukraine.

 

Jamie

Edited November 1, 2022 by jamie92208

[polybear]

2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

I'd heard something similar about one of the Russian tanks that the loader had to be a left hander of 5' or under so any conscript who fitted that description automatically  went to a tank unit.  Perhaps it was the shortage of such recruits that made them fit the auto loader with shells in a ring round the turret. These are proving a tad troublesome  in Ukraine.

 

Jamie

 

Not to the Ukrainians.....

[PhilJ W]

4 hours ago, polybear said:

 

They can even offer a choice of one careful sorry, careless owner examples; they have a special offer on at the moment - a large drum of T-Cut with every one purchased...

https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/03/list-of-aircraft-losses-during-2022.html

 

(Bear would bet a VERY large slice of LDC that various examples of Aircraft black boxes have found their way Westwards and are currently being closely examined by "interested parties")

 

 

 

4 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

When I was based in BAOR we used to get occasional visits from an American 'demonstration' unit which had a number of  (then) current tanks, APCs and soft skinned vehicles.  Also on display were various small arms and light artillery items and AAA assets.

 

We presumed that a lot of this stuff was courtesy of the Israelis.

 

We also came to the conclusion that to fit into his 'seat', a T62 tank gunner had to be recruited from a family of one legged dwarves.

 

4 hours ago, Tony_S said:

I suspect a bit later all the stuff that former Warsaw Pact forces had once they joined NATO was also available. It seem that former Russian stuff is now helping the Ukrainian forces as well as that donated by farmers. 

I wonder if the Russians 'sanitised' anything provided to client nations as the Americans do.

[PhilJ W]

The Ukrainians have captured so much Russian equipment that they have more than that provided by NATO. Apparently the tactic is during a Russian withdrawal is to target the equipment  but leave any retreating on foot alone. The result is a lot of abandoned equipment.