Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-land. Been out this evening to the SEERS track night. Took along a couple of locos to test, all came through with flying colours, one just requiring a smidgeon of oil. The replacement printer cartridge arrived today so thats a job for tomorrow fitting it. Now to catch up with the rest of RMweb.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Well it’s been quite a busy day here today. After I’d dropped Sheila off at her Zumba class, I called at Sainsbury’s for the house plant Sheila wanted, I also bought the latest edition of Railway Modeller. I then called into Aldi and picked up 6 x 18” ‘F’ clamps for the princely sum of £16. They’ll come in useful when I start building the l@*#gt, in fact, I used a couple today. I went to Ikea a couple of weeks ago and bought a few picture frames. Unfortunately they don’t do square frames anymore, so I bought some rectangular 70cm x 50cm frames, with the intention of cutting them up and turning them into 50cm square frames. As it was wet outside today, I made a start on them today, so far one is complete, a second is cut and ready to glue, the third is as yet untouched. 

 

Below are a couple of photos, a before shot.....

 

An after shot......

 

Charlie came round this afternoon just after 2 o’clock and he and I spent about 2 1/2 hours in the workshop. I completed the revised circuit board for the turntable and it is now ready for testing, whilst he continued working on his latest figure, which is now at the stage where he can begin the shading and highlighting. 

Edited October 13, 2022 by BSW01

[monkeysarefun]

5 hours ago, enz said:

A greater understanding of the Aussie psyche can be gained by realizing that, to Australians, Mad Max isn't dystopic, its aspirational.

 

From a Kiwi. - enz

 

 

Jeez we just  take one Phar Lap and one Russell Crowe off you....

Edited October 14, 2022 by monkeysarefun

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[PupCam]

Evening All!

 

1 hour ago, polybear said:

- some dumb ar5ewipe has decided that Gas meters should read in cubic metres (IIRC) and the gas charges are in KWh.  This means even more difficult (for a Bear) sums.

Now why couldn't they just calibrate the Gas meter in KWh (or use cubic metres on the gas bill?). 

 

Could it be that it's because they charge you for the energy you've consumed and NOT the volume of gas that's passed through the meter?    There's the little matter of the calorific value of the gas "on the day" (or week or month or year or whatever basis they use) to consider.    The energy consumed is a function of both the volume of gas (as measured by the meter) and the calorific value of that gas.   The meter doesn't (can't) measure calorific value or indeed the energy of the gas just the volume of whatever old gas happens to be passing through it at the time.   A cynical person (I know this doesn't include you or I) might just think it's a cunning way of introducing yet more unknown, complicating factors into the equation the answer to which is how much you are going to be fleeced this month.   Transparent it is not although, if I recall (it's a long time since I looked), the calorific value used is lurking on the bill somewhere ......

 

https://mip-prd-web.azurewebsites.net/ReportViewer/ViewReport?reportPath=%2FNationalGrid.MipReports%2FReport Explorer%2FEnergy - Daily Reports%2FAfter Day%2FCalorific Value Report&gasDate=2022-10-13&filterParameterType=GasDay&selectedNodeId=4c498ea2-326d-45aa-8e54-bbdb7a3fb813

 

In Other News

 

Puppers is back from a few days incursion into @Andrew P territory.      Puppers was well miffed when, a few miles from his destination, he encountered a closed road.   The diversion must have been at least 10 miles and involved crossing to the "wrong" side of the A3M, circumnavigating Cowplain, Waterlooville, Leigh Park and the Ar!e end of Havant.      With the aid of  a map TM  Puppers found a much more direct, scenic and hence satisfactory route for the return journey today.    Other than that inconvenience a pleasant time was had  by all.

 

Night Awl!

 

 

 

Edited October 13, 2022 by PupCam
Added alink to a boring report ...

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[southern42]

5 hours ago, Tony_S said:

One of the oddities of housing here is the odd location of electricity and gas meters. Perhaps Bear had to crawl into a cupboard or even pop outside with a torch. We have a smart meter connected to an in house display which is much nicer than going out to the garage for electricity readings or to the outside wall of the house for the gas meter. The electricity meter does have a screen from which it is possible to get readings but it takes ages cycling between items of information. I just have the IHD set to cost of energy used. Definite increase in cost after 1st October but at least the electric cost increase is mainly standing charge. It is still sunny enough for our solar panels to meet our electric power needs and even export a bit. 

 

The 1950s house I grew up in had the electricity box on the wall in the hallway and was easy to get to if need be. The gas meter was in a low cupboard under the stairs and needed feeding with lots of silver coins. Every so often, the gas man would come round and retrieve the coins, counting them out on the kitchen table. Some coins would be put back as having paid too much.  The back of the house had an inside porch leading to the back door. On one side was the coal bunker, on the other the downstairs toilet. Interestingly, by  the time I reached the age of 14, my auntie's similar coal bunker had become my cousin's toy shed! It was jam packed. I had never seen so many toys!

