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The Night Mail


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I am currently watching Dick and Angel on 4 plus 1.

I have watched tge Italian job and the longest day. I have also tried out my new headphones with a few tracks from Treorchy welsh male voice choir including cwm rhonnda with Sir Harry Secombe.

The boss has kindly bought me a lego crocodile loco kit as something to keep me our of mischief.  Little does she realise it can be motorized. 

 

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1 hour ago, rockershovel said:

 

I’ve bought several locomotives from US trade sources and had good service. I’ve always paid for the double box, a practice I’ve copied from my bike dealings, and that has served me well. 

 

Regarding the pilot bogie wheels, what are you seeking to achieve? I went through this maze and learnt a number of things in the process. The “Scale” bogie Lionel supplied with some versions of this locomotive does not have “scale wheels”, it has wheels of approximately Scale size (18mm) with the deep flanges and wide treads necessary for negotiating tubular track. No post-WW2 Lionel locomotive has “Scale wheels” in the sense of the NMRA standards. 

 

This will cause problems from the rear bogie wheels fouling the backs of the cylinder castings on curves less than O72 (ie, 36” radius).

 

The “scale wheels” sometimes seen on conversions are often from North West Short Lines. They seem to be perfectly good wheels, but won’t cope with tubular track. MTH locos deal with this by having wheels which are somewhat undersize, but less so than Lionel wheels, and having more clearance behind the cylinders. That’s how I came to the “Coarse O Scale” 15.5mm wheels on my Williams Scale Hudson; these work fine on tubular track and will clear O42 curves with O54 transitions, or O42 with care. 

 

If you are planning on using O Gauge tubular track with its standard O31 curves, keep the standard front bogie. 

 

Another thing I learnt, is that there are three different tenders fitted to various versions of this loco. There is the PT, or “centipede” tender, which you don’t appear to have. Then there are the long, and short versions of the 6-wheel bogie tender. The “short” one will negotiate O31, the “long” (ie, scale length) one won’t. You most likely have the “short” tender. TBH, I wouldn’t bother with “scale” front wheels unless I was going for a full-size tender and full valve gear at the same time. I didn’t lose anything on my Williams Hudson as it already had the full-length tender. 

Many many moons ago my dad and I almost bought a beautiful (and quite big) Ho gauge USA layout from a local model shop. The owner was less than helpful, and from memory actually tried to obstruct our progress with moving the layout. Long story short we never bought it. Haven’t a clue what happened to it, I believe the sight is now a donut shop. 

 

Re scale wheels: I was planning on buying the front bogie from a prewar 763e or 700e which has semi scale wheels. Thank you very much for the info on them though. I’m only planning to run the engine on O-72 curves, as the swingout over the both leading and trailing bogies would drive me mad. 

 

Douglas

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

 Working in the radars or sitting in the tea bar in the Hebrides on duty over Christmas is a close approximation to the Falklands.. Very much so in outside appearance only it's Heather and grass  in the hebrides with tiny ferns and  grass in the Falklands.

 

My father said that during WW2 some Canadian forces had training in the north of Scotland the first winter. (He was in radar.) A lot of them applied for Middle East duty.

 

We went out to buy a newspaper today; empty racks.

Later we went for a walk in the Village. We stayed on the sidewalks, which were plowed, but one court didn't have a sidewalk and I managed to land flat on my back. No hurt apparent, but I had cold, damp pants until I got home. Temperature about freezing.

 

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Although I think Cwm Rhondda is one of the finest hymns ever written, I now find it difficult to sing.

 

We chose it to be sung at my father's funeral, and by all accounts nearly took the roof of the chapel of rest!

 

The next time we sang it was at my daughter's wedding, and since then I find it hard going.

 

My favourite is I Bob Un Sydd Ffyddlon, which was the School song at Rhiwbina Infants and Junior school. (The tune, known as Rachie, named so after the daughter of the Pastor of the Congregational Church at Resolven.)

 

It is another favourite of the rugby crowds and male voice choirs although some spoil it by mixing the end up with another of Caradog Robert's tunes, 'Mawlgan'.

 

My favourite Christmas Carol is It Came Upon The Midnight Clear, but I cannot sing it, as that will reduce me to tears.  I have no idea why!  Certainly not sadness so perhaps joy?

 

The link to a small congregation singing I Bob is here:

 

 

 

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7 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

Many many moons ago my dad and I almost bought a beautiful (and quite big) Ho gauge USA layout from a local model shop. The owner was less than helpful, and from memory actually tried to obstruct our progress with moving the layout. Long story short we never bought it. Haven’t a clue what happened to it, I believe the sight is now a donut shop. 

