Early Risers.

[Ian Abel]

On the subject of cars it's always seemed odd to me that cars over here (USA temp resident in the sun) only have a rear number plate, not sure of the reason if any for that.

Then to my amusement I've noticed that quite a few people have their names on the plate ie

 

Mike & Dawn Williams. ..Virginia

Amusing to me anyway, North Norfolk Coast mentioned earlier, yep a nice part of the Uk, down there in May walking the coastal paths again.

 

Enjoy the rest of the day

"Wot Andrew sed" as he beat me to it - hardly surprising as I get here later than almost everyone <sigh>.

It's state regulated and states are "all over the board" with their regulations. Minnesota is also a 2-plate state, but we do have vanity plates here. Pay extra and put what you please, up to 7 characters, on the plate, so long as it's unique, and not rude! "BOLLOKS" - the closest spelling you can get, isnt' considered a no-no as they don't get the term over here - I'm tempted

 

Weldind gear at the ready Pete - still at -23 here this morning and just making records as we go - yesterday was the coldest MARCH day since 1962 here!!!! Say WHAT!!!

Of course, we're also predicted to be around freezing by Thursday/Friday with somewhat of a thaw going one for a few days.

 

Fairly satisfied with the modelling yesterday, although I STILL only got about 1/3 of the time I was hoping for, but did get the lead road and two tracks down into the engine shed area and turntable - I can now run a loco all the way from my main station to the turntable and spin them around - YAY!

 

Concert last night was predictably incredible - we're blessed with amazing musicians, who then have a slew of friends they invite to the concerts. The only down side was that we had to be there for rehersal at 5PM and the concert didn't finish until 9:45 - with the choir spending all that time between sitting and standing on the risers except for a 40 minute refreshment break between the rehersal and the concert - my 65-year old arse isn't well equipped for that sort of duty!!!

 

So we start Monday cold (well outside anyway), tired and sore, but smiling at least. No to do some SQL scripting - oh yay!

[New Haven Neil]

Do you have funny gravity on Fraggle Rock Neil? There always seem to be upside down cars. Maybe it's to do with the Manx cats, cats know a thing or two about gravity.

 

My BiL heard a noise one night and looked out to see that his Fiat Seicento had been inverted by the locals. He has sensibly replaced the car-with a Daihatsu Domino!

 

Ed

 

Yes, local drivers have a penchant for parking upside down.  Many of the roads here are bounded by steep sided sod banks, when they lose control the vehicle runs up the bank and turns over - happens all the time.  'Manx Parking' skills are legendary.  However, the location of this morning's whoopsie isn't, it's quite open.  I haven't heard the excuse yet.....but I will do!

[beast66606]

Afternoon all,

 

Belated birthday greetings from me.

 

I have been chasing my last 3 (for photographs) DBS livery 66s (I got all 250 in EWS livery) for several years now, not to distraction but watching out for them and when they are around going out for them - or I would do if they'd been around, they've avoided me for several years. This year saw me still needing 66001 / 101 and 66185. I knocked off 66101 a few weeks back and as those who are still awake will remember I knocked off 66185 last week - leaving me just the 001 - it's been at Peak Forest for a few days and on Monday mornings we have a stone from Peak Forest so I kept my fingers crossed. A Trust report was posted at 07:30 which had those immortal words 66001 - on 6L90 (my stone) so off I went with joy in my heart to Eccles for it. On checking my emails there were two of interest - 66139 was noted passing Ely heading for Norwich and 66001 was noted at Ely heading for Harlow. As those who follow Trust know, it's not always 100% accurate and so I had a sinking feeling "Just my luck" but when the train came 'round the corner it was indeed 66001 leading the charge, I gave a little mutter of "Get in!" when it went passed.

 

Have a good day folks.

[Ian Abel]

I think there are very few people that don't like DQ. I'm craving a skor bar blizzard at the moment.

My fave is actually a Mocha/Chocolate chip blizzard - you have to "ask", and some stores will give you a quizical look, but they do make it, it's found in the list of special items, and it's GREAT

[PhilJ W]

With all this talk of kangaroo steaks etc. I hope no one from Tesco's is looking in.

