Early Risers.

[Killybegs]

Oh what a beautiful morning ........ What a change from yesterday. Even better, I got a good nights sleep after the miserable two hours I managed Friday night. I was so wide awake, I got up and did some work on the layout!

 

Glad to hear you are safely back home Stewart, now just take it easy.

 

Shall I get the bike out or have a stab and tidying/cleaning the house before Steph gets back this evening. I reckon I can fit in both. The two 'tours' seem to be all over bar the shouting, so the TV can have a rest this afternoon.

 

Enjoy the day.

[AndyB]

Pete, age for flu jab can be very low if you have asthma (a not insignificant proportion of the population these days). I'm talking infant school age or lower. 

No idea for non-asthmatics. 

[AndyB]

Why is the last piece of track to lay the peskiest? I put it down to a punishment for mentioning model railways on this thread! 

Having a coffee break whilst my temper cools to below the soldering iron temperature. 

Edited September 13, 2015 by AndyB

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Yesterday I managed to find an example of the GBL 'Locomotion', not a bad little model but to HO scale rather than the 00 scale of the rest of the range. It looks as if the 'Indian summer' is over now but it was good while. Commiserations and congratulations where necessary, be back later.

[New Haven Neil]

Morning.

 

Didn't go to Grumble Glen as I thought, but had a better kip (by my standards) so it is worth missing the fun today - Mrs H has gone though!

 

I was going to paint the doors for Project X but it keeps raining, too much dampness to paint gloss, even though it's in shelter.  Looks like housework then......

 

Best wishes to Stewart and everyone else having a tough time, especially the Jock family.

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Very confusing here today - first Mike is looking for a mixer and then Tony is on about a 'Heritage Plant Event', left me thinking that one of these might fit both bills

 

http://www.bellegroup.com/?p=products&id=5

 

as it is both an excellent little mixer and ours, now about 9 years old, probably qualifies as 'heritage' but spare parts and service sheets are all readily available.

 

Pete the NHS general rule for flu jabs is 'over 65 and/or chest or heart conditions but I note diabetes has now been added, oh and NHS medical/nursing staff.  Our past surgery in Tilehurst gave them to any patient who wanted one irrespective of age or condition while I had major problems getting our current lot to give me one when we moved and them not initially being bright enough to read my history which happened to include a pulmonary embolism.  I won in the end but it was a lot of unnecessary hassle with a bunch of administrative halfwits who seem to think they know better than the medical profession.

 

Best of luck to those heading to Swindon today - if you come across a large queue of cars heading in the opposite direction towards the big roundabout under the railway when you're in Kemble Drive I suspect it will still be there when you leave but you can avoid it by going to the right when you leave the north car park and turning left into Rodbourne Road then under the mainline bridge and following the signs from there to wherever you are heading.  Oh and if you happen to come to The Magic Roundabout (it's signed as such) the quickest way round it is usually to go anti-clockwise instead of the normal clockwise direction.

 

Have a good day one & all.

Edited September 13, 2015 by The Stationmaster

[Tony_S]

Pete, the pneumonia jab seems to be for the over 65s though it is offered to younger people with a range of other illnesses. One jab for life apparently with boosters only needed for certain conditions. I have had flu jabs for a long time now, not for age but as a result of taking immunosuppressive medication.

[The Stationmaster]

Pete, the pneumonia jab seems to be for the over 65s though it is offered to younger people with a range of other illnesses. One jab for life apparently with boosters only needed for certain conditions. I have had flu jabs for a long time now, not for age but as a result of taking immunosuppressive medication.

I had my pneumonia jab at the grand old age of 52 on the insistence of the GP so I do wonder if it might be standard practice for certain conditions or following certain illnesses?

