Early Risers.

[NGT6 1315]

I'm sure the competition organisers have a sinking feeling about that possibility.

 

I wonder if there is a Plan B to scuttle the entire competition!

[lightengine]

What I can't understand about this naming lark is how the Scottishism 'Mac/Mc' has crept in?  

 

The ship is being built in England, in a rather nice revival of the Cammell Laird yard at Birkenhead, and will belong to an organisation based in Swindon.  Which all adds up to a strong GWR association which in turn leads to the use of names such as Brunel or Churchward, simples.

Its going to have to be

RRS Eh, eh, eh Tel

or

RRS Alright der Lah

[Kelly]

Afternoon all. Hope everyone is well and if not you recovery quickly.

 

Myself I'm recovering from yesterday's trip to Ally Pally, which took a lot out of me physically. Though having the scooter there made it a lot less painful on my back at least compared to previous years, so consequently less painkillers were needed throughout the day. I also still have not kicked this damn cold and have due to the sore throat it has given me almost lost my voice with having to speak louder at the show with the background noise etc.

 

Had a good time there, though with the costs and the energy/phyiscal costs combined it seems more and more like it is not viable for me to go in future. Though that said the car did well with less than £15 of diesel getting there and back again, so was happy with that! Spent a reasonable amount though and came away with some bits from C&L (EM flexitrack, B6 point kit and OO flexitrack (for testing)), Replica (Mk1 bodies, MLV bits etc for the EPB conversions) and a few other bits (bits of useful aluminium sheet from SEF and magazines).

[Barry O]

Whatcha makin'?

banana and peanut butter bread.. except the yeast has gone right so version 2 will be started tomorrow

[Barry O]

hey up.. a boat to me is something what can dive and resurface - as in a submarine. The Navy got a bit peeved in Barrow if you called it a ship.

 

I want it to be named wheretheellarewe as it will spend a lot of time wandering round bits of sea miles from anyone else.

 

Baz

[AndyB]

They'll p

 

I wonder if there is a Plan B to scuttle the entire competition!

They'll probably put das Boot in.

[leopardml2341]

AndyB

 

Where, oh where is the groan button

 

I'm just jealous you got there before I did.

[lightengine]

Can any ER IT buffs offer a solution. When sat using my laptop the internet suddenly drops out and I thought the reason was because it had been on too long (the laptop is old).  I normally just restart it but last night after 20 minutes use I noticed it had dropped out just as I put the tv into internet mode for YouTube.  Thinking back this seems to be the most likely reason every time.

[jamie92208]

What I can't understand about this naming lark is how the Scottishism 'Mac/Mc' has crept in?  

 

The ship is being built in England, in a rather nice revival of the Cammell Laird yard at Birkenhead, and will belong to an organisation based in Swindon.  Which all adds up to a strong GWR association which in turn leads to the use of names such as Brunel or Churchward, simples.

 

It's painted red so it's got to be Stanier.  Still got the Swindon connection.

 

Jamie

[Ian Abel]

Ian,  there's just one picture missing,   that's a great stack of pancakes drenched in proper maple syrup and butter.

 

Jamie

Not a chance, we were far to busy eating them to bother with anything at time-consuming as taking a picture!

 

Thanks Ian, I just love maple syrup, but I've never seen how it was made before.

For those that may be interested, and to add more dross to ER for those that aren't, the process is generally as follows, since there are many more steps than outlined above;

 

1) Tap trees (71 this year) and hope for sap to flow regularly - also hope that friends arrive to save the day if there is a LOT of sap!   

2) Collect sap (already discussed). Can be a very long and continual race to keep ahead of the flow if it's a good year. It can go as long as 2-3 weeks and occasionally more. Our friend "gives up" when he decides he's tired enough of collecting sap  Once you've been out 3-4 times a day to empty 3/4 full gallon collectors into 5 gallon buckets and hauled around those 5 gallon buckets 3/4 full of sap you get pretty tired!

3) Sap is then transferred to a large holding tank to feed an evaporator as seen in the picture, smaller for very small personal use, waaayyyy larger for large scale hobby or commercial use.

4) First evaporator is used to begin reducing the sap. Sap is 1-6% sugar and runs and looks like water. The sap needs to be reduced on a ratio of about 40:1 to arrive at the Maple Syrup everyone loves, sugar content 66-67% (it's quite precise!). So approx. 40 gallons of sap = 1 gallon of finished product!

5) As the sap is reduced in the large evaporator it is then drawn off and reduced further in a second smaller evaporator. The one in this operation holds about 3-4 gallons of refined sap/syrup and is gas fired.

6) As it boils down and nears the 66-67% sugar content - read with a "Refractometer" a quite expensive purpose built electronic device (around $150-300 US)...

7) It's then drawn off to a finishing cooker, around 1-2 gallons, where it is monitored closely until the magic 66-67% sugar is achieved, then immediately strained into large gallon jars.

