Early Risers.

[Smiffy2]

Our immediate neighbours are all dairy farmers or ex dairy farmers. They know which side of their pain has the beurre appellation controlée on it.

 

Even the plumber wanted to know if Britain had gone mad whilst no-one was looking, and the lady in the garage spoke very contemptuously of Frexiteers.

[Ian Abel]

Yikes! Tuesday already, and I have NO IDEA where the weekend went even though it was only the standard two days here <sigh>

 

Congratulations and commiserations as necessary, I'll attempt to read the post for the last three days at some point!

 

Simply put, weekend was busy with all kinds of things, not even sure WHAT I managed to do in the end, except did manage a short modeling session with trains running AND installing the last two point motors I have on hand - only about 6 more to get/install then I'm done.

Large amounts of time with the choir over the holiday weekend, and...done.

 

The incompetents "on the cloud", having sent a flourish of conflicting emails from Friday until yesterday afternoon, have FINALLY as of last night, expanded the disk space <yawn>

 

Weather was lovely here most of the weekend and yesterday, now proceeding to rain heavily, and forecast for the entire day.

Official readings, 13 with light to moderate rain ( "they" obviously haven't looked out the window!!), high of 18, rain off and on all day.

 

Have a good "return to work" for all those recovering from a trying 4-day holiday weekend  and those non-workers, well, no more need be said I'm sure

Edited April 18, 2017 by Ian Abel

[emt_911]

Finally arrived home without meeting too many cockwombles.

 

My prediction of being an early ER tomorrow has been confirmed. First day back and I'm in Wolverhampton.

 

Back later.

[The Stationmaster]

Mike, if you calculate that 30p into it's value when you commenced paying into the pension it will look better on paper. Plus back in those days we had 2 postal deliveries both before noon!

 

Two postal deliveries a day had departed the scene long before I started paying into that pension as I only joined the company in 2000 (by it taking over my then 'occasional' employer) and last worked for them in 2005.  In fact as I was on what is nowadays referred to as a 'zero hours contract' I didn't realise that I was going to get a finally salary pension from them until they sent me an email to advise it would be starting soon and they needed to see my birth certificate to confirm my age before I could have one.  So contributions on a very occasional basis over 5 years were converted by them into a proportion of full contributing years which, with my salary level, decided my pension.  And I don't think I'd particularly noticed the pension deductions in the first place as I'd only regarded the income as being a 'bit of extra' on top of my railway pension.  

 

Last year they issued a  letter saying that many pensions had been calculated on the wrong rules and pensions would be reduced - although not for existing pensioners - but ended  by telling me that mine would increase, which brought my weekly income from it up from £9 to £12 (after tax).  None of which worries me as I've had two tax free lump sums from that pension fund (one due to the above mentioned previous miscalculation) plus I'd already had a (taxed) lump sum from them in my 'pay packet' when they took us over back in 2000.  

 

And just to prove that inflation really does exist it is noticeable that this little pension is greater than my salary was when I started full time work in 1966.

[AndyID]

No idea. Probably OK as we are white and non-Muslim. I'm more worried about the post-election rise in racism, like after Brexit. Our mayor is pro-Brits, but the next village along is quite anti.

So you're not actually Simian then?

[Barry O]

Stroll to Whitby...done

Pint of Whitby Brewery Jet Black....bought and drunk

Grilled fish (cod, haddock, plaice and salmon) at the Magpie..... Eaten ( and it was delicious)

 

Bus ride home ..now I need to have a bath and relax some of my aching muscles!

 

We sat next to a Norwegian couple at the Magpie. They think we, the Brits, are completely nuts...

 

 

Baz

 

Edited due to jibbering spilchek!

Edited April 18, 2017 by Barry O

[Horsetan]

I can't wait to see what the front cover of the next Private Eye looks like!

[JohnDMJ]

I've managed to over tighten the chuck on my Bosch drill. 

Tempting to start a thread and see if it locks quicker than the bloomin' drill! 

Meanwhile I've tried a rubber band round it, brute force and ignorance (swmbo had a go) and I've now put it in the freezer to see if contracting any parts helps.

Pouring hot water over it didn't seem a good idea.   

 

I'd get a centre punch, or in extremis, the side of a flat blade screwdriver, place it on one of the drill chuck jaws and give it a smart tap with a hammer, parallel to the drill bit.

