The Night Mail

[Happy Hippo]

5 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

Recent discussions about parachutes are tragically put into perspective here.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-58459694

 

In the last few days I think I saw a report of a couple of RN divers losing their lives on an exercise.

 

Lots of concern about veterans' mental health in the wake of the Afghan withdrawal, and charities being funded to support such people, is fine, but is the military doing enough to look after its own?

 

Not looking for answers but those who have served might have a view.  

Dave knows I have a fascination with all sorts of accidents: not from a ghoulish perspective, but from a desire to learn and hope that the results of any enquiry can be used to prevent such happening again.  Sadly that rarely happens, as Dave can testify, with pilots who continually insist on a turn back to the airport after a low level engine failure and end up making it down in too many pieces.

 

This latest parachuting tragedy may or may not have been avoidable, and until the enquiry has reached it's conclusion, speculation is not helpful.

 

As usual the press are into the speculation game about the AAD (Automatic Activation Device) not working.

 

The AAD is a barometric/pyrotechnic/mechanical device that will open a reserve parachute at low level when the vertical descent rate exceeds a set limit and is a mandatory fitment to the reserve parachute of all STUDENT  parachutists.

 

 It would appear unfortunate individual was not a student, being an RAF Parachute Jump Instructor and allegedly had been filming a tandam parachute jump.  She may have not been using a system with an AAD fitted, and was not legally required to do so.

 

The AAD can be a life saver, if you have been involved in a mid air collision and are falling to earth unconcious.  However, it is not infallible and it's activation is an absolute last resort.

 

The only time I have known AADs be used as a primary deployment device is for military HALO jumps at night when the parachutist has no visible references and for operational reasons is jumping without any lighting on the equipment.

Edited September 6, 2021 by Happy Hippo

[Northmoor]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

Dave knows I have a fascination with all sorts of accidents: not from a ghoulish perspective, but from a desire to learn and hope that the results of any enquiry can be used to prevent such happening again.  Sadly that rarely happens, as Dave can testify, with pilots who continually insist on a turn back to the airport after a low level engine failure and end up making it down in too many pieces.

 

This latest parachuting tragedy may or may not have been avoidable, and until the enquiry has reached it's conclusion, speculation is not helpful.

 

As usual the press are into the speculation game about the AAD (Automatic Activation Device) not working.

 

The AAD is a barometric/pyrotechnic/mechanical device that will open a reserve parachute at low level when the vertical descent rate exceeds a set limit and is a mandatory fitment to the reserve parachute of all STUDENT  parachutists.

 

 It would appear unfortunate individual was not a student, being an RAF Parachute Jump Instructor and allegedly had been filming a tandam parachute jump.  She may have not been using a system with an AAD fitted, and was not legally required to do so.

 

The AAD can be a life saver, if you have been involved in a mid air collision and are falling to earth unconcious.  However, it is not infallible and it's activation is an absolute last resort.

 

The only time I have known AADs be used as a primary deployment device is for military HALO jumps at night when the parachutist has no visible references and for operational reasons is jumping without any lighting on the equipment.

I have a vague memory (so this may be complete rubbish) from a project relating to the Typhoon that it couldn't initially be deployed to Afghanistan because the Thing on the Ejector Seat that performs the role like an AAD, wouldn't have worked.  It was activated at a certain  altitude setting and unfortunately this meant that in much of this mountainous country, you would hit the ground before the parachute was fired.

[Tony_S]

43 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

It was activated at a certain  altitude setting

It was only when a flight I had been tracking was at 1000metres altitude and not moving that I realised that Calgary wasn’t close to sea level.

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Morning all,

 

Its a Holliday of some sort in the USA today so no school, which means this morning was spent making a very very and very loud drive train for the engine. It’s still needs a significant amount of refining. 
 

 

Re parachutes: being exceptionally uninformed on the matter I can’t comment.

 

 

Douglas

[J. S. Bach]

10 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

Don't listen to those heathens!  But paint it black, quickly!

I was actually looking at the Dapol (O scale that I forgot to mention above) black ones (Hatton's) but saw the GWR one as a uspre-owned one "DCC fitted" and it was a better price than a new one without DCC so I went for it. The real problem (for me, anyway) will not be the color but the removal (neatly) of the buffers and link couplings and replacement with KD knuckles (Buckeyes?).

 

When my pre-ordered Dapol Class 66 Freightliner (Powerhaul, although I would have preferred the original Freightliner color scheme; GBRf blue was a close second, BTW) arrives sometime this decade (I hope ), the same thing will happen to it. Plus, a major mechanical modification to the drive: connecting both motors' armature shafts together with a link (probably a rod) with a light flywheel that way both motors WILL turn at exactly the same speed without the unnecessary complications of useless (and maybe irreplaceable at some point in time) electronics. I have never liked the "China drive" using two separate motors (usually vertically mounted) that depend on those electronics.

[J. S. Bach]

On 06/09/2021 at 10:29, Compound2632 said:

 ...snip... The tender is the wrong way round - somebody at the auction house from whom I stole this photo had never played trains before.

I have seen a lot of that over here, too; even from auction houses that specialize in toy trains!

 

The absolute würst that I ever saw was an EMD F7 with a coal tender attached!

Edited September 7, 2021 by J. S. Bach
To add some information.

[New Haven Neil]

That is an O scale pannier I posted, Dave.  I think that's a Minerva one though.  I have a Dapol version, every bit as good....and it's an odd shade of green as it had passed into industrial service.  it could be perhaps....maybe...described as.....LNER green...... 

 

[polybear]

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

....and it's an odd shade of green as it had passed into industrial service.  it could be perhaps....maybe...described as.....LNER green...... 

 

Bear has a sudden onset of chest pains.....

