Early Risers.

[Gwiwer]

Another day another trip. I have my “boxes” and having been unable to make use during Covid I’m playing catch-up when I can. 
 

The opportunity was taken to visit the City of Yellow Trams for a few hours combined with the week-long closure of the Trent Valley main line. 

The latter meant all trains were diverted through the West Midlands with some booked via Birmingham and some not. 
 

The morning down trip was a “via Birmingham” one but not via Wolverhampton. So turn right out of New Street and take the Aston line then?  No. Our driver didn’t sign that route so we went via Wolverhampton without stopping there - which was unusual. 
 

On the way back we turned left as expected somewhat before Wolverhampton and came via Bescot. Then back onto the main line at Stechford. Some of that was “new track” for me - that’s quite a rarity too as was running fast through International and Coventry. 
 

It’s back to the House of Fun tomorrow dealing with more mundane matters. 
 

I was pleased to see the historic tiled map at Manchester Victoria is still there - even if some of the journey options it suggests no longer are. A wry smile, too, at the “First Class Refreshments” now being a Starbucks franchise.  Oh dear. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[monkeysarefun]

7 hours ago, The White Rabbit said:

 

 

 "...concealed tanks will emerge from their hiding places like savage rabbits".  (And this was before the Pythons' Caerbannog Rabbit)! 

 

 A few years ago at the start of the seasons office Rugby League tipping competition I thought I'd try something different and instead of basing my tips on which team I thought would win, I based them on which team mascot I thought  would win in a fight.

 

Since the team mascots are mainly animals (I had to make clever  allowances for Melbourne Storm, Canberra Raiders and Nth Queensland Cowboys) each pick was based on "would a Tiger beat a Dragon?" "would a Sea Eagle beat a Bulldog?" Would a Shark beat a Panther?" " Would an Eel beat a Bronco?" etc.

 

I ended up going rubbish and the grand final was won by the Rabbits.

Edited October 27, 2022 by monkeysarefun

[polybear]

56 minutes ago, PupCam said:

In Other News

 

Perhaps Puppers has identified another project?

 

https://silodrome.com/de-havilland-mosquito-project-plane/

 

Oh well.  Perhaps not ......

 

 

 

It seems it's being sold as a completed project, ready to fly - so will be of no possible interest to Puppers**:

 

"In addition to these components, Avspecs holds a quantity of other original components also sourced from Australia. Avspecs has purchased the project and is offering this aircraft as a complete ready to fly example, fully certified in either the USA or the UK."

 

(** It appears that Puppers' pension lump sum is a tad better than a certain Bear's ☹️).

 

Incidentally, Tiger Moths seem to sell for a much more agreeable price - though the Phantom looks like it'd be much more fun.....

[monkeysarefun]

36 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Yes Canley in Coventry @Gwiwer.

 

World of Tanks is absolute junk.. aidedand abetted by a USEx National Guard expert whomakes some wild assumptions..

 

Baz

I gave up on it (and turned to War Thunder instead) about 3 or 4  years ago when they introduced 'premium rounds'  - super ammo that you bought with real money, so it became "pay to win"  and wheeled vehicles like the French EBR 105 armoured car  that tear around the battle field at 100kmh, have tyres that even high explosive rounds from an 88mm won't destroy  and who drive in fast circles around and around you while you sit helplessly until they stick enough rounds into you and you die. Any realism that hadn't already been suspended just completely vanished..

Edited October 27, 2022 by monkeysarefun

[Erichill16]

5 hours ago, polybear said:

A Rant.......

 

Bear has just received a message from an ebay seller in China:

 

Dear Valued Customer, 

I am sorry to bother you .
But the item you‘ve  bought is out of stock now.
Can I cancel l the order and refund the money to you?

Waiting for your reply.
Sorry for the inconvenience.

 

Bear has responded, pointing out that they marked the item as despatched on 7th Oct, providing a tracking number in the process.  So how come it's out of stock?  Ar5ebadger.

They continue to list the same item that's supposedly out of stock......

I look forward to their reply with interest......

 

If it does end up as a refund then I'll be very sure to leave some really sh1tty feedback before I agree; sellers in China just HATE negative feedback....

Best Regards to you

I was going to send something back but I gave up as I my pen ran out of ink while waiting the return label.. Craftly, very crafty these………

I was wondering if someone dropped something accidentally on the keyboard .

