Early Risers.

[Two_sugars]

2 hours ago, woodenhead said:

 

Northern trains were running on time today and I am sat currently on a XC service that I expected to be packed down to Brum and it’s empty.

 

Its even sunny

 

All is well today then, Stafford better not disappoint 

 

See! . . . Br*x*t's working already. . . 

 

Morning all. . . Off to Durham today with DD1 and Granddaughter . . . .should be a good expensive day out.

 

Hope it's not too crowded.

 

 

John

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. I was surprised that I heard no fireworks at all last night especially as from here up to The Wash is known as the B****t Coast. No further comments from me but Dominic has posted on Facebook and many other ER's have commented there. Which reminds me, we haven't heard much from Debs lately, hope everythings OK at Collie Towers? I hope ChrisF's lurgi behaves itself, mine is trying to make a comeback but I'm beating it back. Time to put the kettle on, be back later.

[Sir TophamHatt]

What a strange day so far... the day of no longer being in the EU.

Happily admit I'm a bit ignorant to it all - I don't think we'll ever know the full consequences for another 5/10 years yet.

 

Nice and warm outside, sunny here in the Midlands.

 

Was accosted by a drunk lady (at 7am!) who then fell asleep and missed her train.  Forced the closure of the waiting room as it smelt like a pub!
 

Charter train left without a hitch.  Driver was loco and 2 coaches off the platform on the front, 3 coaches off behind.  I must find out whether older stock has some sort of SDO - it must do, surely?

 

Wife has now been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia so the 6th of April due date is coming forward into March.  They will try and put off inducing her until the 37th week (we're 31 weeks on Monday) but I just feel bad for her.  All the IVF injections and pills, a bit of a bumpy ride early on, now injection for something, high blood pressure tablets, tablets for low iron and now an early arrival!  At least we're prepared - I don't think there's anything to buy.  Just need to finish getting the hospital bag ready now.

[AndyB]

Nice show spent in Mike's company.

 

We took bets on which loco GDB would go home with. There may be a post-it note under this one....."Gotcha".

 

Posted before reading GDB's post. Hope you feel better soon mate.

Edited February 1, 2020 by AndyB

[roundhouse]

Bxt +1 and no change here, well actually still change from a tenner for two beers. A very nice day here in Sussex photographing some of the last of British built trains. A good beer trip today.

Edited February 1, 2020 by roundhouse

[Happy Hippo]

Since the Obergrumpenfuhrer was out for part of the afternoon, I decided to read the GOG Gazette. 

 

It cruelly informed my that the Hel*an H*mek was due.  Cruel, because I was expecting it much later in the year (don't know why I thought that).

 

Certain other websites concur with this revelation. 

 

A command decision was made which will involve the purchase of some loco numbers from Railtec.

[New Haven Neil]

A'noon.

 

KZ, no muc-off, just weary NHN polishing fingers - and there's 5 of the damn things to keep clean.  The payback is Debs washes the cars and I don't do any ironing.

 

[AndyB]

The offer of a lift back into town this afternoon was accepted. So I happened to pop back into the exhibition.

Rule 1 seemed to be in force on one layout; I've never seen/heard a pannier tank with a diesel sound chip before. 

 

Edited February 1, 2020 by AndyB

[Gwiwer]

So far so good

 

Pullman lunch superb. SWMBO suitably surprised and delighted. Weather much better than forecast. Sunny and 12C without any hint of the wind we expected. 
 

 

[pH]

8 hours ago, Kingzance said:

 Luckily I know where to park nearby and await confirmation that Elvis they have left the building so avoiding the draconian charge rate that starts at ten minutes and one second after you enter the drop off / pick up zone.

 

7 hours ago, 5 C said:

When I'm on an airport run, I tell my passengers to met me in the Mid Stay Car Park, call me when they've arrived and meet them at their location. I park up nearby and use the 15 minute free period at the Mid Stay to drive in, load up and get out.

 

Vancouver International has a free "cellphone parking lot" some distance away from the terminals. If I'm picking up someone with a cellphone that works in Canada, I'll wait there till they're through arrivals and phone me. If someone doesn't have a 'North American' phone, my wife will meet them in arrivals and phone when they're ready for pickup. There's a pickup lane outside the arrivals terminal and 'marshals' keep it moving - you can't just sit in it waiting for someone. If you try, you'll be told to go round and join again at the back. It works well, though if 3 or 4 widebodies arrive at the same time (and it can happen), the pickup lane can get pretty hectic.

