Early Risers.

[Barry O]

Good morning all from a sunny North West Leeds Highlands,.

 

Chris my copy arrived yesterday and enjoyed your article. Perchance a dmu based one may appear sometime.

Shopping and parcelling/posting to be done then a sound chip to fit.

Have a great day!

Baz

[AndyB]

Morning all and a day off has been booked to set up the display to illuminate the skies this evening hereabouts. 

Last year we did the donkey work setting up in T-shirts. Not quite warm enough for that this year, but clear skies and low winds are ideal. 

A fry up for the 15 man team is the order of the day followed by safety briefings from the team leaders. 

I think the safety briefing refers to fireworks and bonfire, rather than the hazards of saturated fat consumption! 

 

Long hours in the office also suggest that I've got a day of flexi owed to me sometime this month - a day I intend to spend getting the boards ready for the next layout. 

 

Anyway, have a safe and pleasant day everyone. 

[jamie92208]

Morning all from a rather dreich corner of the world.  It rained quite a bit in the night but we did need it.   The grass is going to need cutting again soon.   Beth got off to visit her friend as soon as we had got the good news from Rachel yesterday.   I even managed to find various things to occupy me yesterday.   Today there's a bit of shopping to be done this morning then this afternoon a fellow RMWebber is coming over to help me put some the remining layout boards up.   We might even send some time making objects trundle along parallel bit of metal.   Apart from that not a lot to say.

 

Thanks for all the good wishes.  Good to hear from Andyram, and Tony and Aditi I hope that you really enjoy your cruise.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[Andrew P]

And you should see the Dent in the Road!

 

 

Come on GDB, match this buddy, hahha      

Edited November 2, 2018 by Andrew P

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl Inner Temple Here, And very near mooring it was,

It rained when I left for work,

It rained when I got to work,

It rained at tea break,

 It rained at lunch break,

 it rained at tea break,

It rained when I left work,

 it rained when I got home,

 It rained when I was going to bed,

 it  rained 01:50 when I first awoke,

It rained at 03:00 when I next awoke,

 It rained at 04:50 when i got up,

It wasn't raining when on patrol with Ben the Border Collie at 05:50. The cloud could be seen in the east and the temperature was dropping like a stone. Te car was frozen in an Ice cube, engine started at the begining of Patrol.

 

Air miles, Well the longest journey I've flown is the 8000miles each way is from Brize Norton to Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands and then back a couple of months later (Several times).

The most common journey was from Dhahran, in Saudi Arabia to Heathrow or Gatwick for 6 years (about 4000miles each way), Also from Tabook Via Riyadh to LHR, once via Medina. 

I've also flown from Glasgow to Benbecula, and Benbecula to Inverness via Stornoway(where we broke down).

Then quite a few times From Heathrow or Birmingham to Edinburgh. 

Once from Cranfield to Turnhouse. 

Then I'm told once to  Cyprus and back in the late 1950s. (Out in a carry cot, back toddling 3 years later).

 

My conclusion about flying... I hate it.... Not the actually flying, but the absolute chaos of airports, the bigger they are the worse they are. Nowhere to sit in the long waits, the huge expense of even buying a simple coffee.

 

So I no longer have a passport I have no intention of going anywhere outside the UK, also the chance of floating around in a big tin can fills me with dread, more people in a confined space than I ever want to be with..

Talking of which, it's the Spalding MRC show tomorrow, I feel fairly uncomfortable at shows in the crowds,  it's not unknown for me to retreat into a corner, or in the case of Spalding into the yard behind the cafe..The forecast tomorrow for Holbeach near Spalding at maximum crowds time 12C and sunny. So it should in a warm coat be quite pleasant out there. They also used to have something with live steam trundelling up and down out there which can provide an interest...

 

During the typing of this tripe I've taken 60 measurements and processed the results all OK.

 

Time too .. take some more..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i

Edited November 2, 2018 by TheQ

[AndrewC]

Greetings from a sunny but chilly boring borough. 

 

Bob, Andrew. IT'S NOT A COMPETITION. You don't get travel points from riding in an ambulance. Behave yourselves. 

