The Night Mail

[SM42]

1 minute ago, Happy Hippo said:

Rejoice indeed.

 

You will Polish them off in short order!

 

Having  now been given a new excuse to eat cake, I have recorded the day and date in the diary, I will get creative in the kitchen.

 

I fear that the fact this is an annual event, may get lost in translation and become a monthly, or even weekly tradition in order to show continued support and solidarity with little Poland across the border.

 

 

Alexa, play the Hallelujah Chorus!

 

Like all fine Easter related traditions  it is a moveable feast  and feast we will.

Where we can move it to is another question. 

 

Flabby Friday?

Wobbly Wednesday?

Morbidly obese Monday?

Anyone?

 

Andy

[Happy Hippo]

Sarcophagus Sunday?

[SM42]

 

Go! Go! Go!

 

Wish me luck.

 

Imagine Primark on Black Friday  but with doughnuts 

 

Andy

[jamie92208]

A quick appeal for help. As I don't model the Great Way Round I don't have any reference material. I am building a Parkside 7mm 3 plank wagon. Can anyone help me with some specimen running numbets.

 

Jamie

[Compound2632]

36 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

A quick appeal for help. As I don't model the Great Way Round I don't have any reference material. I am building a Parkside 7mm 3 plank wagon. Can anyone help me with some specimen running numbets.

List sent by gmail. 

 

3-plank wagons were built 1879-1887 which sounds rather early for the Parkside by Peco range - do you mean Coopercraft by Slaters?

 

If so, it's an iron framed one so probably best to choose a number from one of the later lots. Also beware that the kit is 6" too long - it uses their standard 16'0" underframe whereas these wagons were 15'6" (so I am told).

 

 

Geen kit, 4 mm scale.

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

American Grey Squirrels and Mink into this country, or the Rabbits into Australia are well known examples.

Rabbits are a human introduced species into the UK too. Definitely by the Normans and quite possibly also even earlier by the Romans.

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, SM42 said:

Rejoice! rejoice!

Today is Tlusty Czwartek. ( a noble tradition)

Fat Thursday

 The perfect excuse to eat cake with no recriminations from Mrs SM42.

Large quantities of doughnuts are on order and I shall shortly be collecting ours once the police escort turns up.  ( can never be too careful in these parts - Nextdoorhipposhire)

Andy

(mmm doughnuts )

Police escort for doughnuts? Isn't that like putting Dracula in charge of a blood bank.

Edited February 11, 2021 by PhilJ W

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, Compound2632 said:

List sent by gmail. 

 

3-plank wagons were built 1879-1887 which sounds rather early for the Parkside by Peco range - do you mean Coopercraft by Slaters?

 

If so, it's an iron framed one so probably best to choose a number from one of the later lots. Also beware that the kit is 6" too long - it uses their standard 16'0" underframe whereas these wagons were 15'6" (so I am told).

 

 

Geen kit, 4 mm scale.

15' 6" according to Tourret and Co.

 

The photo in their book shows Wagon no 1722 which was one of the last built in 1887.

 

The running number was 39135

 

It didn't have a long life and was condemned in 1898.

 

 

Edited February 11, 2021 by Happy Hippo

[laurenceb]

6 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Police escort for doughnuts? Isn't that like putting Dracula in charge of a blood bank.

Would have thought Baz with one of his Challengers Would be better

[Happy Hippo]

1 minute ago, laurenceb said:

Would have thought Baz with one of his Challengers Would be better

The problem with  a tank is that without the best part of an infantry company to support it, it  is very vulnerable to enemy infantry who, with the right kit, can make a tank crew's life very miserable (and short).

[SM42]

14 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Police escort for doughnuts? Isn't that like putting Dracula in charge of a blood bank.

 

I didn't tell em what was being escorted.

 

Back safe now. Security measures now switched on. 

Arrived at the shop  as another 20  trays were delivered to supplement the large number that were being unloaded at 8 this morning.

 

It was  a bun fight but managed to complete my mission 

 

 

Decided not to overdo it this year 

 

Andy

[PhilJ W]

I'm not a great lover of doughnuts but I've plenty of bread pudding in stock.

[skipepsi]

3 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

This is one of the problems of people introducing non native species into countries. 