 

Re scale wheels: I was planning on buying the front bogie from a prewar 763e or 700e which has semi scale wheels. Thank you very much for the info on them though. I’m only planning to run the engine on O-72 curves, as the swingout over the both leading and trailing bogies would drive me mad. 

 

Douglas

 

Don't buy Pre War front pony trucks, according to O Gauge Railroading forum; they fit Pre War locos only. Also, the 700e has its own special track, the 763e was a version to suit tubular track and the wheels are different.

 

Based on information on OGRR, the pilot you require comes from the 1990s version which has plastic wheels. The bogie supposedly swaps straight in although some fettling of the links, springs and washers is required, to provide clearance under the chassis (the larger wheels change the height of the bogie frame). I had to do this with mine, it isn’t difficult. If the bogie doesn’t fit, because apparently the mountings can vary, the plastic wheels are an easy press fit and can be swapped (because all the later axles are interchangeable).

 

Lionel appear to have done the same as Harley Davidson, or other American companies using batch production systems; made ongoing changes to components for production reasons, or because of variations in parts from suppliers whilst using the same part numbers. This sounds stupid but actually it is quite logical; since their actual purpose is to assemble complete units, as long as you have the relevant numbered components and follow the inventory and assembly procedures, you are fine. The fact that this may cause problems for a few hobbyists, years later, isn’t a consideration. 

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4 hours ago, BR60103 said:

Later we went for a walk in the Village. We stayed on the sidewalks, which were plowed, but one court didn't have a sidewalk and I managed to land flat on my back. No hurt apparent, but I had cold, damp pants until I got home. Temperature about freezing.

 

 

Last time Bear managed that stunt was the winter of 2009 - the pavement outside the Dry Cleaners is sloped and was like an ice rink, and Bear bought it.  Busted a couple of ribs for my trouble, and have never felt pain like it.....

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17 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

We chose it to be sung at my father's funeral, and by all accounts nearly took the roof of the chapel of rest!

 

The next time we sang it was at my daughter's wedding, and since then I find it hard going.

 

 

 

Bear's Tip of The Day:

When choosing music for a Funeral, don't pick anything popular - it'll screw you up every time it comes on the radio, often when you're driving.  Learnt the hard way, unfortunately.

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9 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Bear's Tip of The Day:

When choosing music for a Funeral, don't pick anything popular - it'll screw you up every time it comes on the radio, often when you're driving.  Learnt the hard way, unfortunately.

My son has threatened that I'm going out to AC/DC's Highway to Hell!

 

Fortunately, I don't have a problem with the listening:  It's just the singing I can't do.

 

Mind you, if you have heard my singing voice, you'd probably be crying as well.

Edited by Happy Hippo
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It Came Upon A Midnight Clear is, indeed, a very fine carol. 

 

I had a thought-provoking conversation with the Minister conducting the funeral service for a neighbour, some years ago. He spoke of dealing with people who came to him for weddings and funerals but otherwise had no experience of sacred and ceremonial music; “unchurched”, to use his phrase. 

 

Rugby crowds unable to distinguish one tune from another, is nothing new or unusual. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” tends to suffer from the fact that almost no one actually knows it. There are several, quite different lyrics to “Men of Harlech”. 

 

It isn't just rugby crowds. Anyone starting “Trumpet Hornpipe” at a pub music session, needs to know how they intend to end, because there are several quite different versions, none of which match the arrangement best known as “Captain Pugwash”. “Sailors Hornpipe” is another example, including variants such as omitting sections of the rhythm (done at Last Night Of The Proms, in the fast section player at the end) and there is a common mistake of straying across into “Blue Peter” or “Barnacle Bill”, probably because one version of the BBC arrangement does this, and people learn it by ear...

 

Edited by rockershovel
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Music for funerals - aha [no, not the Norwegian boy band with ridiculously high voices]

 

The last funeral that I attended was that of my Aunt Joan, who passed away in February 2019.  Cwm Rhondda was one of the hymns and we did our level best to raise the roof of the chapel at Bridgwater crematorium, mindful as ever of Max Boyce who alluded to the ability of rugby crowds to make it sound the same as Delilah.  If you are going to celebrate someone's life, sing in a celebratory way!

