PhilJ W

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. The Windows weather report has excelled itself again. After the dry rain this morning it is now reporting 'Mostly sunny', the sunshine is of the wet variety. Now to watch 'Death on the Tyne' on the Drama channel. Most of the other TV this weekend is a load of balls.

The Windows weather thingy has been showing 'Raining now' since early this morning. Still perfectly dry outside.

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Woken up by Arthur Itis this morning but he was making himself scarce by the time I deployed the Nurofen. I suspect its down to the jabs on Thursday as the covid jabs also woke up Arthur but only first thing in the morning. Happy birthday to Andy P's SWMBO hope the day goes well. Now off to run a bath, be back later.

Goodnight all.

Testing the clearances of 484 class Ryde tunnel. https://www.facebook.com/john.mitchell.90226628/videos/4183134531730385/

The Majorette light truck is also very near to 00 scale.

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Still no rain but the Windows weather thingy is now saying sunny? Rick mentioned the bus destinations of Loose and Ugley, did they have WI's? The Hastings trolleybuses used to go to Bo Peep and Bohemia. The latter for a 3d fare must have looked like a bargain.

Post duly amended. The RPM model T's are of two different bonnet/radiator styles the machine gun carrier is of the pre 1916 style but the ambulance is of the post 1916 more rounded style. I have both kits and comparing the machine gun carrier with the Harbutt model T its an exact copy. I have some of the Harbutt models made up including a model T I converted to a truck about 40 years ago but sadly the plastic has become brittle with age and is now very fragile.

Here is the Chevy pick up, there is one for £9.99 with free postage but its a later one with whizziwheels. https://www.ebay.com/b/Tomica-Chevrolet-Diecast-Trucks/180273/bn_11908360

There is also the Packard roadster I mentioned earlier on e-bay but again in the US. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/113669833884

While we are on plastic kits check out Roden. They make several models of the Great War period intended for military modellers including a B type bus and Vauxhall staff car and ambulance. These are 1/72 scale but by careful placing will not look out of place.

The Mercedes can be kit bashed to represent other early vehicles with a similar shaped radiator. I have seen one converted to a FIAT lorry of the great war period.

That last one looks as if he was trying to fake an accident to claim compensation. He was lucky to be able to walk limp away.

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. The weather thingy on Windows insists that it is raining, oh no it aint. Dark threatening cloud making it necessary to turn some lights on but dry. The poppies are still blooming in the front garden long after most in more sunny places as are a lot of wildflowers including cornflower and herb robert. Time to get dinner ready, be back later.

More about the Whitcomb locomotives here. http://www.robertsarmory.com/whitcomb.htm

Just a thought, the Whitcombe locomotives had two Waukesha engines of 350HP each and it was lack of spares that led to their withdrawal. If they had survived into preservation where would you find a suitable replacement engine/generator.

I started collecting diecasts and other models almost fifty years ago themed on 00 scale when there wasn't a great deal of models in that scale. I still have the collection and add to it from time to time and apart from the Dinky Dublo, Minix and Matchbox models there is Budgie, Lone Star, Husky, Britains and several other British manufacturers represented as well as several overseas makers. I will over the next few days list them here, unfortunately some will be difficult to find today.

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Woke up this morning with a sore arm where I was jabbed yesterday and stiff joints thanks to Arthur Itis but he's now gone. A bit of a fodder run today and thats all so a bit of the M word might get done. Muggatee ready so I'll be back later.

Goodnight all.

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Another day where time seems to have evaporated. There seems to be a lot of traffic on RMweb this evening perhaps thats why? Time to tackle Farcebook, be back later.

I knew some US railroads had four wheel cabooses but the four wheel box car is a new one on me.

I have one of those in my 'might be useful' stash.

Before I retired I used to go over to the local Morrisons of a lunchtime to buy a few items or even have a meal in their cafe. One lunchtime I witnessed a teenager grab a fistful of notes from a till as it was opened and run out of the store. I volunteered a description and a couple of days later a police officer came to my workplace to take my statement after the miscreant had been arrested. I asked if it was likely to end up in court and was told that it was unlikely as another witness was able to give the police his name and address. The other witness was his next door neighbour who he had been speaking to only a few minutes before in the queue for the till which he'd robbed.

Naw, its a Parkside model nicely weathered.

The Italian railways were operating Whitcombe locomotives until about ten years ago. They had been re-engined twice, the second time with a single engine giving a similar horsepower to the original pair of Waukesha units (700 HP in total) the other engine compartment carrying an exhaust scrubber.