 

American Grey Squirrels and Mink into this country, or the Rabbits into Australia are well known examples.

 

Less well known but of great concern are Reticulated and Indian/Burmese Pythons in the Everglades of Florida after their keepers realised they were too big to keep just took them into the countryside and let them go.  Of course they are now breeding and pose a serious ecological threat.

 

I've handled a few Indian/Burmese pythons in my time and they are very strong:  Once they get over a certain size, they can become a danger unless handled correctly.  I wouldn't go near any Reticulated Python as they are very bad tempered, and getting bitten by one is a serious matter.  (Not venomous, but so many teeth and a mouth full of bacteria, and unlike a venomous reptile, they don't bite and let go, but keep hanging on.)

 

People who buy one as a pet because it looks cool, have absolutely no idea of the responsibility they have, both for the snakes welfare and their own safety because, once it gets above it gets above a certain length it looks at you as a potential next meal!

The two snakes I was most pleased that Matthew moved on before going to university were a false water cobra (rear fang venomous) and a dwarf reticulated python he left a boa for me to look after that was bigger than the reticulated python but it was much more placid except at feeding time of course.

[SM42]

31 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

I'm not a great lover of doughnuts but I've plenty of bread pudding in stock.

 

We need a yum yum button

 

Andy

[PhilJ W]

10 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

We need a yum yum button

 

Andy

And one for the Hippo's and bear's of this parish.

[Happy Hippo]

25 minutes ago, skipepsi said:

The two snakes I was most pleased that Matthew moved on before going to university were a false water cobra (rear fang venomous) and a dwarf reticulated python he left a boa for me to look after that was bigger than the reticulated python but it was much more placid except at feeding time of course.

Mick, What sort of boa did he leave behind?

 

A distant friend had a Rainbow Boa and a Royal Python.  Both were very tractable, but the Royal Python really liked a much more humid environment than the Rainbow.

 

I presume you needed a council licence to keep a venomous snake, even though back fanged snakes are generally not a danger.  (I discount the Boomslang from that statement)

[PhilJ W]

Someone mention cake?

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Well chaps the freezing temperatures that are currently battering most of my country have now arrived in Oklahoma.

 

It hasn't risen above freezing in 4 days now, and we have basically been having an ice storm every night for that amount of time. The high over the weekend is a chilly (in USA temp) 12 degrees, which is about -10 for my friends in Europe. Monday night is even colder, with a projected low of (in USA temp) -7, in Europe that's about -42. Also over the next few days, well mostly the weekend i'm told roughly 5 to 10 inches of snow will fall.

 

I can't say I'm complaining about all this, as I like cold weather.

 

I would post some photos, but my phone camera is a bit overwhelmed by all the white.

 

Douglas

[Tony_S]

19 minutes ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

) -7, in Europe that's about -42

-7F is about -22 Celsius. Interestingly -40 is the same in Fahrenheit and. Celsius. 

[Happy Hippo]

41 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

-7F is about -22 Celsius. Interestingly -40 is the same in Fahrenheit and. Celsius. 

A slight nip in the air

[SM42]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

A slight nip in the air

 

Might have to consider  a light jacket.

 

Andy

[Happy Hippo]

1 minute ago, SM42 said:

 

Might have to consider  a light jacket.

 

Andy

 

Can't see Jamie wanting to wear one of these!

[Winslow Boy]

2 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

Might have to consider  a light jacket.

 

Andy

But certainly retention of the shorts please. It's not that cold.

[Tony_S]

13 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

Might have to consider  a light jacket.

 

Andy

When my son lived in Calgary it was considered to be a mild winter that year but there was one day when it was -40. He lived in the international student accommodation and some of the other students were keen to see what it was like. Earlier in the year some of the students had been really excited seeing snow. Being Canada the accommodation was suitable all year and there were underground routes to the university buildings. Anyway so of course some went outside from room temp to -40 to see what it felt like while wearing t-shirts. They didn’t stay out long and some were quickly convinced not to try it again. 

[Happy Hippo]

I came across this video of flying the Lysander.

 

 

Quite complicated compared to the usual Cessna or Piper.

 

Considering they were flown into what were farmers fields, at night across Europe by the Special Duties Squadrons during WW2 is testament to the flying skills of the pilots.