[iL Dottore]

Quite frankly Neil

Morning-ish.

 

.... and a lady coming down in a Porsche 4x4, or rather not as she was too frightened to drive on to the ice.  Diff locks? What are they then?  The vehicle probably has every traction and braking aid known to mankind....

If you can't drive it you shouldn't have been allowed to buy it!

 

'nuff said?

 

iD

 

p.s. I fail to see why someone living in suburbia and has no countryside hobbies needs a 4x4 vehicle - especially as, in the opinion of my friend Charles who refers scathingly to such vehicles as Chelsea Tractors, most of the drivers are so-called "yummy mummies" on the school run (another bête noire of his).

 

p.p.s. HM back to 95% functionality - enforced rest has resulted in a speedy recovery!

[shortliner]

Yes, with a school about ½ a mile away, it can be fun if you want to get out of the end of our road if you set out about 5-10 minutes before the assembly starts, and then similarly in the afternoon when they pick the little darlings up again!

[Ian Abel]

Quite frankly Neil

If you can't drive it you shouldn't have been allowed to buy it!

 

'nuff said?

 

iD

 

p.s. I fail to see why someone living in suburbia and has no countryside hobbies needs a 4x4 vehicle - especially as, in the opinion of my friend Charles who refers scathingly to such vehicles as Chelsea Tractors, most of the drivers are so-called "yummy mummies" on the school run (another bête noire of his).

 

p.p.s. HM back to 95% functionality - enforced rest has resulted in a speedy recovery!

Ack!! Don't get me started....first comment is exactly what I thought when Jag announced back in the late 60's they were addin power steering and an automatic tranny to the E-Type. My '64 handled like a DREAM, a treu DRIVERS CAR (I owned it in the mid-70's), unfortunately the old farts and fartesses who could afford a new one back then couldn't manage to park the bloody thing OR change gear apparently so they tarted it up to a luxury prat-mobile for the folks that wanted to "look" the part but wouldn't manage to drive it to its full potential even if they were give a 100 years to try <grumble> <moan> <complain>

 

The 4x4/SUV crowd are another bunch of numb-nuts over here. I live in a suburb of Minneapolis (in a "real" house, I'm not rich) that is also the haven for the pseudo-upper class over-extended wannabees. They ALL have expensive SUVs, many preferring a nice new Range Rover that gets washed about 12 times a WEEK - the teenagers drive them to school often! They wouldn't even know how to get it up over a KERB if asked. They just like to look-the-part whilst blabbing away on their cell phones - YES, it's still legal to talk on the phone while driving in this state!! - and waiting in line at the Starbucks drive-up after dropping the kiddies at school. They're referred to as soccer-moms here, as soccer is actually an elitest school activity and played more at the "better" schools <aarrggghhh>

Not a ONE of them probably knows anything about the transmission options they have - they just open the car with the power locks fob, insert key (OR NOT on the flashier models) and drive, whilst also putting on makeup - it's a wonder they even manage to get it from Park to Drive IMHO, there'll probably be an option for them soon, so they don't have to deal with all the complications of THAT!....

[Ian Abel]

Phew - sorry for that rant

Similar to shortliner, I similarly encounter the bas!@#tar!@#ds  fellow road-users on the day(s) I drive in to the office,.

Dunno about there, but here they apparently sell all these high end flash-mobiles without turn signals, they must be an option - BECAUSE NO-ONE EVER USES THEM!!!!!!

 

Are we GOM or what! Maybe its the birthday that tipped me over the edge this week -

Edited March 3, 2014 by Ian Abel

[trisonic]

DQ = Yumyum.

 

I saw the plate in California - I think it is owned by Rod the Mod out there. Someone in New Jersey already has this State's - because as Ian said the staff have no idea what it means...

I was thinking of getting the NJ "FastHand" as some plonker already has "SlowHand". Plonker is another one known only to Brits.

 

I'm still amused by the fact that the plates over here do not move with the car when you sell it on - they stay with the owner of the plates...

 

Best, Pete.