[45156]

Morning All

 

Thanks for all the concern and good wishes.  The taxi was actually one that has very wide doors and high seats, not just a Focus or something like it.  It was  more van like.  The driver had clearly been coached in moving hospital patients, and the taxis used are a fleet of designated cars with special drivers.  At least that was what I was told.  And the discharge was part of something that they do in the NHS called the enhanced recovery programme, and I was told that if I was eligible, then the discharge could happen at any time between 3 and 5 days.  In any event, I'm home and resting up, but part of the programme is that I have to mobilise at home, and to do the exercises that were prescribed by the physios and in that regard, I was assesed as safe on crutches (elbow vatiety) on the level and on steps.  Well, I have had some practice after my last two ops on the same area.

 

In any event, the stay was most boring, as there was no entertainment at all as all the hospital TV machines were broken, which also meant no radio, and also no phones!  I was in a room on my own which was meant to house 6 patients - I was amazed  by just how quiet the ward was, as were the staff.  Of course that had a plus that the nursing care was a better ratio than normal, and I didn't have to wait long for anything. 

 

So I do hope that my fellow ERs are well, and of they're not, that they're getting better, and that goes also for their respective familes.

 

I've been having flu jabs for over 20 years due to diabetes, and also had my pneumonia one when I was 47 for the same reason.

 

I'm off to try to catch up on some other threads that I follow.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

[45156]

Oh yes, and if anybody is having similar surgery, I'd heartily recommend having a spinal rather than a general.  Most strange to be awake while they paralyse you from the waist down, then the sedative injection once you're frozen.  However, it does mean that the recovery from anesthesia is much quicker and less traumatic that it would be.  No nausea, and eating lunch within half an hour of coming back from theatre was a revalation.  The anaesthetic was completely worn off in about three hours.

 

Again, that was part of this enhanced programme, apparently

Edited September 13, 2015 by 45156

[iL Dottore]

Good Grief

Pete, undoubtedly EC did amazing things on the guitar (and at that time there was an explosion of great guitarists - Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Dave Gilmour - pushing forward guitar

What happened to my post, most of it has disappeared? My own fault for posting using a smart phone and the hotel's free WiFi

 

Anyway, I went on to say that I agreed with Pete's assessment of BB King's playing. Like another favourite guitarist of mine, David Gilmour, BB's playing was amazing and what he didn't play was as important as what he did play. Let the music breathe, indeed. As a (rank) amatuer guitarist I find the flashy hammer-ons/pull-offs pretty easy, but getting the right sort of string bending and vibrato... way outa my league man

 

iD

[iL Dottore]

I thought that odd - but he is not the only one who has received medicine that is totally useless for the condition (and not your fault, of course, Tex).      

 

Antibiotics do not work against any virus. Perhaps if we all reminded our Doctors of this then antibiotics may have a chance to work against what they are useful for - serious bacterial infections.

 

Btw at what age in Europe is it considered worthwhile to have a joint Flu/Pneumonia jab? Anyone know? Flavio?

 

G’night, Jock! I’m off to bed...

 

Best, Pete.

Indeed, Pete, spot-on. Influenza is a group of viral, not bacterial, diseases. You might as well dig out the leeches, the lancets and the porcelain basin and "purge and bleed" the patient  and have the same effect on the disease for all the good using an antibiotic on a virus would do. Of course we don't know the complete medical picture, it could be that Tex has a concomitant bacterial URTI. However, unfortunately, GPs doling out antibiotics for viral disease is far too common (and if you may think that I am being overly pessimistic read some of the latest data on MDR and XDR pathogens. And if you thought NDM-1 pathogens were bad, there are worse out there...)

 

To answer your question, Pete, the NHS recommends yearly flu jabs for over 65s (a.k.a. "the elderly") and certain vulnerable populations, the US CDC recommends the yearly flu vaccine for anyone over 6 months. Interestingly, the NHS considers health care workers with direct patient contact and social workers as being vulnerable and requiring a yearly jab. Despite what the anti-vaccine campaigners say (a mixed bunch of the scientifically ignorant, practitioners of alternative "medicine" with agendas and so-called celebrities who think being a movie star gives them the knowledge and authority to pontificate on things they do not understand), regular flu vaccine jab are beneficial for almost everybody and even if the yearly flu virus mutates during the flu season and makes the vaccine less effective, the vaccine can attenuate the course of the disease (incidentally, I had the "real" bona-fide, full-on viral influenza once, I have never been sicker. Indeed my GP said to me that he had never seen me so ill).

