Early Risers.

[New Haven Neil]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

Never assumed it was as we all know you have the physic of a racing snake and features of an Adonis.

 

30 years ago maybe....or on second thoughts, make that 40!

[rockershovel]

Re American steam power. 

 

Much of the US is devoid of usable quantities of coal, and they rapidly reached the limits of wood as a fuel. They do, however have abundant oil.

 

The incentive to develop ic power was there and they developed It earlier than we did, for that reason.

[polybear]

Bear here....

 

Well it looks like Bear may have agreed a price for Harry 😀 - with any luck they'll come and view on Monday and we'll go from there; the agreed Gronkits will be several Deltics more than the Dealer offered, so that's a Tick.  If it all goes to plan, that is......

 

Bear Gone....

[Ozexpatriate]

21 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

Re American steam power. 

 

Much of the US is devoid of usable quantities of coal, and they rapidly reached the limits of wood as a fuel. They do, however have abundant oil.

 

The incentive to develop ic power was there and they developed It earlier than we did, for that reason.

I'm sorry but this post is thoroughly inaccurate. Coal mining was (is) massive in Appalachia. (Ever hear of Loretta Lynn - the "Coal Miner's Daughter").

 

The mid-Atlantic Railroads* were called "coal conveyors". They tried to hang onto coal-burning with mobile coal-fired power stations - boilers + turbines + generators + electric traction. These were amazing but mechanically unreliable. (See C&O M1 built by Baldwin. This is post-war.)

 

* C&O, N&W etc. 

 

The Powder River basin (Montana and Wyoming) is a massive source of coal today. There are a lot of politics related to trying not to mine (and burn) it.

 

Wood was used as convenience in the 19th century in places, and while it was used by some lumber lines, no serious Class I railroad had wood-burners in the 20th century. They were rare after the Civil war / transcontinental railroad period.

 

The US moved to electric traction in the 1950s because it was far superior* to steam traction. Coal was much less reliable as a source of rotational energy for the generators compared with diesel engines.

 

* Primarily in operating costs - particularly staffing and maintenance.

 

If it was about oil, then oil-burning steam locomotives (which were common by the 1940s) would have continued. They didn't.

 

For heating homes, coal was the traditional fuel. There is a trajectory where traditional Victorian homes had coal-fired boilers, later converted to bunker/fuel oil and finally natural gas or electrical heating. Basements had coal scuttles to receive coal for the boiler. Conversion to fuel oil was attractive domestically because of handling and coal dust. You didn't have to shovel the oil to stay warm.

 

Edited August 17 by Ozexpatriate

[rockershovel]

4 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

Shakespear was a bit shaky on several issues. For instance, in Julius Caesar there was a clock that struck the hour.

 

Dave

Shakespeare never let period detail get in the way of stage directions - it is necessary at that point to convey the fact of it being a certain time, so the clock strikes the hour and the point is understood. 

 

Same with Sir Larry playing Othello. Shakespeare's audiences knew what a Moor was, most of them had never actually seen one, and simply accepted the actor in the role. Same today; Shakespeare is basically about the words and the delivery. 

[rockershovel]

3 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

I'm sorry but this post is thoroughly inaccurate. Coal mining was (is) massive in Appalachia. (Ever hear of Loretta Lynn - the "Coal Miner's Daughter").

 

The mid-Atlantic Railroads* were called "coal conveyors". They tried to hang onto coal-burning with mobile coal-fired power stations - boilers + turbines + generators + electric traction. These were amazing but mechanically unreliable. (See C&O M1 built by Baldwin. This is post-war.)

 

* C&O, N&W etc. 

 

The Powder River basin (Montana and Wyoming) is a massive source of coal today. There are a lot of politics related to trying not to mine (and burn) it.

 

Wood was used as convenience in the 19th century in places and while it was used by some lumber lines, no serious Class I railroad had wood-burners in the 20th century and were rare after the Civil war.

