Early Risers.

[Ozexpatriate]

I'm seeing lots of RMweb timeouts today. When not timing out, I'm seeing lots of spinning circles. I'm wondering if the host servers are seeing extra traffic today with the Thanksgiving holiday.

 

With ubiquitous connectivity, the notion of "Cyber Monday"* (the online selling day following "Black Friday" in-store sales) is a thing of the past.

 

* People waited until getting to the office on Monday where they had a stronger internet connection than dial-up modems at home.

Edited November 28, 2019 by Ozexpatriate

[BoD]

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

Nice Pannier, Debs! 

Now, now.

[AndrewC]

Home from the Isle of Dogs via Bank & Borough. I must be barking. A grand day out. Mr Stationmaster picked an excellent venue. 

Great to put physical forms to names finally and the world set to rights. 

On the trip home we managed to dodge a bullet at LBG. Our next announced train home was a few minutes later than one to Woolwich. (et bus right to our door) Turns out there was a cockup on the catering front and the train announced as Dartford via Bexleyheath was in fact a fast service to Rochester. I won't reprint some of the comments on Twitter directed at Southeastern over the past hour. As it was we had an on time and comfyish worm with a 6 min wait for the bus. 

 

G'night awl. 

[AndyID]

12 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

I'm seeing lots of RMweb timeouts today. When not timing out, I'm seeing lots of spinning circles. I'm wondering if the host servers are seeing extra traffic today with the Thanksgiving holiday.

 

With ubiquitous connectivity, the notion of "Cyber Monday"* (the online selling day following "Black Friday" in-store sales) is a thing of the past.

 

* People waited until getting to the office on Monday where they had a stronger internet connection than dial-up modems at home.

 

Definitely a bit slow here too. Too many Skypers?

 

Someone has been trying to censor certain books at the local library. So.......

 

https://www.krem.com/article/entertainment/places/inland-northbest/giant-stephen-colbert-book-arrives-in-coeur-d-alene/293-34bed48b-543e-4e1a-b7b4-2735933ff968

[Debs.]

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

Nice Pannier, Debs! 

 

6 minutes ago, BoD said:

Now, now.

 

Did you spot a young Cody in that Pannier pic.?

 

.......he never lost his love of T***ns.

 

Neither did the rest of his tramily......

[JohnDMJ]

25 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

The fall of the Awl

 

There is no more Awl.

 

It is an ex Awl.

 

Sound the Awl clear.

 

That's Awlful!

[BoD]

10 minutes ago, Debs. said:

 

 

Did you spot a young Cody in that Pannier pic.?

 

.......he never lost his love of T***ns.

 

Neither did the rest of his tramily......

 

It’s a long while since your lovely threesome have been seen on here.

Such sweet memories.

 

How did that Memorial brass loco go?

[Barry O]

Evening..

 

Despite HHs view of awls  I fear that he is misguided. The Lady of the Awls has had plenty of time to get a lot of awls sharpened. HE you are a brave man...

Now should I eat a morrisons 19? In the past...no problem.  Now...probably not.

 

Back later...

Baz

[leopardml2341]

Early to bed, early to rise.....

 

G'night folks.

[Gwiwer]

1 hour ago, TheQ said:

The 19 item. Breakfast looks as below. 

 

 

That's not a 19-item breakfast.  There are more than 19 beans there (and that's just the ones we can see never mind the concealed layers) before we get  into the good stuff

 

Evening all.  A cold damp day at the House of Fun but enlivened more than somewhat by a most convivial lunch at a well-chosen venue with the good company of several of our number here.  Many thanks, gents, and here's to when ever we next convene.