Edited October 27, 2022 by Erichill16
Alter wording.

[Erichill16]

1 hour ago, PupCam said:

 

 

In Other News

 

Perhaps Puppers has identified another project?

 

https://silodrome.com/de-havilland-mosquito-project-plane/

 

Oh well.  Perhaps not ......

 

 

I’ve got a tube of balsa cement you can have if it helps!

[Barry O]

With delayed trains causing further delays we arrived back in Leeds 8 minutes late.. yes.. Still Late and Never Early...

 

Bag unpacked will repack it torrow methinks..

 

Goodnight to most, evening and good day to other ERs based around the world.

 

Baz

Edited October 27, 2022 by Barry O

[Tony_S]

37 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

who drive in fast circles around and around you while you sit helplessly until they stick enough rounds into you and you die

Dad said he was put on “light duties” after a heavy landing in a Churchill tank. This involved driving a Dingo scout car. While he and his officer were scouting they came under fire. Somehow the rear wheel steering jammed and they were going round in circles. His passenger was not amused. Then there was a bang and the vehicle responded so they retreated rapidly. He asked to be returned to normal duties as he felt it would be safer. 
 

[Winslow Boy]

22 minutes ago, Erichill16 said:

I’ve got a tube of balsa cement you can have if it helps!

 

Is that the everlasting one that never runs out. 

[J. S. Bach]

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

 

The long and winding road.....having transport is essential to really get the flavour of the place.  It's not all TT races!

 

The long and not so winding road:

 

 

 

 

[Erichill16]

8 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

Is that the everlasting one that never runs out. 

No its the one that dries up as soon as you open it.

Probably sold by the people I mentioned earlier with the unpronounceable name.

Edited October 28, 2022 by Erichill16
Spelling

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Well I’ve framed one print and hung it on the wall of the attic landing, the second will have to wait until the frame has set. I miss calculated the resizing of the frame and instead of being 40cm square, I made it 50cm square. At least I was able to make it smaller, making it larger would have been a lot more difficult. Still, it been recut and re-assembled and is now clamped up and sat on a bench in the cellar. Once that was finished, there wasn’t entirely time for any other tasks, so went to the workshop and found an off-cut veroboard big enough for the latest version of the turntable control board. I put all the isolation cuts in the track before I went in for dinner. 

 

Charlie called round after dinner and we both went to the workshop. He added the final touches to his mask for the weekend’s Halloween festivities, whilst I adde all the links and components to the circuit board. The circuit board is now complete and it’s now ready for testing, which will probably be sometime on Sunday. 

 

This evening I poured myself usual tipple, which is a tequila and orange juice, much more enjoyable than last nights drink. 

[BSW01]

Gwiwer

 

In the mid 90’s, i had the good fortune of working in the underground area below Victoria station, it’s absolutely huge! I suspect like then, it’s still under developed now, there’s lots of potential. 

Edited October 27, 2022 by BSW01

[monkeysarefun]

37 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

The long and not so winding road:

 

 

 

 

A "highlight" when driving East-coast to Perth is "90 mile straight". 

 

 

 

Edited October 27, 2022 by monkeysarefun

[Erichill16]

Evening All,

Been a bit hit and miss on here today, another busy day.

I finally received my  new driving license today but unfortunately it’s only for another three years. Hopefully there won’t be a problem next time I come to renew it.

Finally for today, I wonder if Flavio may want to try one of these next time he’s in the country? (And I don’t mean the chicken one!)

 

Goodnight,

Robert

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[monkeysarefun]

I havent caught a train in ages (4 years!)  until today so maybe I'm out of touch but are these " leaning rail" ar5e-resting  things instead  of platform seats a thing everywhere now or just something thought up by the evil geniuses of NSW Cityrail?

 

 

[Erichill16]

4 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

I havent caught a train in ages (4 years!)  until today so maybe I'm out of touch but are these " leaning rail" ar5e-resting  things instead  of platform seats a thing everywhere now or just something thought up by the evil geniuses of NSW Cityrail?

 

 

 

That type of thing is quite common over here, particularly in bus shelters.

