peach james

But, in a more realistic look at multi hulls, is the SWATH ships of the SURTASS system. So there potentially is an argument in favor of the use of multi hull forms for the role of the T23's. (which, like the CPF, are designed as very quiet ships for ASW work...) (I snipped some rather specific RCN stuff...) James

Yep, that's exactly how I'd do it too. Given that a DCC reversing unit is fairly cheap, I'd go with one on each end. I'm partial to Digitrax AR1's, but that's because they are dirt cheap and simple...they don't always work, but are 99% good. There are other options- PSX auto reversers is the other one that I'm using where the AR1 didn't like doing its thing... (my layout is basically a figure 8...) James

14 ? At 15 I was entrusted with the Likamobile- 5 gallons of petrol at 55 psi of air... JPsteamcar92 by Peach James, on Flickr Well before that, I'd been running the 2" traction and roller...and teaching one of my mates how to drive too... and other people's engines too (this is summer of 1990, so I was 13. And no parent around at all...) My super schmoe, having a go in 2015 (so 10 years old): And to bring it back almost full circle- here I am at 12 or so, with the #9 plant that was "mine", with a spirit burner. I have the other one (with the vertical coal boiler) as well... I got my Wilesco D-16 when I turned 7. Along with a small supply of Esbit fuel for it. It still runs (or did the last time I tried), and is downstairs along with a traction (converted to meths), and a mamod boat engine. There's also a kit built D6 down there that belongs to my super schmoe...and a wide range of other similar incendiary devices that might or might not sprinkle fire when run :) (2" traction engine, 2" steam wagon (1 g, it's an overtype...), 3/4" Caribou railway engine (at work right now),3/4" "Thing" railway engine (3.5" gauge) 4" traction engine, 5" gauge DHR D type that needs finishing...). I'd agree- much adeu about not much reality. Glad that things aren't that silly yet here in Canada- one can still buy various things to make various things if one is daring enough here !

Cordless impact driver and proper Robertson bits = the cats meow for screwing wood together. Phillips, or even worse, really cheap Robertson knock offs = not so good :) I probably should have gone up one or two levels above the one I got- to get one which has controlled impact. But...it is what it is, and by driving slowly, one can get fairly good control. James

Sometimes the littlest notes are the most amazing survivors! as threatened….evidence of the torpedoing of SS Magellan…

I have great grand-dad's books...includes the ominous note on one trip "Torpedoed" Photos and info- Harold (Pop) Collins https://flic.kr/s/aHsm6qV5cn I have my own certificates in the bedroom- both the legal ones and the ornamental ones live there. I know I'm not the last, but I'm near it (2012 issue) for a Charge Hand for a Steam Turbine Engine Room ticket :) 2nd class if it was a civvy ticket, cert 3A because it's a mob ticket... James

Several possible answers 1. Track voltage (rms) is low, so the decoder cannot supply enough v to the motor to run “fast” 2. Decoder settings (which you seem to have in general ruled out) remember that the decoder eats about 4v as a minimum due to H bridge ect. So, if you have track voltage at 12v, only 8v is available to spin the motor. Unless you are using decoders that are specifically designed for low voltages. (Typically Z sized decoders..), then they are designed for track voltage of up to 22v service. (and not less than 28v before damage). (16v is the low voltage standard) My first guess is low track voltage.

Van Hobbies (not sure how retail they were) Pacific Scale Rail The UK place in Gastown (I have the magazines from him) * French in North Van (the Bachmann dealer) Britannia Models Central Hobbies PSR Victoria One (Euro) on Cedar Hill X road Railhead I'm not sure who was in PSR in New West, but they had a UK presence there too. I'm sure I'm missing more over in Vancouver that have gone, but those are ones I know for sure are gone. Once on a time, when they excavated Sharky's house in Toronto (in the basement...) it turned out he'd worked at litterally every shop in Toronto that had closed, and he'd taken his final pays for sure in the form of model kids. So there was stuff from the 40's to the late 80's...last one he'd closed was at Jane and Bloor....

And Britannia has called it quits too... (see their website for details). We've gone from 3 UK shops on the west coast to 0. BC Shaver holds on here in Victoria, Scotts hobbies in Duncan, and the new (InterCity Trains) which is the replacement for Central. I'm not sure how convenient they will be for me being an islander, I already use OVR and CVRR out of Ontario for a lot of stuff. Hattons for everything except Bachmann... James

Track lifting... I've lifted most of the Peco Code 100 rail off the scenic parts of Long Marton. I have the code 75 Bullhead track to relay the layout with- and I've finally found a bit of "get around to it" with Long Marton. There's some other work ongoing on the railway room- I still have some house wiring to do, and I have to reinsulate one wall, then put up some type of celing above LM. Lots of projects... James

Hey, don't knock it. I own one of them...mind, in 8 pax version, not 12 (2 rows of seats). It works bloody well as a pickup truck- if the stuff is horrible enough, it goes in the trailer. If it is clean, it can go in the back- I get 10' by 4' inside the back, so more size than a typical pickup truck ! Next vehicle will be a Mercedes Passenger Sprinter, as I would like a replacement for my 13 year old van. I do tow a trailer with the 4" traction engine (so `3000 lb or so), and have towed up to what the capacity I have set up for. It also transports the full club layout & 1/2 the lego layout at the same time...and 4 operators. Still more efficient than the "yorkshire town" enlarger system James

There is some very substantial overlap between the various us based oceanography institutes and the USN…see Dr Craven’s book for some of the details.