 

When I moved into our present 1880s house, the electricity box was in the original kitchen, which by then was the dining room, since opened out to make a larger brighter sitting room, but still in the same place, high up above the fireplace, the cables coming in over the window frame. These days, meter readings are put down online, only occasionally do we get an engineer coming out. No gas supply in our area though some people have oil central heating.

 

[southern42]

' night all and nos da. 💤

 

 

Oh, and belated happy anniversary @simontaylor484.

Polly

Edited October 14, 2022 by southern42

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[BR60103]

Guelph has managed to have construction on 2 parallel main roads -- at the river.

There are 4 1/2 bridges over the river in town (one is one way) and these two are adjacent (about a mile apart) and one is on the main road. The main road is down in both directions while the other is reduced to one lane each way. There are no easy bypasses.

 

I am suffering a chronic cough and not finding a comfortable treatment. 

 

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl,

5 hours solid sleep. 2 hours of wake up and roll over.

Back not happy probably due to coal moving yesterday.

Forepaws not happy for no good reason.

 

I do no online banking, twice I have had attempts to defraud a credit card account. Both times my the card suppliers said I'd changed the details online.. on pointing out I don't do online banking .. they went.. oh.... You don't... And it went silent as to the cause, I suspect inside jobs..

 

As it is I don't have a smart phone, without which online banking is difficult.

 

As to bitcoin I won't go near that pyramid scheme, it was pointed out on TV this morning that 0.01 % of holders of bitcoin own 27% of all coins. If one or worse some of those decide to cash out. The value crashes..

 

In mk the modern houses have both gas and electric meters on a cupboard on the outside of the houses. In this house the meter is up close to the ceiling (8ft 6in ) in a cupboard just inside the back door. The mobile home it's on a telegraph pole outside the back ..

 

I saw the meter reading car for the third time in 3 days yesterday, they are definitely having a good check of the area.. but unless they come round on a Saturday all the second homes will be empty...

 

Travelling round here depends on bridges, from the tiny one at the end of road to the larger ones between here and Norwich, my normal route to Norwich crosses 4, but only one of these the major ones.

Potter Heigham is a early 1970s concrete  bypassing a 13th century stone bridge,

Acle is 1960s concrete, currently closed due to a water main Burst,

Hoveton is a medieval stone and brick topped by a steel weight bearing load spreader ,

Coltishall is a 1913 concrete bridge built after the 1912 floods washed the previous one away.

 

Plans for today,

 Spinny thingy,

Repair workshop stool.

Do more workshop tidying.

Edited October 14, 2022 by TheQ

[iL Dottore]

Good Morning All (I think),

 

Tedious Personal Stuff [ON]
Went to bed very early as this whole CoVID-19 business has been rather tiring. I was then awakened about 02:00 by Lucy bouncing on me - wanting to go out. I duly let her out and a long squat (with an audible sigh of relief) ensued and thence to bed. Up at 04:00 then out with Schotty at 06:00 for a “piddle and sniff” (he refuses to widdle in the garden). Now semi-comatose 😱🤣 awaiting “the off” for the doggies official morning walk. Still feeling crummy (not unexpectedly) and I have to work… Some people have all the luck….

Tedious Personal Stuff [OFF]

 

In other news, apart from a few books (including Michael Palins’ book about his Iraqi travelogue) I have just bought from Amazon a 1/35 T34/43 tank kit and a 1/48 JU 87 B Stuka kit. With the latter, I wonder whether or not all the insignia will be on the transfers sheet (there’s some interesting rumination on this in the TNM thread).

 

With kits for a helicopter, two business jets, one airliner, one dive bomber, a tank, a Roman trireme and a 1/24 scale Routemaster Bus to build, perhaps I am procrastinating on getting started on my m***l r*****y???

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

I have undertaken oy blood sugars test (yet another hole drilled into my skin...) result looks good. Sister drac wants a results sheet test morning and pre evening meal. This will be expensive!

 

@iL Dottore hope you dobetter with the Covid than one of my cricket colleagues.. Still testing positive after 8 days and still feeling tired out.  On the positive side though..Impressive diversity of kits being stock piled too!

 

Today I am off to Seaton Sluice for a cricket catch up. Iam about to prepay my Tyne Tunnel toll charge. Wonder how long that will go on for!

 

We have a smart meter connected to our gas and electric meters. Saves a lot of time!

 

we do use internet banking..especially when we are out of the uk.  Very difficult to pay credit card bills etc unless you top up your credit card credit before you go. Its really the only option around here as the Bank and building societies have closed all of their branches.. just in time for people wanting to return to using cash!

(Who says bank directors are intelligent and capable of joined up thinking?  Not me!)

