Early Risers.

[Gwiwer]

Evening all.

 

A busy day was had with the quarterly meeting requiring a mid-morning departure from the Hill of Strawberries.  Unusually we were blessed with a half-hourly Sunday service (normally hourly) because of engineering work on the main lines.  That didn't stop our 10-car train becoming full by Richmond and standing-room-only from North Sheen.  A family who had occupied a bay of four seats and taken up another with their bags and kiddy-scooters were very disgruntled at being asked to vacate those seats so that the more appropriate use could be made of them.  Dad harrumphed all the way into Waterloo about why everyone had to travel by train on a Sunday and why couldn't they take their cars ....... 

 

Meeting over I returned by way of Vauxhall expecting to board a train home from there.  Alas no.  Of the two down platforms not occupied for engineering work one was occupied by the engineer's train and another by a Weymouth train both staring at very red signals.  The main lines were closed so all services were diverting via Richmond.  Until someone, possibly impatient at the extended closure of the level crossing at North Sheen due to the additional number of trains, either hopped over or squeezed between the barriers and found themselves winning a Darwin Award beneath the Exeter train.

 

Short version - after 20 minutes things began to move.  Control had apparently established that the Weymouth driver "signed the road" via Hounslow so off they went.  The already-diverted service was diverted from its diversion .....

 

Very close behind an Ascot train arrived which I boarded to reach Feltham (non-stop via the Hounslow loop) and a bus back to Twickenham.  The bridge rebuild at Feltham isn't quite complete so buses are diverting away from the town centre there necessitating a half-mile walk to the nearest stop.  But I reached home only 45 minutes later than planned (for what is normally a 40 minute trip) and just in time to see the first train come through on our own line.  Albeit that too had come around Hounslow and not via Richmond.  

 

All in a day.  My thoughts of course go to all who were involved in the incident.  I've been one of those; it isn't nice.  Among railway staff and the caring community it is known that a little black humour sometimes helps us cope.  It is better than bottling up feelings until they crash out in an uncontrolled and damaging manner.  

 

There is always someone willing to listen.  We are a caring species by nature.  I have always offered to make time for anyone who needs it.  Tomorrow is another day and I sincerely hope we can all sleep well and wake happily to see it.  

[jamie92208]

Sorry to hear about that Rick, been there and got the T shirt. I hope that those involved get the support they need. Black humour was normal in the 70's, then frowned upon in the 80's as PC crept in. It was then rediscovered but with lots of new names in the late 80's early 90's as stress de briefing.  Our force phsycologist was an excellent bloke who kick started a lot of it after seeing a lot of officers in the aftermsth of the Bradford City football club fire in IIRC 1986.   Feel free to PM me if you wish.

 

Jamie

[tigerburnie]

G'night all

[Dave Hunt]

Jill was a PTSD counsellor in the 90s in Lincolnshire, quite a lot of her work being the support of police officers who had been involved with bad road accidents. One was the aftermath of a woman driving too fast and ending upside down in a water filled drainage channel with three kiddies in the back. They all drowned and the young PC who tried to get them out was in a really bad way.

 

Just learned that our friend's funeral will be a week next Friday in Aberystwyth - the nearest crematorium to where she lived close to Montgomery that could take a booking sooner than mid-February! Two weeks later there will be a gathering at her house for a celebration of her life.

 

It was a beautiful day here once the fog lifted so Jill suggested a day out in the Wirral. Unfortunately no one had told the fog there that it was supposed to clear so it didn't. Back in North Hipposhire it was still nice and sunny. Ah, well, you win some you lose some.

 

You're right about there always being someone who will listen Rick. Quite a number of them are ERs.

 

Sleep tight everyone and sweet dreams.

