Early Risers.

[Ian Abel]

Chewsday...

 

Yesterday was a complete change from the Troll hunting of the prior many days. Slow work and uneventful changes/ updates needed, but no hurry, so <yawn>

The evening saw me delve into various you-tube rabbit-hole, as the Mrs had a couple of friends over working on a "get out the vote" mailing exercise.

 

Today, more work for me. Mrs off to various Dr appointments, a walk with a neighbor and then diligently filling out more "get out the vote" cards.

 

For some reason, I didn't seem to sleep well, so expect to probably squeeze in a nap instead of lunch!

 

Nice and sunny 13c first thing, 23c the forecast high, no precip expected...

 

Carry on.

[DaveF]

Just as I posted above I had a phone call from the garage confirming the loan car for tomorrow, I can pick it up at 08.30, it is just the latest version of the one I have.  There was also an e mail to remind me of the car service.

 

That's really quite helpful.

 

David

[Hroth]

Baked potato, soss casserole without the soss on top, and mushy peas on top of that.

 

Yum!

 

(Don't think I'll be able to move for a couple of hours after that...🤔)

 

[Coombe Barton]

... Went to Wickes (which autocorrect has as Wicked), where you’d be forgiven for thinking the wood didn’t grow in trees, given the price ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2024/09/24/postcards-from-home-2024-27/

[rockershovel]

My first and only aquaintance with the Somerset coalfield was as a mining student in the mid-1970s. Because it had been closed in an orderly manner, much of the equipment had been brought to the surface. 

 

Some of it, particularly pumps, fans, ducting and track would have a further life in the Cornish tin mines - which were reviving from the late 1960s onwards 

[Hroth]

@Coombe Barton  Happy Birthday!

 

[PupCam]

Borrowed from Faceache, one for @polybear ....

 

[Andy Hayter]

What a hybrid motor:

An insect (beetle) with an arachnid (spider) leg arrangement.

[BoD]

Perhaps it’s a beetle spyder.  

[PupCam]

Should that be a Porsche Spyder?   Oh well, close enough for rockets ..... 🤣

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Washing has finished and will be removed from the machine in the morning. Sweet FA on the box so now I'm going to run a bath.

[Coombe Barton]

2 hours ago, rockershovel said:

My first and only aquaintance with the Somerset coalfield was as a mining student in the mid-1970s.

My first and only aquaintance was in the 1990s when we got a chance to raid the dumps - loads of fossils added to teh collection

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[polybear]

Bear here.....

 

Yesterday Bear spent a most excellent day at Chateau Puppers, being entertained by the Pup himself; visiting the Pup's Garage is always a pleasure (how he ever manages to find things in there is one of the Universe's Great Mysteries) - lots of interesting toys, bits, tools and "stuff" everywhere.....

 

5 hours ago, PupCam said:

I've lusted over a decent sheet metal guillotine, rollers and a Fly Press for years!  

 

And just where in the Garage do you propose to squeeze such goodies?

 

5 hours ago, PupCam said:

I liked the section of flat bottom rail used as a "Heavy weight" 😀

 

 

Bear just happens to have such a weight; the Muddle Engineering Evening Class** College just happened to have some rail kickin' around and several of us cut a 3 or 4" long lump off then milled the top flat - it was the worst stuff we've ever machined - Chinese cr@p steel no doubt, a REAL Bitch.

 

**The chances of the group ever getting back together are diddly squat by the sounds of it.  Huge, Huge Turdycurses. 🤬

 

Puppers even "knocked up" a most excellent lunch too - Focaccia alla Pomodoro, no less - accompanied by mini cheddars, brie and Lemon Swiss Roll 😁.  Worked for this Bear.

Naughty Puppers even tried (repeatedly, but unsuccessfully) to persuade Bear to go for a Bakewell Tart (the proper ones from Mr. K with icing on top) or a Marshmallow as well....

All in all, a most excellent day - thanks Puppers (and Mrs. P too).

 

Today was to be a W/H day; however Bear had to go for a med. appointment (Scan) in Wood Green, London of all places.  All I'll say is I'm mighty glad I don't live there......

 

ION....

