PhilJ W

Its also on Facebook, BTP have asked the person who filmed it for a copy, as have several news organisations.

I'm going to order a 1/76 3D print of this loco in the next few days. I intend to fit a couple of 28mm wheelbase motor bogies under it (but not Tenshodo).

If his insurance company doesn't get there first.

Was that a copy of the 'Sun' in his pocket. Perhaps we should install one at every level crossing. At least train services won't be disrupted.

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Sorry to hear of your falls BR and Jack, its annoying when no alcohol is involved. Ian, looking forward to more news from Ambridge Emmerdale Sarthe and the goings on there. I hope you and Sherry have a good time on your belated honeymoon. I'm not familiar with that part of Germany, more so with the part between the Rhine and Moselle. A bit of rain earlier this morning so I checked the repair work on the front path this morning, as I thought they'd used too lean a mix to cement them into place so I covered it with a sheet of plastic until its dried. Not to much of a problem as its a single line of paviors separating a flower bed from a gravelled area both of which will be made up to the top of the paviors. Thats it for now, be back later. EDIT Sherry posted the itinery as I was typing the above. I would thoroughly recommend visiting Heidelburg if you take that part of the tour.

Goodnight all.

Hello again from Estuary-Land. Got the guys doing the neighbours drive to tidy up some of the paviors on my front path that were begining to sag for the price of a couple of pints. There is a few things that I have acquired after they have been disposed of at work, top of the list is a full size solid oak table. The reason it was being thrown out was that it was used to hold vases of flowers and when the vases were replenished water was often spilt. This resulted in the black water stains going deep into the grain. I acquired it about twenty years ago, and being kept in a centrally heated house those stains are now barely discernable. Just as well I didn't convert it into a workbench as intended. Another odd pair of items is two 7lb weights, one a 'flat iron' and the other a 'pyramid and ring' shape. These were discovered in the back of a storeroom that was being cleared out, I was told I could keep them if I wanted.

Morning all from Estuary-Land. A bit late this morning, overslept again, at least I'm getting enough sleep. Even though they were delivering the paving blocks for the neighbours new drive at about 07:00 am I still slept through it. Still a bit sleepy mostly due to hay fever which is not to bad at the moment. Thats all for now, be back later.

Goodnight all.

Rivet counters?

I'm not going to speculate on the result of the election around here. We kicked out the UKIP county councillor, and not before time. My ward used to be a Lib-Dem stronghold but they seem to have disappeared. I'm not sure what partys have leafletted, they are binned that fast in this household.

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Hazy sunshine atm but looks ready to brighten up. Neighbour opposite is having a new drive laid, Sunday and Monday they removed the old concrete drive and then left it, including a pile of sand in the road. I'm expecting something to happen any night now because a) the pile of sand is unlit b) Essex CC switch the street lights off at 01:00 hours and c) Some teenagers take great delight in riding old motorbikes very noisily up and down the street without any lights after that time. Nothing much else to report, happy birthday Don, be back later.

Have you a link please?

Goodnight all.

Evening all fro Estuary-Land. As HH pointed out the correct term was Universal Carrier, used for all sorts of tasks only a few of which it was specifically designed for. My dad was a gunner and during the early part of the war c.1940 he was stationed in Yorkshire. An exercise took place and dad was tasked with driving the 'spotter' the officer who goes in advance of the guns marking where the shells fall and relaying the information back to the guns. It was then that he and the officer found out the hard way that the UC tracks are not suited to metalled roads. The UC discarded one of its tracks at speed going through a dry stone wall into a field. Luckily as it was an armoured vehicle no serious injuries resulted.

Morning all from Estuary-Land. A bit grey and overcast but at least its a bit warmer. Not a lot to report today and while the weather is dry I will be out zapping things with the weedkiller. I have to be careful though as there is a lot of self sown poppies that I'd like to keep, one patch is quite thick and they are doing a pretty good job at keeping the weeds at bay with little help from me. My nephew has posted some pics of his finger on Facebook, he is trying to outdo GDB by the looks of it. There's always a stiff broom.....................

Goodnight all.

He didn't say anything about driving it in France.

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Punctured tyre duly replaced so I can now drive at over 50 mph. The route I took there and back to the exhibition was via the A130 and A12, quite fast roads and being overtaken by heavy lorries is quite an experience especially if one of them is carrying an oversize load (a boat).

That reminds me of two incidences involving cats, both ginger toms. The first was when I lived in Romford, the back of the house faced due south and by the back door was a box bush. I was hosing the garden and I thought the said bush was looking a bit dry and dusty so I gave it a blast with the hose. A rather damp and bedraggled ginger tom shot out from under the bush where he had been sleeping. The second occurence was when I lived at Burnham-on-Crouch in a Victorian 2 up 2 down cottage. At the rear was a single story scullery with a pitch roof. I was sweeping the yard when I espied a ginger tom resting on the roof of the scullery with just his tail and his b0ll0cks hanging over the edge. In my hands I had a stiff broom and I couldn't resist poking the round objects with the bristles. Did you know a cat is quite capable of jumping six feet vertically upwards from a supine position? He then spent the afternoon further up the roof licking his offended appendages and glaring in my direction. The wartime Bren Carriers had a steering wheel, they were steered by twisting the tracks.

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Got to be out a bit sharpish this morning to get the tyre sorted, then to Tesco's to change an LED lightbulb that I purchased yesterday, somehow I picked up one with a screw fitting instead of a bayonet fitting. All I can say is that I took them out of the same box. Not a lot else to report, be back later.

Goodnight all.

Yesterday I had a puncture and due to my age I am unable to change the wheel by myself so I enlisted the help of a retired RAC man. My car is almost 9 years old and he told me that he's seldom seen a car of that age so well mantained. I've had the car from new and always had it serviced by the dealer I purchased it from.

Its then you get to know who does all the work that the manager is paid for, many a time I've seen staff go leaving their manager in a blue funk. On one occasion I know of someone who left leaving behind a couple of 'booby traps' for his unsuspecting boss. That boss got the sack and was replaced by the person who had left. The boss who was sacked should never have been in the post anyway, she was only given the job because the person making the appointment was a chum of hers.

Morning all from Estuary-Land. It looks as if I will need a new tyre, the cause of the puncture was a screw thats gone in on the shoulder, added to which the car was in an awkward, possibly dangerous place so I had to drive it a couple of hundred yards to a safe place, I'll be taking it into the tyre place tomorrow. Not a lot to do today except catch up on a few things that were penciled in for yesterday. Thats it for now, be back later.