 

The Isle of Dogs has changed much more than somewhat since I first made its acquaintance in the early 1970s.  RT buses on the 277 then ran the loop of the only road which really went anywhere (and that was around the perimeter of the Island).  Numerous generations of bus and passenger later the route is the D7 but still much the same and still crosses the "blue bridge" at what was once the Queen Hotel, Cubitt Town.  The 277 also survives but in different form.  That locality survives.  Some of the old community does too.  But most  has been swallowed up by the enormous new city which has appeared around the Canary Wharf development.  It is still growing long after the Docklands Development Corporation has come and gone.

 

There are many more bus routes today serving all sorts of places which were in the middle of the docks back in the 70s.  I was just able to locate the site of the bridge where the road went over the railway into Poplar Docks and where I once saw class 03 and 04 shunters fussing with handfuls of wagons.  Glengall Grove and East Ferry Road now lead to ASDA and a Mickey Mouse Railway station at what is now called Crossharbour but was once the seedier corner of the generally down-at-heel Cubitt Town.  The name derives from the one-time high-level bridge which offered a pedestrian route across the docks to avoid a lengthy walk round.  The lifts were always broken; the walkway always stank of urine and cigarettes and you did rather take your life in both hands by using it.  It wasn't for the faint-hearted (not with over 100 steps at each end!) and was (ab)used by all sorts at times for purposes which seemed to require needles, broken beer glasses and contraceptives.  The modern route is a lifting bridge at water level and is much more pleasant.  It is also much better-used no doubt thanks to the huge increase in local population.

 

The 135 unwinds around the Island like an uncoiling spring.  A very curious route indeed passing within about 200 yards of its starting point a couple of miles later, then again another mile later.  Spindrift Avenue was added to the map of London bus routes travelled.  The rest of the Island network has already been attended to.  And for the first time ever I have seen all the current trainy-type things on the DLR.  A nostalgic trip up the East India Dock Road / Commercial Road route to Aldgate - once my commute to university - and then home by way of the Drain had me back Upon the Hill of Strawberries at a perfectly reasonable hour.  I had thought to explore a bit more but rain and the onset of early evening gloom persuaded me otherwise.  

 

A new wire has arrived.  Tomorrow the printer to which it will be attached is due.  I can finally convert my home office to 100% British plugs after only 2½ years!  There is another package waiting at the sorting office the contents of which had best not be discussed here!!!

 

Now it's off to bed with best wishes to all and special thanks to all gathered at lunch today.  

 

 

 

Edited November 28, 2019 by Gwiwer

[bbishop]

Jamie and I did: Crossharbour - Limehouse - Barking - Gospel Oak - Willesden Junc - Clapham Junc - Waterloo.  Then me: Waterloo East - Lee; Jamie: Waterloo - Oxford Circus - Kings X - Leeds.

 

We had a break at Willesden, with a class 710 arriving in the bay platform (why) and at Clapham, where we saw a Farnham via Ascot service - interesting.

 

Whacked so (without alliteration) bed.

 

Bill

[Gwiwer]

Farnham via Ascot is also via Hounslow these days largely for pathing reasons but also handy as a quicker-than-usual trip home for those living there.  They benefit from a coupld of murning up and evening down fast trains these days.  

 

Willesden Junction low level bay is used as an emergency turnback from both the Euston and Camden Road directions.  Either to rectify late running or to exchange a unit with one from the depot.  A couple of late-night trains are timetabled to use it but otherwise anything in there is unplanned.  It is also used at times for training and test purposes as an extension to the depot.

 

Pleased to hear the GOBLIN-go-round went as planned.

[roundhouse]

1 hour ago, AndrewC said:

Home from the Isle of Dogs via Bank & Borough. I must be barking. A grand day out. Mr Stationmaster picked an excellent venue. 

Great to put physical forms to names finally and the world set to rights. 

On the trip home we managed to dodge a bullet at LBG. Our next announced train home was a few minutes later than one to Woolwich. (et bus right to our door) Turns out there was a cockup on the catering front and the train announced as Dartford via Bexleyheath was in fact a fast service to Rochester. I won't reprint some of the comments on Twitter directed at Southeastern over the past hour. As it was we had an on time and comfyish worm with a 6 min wait for the bus. 

