The Night Mail

[polybear]

2 hours ago, BR60103 said:

We had a drive today to Lake Huron. We even managd to find the far end of the Huron Road. 

They are replacing the railway bridge in downtown. Not clear on details, but it has survived as a single track bridge on a double width foundation. Some pictures in the paper:

https://www.guelphtoday.com/local-news/section-of-macdonell-street-rail-bridge-replaced-8-photos-4324394

 

 

 

Bear wondered what other local news there was on the same site;  this is very sad - woofums was only three

 

https://www.guelphtoday.com/local-news/guelph-police-service-pays-tribute-service-dog-who-died-this-week-4321383

[Happy Hippo]

7 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 Then today any thoughts of modelling were stifled by the 'need' to go to the garden centre to spend more large amounts of dosh on acquatic plants and other accoutrements for the new pond followed by installing same.

I always suggest the Bridgemere garden centre over any other, mainly as it has a Hobbycraft in the complex.

 

It occasionally has offers on accurately milled Basswood, DAS modelling clays and Really Useful Boxes.

[Dave Hunt]

One of the establishments visited was indeed Bridgemere and a pack of Das clay did happen to find its way into my possession. With luck it may well find itself turned into a stretch of cobbles this afternoon.

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

45 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

One of the establishments visited was indeed Bridgemere and a pack of Das clay did happen to find its way into my possession. With luck it may well find itself turned into a stretch of cobbles this afternoon.

 

Dave

I've got a couple of spare packets of DAS....  you should have asked and saved yourself a few bob

[Dave Hunt]

Thanks for that Richard, I'll try to remember next time I need some. Fascinating stuff, DAS clay and so useful for many modelling tasks. I imagine that it's like the puddled clay that is used to line canals and some other water retaining structures. Material for laying down the base of a Muddy Hollow maybe?

 

Dave

[Stubby47]

What colour Das do you use for the cobbles, and is there any density difference between colours?

(Sorry, that is a modelling question...)

[Happy Hippo]

3 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

What colour Das do you use for the cobbles, and is there any density difference between colours?

(Sorry, that is a modelling question...)

That's an ecumenical question(a Father Ted joke)

[polybear]

3 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

I always suggest the Bridgemere garden centre over any other, mainly as it has a Hobbycraft in the complex.

 

It occasionally has offers on accurately milled Basswood, DAS modelling clays and Really Useful Boxes.

 

Has Mrs H tumbled to this cunning ploy yet?

 

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

I've got a couple of spare packets of DAS....  you should have asked and saved yourself a few bob

 

Does Big H also happen to have spare packs of LDC by any chance........

[Happy Hippo]

16 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Has Mrs H tumbled to this cunning ploy yet?

 

 

Does Big H also happen to have spare packs of LDC by any chance........

Yes she has known about this ploy for many years, but pretends not to notice.  I'm sure she gets some form of satisfaction from this as she is very tolerant of my various indulgences.  However, sometimes more money is spent than really needed, as when she felt a low mileage Ibiza was a better investment than a 19 year old Escort.

 

LDC is not on the approved list of long term storage requirements.

[jamie92208]

2 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

What colour Das do you use for the cobbles, and is there any density difference between colours?

(Sorry, that is a modelling question...)

None at all in my experience.

 

Jamie

[Winslow Boy]

13 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

Well, the best laid plans of yesterday fell at the first fence as when I set off for the shed I discovered that the landscaping chaps had just finished laying the new path and steps to the entrance that couldn't be walked on for the rest of the day until the cement set. Bu**er. Then today any thoughts of modelling were stifled by the 'need' to go to the garden centre to spend more large amounts of dosh on acquatic plants and other accoutrements for the new pond followed by installing same. However, a sneaky move was made when I suggested that we went out for dinner at a rather nice local establishment, which I think may have gained me sufficient brownie points for another attempt at shed time tomorrow. 

 

To be continued..........

 

Dave

 

Meant to mention this yesterday, but some canine interruptions occurred which rather kiboshed it.

 

Anyway assuming its not too late. If the pond has been filled using tap water I would suggest leaving it several days to settle before adding any plants. This ensures that any chemicals that it may contain have chance to evaporate.

 

You may already know this, as any reputable landscaper will have given you advice on when and how to plant up  the pond alternately the Memsahib may have a degree in marine biology/ undertaken due diligence/ be a skilled aquarist (insert as appropriate) and not require such advice.

 

This message will self destruct and the Secretary will deny all knowledge of this information

[SM42]

Cycling has been done 

Bakewell to Wye Dale on the Monsal Trail 

9 miles up hill but better on the way back. 

 

Hit a bit of a snag as Mrs SM42's steed developed a knocking noise that defied diagnosis just after Monsal Dale.

It went away after investigation  but recurred shortly after leaving Miller's Dale.

This time the fault was obvious. 

The rear gear set had come loose.

We limped into Wye Dale and sought fitter's attention at the Blackwell Mill Cycle hire shop. 

 

Alas they could do nothing and it was declared a failure.

 

How to get back?

 

A free cycle hire was offered as long as we were back before they closed.

 

So off we set with our new motive power and 2 hours later we were back, the demic  collected and loaded to return to home depot for repairs.

 

A very big thank you to the guys at Blackwell Mill Cycle Hire. 

They refused any payment, so we made a generous donation to the tip jar

 

Now home enjoying home made butternut squash soup and ham rolls

 

Andy

 

PS, being in Bakewell, it would be rude not to purchase the town's eponymous delicacy. So we did. 