 

Time to drink my tea and get ready to fire up my laptop.

 

Stay safe!

 

Baz

 

 

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Gradually getting light and it's dry and a mild 11°C at the moment.  A cloudy morning with the odd bright spell is forecast followed by patchy rain later.

Some domestic tasks await me today maybe followed by a visit to The Shed.  Maybe.

Tonight there is the first of the 3 rugby matches on TV to watch this weekend.

Have a good one,

Bob.

 

[BoD]

Morning all

 

I haven’t succumbed to a smart meter yet, despite repeated  efforts of the energy provider to fit one. They even sent a letter, without consultation, setting  a date and time for someone to come and fit one.  When I cancelled it they tried to charge for the cancellation.  I wasn’t too happy about that.    Our electricity meter is on the wall in the hallway (our house is oldish and the rooms  high)  and the gas meter in a cupboard under the stairs.  They used to be awkward  to read but nowadays you just point your phone camera  at them, click and you have a reading ready to upload.

 

As I have said I did an extra shift at the NT because several volunteers have come down with Covid.  The coffee meeting with a couple of old work colleagues today has been postponed because one, who still occasionally works as a supply teacher, has been called to a school because of the number of staff with covid  has rocketed.  
 

Have a good day folks, get well soon iD

 

 

Edited October 14, 2022 by BoD

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a cloudy and damp Charente.   It's good to see that ID is rapidly stocking up his shelf of shame.  When I went to a modellets show a few weeks ago I was sorely tempted by the stall full of p,astic kits but managed to avoid temptation.  The small tool store did draw me in however.

 

We had a very good evening with some friends last night. Read liquid was consumed and Beth had baked a lovely app,e pie which was severely sampled.

 

This morning it's ime to make some sandwiches then I'm off to Ruffec to do some DIY shopping before the store shuts forvlunch. Then eat my sandwiches whilst watching trains before picki g Andy up for an afternoon  of trainspotting.  Sou ds like a good plan.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[PupCam]

Morning All!

 

A visit to Central Milton Keynes maybe necessary today.

 

Wish me luck ......

 

 

[Andrew P]

8 hours ago, PupCam said:

Evening All!

 

 

Could it be that it's because they charge you for the energy you've consumed and NOT the volume of gas that's passed through the meter?    There's the little matter of the calorific value of the gas "on the day" (or week or month or year or whatever basis they use) to consider.    The energy consumed is a function of both the volume of gas (as measured by the meter) and the calorific value of that gas.   The meter doesn't (can't) measure calorific value or indeed the energy of the gas just the volume of whatever old gas happens to be passing through it at the time.   A cynical person (I know this doesn't include you or I) might just think it's a cunning way of introducing yet more unknown, complicating factors into the equation the answer to which is how much you are going to be fleeced this month.   Transparent it is not although, if I recall (it's a long time since I looked), the calorific value used is lurking on the bill somewhere ......

 

https://mip-prd-web.azurewebsites.net/ReportViewer/ViewReport?reportPath=%2FNationalGrid.MipReports%2FReport Explorer%2FEnergy - Daily Reports%2FAfter Day%2FCalorific Value Report&gasDate=2022-10-13&filterParameterType=GasDay&selectedNodeId=4c498ea2-326d-45aa-8e54-bbdb7a3fb813

 

In Other News

 

Puppers is back from a few days incursion into @Andrew P territory.      Puppers was well miffed when, a few miles from his destination, he encountered a closed road.   The diversion must have been at least 10 miles and involved crossing to the "wrong" side of the A3M, circumnavigating Cowplain, Waterlooville, Leigh Park and the Ar!e end of Havant.      With the aid of  a map TM  Puppers found a much more direct, scenic and hence satisfactory route for the return journey today.    Other than that inconvenience a pleasant time was had  by all.

 

Night Awl!

 

 

 

Had I know, I would have closed our road as well. Hahahahahahhaaaheheeeehehe. 🤣 

 

Un less of course you were on the AJ, then all would have been forgiven for wearing out our Tarmac. 🤓 👍

[NGT6 1315]

Moaning awl. I.N. Somnia asked me to greet you once again. They have a wicked sense of humour, don't they?

 

 

And the motto of the day shall be MALMBANA! 🤓

 

I'm going to upgrade the Dm3 (top centre) and the two IORE pairs with DCC sound in a while. I think this'll illustrate why:

 

 

Note the company graphics and lettering have been modified since that video.

 

After I had obtained the second IORE, I formed two non-consecutively numbered pairs. LKAB originally did form them into consecutive pairs but eventually abandoned that concept as it couldn't be upheld once repairs and maintenance outside of defined schedules had occurred frequently enough.

 

Cheers...

[polybear]

9 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

Ah, Mad Max -  "The Railway Children" for  Aussie kids!

