Early Risers.

[Ian Abel]

Yawn... hello all.

 

Lovely evening with the Mrs outside by the river for our anniversary, a nice assortment of eats and drinks consumed.

 

THEN, up very ER (4:50AM) to get Jemma from a red-eye from the coast. They last minute Sunday, whilst she was sitting "on reserve", called her to take a flight LAX to Reno, overnight and back yesterday evening. Almost contravening their contract as she was technically off yesterday, but sending her OUT Sunday night late resulted in her then having to bring a flight back yesterday. She opted for the red-eye in order to be home rather than waste one of her days off travelling today!

 

OK - I've NEVER liked the Stirling Single personally I think it's very ugly (runs for cover), and wouldn't entertain the thought of buying one, BUT, sure looks OK to me as a representative model - then again I'm probably just "ignorant". I'm quite sure there is one rivet that is larger than the others and dammit that shouldn't be allowed    I shall write to my congressman and complain - so long as he's not been fired by Drumpf!

 

Seriously though, it's just TOY TRAINS!! Everything I've seen and heard, especially as I'm the Rapido side of the pond, is those guys EXCEL at creating models. If they made something I wanted I'd buy one sight unseen.

Sometimes I wonder if some folks need to take the time to get a bloody dictionary and check the words HOBBY, and TOYS, and also get a life! 

Most of the "punters" (I include myself in that category) are happy so long as a model looks close enough from about 6-10 feet away. I sure as hell am NOT getting out my magnifying glass to check that the fireman has his shoe laces tied correctly... 

 

On with the day, it's nearly 10AM in the Midwest here and so far no-one else in the current administration has been fired so it must be a slow day

 

18 at o crack sparrow fart but headed for 30 to finish the day.

 

Take a deep breath, and avoid getting too excited, it's bad for the heart

Edited August 1, 2017 by Ian Abel

[BSW01]

Good afternoon everyone

 

It's been a funny old first day of retirement, but it started off quite well, when our alarm (which is a radio, tuned to Classic FM) went off this morning, I just ignored it and turned over! I didn't switch it off and it was a nice feeling, but I may alter the time later in the week.

 

The weather here has been pretty awful, heavy rain with the occasional sunny spell. So I didn't venture outside, I went to the cellar and continued making the list of bits that are needed to complete all the kits I've got. So far I've gone through all the loco kits and jotted down what I need to complete each one. The next task will be to check what I already have in stock and put those parts in the relevant kit, leaving the bits that I need to purchase.

[AndyB]

Boing! 

Afternoon all from a wet Salop where it is persisting it down. HH must be in a very muddy hollow this afternoon if he's getting the same weather nearby.

 

Talking of precision in model trains I've started reading the article in Model Rail about kit building a U&W tramway G15.

I think one of those would look quite smart on my GWR/SR-based harbour branch line.

It'd need a coat of green paint to turn it into something more glamorous though.

 

GB, thoughts and prayers for your friend. 

 

Talking of revolving doors at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, I saw a photo of a classmate of mine standing at the press officer's lectern. Perhaps he'll be next in the frame and get back in time to head up press operations with the royals next month.    

 

Time for a beer, said everyone. 

[BlackRat]

Yes, Ivan would then be more worried about probe it rather than probate.

Isn't that more in the line of a proctologist than street cleaner.........

[PhilJ W]

Baz, that is appauling re. your pension. You are entitled to that on day one of your retirement or on whatever day you have been told you are due for it. I had a similar problem with the payment of my retirement lump sum. It should have been paid into my account on the first day of my retirement (which was a Friday), come Friday morning there was no sign of it. A phone call to the pensions department revealed that the person responsible for putting the sum into my account had taken a few days holiday and 'will deal with it when she comes back'. Having been a union rep with a reputation for not suffering fools gladly I immediately contacted a few senior managers and appraised them of the situation resulted in the sum being deposited in my account later that same Friday and a rocket being deposited in another place where the sun dont shine.

Edited August 1, 2017 by PhilJ W

[Ozexpatriate]

Oh, and as for something being 0.75mm out on The Stirling Single and possibly being the end of the world as we know it, words fail me.

Totally agree .

... Everything I've seen and heard, especially as I'm the Rapido side of the pond, is those guys EXCEL at creating models. If they made something I wanted I'd buy one sight unseen.

I've no interest in rehashing any of the Stirling Single discussion or other commissioned models like the 14xx, LSWR gate stock etc, but there are Rapido models that I have ordered sight unseen, including the GNR Single and the Royal Hudson. I have confidence in the excellence of their work.

