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The Night Mail


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7 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

I suspect the Dave the hunter is currently asleep under a parasol in his garden.

 

Au contraire mon ami. This morning I cycled into town for some paint and other essential (i.e., modelling) supplies then after lunch Jill went out with a friend and left me to my own devices without any instructions so as she exited the drive and rounded the corner I was off to the shed like a rat up a drainpipe and spent four hours working on the old goods shed PW store for my layout. On the womenfolk's return it was declared G&T time on the patio so I felt more or less obliged to join in on the basis that it would have been churlish not to.

 

7 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

As always I have a slightly cunning plan.

  

As long as it is only slightly cunning the potential for an alarming amount of damage is probably marginal. I suppose it involves cake?

 

Dave

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2 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 As long as it is only slightly cunning the potential for an alarming amount of damage is probably marginal. I suppose it involves cake?

Cake was provided today by the cake makers next door but one.

 

i removed a  a couple of ticks from their Westie puppy and was duly rewarded.

 

The Obergrumpenfuhrer claimed 50% of the cake and scones as her share:  It would have been churlish to refuse:laugh_mini:.

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Evening,

 

The Works has been in full production for most of today. Heath Robinson’s rolling mill was disassembled and turned into a cotton mill, but more on that in future.

 

 

The big news was that my 1924ish Weeden No. 14 arrived today, in quite a state as well. So it was immediately stripped down and put in a bath of Simple Green, which improved the engines complexion no end. Then it was off to the local Michaels to buy some paint for the base. I decided on black for this, with a red-brown floor. 
 

On the disassembly of the engine, the bottom water gauge fitting, as expected, had dezincafied and sheared off in the bushing, so a spare one will be ordered soon. Other than that everything went very smoothly (nock on wood), including the repainting of the flywheel in dark green. The boiler still needs some serious polishing though, so now I’ll let the pictures take over. 
 

 

stay healthy,

 

Douglas

B62817E1-99C8-427D-8069-DE8E86F24A29.jpeg

752F0E8F-5692-452B-8C23-0AF6769B13A1.jpeg

E8C0A4A4-6BF5-49E0-8CB1-20AA33C787D3.jpeg

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Good moaning to all.  The swing looks good HH. I've got a 3 seater in the shed that we were given.  I plan to set the legs in concrete with some bits of M10 threaded rod through the base of the legs to secure it in concrete.  The top of the concrete will beca couple of inches below ground level.  However today will be spent puttint the rest of the pool together as it slowly fills.  

 

The engine looks good Douglas.  Mention of Heath Robinson brings a memory.  The late David Jenkinson (A well known modeller and author) had a building on his Kendal Castle layout that was letterred, Heath andRobinson, Engineers to the Great Western Railway.

 

Jamie

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21 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Good moaning to all.  The swing looks good HH. I've got a 3 seater in the shed that we were given.  I plan to set the legs in concrete with some bits of M10 threaded rod through the base of the legs to secure it in concrete.  The top of the concrete will beca couple of inches below ground level.  However today will be spent puttint the rest of the pool together as it slowly fills.  

 

The engine looks good Douglas.  Mention of Heath Robinson brings a memory.  The late David Jenkinson (A well known modeller and author) had a building on his Kendal Castle layout that was letterred, Heath andRobinson, Engineers to the Great Western Railway.

 

Jamie

1.  with the impending garden re-stucturing any permanent placement of the swing is a non starter, otherwise I would be following your way of securing it.

 

2.  The late DJ was also an educator with Crab Air.  Look at Hunt and Tanner and see what a brilliant excellent good fair mediocre awful  job he  achieved.

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8 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

The Obergrumpenfuhrer claimed 50% of the cake and scones as her share:  It would have been churlish to refuse:laugh_mini:.

 

Churlish?  Or suicidal?

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Before the LGB arrives from Market Drayton,  I once wrote a short review about service life for a 'theatre production'.  It included:

 

(To be sung to Pink Floyd's 'Another Brick in the Wall')

 

I don't need no edukashun

That's why I defend the nation.

Sandhust said I was a leader

The CO says I'm a useless bleeder

 

RUPERT! Leave those grunts alone.................

 

 

Edited by Happy Hippo
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When I joined the RAF in '66 David Jenkinson was an education officer at South Cerney, which was where the aircrew Initial Training Wing was so I actually had lectures from him on service history and such. Sometime in the late 70s I recognised him at a model railway exhibition and we got to chatting  then when I moved to Boston (the one in Lincolnshire) in 1980 I met a chap called Geoff Holt who at the time was Chairman of the LMS Society and a friend of David's and with whom I became friends. In 1981 I joined the new Midland Railway Society launched by Bob Essery and a couple of years later was invited to join the LMS Society so got to know DJ quite well and together with Geoff Holt would visit him when he lived in Knaresborough and was building his first O gauge railway. Also at that time I was starting to do some serious research into MR and LMS locomotives and since David then worked at the NRM I met him there whenever I managed to get to York to delve into the archives as well as seeing him at LMSS meetings and at his home. Then, in about 1988, when I was instructing on the Tornado F3 conversion unit David's son Chris Jenkinson joined the staff and we worked together for a few years. So, all in all I was involved with DJ one way or another for quite a while and even did some work for him servicing and fettling locomotives that ran on Kendal Castle. My fondest memories of him, though, are of late night chats in the bars of various hotels during model railway shows or LMSS meetings when he would almost invariably introduce some contentious topic and sit with his pipe and a glass of red wine wearing a slightly mischievous grin as those around him got into heated discussion. Quite a character was DJ.