 

Dave

[PeterBB]

On 17/01/2020 at 21:39, Coombe Barton said:

Robins, Kerry and Django

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2020/01/17/sandy-three-months/

Good to hear that you have support and the dogs are taking advantage!  Enya's piece is great although haunting.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Well the fog lasted all day and when I look across the school playing field to the road beyond, I can just make out a few street lights which have a misty glow, so it still hasn’t lifted completely. Plenty has been done today, although not all of it was kit MERG building, although I did manage another 7 kits. 3 washing machine loads have been done as well as hanging the laundry on various dry apparatus implements we have dotted about the house. I even found the time to make a batch of chilli, some of which we had for tea, the rest went in the freezer for another day. 

 

After tea we sat sat and watched a bit of recorded TV as to be honest, there wasn’t much else on.

 

Goodnight all

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[Ozexpatriate]

A pleasant sunny day here approaching 10°C. Today is NFL Conference Championship Sunday, (which will determine who will play in the Superbowl in a fortnight).  With one game completed and one underway the games have been entertaining.

 

Bed linens were washed so I have accomplished *something* useful today.

 

There is a local train show next weekend. It will be an opportunity for a friend and I to revisit a demonstration of scenery building using expanding foam. It's messy but lightweight and we've made a lot of progress.

 

I hope everyone has a good week.

 

Edited January 20, 2020 by Ozexpatriate

[andyram]

Evening all. My apologies for my recent absence, all be it shorter than previous. Things have been extremely busy of later - although sadly not in the shop. The previous seven days have been of the soul destroying kind. Typical, post Christmas downturn with pay day still someway off. The corresponding week last year was also down in sales so the pattern was the same as twelve months ago. Ironically, the past seven days actually narrowly topped the total of the year before, although this was all achieved in a single day thanks to a busy Saturday morning. Prior to that, the previous three days were all equal to the total gained by a certain Portsmouth book shop - a large round number! Unlike said book shop, whose tweet about an unprecedented lack of sales led to a flurry of online purchases, the same can't be said here. That is the nature of the beast, but it does not help the post flooding recovery or my stress level!

 

 On the positive side, the quiet days in the shop have allowed me to crack on with the marking which continues to help keep the wolf from the door. Things have gone crazy during the last couple of months with a flurry of assignments to deal with as certain students approach their end of course deadline, and other frantically try to complete enough units to allow us to give them a reference for UCAS. Now that the UCAS deadline has passed things should return to a "normal" steady flow of assignments which may give more time for RMWeb!

 

 The weekend has been busy, but minus wife and daughter. Sarah took her mum to Nottingham for the Kaiser Chiefs concert on Friday night and Amber stayed with Grandad. With a certain football team's game moved to Sunday for tv, they ended up staying the weekend so I have had some much needed free time. On Friday I caught up with my old headteacher (the nice one!) who was having a new year get together for ex staff. A very nice time was had, and it was great to catch up with so many old faces.

 Last night I caught up with my best mate for the first time since before Christmas. It was much needed for both of us - we are both fighting the black dog. His is more out of the kennel than mine at the moment, but I cannot say mine is fully locked away. Today I enjoyed a trip to the GCR and a couple of rides behind the Standard 2 - can't wait for the Hornby model!!! The combination of sun, frost and steam was very atmospheric this morning (see below).

 

 There was one moment that I have to recount from Saturday - a random act of kindness. A regular customer (and recent RMWeb convert), Phil Davies (see Normandy Tramway thread), ventured into the shop for a couple of pre-ordered Peco items. After a nice chat about his current project he headed off to the local coffee shop for lunch, but returned later with a large slice of cake for me. A very nice, and much appreciated gesture. Incidentally, if anyone ever ventures to Matlock Bath to see the shop - you must check out the food in the Forget Me Not Coffee Shop. It is superb and the staff are so friendly (they are also kind enough to deliver my breakfast to the shop on some mornings!!)

 

Phew! That was some catch up! Hopefully the week ahead will bring some more people to the shop and the website - you just never know in this business. For now, I will wish you all well and send special thoughts to Sherry who I know is not well at the moment. Also special thoughts to all those who are not well, battling their own demons or who have lost people they know / care about. I have not managed to catch up yet I am afraid.