 

Little of note. Off to see the quack in 20 mins. Ear infection methinks as well as time to get the referral for my dodgier than ever knee. Despite the practice (lowest rated in the borough for 3 years running) being on their 3rd online appointment system in the past 5 years, it is still faster and easier to walk over before 8am and get an on the day appointment. The online appointment system shows the first available as Nov 19th. 

 

TFIF. Just enough time for a small coffee before venturing up the high st to the GP. Enjoy the day. Enjoy the weekend. 

[Happy Hippo]

Dear Dooooomed.

 

As BBill BBishop has inferred in an earlier post,once infected by the 7 mm bug, you will be stuck with it forever.

 

It is highly contagious and although one may shake it off from time to time, it always come back with a vengeance.  One only has to look (not at recent photos though) at our own AndyP whom it has to be said, has been yo-yo ing for a few years, before realizing he has to stop fighting it and learn to live with it.

 

In my particular case, what started off as a small appendage that was easily managed by myself in the workshop, has grown into a simply magnificent erection that requires the efforts of at least three grown men to control it, and still manages to hang out of the end of the garage when active.

 

Unfortunately, they too have now been infected and are now eager to emulate my exponential growth.

 

Storage is a definite problem, but with careful consideration for the surrounding area, is not insurmountable.

 

The only serious side effect is that of serious debilitation.  This almost invariably effects the wallet and in particular the credit card(s).

 

This can be exacerbated by what are cruelly described as 'special offers'.  There is a current 'special offer' from Hattons, which made my eyes bulge and my credit card break out in a cold sweat.  The only relief from this was sheer willpower, reinforced by the fact the Minerva mob are promising something for those who like the S Wales Valleys.

 

As you can imagine, the dreadful strain will only be relieved when the credit card leaps screaming from my wallet and buries it's head in the appropriate card reader.

 

Sadly, such relief is only temporary, and it is only a matter of time before it all starts over again.

 

You have my pity.

[Purley Oaks]

Morning all

 

Sunny and bright here but it has been raining overnight. So nothing like The Q's soggy tales.

 

Congrats to Grandad Jamie. Doesn't mean that you can start behaving like GDB or AndyP, though!

 

 

My conclusion about flying... I hate it.... Not the actually flying, but the absolute chaos of airports, the bigger they are the worse they are. Nowhere to sit in the long waits, the huge expense of even buying a simple coffee.

 

So I no longer have a passport I have no intention of going anywhere outside the UK

 

 

Yes, the airports are horrible now; what made it easier once for us was being upgraded to premium economy by Virgin which allowed us the use of their lounge at Heathrow which made things much more comfortable. We were upgraded on the return from Chicago, too, but there's no Virgin lounge there so we had to slum it with everyone else on hard grey seating. I can hear the cries of, "Shame!" from everyone here... not!

 

I always like to have a valid passport whether or not I intend to travel abroad... just in case I need to get out of the country in a hurry! Could be £80 well spent, Q.

 

Have a good day everyone. Oh, and be careful, Andyram!

 

Mal

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Bright and sunny this morning if a bit nippy and should last over most of the weekend. I will be visiting the Romford show tomorrow and if time permits I'll pop into the one at Wickford.  Not a lot else to report so its be back later.

[Happy Hippo]

 

 

Congrats to Grandad Jamie. Doesn't mean that you can start behaving like GDB or AndyP, though!

 

 

You can behave like me instead.

 

Fill up your pool with lots of soil to create a superb muddy hollow.

 

Head and nostrils above mud level, with occasional bubbles escaping from other parts.

 

What's not to like?

Edited November 2, 2018 by Happy Hippo

[81C]

'ello and evenin' each,

 

Well my fears were not realised and my parcel didn't go to Sutton Coldfield as it duly turned up here at 11.00AM. Only slight downside is that one buffer was detached but that shouldn't be a problem to put back on. Why haven't I done it already you may ask? When it arrived I inspected it but was then informed that a visit to Sainsbury's was rather necessary, particularly if I wanted some lunch.

This was duly accomplished but when slicing the bread for our lunchtime sandwiches I attempted to add the top of my LH index finger to the filling. After some considerable amounts of blue stuff in the air and red stuff all over the rest of the kitchen the bleeding was just about quenched but I currently have a very sore bound up finger (which is making typing a bit more carp than usual). Because of this I've decided that the buffer can be reattached when I'm in a slightly better mood.