Edited September 12, 2021 by SM42

[Dave Hunt]

11 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

What colour Das do you use for the cobbles, and is there any density difference between colours?

(Sorry, that is a modelling question...)

 

I'm using what is called on the packet 'Stone' which when opened is dark grey but dries to a very much lighter colour a bit like a weathered LMS wagon grey. I'm planning on painting it a darker greenish grey then rubbing various browns, blacks, greens etc. mixed with fine sand, talc and scatter materials into the indentations to represent mud, general dirt, coal dust, horse poo etc. The only other colour of DAS I've ever used is Terracotta and that and the Stone feel pretty much the same.

 

Dave

[Dave Hunt]

7 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

If the pond has been filled using tap water I would suggest leaving it several days to settle before adding any plants. This ensures that any chemicals that it may contain have chance to evaporate.

 

You may already know this, as any reputable landscaper will have given you advice on when and how to plant up  the pond ..........

 

Thanks for the advice Winslow. Both the landscaper and the very helpful young man in the acquatic shop we went to suggested 48 hours would be sufficient so that's what we did. Since it is currently the end of the planting season for ponds we've just settled for some oxygenating plants and a few marginals that were recommended and will add more come next spring.

 

Dave

[New Haven Neil]

Don't worry Dave, the duckweed will soon take over as if by magic!

[jamie92208]

8 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Don't worry Dave, the duckweed will soon take over as if by magic!

Is that some of Roger Ford's bionic variety that the Treasury think will power trains in the future.

 

Jamie

[simontaylor484]

There was a guy on tv the other night who was doing a renovation of an old barn he built a swimming pond.

When I worked for a builder between 6th form and uni we dug out a huge koi pond for a guy in Darrington he used to own the Oriental Restaurant in Pontefract and he had a big fish tank in there 

[SM42]

47 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Don't worry Dave, the duckweed will soon take over as if by magic!

 

Where does that stuff come from?

 

Can't be ducks. Didn't see a one on our pond. 

 

Andy

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

Don't worry Dave, the duckweed will soon take over as if by magic!

 

 

Barley straw to you.

[AndyID]

'onest hossifer. I thought it was duckweed.

[polybear]

8 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Thanks for the advice Winslow. Both the landscaper and the very helpful young man in the acquatic shop we went to suggested 48 hours would be sufficient so that's what we did. Since it is currently the end of the planting season for ponds we've just settled for some oxygenating plants and a few marginals that were recommended and will add more come next spring.

 

Dave

 

Will you be going for the fully authentic prize and adding a shopping trolley, carrier bags, old car tyre......?

[New Haven Neil]

9 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

Barley straw to you.

 

Never worked for us, tried it years ago.  The koi pond has filters UV etc so is OK, the 'bog pond' we just let get on with it now, and scoop the stuff out when it gets too thick.  Interestingly we now have newts in it, which according to the wildlife experts (!) on the island, don't exist on the IoM.  I have news for you, guys!

[Happy Hippo]

When some friends of ours are away, we go around and water their various pots and hanging baskets.  It is a reciprocal arrangements, and works seamlessly.

 

However, whenever I go around to do their watering, after I get just over half way around the garden, the clouds suddenly roll in and it begins to rain!

 

My doing this is far more conclusive than trying to perform a rain dance and hoping.

 

This evening, we have the first of the OFMC meetings since Feb 2020, (due to the Covid saga).

 

It will be a planning meeting dedicated to the rebirth on my Splott West Sidings line in a more lightweight and transportable form.

 

Ply will replace solid timbers for the framing, and built in legs will replace the previously used trestle and beam method of supporting it all.

 

The trestle and beam method is very good,  as you erect the frame, and then just slide the boards onto it. But the trestles we use are very bulky and take up a huge amount of space when being transported.

 

I suspect this will result in a complete new set of self supporting lightweight boards, with the original trackwork cut away from their frames and re-secured onto the new construction.

 

 

 

 

 

[jamie92208]

28 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

When some friends of ours are away, we go around and water their various pots and hanging baskets.  It is a reciprocal arrangements, and works seamlessly.

 

However, whenever I go around to do their watering, after I get just over half way around the garden, the clouds suddenly roll in and it begins to rain!

 

My doing this is far more conclusive than trying to perform a rain dance and hoping.

 

This evening, we have the first of the OFMC meetings since Feb 2020, (due to the Covid saga).

 

It will be a planning meeting dedicated to the rebirth on my Splott West Sidings line in a more lightweight and transportable form.

 

Ply will replace solid timbers for the framing, and built in legs will replace the previously used trestle and beam method of supporting it all.

 

The trestle and beam method is very good,  as you erect the frame, and then just slide the boards onto it. But the trestles we use are very bulky and take up a huge amount of space when being transported.

 

I suspect this will result in a complete new set of self supporting lightweight boards, with the original trackwork cut away from their frames and re-secured onto the new construction.

 

 

 

 

 

Have a look at the early years of my Green Ayre thread, there are several photos of self supporting boards and IIRC one sequence  about how to make self latching legs.   Good luck.

 

Jamie

[Stubby47]

41 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

It will be a planning meeting dedicated to the rebirth on my Splott West Sidings line in a more lightweight and transportable form.

 

Ply will replace solid timbers for the framing, and built in legs will replace the previously used trestle and beam method of supporting it all.

 

 

Seems a bit counter-productive...