 

But the Railway Children has Jenny Agutter......

Game, set, match to UK.

 

8 hours ago, PupCam said:

Evening All!

 

 

Could it be that it's because they charge you for the energy you've consumed and NOT the volume of gas that's passed through the meter?    There's the little matter of the calorific value of the gas "on the day" (or week or month or year or whatever basis they use) to consider.    The energy consumed is a function of both the volume of gas (as measured by the meter) and the calorific value of that gas.   The meter doesn't (can't) measure calorific value or indeed the energy of the gas just the volume of whatever old gas happens to be passing through it at the time.

 

Puppers has just reduced a certain Bear to a quivering wreck.  You of all pups should know better.....

Off for a lie-down.....

 

2 hours ago, TheQ said:

As to bitcoin I won't go near that pyramid scheme, it was pointed out on TV this morning that 0.01 % of holders of bitcoin own 27% of all coins. If one or worse some of those decide to cash out. The value crashes..

 

Not to mention the risk of c0ckwombles who chuck away the hard drive with the password on.....

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/aug/02/man-hopes-ai-and-robot-dogs-will-help-recover-150m-in-bitcoin-from-landfill

 

Bear here......

Today sees the new loft ladder being fitted, albeit temporarily (probably) - I want to check the shorter version will work as hoped, but it's presence will mean I won't be able to lay a sheet of ply over the hole inside the loft to act as a loft hatch until the custom hatch is delivered & fitted.

After that I predict a little more work on the mods. to the chassis jig, followed by MIUABGA.

 

In other news.....

One for @iL Dottore:

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/foodanddrink/news/video-apparently-shows-female-dinner-planting-piece-of-plastic-in-her-food-to-avoid-170-bill/vi-AA12UC9S?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=ed5bdc2ac55e435a9e0cf22495424eb3&category=foryou

 

And another one bites the dust:

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/another-russian-energy-boss-has-mysteriously-died-in-hospital/ar-AA12UOIx?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=ed5bdc2ac55e435a9e0cf22495424eb3

[polybear]

36 minutes ago, PupCam said:

Morning All!

 

A visit to Central Milton Keynes maybe necessary today.

 

Wish me luck ......

 

 

 

Bear braced for a very large shock.....

Puppers wouldn't be visiting Al's Hobbies by any chance?  Can we expect a resurrection of "The Great Project" by any chance, can we?

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, from a damp dull rock that is 11c.

 

NHN also a bit dull, 4th Covid jab to blame I suspect, just a generally achey shakey feeling a little this morning.  Nothing to shout about, it's better than the last one that had me under the weather for a couple of days.  The jabbery was very quiet, these are timed appointments (10 to a slot judging by the number of cubicles) to a mass jab centre in the Big City, I went early as I had completed other duties in town, expecting to be sent away.  Nope, just two other people in front of me.  Could be the reason for an upturn in CV - folk getting blase?

 

Dom, I wouldn't bother with sound for that loco, just get a fly in the room....this, however...  FF to 2.40.

 

 

[simontaylor484]

Morning all 

Cooler start here this morning 

 

I use the online banking app as the local bank branches have shut. It makes life easier for paying bills. It's easy to pay cheques in too not that I have had more than a handful in the last 5 years.

 

Just waiting to be informed of today's orders

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Not much sleep again last night thanks to Arthur Itis so after another muggatee a  bit more eyelid inspection beckons.

[Winslow Boy]

56 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

But the Railway Children has Jenny Agutter......

Game, set, match to UK.

 

 

Puppers has just reduced a certain Bear to a quivering wreck.  You of all pups should know better.....

Off for a lie-down.....

 

 

Not to mention the risk of c0ckwombles who chuck away the hard drive with the password on.....

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/aug/02/man-hopes-ai-and-robot-dogs-will-help-recover-150m-in-bitcoin-from-landfill

 

Bear here......

Today sees the new loft ladder being fitted, albeit temporarily (probably) - I want to check the shorter version will work as hoped, but it's presence will mean I won't be able to lay a sheet of ply over the hole inside the loft to act as a loft hatch until the custom hatch is delivered & fitted.

After that I predict a little more work on the mods. to the chassis jig, followed by MIUABGA.

 

In other news.....

One for @iL Dottore:

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/foodanddrink/news/video-apparently-shows-female-dinner-planting-piece-of-plastic-in-her-food-to-avoid-170-bill/vi-AA12UC9S?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=ed5bdc2ac55e435a9e0cf22495424eb3&category=foryou

 

And another one bites the dust:

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/another-russian-energy-boss-has-mysteriously-died-in-hospital/ar-AA12UOIx?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=ed5bdc2ac55e435a9e0cf22495424eb3

 

Ah yes young Bear but the Aussies can counter JA with Tina Turner in chain mail as well.