 

G'night awl. 

Sorry 'comfyish worm' does not compute unless you were in declassified first class at the rear.

 

We had a very comfy Uckfield trian except all seats accupied inlcuding a 4 bay by one woman and her bag, so we stood(crawled though New Cross Gate due to track defect as per last 3 days) to East Croydon then all went to r$tsh1te. Eventually got a not so comfy Worm home running late but not as late as the Southern service that got replatformed to other side of station. As usual at Redhill we just missed the bus so into Spoons for call of nature (toilets at station OOU) food and beer.

 

However a great day today. Look forward to next meet up.

[Kingzance]

If east meets west, will The Q get keel-awled?

 

Eephenninawl,

 

SWMBO is moderately happy with the expensive new dresser / sideboard but the excellent fitters had a bit of shelving / end panelling left over. Unlike our friends from the nearby green isle, they offered it to me "you may want to build a couple of shelves with it" AT NO COST. An internal debate will be had about where such shelves will reside, at what elevation they will be and certainly what will be placed on them. The options will be negotiated will be issued in tomorrow's order to me. After the guys had left site, I headed off to Knebworth and picked up a hand of pork. This is a large cut that seems out of favour with the meat often going instead to make up sausages. That is a real shame as it is very succulent and flavoursome if cooked very gently and does give some excellent crackling by the method I use. I shall be in charge of producing a large salver of around 4Kg of juicy pulled pork and a load of crackling for Saturday. Using SWMBO's car, the journey was a little stressful as the fuel gauge was warning me that the tank was way below empty - I even used a spare can in order to ensure I didn't run out. I wonder who she will get to fill her vehicle when I am pushing up daisies?

 

It sounds as if some of you have certainly carped your diems, I am about to carpe my noctem in the form of adopting a more horizontal and somnambulant mode, perhaps with a little tincture of uisge to assist in the relaxation process. Pleasant dreams!

[Tony_S]

19 minutes ago, Kingzance said:

hand of pork.

I wasn’t sure where a pig’s hand was located but thanks to Google I do now. I suppose hand sounds better than armpit. 

[tigerburnie]

I can't actually remember the last time I used public transport, it's well over 5 years since I went on a bus, train was nearly 2 years ago when me and a pal went to Glasgow for the model railway exhibition, but the tales of woe from you guys make me realise I may never go on public transport again, even though I can go on the bus for free.

Back to earlier discussion of helicopter flight, I was working for part of the GEC company and were supplying power and pumping single lift self contained Gas Turbine units, when a couple failed very early days. They wanted me out there asap, this was Friday night 2 weeks before Christmas, at this point not only had I not yet completed the new offshore survival course, but I had never flown before, in anything. So hire car supplied, drive to Heathrow, flight to Glasgow(some sort of normal airplane), then sat on mail bags in a cargo plane with no seats except for the pilot to Aberdeen. Sleep and then up and on the first Chinook out of Dyce to Brent Bravo rig, look at problem, organise strip of offending part and another type of helicopter taxi to Brent Charlie to find the same problem. The units were cooled using sea water, on the bends were some quite large core plugs(part of the manufacturing process) and when testing these stainless steel parts, mild steel core plugs were fitted for test purposes and were due to be replaced with stainless when shipped...…………..ooooooops, some one never did that so salt water went into the rather large generators mounted on back and this welded the lot solid, that's if you can actually weld copper, we seemed to have managed it. I got home just in time for Christmas.

[Kingzance]

34 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I wasn’t sure where a pig’s hand was located but thanks to Google I do now. I suppose hand sounds better than armpit. 

Yes, and thankfully pigs don’t use aluminium compounds and strong fragrances to mask their bodily odours either Tony. I do give the skin a light singeing to ensure no one eating the crackling gets free dental floss. 

