The Night Mail

[Happy Hippo]

6 minutes ago, tomparryharry said:

Having spent a few days of reflection, I find that I'm none too happy about the adjective 'perfidious', when described or applied to someone in the third person. 

 

Being an open forum, I know full well that there is recourse to resolve this, but I'll allow time for things like retraction and/or apologies before personal ire begets mire.   

I do not think that the term was intended as a malicious remark.  However, when seen in print the seemingly humorous remark, which when spoken can be met with a wry smile, takes on a completely different context.  I hope that this is resolved simply and quickly.

 

Humour is a very difficult subject and boundaries can sometimes be crossed albeit unintentionally.  As contributors know to their cost if I can make a funny at the expense of something they have written, I will, but it is (I hope) never insulting, demeaning or degrading.

 

Any humour that verges towards that is directed back at myself although I will make exception if targeting Dave Hunt or Jamie!

[Compound2632]

La perfide Albion - as Eeyore might put it: French phrase meaning perfidious Albion. From a French perspective, an elegant poetic response to the behaviour of the government of Great Britain at various periods, those governments' pursuit of Great Britain's national interest as seen by them involving a betrayal of French national interest, at least as seen by those using the term. 

 

The phrase should, I think, always be taken as referring to the actions of government and not as a slur on the character of any individual Briton, nor on Britons generally.

[Northroader]

I hadn’t picked up on “Lineside Look”, must try and follow that. With you on keeping to 32mm finescale, I take the view that practicality outweighs perfection.

Sorry, Dave, about it being a Bank Holiday, best wishes.

Edited August 31, 2020 by Northroader

[Dave Hunt]

I do hope that the perfidious thing, which I saw as a jocular remark, will not become the source of acrimony.

 

Sorry to hear about the disappointment of the GOG election results for the people's revolutionary reform party of Happy "Che" Hippo but having seen many of the comments on another forum about the perception of 'old guard' etc. I suppose it was somewhat inevitable. I think that the rot in that organisation started at the time of the spat many years ago now that led to the then organisers of Guildex leaving along with several other notable members and the formation of the ALSRM. It was at that time that I left the Guild and for a long time was on the committee of the S7 Group, of which I am still a member. 

 

HH is correct in thinking that the S7G has something to offer the 0FS modeller through its stores setup and links with a prominent trader and for anyone contemplating making 7mm models, particularly a layout involving hand built track, the savings possible would quickly more than outweigh the cost of membership. Whilst I am a committed S7 modeller I can see that it isn't for everyone, not from any perceived skill set or working tolerance issues as they are catered for by the gauges etc. available from the Group (and it really is easier to make locomotives and rolling stock by simply adopting scale dimensions - honestly*) but from the space considerations. Ruling radii are of necessity greater, my Compound for instance being unhappy on anything less than 7ft, and pointwork will perforce be longer. That would, of course, come into play far more on a roundy-roundy than an end-to-end but even on the latter it would have an effect - the MPD layout I'm building at 26 ft long could be something like 2ft shorter in 0FS and even more by reducing the ruling radius to 6ft.

 

*It is also advisable to employ suspension although this need not be complex. Ken Cottle's beautiful clerestory coaches, for instance, simply have one bogie able to rock a bit laterally and the other longitudinally and it works splendidly.

 

In other news I am still confined and will remain so until at least tomorrow as there is no-one here to do the scans that are required before I can be let out because it is a bank holiday. I'm obviously getting institutionalised as instead of incandescent rage at the fact that nobody has thought in the last week to address the issue that I have to have one of these scans I just feel a sort of numb resignation. The promise is that the scan will be done tomorrow and once it has been seen and assessed I can go home, providing it shows nothing nasty of course........ 

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

Returning to Ian's comment earlier on about the other areas of Cardiff that could be modelled, I think that Queen Street with the goods lines going to the docks and the various junctions would be a better and more interesting station to operate.  you could possibly get away with a little less stock too!

 

As for Penarth curve and Grangetown, well now you are talking.  I was born in Grangetown and spent a lot of time up and down the various accessible elements of the Ferry Road Branch (not it's official title) and it was the thought of modelling part of this that finally got me into 7 mm scale using just a couple of wagons and a Dapol 08.  Principal protagonist behind this was the illustrious Brian Rolley, who has drawn me back to modelling South Wales. That we are friends is a bit of a mystery, as the poor man has had the misfortune of having worked with my brother.  Once bitten twice shy would seem to spring to mind!

 

Space precluded the drop from the embankment onto the low level lines in Ferry Road hence the move east to an uncharted area just north of the Cardiff docks where Splott East yard is located, the tail end of that being my own Splott West Sidings.  I imagine them as feeding some off scene industries not too far removed from the likes of Virgil Street goods......... Which is accessed off Penarth curve.  My proposed Aberflyarff (Low Level) will move north and definitely be a 'Valleys' location.

 

Northroader's comment about the 32 mm gauge is true, apart from a quick back to back check, stuff can run straight out of the box to be weathered and detailed at a later date.  But although I've used ready to lay Peco for the plain track, the layout is a hybrid in that it squeezes down to 31.5 mm gauge through the crossing noses of all the pointwork.  It does have a significant improvement on the running qualities of locos and stock.  At this point it is well worth remembering that Dave's S7 stuff has the same fine characteristics due to the much finer tolerances employed.  0 M-F is a fudge that I can work with, probably because I like building point work.

