The Night Mail

[Tony_S]

4 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

Wait for it, wait for it.

 

" with your pants"

Well you had persuaded her not to tidy the modelling area where there appears to be a steel rule.

[SM42]

3 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Well you had persuaded her not to tidy the modelling area where there appears to be a steel rule.

 

I am slowly getting used to the rather bizarre units of measurement that are presented to me.

 

It makes a change from what I call  the fisherman method of wandering around like she's forgotten her divining rods

 

Andy

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, rockershovel said:

 

I have no particular knowledge of the Polish diet, but I would certainly say that in my limited experience of the place, whatever happens to you, you won’t be hungry when it does.

 

 

We have a large Polish community hereabouts and many Polish treats are available, cake enthusiasts should try szarlotka or kolaczki.

[PhilJ W]

A few more Polish cake recipes here:-

https://www.thespruceeats.com/top-polish-dessert-recipes-1136991

[SM42]

3 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

We have a large Polish community hereabouts and many Polish treats are available, cake enthusiasts should try szarlotka or kolaczki.

 

Home made Szarlotka was recently dispatched to the great cake stand in the sky (uh oh back to cake) but yes there are many and varied types. 

I like galaretka, sliwka and the doughnuts, which are heavenly. 

 

Andy

[PhilJ W]

Looking at the amount of sugar in Polish cakes its a wonder the Poles have any teeth left.

[rockershovel]

23 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

We have a large Polish community hereabouts and many Polish treats are available, cake enthusiasts should try szarlotka or kolaczki.

 

Theres a large Polish community around here, too. They’ve become like the Italians and Bangladeshis - self-segregating by language and area. I don’t meet them at all, these days - there were Polish kids in my children’s classes, and when my wife was teaching, but not now. You don’t see them at the speedway, or at the football. 

[PhilJ W]

I think kolacz would be my favourite.

[rockershovel]

4 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Be wary of gas burners and Mamod boilers which are soft soldered.

 

 An acquaintance of mine fitted one to an SL1 (0-4-0T) and managed to 'drop the plug' when the steam feed from the boiler, which comes out underneath right in the middle of the firebox area, got too hot.

 

A properly designed spirit burner might be a better, and cheaper option as the Mamod and their ilk were originally built with spirit firing in mind.  

 

The meths tablets were a sop to the H&S brigade to prevent hordes of the ignorant practicing self immolation with liquid fuel.

 

The tablets also found their way into the military arsenal and were provided with a fold up stove to heat up 24 hour ration packs.

 

Their burn rate was very variable, some good, others dreadful, so most of us bought Trangia type stoves and funded our own fuel.  At the end of an exercise we would end up with a lot of left over fuel tablets which did make pretty good firelighters or BBQ starters!

 

When I was involved with such things, we used broken pieces of the paraffin wax blocks from “tommy cookers” from Norman Bradley’s in Thompson’s Lane. Worked fine, although they stunk a bit. 

 

This was a discussion on another thread - by the time you have brought the Mamod up to a “proper” spec, you’d have been better off buying a better loco.  

 

[SM42]

6 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

 

Theres a large Polish community around here, too. They’ve become like the Italians and Bangladeshis - self-segregating by language and area. I don’t meet them at all, these days - there were Polish kids in my children’s classes, and when my wife was teaching, but not now. You don’t see them at the speedway, or at the football. 

 

Its a shame that this happens, but it is not unusual. It's  easier to speak your own language socially, using your second can be hard work. I know I've tried. 

There is also a perceived climate in the country now that has seen many Poles keeping a lower profile. Sad but true

 

There is also a misconception about the Poles that because they stand outside smoking and have a hard drinking reputation  that they are a threat. (Ok some are not nice as in any society. )

They are outside as it is rude to smoke indoors and drinking is an important part of hospitality. 

Get to know them and you will have more fun than you ever thought possible   good friends and your capacity for vodka will be improved. 

 

I never used to dance much. Now I don't care and join in.