 

And not before time too:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce8vggkgzr2o

 

(On Bear's recent visit to Krakow I was truly amazed that I never saw an accident due to one of these jobbies - the suicide jockey's riding them thru' the Main Square in the centre of Krakow certainly took no prisoners - how on earth I never saw one of them wiping out a pedestrian is beyond me....)

BG

[PeterBB]

Happy Birthday John - since it is nearly over hope it went well while you/all of us were travelling so many miles.

 

Ear-worm - quite common, usually when going out after hearing a piece of music/song that was once liked.  Tinitus - occasionally but not when hearing aids are in.

 

Somerset coalmine will look up - probably didn't pay enough attention when at Kingston.

Edited 8 hours ago by PeterBB
typo

[iL Dottore]

6 hours ago, PupCam said:

In the overall scheme of things we are all time poor,

I thought that retirement was supposed to fix that problem !

 

Or are you waxing philosophical, bemoaning our scant allotment of "three score years and ten"?

[iL Dottore]

MR KIPLING 6 CHERRY BAKEWELLS
Ingredients
WHEAT Flour (with Added Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Sugar, Vegetable Oils (Palm, Rapeseed), Plum and Raspberry Jam (Glucose-Fructose, Syrup, Plum Purée, Sugar, Raspberry Purée, Gelling Agent (Pectin), Acid (Citric, Acid), Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrates) Colour (Anthocyanins), Preservative (Potassium Sorbate) Flavouring), Glucose Syrup, Glacé Cherries (Cherries, Sugar, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, SULPHUR DIOXIDE), Colour (Carmine), Sweetened Condensed Skimmed MILK (Skimmed MILK, Sugar), Ground Rice, Desiccated Coconut (contains Preservative (Sodium Metabisulphite [SULPHITES], Whey Powder (MILK), Dried EGG White, Ground ALMONDS, Salt, Dextrose Emulsifiers (Sorbitan Monostearate, Polysorbate 60), Raising Agents (Disodium Diphosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate), MILK Proteins, Humectant (Vegetable Glycerine), Flavouring, Preservative (Potassium Sorbate).

 

HOMEMADE 

Ingredients

PASTRY

200g plain flour

2 tbsp icing sugar

100g cold unsalted butter, diced

1 medium egg

1 tsp lemon juice

2-3 tsp ice-cold water

FRANGIPANE FILLING

100g unsalted butter

100g caster sugar

2 large eggs

50g plain flour

75g ground almonds

A drop of almond extract (optional)

100g raspberry jam

100g raspberries

20g flaked almonds

TO FINISH

Icing sugar, for dusting

 

Just thought you'd like to know...

 

("proper", my a***)

 

[Dave Hunt]

Just in time (I hope) to wish all the best for JohnC's latest orbit of the sun.

 

Dave

[BoD]

10 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

 

HOMEMADE 

Ingredients

PASTRY

200g plain flour

2 tbsp icing sugar

100g cold unsalted butter, diced

1 medium egg

1 tsp lemon juice

2-3 tsp ice-cold water

FRANGIPANE FILLING

100g unsalted butter

100g caster sugar

2 large eggs

50g plain flour

75g ground almonds

A drop of almond extract (optional)

100g raspberry jam

100g raspberries

20g flaked almonds

TO FINISH

Icing sugar, for dusting

What?

No cherries?

[PupCam]

46 minutes ago, polybear said:

Bear here.....

 

Yesterday Bear spent a most excellent day at Chateau Puppers, being entertained by the Pup himself; visiting the Pup's Garage is always a pleasure (how he ever manages to find things in there is one of the Universe's Great Mysteries) - lots of interesting toys, bits, tools and "stuff" everywhere.....

 

 

And just where in the Garage do you propose to squeeze such goodies?

 

 

Bear just happens to have such a weight; the Muddle Engineering Evening Class** College just happened to have some rail kickin' around and several of us cut a 3 or 4" long lump off then milled the top flat - it was the worst stuff we've ever machined - Chinese cr@p steel no doubt, a REAL Bitch.

 

**The chances of the group ever getting back together are diddly squat by the sounds of it.  Huge, Huge Turdycurses. 🤬

 

Puppers even "knocked up" a most excellent lunch too - Focaccia alla Pomodoro, no less - accompanied by mini cheddars, brie and Lemon Swiss Roll 😁.  Worked for this Bear.

