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The Night Mail


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2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

But do they give you a discount?

 

The barber I now go to does my hair for free but charges a premium for ex-coppers with woolly white hair. I believe he is currently corresponding with hairdressers in the St. John's Danglies area of France about adopting a similar policy.

 

The big news this morning is that the breakdown crane is virtually finished apart from assembly of the main sub-structures but said assembly has to wait until the match wagon is finished structurally so that the angle of dangle of the jib can be established before the various chains and winding drums can be fixed in place. The wagon body has been made and I'm now working on the jib cradle, which is a bit of a bu**er because of all the complex angles that need cutting in the component timbers. However, it's a welcome change from fiddling with all the little bits of crane that seems to have occupied so much time recently. I'm still waiting to hear from Guilplates about the makers' plates and wagon number plates but I know that he is working on it.

 

Have a good POETS day people.

 

Dave

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I keep getting re-tasked away from my exploits in the garage.

 

So a careful ploy of cutting up various bits of wood, under the excuse that it is for the new window box for the kitchen window, will probably work for about 30 minutes, whereupon the enquiry will be if the timber is for the window box or for a set of scaffolding. (Which would look suspiciously like a baseboard frame!)

 

I am now looking at how I can make the excuse to buy a rake of Dapol's forthcoming HEA wagons.  I do like them, and a 'modern image' coal yard might work with my blue 08 shunter.  Of course there is only so many times you can push a rake of wagons back and fore along a single siding, but as always I might have a cunning plan based on a cross between Brymbo (Middle) and Pant (Glam).

 

Again, it is funny how plans one draws up in the distant past have a habit of resurfacing when you least expect it.

 

In the case of this latest scheme it was a combination of some diagrams Brian Rolley sent me, and a picture in one of last year's Welsh Railways Research Circle (WRRC) newsletters.

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Morning all,

 

This our compressor, it came out of my grandfathers wood shop, and weighs around 1200 pounds. It now lives at the shop where the vehicles requiring non standard insurance registration live, and is always kept at approximately 125 psi. As far as I know we have never had it inspected, or had it drained. Probably should, will try to talk to dad.

 

D1699148-07EA-4CE5-8057-BC2ACC4EB05A.jpeg.7d9e7d826bc29a93588acd17b87cd25a.jpeg

 

 

Currently I sit in the dentists chair, awaiting whatever it is they plan on doing. I’ve been here 35 minutes in this chair, and somebody came, took one of my 4 x-rays, and then proceeded to leave and tell me that someone else was coming. That was 30 minutes ago!

 

So I await the arrival of the next ray gun operator.

 

 

 

Douglas

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26 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

If it's any help FOSACC = First On Scene At Cake Cutting.

 

Which sadly comes a poor second to the superior qualification of FOSACS.  Bear feels sure that no explanation is necessary....

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7 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Which sadly comes a poor second to the superior qualification of FOSACS.  Bear feels sure that no explanation is necessary....

 

I can't believe you've said that - First on Scene at Cake Sharing....

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12 hours ago, bbishop said:

Simon, First Person On Scene.  Bill

I have mentioned this before but a GP Brother in law was driving to work when he heard a thump from the passenger side and saw something fall.  He stopped and got out and found an old chap in the road being berated by his wife for not looking while he crossed the road. Anyway BiL goes over and the chap said “hello, Doc, I was in my way to see you, why are you here now?”  He explained it was his car. He was concerned about the chap and called for an ambulance. The police arrived as well and the poor policeman got confused as why was his GP first on the scene. So he had it explained too, while the wife was still berating her husband. The chap was fine, he had probably been hit by the folding mirror on the car as he stepped into the road. 

Edited by Tony_S
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I had a minor triumph in the workshop this evening (and before you lot start, no, I don't mean a little motorbike) when I dropped a small but very fiddly bit of a model that had taken a while to make and it disappeared into the undergrowth. After searching for some time I was about to give in and start making another one when inspiration struck so I got out the vacuum cleaner and jammed a piece of nylon tights material between the nozzle and the hose, as you would if recovering ballast after laying. I then ran it over a wide area of floor before looking to see what had been gathered up and hallelujah! the component was there in amongst various other bits of detritus. I was so chuffed I had to award myself a glass of Scottish chuff water along with a piece of Brie de Meaux and to hell with the diet.