 

My father's funeral in 2005 did not work quite like that.  The three pieces of music were not intended fo singing but to aid reflection - Over the Rainbow, sung by Eva Cassidy: an instrumental version of You'll Never walk Alone because I heard the Gerry and the Pacemakers version on the radio a week after we learned that Dad had lung cancer and I bawled my eyes out: and the well-known bit of Riverdance because Dad loved the show, to the extent that he went by train to Brighton to see it only a couple of years before he died.

 

Chris

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1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

Bear's Tip of The Day:

When choosing music for a Funeral, don't pick anything popular - it'll screw you up every time it comes on the radio, often when you're driving.  Learnt the hard way, unfortunately.

 

My Minister acquaintance (who embraced Methodism in later life, we originally know each other through sometime Labour Party membership) won’t countenance “My Way” or “Bright Side of Life” on the grounds that he is thoroughly fed up with both, and it’s inappropriate to ask people why they choose them at such a time, because they are never able to answer coherently. My sister-in-law was cremated to the latter, which I thought entirely inappropriate for someone much troubled by the mental after-effects of an abusive marriage, and a subsequent long and unpleasant degenerative illness. Her daughter also found it distressing; I don’t know who chose it. 

 

Edited by rockershovel
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I do think it depends on the person whom we are celebrating. One friend very deliberately requested Pythons 'Bright Side of life', and it bought the house down. After the first few bars we raised the roof which was the perfect antidote to what is, after all, a solemn occasion.  

 

"Mood for a day' is an excellent piece of reflective music: Well worthy of a mention here. 

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Here, the mood for the day is whatever you want.

 

So, it will be cake, ( I only had two small slices yesterday), a walk down the lane which is now a cul-de-sac, so very quiet, and a spot of railway modelling.

 

To clarify, that will not be drawing or reading, but really getting something out to build/repair/paint/damage depending on how clumsy I'm feeling.

 

Remaking the baseboards from South Greenfield into Torri Gwynt territory might be a pleasant diversion, before the weather turns again.

 

Plus it makes a fair amount of noise to annoy the annoying neighbour:laugh_mini:.

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Over here, it's absolute minimal noise until Monday. I do respect my neighbours here, and we're all of a similar age group. We do have a new neighbour, and he likes quads & scramblers. We'll see....

 

Some inside work will ensue today.  My reference to 'mood for a day' is a guitar piece by Steve Howe. Beautifully executed, by an absolute maestro.  

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Bon aprés midi á tout.  A short interval between meals is being observed wit coffee and mince pies. A new bottlevof Glenlivet appeared yesterday and as we have to be back in before curfew at 8pm, I will probably subject it to quality control along with some cake.

 

Cwn Rhonda is a marvellous hymn when sung well though my late Mil hated it. As to music for funerals, one of our club membets, who had dual, US/British citizenship. He died of cancer in his 40's and requested a humanist funeral. Sadly I couldn't attend but rquested that Willue Nelson's version of "The Citybof New Orleans" be played as my contribution. Apparently  there wasn't a dry eye in the room, especially  when it came to the line, 'This trains got the disappearing railroad blues.'  However a colleague who died ofvthat terrible scourge, Huntington's  Chorea' was played out to Metallica's, ' Nothing else matters' played as loud as they could crank the system up to. As to carols, I suppose my favourite is Hark The Herald though Adeste Fidelis sung in the original latin, so that it svans, comes a close second.  The thought of me as a schoolboy chorister may be upsetting but it did happen.

 

Jamie

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2 hours ago, tomparryharry said:

I do think it depends on the person whom we are celebrating. One friend very deliberately requested Pythons 'Bright Side of life', and it bought the house down. After the first few bars we raised the roof which was the perfect antidote to what is, after all, a solemn occasion.  

 

"Mood for a day' is an excellent piece of reflective music: Well worthy of a mention here. 

 

Circumstances alter cases. My late mother’s funeral after a protracted decline (profoundly exhausting for all involved) was a sombre affair, with a general air of “thank God that’s over” and a subtext of sometimes, quite ancient family disputes being discreetly interred in quiet corners, and I can’t really see anything else being appropriate. I don’t recall the music but as it was left to the Minister, I assume it was something High Church. 

 

SiL funeral was a fretful business; her former husband was still playing games with one of her children relating to access to the grandchildren, and was informed off-stage that several of the menfolk would cheerfully ensure that he never got near the threshold of the service, should he attempt to do so. The daughter in question was informed directly that she could attend for her mother’s sake, and hold her peace, or not at all; take it or leave it. Much alcohol was consumed subsequently. There was nothing to celebrate, and the arch facetiousness of “Bright Side”, not well received by some. 