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. All thats been done today is a bit of shopping. Cast my eye over the 'bent and battered boxes' trolly at Tess Coes I found a pair of 4kg exercise weights at half price minus their packaging. Before anyone thinks I'm going to take up a fitness regime (stop laughing at the back), I will be using them to weigh down things such as laminates until the glue dries. Muggatee awaits, be back later.

[TheQ]

Afternoon awl, 

Plywood cut up, two hollow boat shaped bits parked in the marquee, 

Top and bottom pieces of keel marked up and cut to size,  basically an aerofoil but in straight lines outside the marked curves. 

Holes for keel bolts, drilled,  7 in the top,  5 full through bolt holes to the bottom. 

 

Some hours have been previously spent calculating the keel bolt size.  Each one is 12 percent stronger than required to support the keel vertically, the recommended excess safety margin is 5X to allow for a full knock down, hence 5 Full  through bolts. 

 

Plane got out to find a  broken blade. Went to find spare pack, SWMBO had struck again,  not to be found from where I'd left them, SWMBOs stuff had taken residence. She didn't know where she'd put them for safety.. 

All other pieces cut into blanks. 

It was very windy out there, the marquee was flapping around wind lifting rain covers and blowing through  no point putting on the heater except occasionally to warm my hands,, 

 

At some point during the above SWMBO took Ben out for his long walk. 

 

One of the pieces of ply removed from the cutout,  brought into house, , onto which was marked up into a curved inkle loom,  including a collies head .. Shown to SWMBO,  many brownie points accumulated. 

Parts have been ordered, including more planer blades,  though some bits will come from the orange shed. 

 

Now do I have a hot toddy or a Highland Park,   decisions decisions..

 

 

[leopardml2341]

Last day of mi hols, early(Ish) flight tomorrow morning, but not early enough for a quick dash up to Stafford.

 

Last post for today, I know it's early so I'll wish all of you good evening rather than goodnight.

[Ozexpatriate]

2 hours ago, pH said:

Vancouver International has a free "cellphone parking lot" some distance away from the terminals.

That's fairly common in a lot of airports in western North America. I know for sure that PDX and PHX both have them.

 

Nevertheless YVR is a lovely airport (if that adjective can legitimately be used with airports). I think I've told my YVR story before but I will be forever indebted to the thoughtfulness of some staff there. I recently transited through YVR on my way back from Australia (in October). A bit tedious trekking out to the very end of a dumpy little terminal wing for my outbound Air Canada flight, but far superior to my LAX experiences.

 

LAX of course may be improved by their new inter-terminal connector, but I don't know if that is available to returning international passengers.

[brianusa]

19 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

That view has changed a lot in the 34 years since my days at Gardens Point (the green bit in the middle distance of the image) ended. (Actually that view would not have been possible back then, except from the Story Bridge.)

 

They say (accurately) that you can never go home again, but Brisbane is still "home". 

 

Its funny isn't it!  We're the same, been here since '59 and '63 respectively but we still refer to the old place as 'home'.  Its changed significantly and I can hardly recognise Plymouth any more although my wife from Bangor, NI, can find her way about over there.  Don't suppose we'll change after all this time!  

    Brian.

Edited February 1, 2020 by brianusa

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Her indoors has a cold..pah! She is taking some tablets obtained from a pharmacy. They seem to be bouncing off the cold. I may need to drink lots of falling down water to make sure I stay fit.

 

In other news new driving licence is almost here..fast turnround by the DVLA...stands back in amazement....

 

We had a drink in a nearby bar yesterday..couldn't answer a question from the bar tender..."What's it like being Billy No Mates?" Was that referring to me or something else.....but he had gone so I couldnt enquire.

 

Coffee then breakfast then....walkabout..

 

Baz

[AndyID]

3 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I found a pair of 4kg exercise weights at half price minus their packaging.

 

You could send them to TheQ for his keel although the postage might be a bit steep.

[The Stationmaster]

Evening all,

 

A good day at the Alton show in the company of Andy B who found me not long after he entered. (and treated me to a cuppa and a bacon roll - many thanks, again Andy).     As he's explained. we were running a guessing game on where GDB would spend his money and not only was it a shame not to see Bob there but I was sorry to read this evening that he was unable to attend.  I did see one other RMweb member (in terms of actually recognising one I know) but he's not of this particular corner of the form.   Overall a very good show and much improved by removing the catering and catering seating area from the main hall which made more room for layouts and allowed in some demos,  severtal excellent layouts but the most whimsical of the day was undoubtedly the Gauge 3 (yes, Gauge Three) micro layout - and in that G gauge/scale a micro layout meant 25ft long!!