8) Left to settle for 12-24 hours to allow any remaining sediment to fall to the bottom, then carefully drawn off and placed into the various sized final containers. He generally produces 1 pints, 1 quarts.

Every step along the way the syrup is strained to remove impurities.

 

From start to "finish", with the setup our friend has, is probably 24 hours, then the additional 12-24 for the syrup to settle. It's a continual flow as raw sap is gathered, added on one side of the large initial multi-chamber evaporator, and drawn down as it improves in sugar content. The evaporator in the picture is wood fired and we need to feed it logs at the rate of about half-a-dozen or more every 20-30 minutes while it is running, generally 7AM-9PM. It's shut off over night, so we can get some sleep

 

The result is an astonishing product, even better than most ALL the good quality commercial syrup that is available. Not that those products aren't wonderful, but the small batch hand made stuff is to die for!

 

Here endeth the reading of the Syrup making...  

Edited March 21, 2016 by Ian Abel

[roundhouse]

On our way home and luckily only a short week. Train 10 late so far so a normal trip home. No announcements these days as to why either.

 

Very informative sap collection and Maple syrup from Ian A. I have not seen how it's done before. Lovely stuff on pancakes at breakfast despite the high sugar content.

 

Home tonight to hopefully do a little more work on the modelling workbench. Might be my last chance this week.

[jamie92208]

Not a chance, we were far to busy eating them to bother with anything at time-consuming as taking a picture!

 

For those that may be interested, and to add more dross to ER for those that aren't, the process is generally as follows, since there are many more steps than outlined above;

 

1) Tap trees (71 this year) and hope for sap to flow regularly - also hope that friends arrive to save the day if there is a LOT of sap!   

2) Collect sap (already discussed). Can be a very long and continual race to keep ahead of the flow if it's a good year. It can go as long as 2-3 weeks and occasionally more. Our friend "gives up" when he decides he's tired enough of collecting sap  Once you've been out 3-4 times a day to empty 3/4 full gallon collectors into 5 gallon buckets and hauled around those 5 gallon buckets 3/4 full of sap you get pretty tired!

3) Sap is then transferred to a large holding tank to feed an evaporator as seen in the picture, smaller for very small personal use, waaayyyy larger for large scale hobby or commercial use.

4) First evaporator is used to begin reducing the sap. Sap is 1-6% sugar and runs and looks like water. The sap needs to be reduced on a ratio of about 40:1 to arrive at the Maple Syrup everyone loves, sugar content 66-67% (it's quite precise!). So approx. 40 gallons of sap = 1 gallon of finished product!

5) As the sap is reduced in the large evaporator it is then drawn off and reduced further in a second smaller evaporator. The one in this operation holds about 3-4 gallons of refined sap/syrup and is gas fired.

6) As it boils down and nears the 66-67% sugar content - read with a "Refractometer" a quite expensive purpose built electronic device (around $150-300 US)...

7) It's then drawn off to a finishing cooker, around 1-2 gallons, where it is monitored closely until the magic 66-67% sugar is achieved, then immediately strained into large gallon jars.

8) Left to settle for 12-24 hours to allow any remaining sediment to fall to the bottom, then carefully drawn off and placed into the various sized final containers. He generally produces 1 pints, 1 quarts.

Every step along the way the syrup is strained to remove impurities.

 

From start to "finish", with the setup our friend has, is probably 24 hours, then the additional 12-24 for the syrup to settle. It's a continual flow as raw sap is gathered, added on one side of the large initial multi-chamber evaporator, and drawn down as it improves in sugar content. The evaporator in the picture is wood fired and we need to feed it logs at the rate of about half-a-dozen or more every 20-30 minutes while it is running, generally 7AM-9PM. It's shut off over night, so we can get some sleep

 

The result is an astonishing product, even better than most ALL the good quality commercial syrup that is available. Not that those products aren't wonderful, but the small batch hand made stuff is to die for!

 

Here endeth the reading of the Syrup making...  

 

Where's the I'm drooling button when you need it.

 

Jamie

[BoD]

Exciting happenings at chez BoD this afternoon.  Those of a squeamish disposition and lovers of small birds may want to look the other way.

 

I was up in the loft pottering when Mrs BoD came running to the bottom of the stairs in a state of semi panic, yelling "There's something eating something in the yard"  What on earth has she been on I wondered, as you do. She was insistent that I came quickly to see. We live in a terraced house with a fairly small yard so I didn't really have a clue what to expect.  I certainly wasn't expecting to see a bird of prey feasting on the one of the local pigeons.  It was in no particular hurry so I managed to grab my camera.  The pictures were not that good as they were taken through a window but the bird was only a few feet away.

 

Certainly not what you would expect in your small back yard.

 

 

 

It's taking some clearing up too, feathers all over the place.

 

Any idea what it is?  My best guess is a Sparrow Hawk

 

 

[Ian Abel]

Where's the I'm drooling button when you need it.

