The Night Mail

[J. S. Bach]

14 hours ago, polybear said:

 ...snip... Presumably the other gunk that went on was "Jelly"?  WTF is that, precisely?  Some sort of Jam maybe?  ...snip...

 

 

14 hours ago, polybear said:

 ...snip... Though a certain Bear did try Marmite ...snip...

I have wanted to try Marmite but it is not easily available over here.

[Dave Hunt]

15 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

I have wanted to try Marmite but it is not easily available over here.

 

When I was working in San Diego, any Brit who went back to the UK on leave etc. had to bring back some Marmite. The main problem was persuading the customs guys on the way back in to the US that it wasn't a meat product, even though it clearly says on the label that it isn't.

 

Dave

[Tony_S]

19 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

When I was working in San Diego, any Brit who went back to the UK on leave etc. had to bring back some Marmite. The main problem was persuading the customs guys on the way back in to the US that it wasn't a meat product, even though it clearly says on the label that it isn't.

 

Dave

One of the more common items to be confiscated at airport check ins after the no liquids or gel rules was Marmite. There is a “safe to fly” size I believe. 
Just so our American readers don’t get confused in the UK, jelly is usually brightly coloured, fruit flavoured cow hoof extract. Vegetarian versions are available!

Edited June 27, 2021 by Tony_S

[pH]

50 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

When I was working in San Diego, any Brit who went back to the UK on leave etc. had to bring back some Marmite.

One son worked for a while for a company based in Brisbane. He visited a site of theirs in Laos, where there were many Australians working. On instructions from that site, about half of his baggage consisted of various flavours of TimTams.

[Dave Hunt]

When No. 2 son lived in Sydney we wanted to send him and DiL pieces of our ruby wedding party cake. The rigmarole involved was unbelievable and we ended up having to apply for an authorisation from the Australian embassy after supplying a detailed list of the ingredients. Even after all that the parcel was opened by .Australian customs before it was delivered.

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

9 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

When No. 2 son lived in Sydney we wanted to send him and DiL pieces of our ruby wedding party cake. The rigmarole involved was unbelievable and we ended up having to apply for an authorisation from the Australian embassy after supplying a detailed list of the ingredients. Even after all that the parcel was opened by .Australian customs before it was delivered.

 

Dave

Bear and I could have carried out the inspection and saved you all that trouble.

 

[Dave Hunt]

And precisely how much cake would have been left to send to Australia - to the nearest gram?

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

16 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

And precisely how much cake would have been left to send to Australia - to the nearest gram?

 

Dave

We offer a free testing service which is very rigourous.  PB and I are internationally certified, so anything left that was not sent as a sample would have received  customs clearance.

[Tony_S]

2 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

And precisely how much cake would have been left to send to Australia - to the nearest gram?

 

Dave

At least the postage wouldn’t have been excessive. 

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

At least the postage wouldn’t have been excessive. 

Dave could have sent it in a 'bluey'.

 

These days, a picture via email would suffice!

Edited June 28, 2021 by Happy Hippo

[Tony_S]

I have had about a metre of track on my computer desk which I used for quickly testing that locos I had programmed at least moved backwards and forwards. with my new PC in place on the desk there was less room and I thought about getting a rolling road . But then I recalled buying one years ago before I had a layout out in the garage  i think it was something sold by the US part of Bachmann. As part of the resumption of rail services here I have fitted decoders to a couple of locos and tried them on the new "test track".

Here is a nice blue engine.

Edited June 28, 2021 by Tony_S

[Happy Hippo]

I always felt that the Princess Coronation loco was far more imposing in it's de streamlined form, rather than when wearing the inverted bathtub that Stanier dropped over the unfortunate members of the class.

[Compound2632]

4 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

I always felt that the Princess Coronation loco was far more imposing in it's de streamlined form, rather than when wearing the inverted bathtub that Stanier dropped over the unfortunate members of the class.

 

Don't blame Stanier - he was lukewarm about the streamlining all along, seeing it as merely a publicity stunt. It's all documented in a book by Hunt et al.

Edited June 28, 2021 by Compound2632

[Happy Hippo]

14 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Don't blame Stanier - he was lukewarm about the streamlining all along, seeing it as merely a publicity stunt. It's all documented in a book by Hunt et al.

He must have caught the 'streamlining' idea off Collett, whose ball of plasticene on the smokebox door of a model Castle summed up his personal view on the subject. 

[Compound2632]

29 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

He must have caught the 'streamlining' idea off Collett, whose ball of plasticene on the smokebox door of a model Castle summed up his personal view on the subject. 

 

Although in fact the LMS streamlining was the most scientific of all, being the outcome of extensive wing tunnel testing, starting with work at the National Physical Laboratory and Imperial College. IIRC the LMS Scientific Research Laboratory at Derby poached a key member of staff from NPL to set up their wind tunnel.

[PhilJ W]

Weren't the A4's also designed with the aid of a wind tunnel? This was to lift and clear the exhaust rather than increase speed.

Edited June 28, 2021 by PhilJ W

[coastalview]

Another busy few days, on Saturday youngest son, Canadian wife and her Canadian uncle came over for the day. Mitch (the uncle) is currently stuck in work visa no man's land. He should be at work in Ireland but the company screwed up his visa application, so he had to leave Ireland and came to UK rather than fly back to Canada. He's now been here for six weeks and is still waiting on his visa.

 

On Sunday we had Julies Dad, Brother and Brothers OH over for the day. When Julies Dad tried to get his car started we discovered the starter motor had packed up. Phoned Green Flag they arrived in 25 minutes, got it started with the judicious application of a large hammer. We then followed him home to make sure he got back in one piece.