 If it makes someone laugh, so be it.

The Poles enjoy life with whatever they have. You only come round once. Make the most of it. 

Food and drink is an important part of that social interaction and hospitality.

 

I am proud to be classed as an honorary Pole in my town.

 

Andy

[polybear]

1 hour ago, SM42 said:

........and things are moving at breakneck speed, "do this, do that, clean this, take this out "and so on . Upstairs, downstairs  hither and thither.

 

I'm not  moving at breakneck speed as still got the bad back.

 

 

Mrs SM42 isn't big on sympathy then......

[SM42]

7 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Mrs SM42 isn't big on sympathy then......

 

No  I dont think she is. 

 

Luckily the vacuum cleaner's battery is flat so I'm waiting for it to recharge

 That's my excuse and it seems to be working

 

Andy

[polybear]

23 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

No  I dont think she is. 

 

Luckily the vacuum cleaner's battery is flat so I'm waiting for it to recharge

 That's my excuse and it seems to be working

 

Andy

 

"Accidentally" forgetting to turn the charger on may help

[SM42]

10 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

"Accidentally" forgetting to turn the charger on may help

 

Now you tell me!

 

Andy

[Happy Hippo]

55 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

This was a discussion on another thread - by the time you have brought the Mamod up to a “proper” spec, you’d have been better off buying a better loco.  

 

Brandbright used to offer a loco called 'Jane'.

 

It looked very similar to a Mamod, but:

 

The chassis had steel wheels which were force fitted onto the axles so didn't wobble or fall off.

The reversing block did just that.  It was not used as a throttle.  This was because:

 

The boiler was a silver soldered copper boiler with a working pressure of around 30psi,  It had a decent safety valve, a boiler refill system,  a sight glass and a decent throttle valve which gave very good control.

 

A proper displacement lubricator was fitted.

 

Firing was via a between the frames meths burner which fed a three wick ('Queen Mary') burner.

 

The cylinders  had proper glands fitted at the nds and the pistons were fitted with 'O' rings to keep the wear down.

 

They were £199.

 

It was debuted at one of the garden railway shows and we sold the entire stock of 25 that we'd taken with us by the end of the first day.

[Florence Locomotive Works]

10 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Brandbright used to offer a loco called 'Jane'.

 

It looked very similar to a Mamod, but:

 

The chassis had steel wheels which were force fitted onto the axles so didn't wobble or fall off.

The reversing block did just that.  It was not used as a throttle.  This was because:

 

The boiler was a silver soldered copper boiler with a working pressure of around 30psi,  It had a decent safety valve, a boiler refill system,  a sight glass and a decent throttle valve which gave very good control.

 

A proper displacement lubricator was fitted.

 

Firing was via a between the frames meths burner which fed a three wick ('Queen Mary') burner.

 

The cylinders  had proper glands fitted at the nds and the pistons were fitted with 'O' rings to keep the wear down.

 

They were £199.

 

It was debuted at one of the garden railway shows and we sold the entire stock of 25 that we'd taken with us by the end of the first day.

Mamod is now getting close to that with their locos. The newest, have outside frames, I believe center flue boilers and a disturbing resemblance to Quarry Hunsletts. Very very expensive though.
 

https://www.mamod.co.uk/shop-categories/quarry-locomotive

 

Edited January 10, 2021 by Florence Locomotive Works

[BR60103]

21 hours ago, pH said:

First one is a train standing at the first Canadian Pacific station in Port Moody. I think the engine (#1190) is a Pacific, but I can't find a CPR steam locomotive roster online. 

 

 

Omer Lavallee's book lists 2 1190: both class G2D.

1/1190 blt 5-08 became 1140 in 12-10

2/1190 blt 5-10 as 1240, ren 12-10 as 1190, ren 9-12 as 2590.

(p 267 of Canadian Pacific Steam Locomotives)

I don't know why.