Naughty Puppers even tried (repeatedly, but unsuccessfully) to persuade Bear to go for a Bakewell Tart (the proper ones from Mr. K with icing on top) or a Marshmallow as well....

All in all, a most excellent day - thanks Puppers (and Mrs. P too).

 

That's OK Bear it was a pleasure and many thanks for a most interesting and enjoyable day and the goodies that you brought along.      

I admit, the garage could do with a tidy up.    In fact, I could do with another 3 garages.

 

44 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

I thought that retirement was supposed to fix that problem !

 

Or are you waxing philosophical, bemoaning our scant allotment of "three score years and ten"?

 

One and the same I'm afraid.  

 

I'm waxing philosophically and it doesn't, it makes it worse!     I can't believe I've been retired 5 years already.     So much to do, so little time.

 

This evening I've fallen down another rabbit hole on RMWeb pertaining to  HO/OO sized working, radio controlled vehicles in general and bulldozers & cranes in particular -  Amazing!

 

And then I had a meander down the possibility of transmitting DCC command signals to battery powered DCC equipped locos wirelessly - Interesting!

 

How I ever had time to go to work .....

 

 

Edited 18 hours ago by PupCam

[Coombe Barton]

1 hour ago, PeterBB said:

Somerset coalmine will look up

Fairly low grade and small mines. S&DJR served it

[BSW01]

Good evening my 

 

The weather has been quite nice today, although we did have a little bit of rain just before dinner. 

 

The axle jig didn’t take as long to make as I expected it would. Using some of my mini tools certainly sped things up in that department. 8 used a mini jigsaw to cut out the 2 pieces of Perspex, then a mini disc sander to sand the sides flat. A mini drill to drill the 4 - 4mm tapping holes in one side, 4 clearance and countersunk holes for screw heads in the other side. It was then clamped up and a 3.1mm hole drilled through the 2 mating faces, which I then made up to 1/8 inch using a 1/8 inch reamer. I’d got it all completed by dinner time. 
 

The photo below is of the finished jig. 

 

After dinner, I decided to use it and so made my first split axle. I reduced 7mm of one end of a 1/8th inch axle, to a diameter of 1.3mm. I then slid on a piece of 2mm plastic tube, which has a bore of 1.3mm onto this spigot. I then glued a small disc of plasticard, with a 2mm bore, onto the plastic sleeve and butting against the shoulder of the axle. I then drilled a 2mm hole down the centre of separate axle and the removed a short section, 6mm in length and glued this onto the plastic sleeve. The whole assembly was then inserted into the jig, where it remained until the glue had set. The result is an axle that is perfectly straight and which has 2 electrically isolated ends and very importantly, will pass through 1/8 inch brass bushes on the locomotive chassis. The axle just needs shortening to the correct length, but it’s now ready to go. 

 

The photo below shows the finished axle.

 

Of course, I could buy these items, but as I’ve got lots of useful offcuts of Perspex and I’ve got a lathe. Also, each pack of Alan Gibson wheels contains a spare axle, the only thing I’ve bought is the plastic tubing, but this was already in stock, so it’s literally cost me pennies to make. 

 

I’ve been a naughty boy again this afternoon  🤪 !

Once I’d finished for the day and I’d changed out of my work clothes, I started re-reading a book called ‘Off The Rails’ a book about the breakdown train gang. It’s starts off in the LSWR days and ends in the mid 60’s of BR period. I was looking for the section that describes the vans that form the train along with the crane etc. I found what I was looking for about 15 pages in, where the author describes 2 old SECR 6 wheel coaches that were to be the ‘new’ (to them) replacements for the old vans they’d been using. It just so happens, that a certain model shop in North Yorkshire (TMC) have got 2 such coaches, (in engineering red no less) discounted by 43%, so I ordered one of each. They’ll both need a bit of a paint job and re-numbering, but at that price, it would have been silly to not to get them. They’ll hopefully be here in a couple of days. 

 

Many happy returns John C. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight everyone 

[BR60103]

My earworm is the invocation by the priests in Aida. Numi custode e vindice...

 

My personal weather station this morning said 17 degrees and 97% humidity.

 

[AndyID]

8 hours ago, PupCam said:

Should that be a Porsche Spyder?   Oh well, close enough for rockets ..... 🤣

 

IDSPIDY would be more appropriate if they can afford it.