Early Risers.

[Happy Hippo]

Thanks Rick,

 

Now the question for aviation enthusiasts:

 

It's a gas turbine, but is it a hot or cold start?

 

 

[Tony_S]

26 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Thanks Rick,

 

Now the question for aviation enthusiasts:

 

It's a gas turbine, but is it a hot or cold start?

 

 

No evidence of an afterburner...

[Happy Hippo]

1 minute ago, Tony_S said:

No evidence of an afterburner...

Got a match?

[Kingzance]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

Well judging by this ...... 

 

 

We're back to Blaster Bates and his Shower of Sh!t over Shropshire I see.

[Sidecar Racer]

3 hours ago, NGT6 1315 said:

The bloke didn't survive, as you may imagine, leaving not just me to wonder just what possesses some people to put themselves in lethal danger like that...

 

 

 

 I don't know how extensive the tram network is in your city Dom , but if Prague is any measure

of the lack of common sense and awareness that you suffer then I can understand how

frustrating it must be to sit and see idiots all around . One would expect that people living with this

vast network , and a lot actually using it , would have a bit of an advantage to a tourist for example ,

and behave accordingly .

 

 Here is a 3 minute clip from a Prague driver , he has a lot more posted but this gives you a glimpse

of his day , if your's is the same you have my sympathy and admiration , if I was doing that job I would

probably be arrested for getting out and giving the idiots a good beating talking to . 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[roundhouse]

13 minutes ago, Sidecar Racer said:

 

 I don't know how extensive the tram network is in your city Dom , but if Prague is any measure

of the lack of common sense and awareness that you suffer then I can understand how

frustrating it must be to sit and see idiots all around . One would expect that people living with this

vast network , and a lot actually using it , would have a bit of an advantage to a tourist for example ,

and behave accordingly .

 

 Here is a 3 minute clip from a Prague driver , he has a lot more posted but this gives you a glimpse

of his day , if your's is the same you have my sympathy and admiration , if I was doing that job I would

probably be arrested for getting out and giving the idiots a good beating talking to . 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my other halfs favourite Youtube batch of videos having been to Prague many times, this year being the first time we haven't since our first trip in 2004. Luckily we haven't experienced any such incidents when using the trams there or Leipzig.

[The Stationmaster]

Afternoon all,

 

The Good Count's daughter has been visited but the quantity was a little short so it might upset the lab people.  More usefully as regards quantity a vist to WHS meant I procured copies of  various railway related magazines (no, none of them are railway modelling magazines although two now included a modelling supplement which I ignore.  Then a little later a visit to Tesco and the pharmacy seeking advice about various supplements intended to deal mainly with cramp - it seems that both of them in the stated doses don't exactly sit cosy with my existing medication.  A shame Mrs Stationmaster didn't do a comprehensive check with the pharmacist before buying me two months worth of the stuff however one of the supplements is magnesium tablets so they might go down well the next time we have a bonfire.  And a nice touch of luxury - a pedicure administered by a lovely Indian lady who at least does a less dangerous version of the foot massage carried out by the Vietnamese bloke who works there.

 

As to early retirement my advice is always to grab it if you can and if you can afford to.  Alas a bash of ill-health spoilt my original plan to retire just after my 56th birthday (on a maximum pension) and I went at 52 although it was on redundancy which was most helpful because I could clear the mortgage with a part of the lump sum.  Moreover being fairly clued up on the various rules  virtually all of my redundancy money above the £30,000 tax free limit went straight into the pension fund so therefore wasn't taxable and I then took out the maximum possible lump sum from the pension fund and the maximum pension that the Inland Revenue rules allowed. (this is an area where retiring early can work to your financial advantage).  The BR fund also had something called a 'Level Pension' which meant it was enhanced until I reached state pension age at which point it was sharply reduced, but the reduction was less than my (reduced) state pension so I had a slight increase.  Plus when I left although the GP restricted my working hours to no more than three days a week I managed to get an 'occasional' (= zero hours contract in modern terms) job doing railway consultancy work and although it was nowhere near the best paid in that field it brought in a few bob and it came with a final salary pension - which started at 65 (which was about 8 years after I left due to lack of work).  So I've got three pensions although the zero hours contract one is only £13 a week after tax - which is obviously much better than kick in the face.

 

I suspect that if I hadn't packed it in as a full time job when I did I doubt I'd still be around but equally would the company have still employed me when limited to a three day week and barred from certain safety critical parts of my job?  So leaving was a no-brainer but the redundancy made a big financial difference although any chance to get out early would have been welcome as long as I could still do a bit of work.