[pH]

1 hour ago, BR60103 said:

Omer Lavallee's book lists 2 1190: both class G2D.

1/1190 blt 5-08 became 1140 in 12-10

2/1190 blt 5-10 as 1240, ren 12-10 as 1190, ren 9-12 as 2590.

(p 267 of Canadian Pacific Steam Locomotives)

I don't know why.

Thanks. I reckoned, from looking at pictures online, that it was probably a G2, but had no idea of the subclass. And, since there’s no date on that photograph, I don’t know which of your two alternatives it might be.

[Happy Hippo]

I went into the covered junk yard that masquerades as a garage and stood on the head of the broom that was leaning against the bench.

 

It quickly sprang to attention when it realised an officer had walked in.

 

SMACK!

 

A sharp blow to the left temple.  Another few inches and it would have had my snout!

 

I should not have been in there muttering ' A lot of this crap has to go!'

 

The bacon treat has been postponed yet again.  Fortunately only until this evening which is acceptable.

 

I found the bit in RMW and the link to WT, via Simond's Porth Dinllaen thread,  about the suspension units for PD wagons.

 

Simon suggests a jig is made to get consistency in the spring unit.  There were some other variations over on WT, but Simon's seems the best (and simplest) solution.

 

A Plasticard version will probably suffice as it's only going to be dealing with a 'G' string.  (The guitar variety, so don't get your hopes up!)

 

Of course, one might see this as a form of procrastination as it prevents any further wagon construction going ahead!

[Happy Hippo]

The ballista design has now been up/down graded into a sort of catapult.

 

Timber now requires to be cut.

 

Also required are five re-useable 'Pom Pom' templates.

 

I have some thick plastic sheet that will do for the latter.

 

I'll deal with the templates this afternoon and then get onto the cutting later on in the week, by which time, my chest will be a little more conducive to sawdust.

 

You will note how my work has been diverted away from railway activity again!

Edited January 10, 2021 by Happy Hippo

[Canal Digger]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

a little more conducive to sawdust.

conductive or immune, said the Smart Alec while eating an Eccles Cake? I mean, that you are not going to move sawdust from one side of chest to the other. I have this mental picture of you waving a conductor's baton and the sawdust marching ..... . Thinks, I go and lie down in a quiet corner.  

[Florence Locomotive Works]

A few on here may remember when back in June I was posting on ERs about a stationary engine. Work on this ground to a halt after my discovering that I had ordered the wrong and rather costly regulator valve. However, with the sad retirement of the Mogul I was left with many surplus small pipe fittings. And for Christmas I received a set of BA taps and dies. One can probably see where this is going.  
 

 

I ended up bypassing the concept of a regulator valve (I’ll probably regret that latter) and simply soldered a Union cone onto the pipe this morning. A elbow was also rethreaded so as to fit no the inlet port. Now all that is left is to wait for my next delivery of modern Dehydrated Camel Dung.

 

 

 

Douglas

[simontaylor484]

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

The ballista design has now been up/down graded into a sort of catapult.

 

Timber now requires to be cut.

 

Also required are five re-useable 'Pom Pom' templates.

 

I have some thick plastic sheet that will do for the latter.

 

I'll deal with the templates this afternoon and then get onto the cutting later on in the week, by which time, my chest will be a little more conducive to sawdust.

 

You will note how my work has been diverted away from railway activity again!

Will the pom pom be a quad mount i thought you were building a catapult not anti aircraft weapons, whats next a rapier missile or a phalanx type CIWS

[Florence Locomotive Works]

1 hour ago, simontaylor484 said:

Will the pom pom be a quad mount i thought you were building a catapult not anti aircraft weapons, whats next a rapier missile or a phalanx type CIWS

I guarantee you that Dave could fit a sidewinder on it.

[Happy Hippo]

2 minutes ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

I guarantee you that Dave could fit a sidewinder on it.

No rabbits are involved, but don't forget that a Sidewinder is..

 

Wait for it....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hare to Hare.