Early Risers.

[Tony_S]

The only Facebook group I have had suggested recently was “The Old Layout”. It wasn’t about trains. 
I have multiple departments in three separate hospitals communicating with my GP. The changes in medication and test results get acted on promptly and efficiently. So it can be done. 

Edited October 17, 2020 by Tony_S

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. A bit dull and overcast here this morning but at least its dry and even Arthur Itis is sleeping.

7 hours ago, BR60103 said:

I have an idea that British trolley buses had to have the switch in the overhead turned manually, or at least by something on a post.

American trolley buses had contacts on the overhead. There was a contact on each wire and they were staggered. The idea was that if the bus was turning, the poles would form a non-rectangle and hit both contacts at the same time. If it was going straight through it would not complete the circuit. Some sort of electromagnet would change the switch to curved and the shoes would track through. There was a mechanical bit on the frog and that would set it straight again.

One of my books has some diagrams suggesting the optimum path around a corner to have the best chance of getting both contacts.

Also, the poles had ropes that went to a mechanism on the back of the bus (and streetcars, too). I think it worked something like a window blind -- if the pole started to rise too fast it would be pulled back down. The TTC at one point had the rear bit of the roofs made of fiberglass and the sudden whack of the poles could shatter it. (applied to rebuilt streetcars, too)  They took a rubber ball and got it on the retriever ropes so that it stopped the mechanism just before the poles hit the roof.

The retriever device was mounted just below the back window. In some American cities it was mounted above the window.

 

As Jamie said automatic frogs were quite common even here in the UK. Trolley retrievers were not used so much because the wires were at a greater height above the road. Twenty feet was the legal minimum except in special incidences  such as under bridges. Also the ropes could interfere with the emergency exit on double deckers which was usually at the rear. As always there was exceptions such as Kingston-Upon-Hull that fitted retrievers to much of their fleet 

1 hour ago, Coombe Barton said:

And this morning, from several sources:

• How to clear earwax.

I have never had a problem with ear wax and I put that down to never having used soap to wash my ears just a flannel and warm water. My teacher in infants school told us never to use soap to wash our ears and somehow that stuck. 

[PhilJ W]

Just now, Tony_S said:

The only Facebook group I have Brad suggested recently was “The Old Layout”. It wasn’t about trains. 
I have multiple departments in three separate hospitals communicating with my GP. The changes in medication and test results get acted on promptly and efficiently. So it can be done. 

"The Old Layout" is for those using the app of that name to override Farcebooks new layout.

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Rain has been, and gone, with no more forecast.  

 

Flavio was I reckon spot on about the impermanence of 'bus routes.  When we lived in Tilehurst we had a 'bus route at the bottom of our road (or via a short footpath from near our house at the top end of the road) and during the time we lived there it was almost impossible to keep up with the way the routes ket changing and which route didn't pack up for the day at around 18.00 in the evening or which stop they went from in the centre of Reading.  The problem was that not only did Reading Transport have an innovative and dynamic GM (and he brought in some very good ideas over the years) but the Labour Party member for transport on Reading Council, which controlled Reading Buses applied a lot of his own, sometimes daft, ideas every time his lot were in power despite the strong opposition of a former colleague of mine who was the Tory transport expert and knew a heck of a lot more about what public transport should be doing than his Labour opposite number.  So it was like musical chairs on the ;buses at one time as route numbers changed even if the route didn't change.  The best time was when the independent operator (RM = Reading Mainline) using Routemasters was going because they gradually expanded their services and then were fairly reliable, and because they used conductors their journey times were also shorter.

 

Talking of which our local 'bus service here has just changed from a contract operated by ReadingTtransport (who threw in the towel) to another operator who was apparently selected by a Councillor who sits next to me at the dining table.  Said Councillor has thos morning gone for a photo shoot with the new operator's minibus to highlight his role in the selection process.  While it might do his image as a Councillor a bit of good by bringing him to wider public attention I have advised him that it might not be the best idea in the world to be too closely associated with a fivefold reduction in the number of trips per day the new service makes compared with the old.  I also wonder if he will return home on the 'bus which goes up the hill just round the corner from us but doesn't have any official stops there?

