The Night Mail

[Happy Hippo]

3 hours ago, br2975 said:

Unable to avoid the gravitational pull exerted by a certain second hand bookshop in Cardiff's Castle Arcade, I found myself leaving with the three tomes below;

.

(i) "Birmingham's Canals" caught my eye for no reason other than it contains photos of industrial buildings, backdrops and other grot that really floats my ( narrow ) boat.

.

(ii) Colin Chapman's "Vale of Glamorgan Railway" replaces a copy that disappeared many moons past.

.

(iii) "Steam in South Wales" - well, any album of photographs (all colour) by the late Alan Jarvis should be on my shelf; and yet when I was first alerted to this magnificent local work, by one 'Danemouth' of this parish, I cannot explain why I didn't buy it at the time ?  Sadly, I once passed up on an  offer of an introduction to Alan (who lived but ten minutes walk away) , when I worked with his next door neighbour; then, when I realised who her next door neighbour was...... it was all too late.

.

The kettle is boiling, my slippers are on, SWMBO is out - what shall I do next ?

Funnily enough it was you alerted me to get a copy of the SiSW book, and the equally excellent three volumes of Rickard's Record.

 

I am ever hopeful that further volumes of SiSW will eventually appear, although they should not be mixed up with the wonderful Michael Hale volumes

 

I'm ever hopeful there will be further volumes published.

[Dave Hunt]

12 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

I thought that was the case but it's not. Organ meat is readily available but it's not prominently displayed and there are on-line butchers that will ship it anywhere in the US. I think the prohibition applies to imports, as I found out when I tried to bring some British bacon into the US. And don't dare try to bring pet food in if it's not in the original container

 

When I worked in San Diego, one of my colleagues there,was extremely fond of Marmite but couldn't obtain it locally so whenever anyone went back to the UK for any reason he would ask them to bring back supplies. Usually we wouldn't bother declaring it to the customs & immigration people as it didn't actually contravene the rules but one chap who did mention it had a helluva time trying to convince the official that it wasn't a meat product, despite what was stated on the label.

 

I was once with a colleague when we flew into Washington DC whose wife had made him some ham sandwiches before he left home and there was still one in his briefcase. You'd have thought that he was trying to import a phial of botulism toxin - the performance of disposing of it had to be seen to be believed.

 

And as for Australia - following our ruby wedding anniversary we wanted to send a piece of celebratory cake to our son and DiL in Sydney. I ended up having to get authorisation from the Australian High Commision in London that involved a declaration of ingredients and origins of them and the parcel had to have a copy of this fixed to the outside. Even then it was opened when it arrived in Australia before being delivered to its final address.

 

Dave 

[simontaylor484]

5 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

When I worked in San Diego, one of my colleagues there,was extremely fond of Marmite but couldn't obtain it locally so whenever anyone went back to the UK for any reason he would ask them to bring back supplies. Usually we wouldn't bother declaring it to the customs & immigration people as it didn't actually contravene the rules but one chap who did mention it had a helluva time trying to convince the official that it wasn't a meat product, despite what was stated on the label.

 

I was once with a colleague when we flew into Washington DC whose wife had made him some ham sandwiches before he left home and there was still one in his briefcase. You'd have thought that he was trying to import a phial of botulism toxin - the performance of disposing of it had to be seen to be believed.

 

And as for Australia - following our ruby wedding anniversary we wanted to send a piece of celebratory cake to our son and DiL in Sydney. I ended up having to get authorisation from the Australian High Commision in London that involved a declaration of ingredients and origins of them and the parcel had to have a copy of this fixed to the outside. Even then it was opened when it arrived in Australia before being delivered to its final address.

 

Dave 

Had someone sampled it during the inspection process and left a bite Mark in the corner

[polybear]

2 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

Had someone sampled it during the inspection process and left a bite Mark in the corner

 

The trick is to give it a few good licks as that way you at least get some of the flavour without actually leaving any evidence....

[Dave Hunt]

A bit of sobering news has just come my way. My great friend and well-known figure in railway modelling, Bob Essery, died last night. He had been suffering for some time from advanced Alzheimer's disease and had been in a coma for several days then in the early hours of this morning he finally slipped away. RIP Bob.

 

Dave

Edited November 24, 2021 by Dave Hunt

[New Haven Neil]

Another of the greats gone.  RIP Bob.

[Happy Hippo]

3 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

 

 

And as for Australia - following our ruby wedding anniversary we wanted to send a piece of celebratory cake to our son and DiL in Sydney. I ended up having to get authorisation from the Australian High Commision in London that involved a declaration of ingredients and origins of them and the parcel had to have a copy of this fixed to the outside. Even then it was opened when it arrived in Australia before being delivered to its final address.

 

Dave 

You were very lucky that PB or myself were not doing the opening!

 

Unlike PB who can get away with a lick, such an attempt by myself would just leave it stuck firmly to my tongue. 

 

What happens next is a foregone conclusion.

Edited November 24, 2021 by Happy Hippo

[simontaylor484]

Sorry to hear about your friend Dave

[Happy Hippo]

This morning was dedicated to cleaning and cleaning.  

 

First I vacuumed the lower reaches of the Hippodrome and the staircase.

 

I then had to stop and clean the vacuum cleaner, which took longer than the rest of the vacuuming put together.

 

The amount of long hair I took from the beater bar bearings was unbelievable.  And I thought it was tough having had two dogs in the past.  But having Rapunzel living here is far worse.