 

Best wishes

 

Andy

 

 

Edited January 20, 2020 by andyram

[Ozexpatriate]

3 minutes ago, andyram said:

Today I enjoyed a trip to the GCR and a couple of rides behind the Standard 2 - can't wait for the Hornby model!!! The combination of sun, frost and steam was very atmospheric this morning ...

Nice evocative photograph Andy!

[AndyID]

It looked like the Sun was going to shine so I thought I'd head for the hills.

 

 

A glorious day but cool enough to keep the snow intact and prevent the skiers overheating. It's amazing how hot you can get even just cruising down the slopes.

 

It's a holiday weekend here and it was really busy. I did about six runs but the snow was getting chopped-up and was getting a bit tired so I headed home. This is at Lookout Pass on the Montana/Idaho border. It's about 80 minutes from here mostly on Interstate 90 with a lot of 75 MPH limit.

 

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land.

2 hours ago, polybear said:

Only 46 at-work days to go until I bang out on nice n' early retirement

I've also rigged my holiday and flexidays to give a 3-day week until my last week in the f un factory

This starts tomorrow....only I forgot until someone asked this evening when my 3-day week starts.  I was all primed up to not looking forward to being back in the hole tomorrow ...only now I don't have to and get another day to play. 

Just don't tell anyone I forgot. I have a work-shy reputation to protect.

When I took early retirement I had saved up six weeks leave. HR faffed and farted about so much that they only confirmed my retirement six weeks and a day before my leave date. I then informed them that the following day would be my last working day. They immediatley went into PANIC! mode. In the end I agreed to work for two more weeks being paid for both my holiday and work, double pay.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[BR60103]

Woke up to find that street had been plowed, so there was a ridge at the end of the driveway -- too much to chance. Someone with a bigger car down the street was stuck on it. Then they did the sidewalk which gave us 3 ridges across the driveway. The driveway was cleared (we're at the end of the sequence) just before 4:00.

Snow removal is done by the "Village", not the city.

Cat is pestering me. He's had his 8 kibble on the plate, then the 3 tossed on the floor.  He can count, but he thinks I can't.
 

[Barry O]

Right...

Can someone explain how I have, in one day, misplaced a driving licence and a travel card? ? If anyone can tell me ...please do...conf used dot com

Aka baz

[roundhouse]

12 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Right...

Can someone explain how I have, in one day, misplaced a driving licence and a travel card? ? If anyone can tell me ...please do...conf used dot com

Aka baz

I guess its not being used to being upside down most of the day, maybe a fewwill help.

 

Morning all. Its cold outside so have yet to venture to the shed this morning. I will have to defrost the car to take other half to the station though.

 

More work on the layouts backscene later today after visiting a friend to collect more offcuts that he has and also to collect a bit of DCC kit he collected for me at the Canterbury show.

 

A bit more weathering crust earning expected this week.

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

It's a chilly morning today.  Around -2°C with a light frost.

 

The weekend was quiet.

 

Time for a coffee!  Have a good day everyone...

[Ozexpatriate]

3 hours ago, BR60103 said:

... there was a ridge at the end of the driveway -- too much to chance.

A friend of mine got high-centered on a berm of snow after the snowplow cleared the street. It can be difficult to get unstuck.

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

I caught up with some stuff yesterday, principally the feedback from the Swiss trip.  As is so often the case, I had no sooner cluck on Send than I remembered something that I had omitted.  The lurgi is still making its presence felt, most recently in the form of a coughing fit at stupid o'clock in the morning which took a lot out of me.  I shall just have to live with it until it decides to go away and infect somebody else.