 

The US moved to electric traction in the 1950s because it was far superior* to steam traction. Coal was much less reliable as a source of rotational energy for the generators compared with diesel engines.

 

* Primarily in operating costs - particularly staffing and maintenance.

 

If it was about oil, then oil-burning steam locomotives (which were common by the 1940s) would have continued. They didn't.

 

Mostly true, but America is a big place and there are large areas where hauling coal for steam traction or power is quite uneconomic. 

 

Oil burning steam locos still leave you with the low thermal efficiency of the steam locomotive. They also need the same amount of water which is a problem in large areas of the US - diesels don't suffer from this.

 

The last main line using coal-fired steam traction was, of course Norfolk & Western for obvious reasons.

 

The main thing about wood is its availability. As a fuel, it's very poor in terms of energy density. The American 4-4-0 of the 1840-60 period was probably the apogee of the wood-burning steam locomotive. 

 

No-one ever really developed a properly effective steam locomotive for ploughing. The ic type is just so much better in terms of hp/ton, hence so much more effective and the American patterns of agriculture didn't suit the British style cable ploughs

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

5 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

America is a big place and there are large areas where hauling coal for steam traction or power is quite uneconomic. 

I'm not sure where those places that would be. Coal-fired steam locomotives were ubiquitous all over the US in the first half of the 20th century, so they managed to make it economical somehow.

 

The railroads had the ability to transport their fuel - and did. The UP owned coal mines in Wyoming. The UP Big Boys were coal-fired. They had an unsuccessful attempt to convert 4005 to oil burning but it was converted back to coal in 1948. They still ran in revenue service until 1959.

 

The restoration of 4014 is oil burning.

 

5 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

The main thing about wood is its availability.

Wood (in the volumes needed for fuel) is far less available in most of the US by area* than transported coal. The higher energy density of coal makes it more attractive to transport where necessary.

 

* Western deserts, midwest prairies etc.

 

It's not like a Class I locomotive crew went out and chopped down a tree before their morning run.

 

Once the land is cleared even agricultural equipment needs fuel brought in from somewhere else.

 

[monkeysarefun]

3 hours ago, roundhouse said:

Evening.

Some interesting vehicles at the Ford dealership this evening

 

 

Is it just me or do the classic cars look HO scale compared to the OO scale modern ones....?

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, PupCam said:

 

 

Sounding more and more like a Bruce Wayne scenario to me.   Are we 100% certain that Captain Cynical isn't in fact il Dottore in a fancy suit with his pants on the outside of his trousers!  

 

And on that bombshell .... 

 

 

 

I don't like to scare you but they sound more like the Muppets Puppers has to regularly fend off in Puppershire particularly when he's on a bike!

 

 

Well there's the full range of vehicles there from real beauties to those that I wouldn't want to touch with a barge pole.     Can't say "foreign" cars (or HDs) generally do it for me.

 

 

iD has of course used the correct term.

 

 

As indeed does Derek Mathewson who has sold many of both marques.

 

ION

 

A thrash was thrashed over to Woburn this morning.    Well actually it was more of a creep.   Stuck behind a flaming field ornament trailer complete with two field ornaments for 90% of the journey.    The law of SoD dictating long traffic streams in the opposite direction at the few points where sensible motorcyclists would overtake.

 

This afternoon the rampant Wisteria has once again been tamed but don't tell WB!

 

Night All

 

 

 

Too late Mr Puppers. Do I need to come and 'show you' the correct way so as to abraid you of your 'errors'.

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

 

30 years ago maybe....or on second thoughts, make that 40!

Oh now you have shattered the mental image we have of you Neil. 

[Sidecar Racer]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Colour me confused. That was "Jessica" by The Allman Brothers (as linked in the playback) - first released in 1973 on their album Brothers and Sisters. It didn't even sound like a cover.

 

It's been a while but I thought Top Gear had a different introduction here. Online references do suggest it was Jessica. (Not what I remember.) 