 

I just love it when a plan comes together.

 

Dave

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4 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

I had a minor triumph in the workshop this evening (and before you lot start, no, I don't mean a little motorbike) when I dropped a small but very fiddly bit of a model that had taken a while to make and it disappeared into the undergrowth. After searching for some time I was about to give in and start making another one when inspiration struck so I got out the vacuum cleaner and jammed a piece of nylon tights material between the nozzle and the hose, as you would if recovering ballast after laying. I then ran it over a wide area of floor before looking to see what had been gathered up and hallelujah! the component was there in amongst various other bits of detritus. I was so chuffed I had to award myself a glass of Scottish chuff water along with a piece of Brie de Meaux and to hell with the diet.

 

I just love it when a plan comes together.

 

Dave

I've done that with the tights as well:  Nyda wasn't too pleased as she was still in them at the time!

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Reminds me of the old Lonnie Donegan My old man's a dustman bit of banter:

"I say, I say, I say."

"Yes, what do you say?"

"My dustbin's full of Lillies."

"How do you know they're Lillies?"

"Lilly's still wearing 'em."

 

Ta da.

 

And on that note, G'night one and all.

 

Dave

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Evening all,

 

Roughly ten minutes after my last post, the dental assistant finally arrived to finish my X-rays and cleaning, and after that the actual dentist arrived. He’s a very nice guy, and he was thankfully able to give me a filling in the aforementioned hole in my tooth. 
 

Afterwards the grandmother took us to lunch at the favorite Cuban food place, which was very filling. 
 

 

Then some modeling was done, which consisted of giving this Hornby LMS conflat and container a light wash. I think it turned out quite nice, but needs more weathering. Most of the wash doesn’t really show up on camera though. 
 

D751907B-A945-4571-8878-53403B050001.jpeg.7f15643a7eda327671f8542d408f958c.jpeg
 

I also decided to cancel the order for my SE&CR D class, as after thinking about it I realized I really don’t need it. So I’m now thinking about building an ex Midland* goods yard for my Bachmann 3f on the baseboard for the SE&CR station. I think it might end up being a model of a section of Lawley Street Goods Depot.

 

*although my first OO engine was a pannier, it has been decreed that both Swindon and Derby hold equal status in Oklahoma. 

 

Douglas

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2 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

Evening all,

 

Roughly ten minutes after my last post, the dental assistant finally arrived to finish my X-rays and cleaning, and after that the actual dentist arrived. He’s a very nice guy, and he was thankfully able to give me a filling in the aforementioned hole in my tooth. 
 

Afterwards the grandmother took us to lunch at the favorite Cuban food place, which was very filling. 
 

 

Then some modeling was done, which consisted of giving this Hornby LMS conflat and container a light wash. I think it turned out quite nice, but needs more weathering. Most of the wash doesn’t really show up on camera though. 
 

D751907B-A945-4571-8878-53403B050001.jpeg.7f15643a7eda327671f8542d408f958c.jpeg
 

I also decided to cancel the order for my SE&CR D class, as after thinking about it I realized I really don’t need it. So I’m now thinking about building an ex Midland* goods yard for my Bachmann 3f on the baseboard for the SE&CR station. I think it might end up being a model of a section of Lawley Street Goods Depot.

 

*although my first OO engine was a pannier, it has been decreed that both Swindon and Derby hold equal status in Oklahoma. 

 

Douglas

Very pleased to hear that Derby is now in it's proper place.  I look forward to seeing you ex Midland Goods Yard. Don''t forget the double slip at the exit which usually provided a headshunt and ttap point function and would be controlled from the signal box.  I'm sure that Sq Ldr Hunt or myself could provide a diagram.

 

Jamie

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3 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

*although my first OO engine was a pannier, it has been decreed that both Swindon and Derby hold equal status in Oklahoma. 

 

Douglas

 

Quick, call an Ambulance - the Sqd. Ldr is choking......

