The Night Mail

[jamie92208]

3 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Note to self:

 

Do not build a model MPD with a coaling stage.

You get someone else to build it for you.

 

Jamie

[Happy Hippo]

1 minute ago, jamie92208 said:

You get someone else to build it for you.

 

Jamie

I don't think Dave will be too pleased when his masterpiece is subsumed into the Welsh Valleys and is regauged.

 

In other news, I have been informed that the Young 7mm Upstarts have a membership climbing past 100 before the first week is out.

 

(A couple of well known S7 advocates are amongst the number.)

[New Haven Neil]

A not-so finescale reprobate also.....

[Happy Hippo]

2 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

A not-so finescale reprobate also.....

May be so, but I've heard tell in certain circles that he's a fellow of impeccable pedigree.

[New Haven Neil]

6 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

May be so, but I've heard tell in certain circles that he's a fellow of impeccable pedigree.

 

The Kennel Club? 

[Happy Hippo]

I knew dogs b****cks came into it somewhere.

[Happy Hippo]

Having looked at the tool restorations that have been discussed earlier on, I've decided that some of my old tatty oil cans could do with a makeover.

 

The trouble is when I look at the pile of work that I have building up on the bench, they may be waiting for some considerable time.

 

In other news the saga is more uplifting.

 

Having been using the inhaler the doctor agreed to prescribe after we agreed it was probably an asthma induced cough, I've now had two nights of uninterrupted sleep. Since I've had the cough for sometime, he's also asked for me to have a chest x-ray just to make sure there is no underlying problems.

 

Trying to keep one step ahead of the game, it would not surprise me if the problem had been caused to excessive amounts of dust generated by my various power tools.  I do wear a visor as well as mouth/nose and ear protection, but it could well be that the respiration protection could be improved, so I've ordered a much better mask and filters.

 

If it works I may very well invest in a proper full face combined visor and respirator.

[Florence Locomotive Works]

The Mogul was just steamed, with the new oil.

 

A semblance of success has been had.
 

It absolutely sails round the track with my two goods wagons, and can now do 1-3 circuits with both my BL Ex Stanier coaches. It still does run out of steam after a while, but it is running a lot better. Here’s a video without the goods train. I’ve also one with the coaches, which I’ll post sometime this evening. 
 

Douglas

 

 

[Dave Hunt]

10 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

 I have been informed that the Young 7mm Upstarts have a membership climbing past 100 before the first week is out.

 

(A couple of well known S7 advocates are amongst the number.)

 

Make that three 

 

Dave

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Here is the video with coaches as promised. It’s running a bit slow as it wasn’t quite up to pressure yet, but can now manage 2-3 circuits with both coaches. 
 

 

Douglas

 

 

[Happy Hippo]

This month will see Nyda and I married for 37 years.  

 

The suggestion of celebrating by purchasing a  7 mm scale Class 37 to celebrate has not gone down as well as could have been imagined.

[rockershovel]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

This month will see Nyda and I married for 37 years.  

 

The suggestion of celebrating by purchasing a  7 mm scale Class 37 to celebrate has not gone down as well as could have been imagined.

 

Oh, I don’t know. I could see that one coming a LONG way away...

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, chrisf said:

 

The GWR had many lucrative sidelines but that one is new to me!  So for that matter is the presence of God's Wonderful in Sheffield.  We must rewrite history, and do it NOW

 

Chris

There was a through Paignton to Bradford Forster Square carriage. I have seen a picture of one at Shipley working through, in the chocolate and cream livery.

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

This month will see Nyda and I married for 37 years.  

 

The suggestion of celebrating by purchasing a  7 mm scale Class 37 to celebrate has not gone down as well as could have been imagined.

Does anyone do a class 42 for next year for me.

 

Jamie

[Happy Hippo]

1 minute ago, jamie92208 said:

There was a through Paignton to Bradford Forster Square carriage. I have seen a picture of one at Shipley working through, in the chocolate and cream livery.

Does anyone do a class 42 for next year for me.

 

Jamie

Heljan

 

 

Also in Maroon or Blue

[Tony_S]

2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Does anyone do a class 42 for next year for me.

This year was our 43rd. There are no “traditional” anniversary gifts for 43 but Aditi found a “modern” list that suggested travel. I don’t think we travelled this year. Next year for 44 the suggestion is “Grocery” or “Gourmet”. 
Jamie will be pleased to know that from the modern list “Real Estate” is an appropriate gift for 42nd anniversary gifts. 
Tony

Edited December 5, 2020 by Tony_S

[Happy Hippo]

I'm sensible enough to hold fire on getting a Class 37 at present.  The Minerva Class 14 (95xx 0-6-0 dh) will not be far off now as will the Class 121 DMU.

