Early Risers.

[Pete 75C]

Morning all. Stupid o'clock here in Norfolk. Still dark so weather report is limited to "not raining". Just about to drive my son into Cromer. He's off with the Cromer ATC to do some glider piloting over Cambridgeshire. Not bad for a 14 yr-old. Delighted for him but on a selfish note, having to pick him up later might interfere with my plan to pop over to the Norwich MRS show which is only a one day event. I was hoping to catch "Rowlands Castle" in the flesh. We shall have to see. Have a great weekend. Pete.

[NGT6 1315]

Morning all. Dull and wet outside.

 

Thanks for that video, Pete!

 

I was just made aware of this Dutch-themed layout, which I but understand the owners since dismantled in favour of a new project: http://www.floodland.nl/aim/lzij_bouwverslag_4.htm

 

Note the swing bridge and the lovely OHLE. The catch is that common practice on such bridges in the Netherlands is for motive power to coast through the OHLE gap with the pantographs remaining up – hence the alignment rails on the gantries on either end of the gap.

[DonBradley]

Did I say HOT yesterday? Today i forecast to be 33C with virtually no wind.

 

Loved the in steam pics Neil. Thank you.

[Barry O]

Morning all

After me eye drops yesterday looks like my eyes are back to normal (not sure what normal is any more)

More gloss painting to do today to finish her indoors music room.

 

Have a great Saturday everyone!

 

Baz

[trisonic]

Morning all. Stupid o'clock here in Norfolk. Still dark so weather report is limited to "not raining". Just about to drive my son into Cromer. He's off with the Cromer ATC to do some glider piloting over Cambridgeshire. Not bad for a 14 yr-old. Delighted for him but on a selfish note, having to pick him up later might interfere with my plan to pop over to the Norwich MRS show which is only a one day event. I was hoping to catch "Rowlands Castle" in the flesh. We shall have to see. Have a great weekend. Pete.

My brother got his Gliders License with the CCF when he was 15 (he may just have turned 16 but he did most of the work during his fifteenth year).

Good luck to your lad..,

 

Best, Pete.

[BoD]

Morning all

 

The forecast says sun.

My wet coat and blurred spectacles says rain.

I wonder which is correct.

[skipepsi]

Morning all, up early to take DD2 to Alton Towers with some of her friends. I am not stopping just dropping them off....

[edcayton]

Morning all, up early to take DD2 to Alton Towers with some of her friends. I am not stopping just dropping them off....

 

Are you going to do what I did when I took my kids there, and have a look at the Churnet Valley Railway? It's rather nice, and has grown a lot since I was there.

 

Ed

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Dry, blue skies, sunny and 8^oC - should be another nice day but may be some rain this evening.

Was hoping to get to the Crawley MRS show at Horsham today but certain things have conspired against me (twice) and got in the way which is rather annoying.

Have a good one,

Bob.

[travelintrev]

Morning all, bright sunny morning and only 29 c at the moment!  Busy weekend ahead..... even going to try and get my hair cut too! 

 

Manged to bet bit of modelling time in last night too. 

 

Try to make  the most of the  day you can, 

 

Trev.

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

Sunny here and I don't think rain is forecast.

I hope all the glue has dried overnight on the layout scenery so I can add some more. I did intend originally to sit and think about goods yards while watching trains go round but thought I should finish something rather than start something else.

Tony

[The Stationmaster]

 

 

I was just made aware of this Dutch-themed layout, which I but understand the owners since dismantled in favour of a new project: http://www.floodland.nl/aim/lzij_bouwverslag_4.htm

 

Note the swing bridge and the lovely OHLE. The catch is that common practice on such bridges in the Netherlands is for motive power to coast through the OHLE gap with the pantographs remaining up – hence the alignment rails on the gantries on either end of the gap.

Interesting that they don't lower the pans as usual continental practice is to lower them when doing such things as going through system changes (e.g. dc ohle to ac ohle) almost irrespective of speed - it is quite a sight watching a 12 coach loco hauled train passing through a border station with the pan(s) dropping as it approaches and then pan(s) being raised as it gets onto the other system. all at about =70mph.  They do it at even higher speeds on the SNCF LGVs, no doubt looks quite spectacular from the lineside!  