 

Lately I spend much more time here amongst the polite company of ERs precisely because my enjoyment in keeping up with of other parts of RMweb where new releases are discussed has cratered spectacularly. My disenchantment is with the tone of the dialogue on those threads, rather than the accuracy of the comments (which I am in no real position to assess). I look at it as my problem, but remain wistful that things might change.

 

It's so easy to behave badly on the internet. There is a power in the written word that transcends the same words spoken in a different setting - like over a pint at the pub. Some people seem to be oblivious of this impact. The conversations in those threads do remind me of a bon mot by a former British Prime Minister famous for bons mots:

 

A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.

Edited August 1, 2017 by Ozexpatriate

[roundhouse]

Unfortunately my experience of outsourcing is to cut costs and take a profit out at the same time and whilst profit isn't a bad word as companies need to make such to survive and prosper, outsourcing doesn't always provide the level of service that the organisation had before doing so. I worked for company that outsourced us. I didn't like the Change in our conditions to working anywhere in the country so I left. However the original company found that they didn't get the loyalty of those outsourced or the levels of support required so it all eventually fell apart taking part of my pension with it.

 

I know of plenty of other instances of similar situations but won't go into that here.

 

Baz - fingers crossed that they do sort your pension quickly.

 

I have waned in my interest in new model threads with so much nit picking at models that to me, look really good. As long as it's close to scale and looks right than I am happy. I don't seem many show visitors getting tape measure out to check how accurate a model is that is running on a layout. All the Rapids models that I have or have seen close up look superb. I don't parctuclarly need the N scale Pendolino but look forward to receiving it. I might even have to build a new layout to run it.

 

Number 45 might soon stand for the number of firings he's made since his coming to power!

[Horsetan]

Unfortunately my experience of outsourcing is to cut costs and take a profit out at the same time ....

 

...thus negating any savings made by cutting costs? 

[AndyID]

Is it necessary to have a big woofer if you want doggy Hi-Fi?

[TheQ]

Evening Awl, Inner Temple here,

The day went well with a surprising lack of boatwombles.

The forecast scattered showers, scattered so we had a minute or two of droplets.

Tonight is quiz night and all the tables are full.

I've had a Chinese meal, I'm sat on the quay heading next to my boat with a pint sat on the deck. All is well with the world.

 

PS thanks for reminding me, next month I have to remind the M.O.D. where I now live and claim my military pension. This you do 3 months before it's due.

 

Time to sup my pint....

[Ozexpatriate]

Is it necessary to have a big woofer if you want doggy Hi-Fi?

Don't confuse your tweeter with twitter.  Google does.

 

Showing results for twitter

Search instead for tweeter

[BSW01]

I rarely read the new model threads, instead when or if a model is announced that I like or would like, I'll go out and buy it, end of!

If we don't support these manufacturers, they may stop producing new models. I'm roughly the same when it comes to kit building, I'll often build them as the manufacturer intended, but I will however, add or improve little details that they may have left out. So what if there have had to be compromises, or the are too many/not enough rivets, jeez, the finish on most current models being produced is absolutely superb, especially the pre-grouping models.

[roundhouse]

I rarely read the new model threads, instead when or if a model is announced that I like or would like, I'll go out and buy it, end of!

If we don't support these manufacturers, they may stop producing new models. I'm roughly the same when it comes to kit building, I'll often build them as the manufacturer intended, but I will however, add or improve little details that they may have left out. So what if there have had to be compromises, or the are too many/not enough rivets, jeez, the finish on most current models being produced is absolutely superb, especially the pre-grouping models.

If I have had a go at particular model it's normally on quality but I will also quite often point out how to get around some of these issues. There are some models that I now wait to make sure all is OK with the running before buying but I do like challenges as I used to buy locos years ago when it was good fun to add the missing details or carve off bits that shouldn't have been there. I still do look for such things to make it a more personal model. To me that a good part of my interest in the hobby.

[AndyID]

Oh, wait a minute. It was wi-fi. I thought we were talking about Hi-Fi.

[New Haven Neil]

Those new model threads are the pits, aren't they.  Perfection is demanded, for under a hundred quid or less.  Most of them have never so much as weathered a Nellie of course!  I hate it when they state 'it doesn't even look like a......'    .....well it doesn't look like a bl00dy class 31 does it! Grrrrr.  It's not that long ago we had things like Hornby's 'Sir Dinadan' foisted upon us.  Princess cylinders from 1952 etc.

 

Calm down Neil. 

[The Stationmaster]

Evening all,

 

Not sure where the day went (Tesco, and herself using MY 'puter I think).  Anyone a special treat for IVan as walking down in the the town this evening we saw not one but two Amphicars (who else remembers them?) but sandwiched between them in the traffic stream was one of Ivan's oleopneumatically suspended vehicles which must have had a well sealed floor pan and body as it had an outboard motor very firmly bolted to the rear end.  No doubt the trio were heading towards some sort of water related event or the coincidence was so amazing as to be near unimaginable, alas the camera was not readily to hand.

