Early Risers.

[AndrewC]

The tablet rendering of the forum sucks donkey bits. Posted twice but missing half the text. Pos

 

Can't be arsed to retype. Will nuke the duplicate post when on a real computer.

[Tony_S]

...as long as you don't pïss off the cat, it won't harm you.

Rosie the cat is actually very docile. When she was a kitten she was a prodigious slaughterer of birds but since being formally adopted by the people over the road she is too big to leap about in my shrubbery and murder baby birdies.

Tony

[Donw]

I have the Concise OED installed on my iPad. The lated update to that App gave me the option of learning a new word a day, which I mistakenly agreed to. I haven't bothered yet trying to fin how to turn out off.

 

However today's word of the day is - ethyl alcohol.

 

It is cheating you that is two words and probably not new to you.

 

Don

[BSW01]

Good afternoon everyone

 

Another lie in for us both this morning, my first task of the day was to change the water jug filter, once that was done, it was off down to the workshop. However, I've not done any modelling today, as over the last few weeks it's got a bit messy in there, so much so that I was spending more time looking for some of my tools than actually doing any model making, so I've been tidying the place up. I've managed to clean of both my work benches (where DO all those tiny screws come from?) and some of the shelves, I've just got to clean the bookcase and table on wheels, I can then give the floor a good cleaning too! Whilst I'm at it I'll give my lathe and pillar drill a good clean and oil too.

 

The weather has been awful today, raining almost non stop, however, on the few occasions when it wasn't raining, I made my way either to or from the workshop, thus not getting wet. It's currently p!ss!ng down again.

 

Once Sheila has finished in the kitchen I can make a start on tea, the chicken is already in the oven, so I've just got to prep the potatoes, vegetables and make some gravy.

 

It's back to work for me tomorrow, but as I've already got some jobs that I can go straight out to, I don't need to go to the orifice until the end of the week.

[AndrewC]

Useless bloody thing. Now the image has vanished.

[Donw]

My Dad taught me always to turn a blow torch down to a yellow flame when not actually in use, as it's more visible than the full on blue flame. His first job was in the office at a bicycle factory in Birmingham. Like many factory offices it overlooked the shop floor. One day a worker brazing frames put his blowtorch down in a patch of sunlight without turning it down. The flame was totally invisible and another man wearing oily overalls walked too close, with fatal results. Not that I've ever needed to use a blowtorch in adult life. Among other things he used to heat his soldering iron with it.

 

Stay safe!

 

Pete

 

We were told to turn if off whenever we put it down. Seeing as it was usually in a manhole when in use it made sense. 

Don

[Tony_S]

Aditi has set off to Enfield for a week of parent sitting. I am not sure what was in her suitcase but fortunately she doesn't have to pay excess baggage with her car. I will probably pop over for a visit sometime in the week. Aditi is going to learn how to drive round Enfield tomorrow, MiL is going to play bridge in Bush Hill Park and then has an appointment at the hospital for an ECG.

Tony

[Donw]

Pete mentioned never having had to use a blowtorch in adult life. I have and I don't mean the gas ones for a bit of plumbing. Our old house had white painted wood shiplap cladding on the upstairs exterior. It seemed to be a permanent job every year patching up the paintwork. People who could afford painters used to get it stripped, reprimed and painted. It seemed to last longer that way. Well at that time Aditi and I both used to get the full school simmer holidays. We weren't able to go away so decided to paint the house. I bought a paraffin blow lamp. It wasn't fun, it was hard work and due to the nature of the timber "interesting". Some bits were oozing resin and other bits had rot that just exploded when ignited.

We eventually were able to afford UPVC cladding which also made the house cheaper to heat as it had much better insulating properties.

 

When we bought our first house Marion had given up her job as it was in a different area. So after a bit of instruction from me she used a gas torch ( feed from a large bottle) to strip the old paintwork. You never did feel quite at ease scraping the paint off when it caught fire. She then wire brushed the old range.

Don

[AndyID]

Lorna's smog generator (diesel VW Jetta) gets 50 mpg, but that's wimpy US gallons. Translates to 62 mpg Imperial.

 

It also goes like a bat out of hell. We are seriously considering keeping it rather than letting VW buy it back.

 

The Jeep Wrangler's fuel consumption is another matter, but we don't talk about that.

[45156]

Afternoon All

 

All posts since yesterday read and rated - a while since I've been able to say that, and there is still a lot on which to comment.  Jamie, I do hope that the reunion goes well for you, and I do recall discussing this with you at Green Ayre Rises.  Mr and Mrs Mick - happy anniversary.  Other than that, it has to be generic greetings to everybody else.

 

As for me, a very wet start to the day, a trip to the local table top sale (carp), a load of paperwork, and a 45156 Korma for dinner, and a session on the computer.

 

Musicians, what would have happened if Django Reinhardt had written the music for the movie Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo - probably something like this.