[Pete 75C]

The comments about the Chelsea Tractors are making me smile. Having lived directly opposite a junior school in Essex until about 2007/8, it was fun to watch the WAGs climbing down from their massive 4x4s to unbuckle their children each morning. Actually, thinking about it, it was even more fun in the summer when their skirts got shorter...

Yes, I know what you're thinking, but I shall continue to grow old disgracefully, thank you...

[Tony_S]

 

 

p.s. I fail to see why someone living in suburbia and has no countryside hobbies needs a 4x4 vehicle - especially as, in the opinion of my friend Charles who refers scathingly to such vehicles as Chelsea Tractors, most of the drivers are so-called "yummy mummies" on the school run (another bête noire of his).

 

I quite like my Land Rover (Freelander 2). Very comfortable, very easy to park. Though unlike the ones Ian mentions it only gets cleaned when it goes for servicing. I think the mechanics don't want to get muddy.

Tony

[colin penfold]

The suburban 4x4s all get to go off road frequently in my experience - when they park on the b***(((y pavement !!!!

[Happy Hippo]

Chieftain Mk 10  was always my choice for driving around.

 

Parked where you fancied,  when on the move, everyone else on and off the road got out of your way.

 

You also had the advantage of a full width dozer blade across the front to catch anything that tried to get between the tracks (mopeds and skateboarders)

 

Sadly the fuel usage was measured in gallons per mile.

 

i still hanker after a CVRT Sampson, as I'd make a fortune recovering those fools who think they can drive fast around the lanes in the winter and end up in the field the wrong side of the ditch and hedge.

[New Haven Neil]

Whilst there is a lot more country than town on this little isle, due to the huge amount of 'high net worth' individuals (aka tax avoiders err, residents) there are a LOT of 4x4 driving morons here.  The Ferraris and Lambos get put away for winter and out come the Rangies and Amazons.#sigh#  As Ian says, they don't have indicators either.  And just what is the point of a Lamborghini here I ask, no roads where you can really let a car like that loose. Oh hang on, they wouldn't be able to drive it like that anyway........

 

After making my post earlier about parking manx style, a file landed on my desk just before I finished work today - a young person had parked upside down. #sigh again#

[New Haven Neil]

The suburban 4x4s all get to go off road frequently in my experience - when they park on the b***(((y pavement !!!!

 

Oh don't get me started.  One of my best friend's wife is blind, finding cars parked on the pavement is NOT helpful to her.  WHY do the morons do that?  Why don't my colleagues nick then for doing it?

[edcayton]

On the recent build estates round here there is so little room for parking that the residents and visitors have no option other than to park half on pavement.

 

Most of Stevenage is mid-50's terraced housing with something like one garage per 10 houses. The garages are bloody dear to rent and seem mostly to be used by tradesmen for storage.

 

When we bought this house we made sure that we could park all vehicles off road. We asked the council for permission to widen the cross-over to make access easier but were refused.;

 

Meanwhile, at great expense, the council dug up grass verges and made roads one-way to provide parking for the feckless so-and -so's who bought cars with no thought of where to keep them. Grrrrrrrr

 

Ed

[colin penfold]

On the recent build estates round here there is so little room for parking that the residents and visitors have no option other than to park half on pavement.

 

Most of Stevenage is mid-50's terraced housing with something like one garage per 10 houses. The garages are bloody dear to rent and seem mostly to be used by tradesmen for storage.

 

When we bought this house we made sure that we could park all vehicles off road. We asked the council for permission to widen the cross-over to make access easier but were refused.;

 

Meanwhile, at great expense, the council dug up grass verges and made roads one-way to provide parking for the feckless so-and -so's who bought cars with no thought of where to keep them. Grrrrrrrr

 

Ed

now dont get me started, thats one of my pet hates - nobody has "no choice" but to park illegally or unsafely. There is no such excuse as "There was nowhere else to park" Drivers are responsible for parking legally and safely. If that means walkingv100 yards, so be it

[iL Dottore]

DQ = Yumyum.

 

I saw the ###### plate in California - I think it is owned by Rod the Mod out there. Someone in New Jersey already has this State's ###### - because as Ian said the staff have no idea what it means...

I was thinking of getting the NJ "FastHand" as some plonker already has "SlowHand". Plonker is another one known only to Brits.

