Had a spell at the clubroom this afternoon, fettling and experimenting.
Sorted out the unhappy running on the Bachmann 2-8-0 by closely examining the motion; located a couple of possible pinch points, tweaked them slightly with a jewellers screwdriver. Running like a good 'un now. Must have distorted them when handling the loco, or maybe not boxed it correctly (this loco doesn't have its original box but lives in a 1L plastic box)
After various experimentation, located one, or possibly
Just spent the evening on the sofa in Bradenton, Fla. with a big bag of crisps, half a dozen Budweiser and the Super Bowl. My good wife has occupied herself with her customary clattering about with the dinner plates, wittering on about “is it finished yet” etc but I give her no heed at such times.
I wont post any spoilers for those watching on Monday...
I don’t pay American football much attention, in the U.K.; I simply don’t have the time. I don’t feel any particular at
I can’t help noticing that Singapore, usually something of a fetish with Our Man Boris, have had considerable success with a closely targeted containment system and “business as usual” for the rest. Strange, and wildly inconsistent stories are emerging from Sweden, which maintained a much more relaxed policy.
Elsewhere in the news... figures for actual and predicted cases seem to be all over the board.
I’ve reached the end of my run of work in U.K. for the time being, having a few weeks off and rather enjoying it. Spent a couple of evenings using the test track at the club, catching up with everyone, very enjoyable
Meanwhile, No 2 Son has introduced a sizeable joker into the pack. He works for one of the sponsors for the RWC, and has been given 2 tickets for the Pool C and D quarter finals in some sort of works award scheme. The original plan was to go with his girlfriend but that
Daughter came round today with Charley Dog, which was all the excuse I needed to abandon my rather fitful gardening (not a great enthusiasm of mine, at the best of times) and accompany her on a walk around Ferry Meadows. She parks at ours to avoid the notorious parking system there..
Saw 34081 "92 Squadron" in steam on the NVR, just back from a lengthy rebuild. Saw the Ferry Meadows Railway 10.25" gauge DHR 0-4-0ST+T in steam as well, what a little gem it is.
All this and lilac blossom
Just had a hour or two watching tv. I do enjoy watching actual programmes when I'm home, provided (a) no one rushes about shouting and (b) no manic driving and gunplay.
More authentic frontier gibberish from Matt and team, the incomprehensible Scottish sheep-breeder explaining about breeding sheep for worm resistance was a minor gem, the badgers eating £3000 worth of wine grapes were rather good and the Syrian refugee woman breeding whatever-it-was in Lancashire was... very BBC.
I'm an
Xmas is definitely over, after a busy, festive and highly enjoyable week involving presents known and surprising, friends old and new, children who have grown astonishingly since last seen, NONE of my good wife’s innumerable siblings and their offspring (for a mercy...) and very little tv (although I did see Carols from Kings College and St Paul’s at various times).
But it’s back to the world. I usually reckon it an important milestone, the first evening of tv involving various ill-mannered
One thing I do notice about the current nonsense, having ceased working at Werrington (I’m getting too old for this sort of thing, truth be told, and family circumstances don’t help) is that I’m getting more done in the garden and workshop.
My good wife has the tv in, most of her waking hours. I can’t tolerate the relentless blare of propaganda from the BBC, soap operas and Doc Martin irritate me behind words, and I watched those 1980s sitcoms long ago, so what’s left?
For anyone unfamiliar with these brutes.. https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/Mining-Company/Geevor-Muckers-Loco-Restoration-Group-1529683350637528/posts/
I’m somehow, rather ambiguous about this. It’s good to see them survive but ... I worked there in my student days.... I went to Geevor as a museum and somehow....
Club night last night. Much discussion of the Show, packing and storing of Canons Cross (club exhibition layout) and discussion of next outing.
