The Night Mail

[PhilJ W]

About fifty years ago I knew a few retired prison officers. One of them had been stationed in a young offenders unit in the late 50's. They had a group of teddy boys in for various offences and their leader was a stroppy so-and-so. This led to a sit down by the inmates led by the stroppy one. My friend asked the senior officer what could be done. He told him watch what I do. He then went to the cell of the troublemaker, pulled back the bedclothes and peed on the bed. He then collected the urine stained sheets. He took them to where the inmates were, held them up and said "You've wet your bed again ******." There was never any trouble from that quarter again.

[Oldddudders]

Cricket? Hmm. In the days when Deb and I patronised the Windmill Inn in Cranbrook, there was a week a year called Wakes Week, and a dedicated band of cricket lovers would descend, playing matches on the adjacent playing fields, which were something to do with Cranbrook School. One of their number was some sort of cricket commentator - Peter West? - and you sensed there were multiple acolytes with him. 

 

Fund-raising was part of the deal, and a system of forfeits would be enacted in the bar, with a dropped catch in that day's match being worth £1 etc. The treasurer approached us and asked if we'd like to contribute? I pointed out that my great-grandfather had played for Sussex and the MCC - Australia in the 1880s must have been quite a trip! - but that since his time no-one had given two monkeys' twizzles about the game. "Heresy - £25!" came the cry. I did not pay up. 

[Joseph_Pestell]

4 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

. One of their number was some sort of cricket commentator - Peter West

 

"Some sort of cricket commentator" about sums it up. He was better on "Come Dancing". Not that he knew much about dancing - but more than he did about cricket.

[Tony_S]

Model railway interlude.

I found when sorting out all my locos about a month ago that I had a couple of non runners. I am almost there resurrecting them now. Both run on DC and the one at the rear of the photo just needs a 21pin decoder and various body fittings putting back. Fortunately I have other locos to see “where that bit goes”.   The chassis on that one was unrecoverable (Mazak rot round the  motor gear fixings) and I managed to adapt the body to fit a  supposedly “spares or repairs” Bachmann chassis. Needed a reamer and a 14BA washer to repair. 
The chassis at the front needed a valve gear repair and seemed ok but cooked a decoder on dcc. Yes, I did check for shorts but it was an intermittent one revealed by dismantling everything (flaky soldering from wheel pickup plate) . It works on dc now and I will fit a decoder after it has run in. I think I will have a break from loco bodging and do some scenic stuff on the layout. As they only stented my heart I am sure it is safe to waft a static grass machine about!

Edited July 25, 2021 by Tony_S

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Morning all,

 

We arrived safely in Spokane yesterday, and spent the afternoon walking around downtown, and checking out the outdoor hydroelectric power plant, fully open to the public. It’s also very well signed to show you what everything does, and most of it is carefully masked by a walkway on top of the penstock, but the turbine floor is outside and fully accessible.

 

Some photos, none of the former Great Northern mainline through the city though. (Yet!)

 

In this photo I'm standing on the sluice gate for the turbine, which doubles as a viewing platform. Unfortunately I don’t know the name of the river.

 

Above we see how the walkway continues down the rapids, this is all built on the penstock.

 

 

This is the old original power plant, also hydro and built in the 1880-90s, and closed in the mid 20th century. One of the turbines was donated to the Henry Ford Museum. It’s now a science museum, although the river does still flow through it!

 

 

Above, on the way to Tekoa, where the farm is.

 

The view from my room, showing Tekoa Mountain and wheat fields. Harvest starts this week. After we had arrived at the farm myself dad and one of the hosts went off to Laytah, where there is an antique store that had several nice pond yachts that I remembered from my 2019 visit. They weren’t there thankfully, and I bought a very nice drawing compass.

 

On Friday we will be checking out the model shop Jamie mentioned.

 

Douglas

Edited July 25, 2021 by Florence Locomotive Works

[Oldddudders]

I think it might be Spokane River, which seems to feed into the Columbia River at Fort Spokane. 