 

GDB FRCS (Failed)

 

Morning 

Bob I'm surprised you have not performed this minor operation  on yourself before now, have you thought about sliced bread.    

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone

 

The sky is blue, the sun is out, but it’s quite cool, 2C whilst we were having breakfast. After breakfast, whilst Sheila was getting ready, I wrote the over seas C*******s cards. Once Sheila is ready we are off to the Trafford Centre, where I’ll post the cards at the post office there. We will then go about doing the shopping for the bits and pieces that I couldn’t get locally and probably some more C*******s presents.

 

Enjoy the day

 

Back later

[Barry O]

Back from shopping..sunny but cool here. Off to the Post Office then sound chipping.

Andy perhaps you should start wearing a boxer head guard? Take it steady.

I have some larger scale objects but they don't really get much rail time. Some to be used on a new club layout but the rest may be sold on.

 

TTFN

Baz

[TheQ]

To Mr Happy Hippo....

 

My shed is already 63ft long for 4mm scale, I'm NOT BUILDING A BIGGER ONE..

 

 yours,

 

Most Definately

 

Mr N.O.T Goingbigger.

 

 

Ps to get another passport requires going to another country.. Peterborough, a 95 mile 3 hour journey that's a step too far..

Edited November 2, 2018 by TheQ

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Congratulations to Jamie & Beth, well achieved (no doubt Rachel played a large part in getting to her current state so congrats to her and her other half as well).

 

Visited the Princess of Shoreditch with Mrs Stationmaster and a friend of ours yesterday - we were duly put in the upstairs dining room, definitely a cut above the downstairs one and much quieter plus some interesting pictures on the walls which I am 99% certain are very large enlargements of some Edwardian cigarette cards, somebody's series of Actresses or Beauties.  Anyway an excellent meal as usual then off to the  Virgin Money lounge in the Haymarket for a cuppa (in a fake aircraft interior!) and finally out to our friend's home in Ealings for a light tea and more cuppas.  As her self was tiring and finding stairs more and more difficult as the day went on it was than a case of working out the 'flattest' UndergrounD route from there to the GWML and we settled on  (nearby) Northfields to Hammersmith to Earls Court to Paddington so the only stairs involved were at Northfields (unavoidable) with a short escalator at Paddington.  Great part of an already good day - the number of younger people who offered their seat on UndergrounD trains to herself finally complemented by a young lady on the 18.45 Paddington who offered me her seat opposite the one I'd secured for Mrs Stationmaster provided I could find a suitable seat for her in the adjacent coach.  Lots of very nice people out there.  

 

Low light of the day - three clowns playing (badly and very noisily a trumpet, side drum and accordion on a District Line train while begging and the young female person who said that she regarded my comment about the raucous racket (my exact words) as 'more offensive than the racket' ???!!! - which we'd had to move away from so loud and bad was it.  A BTP Sergeant on The Lawn at Paddington took a very different attiitude starting with the words 'not them again!' followed by an apology for being unable to do anything about it himself (which I'd already said I understood would be the case) but duly reporting the situation to BTP control.  Obviously BTP can't be everywhere and have better things to do with their time than patrol UndergrounD trains looking for folk like those three but it spoilt the journey for an awful lot of people as well as contravening Byelaws.  A stark contrast with the licenced buskers at PIccadilly Circus UndergrounD station.

 

So faux Friday was missed and will be replaced today, on the proper and increasingly sunny, Friday with a trip to the trainspotting branch of Waitrose.

 

Enjoy your day one and all.

[Coombe Barton]

Car in for a replacement Cam belt - the garage are doing this as part of the pre sales thing although I've had it for a couple of weeks. 

 

Tow bar won't be fitted today - that's a day long job.and we don't need it before February.

 

Debs still in clink and her mobile phone's died, so reverting to carrier pigeons and semaphore.

[jamie92208]

Morning all

 

 

Congrats to Grandad Jamie. Doesn't mean that you can start behaving like GDB or AndyP, though!

 

 

Have a good day everyone. Oh, and be careful, Andyram!

 

Mal

Thanks for that post Mal, I seriously couldn't decide whether to rate it thanks, funny or agree.