[Barry O]

Helicopeters.. we hired a whirlwind from Bristows to use with a helitele to do simulated flight profiles for a missile seeker head. I had to design and  build the drive boxes for the seeker. My electrics worked fine. The whirlwind shook itself to bits..

Goodnight all!

Baz

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Today’s swimming session was much better than last weeks, as it wasn’t as busy, so I didn’t need to keep dodging people, which made for a more relaxed and easy swim. I eventually ended up swimming 80 lengths in total, so quite a good workout. 

 

Once home I went for a shower and then it was time for dinner. After dinner I sat and read the latest copy of BRM which dropped on the doormat whilst I was out. 

 

Goodnight all 

[Happy Hippo]

12 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Helicopeters.. we hired a whirlwind from Bristows to use with a helitele to do simulated flight profiles for a missile seeker head. I had to design and  build the drive boxes for the seeker. My electrics worked fine. The whirlwind shook itself to bits..

Goodnight all!

Baz

My first parachute jump from a helicopter was from a Whirlwind, and was a bit difficult for a novice on 5 second delays as there was no slip steam and prop wash to work with. Chinooks were much easier to get out of, although my favourite was the CH53.

 

Highest helicopter jump was 16000 feet from a Lynx.  It was quite un-nerving watching the altimeter unwinding from 4000 feet into the red and past zero (although we still had about a minute left until it was time to unpack).

[tigerburnie]

Gnight all

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Had an excellent pic show from one of the members at the SEERS evening. Some quite interesting unpublished loco pics from the 1930's.

3 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

I'm seeing lots of RMweb timeouts today. When not timing out, I'm seeing lots of spinning circles. I'm wondering if the host servers are seeing extra traffic today with the Thanksgiving holiday.

 

With ubiquitous connectivity, the notion of "Cyber Monday"* (the online selling day following "Black Friday" in-store sales) is a thing of the past.

 

* People waited until getting to the office on Monday where they had a stronger internet connection than dial-up modems at home.

Its been very slow this evening but that explains it. 

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[BR60103]

Parade duly attended.  Arose at 0600 but still were behind a large number of people, all of whom liked to wave their phones in the air.  There was massive police presence, any streets approaching the route were blocked off for at least a block.  Due to gusts of wing the balloons were on short tether. 

Interesting schedule problem.  PATH is a subway system from New Jersey to New York. One branch is to World Tade Center. This is being worked on to repair hurricane damage on weekends and the train is replaced with a ferry across the Hudson. Holidays are given "Sunday service" but today no repair work is done, so the service goes to WTC, but the timetable ...

 

We had planned to go home on Sunday, but the weather forecast is for very cold precipitation.

 

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

It is another extremely wet morning.  At this point in time it is raining quite heavily, but it is mild for the time of year.

 

12 hours ago, AndyID said:

The generator was in a dry shed but it had been sitting idle for at least five years. In future I'll only use zero ethanol petrol.

 

I expect this (https://aspenfuel.co.uk/) or an equivalent is available across the pond.  I use it in my mowers and hedge cutter.  It is more expensive than normal petrol, but has the advantage of not gumming up the carburettor over the winter and it doesn't "go off" like petrol station fuel does.  The added advantage is that the fumes aren't nearly as unpleasant!

 

12 hours ago, AndyID said:

Only ever had one trip in a helicopter - BA Gatwick to Heathrow. I was happy to get off the thing. Lydd to Le Touquet on a Bristol Freighter was a lot more fun. 

 

I never flew Lydd to Le Touquet (they ceased operations long before I was born) but I did fly from Gatwick to Heathrow on the Helicopter link.  It was quite an amazing experience which is unlikely to ever be repeated. Shame really - but I can understand that the local residents weren't particularly enamoured by the noise and it was only ever supposed to be until the M25 was finished.

 

However, the best way to cross the channel will always be the Hovercraft!  Even today, nothing is faster.

 

Have a good day everyone...