[bbishop]

10 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

Cricket? Hmm. In the days when Deb and I patronised the Windmill Inn in Cranbrook, there was a week a year called Wakes Week, and a dedicated band of cricket lovers would descend, playing matches on the adjacent playing fields, which were something to do with Cranbrook School. One of their number was some sort of cricket commentator - Peter West? - and you sensed there were multiple acolytes with him. 

 

Fund-raising was part of the deal, and a system of forfeits would be enacted in the bar, with a dropped catch in that day's match being worth £1 etc. The treasurer approached us and asked if we'd like to contribute? I pointed out that my great-grandfather had played for Sussex and the MCC - Australia in the 1880s must have been quite a trip! - but that since his time no-one had given two monkeys' twizzles about the game. "Heresy - £25!" came the cry. I did not pay up. 

 

A complete sh1t.  He lived in Petts Wood and one of his little tricks was to get to the railway station a few minutes before the CX train was due and walk to the front of the ticket queue , announcing "I am Peter West and I have an important meeting at the BBC".  Until one day he tried it on my mother, who replied in her best Welsh accent "and I am Betty Bishop and you can queue like the rest of us".  He missed the train.

 

In other news, I watched a fair chunk of the girls match at Lord's, interrupted by a couple of patients.  Very good cricketers, except for one thing, their running between the wickets.  They jog the first run, then have a "shall we, shan't we" about the second run.  However there is a future star in the making, Emma Copsey is only 16 and she hit the ball like a rocket for the Oval team.  She will be playing for England in a couple of years.

 

The boys were rained off and I got drenched.

 

Bill

[polybear]

6 minutes ago, bbishop said:

 

A complete sh1t. 

 

 

Bear will see you and raise you:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57962675

If ever their was a prime candidate for a good dose of virus then she is it.

[Happy Hippo]

I shall be returning to the Hippodrome today. It was a very wet back half to the weekend. The airfield was closed all Sunday due to poor visibility, so it was very quiet. 

[Dave Hunt]

14 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Bear will see you and raise you:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57962675

If ever their was a prime candidate for a good dose of virus then she is it.

 

Maybe being put into a football stadium, centre stage, with 20,000 or so people who have lost loved ones through Covid 19 and who have free access to her would be fitting?

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

Well, I'm back safe and sound, although the 3hrs it took to get from J8 of the M20 to J16 on the M25 via the Dartford crossing was an incredibly rapid for the M25. 

 

We did make very good progress between tailbacks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 26, 2021 by Happy Hippo

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Morning all,

 

 

Been bumbling around on some elderly iron today. 
 

At the farm I’m staying they have a rusting International Harvester Company model 51 hillside pull type combine*. It hasn’t  worked since at least the 60s, but shockingly still has air in the tires, and the wooden brake blocks still look to be useful. Here are some photos.

 

* a hillside combine can level itself with  a hill, and it is pulled by a crawler tractor, they were fazed out in the late 60s, this one was made in around 1935.

 

 

Above, looking at the front of the combine.

 

 

A photos of the gear train for the threshing box, and showing the rack for adjusting to the hillside. Wooden brake blocks also in evidence. 
 

 

Looking towards the back and showing the old driving platform, seeing ally had a wood floor which is now rotted away. 
 

 

Douglas

[polybear]

22 minutes ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

Morning all,

 

 

Been bumbling around on some elderly iron today. 
 

At the farm I’m staying they have a rusting International Harvester Company model 51 hillside pull type combine*. It hasn’t  worked since at least the 60s, but shockingly still has air in the tires, and the wooden brake blocks still look to be useful. Here are some photos.

 

* a hillside combine can level itself with  a hill, and it is pulled by a crawler tractor, they were fazed out in the late 60s, this one was made in around 1935.

 

 

Above, looking at the front of the combine.

 

 

A photos of the gear train for the threshing box, and showing the rack for adjusting to the hillside. Wooden brake blocks also in evidence. 
 

 

Looking towards the back and showing the old driving platform, seeing ally had a wood floor which is now rotted away. 
 

 

Douglas

 

You can fix it.......

[Florence Locomotive Works]

19 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

You can fix it.......