 

Anyway, whatever the pathology, let's hope Tex is "up and at 'em" soonest.

 

iD

Edited September 13, 2015 by iL Dottore

[BoD]

Afternoon all.

 

Not a cloud in the sky so off I went for my walk thinking I will time my return to watch England's final overs slog fest in the one day international. That one didn't work did it.

[Gwiwer]

Morning all.

 

Sun-day has most assuredly lived up to its name.  Top of 25C reached by 11.00 whilst on duty at the Palace.  Crazy busy day with 5000 fun-runners requiring to be got back to their starting point (and no, the organisers hadn't bothered to tell us they were coming / asked for extra staff / thought about requesting an extra train or two on the Sunday morning timetable), a major family fun day involving the egress of over 300 prams and push-chairs through our touch-card operated barriers and the entire population of the city (so it seemed) heading into Town just because of the weather.  Then there was the football preliminary final just after lunch bringing many thousands more in .....

 

We shift people.  It's what we do and mostly we do it rather well.  Most of them seemed grateful for the efforts we made against the odds and in rapidly warming temperatures.

 

Eagles - some of their more popular works are still played here and one of their lesser-known is a favourite (Journey of the Sorcerer, later used and better known as the H2G2 theme)

Linda Ronstadt - didn't much interest the younger Gwiwer in any sense as I was far more taken by the likes of Polly Styrene and Claire Grogan.

 

It's a little-known piece of trivia that I managed a couple of bands.  Nothing exciting.  Just what would be called pub-circuit bands though the "circuit" in Cornwall at the time was alive and kicking quite hard.  Pete and others would surely acknowledge that from such sometimes come the stars of tomorrow.  And into such sometimes come those who have played around higher echelons but have moved on for what ever reason.  Our drummer had done duty (briefly) in the Ram Jam Band backing Geno Washington.  One of our guest spots was often filled by the late Al Hodge (who sessioned for Ronstadt among many others); the other band I was involved with managed two Glastonbury appearances one of which coincided with my sister's first there.  

 

Enjoy the day - but if that's too painful then share the burden here.

[petethemole]

Given that Tex has emphysema and "man flu" symptoms may indicate something other than viral influenza, it's possible that the antibiotics are a wise precautionary measure. Anyway I hope he recovers quickly. I haven't posted for a while although I've been keeping up to speed. Glad to know Stewart is back home after his op, and that Jock's grandson has a diagnosis and appropriate treatment scheduled.  

 

I had been hoping to go to Swindon yesterday but gave up when Mrs mole arranged to meet a mutual very good friend here last evening. Yesterday morning that was postponed, but not in time to organise a trip out to Steam, which would involve persuading Martyn to come and sorting out a fat book to keep him occupied. Last year he gave up about two thirds of the way round and sat reading in the catering marquee for some time. Today is homework day so not a going out day. Trains through Basingstoke are all to pot anyway, with bustitution, presumably from Winchester to Reading.

 

Have a good day

 

Pete

[Coombe Barton]

Final cleanup of the caravan before taking it back to storage later. How do we manage to get so much in it? We can't now move round the house.

[bbishop]

 

 

I sought to book advance train tickets for a trip to Manchester on 5th December so that I might attend the exhibition.  Last time I made that journey I was able to do it for £14.50 return. The best deal on offer yesterday was £43.  Note to Virginontheridiculous Trains: could do better.  Despite the shortage of windows, but not of "window" seats, I do quite like the run between Milton Keynes and Manchester and do not like the idea of dicing with the motorway network in December.

