RMweb Premium AndyB Posted May 16, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 16, 2014 Sadly I can't claim to have been much of a style guru back in the 70s. A lad who used to catch the same train to school used to come dressed in a long blue felt coat, suede shoes and Brylcreamed hair. Buddy Holly was, I believe, his idol. "So are you a Mod or a Rocker?" asks I thinking it would be polite to show an interest. The compartment went to a deathly hush....others whinced, some gave nervous giggles....you could almost hear them thinking: "This is going to hurt." Anyway, I took the beating like a decent chap would. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiffy2 Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Dick - what are Jane's Trains like?- I've never been there. It's a good place, Bob. Handy (train from Sutton, about 15 yards from the station entrance at Tooting) - lots of secondhand stuff - I got a Hornby Jinty with DCC for £25 - donor chassis for an E2. They've got an E4 on order for me, and give a 10% discount for pre-orders. Old fashioned style, nice people. Only open in the afternoons Tues-Sat, and off on their annual hols on May 30th, so get there soon! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Morning All, It is another nice sunny morning here. I am quite a bit later on parade this morning having taken the little guy to the fracture clinic. The good news is that his finger is still in the correct position and has healed nicely, so the finger splint is gone and he now only needs a bit of physio. Oh well, better get on. I don't have much time in the office today, as I have to leave early to pick him up from school! Had a nice day out seeing Tony Wright's layout yesterday with nicktoix,mike edge,rupertb and Dr John. The Dr. John?!? Have a good day everyone... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jock67B Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Morning folks, Beautiful sunshine again so I've just had a reminder that I haven't finished de-rusting and re-painting the patio set! Proper racing down the road from Ian (Oldddudders) this weekend - the MotoGP boys are in town! Expect it will end up on the Sky box whilst I address the chores. The health authority have asked me to do a report on my treatment to date (they've had some very bad press at Colchester of late!). I will do this diligently as I have no complaints whatsoever after almost a year in which everyone concerned has been fully supportive : I think it is just as important to praise as to complain to achieve a balance. Not really a great fan of Matisse, Ian (Abel). My wife thinks I should love Pissaro but perhaps she's trying to tell me something? Neil has got me at the counting down now - yesterday was 6 weeks to our Cornwall trip. This is now physically possible only because our eldest daughter and family are living at the moment in Stoke St. Gregory, near Taunton, which gives me a few days r&r in both directions! Sadly, they are returning to Epping later in the summer and so this may well be my last trip to that beautiful part of the country which holds so many memories for me. Oh well, stop moaning Jock and think positively of the shorter trips to places like Bressingham and the North Norfolk Railway (you've been alerted Lifeboatman!). Have a good one all, Kind regards, Jock67B. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 The new laptop has been approved and is being chased round the order process. Maybe next week? Then some more time building it 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted May 16, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 16, 2014 Oh well, stop moaning Jock and think positively of the shorter trips to places like Bressingham and the North Norfolk Railway (you've been alerted Lifeboatman!). Wave as you pass, I live not too far from Diss. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Don’t be hard on Jack, I think he spent the "swinging sixties" in buzzing Belize.. Best, Pete. Actually spent half the sixties in Sunny Cyprus - Belize was in the mid-eighties - though the temperature was higher! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted May 16, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 16, 2014 Morning all, I am returned but have only gone back to yesterday's post so congratulations and commiserations to all that I've missed etc. Very nice time up in Cumbria and some pics will emerge later I'm sure as it was a lovely trip up to Dalegarth on Tuesday afternoon, shirtsleeves job and still nice and warm (well you are close to the firebox on those little engines). For those of a beer drinkling disposition the Victoria Hotel at Drigg has a varied selection on draught and the grub is superb, i will recount more about the accommodation later adding now only that Gordon, the landlord, said on my arrival 'I'm putting you in Beatrice', the excitement that expression generated was very short lived! Any way all went well at the Ratty and their catering has definitely upped its game as well. The only less than bright spot, apart from a spot of rain early yesterday, was the offerings of Virgin trains and their Pendolino going north and coming back - a mixture of poor service, grubby crockery, sloppy staff, return train the wrong way round & unanounced so mad scramble at every station, and unapologised for/unexplained lateness back into Euston yesterday afternoon; definitely an example of the crumbling edge of quality. So having already had blood sampled this a.m. we are now off on the proper Friday task and its a double - Waitrose and Tesco. Oh and then the final bit of dining room work to do which as fars as I'm concerned is bookcase moving then revving up the word processor. Have a good day - and it's Fawley this weekend 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted May 16, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 16, 2014 Morning all (at least it is in the UK) More warm weather, a little offset by a northerly breeze. Not much gardening done yesterday, if truth be told, but various other bits