 

 

This guy is getting seriously good.

 

Oh and walkies in the rain...no way

 

 

Back tomorrow.

Regards to All

Stewart

[Tony_S]

Stewart, is the rain phobia something all Sussex Spaniels exhibit or just yours?

Robbie has developed an evil trick. If the weather is horrible and he needs to go into the garden for lavatorial purposes he will stand on the doorstep until accompanied. I think Muttley from Wacky Races best sums up his demeanor on such occasions.

[45156]

Stewart, is the rain phobia something all Sussex Spaniels exhibit or just yours?

 

Most are water dogs, mine included, and she will sit in the rain and walk in the rain, and then hold water like a soggy towel.  It is just that given the choice of a cosy armchair beside the blazing woodburner, or going out for a rain walk, she'll choose the former, and who can blame her. 

 

PS, I wasn't aware that my read from yesterday was still leaning against the bookcase.  It contains an image which Derek took at Ayr of an A3, 60086, Gainsborough which Corkerhill pinched and worked on a Girvan stopper.  The remarkable thing about it is that I was there that day and my dad's cousin and Derek both remonstrated with me for taking a pic of the same loco at the platform with a Swindon DMU alongside.  Derek then disappeared with the benefit of his lineside pass to get the pic - mine was rubbish!!!!

Edited March 19, 2017 by 45156

[New Haven Neil]

A'noon.  Trip out with Debs and Jayne to a shopping centre-y sort of place.  Wheelchair friendly until you get to the three steps up into the café - which was really why we went there.  So it is a 100 yard walk/bowl outside in the rain to gain access via a different door.  No DDA here.

 

Weather has now moderated from windy monsoon to sunny springiness, now we're back home.  #sigh#

[New Haven Neil]

Most are water dogs, mine included, and she will sit in the rain and walk in the rain, and then hold water like a soggy towel.  It is just that given the choice of a cosy armchair beside the blazing woodburner, or going out for a rain walk, she'll choose the former, and who can blame her. 

 

PS, I wasn't aware that my read from yesterday was still leaning against the bookcase.  It contains an image which Derek took at Ayr of an A3, 60086, Gainsborough which Corkerhill pinched and worked on a Girvan stopper.  The remarkable thing about it is that I was there that day and my dad's cousin and Derek both remonstrated with me for taking a pic of the same loco at the platform with a Swindon DMU alongside.  Derek then disappeared with the benefit of his lineside pass to get the pic - mine was rubbish!!!!

 

And now we can still see an A3, but not a Swindon DMU.....

[TheQ]

Evening Awl,
Today being Sunday it's sailing day. So it was off down to the club, put out the buoys, have bacon butties then get ready for racing.
We all sat around looking at the two anemometer readings, one at the club house, one across the river either end of the start line. One recorded a peak of 22 mph, the other showed 28 mph. It was generally agreed the keelboats would not race..
Then 10 minutes to go two boats decided to go and race so we decided to join them.


Wind gusting 28 +++ cloudy with occasional sunny patches westerly. Tide should be low tide exactly.

Course 4P 1P 2P, 3 laps.

Race 1
We started well in second place but overlapped with the lead boat. with the lead boat blocking our wind they soon got clear ahead. As we all started tacking up river, very shortly after the third place boat started tacking with us and that allowed the lead boat to get away. We rounded the corner still just in second place something we held to the top buoy.

On rounding the buoy we judged it too gusty to use the Spinnaker, so i was holding the Genoa out goose winged. Unfortunately the third place boat had a jib stick with holds out the Genoa better so they slowly caught up and by the club corner were well overlapped. By buoy one they had the inside but the lead boat was inside them and a dinghy was inside that boat. We had to go the looong way round, because the boats had turned tight we rounded with more speed to find the tide was running late and still on the way out. Because we were on the outside and nearer the bank we had least tide against us.
So much to our surprise we shot out beneath everyone and went into the lead. A lead we slowly increased all the way up to bouy 4 with the original third place boat following us. Again we had to goosewing the Genoa and they used their jib stick. So again they slowly caught up and were again along side at the corner they had the inside at the bouy but without other boats in the way they rounded cleanly and we followed them to an early Finish.

Race two
We made a better start getting away first, and tacked all the way to bouy 4 in the front. This time on rounding the buoy we decided to risk the spinnaker and shot away. Gybing at the corner we slowly increased the lead till we were one hundred yards ahead by buoy one. The second lap was a repeat and the third we finished about 400 yards ahead in the end.

After a cheese roll for lunch and a good rest. It was time for...


Race 3 course 3P 2P 5 laps
This time it was an Allcomers race, so every one was in together. We made a bad start as i misread my watch and we over the line when the gun went we were already heading back so when we cleared over the line we were still not last.
Just after the start we got hit by a big gust taking water over the side, so that every time we tacked water would flow over the floor boards.
Fighting our way through the the much larger pack of boat we by buoy three had made it into second.