Nobody much using the test track, so I took the opportunity to ask some questions and follow some of the wiring. Plans to take the Gaugemaster setup there on Thursday, now I've worked out how to disconnect the NCE spread and connect the Gaugemaster.. doesn't look difficult in principle, no soldered joints involved and no risk of connecting both sim
Getting near the end of the project. I've done 90-odd days this year, done a couple of professional courses which I've been putting off for ages, dealt with an unexpected building job on the house and managed to do enough to steer No 1 Son through a reasonably successful first season of flat track racing. It's not been easy. A few more weeks work, No 1 Son gets married in October and then I think that's it for the year.
Looking forward to a long winter break again. Most of my long-delayed b
Had the Williams USRA Light Pacific on the rolling road! I bought this loco for £80 in need of a little fettling, runs nicely now
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xwvo3r7ff1jmsiu/Video 26-04-2020%2C 12 25 31.mov?dl=0
Given the threads about older Hornby models and coarse scale O Gauge, I thought I’d toss this one in. Saw it on eBay. I’m not interested in this particular loco, but it’s an unusually pristine example of what Lionel were actually producing between WW2 and the 1960s. This might be described as “the top of their mainstream range” as opposed to the rare, much-coveted and very expensive “Scale Hudson”
Always a look-ahead date in my diary, and this year has got off to a great start!
Quite what France thought they were doing on Friday, is hard to say. I don’t believe that even Italy have managed to go in at half-time, 16-0 up at home, and still lose. I’d always expect a strong second half with a burst at the last from Wales, and that was what we got... going to be a disappointing year for Les Bleus, on that showing. They looked good at times but that just isn’t enough at that level
Just looked in my garage, and would have done better not to.
This would usually be the Racing season, and all the bikes are jammed handlebar to handlebar. None of the engines have been done, because I can’t get them to the tuner. My granddaughter hasn’t been, so the trampoline and swing are still cluttering the place up.
Changeable weather and boredom means the garden furniture is being dragged in and out...
Last year, I was moderately optimistic about getting some more offshore work in before I retired, but present circumstances seem to have completely collapsed the market. Any revival in prices, has quite gone; headcounts are being slashed and viable enquiries for work are non-existent.
Looks as though The Big Crew Change is pretty much complete. This is an industry term relating to the retirement, willingly or otherwise, of large numbers of older staff, working on to cover the gap in
Having for all practical purposes, at least semi-retired, I’ve been slowing down a bit... oh, quite a lot.
Had a slightly tedious evening actually using the office/study for that purpose, it was dark when I finished so I just turned off the lights and switched on the train presently laid out on the floor and watched it amble round, headlight on, lighted caboose in... very relaxing...
This WFH is a funny old business. It has taken a couple of weeks to create any sort of useful engagement, I am fairly sceptical of actual productivity, too. It’s a good way to get individual tasks completed but the absence of the general interfacing that goes on in the office, is definitely a limitation. No 2 Son reckons he needs 3-5 days a month in the office, averaging 2 half-days a week, to maintain impetus and tie up loose ends.
This isn’t a surprise to me. I’m used to remote wo
I’ve just seen a piece on another forum, to the effect that the NYC PT Passenger Tender used with later Hudsons carried 18,000 gallons of water and 46 tons of coal. The UP Big Boy 4-8-8-4s towed 25 tons of coal and 25,000 gallons of water (all US measures, of course) with the Norfolk and Western Y class 2-8-8-2s in the same bracket.
That seems to be about as big as it came, although some South African and Australian locos seem to have towed additional water cart tenders or tankers f
Started the day watching Wales’ win over Australia. I do like to see dropgoals in open play, they change the whole defensive way of thinking and keep everyone on their toes, and a well-worked drop goal is a thing of beauty. Australia’s (eventual) try from goal line attack was rather tremendous, as was the Welsh interception try... in fact the whole game was a real advert for both the sport, and the tournament.
If England qualify from the pool, they will meet one of those two in the
Seen in today’s news, Qantas are apparently offering 7hr flights including flypasts of locations like Great Barrier Reef and Uluru. How bored would you need to be, to do that?
Mind you, Singapore are now starting “covid-secure cruises” with ships half-full, masks mandatory at all times, increased cleaning regimes and “mingling discouraged”. Best of all, vessels make no port calls and passengers are confined to the ship at all times! Form an orderly queue, please...