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. It was a SEERS meeting this evening. Members photographic evening and some very interesting pics were on show. I will have to sort out some of my pics and get them digitalised, some are slides and some I only have the negatives.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[J. S. Bach]

3 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

I havent caught a train in ages (4 years!)  until today so maybe I'm out of touch but are these " leaning rail" ar5e-resting  things instead  of platform seats a thing everywhere now or just something thought up by the evil geniuses of NSW Cityrail?

The only real problem that I see with them is that not everyone's butt is not at the same height above ground.

[Hroth]

3 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

I havent caught a train in ages (4 years!)  until today so maybe I'm out of touch but are these " leaning rail" ar5e-resting  things instead  of platform seats a thing everywhere now or just something thought up by the evil geniuses of NSW Cityrail?

 

 

 

 

It looks a fairly uncomfortable bum-prop. The angles a tad steep and its too close to the wall!  Our local bus stop bum-props are at two heights, but still suffer from an uncomfortable rake and closeness to the back of the bus shelter.  They've obviously been designed by a young stick insect....

 

 

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[jamie92208]

5 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Dad said he was put on “light duties” after a heavy landing in a Churchill tank. This involved driving a Dingo scout car. While he and his officer were scouting they came under fire. Somehow the rear wheel steering jammed and they were going round in circles. His passenger was not amused. Then there was a bang and the vehicle responded so they retreated rapidly. He asked to be returned to normal duties as he felt it would be safer. 
 

At least it was only a scout car going round in circles.  HMS Warspite suffered from jammed rudders several times in her career.  Once was during the battle of jutland where she steamed in circles whilst Hippers battlecruisets steamed past throwing 12 " bricks at her. She did survive though and got to the Tyne for repairs.

 

Anyway a quick good moaning.  Now off out before sparrowfart to spendva day riding and watching trains and putting the world to rights.

 

Jamie

[jjb1970]

On tanks I always think British (and indeed American) tanks of WW2 have a bad rap in most books, TV etc. 

 

OK there were complete stinkers. The Covenanter was a lovely looking tank but a chronically unreliable riveted tank used only for training wasn't great. The Valiant is considered by some to be the worst tank of the war for various reasons, whether or not it was the worst tank I'd agree it was not a good design. The Crusader was a lovely looking tank and the main issue seems to have been engine reliability in the desert, armour which was a bit weak and limited growth potential but it was fast and had a good anti-tank gun. With engine issues sorted out it would probably have been a very good tank for the first half of the war. The Matilda 1 was an outdated concept in being a heavily armoured two man machine gun armed tank, but the British were not the only army with such tanks in 1939 (it's often ignored that the 1939 & 1940 Blitzkrieg campaigns relied on the small and lighly armed Pz.II and the Pz.I was still widely used). The Matilda II was a superb infantry tank in the early part of the war and the ignored Valentine was a pretty good infantry tank.

 

On the upside, despite looking archaic and having a rocky road into service, by 1943 the Churchill was maturing into a very tough tank of incredible versatility. The Cromwell couldn't match German tanks for firepower and its protection wasn't the best but it was very fast and reliable (people venerate the Panther and Jadgpanther without considering that a tank isn't much good if it can't go very far before breaking down). The Comet was an excellent tank which combined the necessary firepower to kill German tanks with a fast and reliable hull, even if protection could have been better. And of course at the end of the war the Centurion appeared, arguably the greatest tank design ever.

 

Similarly, people always criticise the Sherman without considering it was reliable and a very good match for the Panzer IV and various assault guns and tank destroyers which made up most of the German armoured force. Despite a lot of stuff about being a tommy cooker I've seen statistics which show it was actual a very survivable tank, maybe thanks to good crew escape routes and wet ammo stowage seems to have addressed many of the ronson type issues. The Sherman gunner had both a wide angle and a higher magnification sight which allowed him to bring his gun on target more easily than the narrow field higher magnification sight of the Panther.

 

Similarly on guns, the weakness of the 2 pounder was lack of an effective HE round but that was true of all the early war small calibre high velocity guns. As an anti-tank gun is was excellent for its day. The 6 pound gun was superb and the 17 pound gun capable of killing anything. There is an argument that a mix of dual purpose 75mm guns and high velocity anti-tank guns was more sensible than just prioritising tank killer performance given how so many tank battles were not fought in a tank on tank engagements and the recognized weakness of older British tanks in not being supplied with effective HE ammo.