 

Have a good day one and all and stay safe.

[Tony_S]

17 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

"The Old Layout" is for those using the app of that name to override Farcebooks new layout.

Still disappointed though...

[PhilJ W]

Nearly forgot, in many busy junctions in London where trolleybuses operated 'pointsmen' were employed to change the route required. In some modern systems the driver just has to use his traffic indicator and that sets the frog for the appropriate direction.

[The Lurker]

2 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Morning all,

 

Rain has been, and gone, with no more forecast.  

 

Flavio was I reckon spot on about the impermanence of 'bus routes.  When we lived in Tilehurst we had a 'bus route at the bottom of our road (or via a short footpath from near our house at the top end of the road) and during the time we lived there it was almost impossible to keep up with the way the routes ket changing and which route didn't pack up for the day at around 18.00 in the evening or which stop they went from in the centre of Reading.  The problem was that not only did Reading Transport have an innovative and dynamic GM (and he brought in some very good ideas over the years) but the Labour Party member for transport on Reading Council, which controlled Reading Buses applied a lot of his own, sometimes daft, ideas every time his lot were in power despite the strong opposition of a former colleague of mine who was the Tory transport expert and knew a heck of a lot more about what public transport should be doing than his Labour opposite number.  So it was like musical chairs on the ;buses at one time as route numbers changed even if the route didn't change.  The best time was when the independent operator (RM = Reading Mainline) using Routemasters was going because they gradually expanded their services and then were fairly reliable, and because they used conductors their journey times were also shorter.

 

Talking of which our local 'bus service here has just changed from a contract operated by ReadingTtransport (who threw in the towel) to another operator who was apparently selected by a Councillor who sits next to me at the dining table.  Said Councillor has thos morning gone for a photo shoot with the new operator's minibus to highlight his role in the selection process.  While it might do his image as a Councillor a bit of good by bringing him to wider public attention I have advised him that it might not be the best idea in the world to be too closely associated with a fivefold reduction in the number of trips per day the new service makes compared with the old.  I also wonder if he will return home on the 'bus which goes up the hill just round the corner from us but doesn't have any official stops there?

 

Have a good day one and all and stay safe.

And yet in London many routes and numbers have remained the same or very similar over long periods. Certainly in the Sidcup area the 21/321, the 51, the 229 and the 269 go back to at least the 50’s in substantially similar rote profiles, at least on the core of the route. Rick of course is our expert on London bus routes.

 

i don’t think I ever caught the bus from Paddock Wood when I was growing up; the railway service always suited my needs. Only when I became a student in Leeds did I regularly catch the bus from Adel or the Lawnswood into the town centre.

[TheQ]

Afternoon awl, 

First job turn the power off and move the external power socket left by six inches. Power back on. 

 

Drill out the last two screws holding the door to its old frame in the alleyway.  Then place the door on a thin board  in the new door frame . Screw hinges to frame. 

Push door off board, check door swings OK.. 

Place door in closed position,  fit door frame post  to other side,  which happens to be covering where the power socket formerly lived. 

Cut to size and fit top door frame beam. 

Fill gap above top door frame with more wood. 

Seal / fill, any tiny gaps all round the frame,  with just like nails..  It won't be moving again.  

Cut slot to door catch,  and fit.. 

 

Plan further work,  which is to move the outside tap and drain away from the door,  to give more clearance. 

 

Move onto tiling, this is a small extension to the BBq servery,  which will just fill up an unused corner,  under will be a cupboard.  7.5 white tiles, and numerous blue mosaic tile borders later and I've run out of suitable gue.. 

 

Sort tool Box,  my pin pusher is missing,  I need to check in and under the layout next time I'm at the MRC. Find Archimedes screw drill,  but the big one is also missing,  with the pin pusher? 

 

Time I think for an eyelid inspection.. 

[Coombe Barton]

... and completing the book, but the blog is ongoing.

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2020/10/17/a-year/

[AndyB]

2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

In some modern systems the driver just has to use his traffic indicator and that sets the frog for the appropriate direction.

 

I'm guessing this was a French innovation?

 

Afternoon all.

