The Night Mail

[AndyID]

15 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Should I happen across your mortal remains so entombed, I will twirl my tail whilst blowing the last post, then remove the complete boards and rename it Hunter's Hill.

 

With a name like that it could be either in the South East, or even a way side stop on the old north Cornwall line.

 

 

 

Oddly enough my parents' house was on Hunterhill Road although their house was actually on Saucel Hill, conveniently adjacent to the lines of the former Glasgow and South Western Railway. It was a secondary line but I saw many interesting engines there, even quite a number of Pacifics.

[Florence Locomotive Works]

I’ve returned, don’t get to excited.

My first ever Cornish Pasty was had today, a picture might be below. I’ve spent the last two weeks making a powered diorama of a single track version of the entrance to the Box Tunnel, in 4mm broad gauge. Might have said that earlier...

 

Well the engine still isn’t here, but progress has been made. I think the pictures more or less speak for themselves. 
 

Anyways, stay healthy,

 

Douglas

 

The signal and telegraph wires. All made from wood might I add. The signal is wire and the A frame is from what in the states are called “toothpicks”, but I’ve never heard of anybody using them for that. 

 
Rubbish weathering on the tunnel portal.

Making the embankment with paper mache.

Scratch built Bristol & Exeter wagon loaded with a Fowler 4 nhp portable engine. 
 

 

A rather nice Pasty from a British importation company up in New York.

Edited July 18, 2020 by Florence Locomotive Works

[Florence Locomotive Works]

On 15/07/2020 at 10:08, Happy Hippo said:

Blist's Hill was busy this afternoon:

 

 

Lucky man living so close to a Victorian forge.... 

[Happy Hippo]

4 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

Lucky man living so close to a Victorian forge.... 

There is a forge of a similar age in the next village, albeit it a lot smaller.

 

It's now used as a garage, but it could revert to it's former glory quite quickly.  All you'd need would be a new grate and some tools.

 

I got up quickly this morning: Cramp in the back of my left thigh.  It  rapidly overcame the reluctance to get out of bed caused by my chest.

 

Looking out of the window reveals a rather grey and wet day so any plans on gardening have been put on hold.

 

The garage and the workshop both beckon.

 

 

Edited July 18, 2020 by Happy Hippo

[jamie92208]

22 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

My lot are off to St Ives by train today, so I have the house to myself for a few hours.  I am WFH, so no chance of modelling, but I can put my choice of music on loud.

 

No 2 son had his first ever grade 2 hair cut yesterday (in prep for his 10 week holiday at HMS Raleigh in November) - he says his head is now cold...

When I joined the Force I had my shoulder length locks cut 3 times in a fortnight. Once to what I thought was OK before I started. My first day the drill pig sent me to Polish Joe's just down the road complaining that he should be hurting me because he was 'standing on my back air'. Then the next Monday at the Home Office training centre. Here they were very democratic, they sent all the male recruits to the barbers.  This was mid Nivember and the wind across the drill square was icy.

20 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Should I happen across your mortal remains so entombed, I will twirl my tail whilst blowing the last post, then remove the complete boards and rename it Hunter's Hill.

 

With a name like that it could be either in the South East, or even a way side stop on the old north Cornwall line.

 

 

To me it sounds like an Australian winery.

 

Anyway good moaning to all.

 

Jamie

[Dave Hunt]

I thought an Australian winery was a group of rugby supporters after their team lost.

 

Grey and generally miserable here. And the weather's 'orrible too. I may have to spend some time in the workshop.....

 

I hope you can get at least a few bits of you working satisfactorily and relatively painlessly HH. 

 

Have a a good weekend everyone.

 

Dave

[Stubby47]

Not having any aches, pains or other ailments, but also not having any gardening duties, and due to the slight inclementness of the weather, hopefully I will be in the modelling workshop, aka the garage,  sorting out some space. Tinner's needs to be moved to the loft, along with any rolling stock I don't need for T-CATS. 

Then T-CATS can be moved along the frames under the strip light. This will free up space to move the boxes of books off the floor (gaining brownie points).