 

Dave

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DJ also had a rather fine Gauge 1 collection and a railway to suit.

 

Rather than meticulously model a particular railway or period, the concept was a very large double track oval with a set of storage sidings at one end.

 

From here trains were dispatched and received and allowed to run unhindered by signals or stations.

 

As I recall the concept was along the lines of trains of all nations: Trains would run which were representative of different countries.  But the locos would only run with the correct rolling stock in tow so as not to spoil the illusion.

 

It was set at a sensible height above ground and was fronted by a shaped hedge that gave the impression of a grassy embankment.

 

Absolutely fabulous.

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David's last 0 gauge layout at IIRC Raskelf, was Kendal Castle which incorporated Marthwaite. A group of 4 modellers , known as ABCD worked on it. A was Arthur Whitehead, B was Barry Lane, C was Chris Mathewman and D was obviously David Jenkinson. I was privileged  to be invited to a work day and went up with a new member of the team, Dave Woodward. A good pub lunch was enjoyed and Geoff Holt and a friend were also there. Geoff was making delivery of a beautiful  Gauge 1 turbomotive in Nickel Silver that he had made for DJ.  It was battery powered with radio control, and after lunch we test ran it on the outdoor track, after scraping the ice off the rails. It was January.  It was lovely to see.  We then ran sone trains on Kendal Castle. I was relegated to operating a hidden junction in a sort of box under the layout. I did bring a smile to DJ's face when I delayed a freight train to i sert a warflat behind the loco, this had a bottle of red as a load.  I ended up with a lot of unbuilt kits, a batch of wagons and a lot of platform furniture from Kendal.  In fact operators on Greeen Yre can see that the running in board on the down platform on LGA says Marthwaite.  The running in boards from Kendal now say Long Prexton and are on the bit if the layout in the village hall there.

 

Jamie

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The weather in not so sunny Shropshire seems to be deteriorating.

 

My plans for more woodworking exploits outside had better be put on hold.

 

I still need to get outside, albeit to the garage or workshop, otherwise I can foresee a domestic tasking heading my way.

 

 

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7 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 Then, in about 1988, when I was instructing on the Tornado F3 conversion unit David's son Chris Jenkinson joined the staff and we worked together for a few years. 

 

Dave

Geographically, I suspect we were near to each other,   and I probably saw your aircraft take off or land. in 88, as my first job out with GEC,  was to Coningsby,  on part of the commissioning and installation of the ADV Radar Test bay.  Went back, maybe two or three weeks a year for some years,   on servicing or commissioning tasks. 

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7 hours ago, TheQ said:

Geographically, I suspect we were near to each other,   and I probably saw your aircraft take off or land. in 88, as my first job out with GEC,  was to Coningsby,  on part of the commissioning and installation of the ADV Radar Test bay.  Went back, maybe two or three weeks a year for some years,   on servicing or commissioning tasks. 

 

Q, did you come across the Ferranti service engineer Ian Ansell (known affectionately as The Ferret) who ended up working for a long time with the OEU and became Mr. Foxhunter? Some years later he set up his own consultancy and still lives in Woodhall Spa; I saw him last year. 

 

Dave

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Evening all,

 

I ended up soldering the bottom water gauge fitting back together, as my engine is one of the 10% without threaded bushings. It could be a lot better, but it is water tight. The boiler also got a good two hours of polishing today, with satisfactory results. The gauge glass was cracked on arrival, so I now have some replacement glass on order. The pulley on the crankshaft was also removed, since it was partially melted by the previous owner, a common mistake on these engines.  Other than that little happened today. 
 

stay healthy,

 

 

Douglas

46EA9015-8E49-4B89-8FF5-EA32A780DDF9.jpeg

90783D94-6AB5-4086-9601-C614B1786C64.jpegEdit: the bottom fitting is far less wonky looking in real life. Honest.

Edited by Florence Locomotive Works
Err, needed to improve my case.
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7 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Q, did you come across the Ferranti service engineer Ian Ansell (known affectionately as The Ferret) who ended up working for a long time with the OEU and became Mr. Foxhunter? Some years later he set up his own consultancy and still lives in Woodhall Spa; I saw him last year. 

 

Dave

Yes I met Ian several times,  though didn't know him well,  and of course,  all the representatives on all the sites whether flight line or Radar Bay, Ferranti or Marconi . Though later Ferranti and Marconi merged,  so of course the numbers of reps reduced. IIRC The Marconi rep based in the radar bay had the first name of Chris,  he lived in Sleaford  on the Grantham rd.