Eye test this morning and a new prescription. It's a bit stronger this time. Well, actually it's a 3ft long stick which they suggested I paint white. 

 

That said the cornea thickness measurement was fine. 

 

They did a peripheral vision check too, although I didn't see the large bill coming. 

 

Meanwhile whilst rooting through a pile of old documents ton use in this week's lecture I found a brochure for the MoD rail system over at Bicester along with the track plan they provided. Somethereal very photoss of when we took a one of the shunters for a spin round the system.  That must be 20 years ago now. How time flies!

 

[New Haven Neil]

A'noon, missed morning again.  

 

Various trips around the rock (come over Dom, it's lovely.....!) this morning, all messages completed, and lunch down at the Sound (Lands End), where it was actually sunny.  Dull here 'down north' though.

 

Indicators on Trams/Trolleybuses?  Not BMW or Audi made then!

 

I also have a Kenwood, but in this case it is our AV amplifier, which is old, rather powerful (much more so than the proper hifi amp), and built like a brick outhouse.  Must be 25 years old or so, if not more, it owes us nothing.   A superb bit of kit, I would buy the brand again should we need to.

[PeterBB]

4 hours ago, Andrew P said:

What did he say?

"... ear wee go again..."

[Sir TophamHatt]

Afternoon.

On the late shift this week and as it's...  not much going on, gives me a lot of time to read and devour information on here.

 

The most exciting thing that's happened so far is that somebody sneezed quite loudly, to which a chorus of co-workers all trying to be extra funny about it.

Yep, that's what I'm down to... getting excited over a sneeze!

[tigerburnie]

Afternoon all, had my flu jab yesterday, now got a numb shoulder.............................went out with my camera and everywhere was mobbed with folk with similar ideas to me, so back home without taking a single shot, I'll try again on Monday when folks are back at work and the kids will be back at school as "tattie fortnight" is over.

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Had to pop out as today's paper was delivered without the TV supplement and being the tightwad that I am I was not going to fork out for a TV or Radio Times. The newsagent had sold out but credited me with the cost of the whole paper and I was able to get a copy at Tess Coes with the TV supplement. 

2 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

... and completing the book, but the blog is ongoing.

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2020/10/17/a-year/

I seem to have something in my eye.

[Gwiwer]

Evening all,  

 

It's been a while but I have been away in the Land of Limited Internets.  Where do I start?  

 

We arrived back to the Hill of Strawberries a few hours before it was placed into Tier 2 of the Boris-Method.  I note some London Boroughs are whining about being "lumped in with the rest" on the grounds that their local infection rates are lower than others.  Here is the news - the rate is climbing everywhere and someone will always be first, someone last.  We happen to be pack-leaders which is not an award we would choose to receive but is probably related to the presence of a university and to the return from Europe of some numbers of the more senior of our citizens.  Both have probably brought the Pestilence among us from a very very low figure indeed a few weeks ago.  

 

I truly cannot understand Manchester's position - it must be political posturing at work as their mayor must surely be aware his city is one of the most-infected areas yet won't accept having more limitations imposed.  Meanwhile in "Essex" (" " intended) the two unitary authorities of Thurrock and Southend are excluded from Tier 2 because they are politically no longer Essex.  Should I declare the Hill of Strawberries to be an independent micro-state, I wonder, and seek to dictate my terms to our mop-headed "leader"?  

 

Quote

Trolleybuses

I travelled on several systems probably because we never had a family car.  Portsmouth, Bournemouth and London I clearly remember and I may well have encountered Maidstone's too.  I saw the South Yorkshire demonstrator which was hoped to be the class-leader of a new wave of Bradford trolleys but which - for political reasons connected with the "ugliness" of overhead wires - never eventuated.  I saw them in Reading and St. Gallen too but never travelled.

 

Quote

Destinations

 Intake was definitely used in Sheffield. A few other memorable ones I have come across over the years are

Loose - Maidstone, mentioned above

Lost - many Australian coaches include this on their destination blinds!

Tram - any of several Melbourne suburban bus routes which terminate at a tram stop rather than a more logical local centre or an actual place)

QEIIH - Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, London Buses

Bare - Morecambe & Heysham buses (local district).