[Dave Hunt]

4 hours ago, Northmoor said:

I have a vague memory (so this may be complete rubbish) from a project relating to the Typhoon that it couldn't initially be deployed to Afghanistan because the Thing on the Ejector Seat that performs the role like an AAD, wouldn't have worked.  It was activated at a certain  altitude setting and unfortunately this meant that in much of this mountainous country, you would hit the ground before the parachute was fired.

 

There are altitude triggers for bang seat parachute opening with different set heights that can be readily fitted to allow for operating in such areas so I wouldn't have thought that such a restriction would be likely. The standard one for operating in Europe is set at 10,000'.

 

Dave 

[laurenceb]

3 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

I have seen a lot of that over here, too; even from auction houses that specialize in toy trains!

 

The absolute wurst that I ever saw was an EMD F7 with a coal tender attached!

There was a chain of model shops in the UK where this was normal, sometimes wondered if the staff were told to do it that way

[Happy Hippo]

9 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

There are altitude triggers for bang seat parachute opening with different set heights that can be readily fitted to allow for operating in such areas so I wouldn't have thought that such a restriction would be likely. The standard one for operating in Europe is set at 10,000'.

 

Dave 

One hopes they are only activated once the seat has been fired from the aircraft

[Happy Hippo]

Later on this morning we are visiting a well known model railway manufacturer's exhibition, shop and garden railway.

 

I have already been interrogated as to whether I intend to purchase anything from their emporium.

 

The answer is no, unless of course, there is something that suddenly becomes an essential buy at a never to be repeated price.

 

Which knowing the manufacturer, is highly unlikely....

 

But we live in hope.

 

 

[J. S. Bach]

I suspect that even I know to whom you are referring!

[Happy Hippo]

Quelle Horreur, I did by some 'stuff'!

 

Since I am doing a track building demo at the Telford Model Railway Group show in October, I bought in some  pandrol clips, fishplates and slide chairs to make a flat bottomed rail turnout.

Edited September 7, 2021 by Happy Hippo

[simontaylor484]

We went to the same place some years since my eldest was about 3 at the time. He loved it, well even swmbo enjoyed it too. The following day we went to Dawlish went to a chippy and they were serving crinkle cut chips that had previously been frozen. 

[Florence Locomotive Works]

7 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

and they were serving crinkle cut chips that had previously been frozen. 

Those are quite common here, not so much on the GWR mainline I guess then.

[New Haven Neil]

Todays visiting toys.

 

[New Haven Neil]

Sun shining, good company, talked a load of.....stuff....happy times.

 

[Florence Locomotive Works]

2 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

Sun shining, good company, talked a load of.....stuff....happy times.

 

Fraggle Rock must have the highest proportion of Roundhouse Engineering Co engines per person of anywhere.

Edited September 7, 2021 by Florence Locomotive Works

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Evening all,

 

A major achievement happened today, as I have succeeded in making a locomotive to my own design that is capable of moving itself under its own power. It’s a very satisfying feeling. The drive system isn’t quite finalized (the battery’s will go in the tender and not atop the boiler for example) but at least it works.

 

 
The crash into the skirting board was not planned, and I shall investigate any damage. The engines correct destination was the rug but the front bogie moved, this did not happen on any other runs. 

 

Douglas

Edited September 8, 2021 by Florence Locomotive Works

[polybear]

2 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

The crash into the skirting board was not planned, and I shall investigate any damage.

 

 

To the loco or the skirting?

I know....silly question.....

[pH]

3 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

The crash into the skirting board was not planned ...

 

Not a budding Gomez Addams, then?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kS-vk9mPR8

 

(Warning - railway modellers of a nervous disposition should probably not watch.)

Edited September 8, 2021 by pH

[jamie92208]

Good moaniing from the Charente.  Somewhat battered and bruised todsy after tripping over a kerb in Tours, 120 miles away. No major damage as my bonce is qite tough, or thick if you wish, but I now have some staples in it.  However you will be pleased to hear that priorities were observed and photos were taken of a new to me, loco class (Class 77, a 66 clone with aircon)  after the incident  and I even noted the number of another new to me loco class, whilst driving to the hospital. Thst was a Captrain E6000.  

 

Anyway Beth has decreeed that I should do nothing today, no chain saw wielding or tip run so I might just head for the shed and do some modelling.

 

Jamie

Edited September 8, 2021 by jamie92208

[Dave Hunt]

Between Douglas crashing his creation into the skirting board and Jamie damaging the pavement his head, we seem to have had our fair share of mishaps to TNMs of late. Sympathies go out to both with hopes that neither involves long term rectification.

 

Hunt Towers is presently chaotic with the patio being rebuilt, a wildlife pond being made and today a chap is coming to repoint the chimney stack as well as carrying out some roofing repairs. Then there is the electrician to fix the water pump and replace a security light and that's just what's going on today - decorating, carpet fitting and so on are scheduled for the near future. Lord only knows how many modelling tokens will ultimately be involved.

 

Speaking of models, the bright side to all of this is that the scope for me to be given household tasks among all the chaos is limited so yesterday I spent the afternoon in the railway shed and once I've been shopping this morning I'll be down there again like a rat up a drainpipe. The present activity is not the most exciting as I am laying large amounts of cobblestones with Das clay and a home made pattern press but it keeps me off the streets.

 

Happy hump day everyone.

 

Dave 

[New Haven Neil]

10 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

Fraggle Rock must have the highest proportion of Roundhouse Engineering Co engines per person of anywhere.

 

Due to Accucraft making the Isle of Man loco models, I'd say they rather than Roundhouse are the predominant manufacturer now.  And we sold most of them......    There are a lot of garden railways over here though, not sure why but the presence of three heritage railways must help.