 

Enjoy the rest of your day/evening everybody

[Barry O]

Can you drink Indian Tonic Water Mike.. keep the night time cramps at bay for me (diet zero sugar version works best).

Been busy tidying the layout room up..as well as doing a GDB.. tripped over a cunning placed stool (which I had placed in a visible position!!)  and went base over apex. Much swearing and cursing but it seems I am OK.

 

Baz

[Coombe Barton]

Nagged for a walk, fortunately.

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2020/01/06/sounds-of-the-season-37-epiphany/

Edited January 6, 2020 by Coombe Barton

[NGT6 1315]

2 hours ago, Sidecar Racer said:

 

 I don't know how extensive the tram network is in your city Dom , but if Prague is any measure

of the lack of common sense and awareness that you suffer then I can understand how

frustrating it must be to sit and see idiots all around . One would expect that people living with this

vast network , and a lot actually using it , would have a bit of an advantage to a tourist for example ,

and behave accordingly .

 

 Here is a 3 minute clip from a Prague driver , he has a lot more posted but this gives you a glimpse

of his day , if your's is the same you have my sympathy and admiration , if I was doing that job I would

probably be arrested for getting out and giving the idiots a good beating talking to . 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, I can assure you I’ve seen plenty such situations since I got my tram wings (and even during training)! I’ve seen a similar video from Prague with even more hair-raising potential. I’ll have to look for it when I can.

 

Prague has a similar network size but more individual routes, so it’s a pretty good comparison in many respects. I wish we had wider trams like they do, though. 

 

 

[polybear]

17 hours ago, skipepsi said:

Back to work tomorrow now I am allowed to drive... Retirement earlier looks good despite the financial problems of doing so, better to retire before dying rather than after. First world problem I know.

 

Goodnight Y'awl  

 

When someone is standing at the Pearly Gates they won't be saying "I wish I had more money".  It'll be "I wish I had more time".

I'm banging out at the end of April (48 working at work days to go), and as early as the pension scheme rules allow

 

4 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

Well judging by this ...... 

 

 

 

Anyone standing at the 3 o'clock & 9 o'clock positions had a bad day.....

[Shedman5]

Evening, the day started with a slight disaster ie DCC controller emitting smoke! On inspection its stuffed as they say, I do have a spare but will look to buy a replacement which I intended to do today.

However this afternoon  my first grandchild came into the world a healthy boy at 9lb, so looking for a replacement fell by the wayside. We are going up to London ( travelling by train) tomorrow, I thought of driving DOWN to London but decided to let the train take the strain. So will be in London for a couple of days which I am looking forward to.

 

The arrival of my Grandson has more than compensated for todays disaster, though In fairness I have had the now stuffed controller for 11 years so I should not complain.

 

Time to open a nice bottle of plonk now and toast the new arrival!

 

 

Alan

[AndyB]

Evening all.

Woke up at 02.00 and didn't get back to sleep.  So arose early and was in the office at 7.15.

As a result I'm ready for a nap. 

And thanks also for all the advice on the car choice and driving skills. Much appreciated. 

[Kingzance]

8 minutes ago, Shedman5 said:

Evening, the day started with a slight disaster ie DCC controller emitting smoke! On inspection its stuffed as they say, I do have a spare but will look to buy a replacement which I intended to do today.

However this afternoon  my first grandchild came into the world a healthy boy at 9lb, so looking for a replacement fell by the wayside. We are going up to London ( travelling by train) tomorrow, I thought of driving DOWN to London but decided to let the train take the strain. So will be in London for a couple of days which I am looking forward to.

 

The arrival of my Grandson has more than compensated for todays disaster, though In fairness I have had the now stuffed controller for 11 years so I should not complain.

 

Time to open a nice bottle of plonk now and toast the new arrival!

 

 

Alan

Congratulations Alan. They can be a joy and somewhat rejuvenating. Sadly in my case I didn’t get my son in law to the vet so I have five of the little terrors darlings. Hope they are all doing well.

[grandadbob]

Congratulations Alan and welcome to what I repeatedly say is the best club in the world. My grandchildren have grown up too fast and are now 20, 17 and 15 but I'm glad to say still regularly visit the "old folk" (and seem to enjoy it) 

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. The sniffle I've had for the past week or so has developed into a full blown lurgi with the appropiate coughs and sneezes. A Lem-sip fortified with spiritual falling down water is on the cards for before I go to bed.

[PhilJ W]

News just breaking. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-large-chemical-incident-declared-21226928#source=push

Thats more or less underneath the QE2 bridge.