Upper Upnor - Maidstone & District

Fairlie High - AA or A1buses I think it was which served that part of Scotland.  Fairlie High was one of two railway stations but lost the "High" suffix after "Pier" closed

Wych Way - Provincial (Gosport & Fareham) - it was a  terminus in the large Rowner estate

Paul - Western National (a village near Penzance and one of my regular runs as a driver there; correctly St. Pol de Leon but always Paul these days)

Mousehole - another well-known Cornish destination and another of my regular haunts

and of course Ugley - served by Eastern National buses.

 

Quote

Saudi justice

I was offered a post during my final year at university.  Prospecting for water employed by the Saudi government.  Very nice salary for what would be a newly-graduated geologist.  Relocation costs out and back fully paid.  Fully furnished and serviced accommodation provided.  Derogation in a dry nation to permit personal small quantities of alcohol within the home for personal consumption (not for guests).  Car and driver provided for duty purposes.  Authorised women supplied (yes, really).  Five year contract.  Upon satisfactory completion mansion of my choice purchased anywhere in the world except USA, Kuwait or Qatar (not house, not a flat or an apartment - they said "mansion").  

 

The drawbacks were that any - ANY - upset, infringement or unsatisfactory performance or any misdemeanour at all at all would result in immediate expulsion and termination of contract, I would owe Saudi the full value of everything supplied and paid and with a lifetime no-return stamp in the passport.  So I could have finished five years, been on the flight home and then received word that someone somewhere had raised an issue and would I mind awfully repaying them a seven-figure sum forthwith?  That and the idea - to a 20-something British lad - of only having access to "authorised women" as and when it suited who ever authorised them was sufficient to turn me away.  One of my fellow course-mates went.  He was back a month later badly out of pocket but not terminally so. 

 

 

 

Edited October 17, 2020 by Gwiwer

[newbryford]

On 15/10/2020 at 11:29, PhilJ W said:

The first car I hired in Malta, back in 1978 was a Mk. I Ford Escort with completely bald tyres. Not that it mattered as there was a blanket speed limit on the island of 20mph IIRC and the roads were so bad anything faster was not possible. 

 

I was there about 2001. There didn't seem to be a speed limit, or even a rule for which side of the road to drive on...........

 

 

[newbryford]

On 15/10/2020 at 17:13, tigerburnie said:

I had a few nightmares driving on Spanish Islands, missed a red light in Mahon and got a waggy finger from a beat bobby, drove the wrong way round a mini roundabout on Fuerteventura and the promptly drove out of Manchester airport on the right, nightmare.............................. 

 

Travelling across Europe with a couple of mates on motorbikes.

Fill up with fuel and then set off down the road.

Must have travelled about a mile before remembering to drive on the right. And my mates had followed me...

 

When driving on the "wrong side" I have a simple survival thought. 

Left turns are more dangerous.

 

Mrs NB doesn't like being a passenger when we go to Portugal. I could easily slip into their style of driving, so as not to stand out as a "tourist-ready-to-be-cutup/taken-advantge-of"

 

Least favourite experience of wring side driving -  a right hand drive car on the right - across Holland on a work trip.

 

Best experience - having a decent size truck in South Carolina/Georgia to blend in - all it was missing was a gun rack in the crew cab.

[PeterBB]

3 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

... and completing the book, but the blog is ongoing.

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2020/10/17/a-year/

John,

 

Your blog has been inspiring in the love and care that it demonstrates and Sandy a truly loving companion.  Maybe some day when you retire you will take your next dog to Wells and remind Sandy that you also remembered 'some other day'.  Thoughts are with you.

 

Peter

[NGT6 1315]

35 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

I was there about 2001. There didn't seem to be a speed limit, or even a rule for which side of the road to drive on...........

 

 

No rule for actually using roads only either, I imagine!

[Coombe Barton]

1 hour ago, PeterBB said:

Maybe some day when you retire you will take your next dog to Wells

Unfortunately the visit will have to be BD (before dog) as I couldn't leave it nor take it in.