 

No money spent at the exhibition but I made up for it by popping into Alton Model Centre buying a couple of mags and a book which might be of use for one of the projects with which I'm currently involved.   Anyway got home through reasonable traffic with no problems, had a cuppa and then crashed out for the best part of 2 hours to the extent that even a cat marching over me didn't disturb me.

 

Enjoy the rest of your day one and all and I trust that Baz has visited, or will be visting, the Gabba even if there are no matches - but no doubt lots of local matches about tomorrow if you look for them.

[AndyID]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

That's fairly common in a lot of airports in western North America. I know for sure that PDX and PHX both have them.

 

 

Similar arrangement at our "local" airport. It is 50 miles away and in another state but we can reliably get there in one hour. IIRC short-term parking is $1per 20 minutes and you can pick-up or drop-off at the terminal. The lines to get through security are usually short or non-existent.

 

It was extremely windy here. A cold-front just came through and I picked the worst possible time to take the trash to the dumpsters. They are at Windy Bay Road. I stopped with my truck facing into the wind and it took me all my time to open the door to get out.

[Kingzance]

If only SWMBO would allow us to emigrate, we could apparently save a fortune on airport parking! One can’t take a vehicle near Luton Airport for fear that you might have some sort of terrorist idea in your mind.

 

Nightol where required, ‘night all for most others and morning to our antipodean friends and temp residents. Evening western brethren.

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Interesting item on my Farcebook feed, Diss in Norfolk has a problem with feral chickens! Apparently the local council are trying to stop the locals from feeding the birds as what they don't eat is attracting vermin such as rats. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-51300917

31 minutes ago, AndyID said:

 

You could send them to TheQ for his keel although the postage might be a bit steep.

He could also use them to stop the marquee from blowing away.

[tigerburnie]

G'night all

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

It’s been a busy but enjoyable day here, Ava and I had quite a productive day in the kitchen, she really enjoys baking. After that we had dinner, which as ever is pancakes served with maple syrup. After dinner she sat and read until her Mum and Dad called to collect her. As usual, they stopped for a while and had a piece of the cake that Ava made, we use gluten free biscuits in the rocky road so Vickie can partake in a slice and it went down very well.

 

Tea tonight was a case of raiding the freezer and taking out some curry sauce, all that was need to to add some fried chicken and pilau rice and some naan bread, sorted. Then it was sit down with a nice bottle of wine and catch up on some recorded TV.

 

 Goodnight all 

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[andyram]

11 hours ago, AndyB said:

Nice show spent in Mike's company.

 

We took bets on which loco GDB would go home with. There may be a post-it note under this one....."Gotcha".

 

Posted before reading GDB's post. Hope you feel better soon mate.

I sincerely hope that GDB feels better soon. For him, and any others who have so far missed out on these delectable locos, A2B has some in stock at the same price (and postage is free).

 

Greetings all as I emerge from another week or so battling the black dog. The pesky thing keeps rearing its ugly head. I hope all fellow sufferers are successfully keeping the kennel door shut.

 

My current battle has probably had much to do with the recent post flooding financial issues. The slow steadying  of the ship has helped ease the mood at times, but there are still moments. I know that I can be difficult to live with at present and Sarah and I have had our fair share of crossed swords. My mood, and her frustration at the lack of foster placements are no doubt the cause. The latest issue started last night and continued via text message through the day which did little to promote the enjoyment of the Stafford show and ended up coming home early. It worked and a decent chat has calmed the storm.

 

 The show was good and it was nice to catch up with some familiar faces for a chat. One or two others, include Mick NB and ChrisF were spied from afar but a combination of time or (in Chris’ case) them vanishing into the crowds prevented any exchange of pleasantries. I did weary of the crowds which also led to my earlier than normal departure. I had planned to go on Sunday, when it is usually quieter, but a local community event meant a change of plan and I am indebted to my parents for covering the shop so I could go at all. There were some good layouts on show although the best ones were probably those I have seen before. A few suffered from gremlins (especially in the 3mm area) whilst there were a few where operators seemed to want to chat amongst themselves instead of running anything! All in all it was a good show, although less of the type of modelling I prefer prevented it from being great. The wallet stayed in my pocket apart from a small laser cut kit for creating a wooden foot crossing which may provide a nice distraction.

 

Best wishes

 

Andy