and pieces sorted, at least. The strimmer will be out and about shortly. Just had coffee with Sheena, whose house renovation is apparently proceeding well - and she's decided to put a terrace on the front, which will certainly add appeal. I expect to see advanced works when it's my turn to visit her next Friday. She tells me Jon the builder has sciatica, so I've asked her to assure him there is really no pressure to come and work for me just yet. Get fit first! And now a first for me. Model (RTR, ebay, but allegedly new, French diesel railcar) arrives and is unboxed (as they say these days). As it's DCC-fitted, out to the barn to do a quick test. Model responds to Address 3 as required, but doesn't run very well. Closer inspection reveals a wheel missing, which is unhelpful....... Fortunately wheel is then found loose in box, seems to click onto splined axle ok. Running much improved! Jock - the Moto GP weekend is known to the Le Mans medics as a source of spare parts, as enthusiasm exceeds capabilities on the bikes they arrive on. Sad but true. Hope your week winding up nicely, and a good weekend follows. 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted May 16, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 16, 2014 Jock, one thing I can tell you for certain from experience, is that NHS departments/managers very, very seldom get positive feedback, but very often get stinging criticism, often for totally unreasonable reasons! I could dine out all night on those..... I'm always very quick to offer genuine feedback of good and bad experiences, but offer positive suggestions in regard of the less satisfactory ones, not a rant! There is a good website called 'patient opinion' which you can give anonymous (if you wish) feedback, I have found that very useful as it lead to a long discussion with the Director of Nursing at the hospital where I had my hip surgery, regarding discharge arrangements. They didn't consider I had to fly to get home.....ever tried getting in a Q400 after hip surgery? Not recommended! As I was high as a kite when they actually discharged me I didn't consider asking them if they had thought about where I lived. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Jock, one thing I can tell you for certain from experience, is that NHS departments/managers very, very seldom get positive feedback, but very often get stinging criticism, often for totally unreasonable reasons! I could dine out all night on those..... Absolutely! My Mum was a nurse for her whole career. She had a sign on her office door reading "When I'm right no one remembers, when I'm wrong no one forgets" I am currently hoping that the weather will hold, so that I can strip down the carburettor on my lawnmower. I have two mowers - a rotary for the rougher parts of the lawn, and a Qualcast cylinder (Suffolk Punch) for the real lawn. The rotary has a Briggs and Stratton engine, that never needs anything doing to it, but the Punch has a Tecumseh engine with a Dellorto carb The carb is definitely the achilles heel - at the moment the engine will tick over beautifully, but open the throttle and it either dies straight away or starts to hunt, before eventually stopping. My theory is, that as the engine speed picks up, the carb switches to the main jet, which causes the mixture to lean out and the governor shuts the engine back down to tickover followed by the cycle starting again. The solution is easy, tweak the main mixture screw and richen it up a bit on full speed - trouble is, the carb is a "low emission" model which doesn't have a main mixture screw. I am wondering if the main jet is blocked with emulsion because of the E10 fuel, but I won't really know until I strip the carb down and have a look. I will be switching over to running the mowers on Aspen in future! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted May 16, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 16, 2014 The BBC weather was spot on - except for the "clouds all morning" that never happened, still bright sunshine here. I've done my duty and photographed the stone train at Eccles Road - to the sound of loud engines at Snetterton - one of the wagons must have a door open slightly as the train was "smoking" (stone dust) from one wagon. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted May 16, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 16, 2014 I will be switching over to running the mowers on Aspen in future! Not sure I can quite make sense of that one, Robert? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 I should have made myself clearer Ian http://www.aspenfuel.co.uk/ It is an alkylate Petrol which is refined to a higher quality. It also doesn't contain ethanol - and therefore won't clog up the carb quite as much. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edcayton Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Absolutely! My Mum was a nurse for her whole career. She had a sign on her office door reading "When I'm right no one remembers, when I'm wrong no one forgets" I am currently hoping that the weather will hold, so that I can strip down the carburettor on my lawnmower. I have two mowers - a rotary for the rougher parts of the lawn, and a Qualcast cylinder (Suffolk Punch) for the real lawn. The rotary has a Briggs and Stratton engine, that never needs anything doing to it, but the Punch has a Tecumseh engine with a Dellorto carb The carb is definitely the achilles heel - at the moment the engine will tick over beautifully, but open the throttle and it either dies straight away or starts to hunt, before eventually stopping. My theory is, that as the engine speed picks up, the carb switches to the main jet, which causes the mixture to lean out and the governor shuts the engine back down to tickover followed by the cycle starting again. The solution is easy, tweak the main mixture screw and richen it up a bit on full speed - trouble is, the carb is a "low emission" model which doesn't have a main mixture screw. I am wondering if the main jet is blocked with emulsion because of the E10 fuel, but I won't really know until I strip the carb down and have a look. I will be switching over to running the mowers on Aspen in future! I need to consult my friend on this to get the facts straight, but OTTOMH he bought a little outboard for his boat (Suzuki?) and had similar problems. The supplier fiddled with it but in effect told him to wait until it was out of warranty and remove the sealing plug from the mixture screw. Don't know what happened after that cos' I've been ill all year. Will try to find out more. Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iL Dottore Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 (edited) Afternoon All, Hairy Monster is on a "doggy holiday" (dog sitter), giving me a free day to do the prep work for tomorrow's dinner party. Schotty always gets panicky and upset when I take him to the dog sitter, yet - according to the dog sitter - 5 minutes after I have left he's having a whale of a time, separation anxiety completely gone. Go figure. Today was no different, but I expect his transient separation anxiety will be even more transient today: Caramel, the Labrador bitch who is also at the dog sitter on Fridays, was already there when I dropped him off and her reaction was pretty much a doggy version of "Yeeaaahh! my boyfriend's back" (she was all over him). I've been dipping in and out of ER as of late and have been following the 70s recall fest with interest. Like many, I too lived through the seventies as a "yoof", although I was never, ever cool - despite the polyester flared trousers and shirt (like Steve Martin and Dan Ackroyd as the "Festrunk Brothers" in those Saturday Night Live sketches of the period I was a very un-hip "wild and crazy guy" go look at https://screen.yahoo.com/festrunk-brothers-000000414.html). Despite the grimness of the 70s (endless strikes, inedible food [the BR sandwich, cabbage cooked for 40 minutes, meat cooked until almost incinerated, salad creme Ugh!], polyester clothing, most BLMC designed and built cars...) at least we had great music, some fantastic TV shows and some amazing comedy. Interesting to note that ER is cultivating the "Culture Vultures" amongst us. As much as I like art, theatre, opera and music, I confess to quite a few prejudices - one of which being that I consider most modern "art" as being barely worth the tip you'd pay the bin men to cart it away... My wife's Aunt and I are having a long-standing and amicable disagreement over Rothko - who I consider to be basically a failed house-painter (she admires his work), but despite this artistic difference we are united in our admiration of Magritte and in our disdain for Damien Hirst and Tracy Emin... "charlatan" and "untalented" are words I have heard her mention in conjunction with those two names.... I also have little time for: Theatre productions that are "innovative" (hem-hem) or "daring" just for the sake of being "innovative" or "daring" (Macbeth set in an unemployment office anyone? [yes, really]). Opera that has no melody, no arias - just atonal wailing (for goodness sakes, even Boy Bands manage to crank out some sort of "toon"). Music "by-the-numbers" (X Factor, anyone) Anyway off to make the cheesecake and the potted salmon, marinate the lamb chops and start roasting the lamb bones for the lamb jus Have fun and enjoy the day Edited May 16, 2014 by iL Dottore 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted May 16, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 16, 2014 The Dr. John?!? No he's the Leeds MRS Doctor John... he used to be Dr flood for a while at the Environmental Agency but now he's retired he is just plain.. Doctor John.. Weathering going well.. photos on my thread later today (all being well) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debs. Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 It`s baking day here: a batch of cakes for sale at tomorrow`s christian aid week fund-raising coffee morning. Zucchini bread*, Banana Bread* and Cinnamon & Raisin American-Muffins...........Collie Towers now smells wonderfully of warm spicy cakes. *Although they`re called 'breads', they are in fact, sweet, moist cakes. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Abel Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 (edited) ...Trouble is I only get a base build, so its going to take me the best part of 2 days to migrate everything over and install all the "optional" software. Oh well, keeps me off the streets... Ditto.. know exactly what you mean. I just finished a similar exercise. Major difference is I have two laptops to play with, so the work one (owned by me as a necessity in years as a consultant/contractor and therefore my OWN deal to upgrade/fix/re-install/throw at wall in frustration) was rebuilt side-by-side whilst I was still able to do my "day job" using the other one. Microsnotsoft have sooo much to answer for with their unforgiving stupidity when it comes to a Windows install/updates. Would it actually HURT them to create truly cumulative "updates" rather than the brain-dead approach where you run updates in for what seems an eternity! Windows goes "ah yes, all done, reboot please..", then after it reboots, "ooo lookee here, there's a sh*tload more updates for you..." <--- repeat until REALY REALLY BORED!!! Having worked in software development now over 40 years including some time in OS and internal systems development, I "KNOW" it can be done, you just have to be arsewipes/wannabee developers/eeejuts/half-wits to not see the benefit AND therefore implement a better more user friendly (there I SAID IT, THAT"s THE PROBLEM!) approach - RANT DONE, sorry, wasn't intended to be a rant when I started typing <sigh> Ahh well, Thank you all for a good morning read - can't beat starting my morning with all your various commentaries, I truly look forward to it. We're at 7 and partly cloudy right now, a cool start to a cool/moderate weekend. Average temperatures this time of year should be around 20, really is a slow start to spring/summer. More kitchen finishing details becon this weekend, and also some modelling