 

However, whilst beavering away, what did I espy on the table, but a bit of shiny, which turned out to be one of the bearing washers that had disappeared during the last soldering session.

 

I now need to come up with an alignment and clamping system that can hold one small and two very small parts together whilst I get sufficient heat to them and retain them at the same time.

 

Oh yes, my RSU, but it's out of commission needing a new carbon rod holder.

 

I suppose that has just bumped the manufacturing of a replacement up the list of things to do.

 

[J. S. Bach]

2 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

A bit of sobering news has just come my way. My great friend and well-known figure in railway modelling, Bob Essery, died last night. He had been suffering for some time from advanced Alzheimer's disease and had been in a coma for several days then in the early hours of this morning he finally slipped away. RIP Bob.

 

Dave

Sorry to read that. Oddly, I know the name but have absolutely no idea as to why.

[Compound2632]

4 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

Sorry to read that. Oddly, I know the name but have absolutely no idea as to why.

 

Here's an incomplete bibliography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Essery; to which one should add at the very least his editorship of Midland Record (36 numbers, 1995-2011) and LMS Journal (39 numbers, 2001-2013), both published by Wild Swan.

[Dave Hunt]

I wasn't aware of the Wikipedia page about Bob. It is, as Stephen says, incomplete as we actually produced thirty-odd books and supplements in the Midland Engines and LMS Locomotive Profiles, most of them involving Bob. I've been disposing of his models as well as his vast photographic and book collections on behalf of his wife Wynne since he was admitted to a nursing home and although I've shifted a lot there is still an enormous amount to do.

 

Dave

[jamie92208]

Very sad news about Bob, one of the great and good. My fererence book shelf above my workbench is at least half full of books where he was either sole or co author. I first met him adter writing a letter to him wth information for Midland Record. That lead to him encoraging me to write some articles for the journal.  A trues gent and he will be sorely missed.

 

Jamie

[Steamport Southport]

I used to always borrow them from the local library that was right next to my school. Then for some reason they moved all the decent research books to the main library that was a bus ride away and not suitable for a small child to travel to alone. I was about ten at the time.

 

Then I saw them as part of an introductory offer for The Railway Book Club. The MR and LMS Wagons pairs and the LMS Coaches book. I was allowed to join it under my mum's name as long as I saved up for the books. My mum never asked for the money though.

 

So whilst most ten year olds were still buying comics and sweets, I was buying books on LMS wagons.  

 

 

 

Jason

[BSW01]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

I now need to come up with an alignment and clamping system that can hold one small and two very small parts together whilst I get sufficient heat to them and retain them at the same time.

 

Try using the shank of a drill. Find one that's a nice, but not tight fit, dip it in oil then assemble the washers and solder together. I use this method when building valve gear. 

[Happy Hippo]

32 minutes ago, BSW01 said:

Try using the shank of a drill. Find one that's a nice, but not tight fit, dip it in oil then assemble the washers and solder together. I use this method when building valve gear. 

Thanks for that.

 

I usually use a bit of stainless rod for that sort of job, but I can't find a bit small enough.

 

If you coat it with gun blue, nothing will stick to it!

[laurenceb]

My first ever book was Locomotives of the LMS. Don't know how many of RJE's books are on my shelfs but it's a lot. All very readable. He has left a fantastic legacy.

[AndyID]

8 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

When I worked in San Diego, one of my colleagues there,was extremely fond of Marmite but couldn't obtain it locally so whenever anyone went back to the UK for any reason he would ask them to bring back supplies. Usually we wouldn't bother declaring it to the customs & immigration people as it didn't actually contravene the rules but one chap who did mention it had a helluva time trying to convince the official that it wasn't a meat product, despite what was stated on the label.

 

I was once with a colleague when we flew into Washington DC whose wife had made him some ham sandwiches before he left home and there was still one in his briefcase. You'd have thought that he was trying to import a phial of botulism toxin - the performance of disposing of it had to be seen to be believed.

 

And as for Australia - following our ruby wedding anniversary we wanted to send a piece of celebratory cake to our son and DiL in Sydney. I ended up having to get authorisation from the Australian High Commision in London that involved a declaration of ingredients and origins of them and the parcel had to have a copy of this fixed to the outside. Even then it was opened when it arrived in Australia before being delivered to its final address.

 

Dave 

 

It's my impression that this is mainly about protectionism cloaked as food safety.

 

BTW very little gets past the noses of the agents' dogs 

[Stubby47]

Just for fun:

 

https://www.forces.net/news/quiz-how-good-your-raf-aircraft-knowledge?

 

Edited November 24, 2021 by Stubby47

[Happy Hippo]

15 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

Just for fun:

 

https://www.forces.net/news/quiz-how-good-your-raf-aircraft-knowledge?

 

Me too!

[Stubby47]

And for the Navy:

 

https://www.forces.net/news/quiz-how-good-your-royal-navy-vessel-knowledge

 

My score is between me and my conscience.

[Happy Hippo]

I wonder if we could have a 'How well do you know your pannier tanks' quiz?

[DenysW]

"I wonder if we could have a 'How well do you know your pannier tanks' quiz?"

 

At the risk of repeating a previous post (but not one of mine) - Aren't you aware this is a family-friendly site?

[jamie92208]

36 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

I wonder if we could have a 'How well do you know your pannier tanks' quiz?

Where's the Ugh button when you need it.

 

Jamie

[Tony_S]

I probably wouldn’t do as well on pannier tanks as I did on aircraft and ships. I don’t dislike pannier tanks but I don’t really know how to identify the variants.