 

Jamie

Oh, I forgot to add, ALL the time you're working the various evaporators there is a continual smell of maple syrup wafting all around and over you, you smell like maple syrup, all your clothes do, and you go to bed dreaming of the stuff - not that that's a bad thing

[leopardml2341]

Hip (h)op update fer anybody who's interested.

 

Sleep!

 

Achieved by doing exercise, walking and physio, sitting for no more than 15 mins with laps of living room in between. Regular dosing of paracetamol and ibuprofen, plenty of tea and some comfort food along with the necessary healthy stuff. Tired out and managed nearly 3 hrs continuous kip earlier this afternoon.

 

Thanks folks.

[AndyID]

 

So Shippy McShipface it is then.

 

A fellow I went to uni with who seemed to permanently inebriated went by McShipface - at least that's what we called him, although the spelling was a bit different.

[AndyID]

Oh, I forgot to add, ALL the time you're working the various evaporators there is a continual smell of maple syrup wafting all around and over you, you smell like maple syrup, all your clothes do, and you go to bed dreaming of the stuff - not that that's a bad thing

 

I think I must be lacking the syrup gene or something. I can't tell the difference between the expensive genuine maple syrup and the ersatz stuff that's made from sugar

[leopardml2341]

I find them all too sickly sweet these days

Edited March 21, 2016 by leopardml2341

[Tony_S]

Exciting happenings at chez BoD this afternoon. Those of a squeamish disposition and lovers of small birds may want to look the other way.

 

I was up in the loft pottering when Mrs BoD came running to the bottom of the stairs in a state of semi panic, yelling "There's something eating something in the yard" What on earth has she been on I wondered, as you do. She was insistent that I came quickly to see. We live in a terraced house with a fairly small yard so I didn't really have a clue what to expect. I certainly wasn't expecting to see a bird of prey feasting on the one of the local pigeons. It was in no particular hurry so I managed to grab my camera. The pictures were not that good as they were taken through a window but the bird was only a few feet away.

 

Certainly not what you would expect in your small back yard.

 

killer.jpg

 

 

It's taking some clearing up too, feathers all over the place.

 

Any idea what it is? My best guess is a Sparrow Hawk

I am sure I have mentioned Mummy and Daddy sparrowhawk sitting in a neighbours tree while Junior sparrowhawk tries to take out a well fed wood pigeon in our garden. I think it was probably too big as the wood pigeon takes off and crashes into the neighbours chimney dislodging Junior. Edited March 21, 2016 by Tony_S

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. A couple of the expected parcels arrived this morning, a book and the next model from Atlas Editions, the first after a four month hiatus. The book is called 'The Stronach-Dutton Road Rail System of Traction' a sort of half road/half railway system, quite fascinating. As for naming the boat/ship, I would suggest Lard Bard.

[NGT6 1315]

Warning: Contains trains!

 

 

 

This is something I like about the Swiss railways: Pragmatic thinking, in this case as exemplified by Rhätische Bahn having had their ABe 8/12 "Allegra" EMUs configured to function as de-facto locomotives – and with a suitable high power rating.

[Coombe Barton]

So today has been a H&S day - the inquest into  faulty/false/damned annoying fire alarm. Tomorrow will probably be the same.

 

Congrats to grandad and family. 

[Purley Oaks]

 

I'm firmly resisting temptation on the Sutton Class 24 at the moment. Though if they do the Tyne Dock - Consett variant I might crumble... Or a 25 or 27...

 

 

Er, they are, Mike... this from their email:

D5107 worked off Gateshead (52A) during the 1960s. This machine later became one of the ten locomotives (D5102-D5111) selected for use in pairs on the famous Tyne Dock to Consett steelworks iron ore services. Replacing the 9Fs in 1966, the small fleet of Type 2s had their steam heating boilers and tanks removed and high level air pipes fitted in order to operate with the dedicated high capacity wagons.

 

Tyne Dock detail pack: Ideal for converting D5107 (or a second renumbered loco) to Tyne Dock specification, this pack contains high and low level air-pipes plus ‘battery box only’ underframe section to replace boiler water tanks.

 

Sorry if this makes you spend more money...

 

Mal

[Two_sugars]

I think it may well be a sparrow hawk, BoD. . . .The pidgeon men around here are complaining about them taking their racers. . . . 

 

Silly bu99ers can't tell the difference between them and the feral variety.

 

 

John

[emt_911]

An interesting day and an early finish as well. There is even the possibility that early finishes may be the order of the day for the next 2 days and work from home on Thursday.

 

It's great to see that the ER's sense of humour prevails.

 

Ian A - Thanks for the lesson on Maple Syrup making. I hadn't realised how much raw sap was required for a small quantity.

 

John (CB) - That type of inquest is the sort of thing I get involved with quite frequently. None of them have been ones that I've installed/commissioned/serviced fortunately.