The Night Mail

[Happy Hippo]

Well, I did the clearing up, but it was bitterly cold outside, despite the sun making an appearance.

 

A wiser soul than myself decided that a snooze in the conservatory was a much better plan of campaign.

 

[Winslow Boy]

Correct me if I'm wrong, which I frequently am, but -and it is a big BUT, isn't that already occupied? 

 

PS where do we send the get well cards to - zoological society, vets or home for distressed hippo's

[SM42]

The assault on the second stage of the north face of Mont Cake and Chocolate is due to commence shortly. 

I will be leaving base camp in about 30 minutes.  I'm hoping to make Creme Egg Ridge tonight. 

Yesterday's ascent to base camp was hard going but  I made it before nightfall. 

 

I may be some time. 

 

Andy

[Happy Hippo]

2 minutes ago, SM42 said:

The assault on the second stage of the north face of Mont Cake and Chocolate is due to commence shortly. 

I will be leaving base camp in about 30 minutes.  I'm hoping to make Creme Egg Ridge tonight. 

Yesterday's ascent to base camp was hard going but  I made it before nightfall. 

 

I may be some time. 

 

Andy

If you do need to retreat remember to leave a rope across the Toblerone Traverse

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, which I frequently am, but -and it is a big BUT, isn't that already occupied? 

 

PS where do we send the get well cards to - zoological society, vets or home for distressed hippo's

The Central African Sanctuary for Hippos:

 

Make all generous financial donations payable to CASH.

[SM42]

I have arrived after a scramble up the mini egg scree slope to the cheese cake plateau and finally passing across the apple cake col

 

Andy

[Happy Hippo]

11 minutes ago, SM42 said:

I have arrived after a scramble up the mini egg scree slope to the cheese cake plateau and finally passing across the apple cake col

 

Andy

And fallen  waist deep into a marshmallow drift after skating across and breaking the chocolate skin of a Tunnock's teacake.

[SM42]

8 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

And fallen  waist deep into a marshmallow drift after skating across and breaking the chocolate skin of a Tunnock's teacake.

 

This climbing business is harder than it looks.

 

Andy

[New Haven Neil]

This is killing my diabetes...you lot are rotters.

[polybear]

1 hour ago, SM42 said:

The assault on the second stage of the north face of Mont Cake and Chocolate is due to commence shortly. 

I will be leaving base camp in about 30 minutes.  I'm hoping to make Creme Egg Ridge tonight. 

Yesterday's ascent to base camp was hard going but  I made it before nightfall. 

 

I may be some time. 

 

Andy

 

Bear is having to make-do with a choc ice

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

The Central African Sanctuary for Hippos:

 

Make all generous financial donations payable to CASH.

Have you got the post code?

[Dave Hunt]

A bit of a downer for the back end of Easter today. All was well until I took my 98 year old dad to Gobowen hospital for his second Pfizer jab this afternoon but in the entrance he fell and it looks as though he has broken his hip. He was taken to A&E at Shrewsbury and when I rang at six o'clock he was still waiting for an X-ray. I'm about to ring them again to see how things are going. This is the second time in two years.

 

Dave

[SM42]

So sorry to hear that.

 

Hope it isn't what you suspect. 

 

Andy

 

[bbishop]

Sorry Dave, sounds a nasty.  Bill

[PhilJ W]

Sorry to hear that Dave, at least he's in the best place.

[jamie92208]

Hope he goes on OK Dave and that you are OK.

 

Jamie

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Sorry to hear about your dad Dave, hopefully he will get better soon.

 

 

Douglas

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Evening all,

 

Been busy messing with the Weeden lately, in fact I made a new connecting rod from scratch for it. This started off as a 1 1/2 inch long Meccano axle, which was heated up and bashed into a rough shape, before it was copiously filed to fit. It certainly resembles an "apprentice piece." Aside from that, I will be once again buying a proper water gauge for it, (the last one was shipped with the wrong glass, and i managed to seriously mess up fixing it) and I'm also thinking of adding a boiler feed pump. However, will a 97 year old brass boiler be able to withstand the shock of lukewarm water being pumped in while under steam?

 

Anyways, here are some photos of the new rod, and yes I suppose the cylinder could use a repaint. The new rod was tested under air and (to my great relief) the engine runs well, so when I get some time a steam test will be had. The big end didn't need any filing, so the "weathering" from the forging has been left in place. The small end is heavily filed though.

 

 

 

 

 

Douglas

Edited April 5, 2021 by Florence Locomotive Works

[jamie92208]

I hope that there is some better news about Dave's dad soon.