time... Have a fun Friday as you look forward to and prepare for your weekend. Edited May 16, 2014 by Ian Abel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted May 16, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 16, 2014 I have prepared for the weekend, I have mowed the lawns, dusted and polished that which can be dusted and polished and vacuumed where possible. I have defeated the P&O logic of their online registration (for Baltic cruise in August) that wouldn't let me update my details without it changing something else so I think everything for the holiday is sorted out. I think we will be having a barbecue this weekend. I did fire it up a few weekends ago to drive out any overwintering insect life and to check it worked! Tony 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Another rant coming - from me this time. Flaming Tecumseh/ Dellorto rubbish. I can't for the life of me work out what's wrong with this wretched carburettor. The main jet is supposed to be in the bowl nut - but I can't even find a hole in the nut! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted May 16, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 16, 2014 More like bloody ethanol - it dissolves some carb parts, so you might have been a victim. It's awful in vintage bikes or anything with a 'glass or some plastic tanks. Luckily it isn't added to petrol here (apparently it is done at point of distribution, and there's not enough use here to make it worth the cost) but the vintage motorcycle club magazine is full of tales of woe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted May 16, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 16, 2014 I should have made myself clearer Ian http://www.aspenfuel.co.uk/ It is an alkylate Petrol which is refined to a higher quality. It also doesn't contain ethanol - and therefore won't clog up the carb quite as much. Absolutely superb stuff - I've used Aspen2 in the strimmer and it is a bit pricey but I seem to get a longer run on a tankful of the stuff so I suspect that overall it is much pricier than petrol + 2 stroke oil. But - despite what they say - I did have a bit of trouble getting the engine to turnover after the strimmer had a few months out of use. Our garden contractors who did the lawn job reckoned it is superb stuff and definitely better for use in a strimmer than ordinary 2 stroke mix as it gives more power and they also reckoned a tankful went further. Only problem is the local garden centre who sold it last year didn't have any a couple of weeks back, possibly because of the price but they might have sold out? Anyway now to some piccies and apologies to Debs because they include railways (assorted). Firstly what you get when you're in Beatrice (the Victoria Hotel at Drigg duly naming its rooms after some of Queen Vic's offspring ) and here you are - Now to my trip up the Ratty on Tuesday starting with a view of 'my' engine for the trip, the delicious 'River Irt' which has the advantage of a fairly commodious, by 15 inch gauge standards, tender with the added bonus of a young and fairly slimline Driver which gave plenty of room for the very non-slimline me. In fact the engine is the oldest on the railway dating, through various rebuilds from her origin as a Heywood designed engine built in 1894, and riding rather nicely as an 0-8-2. And here we are seeing the line ahead as we depart from Ravenglass Up at the top terminus, Dalegarth, ready for the return working, a lovely day to be up in the fells Running into Irton Road on the return trip with the diesel 'Douglas Ferreira' waiting with the Up train for us to clear the single line section from Fisherground And finally getting a green at the Distant Signal as we approach Ravenglass As usual you can click on the pics to enlarge them 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jock67B Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Afternoon folks, Thought you might like to see a (poor) image of where I lived for a few years in the early fifties. You will see why steam is in my blood - couldn't get any closer to the shed, where dad was a driver, than next door. (I also posted in Lunester Lounge and made it clear that I have the full permission of the nice people at Irwell Press!) And I hope to have time left to model that shed one day - suspect it will mean a lot of juggling? Kind regards, Jock67B. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Abel Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 I have prepared for the weekend, I have mowed the lawns, dusted and polished that which can be dusted and polished and vacuumed where possible. I have defeated the P&O logic of their online registration (for Baltic cruise in August) that wouldn't let me update my details without it changing something else so I think everything for the holiday is sorted out. I think we will be having a barbecue this weekend. I did fire it up a few weekends ago to drive out any overwintering insect life and to check it worked! Tony Tony - another "nice" thing about our climate, NOTHING stands a chance of overwintering outside in the barbecue - well, until polar bears arrive that is :) Another rant coming - from me this time. Flaming Tecumseh/ Dellorto rubbish. I can't for the life of me work out what's wrong with this wretched carburettor. The main jet is supposed to be in the bowl nut - but I can't even find a hole in the nut! Robert - I hate with a passion trying to fix/make workable ANY small-engine carbs that go on the fritz. Best thing I've found to do with a non-working one is remove, then pound the living s*h*it out of it with the largest sledge-hammer available (provides the required level of satisfaction ) and just install a new one <sigh> I've worked on double and triple-SU setups and all kinds of manifestations of carbs. in various cars I owned over the years but the small-engine variety have me beat, I can never get the sodding things to work right once they start failing! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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