And I wonder how they stop the pans going into auto lower which is what happens with most pans when they go overheight - albeit not necessarily instantaneously as certain UK structures bear witness

 

Oops, sorry - trains.  A bright sunny day with occasional cloud here so hopefully it will be a pleasant drive down into the depths of Wiltshire to Melksham and trainwest.  This is the furthest I usually drive to a show and as long as there are no seagulls in the area it's not a bad trip. (Once in the past seagulls - at Melksham!! - used my car and others of a similar colour for squadron 'bombing' attacks - I have to jetwash it before I left Melksham in order to be able to see out of the windows!).  Anyway normallya  good show and quite a few RMweb layouts attending so ought to be a pleasant day out.

 

Hope you all have a nice day.

[BoD]

thought I should finish something rather than start something else.

Now there's a novel idea.

I really must try it sometime.

[Tony_S]

  these two are "easy" though since they are DCC ready, pop the body, clip the suppressors and install a TCS DP2X-UK, all done

 

"clip the suppressors" initially caused me some concern when I first did a Hornby loco as it used the capacitor leads as part of the wiring "loom". Easy to sort out with some wire, a soldering iron and insulation!

[Jock67B]

Morning folks, I'm an early riser due to the relaying of the track at the bottom of my garden! We back on to the Liverpool St. line about 1/2 a mile from Clacton on Sea terminus. They relaid the down line with new welded track many years ago, but when Potters Bar occurred, they disappeared with only the down side completed and haven't been back since (leaving the welded rails for the up side lying in the drainage channel!). Last night they lifted the old track and 66413 is currently sitting at tick-over with a train of JNA's being loaded with the old ballast. The dog is un-impressed with this and the noise of the diggers and graders right behind his territory!! Wonder what happens to the wagon loads -up to 64T of old ballast? Although not good for sleep, it is fascinating to observe the engineering ; modelling in 12 inches to the foot? I will be watching (they claim it will be finished in time for Monday rush hour) to see if I can pick up tips for my projected model. Will they use dilute PVA with a big splash of washing up liquid for the ballast? The most amazing thing over the last few years has been the difference in noise levels between the old and new tracks - at least the house and garden should stop vibrating with each passage of an up train!

Kind regards,

Jock67B.

[DonBradley]

My sympathy for you loss of sleep, but welcome to the vibrant, witty, soul searching, intelligent conversation to be found here.

[Oldddudders]

Morning all

 

Not necessarily firing on all cylinders, or at least not in the right order, due to minor food and drink excesses at the dinner party last night. The presence of a noisy parrot in the corner of the room, and a genuine Smith and Wesson handgun - probably 9mm - in a wooden case, complete with what appeared to be blank bullets, made for some conversation here and there! The parrot is being looked after while Keith and Cherie are in Blighty for a few days - and Ivy was given less than 24 hrs notice that she would be looking after him. Some people just take you for granted, hence they've now had my long ladder for nearly 10 years.......

 

Another beautiful day, with a lot less cloud than yesterday. The world really does feel completely different on such days.

 

I note that those with kids find their lives are dictated by the activity demands of those kids. In the days before mum and dad had a car, the kids would go by public transport, or entertain themselves locally. I wonder which prepares them better for the real world?

 

Hope your weekend is relaxing and fulfilling.

[PhilJ W]

Heads up. There is a model railway exhibition at the Castle Point Transport Museum, Canvey Island tomorrow. 

[Coombe Barton]

Was sunny earlier, is now grey and forecast to remain so. Dogs have had their usual three breakfasts (biscuits, dentatstix and ours) so are now concentrating at barking at the postman. They're now arranging themselves in sleep pattern on the bed as they know we're off out. Yesterday I drove for the first time since the op, and managed not to hit too much. Today we're off in the opposite direction to the bulk butchers. In the distance (1/2 mile) I can hear the Battlefield Line on one of their driver experience efforts. Must book Sandy to go on one - very belated 60th birthday present - she wouldn't go last year as we were waiting for treatment for me.