 

RAF Scampton  later RAF Sealand was 3rd line repairs so at one time lots of technicians and engineers were from in and around Lincolnshire mostly ex-RAF of course.  I used to spend my Wednesday evenings in the summer, if was there, down at Hykeham sailing club on the edge Lincoln. 

 

There was another person I knew at Coningsby, his name  was IRRC Geoff Harmer,  he was a member of my sailing club at Horning when he was based at Coltishall,  but got posted the the Historic Flight as WO IC engineering.  He I believe settled in Boston. Last I heard of him he retired from the RAF, he stayed on doing effectively the same job as a civilian.. He must have retired properly many years ago. 

 

PS as you can guess I have a terrible memory for names and always have had.  This is embarrassing as my name is odd so they almost always remembered mine. 

Edited by TheQ
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6 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

 

 

90783D94-6AB5-4086-9601-C614B1786C64.jpegEdit: the bottom fitting is far less wonky looking in real life. Honest.

Sadly, even if the two fittings are only ever so slightly out of alignment, the new gauge glass will either snap, crack or leak. (if either of the first two happen it will leak!)

 

Might I suggest that you remove the  bottom fitting, and then re-solder back in.  Before you do this, use a length of brass rod, the same diameter and length as the gauge glass, fitted between the top and bottom unions. 

 

This will ensure the correct alignment of the fittings and save you breaking the glass as soon as you tighten up the retaining nuts.

 

The advantage of using brass rod is, if  for some reason you can't get it out from between the unions, you can easily cut the centre section away with a piercing saw.

Edited by Happy Hippo
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I've just had a quick trip over to the Gauge 0 Guild forum.

 

It's reasonably calm now, but I can see that earlier on some of the election chatter for the forthcoming AGM, could have been described as 'Flak over the Ruhr'.

 

It's currently calm and sunny in this part of the world, which means a few miles North it's probably raining and windy at Hunt Towers.

Edited by Happy Hippo
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It is a bit windy here but then we did have rhubarb for dessert yesterday :blink:

 

It is sunny though so we are off for a walk in a few minutes then I have high hopes of some shed time this pm.

 

Q, I did know Geoff slightly as a good mate of mine, Paul Day, was boss of BBMF for quite a while and as my office was in the next hangar I'd sometimes nip over to see him for a cigar, coffee and a chat and often Geoff would come in to talk to him about some engineering matter.

 

Have a good Sunday people.

 

Dave

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While standing on a, ladder trying to force a length of 3/4 in ply into submission Chris's full name popped into my brain,  Chris Hannan-Bobe ( if I've spelt that right)  was the radar rep for the operational units,  he was great friends with Ken Sutherland who also did that duty for a while.  Ken became my last boss later,  and was the the man who switched the lights out when the closed the Marconi factory at Milton Keynes. 

 

When Marconi merged with Ferranti,  they put our division under the Ferranti factory at Edinburgh,  so when ever we won a contract, Edinburgh took the work..  Eventually we went from 1000+ people at MK when I joined,  down to 0...

 

I can see this happening at my current employer,  they've got rid of our factory manager,  so we all report to section managers in the USA.  I can see when replacements are required in the UK their work instead being taken to the USA.  With the eventual closure of our engineering design section first,  then because there are no new products being designed here,  production would go.  Leaving just a sales and service depot.  Not that this will matter to me I'll long be retired. 

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6 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

 

Might I suggest that you remove the  bottom fitting, and then re-solder back in.  Before you do this, use a length of brass rod, the same diameter and length as the gauge glass, fitted between the top and bottom unions.

When our previous central heating pump was installed by the house builders it had no clearance to enable it to be removed when it failed .  I thought I was going to have to cut it out but by using a scissor jack I managed to lever the pipes enough to get the pump out. The present installation is done properly though I won’t be replacing pumps as I don’t need to do such a thing as we have a service contract now. 
Tony

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I have found a new use for the swing!

 

when the seats are unclipped the hangers can be used to hang other items from them.

 

This afternoon, it was four rifle bags that needed airing after some time in my friend's storeroom.

 

I could also see it being used for suspending some of the less desirable characters from the village by their thumbs, via cable ties, and either pelting them with tomatoes or just hosing them down. (Tinned tomatoes are not allowed, sadly).

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29 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

I could also see it being used for suspending some of the less desirable characters from the village by their thumbs, via cable ties, and either pelting them with tomatoes or just hosing them down. (Tinned tomatoes are not allowed, sadly).

 

They wouldn't hurt much and would make a mess.  However if you kept them in the tin....  Just a thought.

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51 minutes ago, petethemole said:

 

They wouldn't hurt much and would make a mess.  However if you kept them in the tin....  Just a thought.

I suppose the tomatoes would add to a higher initial pain load if the were suspended from a more centrally placed appendage rather than their thumbs.

 

Jamie

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