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Had a good shopping trip today and purchased the plywood that I needed. In fact I now have more than I need as I purchased an 8' by 4' sheet (244 X 122 cm). I thought that it was a bit more cost wise than I expected until I read the label which said 'outdoor quality' not that it was that much more expensive. I had it cut to my measurments and even after cutting there was a fair chunk left over, so much that I had to have it cut into three equal sized pieces to fit it into the car. While I was there I espied some offcuts for sale. A 2 metre length of 34X34 mm timber that was a reject because it was supposed to be 2.4 metres for £1, this would be ideal for the shelf supports. And a piece of 18 mm MDF 45 X 39 cm for 20p. I'm not sure what the MDF can be used for but I'll find something, even if its as the base for a diorama.

Ahh! This sounds like a new version of Triggers Broom!  Five new heads and 3 new handles, and still working as well as the day it was bought 28 years ago

I don't intend to remove the base and end of the box, just fix the new end inside of the existing end and the base will be fixed underneath.

Edited April 18, 2017 by PhilJ W

[emt_911]

Night all

[BSW01]

Grilled fish (cod, haddock, plaice and salmon) at the Magpie..... Eaten ( and it was delicious)

 

 

Nice food in the Magpie isn't it.

 

We sat next to a Norwegian couple at the Magpie. They think we, the Brits, are completely nuts...

 

 

I am, aren't you?

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone

 

Well all my attempts at an early escape failed and most of the day was spent in the orifice. However, I did manage to escape around 3:15 so I was able to get home for 4:00, which was really good going. I've been given no further work as yet, but I'll try to have a chat with my boss to see if that can be changed.

 

Goodnight all.

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[PhilJ W]

As I've mentioned previoudly I moderate for some local history groups on Facebook. One chap has been posting about brick and tile works in the locality and as it turns out one of them had its own narrow gauge railway connected to Upminster station where there was an exchange siding. It was quite a complicated little system, serving the brick and tile works as well as delivering finished products to the main line and collecting coal. The line existed from the 1890's to about 1930.

[andyram]

Evening all. A very late drop in after a day that seemed to slip by in a blink of an eye. Thanks to those who have commented on my previous post. I have had no desire to rock the boat with Sarah right now and so have let things lie. We have one or two other things to sort out right now, but I will share that on another day.

The day started with the church coffee morning. A very enjoyable catch up with a few people and some nice hot dogs to enjoy too. Sarah set to work on her card making this afternoon whilst I caught up on one or two jobs for work. Then it was back out into the garden to confuse to dig out the borders around the shed and lay the weed proof sheeting. I also ordered a new mobile phone to replace my current one which is set to expire any day.

In the evening it was off to the church model railway group. An enjoyable running session with a few of my locos in action. A little bit of shunting with the Hornby Peckett was followed by a test of the whole circuit with my West Country. The layout now had two of its four circuits connected and the club owned L1 worked the other line. We finished with a loaded test of my Hornby Railroad Duke of Gloucester. It managed to haul 15 assorted coaches with no issue, although starting the train on one straight proved to be a challenge. The layout circuits around the four walls of an old static caravan and there is a slight gradient from one end to the other, enough for the carriages to run unaided via gravity in the downhill direction. An uphill start certainly tested the Duke. I did take some videos but the site will not let me upload them.

 

Night all.

[laurenceb]

Night all

[emt_911]

Morning all. A slight chill to start the day.

 

When I watched the weather report last night, I don't think that they were talking about me when they said that it would be a sunny commute.

 

This could be a long day.

 

Have a good day everyone.

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Rather fresh start at 4^oC whilst taking The Boss to work earlier. A fine day with sunny periods is forecast.

Drat! That means that I will have to dig the mower out from the shed and cut the grass. I put it off yesterday using the lame excuse that I was waiting for Sav the boiler man to come.  He did, bang on time and replaced a faulty bit in the motorised valve. (and no charge either I'm pleased to say) This only took a few minutes but I then decided that I wasn't going to garden anyway as  I didn't feel like it. Lazy so and so! I will try and make up for it today. Possibly.

Have a good one,

Bob.

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

So the PM has changed her mind.  Let us hope that the new one works. 

 

After a commendably brief fodder run yesterday I returned home to find two cones blocking access to the space by my house which my car had vacated not 30 minutes previously.  The decorator working on the house opposite had put them there to reserve space for his other vehicle.  He was kind enough to remove them when I said that I wished he had asked me first.  Fortunately a handy space for his other vehicle was available nearby.

 

The quiz was at times fiendish and frustrating and ultimately a close contest with only four points in it.  Support is waning and it would be sad if a fixture which has endured since the 1950s were to cease.