 

This morning I shall visit the ghost town that is Bedford town centre.  We have a Beales, though for how much longer is a good question, likewise a Debenhams.  Talking of that chain, I found the voucher for £2 which I shall redeem against some handkerchiefs, assuming that they sell said commodity and that they are still open.   A strident denial of forthcoming closure appeared on the front page of the local rag this week but we shall see.  I need to put in a prescription request, buy my lottery ticket and withdraw some cash from the bank.  Once all that is done the rest of the day would appear to be my own, which is not a bad thing since I am not exactly feeling full of beans today.  Should I buy another loaf today or can it wait until tomorrow?  Decisions, decisions.

 

Things can only get better.  Best wishes to all

 

Chris

[polybear]

6 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Evening all from Estuary-Land.

When I took early retirement I had saved up six weeks leave. HR faffed and farted about so much that they only confirmed my retirement six weeks and a day before my leave date. I then informed them that the following day would be my last working day. They immediatley went into PANIC! mode. In the end I agreed to work for two more weeks being paid for both my holiday and work, double pay.

 

A friend of mine, after being made redundant, ended up in a smallish engineering firm in Hoddesdon.  He hated the place, as did most of the other employees - the Boss was a T*sser by all accounts (e.g. He took all the seats away from the workbenches - "I pay people to work, not to sit down").

No-one, apart from a couple of close friends in the place knew he was coming up to 65, and they were sworn to secrecy.  On his 65th birthday he walked into the office and handed in all his gubbins - pass, keys etc.  By all accounts the look of embarrassment on their faces was priceless when he announced he was 65 and now retired.  He picked up his toolbox and walked out the door....

 

2 hours ago, Barry O said:

Right...

Can someone explain how I have, in one day, misplaced a driving licence and a travel card? ? If anyone can tell me ...please do...conf used dot com

Aka baz

 

They'll be in your Wallet.....

Edited January 20, 2020 by polybear

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl, Inner Temple hare,

Some times you wonder about these spell chequers, it changed Temple to Templer and Hare to Hart, after never bothering before..

 

7.5 hours near solid sleep yippee!!!!

 

Many years ago I was on the A1 both lanes had been ploughed, (it was only 3 or 4 inches deep anyway) I had just pulled out into the right hand lane when....the ploughing stopped in the right hand lane, the plough must have stopped and reversed away then gone into the left hand lane. I was along side the car  I was overtaking and I wasn't going to heavily brake in those conditions, so it was aim straight foot off the Accelerator, and thump... as I hit the one foot high lump at about 50mph, , The car held straight, and regained it's footing somewhat slower in 3 inches of snow. Then having passed the car in the left hand lane it was somewhat interesting regaining the tarmac in the left hand lane..

 

Work today, I have one major system half way through and another to start today, so I'' put the first on it's automatic run (takes about 3 hours) and get the second started on manual tests..

 

Time too.... check the company spam

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jamie92208]

Morning all. It's still dark here and a bit chilly.  How do I know, simples, I had to make a quick trip to the woodshed whilst still in my dressing gown. Not a pretty sight.  The stars and moon looked nice though.  The fire is revived and coffee has been consumed.  I even got some muddling done last night.  

 

Today the first, and most important, job is a quick trip to our favourite local distillery  for supplies.  It's a hard life.  Ironing has been mentioned.  I'm hoping that our local contractor  is going to get back to me about bringing a machine to lift the 3 upstairs shutters back into place. If not two of us will use ladders. I'm certainly not doing it on my own.  

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[Andrew P]

3 hours ago, Barry O said:

Right...

Can someone explain how I have, in one day, misplaced a driving licence and a travel card? ? If anyone can tell me ...please do...conf used dot com

Aka baz

When I lose things, my Good Lady say's it's due to my age. I say it's not, my age, it's my memory. or lack of it.

[PeterBB]

Andy, It can't be your memory if you can remember that you had memory!  

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Well the fog has gone at last and the sun is trying to shine, there are quite a few blue patches among the clouds so it might be a nice day. Not a lot is planned for today, as I’ve not been ordered asked to do any domestic tasks, so I might get a full day of MERG kit building, if that’s the case, I might HAVE to order some more!

 

Back later.