 

EDIT:

Wikipedia to the rescue:

 

 

  Try this as a guide .

 

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

I enjoyed my visit to Baildon, I also enjoyed my chat with Baz @Barry O, especially his weathering tutorial. My trick with getting the wash stand finished before I went worked, as I was given permission to spend money, so I did! I’ve added another kit to my kit mountain, a very nice etched kit by Judith Egde and by some strange coincidence, the stand selling gear and motors and the stand selling wheels, were only feet away! Some very interesting demonstrations were there too, I was especially impressed with the split axle type pick up, so I’m going to give it a try. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight everyone 

[Ozexpatriate]

Forecast inclement weather is arriving this afternoon. The emergency alert system keeps breaking into television programming to warn of a severe thunderstorm cell with dangerous hail that is in the mountain foothills -  50 - 60 miles away as the crow flies.

 

It has done that three times in the last 30 minutes and the message repeats each time. I can't argue that it could be helpful or even lifesaving, but it is tedious to hear it over and over again when it is not remotely close. Now it is reporting a second cell. It takes a few minutes for programming to resume.

 

Here there were a couple of rain drops and some distant thunder. It had been about 28°C and muggy earlier but the temperature is dropping as the weather moves in - my telephone suggests that it will be around 20°C before sunset.

 

Edited August 17 by Ozexpatriate

[monkeysarefun]

16 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Forecast inclement weather is arriving this afternoon. The emergency alert system keeps breaking into television programming to warn of a severe thunderstorm cell with dangerous hail that is in the mountain foothills -  50 - 60 miles away as the crow flies.

 

It has done that three times in the last 30 minutes and the message repeats each time. I can't argue that it could be helpful or even lifesaving, but it is tedious to hear it over and over again when it is not remotely close. Now it is reporting a second cell. It takes a few minutes for programming to resume.

 

Here there were a couple of rain drops and some distant thunder. It had been about 28°C and muggy earlier but the temperature is dropping as the weather moves in - my telephone suggests that it will be around 20°C before sunset.

 

 

Here they just scroll the information along the bottom of the TV screen, the programming is not interrupted, (unless  theres an incoming Tsunami or something really huge and imminent, I assume!)

 

 

Do they send text  messages? Thats the method they use here for approaching severe thunderstorms  - insurance companies send these and tell you to get your car undercover. Cynical @polybear types would be  wondering if this is a ploy so when you do claim for hail dents they can deny you because you ignored their warning.   Or perhaps they ARE just trying to be helpful...

 

Bushfire warnings/evacuation orders etc are also texted from the State Emergency Service,  though those facing the imminent firefront and are on their roof hosing down the embers are unlikely to stop when they hear the "ping" of their phone to check a message.  For that reason (and also because the mobile infrastructure is possibly down due to fire damage  in the fire area)  everyone still has an old school battery transistor radio tuned to the local ABC AM station which broadcasts alerts and up to date information regarding fire locations and directions.

 

Roads in regional areas have signs indicating the frequency.

 

 

 

[monkeysarefun]

4 hours ago, tigerburnie said:

My old car, liked it so much I bought it, series 11 V8 5340cc Aston Martin

 

 

That is one UK car that can go on my "Impressive" list.

Out of interest, how affordable for the common man were they when new? 

 

Times have changed, it doesn't seem too long ago that you would see an Aston Martin in a used car lot alongside Toyotas and Mazdas, well here at least!

 

 

 

 

 

[BR60103]

12 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

The  first person who comes up with a baseball cap that has a sun visor on the back as well  will become  a billionaire.

Didn't Sherlock Holmes wear one?

 

[Ozexpatriate]

47 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

Times have changed, it doesn't seem too long ago that you would see an Aston Martin in a used car lot alongside Toyotas and Mazdas, well here at least!

That's not your average Aussie used car lot in (I'm guessing) the 1970s. Nothing like that where I lived. (Is there a Mazda there? I don't see one. There's what looks like Toyota though - on the left.)