All this should stop me browsing KMRC and looking at Dapol O Gauge sentinels, because I really, really don't want to build a short single line layout in 7mm, with a 16T mineral wagon and an overhead ballast dispenser..

Edited July 18, 2020 by Stubby47

[Northroader]

Don’t fight it, Stu, we’re all getting older, start that short single line layout in 7mm now.

[Happy Hippo]

7 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

I’ve returned, don’t get to excited.

My first ever Cornish Pasty was had today

 

I hate to worry you, but that looks like a Devon Pasty to me.

 

Living in that neck of the woods, Stu will be the most knowledgeable about what is a proper Cornish pasty, but to my eyes, the crust looks wrong!

[Stubby47]

I'm Welsh, I've only lived in Cornwall just over 30 years and I don't eat pasties.

 

But I'd agree, the crust is wrong.

[jamie92208]

I caused great amusement  at the Redruth show by eating my lunchtime pasty from both ends, though even my mouth isn't big enough to eat both ends at the same time, whetever certain persons may allege .

 

Jamie

Edited July 18, 2020 by jamie92208

[Happy Hippo]

The end result of my morning in the garage. An egg cup made from a bit of apple tree. The first wood turning I've done since I was at school. The new scroll chuck works well. 

[Stubby47]

T-CATS is in position. 

 

 

 

[Happy Hippo]

We Welsh need to stick together Stu!  My claim to Cornwall is that my Great  great grandfather moved from Saltash to S Wales with the the railways, where they needed skilled manpower. Some of the family remained down there, and can be seen to this day on the various WWI war memorials:  All RN, mostly at rest in the North Sea.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about  what you can do in 7 mm scale.   There have been quite a few small and simple but very enjoyable lines made.  It is also true that that doyen of the 4mm S&DJR, NHY 581, has succumbed to the siren call of a Dapol 14xx!

 

One of the most effective lines I've seen in 7mm which is really small is Dave Roberts's Graig Wen.  It comprises a high level loco shed and coal loader, and a Z reverse to low level where the full wagons  then go off scene.

 

I should imagine something along similar lines would do very well with a Sentinel and a mineral wagon or two, or three, or four!

 

The aches and pains have cleared up as they always do, just the occasional twinge now.  I just need to remember that I need to warm up before I attempt anything that's strenuous and requires awkward stretches.

 

My claim to fame used to be putting a Mars Bar (the old decent sized version) into my mouth sideways.  Luckily I didn't swallow, otherwise I'd have looked a bit like Bobby Sands swallowing a chip.

 

I now need to go and brush up the wood turnings off the floor of the garage as there is more work to be done!

 

 

Edited July 18, 2020 by Happy Hippo

[Stubby47]

As well as NHY's slippage, I am a near neighbour of rcf, with his Osney Town ensemble of small 7mm layouts. 

 

However, now T-CATS is in position , the lure towards Gay Joe is diminishing. 

Edited July 18, 2020 by Stubby47

[Florence Locomotive Works]

I recently found this old photo showing the signal at the entrance to the Box Tunnel before track laying.

Unfortunately the Apple photo editing function can’t quite replicate the fuzziness of commercial photography from around the mid 1840s. 

Edited July 18, 2020 by Florence Locomotive Works

[polybear]

13 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

My first day the drill pig sent me to ....

 

 

Not sure that comment is strictly PC.  It may even be career limiting....

 

7 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

My claim to fame used to be putting a Mars Bar (the old decent sized version) into my mouth sideways. 

 

 

I recall trying that in the mid/late 70's, much to my Aunt's amusement.  It didn't end well, and I still get reminded about it occasionally...

[The Johnster]

Mick Jagger seemed capable enough with a Mars Bar, or so it is alleged...

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Mammoth arrived a few hours ago, lots of progress has been made, but she’s far from finished. 