 

Then today we had to leave at 0700 to collect him and return a petrol strimmer to a hire shop in Whitchurch. Then spent two hours mowing lawns until it started to rain.

 

It was lovely to see everyone but just not used to seeing so many people for so long it's quite exhausting lol.

 

After all of that it was decreed to be G&T time, I didn't argue  

 

Tuesday brings an afternoon at Attingham so that's normally quite relaxing as we are not to busy at the moment.

 

I still can't get my head around how busy this retirement lark is 

[Compound2632]

59 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Weren't the A4's also designed with the aid of a wind tunnel? This was to lift and clear the exhaust rather than increase speed.

 

Yes, the A4 streamlining came out of the same NPL/ICL work, which was jointly funded by all four railways (even the GWR) IIRC. But the LMS streamlining was the most fully developed. As I recall, it was realised that any benefit would be nullified by the drag of the train if measures weren't taken to avoid turbulence between and underneath the coaches, hence the underframe farings on both the LNER and LMS streamlined trains. Somewhere I've got a copy of an article written by a member of NPL staff who had researched the topic.

 

The streamlining of Wagner's DB 05.001/2 was rather similar in shape to the LMS streamlining; I believe this was also developed using wind tunnel models, at the German equivalent of the NPL, the Physikalisch-Technische Reichsanstalt (now Bundesanstalt). 

 

Edit: found, attached.npl_newsnet_issue_295.pdf

Edited June 28, 2021 by Compound2632

[Dave Hunt]

Compound is correct in what he has stated regarding the streamlining of both the Coronations and the A4s. The results of the NPL wind tunnel tests did show some promise for the type of streamlining used by the LMS, which, however, did not follow precisely the recommendations and although road tests showed some saving in coal under the right conditions, in a cross wind the benefits were minimal at best. It is probable that the very low Reynolds numbers involved with such small models as were used in the wind tunnel terms led to more optimistic analysis of the results than was justified and the sort of speeds attained by the locomotives in service meant that the beneficial effects of streamlining were rarely realised.  When Coleman, at Stanier's instigation, gave the job of sketching out a Coronation Pacific without streamlined clothing to Arthur Eddlestone, that worthy drew a locomotive bearing the name Lady Godiva, which didn't go down very well with the hierarchy.

 

As Compound said, for the full story see the LMS Locomotive Profile by yours truly and others.

 

Dave

Edited June 28, 2021 by Dave Hunt
Dam*ed predictive text again. I hate it!

[Florence Locomotive Works]

5 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

I always felt that the Princess Coronation loco was far more imposing in it's de streamlined form, rather than when wearing the inverted bathtub that Stanier dropped over the unfortunate members of the class.

 

5 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Don't blame Stanier - he was lukewarm about the streamlining all along, seeing it as merely a publicity stunt. It's all documented in a book by Hunt et al.

Agreed, in fact the streamlining has a detrimental affect when not running over 120 mph, this was proved in several mathematical calculations done by the shed master at Llandudno Junction and I believe in cooperation with an associate of his son who worked for Dehavilland and had an interest in all forms of aerodynamics. Full details in the book, “Dad had an Engine Shed”, by Anthony J. Robinson, ISBN 978 0 85361 707 5. It’s an excellent read.

 

 

Douglas

 

 

[Dave Hunt]

The most detrimental aspects of the Coronations' streamlining were the cost and complexity of construction and maintenance and the unavoidable deterioration caused by internal condensation leading to severe rusting. When the streamline casings were finally removed some of the panels were almost rusted through. I don't know whether the A4s were as bad.

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

5 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

 

Agreed, in fact the streamlining has a detrimental affect when not running over 120 mph, this was proved in several mathematical calculations done by the shed master at Llandudno Junction and I believe in cooperation with an associate of his son who worked for Dehavilland and had an interest in all forms of aerodynamics. Full details in the book, “Dad had an Engine Shed”, by Anthony J. Robinson, ISBN 978 0 85361 707 5. It’s an excellent read.

 

 

Douglas

 

 

 FWIW Tony Robinson is a distant crony who is also resident in North Hipposhire.  He models 4 mm scale EM Gauge.

[Happy Hippo]

8 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

The most detrimental aspects of the Coronations' streamlining were the cost and complexity of construction and maintenance and the unavoidable deterioration caused by internal condensation leading to severe rusting. When the streamline casings were finally removed some of the panels were almost rusted through. I don't know whether the A4s were as bad.

 

Dave

Sounds like the PC was probably the Ford Anglia of the locomotive world.

[Stubby47]

The day has not started well.

 

I have broken a toilet seat hinge. I know, I know, this should be right up my street, but to be honest it's a pain the a**e. 

Even this early in the morning, I am now in severe minus brownie points.

 

No replacement seats of the correct colour can be found for purchase locally today, so one has been ordered for delivery tomorrow.  By Yodel (not my choice!).  Sometime between 7:30 and 21:00.

 

This will not improve my brownie point count, and may even detract.

 

One possible mitigating feature is we are a two bathroom/cloakroom/restroom abode, so the faulty utility can be avoided until repaired, but dark looks are still forthcoming.

 

[Happy Hippo]

6 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

The day has not started well.

 

I have broken a toilet seat hinge. I know, I know, this should be right up my street, but to be honest it's a pain the a**e. 

 

 

I know I shouldn't, but I had to laugh, I had this mental image of you speared in one of your cheeks amid a catastrophic structural failure of Ty Bach!