81A Oldoak Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 It's the "love to hate" airline... I've had the "pleasure" of about 110-120 return flights with the world's favourite Irish airline over the last 3 years or so - primarily because they go where I need to, so I can spend less time in airports which are, pretty much, the most loathsome public buildings in the known world. In Ryanair's defence, I have suffered no more than 6 delays of over an hour - I fear that other forms of transport I use regularly, such as the motorways and our beloved railways are as bad, and probably worse. I do wish they'd do something about Stansted though. Could make a start with a really big bulldozer... I've never flown on Ryanair partly because of reputation, partly because the CEO seems to an utterly horrible person and partly because Stanstead is too far away from my home. I once flew on Easyjet from Budapest to London and I won't make that mistake again. Fortunately, I do very little overseas business travel these days as reflected in my demotion in the BA Executive Club from gold to silver to bronze in the last 24 months. I too detest the whole airport experience. On internal journeys in Europe, I try whenever possible to use the train. The German ICE and French TGV networks are excellent and great value for money. Of course, in Dock Green days it would have been cruise liners for the Transatlantic trips and ferries and trains for the European journeys, complete with proper restaurant cars and liveried service rather than the horrid micro-waved offerings on today's railways. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 Hi Chaz, looks like a nice piece, but not got round to reading it. I don't know who took the photos, but they look a bit washed out, compared to the better photos on here. They needed a bit of a tweak for print, or maybe it was before you did the latest weathering/grime application.(or maybe it's just me. Best wishes, Ray (glad to see you have the push bike parked better than in the first image on here... edit to add a late t to prin This morning what should pop through the letterbox - a free copy of Feb's RM and a cheque. Lovely! I think the photos look good (in my copy at least). Push bikes? All three of them feature in the snaps (although only the back wheel of the red one). Chaz 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 I've never flown on Ryanair partly because of reputation, partly because the CEO seems to an utterly horrible person and partly because Stanstead is too far away from my home. I once flew on Easyjet from Budapest to London and I won't make that mistake again. Fortunately, I do very little overseas business travel these days as reflected in my demotion in the BA Executive Club from gold to silver to bronze in the last 24 months. I too detest the whole airport experience. On internal journeys in Europe, I try whenever possible to use the train. The German ICE and French TGV networks are excellent and great value for money. Of course, in Dock Green days it would have been cruise liners for the Transatlantic trips and ferries and trains for the European journeys, complete with proper restaurant cars and liveried service rather than the horrid micro-waved offerings on today's railways. I don't fly. Never have, never will. Proper restaurant cars? Yum. Blue ones with gold lettering? Now you're talking. Can't think of any convincing excuse for one appearing on Dock Green though. Even Rule One won't bend that far. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted January 10, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 10, 2015 I am rather with Chaz on this. My view is that a flight is wasted time. Ages spent hanging around in departure then a non too comfortable journey with little to see maybe a few views on landing then another long time spent getting out and still being miles from anywhere you might want to be. Whereas a train ride, the journey is often more interesting than wherever you are going. A you can do much more, I used to build Slaters wagon kits if it was dark outside. The St Gothard pass really needs to be seen from the train. Work trips to Scotland were so much nicer going over Shap. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Siberian Snooper Posted January 10, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 10, 2015 I am rather with Chaz on this. My view is that a flight is wasted time. Ages spent hanging around in departure then a non too comfortable journey with little to see maybe a few views on landing then another long time spent getting out and still being miles from anywhere you might want to be. Whereas a train ride, the journey is often more interesting than wherever you are going. A you can do much more, I used to build Slaters wagon kits if it was dark outside. The St Gothard pass really needs to be seen from the train. Work trips to Scotland were so much nicer going over Shap. Don I used to be like that, until I traveled by train in India. I spent 16 hours on a train and after the first 45 minutes the scenery became very repetative plus there was a continous stream of hawkers and pedalers floging tea and lamb cutlets calling out their wares, right through the night. If I went again I would fly between destinations. I still like traveling by train here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Ah, Indian trains - very special! However bad budget airlines get, I've never suffered a hole in the floor for a loo (be a bit chilly round the nethers at angels-three-six!!) (both would take your breath away) nor have I watched in astonishment as a largish mouse was ejected from my daughter's bed in the early hours of a trip to Goa. Had the pleasure of a day at the loco works at Varanasi including a guided tour, and a footplate ride - didn't win the contract, but every cloud... Best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 Much as I prefer train travel to the hassle of air travel, it is a bit difficult catching a train to Ottawa from Paddington! Who wants to go to Ottowa.......I'll get my coat............. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Siberian Snooper Posted January 10, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 10, 2015 Much as I prefer train travel to the hassle of air travel, it is a bit difficult catching a train to Ottawa from Paddington! Haven't they finished digging the tunnel yet? they started it a few years ago. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted January 10, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 10, 2015 The hole in the floor loo is an interesting problem on a boat on lake como especially if it is a bit choppy. You get sudden squalls on the lake which can be pretty fierce. I could accept flying to Canada the boat trip takes a bit long and the scenery is rather monotonous apart from a day at either end. For a long haul flight the time wasted at either end is much less in proportion to an internal flight. And if you are flying to Glasgow and get diverted to Prestwick! Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 (edited) Wouldn't it be nice if the occasional big loco' could make an appearance on Dock Green? Hornsey shed suddenly finds itself with an engine crisis and has to borrow something big to cover for the tank engine that it would have sent which is hors de combat.... Pete and I (well actually mainly Pete) have made up a longer loco cassette to make this possible. Here it is with Hitchin's 61027 "Madoqua" inside and ready to go.... The cassette includes the later refinements that all the others now have - the drawing pins at each corner and the LED "power connected" indicator that all the loco' cassettes have. One snag - I am rather averse to running big tender loco's tender first and the cassettes on Dock Green are usually only used one way round. Reversing them is impossible because of the design I used. So I made a bridging piece. This allows the new cassette to be reversed and joined to another the wrong way round. This would be used just to allow a light engine to be turned and might use an empty wagon cassette to do this out of sight. The coupling on the tender is a loop type, which can be persuaded to mate with another loop. As it stands the brass strips on the bridging piece will be unpowered. I don't anticipate a problem with this as the new cassette will only be used with longer loco's which should easily cross this short dead section. If I'm wrong I will find a simple way of electrically connecting the "dead" brass strips. The new cassette is long enough to accomodate a V2 or a 9F so I can ring the changes. The 9F is apparently a year or so from delivery, but I'm in no hurry - between now and then I may well put the K3 back together after its long delayed rebuild. The cassette gets its first test in service this coming weekend so visitors to the Southampton show at Barton Peveril College may well see the B1 make an appearance or two.... Edited January 20, 2015 by chaz 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted January 20, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 20, 2015 Are the headsjunts etc. long enough for a 9F Chaz? Be nice to see it though. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I'm only pased for tank locomotives and small diesels on Dock Green. Will we be running anything bigger at Eastleigh on Saturday? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 I'm only pased for tank locomotives and small diesels on Dock Green. Will we be running anything bigger at Eastleigh on Saturday? Yes Chris, brace yourself - the B1 may well do a turn. It's an excellent loco, very nicely painted in BR mixed traffic, until I ruined it with some de rigeur filth.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 Are the headsjunts etc. long enough for a 9F Chaz? Be nice to see it though. Don The only problem I anticipate is in the cassette/fiddle yard area - I may have to extend the stop bracket at the far end to allow two full wagon cassettes and the big loco cassette to fit. This will become clearer when we set up at the weekend. I am intending that the 9F should be in standard New England finish - utterly filthy! Chaz 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 (edited) Chaz Forgot to say, I did buy a copy of RM, and I thoroughly enjoyed the article, despite having read the entire story here! (And despite being wedged into a Ryanair 737!) Best Simon Edited January 21, 2015 by Simond Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted January 21, 2015 Author Share Posted January 21, 2015 Chaz Forgot to say, I did buy a copy of RM, and I thoroughly enjoyed the article, despite having read the entire story here! (And despite being wedged into a Ryanair 737!) Best Simon I thought the RM team made a good job of presenting the layout and good use of the photos I sent them. I have already received an invite for a show on the strength of the article. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 I thought the RM team made a good job of presenting the layout and good use of the photos I sent them. I have already received an invite for a show on the strength of the article. Do you mean an invitation? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted January 21, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 21, 2015 I think these days 'an Invite' is accepted as an informal way of saying an invitation. Would not have passed muster when I was a school. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
puddlejumper Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Pedantic grammar aside I am optimistic this post will start page 100 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 Do you mean an invitation? Yes, and I have written it out fifty times and promised not to do it again. Now can I go out to play? Pedantic grammar aside I am optimistic this post will start page 100 No chance! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I think these days 'an Invite' is accepted as an informal way of saying an invitation. Would not have passed muster when I was a school. Don Ah, I see now. That explains why I was invitationed to dinner to tomorrow evening. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 Final preparations for the Southampton show today and tomorrow. The new cassette (with the B1 inside) has had foam and packing card fitted. Tomorrow, before Peter comes round with the van (tea-time) Sue and I will do an audit of all the stuff. In between shows I borrow lots of the tools and these need finding and putting back. One job I needed to do was to deal with the Velcro on the curtains, some sections of which keep coming away. When the curtains are being removed the Velcro pulls off the curtain instead of separating as it should. The Velcro half on the side of the baseboards is stapled in place and can't go anywhere. After a search on-line (including one manufacturer of double-sided tape who had a minimum order of 65 rolls!!!!) I found a supplier of Mammoth Tape - "The tape that thinks it's a glue". It seems to do the job but we will certainly know on Sunday evening when the curtains are removed at the end of the show. It certainly sticks tenaciously and you only get one chance to place it. As it says on the pack "Once in place it cannot be moved".I hope to see some of you at Barton Peveril College and make the usual plea - make yourself known and say hello.I am hoping to get a few more pictures of the layout in the time between setting up and the show opening to the public and will post any good ones next week. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 Ah, I see now. That explains why I was invitationed to dinner to tomorrow evening. Enough of this. If it carries on much longer you will not be reinvitationalised again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
puddlejumper Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 (edited) Good luck with the show over the weekend guys irrespective of who invited whom...... Wish I lived a bit closer but it is a fair truck from up here in the true north of England Edit: damn and blast still haven't made page 100!!!! Edited January 23, 2015 by puddlejumper Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted January 23, 2015 Author Share Posted January 23, 2015 Good luck with the show over the weekend guys irrespective of who invited whom...... Wish I lived a bit closer but it is a fair truck from up here in the true north of England Edit: damn and blast still haven't made page 100!!!! No, shouldn't the first posting on page 100 be something rather special? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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