 

Today we have Area Group lunch in Harpenden.  This is usually convivial and always interesting.

 

Warm thoughts to those in distress

 

Chris

[TheQ]

_{Morning Awl,}

_{After much negotiation, arranged to get a system for calibration today, the trouble is I need the system to calibrate something else hence the "owners" of said system  are always reluctant. so that's todays work sorted.}

 

_{Going home yesterday, I went via DIY shed and loaded up with the required timber. Wheel cover in place, drove 20+ miles to tescos on route Home, went in did required shopping, came out to find the "Ring" of the wheel cover hanging round the tyre and no wheel cover. fixed wheel cover back round (very poor lock anything will turn it) drove back over route so an additional 40 miles +  not found. Was it stolen ? or did it fall off.?}

 

_{SWMBO had painted the picture that is my Avatar on it, with the words "Rough Collies the best Four by Paws By Far", SWMBO now told,..... many brownie points lost....}

 

_{I drove into the garden and frightened Mummy deer and baby deer who ran off Into the "jungle" part of the garden.}

 

 _{A poor nights sleep was had,  a couple of hours sleep was had then another 3 on the sofa, certain politics on the TV is a great aid to sleep.}

 

_{The car had a frosted windscreen this morning although the ground wasn't until I drove inland to work were everything was frosted.}

 

_{Garden report,}

_{All the Pear trees are now in blossom, the Apple trees are trying to join in}

_{All my daffs have been now dead headed by SWMBO even if they weren't ready! Those on the way in here to work  in sheltered from the sun spots, are still in flower those exposed to the sun have gone over.}

_{what looks like giant (in height) snowdrops are flowering,}

_{More day lilies have come out..}

_{Still no sign of Bluebells.}

 

_{Time to work...}

[AndyID]

I took a detour from organizing the shop (where on Earth did all this carp come from?) to actually make something that I've been putting off for a long time - a 17 tooth gearwheel. It took me a few days to make some bits to hold the gear blank and the gear cutter on the mill/drill. I've never done this before and I was a bit intimidated, but the result was sort of okydoky, but I'll take another shot at it tomorrow.

 

Here's the setup. The fancy thingy on the left is dividing table that can divide a revolution into an equal number of steps. 17 in this case.

 

Here we go. Some of the teeth have been cut.

 

The finished article pressed into a 54 tooth gear from my antique South Bend lathe to form a 54/17 compound gear. The 17 tooth gear replaces the 18 tooth gear in the 54/18 (3:1) compound that comes with the lathe.

 

Why bother? The lathe has gears to produce a huge range of "english" threads. With this adaptation I can produce all the common metric threads as well.

 

----------------------------------------------------

 

For anyone who is sufficiently interested, arithmetic follows (you have been warned!)

 

The lathe has an eight thread per inch lead-screw. That's a thread pitch of 3.175 mm

 

3.175 x 17/54 = 0.99954 mm

 

Not "exactly" 1 millimeter, but pretty dang close

 

 

[Barry O]

Time to get up..already?

 

We are off for a train journey to Pickering today to have lunch with a relative who lives there.

 

We were going to Whitby by bus to start the journey but it appears I am to drive just in case we miss the train.

 

Have a great time today

Baz

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

It may have been frosty overnight but there is no evidence now.

We are off to Heathrow later today to meet Aditi's uncle and aunt who are visiting from San Francisco. I am collecting them as it is seems to be too difficult for the Enfield relatives to drive to LHR. This doesn't of course include MiL who ceased driving last year. Aditi's uncle is only a couple of years older than she is so before she came to England he was like an elder brother. They are staying in Enfield for a few days, then with us and then they are off to Paris for a week.

Tony

Edited April 19, 2017 by Tony_S

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone

 

It's a dull but dry start to the day, currently 6C.

 

Another day in the orifice, oh the joy of it all.

 

Back later

[jamie92208]

Good morning from a quite bright but cloudy village. A lot to do today. I'm off to collect the trailer shortly then a friend is coming with me to load it from the container. Then the car needs to be loaded with the various things that I don't want in the trailer. The about noon it's off, first of all via the local free weighbridge, to pick up Dave then down to Portsmouth for the St Malo ferry.

 

SWMBO left early as usual for weightwatchers but did bob in to say cheerio before she went.

 

A good 5 days is in prospect.

 

The usual commiserations and congratulations to all.

 

Andy ID, I salute your lathe skills.

 

Jamie