Pete.

 

Pete, the ##### censoring software has bleeped out part of your post, can you S P E L L it out? (c'mon AndyY, do something about this software - we're all responsible grown-ups here) 

I quite like my Land Rover (Freelander 2). Very comfortable, very easy to park. Though unlike the ones Ian mentions it only gets cleaned when it goes for servicing. I think the mechanics don't want to get muddy. Tony

I've always liked Landrovers, they have a certain something Jeeps can only dream about.... The fact that your car only gets washed before a service, tells me it is a proper working car and not a "posing car" (which is like a "posing pouch" and although a posing car is bigger than a pouch it's still got a d*** inside it)

[AndrewC]

I drive a Freelander for purely selfish reasons. I like having the interior space for cargo. I like the comfort. I also want something more substantial than a recycled biscuit tin between me and some of the total douchecanoes on the road.

 

Pete, IIRC plates do stay with the car in some states. Or did in the 90s. I've still got my Alberta vanity plates as well as SWMBO's old Tercel plates hanging in my shed man cave. Makes sense in a way that the number is tied to the owner rather than the vehicle itself. I knew one guy who was so cheap he used the 14 day registration change rule to get away with having one set of plates and insurance for 2 cars. He finally got nailed for it about 2 years later after getting pulled over by the same cop twice.

[Barry O]

Chieftain Mk 10  was always my choice for driving around.

 

Parked where you fancied,  when on the move, everyone else on and off the road got out of your way.

 

You also had the advantage of a full width dozer blade across the front to catch anything that tried to get between the tracks (mopeds and skateboarders)

 

Sadly the fuel usage was measured in gallons per mile.

 

i still hanker after a CVRT Sampson, as I'd make a fortune recovering those fools who think they can drive fast around the lanes in the winter and end up in the field the wrong side of the ditch and hedge.

you should try the newer CR2 with 6 speed semi automatic box, hydrogas suspension, boiling vessel, air conditioning, toilet facilities and better than a mile to a gallon and a pearson dozer blade option..... although I might have been tempted by a CARRV - dozer blade, crane and 150T winch - just the job.

 

CVRT upgrades with the Jag engine replace by a diesel one make it more economical..

[The Stationmaster]

My car only gets washed after a service - by the garage.  It's just had this year's wash although it might get another one from the friendly local Kosovars in the autumn - they did it last summer (I think, I don't even bother t remember when it was last washed).

 

Parking round here is covered very neatly by words beginning with 'i' - inconsiderate, and illegal being the most common although incontinent (i.e.dumped anywhere) comes pretty closely behind those two.  The police don't give a monkeys - apparently their main interest is making sure they get the cakes and pies in, and going somewhere 8 miles away when there is a robbery going on in the bank branch 50 yards from the police station.  In fact you can (and someone did) quite literally kill someone within full view of the local cop shop although he was convicted of manslaughter.  Quite frightening that an argument in the street within yards of the police station can result in somebody being, literally, kicked to death.  And strangely lots of people hate the occasional visiting parking wardens who go round ticketing cars parked without payment in local car parks.

[Tony_S]

Lifeboatman's comment about ladies exiting from 4x4s and iD's Jeeps v Land Rover reminded me of our trip to Canada. Aditi can just about get into the Freelander but we hired a Jeep Liberty while we were in Alberta. This provided me with much amusement as the Jeep was a bit of a climb for her. I offered to park next to piles of snow so she could climb in but she wasn't amused. She had no problem driving the Jeep though.

[PhilJ W]

Phew - sorry for that rant

Similar to shortliner, I similarly encounter the bas!@#tar!@#ds  fellow road-users on the day(s) I drive in to the office,.

Dunno about there, but here they apparently sell all these high end flash-mobiles without turn signals, they must be an option - BECAUSE NO-ONE EVER USES THEM!!!!!!

 

Are we GOM or what! Maybe its the birthday that tipped me over the edge this week -

You are now officially a Grumpy Old Man, welcome to the club!

[skipepsi]

You are now officially a Grumpy Old Man, welcome to the club!

If I was living in such low temperatures I would have been a grumpy old man as a teenager!