Early Risers.

[Tony_S]

How many top peaks are there in Essex?

 

Should I post this in the "pointless questions forum"?

The Olympic Mountain Bike event was held a couple of miles from here.

[Happy Hippo]

................... but I can't do hard graft trackwork and groundwork due to my hip issues, but I do get very dirty on locomotive and stock work! 

 

Hereafter Neil will have to be known as the Fat Controller, as I seem to recall that in the story of 'Henry the Green Engine', the FC claimed:

 

"My doctor has forbidden me to push"

 

And later:

 

"My doctor had forbidden me to pull!"

 

Seriously though, lovely pictures, and you can only do what you can do bearing in mind your limitations

 

Regards

 

Richard

[Debs.]

Hereafter Neil will have to be known as the Fat Controller......

 

Well, Neil does live on the Isle of Sodor too!

[Oldddudders]

Morning all

 

Wet night, dreary morning, though not too cold. Deb's PC may be ok, as when I finally turned it off last night it wanted to install 110 updates, which is quite a lot. It's currently booting up, and the configuring is taking ages. Probably a good sign.

 

NHN's pics are a delight. I never really got involved with the volunteer brigade, beyond a busy Easter weekend at Towyn 40 years ago, digging trenches. I think it's now called Tywyn for some reason.

 

Hope your week goes well.

[New Haven Neil]

Coffee time - already.

 

Richard, on our 'whereabouts' board at work we all have an alter-ego picture - mine is of course the Fat Controller!    (Incidentally.....I can push but not pull!!!).  I'm not that fat either, honest guv. 

 

Ian, it's for 'Added Welshness' I think

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Hopefully for iD Schotty might have commenced proper cat awareness training - Henry was excellent at training young dogs to recognise the mastery of the feline fraternity and several folk used to walk their dogs our way on purpose to ensure they learnt decent behaviour and fear of cats.

 

Good to hear NHN had a good time with visitors from elsewhere - sounds as if the current 'awkward squad' on the Ratty stayed at home and hopefully you didn't get the bloke from the Bure Valley who claimed to be a master of all things steam but failed miserably due to a shortage of that commodity when he attended as a guest when we (the staff of my then employer) were having a 'fun day' on the Great Cockrow Railway some years ago.  (but talking of shortage of steam we'll steer well clear of mentioning me and the S160 on a day out on the MHR years ago).

 

Later today we are off to see our mobile friends (sounds better than 'travellers') who currently are parked on a local campsite for a couple of so it might well finish up with National Trust scones this afternoon.

 

Have a good day one & all

[New Haven Neil]

I think I know who you mean at the BV, no it wasn't him!!

 

I'm not up to date on Ratty politics though.

[NGT6 1315]

Right now, I'd kill for a serving of bobotie!

 

Currently sat in one of our prep rooms and working a bit on my plans for the lessons later this week. Windy outside with a weather warning of gusts up to 47 knots in effect. Leaf blowers are doing overtime currently, too!

[DDolfelin]

 I never really got involved with the volunteer brigade, beyond a busy Easter weekend at Towyn 40 years ago, digging trenches. I think it's now called Tywyn for some reason.

 

 

There are two towns called 'Towyn'.

The one on the West Coast is known as Tywyn (Talyllyn Railway) to make it different from the one on the North Coast.

[edcayton]

Being ahead of the game as usual I turned my calendar to November this morning! A very pleasant surprise as it has a photo of an IoM Railway train composed of matching red and cream coaches hauled by two red tank engines; with a red Austin Healey Sprite in the foreground.

 

Ed

[Tony_S]

I'm sure we sometimes had stew with custard when I was at infant school in Somerset. 

 

Robbie is only cat unfriendly in his own garden. He was fine when staying at a house with a resident cat. He ignores them when we are out. I was a bit concerned when a new cat started using our garden as a short cut and as a lavatory earlier this year. I don't think that it was specifically that it was a cat that Robbie objected to as it being an unapproved visitor. He doesn't bark or growl prior to or during an eviction. He does have a very self satisfied deep-woof noise though after asserting his territorial rights, and does the canine equivalent of triumphalist marching round the garden.

[beast66606]

Morning all.

 

A lovely morning down here today - after torrential rain most of the night - the sun is currently shining brightly.

 

Things are getting silly in the buy out now - as we are still short of a signed contract - the new people want to meet customers but of course the old people won't let them until it's cast in concrete - ho hum

 

Have a good day all.

[trisonic]

I'm sure we sometimes had stew with custard when I was at infant school in Somerset. 

 

Robbie is only cat unfriendly in his own garden. He was fine when staying at a house with a resident cat. He ignores them when we are out. I was a bit concerned when a new cat started using our garden as a short cut and as a lavatory earlier this year. I don't think that it was specifically that it was a cat that Robbie objected to as it being an unapproved visitor. He doesn't bark or growl prior to or during an eviction. He does have a very self satisfied deep-woof noise though after asserting his territorial rights, and does the canine equivalent of triumphalist marching round the garden.

At school I enjoyed mashed potatoes with custard.

 

Of course Robbie is right. According to various sources (incl. the RSPB and Maisie our Westie) Cats are the biggest destroyers of wildlife in the Western Hemisphere.

 

Never mind Dom, Leaf-Blowers stand no chance against a 47 knot wind.....