 

GDB, you let yourself in for this latest escapade a few days ago when a remark was made that it was a while since you'd injured yourself.    As to the infection that you have acquired I can only comment that it is incurable and you will have to be allowed regular retail therapy in due course to alleviate the symptoms.   However Mrs GDB may not like the fact that such treatment isn't available on either the British or French NHS.

 

Jamie

[AndrewC]

Dear, Mr Hippo

Thanks for your concern. I will of course be as careful as possible not to let the infection become too ingrained. However I do have one form of treatment for 7mm itis. It's called SWMBO. While it is not a cure it will help to keep the symptoms in check. SWMBO has decreed that I must finish all the current 7mm kits and bits languishing in the loft before any more will be allowed. There is also the plague like infection I have that keeps my wallet occupied. HO Canadian. A Rapido loco with full DCC and Sound is more expensive than the Dapol small steam engines that have caught my eye. With luck, this will be sufficient to reduce the more extreme symptoms. 

 

Thanks and regards, 

Dooooooomed of DA16

 

 

addendum: I've just seen the nice people at Invicta have a few O wagons and track available. Maybe I could just pop over later this afternoon and .................oops.

Edited November 2, 2018 by AndrewC

[Gwiwer]

Happy Lunchtime to One and All

 

SWMBO managed to reach Cambridge despite closure of the lines through Kingston between around 06.30 and 08.30 while another (after yesterday’s) person challenged the train to a duel. And guess who was rostered to manage the Down Main Slow trains? And of course after Wombletown Kingston is our busiest destination. Peak hours have changed over the years. Almost as many people now travel out to such places (Brentford and Richmond are also extremely busy “contra-peak”) no doubt assisted by the flexible nature of modern multimodal ticketing.

 

Another day’s fun and games, with plenty of use made of the portable p.a. microphone, has now concluded so far as I am concerned and it is officially both the weekend and beer o’clock.

 

Aussie reds - yes. Merlot or a cabernet-merlot blend for preference. Kiwi whites I can take or leave and am happy with a Lindeman’s chardonnay. European wines are generally regional not varietal so I will opt for a Bordeaux or (if it’s a good year) the Beaujolais Nouveau. Or for whites a Muscadet.

 

Air miles - I have around 30,000 remaining on my Emirates account after upgrading my last trip from Melbourne to London. Sadly that doesn’t translate into 30,000 free miles in the air. It would only get me an upgrade between London and Dubai. I am back on Blue Tier after having had a year on Silver Tier and finding the only benefit to that was an additional 12kgs of free baggage. I can pre-book nominated seats, often get advantageous fares (I won’t call them bargains) and can sometimes add business lounge access for an economy fare plus fixed fee. I’m happy enough with all that.

 

Gents (and ladies) - please have a safe weekend. There are no awards for severity of injury nor for how unusually it might have been caused

[The Lurker]

Greetings all.

 

AndrewC I am sure Kerry would be pleased to see you and your wallet!

 

Wines - Mrs Lurker really likes a number of different NZ Sauvignon blancs - her fave is Oyster Bay. My "everyday drinking wine" is a Cabernet Sauvignon from South Africa - Douglas Green, although I have purchased a 19 crimes based on comments the other day. Other faves include cabernet sauvignons from Chile and Australia, and good old vine  Zinfandels from California.. But if I am feeling extravagant and rich, then my favourite wine is Chateau Musar, from the Lebanon. The inconsistencies you get from vintage to vintage in, say, a good Claret, are exacerbated , particularly in the older vintages, by the occasional difficulty of harvesting the grapes without being shot by whichever bunch of lunatic militias are ruling the roost at a particular period. But the quality is consistently good.

 

Have a good weekend all

[Ian Abel]

POETS Mk2...

 

Uneventful and on-time return to Minneapolis yesterday.

Of course it'd be on-time (actually 15 minutes early!@) since it wasn't the flight that'd have got me to my choir performance <sigh>

 

Today we're off to VOTE - thanks to the sensibility of admissible early voting, and therefore can avoid the cluster that will occur Chewsday.

 

I'd forgot to mention that next week (Tuesday provided there are standby seats) we're headed to the UK. It's the time of year again for me to visit my friends who have a garage full of, NOT trains, but a complete Boeing 747 flight deck!