 

This afternoon saw a bit of work on the conservatory table... Well the work consisted of laying out some point work templates which proved that the single slip variant of Aberflyarff does not appear to fit comfortably into the space I currently have available.  However the other option I came up with will.

 

Of course, I do have plenty of space (and the rolling stock in various boxes) to create the original scheme in 4mm scale.

 

I could then build it as a roundy, using the grandchildren as an excuse, but I suspect I would get caught out at some stage.

 

 

[Florence Locomotive Works]

This was an interesting sight downtown this morning: A Sikorsky something-or-other heavy lifting helicopter lifting air con units onto an office building, and landing in a small parking lot. No shots of it on the ground though. 
 

Douglas

 

 

 

 

Edited December 5, 2020 by Florence Locomotive Works

[Happy Hippo]

 S 64 Skycrane.  I always joked it was a SeaKing cockpit with 8000 shp at its disposal.

 

As an aside, a friend has just qualified as an instructor and examiner on the S61.  He's already a CAA senior examiner, and is currently home for Christmas before returning to contract working (on S 61) in the Falkland Isles.  The S 61 was one of those helicopters he's always wanted to fly, so has finally got it ticked off his bucket list.

 

 

[Florence Locomotive Works]

As another aside, there is an urban legend about the pointy building in my 2nd and 3rd photos. Said legend is that the spire is in fact a Zeppelin mooring tower. Unfortunately that isn’t true, but we have had zeppelins grace our sky’s before, most notably the USS Los Angeles in 1928. (Source https://welweb.org/ThenandNow/ZR-3.html) The tower actually has massive lantern in it that shines green most of the time, but red we have a tornado or bad weather heading our way. Inside this lantern was the chimney for the buildings boiler, now no longer used. 

 

Douglas

 

 

Edit: Apparently it did exist, and was dismantled in 1939.

 

Edited December 5, 2020 by Florence Locomotive Works

[Northroader]

We had a runaway on the western valleys line, with a class 37 going through some colliery sidings, out of the end and down a bank, so really well off. The Divisional Maintenance Engineer was distraught, and floated the idea of lifting it back with a helicopter. I had to persuade him that the biggest was the skycrane, if the Yanks would lend it to us, and it wouldn’t be able to do the job. In the end we pulled it back on its side with Kelbus gear, a sort of glorified pulley system, very rarely used.

[Tony_S]

Skyscrapers and Airships seem to have been a 1920s 30s thing. The Empire State Building was designed with a Zeppelin hook. It later became an aerial.

Edited December 5, 2020 by Tony_S

[rockershovel]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

Skyscrapers and Airships seem to have been a 1920s 30s thing. The Empire State Building was designed with a Zeppelin hook. It later became an aerial.

 

I’ve  never really understood how passengers were meant to disembark... 

[Tony_S]

28 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

 

I’ve  never really understood how passengers were meant to disembark... 

I did wonder that when I saw the Empire State Building for the first time ( in person rather than a photo or other image).

I found a diagram of how passengers exited from R100 at Montreal Tower which certainly wasn’t that high but I suppose the principle would be similar. 
https://imgur.com/fnI7vgQ

 

Tony

[rockershovel]

34 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I did wonder that when I saw the Empire State Building for the first time ( in person rather than a photo or other image).

I found a diagram of how passengers exited from R100 at Montreal Tower which certainly wasn’t that high but I suppose the principle would be similar. 
https://imgur.com/fnI7vgQ

 

Tony

 

My understanding is that airships docked to relatively low ground masts, and were secured by large groundcrews which moored them using ropes (the famous film of the destruction of the Hindenburg shows this operation). They seem to have been berthed in hangars wherever possible. I can’t find any reference to an airship mooring to a tall building anywhere, other than some accounts of a brief test mooring by a small craft (no one attempting to embark or disembark). 

[polybear]

4 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

This was an interesting sight downtown this morning: A Sikorsky something-or-other heavy lifting helicopter lifting air con units onto an office building, and landing in a small parking lot. No shots of it on the ground though. 
 

Douglas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That thing looks like an accident waiting to happen - how it doesn't snap in half (even without a load) must be one of life's great mysteries....