 

My high school chemistry teacher had a magnificent maroon MG-A roadster with a tonneau cover. We drooled over it (figuratively). 

 

My first visit to California in 1984 was eye-opening, spotting things like Lamborghinis and Ferraris at the mall. I had never seen them before.

[Ozexpatriate]

1 minute ago, BR60103 said:

Didn't Sherlock Holmes wear one?

My first thought was a deerstalker too. A little warm and not quite enough shade for hot, sunny climes.

 

There's bicornes too. (Think Nelson.) You can wear them fore-and-aft or athwartships.

 

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, monkeysarefun said:

Here they just scroll the information along the bottom of the TV screen, the programming is not interrupted

 

Do they send text  messages? Thats the method they use here for approaching severe thunderstorms  - insurance companies send these and tell you to get your car undercover.

 

Bushfire warnings/evacuation orders etc are also texted from the State Emergency Service,  though ... everyone still has an old school battery transistor radio tuned to the local ABC AM station which broadcasts alerts and up to date information regarding fire locations and directions.

The emergency broadcast system is a cold-war throw-back. It was originally implemented to tell people to 'duck and cover' or 'kiss their axx goodbye' when the Ruskies attacked. There's actually a couple. Emergency Broadcast System and Emergency Alert System. The EAS is used for severe weather and a weekly mandatory test. The National Weather Service can use it. It will appear on broadcast and cable television. It's annoying as.

 

Local broadcast stations will use the Chyron / crawl if they choose to for weather.

 

There is a regional SMS message capability. That is usually only used for "amber alerts" - a child abduction.

 

I don't know how the level 1 - 2 - 3 (ready, set, go) warnings are communicated to affected communities in wildfires. I'm sure there is some involvement from local law enforcement with loudspeakers.

 

There is also the 'opt-in' "ShakeAlert" SMS for earthquake early warning. 

[BR60103]

We drove north to the next town for a bit of shopping (Irn Bru etc) before the thunderstorm was supposed to start. In the shop their phone went off with a tornado warning for an area we didn't quite catch.  We drove home through major rain.  There was evidence of a tornado in the next county southwest -- roof off a hardware store. Lots of street flooding around.

 

[Ozexpatriate]

Just now, BR60103 said:

In the shop their phone went off with a tornado warning

Those are scary. In the US midwest there are tornado sirens. The television will go ballistic - EAS, local broadcast weather, etc.

 

The Oregon coast has tsunami sirens. There is signage on the road for escape routes and 'safe' zones.

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

That's not your average Aussie used car lot in (I'm guessing) the 1970s. Nothing like that where I lived. (Is there a Mazda there? I don't see one. There's what looks like Toyota though - on the left.)

 

My high school chemistry teacher had a magnificent maroon MG-A roadster with a tonneau cover. We drooled over it (figuratively). 

 

My first visit to California in 1984 was eye-opening, spotting things like Lamborghinis and Ferraris at the mall. I had never seen them before.

 

 

 

Well thats cos you lived in the bush! Parramatta Road in Sydney was "Auto-Alley" with literally scores of car-yards big and small covering all genres. A trip along there to car spot was a fairly regular family funday in the 70's. Some quite humble yards would have an MG or Porsche in amongst the homegrown and the Japanese. My post was suggesting  that nowadays that Aston would  go to a specialist auction house rather than sit on some caryard forecourt.

 

Although there were "Performance" specialists they tended to stock Australian muscle rather than anything exotic, I  guess they didnt want to cover the warranty!

 

(I was wondering about the white car side on centre rear was maybe a Mazda Capella, but the sign on the showroom window says Toyota so maybe its a Corolla or Corona. The boxy gold car  is perhaps a Toyota Crown)

 

 

 

 

Edited August 18 by monkeysarefun

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

There's bicornes too

 

 

They must be due for a comeback! Though wearing one side-on at the cricket , footy  or movies may annoy those behind.

Edited August 18 by monkeysarefun