As a EOOW on a turbine ship, I could go to reverse a lot quicker than to 0, but in either case, it should take <15 seconds to get onto reverse from sleeping along at 16 kts… It is vital to understand that steam turbine vs recip steam, especially with regards to likely having to close throttles, use reversing engines then reopening means I don’t think they really had enough time to get from ahead to astern… we’d need to talk to someone with a ojiee board to get an answer, I’ve never met a mar eng who looked after a 20 000 shp recip engine, and the 1500 shp one I know who to ask…but that’s 1/20th as big. James (3A EOOW x compound steam turbine)

The Jobswoths or the Foamers ??

I believe the term comes from the investigation of the challenger disaster. My favourite is “ a culture of The management of bad news combined with a can do make do attitude…” https://www.defence.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-02/Plan-to-Reform-Support-Ship-Repair-and-Management-Practices.pdf

Free Surface was covered on our 6's, so at the 2nd Engineer level. We spent about 6 weeks of 1/2 days on stability, intact, iced, damaged, how to calculate GM and GF, and what happens when it goes pie shaped, angles of downflooding, ect. I believe the RCN interest in it was extensively endorsed by the RN's loss of HMS Sheffield, which sank rather than burned out...(although abandoned & under tow at the time of sinking). Icing is a RCN particular bugaboo, because North Atlantic in winter... I know that I had picked up a bunch from the course, although I understand rather less of it is taught now to the Marine Technicians, because not enough brain cells to hold wide enough knowledge. We lost the seagoing Nav Arc's on the tankers years ago- when I was in NL, the last 3 Nav Arc officers were under training, then they canned the program and they went off to other trades... There wasn't much covered on my OCE (Orca Class Engineer) package, which was aimed at 5's graduates (3rd class engineers). That, I found a bit disconcerting, but the end is because they are a 250 ton ship, the safety is one section flooded, otherwise abandon ship & sort it out later if it floats. James

I'm assuming N scale here- because size constraints. If there is room for a 2nd set of LED's, that's probably the easiest way to do it... James

I've read the reports on it, I think one NTSB (US) one, and a more informal shipping informational one. It made for some very interesting reading as at the time I was teaching (particularly) flood control on ships. IIRC, one of the salvage crew died of a heart attack onboard, and she hung at something like 45% list for a substantial period of time (1+ week). James

Possibles: 1. Check (or Clack) valve, for filling the boiler with water from an injector or pump 2. Ejector for vacuum, to create vacuum for brakes 3. Steam (or water) for a hydrostatic lubricator I'm not 100% sure which it is...I suspect #2, but I could well be wrong. It is not an injector, as there are not enough lines/valve for it to be one. It's not a plain check valve either. (or a top feed, which would be higher on the boiler still, feeding into a tray arrangement in the steam space). It's not uncommon for a underfeed check valve (one that feeds under the water level) to be on the backhead. It all depends on the designer and thought process used. James

As per https://www.mobility.siemens.com/ca/en/company/newsroom/short-news/ontario-purchases-three-trainsets-for-return-of-the-northlander.html?linkId=300000004093978&fbclid=IwAR1VJzwqJt1CwH1fdcMp-JSeYVhz68P5wRVqdtH4tK2Yy-zF_tzZTCE8Jjc New trainsets for ONR, one presumes for the Northlander.

Yes. Check the motor is actually isolated on both terminals from the chassis. Shocked the decoder works if it was actually on fire 🔥 I’ve let lots of magic smoke 💨 out, but it is rare to see fire.

I met a Dalek who was looking for directions home, asking where he was from he replied "Devon" mate. I replied "what part mate " He replied "Exeter mate, Exeter mate Exeter mate"

PO= Petty Officer, In my case, PO2 (the lesser one), Marine Engineer Artificer, Engineering Officer of the Watch qualified individual. RCN=Royal Canadian Navy CJIRU- Chemical Joint Incident Response Unit, the Canadian Forces response unit for any CBRN incident. CBRN-Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear PT-Physical Fitness JTF2- Joint Task Force 2, the Canadian +/- SAS (more like US Delta than SAS). SAR- Search And Rescue- SAR Tech's are very well taught in doing a bunch of stuff, and richly deserve the same pay as I got for the skills they have. (Specialist 2 pay, I didn't face the hazards, so didn't get the hazard part... totally fair !) (there HAS to be some kind of joke in here...but darn'd if I know what it is...) (Also, the one about the aliens up thread...it was funny !) PO2 James Powell (retired)

Those that can, do. I’m merely Retired reg force PO of the RCN. Unlike the toughs I knew who did some of the special Ops training…I’m thinking of one of my mates, who tried out for CJIRU, the Canadian Chemical Warfare response unit. He’s a wizard at CBRN, a bit of a PT nut, and failed on the shooting part. There were others who went off to play with JTF2 that I know…it’s 90% heart for all those sorts of jobs. Similarly, I worked with a couple of failed prospective SAR techs…hey didn’t know the meaning of the word quit. PO2 Barrett for sure…