 

The replacement for the headband magnifier I dropped the vice on has now arrived, so no more excuses not to get on with things.

[Tony_S]

Heads up. There is a model railway exhibition at the Castle Point Transport Museum, Canvey Island tomorrow. 

Thank you. That is well within my acceptable travelling distance. I'm taking Matthew to Gatwick tomorrow (he is off to Helsinki) but hopefully that could leave time for a visit afterwards.

 

Tony

[NGT6 1315]

Interesting that they don't lower the pans as usual continental practice is to lower them when doing such things as going through system changes (e.g. dc ohle to ac ohle) almost irrespective of speed - it is quite a sight watching a 12 coach loco hauled train passing through a border station with the pan(s) dropping as it approaches and then pan(s) being raised as it gets onto the other system. all at about =70mph.  They do it at even higher speeds on the SNCF LGVs, no doubt looks quite spectacular from the lineside!  

And I wonder how they stop the pans going into auto lower which is what happens with most pans when they go overheight - albeit not necessarily instantaneously as certain UK structures bear witness

Having done some additional research, it looks to me that for crossing such OHLE gaps the pans are, in fact, lowered on newer motive power such as the ubiquitous class 186 and 189 locos, but I also read that older Dutch motive power such as the 1700 series locos or the VIRM double deck EMUs have reach limiters so that they do not go overheight. I myself am also intrigued by DC locos starting with both pans up for better distribution of current flow and then dropping the forward one (usually) as soon as they're at some speed.

[Happy Hippo]

the bogies look tiny, like a hippo in ballet pumps

I thought I'd destroyed all those photos?

[Pete 75C]

I note that those with kids find their lives are dictated by the activity demands of those kids. In the days before mum and dad had a car, the kids would go by public transport, or entertain themselves locally. I wonder which prepares them better for the real world?

 

I agree, and I have shown my son some buses, both in real life and on Google Images, but he doesn't seem to grasp the concept of "walk to bus stop, wait, hand money to driver". Taxis (my car, usually), he understands just fine... To be fair, there's about as much chance of getting a bus from Sheringham to Cromer at 5.30 on a Saturday morning as there is of me picking tonight's lottery numbers...

[skipepsi]

As it was a solo drive the Churnet line can wait until I have a co-pilot.....

[iL Dottore]

Morning/afternoon all,

 

A bit of a wasted morning. I went into town for first rehearsals and sat around for 30 min wondering where the h*ll was everybody. Then, thanks to the miracle of modern technology, I used the smartphone to check e-mail.... I found an overlooked e-mail announcing the cancellation of today's rehearsals.... Still not an entirely wasted journey: I purchased a bottle of The Singleton single malt and nabbed a bottle of Glenfiddich (on sale, last bottlle, alas), so my evening snifter supplies have been replenished. I also bought some fine Cuban cigars. Now that the weather is nice I can enjoy a weekly Cigar in the garden.

 

I enjoy reading about ER's dogs - whether as the centre of an anecdote or just mentioned in passing. A passion for trains and a love of dogs makes for fine chaps and chapesses. Those who have been chosen by Bas (the Egyptian cat goddess) to host a cat, like The Stationmaster, are indeed fine individuals but one always wonders who has the upper hand? Man or beast? Cats are known for their devious cunning and for getting their own way and become MOST unhappy when thwarted. So, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that <design clever> was a subliminal suggestion made by a cat whose Hornby engineer "owner" wasn't quick enough with the Whiskas.

 

Anyway, I am pleased to announce that Schotty, our "Hairy Monster" has now been with us for exactly 6 months. Currently, Mrs iD and I are having an animated and vigorous discussion about his nadgers. I say that they need to go, she says no. Schotty hasn't yet voiced an opinion, but he does get amorous and has been known to "press his attentions" on young ladies who - I suppose - just "want to be friends".

 

Finally, I think that a lot of these "little darlings" would benefit from having to use public transport (assuming there IS public transport). If nothing else, it'd give them a degree of independence and a sense of achievement. As a wee sprog, I treasured my Twin Rover freedoms...

Edited April 12, 2014 by iL Dottore