[Happy Hippo]

3 hours ago, Sidecar Racer said:

 I don't know how extensive the tram network is in your city Dom , but if Prague is any measure

of the lack of common sense and awareness that you suffer then I can understand how

frustrating it must be to sit and see idiots all around 

 

At the end of that I had given up hope and was calling down to the engine room for ramming speed.  (Obviously I've watched too many WW2 anti submarine films!)

[Ian Abel]

Blqqdy hell, look what the cat dragged in --> ME!

 

First of all, Happy New year to everyone and congratulations, commiserations and sympathy where needed and as appropriate.

 

Can't even begin to explain exactly why I've been AWOL so long, nothing a problem, just every time I tried to attack the PC/RMWeb something else reared its ugly head taking my attention/available time. The holidays were right busy and also very enjoyable, boy I could sure use a break to recover

 

What with having to urgently upgrade my work laptop to Win10 to attempt to replicate/resolve some client issues (made no !@$!@$ difference) and working a couple of days last week right after the new year to wallow in their mire, the decade is already a flustercuck of stupidity and we're only 6 days into it fer Christ sake!! All this is still/continuing to be a result of the server upgrade the client endured in late November 

Out on Long Island client for the first time this year already, and managing to encounter some extreme levels of incompetence on behalf of the support staff at the server end. One day I'll encounter a support group that aren't the embodiment of the "IT Crowd", and the surprise will probably give me a cardiac arrest, can the bar BE much lower...

 

On the positive side (wait, there actually IS ONE?!?!?!) I did get a shiny new Cadillac for my ride this week, not that it's really all that much to write home about.

 

Weather here is mild at +7 with a low overnight of -1 to 1 (COLD according the yokels locals), no precip in the forecast for now.

 

Tally ho...

[roundhouse]

Ian A

 

A belated happy new year

[newbryford]

9 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Now we must visit more serious matters:

 

Who from the ER community intend to visit the Stafford model railway show this coming February?

 

If so, is there any thoughts about having a small get together?

 

I will be attending, along with elements of the OFMC, and I know the bloke with the too short ladder will be there, so no doubt there will be much cat calling and general inter-service one-upmanship. (Apparently this gets worse the longer you've been retired.)

 

I will be there all weekend playing supervising my operators trains........

[Ozexpatriate]

I see the performance of the RMweb server is crappy (as one should expect on Hornby day I suppose). Inevitably I added my opinion to the ~525 posts (and growing) blather.

 

I haven't been paying attention this year - no waiting with bated breath and therefore no disappointments in what was selected. In deference to the awl I won't comment here other to ask Mike (Stationmaster) whether he, like me, has been counting spokes this year?

 

In other news, the laundry is in the dryer an I am anticipating a telephone call this evening that might be related to a prospect of gainful employment. Apparently I am somewhat nervous about that based on physiological symptoms that would be TMI here.

 

The rain continues though it has abated since earlier when it was much heavier with more wind.  It would be nice to hunker down, there are leftovers for dinner, but I should make an effort to get out and do some grocery shopping.

[brianusa]

11 hours ago, Kingzance said:

Today will see some "unacceptable" gifts bought for Her Highness returned to the suppliers - yes, I was wrong yet again - and further tidying of the garage. In terms of gifts, the run up to that recent period of extravagance saw various discussions with SWMBO along the lines of: Your iPad/iPhone is so old that it is no longer supported and will cease to do what you want in the not to distant, would you like to replace it? She - NO. Daughter then asks "Are you getting Mum a new iPad or iPhone for Xmas? My answer being in the negative. Guess what SWMBO now wants???? As for tidying the garage, this will make access to unmentionables easier was never in my plan ( again).

 

 

To obviate the wrong gift situation, my wife and I gave up.  For example, she buys books for me that are not my thing and I buy jewelry or clothes that are not her thing and except for the odd small item, thats it.  It seems a bit daft really, we have enough in our joint account to each buy what we want so why buy something that we don't!   Of course, we miss all the opening of presents and all the wrapping paper lying around but I will usually buy a railway book and not read it till Christmas while my wife has a new necklace, brooch or scarf to wear.  Not too much different really!

       Brian.

[Tony_S]

Raining here now. The fumes Phil mentioned were not noticed this far away. I did like the newspaper comment “local bus services were disrupted”.  
Tony

[Andrew P]

10 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Now we must visit more serious matters:

 

Who from the ER community intend to visit the Stafford model railway show this coming February?

 

If so, is there any thoughts about having a small get together?

 

I will be attending, along with elements of the OFMC, and I know the bloke with the too short ladder will be there, so no doubt there will be much cat calling and general inter-service one-upmanship. (Apparently this gets worse the longer you've been retired.)

I'll be there on the Sunday all being well Richard, but my day will start with a Full English in the little café opposite before the Show opens.