 

My late father was cremated in the 1960s to “Lilli Marlene”, befitting a former Desert Rat and 8th Army veteran, of no discernible religious persuasion. My mother reputedly vetoed “We’ll Meet Again” although I sometimes feel that its lyrics are almost religious .. Vera Lynn wasn’t the idol at home, that she was to the Forces, it’s often overlooked now that she lost much of her popularity amid the social transformations of the late 40s and 50s. 

 

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Like Jamie, Hark the Herald Angels gets my vote too. A real roof raiser.

 

I was surprised how much I remembered when singing along (a practice best done alone)  to the midnight mass on TV, whilst Mrs SM42 went to a much reduced real one. 

 

My favourite Polish carol is Bog Sie Rodzi (The Lord is born)  and especially this version by Stanislaw Soyka. Just a piano and his voice.

 

Best listened to by candlelight whilst in reflective mood.

You don't need to understand the words as the sentiment and emotion comes through in spades.

 

 

 

Cake beckons yet again (guess what I had for breakfast) as the coffee machine has been fired up.

We are down to the last  Yule Log. 

The tin of biscuits is looking nervous.

 

Andy

 

 

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Yesterday was trifle, today will be Christmas pud. The recommendations about Panettone  will be investigated in the week.  I don't know what we're having for tea, but there are lots of whole button mushrooms that need cooking off here, so it could be either be sausage or bacon with the mushrooms.

 

Or it could be beef.... 

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1 hour ago, rockershovel said:

My late father was cremated in the 1960s to “Lilli Marlene”, befitting a former Desert Rat and 8th Army veteran, of no discernible religious persuasion. My mother reputedly vetoed “We’ll Meet Again” although I sometimes feel that its lyrics are almost religious .. Vera Lynn wasn’t the idol at home, that she was to the Forces, it’s often overlooked now that she lost much of her popularity amid the social transformations of the late 40s and 50s. 

 

 

My Uncle was a big jazz fan (the real early stuff); my Aunt absolutely hated jazz.

For his funeral he came into the service to "Mournful Blues" and went out to "Shout For Joy".  The Vicar was a Jazz fan too, and added (after first asking) the following:

 

 

It certainly livened things up a bit.  Playing the clip from 1m 25s onwards is worthwhile if you don't want to watch the whole video

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Happy Boxing Day all,

 

Today the Hudson had its first long run, as it was taken out of service yesterday after only 10 minutes running due to the port side return crank coming out of the driver. This was loctited back in place, and left for 24 hours. It now runs very well, if a bit loud, and is surprisingly efficient, especially after I oiled the wheels on all my wagons for the first time ever :wacko:. The driving wheel axle boxes were also regreseased through the greasing holes, (fully sealed proper axle boxes, not hornblocks though) which has cleared up most of the noise. I also took the time to weigh the engine on our not terribly accurate kitchen scale, and it said 7 pounds, but my guess is it’s more like 10, without tender. A video of the engine is below, with cameo made by Fangio the cat. Some of the track may appear kinked, I’m fairly sure it isn’t. 
 

 

Douglas

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9 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

Classic Toy Trains cites the 20”, semi-scale Williams Hudson as 7.5 lb with tender, the full-Scale diecast one as 10.2 lb with tender. I haven’t weighed mine but that seems about right. 

Rocker,

 

Would the front bogie from the modern Vision Line 700e work?

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7 minutes ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

Rocker,

 

Would the front bogie from the modern Vision Line 700e work?

 

Couldn’t say for certain, but I imagine so. Are you a member of O Gauge Rail Roading forum? If not it’s worth joining for this sort of question, lots of expertise and experience on offer 

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2 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

Happy Boxing Day all,

 

Today the Hudson had its first long run, as it was taken out of service yesterday after only 10 minutes running due to the port side return crank coming out of the driver. This was loctited back in place, and left for 24 hours. It now runs very well, if a bit loud, and is surprisingly efficient, especially after I oiled the wheels on all my wagons for the first time ever :wacko:. The driving wheel axle boxes were also regreseased through the greasing holes, (fully sealed proper axle boxes, not hornblocks though) which has cleared up most of the noise. I also took the time to weigh the engine on our not terribly accurate kitchen scale, and it said 7 pounds, but my guess is it’s more like 10, without tender. A video of the engine is below, with cameo made by Fangio the cat. Some of the track may appear kinked, I’m fairly sure it isn’t. 
 

 

Douglas

I can just imagine the smell of ozone and hot Bakelite.

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