 

Here, as I have already reported on ER's, I made a discovery in the shed yesterday.   Whilst attempting to gain brownie points (Semi successfully) by mending an underbed drawer, I made  a discovery in the recesses of the shed.

I think it is a blue tit's nest and can only have been started last Wednesday, when I took the drawer marked 'hinges' out to find suitable hinges for the inner door in Cluckingham palace.  

 

However this has suggested a dilemma for moi.  The drawers are a set of 32, made from old margarine boxes by my great uncle, probably in the 1890's.

As you can see they have all been labelled.  I inherited them via my father.   My dilemma is whether I should metricate the dimensions in recognition of my new residence.   

 

The contents of the drawers have been added to and much used over the years and have proved to be very useful.

 

Jamie

 

 

Edited August 17, 2022 by jamie92208

[PhilJ W]

7 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

I hope that there is some better news about Dave's dad soon.

 

Here, as I have already reported on ER's, I made a discovery in the shed yesterday.   Whilst attempting to gain brownie points (Semi successfully) by mending an underbed drawer, I made  a discovery in the recesses of the shed.

I think it is a blue tit's nest and can only have been started last Wednesday, when I took the drawer marked 'hinges' out to find suitable hinges for the inner door in Cluckingham palace.  

 

However this has suggested a dilemma for moi.  The drawers are a set of 32, made from old margarine boxes by my great uncle, probably in the 1890's.

As you can see they have all been labelled.  I inherited them via my father.   My dilemma is whether I should metricate the dimensions in recognition of my new residence.   

 

The contents of the drawers have been added to and much used over the years and have proved to be very useful.

 

Jamie

 

 

I'd be inclined to leave it as it is as its part of its history.

[Happy Hippo]

18 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

I hope that there is some better news about Dave's dad soon.

 

Here, as I have already reported on ER's, I made a discovery in the shed yesterday.   Whilst attempting to gain brownie points (Semi successfully) by mending an underbed drawer, I made  a discovery in the recesses of the shed.

I think it is a blue tit's nest and can only have been started last Wednesday, when I took the drawer marked 'hinges' out to find suitable hinges for the inner door in Cluckingham palace.  

 

However this has suggested a dilemma for moi.  The drawers are a set of 32, made from old margarine boxes by my great uncle, probably in the 1890's.

As you can see they have all been labelled.  I inherited them via my father.   My dilemma is whether I should metricate the dimensions in recognition of my new residence.   

 

The contents of the drawers have been added to and much used over the years and have proved to be very useful.

 

Jamie

 

 

That has the potential to be a block of flats for various small birds.

 

Whip the rest of the drawers out and get  a 'To Let' sign up pronto.  When it comes to selecting nesting sites, birds can be quite flighty.

[Happy Hippo]

9 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

Evening all, I'm also thinking of adding a boiler feed pump. However, will a 97 year old brass boiler be able to withstand the shock of lukewarm water being pumped in while under steam?

If you think it though practically, you will not be injecting a large amount of water all at once, but small amounts (whatever the volume of the ram stroke is) into a much greater volume of boiling water.

 

There is not much in the way of a shock effect as the cooling effect of the cold water entering the boiler is minimal. and the only problem you are likely to encounter if you put in too much water, is losing steam pressure.

 

Neil will probably done the same on a big live steamer as I have, which is to close the blower and stick the injector on if the loco suddenly starts blowing off from the safety valve whilst stationary. This will bring the steam pressure down, saving both energy from the otherwise wasted steam and keeping the noise down.

Edited April 6, 2021 by Happy Hippo

[Dave Hunt]

Had a call from a consultant anaesthetist this morning to say that Dad has a bad break of his femur and will be undergoing a quite serious operation later today. Dad is quite compos mentis and the dangers of the operation have been explained to him and he has consented. At his age, though, the dangers a very real and for now we just hope and pray.

 

Back later. Thanks for the messages of support.

 

Dave 

[PhilJ W]

I assume the op will be under a local anaesthetic in view of his age.

[New Haven Neil]

Aww, that's a worry Dave - our best thoughts are with you all.

 

Richard, at Grumble Glen, as it's uphill (very!) all the way to the sea, we try to start with a full boiler and the fire just coming through nicely - can't add too much water or she'll prime on the 1 in 30 when it's wide open regulator.  Thus at the top a quick burst of injector to stop her blowing off if she's steaming well, and then a touch more in the station while running round, plus firing up.  The run back downhill is with the injector on a lot of the way, so you arrive at the main station with a quiet engine, boiler full, and fire brewing.  The marine fireboxes are slow to respond compared to a normal loco style, you have to be on the ball.