 

Chris 

Chris,

 

My trip from Euston to Telford (& return) was achieved on a "not Virgin" ticket - London Midland to Brum them Arriva Wales.  A Virgin single was £54, I got the return trip for £21.  There is a direct London Midland service from Milton Keynes to Stoke and Crewe, not fast by any means but is there a partnership deal on to Manchester? 

 

It was noticeable how many people were using London Midland from London to Brum, the woolly jumpered capitalist is pricing himself out of the market.

 

Bill

[Ohmisterporter]

Final cleanup of the caravan before taking it back to storage later. How do we manage to get so much in it? We can't now move round the house.

Hoping we will have a lot more use of the motor home before Winter, we are twenty days down compared to this time last year. All down to various illnesses and a generally poor Summer. I know what you mean by the amount of stuff packed into a van, and we like to think they are "essentials" only. 

[Coombe Barton]

We've had 43 nights away this year - just about normal. We have to confine ourselves to school off time as we're both in education - and I don't get half terms.

[BoD]

Is it just me or has RMweb become a little hit and miss over the last fortnight or so?

Is it a temporary thing or might we see another reincarnation?

[PhilJ W]

It was a bit 'sticky/slow' a few days ago but that was on Firefox, it was OK on Google Chrome.

[NGT6 1315]

Afternoon all! Nap was needed upon getting home and I'll see to sleeping in for a bit tomorrow and on Tuesday.

 

Some impressions of today…

 

 

 

The first round on Line 7 was worked with 1131 "Oberpostmeister Kees" as part of the early Sunday traffic pattern which (as addressed yesterday) sees smaller cars such as NGT8s or single NGT6s employed. Here, 1131 is seen next to 1119 "Kaiser Friedrich III." inside the car shed at Paunsdorf.

 

 

 

Layover at Sommerfeld. I was running as Turn 751.

 

 

 

During my break at Paunsdorf, I saw 1202 "Birmingham" sit outside the workshop.

 

 

 

I then prepared the pair of 1345 "Stünz" and 1306 "Lindenau" for the second half, where I'd be running as Turn 737. This turn actually returns to Paunsdorf at 1.09 pm – which was the final part of my shift – and departs anew at 6.01 pm, then to return for the night at 10.49 pm.

 

 

 

 

I attempted to get a broadside view of 1345 to illustrate the NGT6's configuration. Note how the second body segment is significantly longer than the first, and how the carrying bogie is set immediately behind the articulation joint. This results in the NGT6's maximum body deflection occurring just ahead of half its length. In addition, you can see how as the driver you are sat fairly far ahead of the first bogie pivot.

 

 

 

For coupling, the frontal and rear body valances swing up to reveal the fold-out couplers, with the electrical contact boxes located below the coupler body proper.

 

 

 

Looking across the depot exit onto Riesaer Straße with a couple of Solaris Urbino buses parked up to the right.

 

 

 

 

And again during layover at Sommerfeld.

Edited September 13, 2015 by 1216 025

[jamie92208]

It was a bit 'sticky/slow' a few days ago but that was on Firefox, it was OK on Google Chrome.

It was down for a while this afternoon but is now back up again.  It's always worth looking at RMWeb Andy on Facebook and putting a comment on.

 

Jamie

[trisonic]

Final cleanup of the caravan before taking it back to storage later. How do we manage to get so much in it? We can't now move round the house.

I saw an auto wreck just outside Hastings once involving a caravan - is there a law against people actually traveling inside one? The caravan had splintered into er, splinters. No, really, literally....  As I came up to the accident I couldn’t make out what had existed.

 

Some nice shots there, Dom....

 

Best, Pete.

Edited September 13, 2015 by trisonic

[PhilJ W]

Yes Pete, it is illegal to carry passengers in a trailer unless it is fitted out specifically for carrying passengers which caravans are not. There are dispensations for parade vehicles but these are quite restrictive.