 

Best, Pete.

[Debs.]

Having a modelling day to raise spirits.

Busy converting some 10/15 & 22mm. plumbing pipe into a representation of a Paxton Paxman 403 hp. V8 diesel (7mm. scale) for my Hunslet........please don`t laugh; it`ll be better than it sounds!

The copper pipe looks unpromisingly tubiform to begin with, but it`s amazing what can be accomplished with some 'profane' gas annealing, unrolling and subsequent cold forming......fully-softened copper is like butter to work with when 'fresh'.

Sump, block, blower and heads/rocker-covers now formed, it can soon be sweated together.

 

This is a real V6 example (the V8 was essentially similar, save for the extra cyls.):

Edited November 4, 2013 by Debs.

[New Haven Neil]

PaxMAN, Debs /pedant mode off.  

 

Now think about where the exhaust manifold bolts/studs are on that, and reflect on why I hated them!!

[skipepsi]

PaxMAN, Debs /pedant mode off.  

 

Now think about where the exhaust manifold bolts/studs are on that, and reflect on why I hated them!!

Did the instructions start with first remove the turbocharger ( time allowed 10 mins) ?

[Gruffalo]

PaxMAN, Debs /pedant mode off.  

 

Now think about where the exhaust manifold bolts/studs are on that, and reflect on why I hated them!!

And the fuel lines Neil / Debs!

[Tony_S]

 

The copper pipe looks unpromisingly tubiform to begin with, but it`s amazing what can be accomplished with some 'profane' gas annealing, unrolling and subsequent cold forming......fully-softened copper is like butter to work with when 'fresh'.

 

When I was at school back in the mid 1960s knowledge of such things was considered to be important. So after a year of cutting and filing bits of mild steel, we advanced to "properties of metals". This involved lots of hearthwork and  bashing things on anvils (Make a screwdriver out of 1/4" steel rod). Then we got to work on some copper alloy (gilding metal) and make a napkin ring, which was fun as it involving heating, soldering, lots of quenching and bashing with little planishing hammers. I just about managed to make the napkin ring but never managed the advanced projects of cruet sets or jewellery boxes. By the time we got to the sixth form we didn't make things but did etch and polish bits of metal to look at them under microscopes. The Royal Engineers had to come one day to school to dispose of some etching chemicals that were found to be unsuitable for school!

[BoD]

Just back from my hospital appointment.

I was referred to my doctors and then to the eye infirmary after routine tests at opticians. I felt a bit of a fraud as I felt nothing wrong myself. It turns out that I have ocular hypertension - increased pressure inside the eyeball which could well lead to glaucoma later. My right eye is worse than the left and there is a difference in the optical nerve which needs monitoring. The specialist said I had no need to 'feel a fraud' as these are just the sort of things they like to catch early as they should be able to prevent any further deterioration which will save a lot of hassle later.

It does, however, mean that I am likely to need lifetime treatment (daily drops). As someone who has to a large extent managed without medical intervention up to now this came as quite a shock. Still, if it stops me losing sight I'm up for it.

[New Haven Neil]

And the fuel lines Neil / Debs!

 

 

Oddly they haven't a place in my memory (they look equally as interestingly placed though) - but the hand made funny shaped spanners to remove the manifold nuts do!  And the bloody knuckles and bad language.

[trisonic]

Has anyone in the UK seen December's Model Railroader yet?

 

Sublime double page photo of part of Mindheim's "Miami's Downtown Spur" on pages 50 - 51 ( I think the photograph would have been better if Andy Y.  had taken it - but a very similar style to his recent work in BRM).

 

Truly superlative "holistic" HO modelling. Should be studied by all railway modellers, I think.

 

Best, Pete.

[Debs.]

Just back from my hospital appointment.

I was referred to my doctors and then to the eye infirmary after routine tests at opticians. I felt a bit of a fraud as I felt nothing wrong myself. It turns out that I have ocular hypertension - increased pressure inside the eyeball which could well lead to glaucoma later. My right eye is worse than the left and there is a difference in the optical nerve which needs monitoring. The specialist said I had no need to 'feel a fraud' as these are just the sort of things they like to catch early as they should be able to prevent any further deterioration which will save a lot of hassle later.

It does, however, mean that I am likely to need lifetime treatment (daily drops). As someone who has to a large extent managed without medical intervention up to now this came as quite a shock. Still, if it stops me losing sight I'm up for it.

 

What a 'good catch' by the optician!

 

To all you others: look after your vision!.......go get tested (and remember: for many it`s still free, especially if there`s any Glaucoma or another of the several 'nasties' in your close family`s ocular-lineage).

 

My Father suffers near-total blindness resultant from late-diagnosis Glaucoma; and macular degeneration has pretty-much done for any of his remaining sight........for often, only when it`s nearly gone, does our eyesight come to seem as precious as it really is.

 

BoD, the drops are definitely just a small price to pay!

[DDolfelin]

Thanks for letting us know, BoD.

A lesson for us all.

[trisonic]

Bod,

That's the test where they surprise you with a blast of air to the eyeball and then measure the bounce?

 

Never fails to make me jump!

 

Best, Pete.

[Gruffalo]

Pete, that one is certainly used to check for Gluacoma, BoD's might be another one.