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3 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

 

Very pleased to hear that Derby is now in it's proper place.  I look forward to seeing you ex Midland Goods Yard. Don''t forget the double slip at the exit which usually provided a headshunt and ttap point function and would be controlled from the signal box.  I'm sure that Sq Ldr Hunt or myself could provide a diagram.

 

Jamie

 

Whilst fully agreeing with the tenor of Jamie's post, there is one small point I disagree with, which is that the entrance to Midland yards off main lines was usually via a trailing single, not double, slip. In Jamie's case it was probably a typing slip:D. I will try to show a suitable diagram in due course.

 

The status of Derby versus Swindon as well as that of Eccles cakes versus the rest are questions that find no disagreement whatsoever between the Charente and North Hipposhire (Hunt Towers branch) correspondents. In these issues, the path of righteousness is clear and unambiguous.

 

Enjoy the weekend everyone.

 

Dave

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21 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

a suitable diagram

 

A couple of generic layouts. Apologies for the lack of signalling. For most layouts, the only signals on-scene would be the left-to-right home, in rear of the crossover, and possibly the right-to-left home, at the far right-hand end of the passenger platform. The starters would normally be a train's length in advance of the last trailing connection to each line, and the distants a quarter of a mile in rear of the homes. Many wayside locations did not run to ground signals, moves being controlled by flag.

704988878_Midlandstationlayoutssketch.jpg.275472eb199f4cada7f34235e5a24714.jpg

 

But re-reading Douglas @Florence Locomotive Works's post I see he has in mind a terminal goods station. I'm sure he's looked at https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/lawleystreet.htm; I would also commend https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/centralgoods.htm. This has the advantage of an ideal scenic break in the form of the tunnel, making it reasonably compact. I have a less-than-half-built layout currently in storage loosely based on Central Goods, with the big warehouse as a scenic break at one end and the tunnel at the other, so only a couple of wagon lengths inside the warehouse. 

Edited by Compound2632
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29 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

A couple of generic layouts. Apologies for the lack of signalling. For most layouts, the only signals on-scene would be the left-to-right home, in rear of the crossover, and possibly the right-to-left home, at the far right-hand end of the passenger platform. The starters would normally be a train's length in advance of the last trailing connection to each line, and the distants a quarter of a mile in rear of the homes. Many wayside locations did not run to ground signals, moves being controlled by flag.

704988878_Midlandstationlayoutssketch.jpg.275472eb199f4cada7f34235e5a24714.jpg

Thank you Stephen, we seem to have drifted back onto some more specific real railway type stuff.

 

The top diagram you've kindly drawn out also shows a 'flying connection'.  This is the trailing crossover between the single slip and the trailing crossover at the far left of the diagram.

 

I believe these connections were provided at stations where high priority tail end traffic could be added to fast trains, without the need to keep the whole goods yard clear to allow such an operation to take place.

 

The signalling or lack of it, and the use of flags was not just a Midland style, I know that the LNWR was also a great fan as is illustrated by the SRS diagram of Bedwellty Pits   (You want to grow out of being a Bedwellty)

 

image.png.a5ef62ae45430a588989e6b78cbbcf60.png

 

As is traditional in the SW Valleys, Up trains travel up the valley, so in this case empties are arriving left to right.

 

As you can see the shunting shuffle for empties is either  draw forward over the single slip and then reverse onto the down line before being pulled back into the entry/exit siding to the pits, or draw past the platforms and then propel back into the sidings.  Nothing in the way of  permanent signals for such a move, and I am supposing that it was cheaper, and probably more efficient with flag control.

 

It must have been a pretty slick operation, as these moves had to be interlaced with the other traffic moves, and the Valleys were quite busy in the heyday of coal and steam.

 

Please note, on the grounds of impartiality,  I did NOT use an example from my preferred railway!:laugh_mini:

 

 

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I think that Compound's and HH's posts encapsulate all that needs to be said for Douglas to come up with a trackplan that would suit his requirements. The idea of basing a layout on Central Goods seems an excellent one for a minimal space construction and with a bit of an imaginative backstory could even be made to accept traffic from other companies.

 

Dave

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