I could get it rolling today but it’s missing the 4 cylinder engine that would supply power to everything, the harvesting bar (the big rotating thing, should be mounted on the side), appears to have been destroyed so it could never harvest again, but it would be an interesting garden ornament and I could easily convince our host to let me pull it out with one of the tractors. If I do this it shall be documented.

[coastalview]

22 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Bear will see you and raise you:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57962675

If ever their was a prime candidate for a good dose of virus then she is it.

She is awful even her son has effectively abandoned her.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-54669239

 

[simontaylor484]

38 minutes ago, coastalview said:

She is awful even her son has effectively abandoned her.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-54669239

 

It's a shame people like this get oxygen.

[polybear]

36 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

It's a shame people like this get oxygen.

 

We had someone at work (who just happened to be a Project Manager) who was known as "The Oxygen Thief" by some; my Boss used to refer to him as "Naughts and Crosses".

[Dave Hunt]

3 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

I could get it rolling today but it’s missing the 4 cylinder engine that would supply power to everything, the harvesting bar (the big rotating thing, should be mounted on the side), appears to have been destroyed so it could never harvest again, but it would be an interesting garden ornament and I could easily convince our host to let me pull it out with one of the tractors. If I do this it shall be documented.

 

With your new found skills, Douglas, you could probably arrange for it at least to keep good time.

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

The grey overcast which has greeted me this morning could be a blessing or a curse.

 

A blessing, as it will keep the garage and driveways reasonably cool whilst I empty the back corner of the garage, and  clean it up prior to removing the  old shelves and erecting the new and considerably larger logistic support solution.

 

The curse will be if the overcast turns to rods of water whilst the various items that have been removed from the depths of the garage are living exposed on the driveway.  They really do not require a wash.

 

I suppose I could pre-empt this possibility by erecting my shooting marquee, but doing would involve much puffing and panting, not to forget the time wasted should the weather stay clement.

 

The simple solution would be to sit and cogitate and having a PhD in procrastination might actually work to my (But not the garage's) advantage.

 

I shall now sit down for a coffee and large cake as this will give me the clarity of vision I so desperately crave. 

[Winslow Boy]

 

As well as a full tum.

[jamie92208]

You need sustenance Richard, we are heading across the channel next week and I'm tryi g to fineagle a trip to Hipposhire.  You have been warned.

 

Jamie

[Happy Hippo]

Out came the sun, as did all the kit onto the drive once it had been established as a sunny zone, with much merriment ensuing from the construction department.  Then the monsoon rain started!

 

Still, one set of shelf frames built, two more to go. 

 

The instructions state it is easier with two persons to do the building.  I'm finding it quite easy on my own.  So I am presuming that most people who buy this sort of construction kit are either inept or lack low cunning.

 

 

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

You need sustenance Richard, we are heading across the channel next week and I'm tryi g to fineagle a trip to Hipposhire.  You have been warned.

 

Jamie

I can finally feed you the lead shot you were promised!

[jamie92208]

36 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

instructions state it is easier with two persons to do the building.  I'm finding it quite easy on my own.  So I am presuming that most people who buy this sort of construction kit are either inept or lack low cunning.

 

 

I can finally feed you the lead shot you were promised!

Good luck Richard, I presume that you are not going to feed me the lead shot at high speed using a tubular object. I have dealt with at least one case of sudden onset lead poisoning.

 

 

Jamie

 

[Dave Hunt]

If you come to North Hipposhire, Jamie, you will be most welcome at Hunt Towers. HH knows the way so if you bring him along that will work and given a reasonable amount of warning there could be LDC on offer. I'll send you the code for the anti-bear defences. Don't forget that I've still got those two wagons for you.

 

Dave

[Northroader]

20 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

I could get it rolling today but it’s missing the 4 cylinder engine that would supply power to everything, the harvesting bar (the big rotating thing, should be mounted on the side), appears to have been destroyed so it could never harvest again, but it would be an interesting garden ornament and I could easily convince our host to let me pull it out with one of the tractors. If I do this it shall be documented.