[emt_911]

My hope of an early return home went totally wrong. A call out to a fault that I've never seen before took a fair amount of time to get to the bottom of. I eventually got home at 20:40.

 

Many cockwombles on the road including one travelling at 45 mph in the middle lane of the motorway. To put it into context, there were no other vehicles anywhere near her.

 

GDB - My thoughts are with your friend and his family.

 

Baz - I hope you recover soon.

 

A quick look round some other parts of RMweb over a coffee.

 

Back later.

[Horsetan]

.... one but two Amphicars (who else remembers them?) ....

Heroic failure.

 

....one of Ivan's oleopneumatically suspended vehicles which must have had a well sealed floor pan and body as it had an outboard motor very firmly bolted to the rear end.  No doubt the trio were heading towards some sort of water related event .....

If that was a CX, sticking it in water is going to result in a write-off.

[PeterBB]

Evening all,

 

Not sure where the day went (Tesco, and herself using MY 'puter I think).  Anyone a special treat for IVan as walking down in the the town this evening we saw not one but two Amphicars (who else remembers them?) but sandwiched between them in the traffic stream was one of Ivan's oleopneumatically suspended vehicles which must have had a well sealed floor pan and body as it had an outboard motor very firmly bolted to the rear end.  No doubt the trio were heading towards some sort of water related event or the coincidence was so amazing as to be near unimaginable, alas the camera was not readily to hand.

 

Amphicars ... you have struck a pleasant memory.  Many years ago as a student my 'mapping area' was the island of Kerrera off Oban - long before the RO_RO and the ruination of Oban by the removal of most of the station that was a great place to go for the papers on a Sunday morning.  Anyway the family provided lobsters etc. for the Cunard liners and Alec had a cottage on the island and made the most of his income.  On one of my trips up I arrived at the Kerrera Ferry.  Alec was there with his amphicar and offered me a trip across the Sound of Kerrera (600 ft deep).  It was quite an eerie experience going down the slipway across the sound not to the 'normal' jetty but down to the Little Horseshoe Bay and a drive up the 'beach' straight up to his cottage.

 

Sometime since I blogged on her but the retirement scenario and pensions ... I also am dead against 'out-sourcing' because like others have said it normally means much worse service ... dare I also say "allowing cherry picking out-sourcing of an excellent service made it no longer financially viable" without being political?  The 'old' 192 service also worked well but out-sourcing has made it a cash-cow for no benefit ... enough!

 

Does 'red-eye' mean what I think it does?

 

Tony - seems that you are 'well on the mend' now.  

 

Best wishes to all  Peter

Edited August 1, 2017 by PeterBB

[southern42]

' Evening all from red dragon land.

 

Since my Stirling Single will come with the Wrong Trousers Tender for my period (2011), location (Southall Railway Centre), and event (The Railway Children), I hardly think I will worry about a hefty 0.75mm discrepancy, especially as the train runs at night - in the dark. 

 

Anyway, another busy day but a lot easier (for me, anyway!) than expected.  I was wondering how I was going to manage to make heart-shaped portraits of ourselves to fit in a locket for our granddaughter's Christening.  Ray came up trumps and opened a box containing a cameo cutter that he had bought when he retired (awhile back!) and never used other than a one-off test.  A few hours later - bread pudding and cuppa - two dinky, beautifully formed heart-shaped portraits appeared to put in the locket! 

[Barry O]

Enjoyed a nice meal tonight- a 5 course taster menu including an alcoholic drink with every course all for £50 a head....for some reason my cold has disappeared for the time being at least.

 

No cricket tomorrow due to waterlogged ground. Monday I am now due to umpire T20s at Headingley...great!

 

While acting as a Continuous Improvement Manager I fought long and hard to stop "grabbing the low hanging fruit" as it just added bigger problems further along the road. Perhaps I should  be offering my services to the Board of my erstwhile employers?

 

Sleep well all!

 

Baz

[Barry O]

Glad to see you posting Polly... I take it you and Tender are OK?

 

Baz

[emt_911]

Polly - Good to see you posting.

 

Tomorrow a day just up the road from Rick.

 

Night all

[Gwiwer]

 

 

Tomorrow a day just up the road from Rick.

 

 

 

How far up the road?  And with any likelihood of a break in proceedings?

[Tony_S]

Baz mentioned low hanging fruit. I heard Robbie being told off yesterday. He stands up on his hind legs and takes pears off the tree. He doesn't bother waiting for windfalls anymore.

Edited August 1, 2017 by Tony_S