The annual WorldFlight charity event starts tomorrow at 2200 Zulu and runs for 7 days. Links posted below. This year as noted the Simfest team (the ones I have connections with) are flying for "Contact the Elderly".

 

WorldFlight main web site, showing ALL the full-size sims participating, and schedule -->> https://www.worldflight.com.au/

Simfest, the UK-based 747 web site -->> http://www.simfest.co.uk/

 

Other than voting today, and a POE as I'll have "done my 40 hours" in just a few, not much on the calendar. The afternoon likely spent doing some flight simming this time.

 

1 sunny and "brisk" outside this morning, remaining sunny all days with a high of maybe 8.

 

Hope you can all POE if that'a an option - enjoy the day best you can, avoid doing a "GDB" at all costs  

Edited November 2, 2018 by Ian Abel

[TheQ]

Just been cleaning a Tinsley, No not cleaning Tinsley that would be a ******* of a job, cleaning a Tinsley Standard Resistor...

Harry Tinsley started making electrical resistance boxes in 1904, and at one time they made very accurate standard resistors. Sadly having been taken over, now they don't. So they are the veritable hens tooth. We have half an oil bath of them. What we don't have is reserves when they go away for calibration, or even worse if someone dropped one... So the boss keeps an eye out for any that come up on Ebay or any other electrical suppliers.

 

Well he managed get a 10 ohm resistor. So i've just spent an hour cleaning lots of labels, sticky substances and dust off of it. It is now is residing in the oil bath where it will sit till probably Wednesday and I start measuring it. It doesn't neccessarily mean it's usable, it will take at least 3 months of measurements probably once a week to see if it's stable enough..

 

In 15 miutes time when I've finished measuring some current, it'll be time for home, then later to the MRC where more navi and ganger work is required.

 

 See you later..

[Rugd1022]

Good Hafternoon Hall,

 

'Tales Of Life On The Big Railway : Part 142' - if anyone here was stuck in the rush hour commute between Willesden and points further south on the West London Line this morning, sincere apologies since it was down to me I'm afraid, well, partly anyway. I was working the Battersea stone job again and was wrong routed at Latchmere Junction by a signaller who was admant that I was booked to take the train to Crawley, despite not signing the road or being booked that way. I bit of a stand off ensued until his superior came on the GSM-R explaining that said Bobby had mistaken my train for another which had already passed through several hours earlier, a bit odd I thought as the headcodes were different, but all was resolved and I was soon on my way down to Battersea and backing the troublesome truckies into the terminal at Stewart's Lane, as booked. When my relief arrived a few minutes later he told me the same thing had happened to him five times before with the same signaller...! I had my manager with me too as I was overdue an assessment, and travelling back on the cushions together armed with a company issued Oyster card we were held up by a staff member at the LT barrier at Euston when he refused to let my manager through, despite being in full railway uniform with proper id and passes etc. Twenty minutes later he was allowed through, but only after buying a ticket!

 

Back at HQ in Rugby a 'Quincy' style post mortem was held (with the aid of some tea and several biscuits, obviously), much tutting, finger wagging, putting the world to rights and chin stroking followed (aided by more tea and biccies) and a full set of Oyster cards were duly ordered forthwith. I understand well enough that everyone on the railway has a job to do and there are rules to be followed, but a little give and take wouldn't go amiss, particularly when there were hoards of passengers backing up behind us trying to get up onto the platforms at Euston. Oh well, onwards...! 

 

(To counter my little mini grumble there is some good news on the horizon, we'll be getting four additional drivers at our depot in the new year with more work looming up ahead).

[The Stationmaster]

Shopping is usually complicated - if that is the word - mainly by deciding the menu for the coming 3-4 days and then finding the items that requires, or amending to suit the items we do find or which might be on a special offer.  Today a new factor entered the arena as I said we need some so & so for the lad only to be told 'don't you know, he's in Geneva Monday to Friday next week?'   This was obviously a rhetorical question because I obviously didn't know because I had proposed to add some so & so (paté as it happens) to the trolley.  

 

So in future we not only need to know which evenings he will be late for the meal because of such things as Round Table or football but which darned country he will be working in during the coming week, why do people insist on making life more complicated?

[Barry O]

Mike

 

change the house door  locks..seem to work....

 

Baz