Rounding the buoy we pulled up the spinnaker, but a bust from the wrong side blew it inside the rolled up jib. It took a couple of hundred yards to sort out, about 1/5 of the way to the next bouy we lost some distance on the lead boat during that.

We then held position for the next three laps, till on the last lap after rounding bouy we had the spinnaker up when we were hit by a huge cross gust. This caused the main to gybe and we broached, the helm refused the respond and we were heading for the bank in a hurry. I couldn't get the boat to turn back down river, so was forced to put the helm hard over to avoid high speed impact with the bank.

This left us with the spinnaker wrapped round the forestay and we slowly drifted backwards into a bush and the reeds. We got the spinnaker down but needed a tow out of the reeds. We still sailed down to a finish and it shows how far we and the lead boat were ahead we still finished in second. Disqualified of course for outside assistance. We would probably have won that race as the lead boat is was much faster on handicap.

So today's score card was second, first, nowhere. Another trophy was won and I'm currently enjoying a whisky from an engraved with the club flag glass won as the prize in the second race.

So endeth the Snowflake Sailing Club's winter season

I won't be sailing in the Summer but making a concerted effort to finish my sailing boats rebuild.

Time for more whisky..,

Edited March 20, 2017 by TheQ

[AndyID]

A geometry problem (nothing to do with trains!)

 

 

I think this is the most compact arrangement. There will be one at each end of the layout shelf. Each loop will accommodate an 11 foot long train queue of vehicles. Originally I thought a motorized sector plate would be the way to go, but I think this is actually a bit better. The switchy things are equivalent to the small radius ones from a Devonshire purveyor of such things.

[Barry O]

course completed...  participants entered panic mode when face with a 10 over "slog" to score but they managed very well.

 

Now off for a  curry... great!

 

Baz

[Gwiwer]

Greetings one and all.

 

We farewell dad tomorrow at Worthing Crematorium. We are, I believe, all coping well at this stage but are prepared for tomorrow to be emotional and challenging.

 

I then return to Australia for a couple of months leaving Sharon alone to manage the remaining transition to London life. So far she has coped rather well.

 

I expect to be offline until the end of the week but will have in mind as I speak tomorrow, and as I talk afterwards with those present, that this family of ERs is standing firmly behind me - and all of us - for which we thank you most sincerely. Your friendship and support is highly valued.

 

See you soon.

[New Haven Neil]

We're always here for our friends, Rick.

[New Haven Neil]

I see 'Vera' returns to our screens tonight.  I hope someone has told her how to pronounce her own surname by now.  Stan-hope indeed.....'Stannup' to anyone of vaguely NE origin!

[Oldddudders]

I see 'Vera' returns to our screens tonight.  I hope someone has told her how to pronounce her own surname by now.  Stan-hope indeed.....'Stannup' to anyone of vaguely NE origin!

 

My iggerant southern impression is that 'eh-up' starts at the South Yorkshire border and continues in a northward trajectory. And actually I think even dahn sarf it would be pronounced pretty much as you suggest by a great many people. Deb was mortified when the new County Boundaries were announced, as there had never been a South Riding. She had lived in Leeds (Alwoodley) as a child.

[Smiffy2]

At your shoulder, Rick.

[lightengine]

Looking through some old postcards I collected some years ago I noticed one was addressed to Colonel G S Szlumper at the General Managers Office, Waterloo. Post marked 1931 he was apparently general manager of SR from 1937 to 1942.

Fascinating the things we collect.

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Visited the Southern Expo today as I mentioned this morning, bagged a bargain, nothing to do with model railways, a model kit of one of those modern airships, 1/200 scale but still 37.5 cm (16 inches) long for a fiver. Another purchase was a model bridge, solid resin but unpainted ostensibly 1/72 scale but could easily be used for N scale as well as 00 scale of course. The other purchases were a couple of plastic kits, one was a model of a WW1 era Vauxhall staff car, opened the box and a lot of small and fragile parts, 1/72 scale but still looks small alongside 1/76 modern cars. The last model is a 1/76 kit for an Alvis Stalwart, although from a new company (S & M) they are very like the JB/Airfix models with a clear plastic cab, a very useful wagon load for those modelling military railways.

Edited March 20, 2017 by PhilJ W

[Barry O]

Curry was excellent... some southerners (from Cas) were having rice with their curry at the table next door...

 

I watched Vera ..... once.... and never went back as being a good Colliery lad some of the accents were comedic to say the least.

 

Ian, we live about a mile or so away from Alwoodley.. its not a bad place.... but some people there speak posh Yorkshire.

 

 

Rick

 

hope all goes as well as it can tomorrow and that your travels go well.

 

 

time for a cup of decaf and bed methinks.

 

Baz