[bbishop]

"Another day with the LAS tomorrow, so could you keep the chat going, please.  Bill"

 

So I managed not to post the above yesterday.  For some reason I came home cream crackered.  We could have a church service in the churchyard tomorrow, just so long as we don't get Old Trafford weather.  Off to bed.  Bill

[Dave Hunt]

14 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

When I joined the Force I had my shoulder length locks cut 3 times in a fortnight. Once to what I thought was OK before I started. My first day the drill pig sent me to Polish Joe's just down the road complaining that he should be hurting me because he was 'standing on my back air'. Then the next Monday at the Home Office training centre. Here they were very democratic, they sent all the male recruits to the barbers.

 

 

The day I joined the RAF I ended up with what would nowadays probably be called a number two, in those days I think it would have been a very short crewcut, and had it renewed every week whether I needed it or not. I also made the acquaintance of the PT sergeant who introduced himself to us as, "My name is Sergeant Kerry. Previous courses have called me Killer Kerry. They had a point." Due to his tender ministrations I rapidly lost weight. About six weeks after I joined we were allowed out on the Saturday so Jill came to visit and got a room in a local pub where, being a penniless student nurse, she paid for her board and lodging by working behind the bar. I walked in and saw her there so walked up to the bar and ordered a beer. She started to serve me without comment then looked at me quizzically before her eyes widened and she said, "Oh, it's you." The last time she'd seen me I'd been about a stone heavier and had hair over my collar.

 

Nowadays I'm somewhere in between - somewhat heavier (I will not reveal how much) and with hardly any hair.

 

Happy days.

 

Dave

 

 

[BR60103]

I dug out another old kit -- Airfix Brake Van.  The price tag says $ .98. There is a bit on the box that says "Limited Production".

I can't find my previous build -- done about 55 years ago -- but I think it was brown. This one is in bright red plastic. I think the directions are the same as they say to paint the underframe, buffer heads and roof but don't mention the rest.

 

Well, I did manage to find a slide of the interior of a similar van with my uncle and his friend in it, so I know the inside is a kind of white colour. I'm going for Humbrol Ivory. The other bits will be Polly S Boxcar Red and some of their blacks. These are getting on a bit now and the company that bought Floquil/PollyS and discontinued them has been bought by another and discontinued.  

PollyS used to make a line of Dungeons and Dragons paint which included a line of greys. I liked using Gargoyle Grey on rooves. 

Day nearly over. High near 32. We went out to hear our local group the Elderly Brothers "rehearse" (concerts are verboten) but came home because of the heat. (Have I noted that we are in a community with a minimum age of 55 and a median much higher?)

 

 

[PatB]

The Airfix brake van I built in the early 1980s was in that red plastic. The cattle van was a fairly dark brown, and the L&Y Pug was black. Increasingly unreliable memory tells me that the Bulleid Pacific was a rather unattractive shade of green. 

 

What gets me is that the others are all sort of an appropriate colour, so why they went for Hornby LT Pannier Red for the brake completely escapes me. 

[polybear]

8 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

I needed it or not. I also made the acquaintance of the PT sergeant who introduced himself to us as, "My name is Sergeant Kerry. Previous courses have called me Killer Kerry. They had a point."

 

 

Remember "Get Some In"?

Their new master, Corporal Marsh, introduced himself to them thusly; “My name’s Marsh. That’s B-A-S-T-A-R-D . . . Marsh”

 

[Happy Hippo]

I was given a partially dismantled Airfix brake van, which still resides in a box with the other 4 mm bits and bobs awaiting restoration.  I also have quite a few of the 16 ton mineral wagons.  I got them off eBay about 5 years ago, and still haven't  got around to opening the boxes.  somebody once said they are so easy they'll build themselves.  Well they haven't so far!

 

Is it me or has anyone else noticed that since the latest moratorium on diversions into model railways over on ERs, things are getting quite intense in other areas?

 

Of course Sunday now beckons, with blue skies and a stiff breeze. This will encourage work on the extensive grounds of the vegetable patch.  This area of the Hippodrome would be far more productive if the veg grew at even half the rate that the weeds are capable of flourishing at.

 

We might even mask up and go to the local farm shop and the attached garden centre.  We need some spot weed killer and I still have to replace the broken fork handle.  One do not realise how much the fork is relied upon in the garden until it's broken.