[John Wass]

14 hours ago, chrisf said:

Greetings one and all

 

I forgot to include St Gallen in the list of Swiss trolleybus systems.  Tut, tut.

 

It must be eight years ago now that I enjoyed the trolleybus network in Vancouver.  On one journey the driver stopped to make a purchase at a convenience store.  Boy did the traction motors scream as he put his foot down to make up time!  Hilly cities such as Vancouver are ideal for trolleybuses.  This is possibly why they are popular in Switzerland.  Having been used to the relatively simple overhead wiring in London it struck me just how obtrusive it is on present-day systems.  Not for us the power switching of the points.  The conductor used to pull on a handle affixed to a pole annd hang on to it until the poles had passed over the junction.  Some of the busier junctions had push buttons in a box on the pole or a device that was pulled down by the conductor and reset by a skate on the overhead.  Retriever cables were unknown in the UK , where conductors had to go fishing with a long bamboo pole that was kept in a tunnel underneath the trolleybus or hung on a nearby pole at locations where dewirements were common.  There is a story of a retriever cable which I would like to think is true but it does have the air of legend.   It is said that one day in Lausanne a cable came loose, wrapped itself round a traffic light and yanked it out of the ground

 

This is so much more interesting than my daily doings!  Best wishes to all

 

Chris

Having coursed interest in trolleybuses in general, I now see further interest in points and the operation of them. Looking at the Hull system they used the handle on the pole for the conductor to use for such as "turnback loops", terminus shared by two other routes or access to the garage. All can be seen on the "You Tube" listed here .

Finally there were three routes sharing the same road and the points where they parted company were powered. If the driver wanted to operate a point he would slow right down and then using the handbrake he would increase the power used and this would change that point.

 

 

Hull only had the model seen above (the Coronation) which were fitted with "restrainers".

Edited October 17, 2020 by John Wass

[polybear]

2 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

I truly cannot understand Manchester's position - it must be political posturing at work as their mayor must surely be aware his city is one of the most-infected areas yet won't accept having more limitations imposed.

 

I was offered a post during my final year at university.  Prospecting for water employed by the Saudi government.  Very nice salary for what would be a newly-graduated geologist.  Relocation costs out and back fully paid.  Fully furnished and serviced accommodation provided.  Derogation in a dry nation to permit personal small quantities of alcohol within the home for personal consumption (not for guests).  Car and driver provided for duty purposes.  Authorised women supplied (yes, really).  Five year contract.  Upon satisfactory completion mansion of my choice purchased anywhere in the world except USA, Kuwait or Qatar (not house, not a flat or an apartment - they said "mansion").  

 

The drawbacks were that any - ANY - upset, infringement or unsatisfactory performance or any misdemeanour at all at all would result in immediate expulsion and termination of contract, I would owe Saudi the full value of everything supplied and paid and with a lifetime no-return stamp in the passport.  So I could have finished five years, been on the flight home and then received word that someone somewhere had raised an issue and would I mind awfully repaying them a seven-figure sum forthwith?  That and the idea - to a 20-something British lad - of only having access to "authorised women" as and when it suited who ever authorised them was sufficient to turn me away.  One of my fellow course-mates went.  He was back a month later badly out of pocket but not terminally so.

 

 

I really do hope that the Government jump on the cockwomble of a Manchester Mayor from a very, very great height.  He's just a Grade A Tw*t.

 

As for the Saudi job rules, you can bet that they would have found something wrong even if you'd managed to be squeaky clean for 5 years, no matter what.

 

[KeithMacdonald]

On 21/09/2020 at 14:47, Northroader said:

Rabbits used to be a very good way of  boosting meat supplies in the days of food rationing. They’re still around, our butcher occasionally does them, and there’s a butcher in Marlborough who usually has some, the butchers have to be licensed for game. Jointed carcass in a pot, with big chunks of fat bacon, onions, carrots, sage, and stew. Yum yum.

 

Do you mean Sumblers? Very good they are too, and all sorts of unusual game meats are available from them. Although (allegedly) they did get told-off for selling squirrel meat that wasn't correctly labelled. The label should have said "Warning, this product may contain nuts".

[Barry O]

Goodnight all!

Baz