 

Finally, thanks to Neil for his FoD picture.  the weathering is great, especially when you think that the North's Navigation wagon should be red!

 

Last night the 5.5" howitzers at my disposal laid down a fantastic stonk in preparation for Dave's evacuation.

 

The only evacuation it caused was in the bowels of the poor souls in the Princess Royal Hospital, Telford.

 

True to form, the gunners of the Royal Artillery were able to shoot the most amazing 'drop short' from their location at Garrison Roundabout, Donnington.

 

 

One of the three, already in the trail, ready to move off.

[New Haven Neil]

It is red Richard.....just!  Under the neglect.

[Happy Hippo]

7 hours ago, Northroader said:

I hadn’t picked up on “Lineside Look”, must try and follow that. With you on keeping to 32mm finescale, I take the view that practicality outweighs perfection.

Sorry, Dave, about it being a Bank Holiday, best wishes.

If you go to the Lynx Models web site you can sign up for Lineside Look (it's free) and you'll get an automatic reminder when the next issue goes live.

 

This link should get you to the application page:

https://ogaugeonline.weebly.com/

 

[Northroader]

Since your tip, been there, done that, waiting for the tee shirt. (Are they all GW nuts? or is that first impressions)

[Happy Hippo]

58 minutes ago, Northroader said:

Since your tip, been there, done that, waiting for the tee shirt. (Are they all GW nuts? or is that first impressions)

I think some are UNF and other BSP

 

Sorry wrong thread!

Edited August 31, 2020 by Happy Hippo

[Tony_S]

14 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

I think some are UNF and other BSP

 

Sorry wrong thread!

Definitely wrong thread. I suspect GWR used BSW.

[newbryford]

32 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Definitely wrong thread. I suspect GWR used BSW.

 

 

I'm quite sure that Brian would not like to be used by the GWR........

[The Johnster]

If perfidy as applied to Albion has caused offence I unreservedly apologise; offence was not the intent.  What is meant as light hearted banter, when it is in print?sometimes lacks the subtlety of nuanced tonality, facial expression, and body language that identifies it as being ‘tongue in cheek’ humour with no malice contained therein.  I should have made allowance for this and didn’t, and can now only repeat my apologies.  Mea culpa. 

[bbishop]

I'm unbothered if someone wants to call me perfidious; I've been called far worse.  At least this thread allows one to say what one thinks without someone taking offence and reporting one to Andy.  Every post I made on another thread seems to be reported even if it was just "Evening awl", I must have been using a left wing tone.   I think the objector has bu99ered off, but I haven't bothered going back. 

 

So perfidious is ok, but perfidious Albion is not.  I come from mixed parentage and one Saturday afternoon per annum my father would be banished to the allotment (taking my kid sister with him) and my mother would sit in front of the TV shouting praise if the grey shirts were winning or invective if it were the white shirts (we didn't have colour TV).  As I aligned with my mother,  I regard myself as Welsh.  Which is why fifteen years ago (was it really that long) there was a Church in Wales funeral in deepest Kent;  really the standard service but with the correct national anthem.

 

Hoping that Dave can wriggle down his tunnel today.  Bill

Edited September 1, 2020 by bbishop

[Compound2632]

11 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Definitely wrong thread. I suspect GWR used BSW.

 

Whitworth, surely.

[Happy Hippo]

12 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Whitworth, surely.

Thread wars! 

The latest program from Channel 4.

 

This is not a new concept as the PH has pointed out that it started back when they were showing the A Team, starring Mr T as..................

 

BA Baracus.

 

I'll get my jacket.

[Dave Hunt]

19 minutes ago, bbishop said:

  Every post I made on another thread seems to be reported even if it was just "Evening awl", I must have been using a left wing tone.   I think the objector has bu99ered off, but I haven't bothered going back. 

 

If it was who I think it was, Bill, he got kicked off by Andy.

 

Day 9 - crew still OK, no sign of scurvy. Eagerly awaiting the latest development but not holding my breath. All this talk of threads is reinforcing the feeling that I've been screwed.

 

Watch this space.

 

Dave 

[Happy Hippo]

Bill,

 

When my father died we were discussing the music for the service, and the usual dreary dirges were suggested.

 

My brother and I decided that 'Guide me o thy great Redeemer' would be a little more uplifting.

 

It was a good turnout, and we nearly took the roof off Thornhill crematorium.

 

I'm going out to Rachie and for those who don't know that one, here it is:

 

 

[Happy Hippo]

4 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Day 9 - crew still OK, no sign of scurvy. Eagerly awaiting the latest development but not holding my breath. All this talk of threads is reinforcing the feeling that I've been screwed.

Screwed or simply reamed out?

[jamie92208]

2 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Screwed or simply reamed out?

As long as his nuts aren't coarse threaded. The thought of that happenning to an S7 devotee  is too horrible to consider though it could also be amusing to watch.

 

Jamie

 

 

[jamie92208]

As to music, Guide me oh though great Redeemer  is indeed a fabulous hymn. Some years ago We were on holiday on the Gower and visited some caves up one of the valleys. There was an Eisteddfodd nearby and a Russian choir sang it in Welsh inside the largest cavern. It brought tears to my eyes.  However my late MiL detested it. We agreed to disagree. We both liked single malt.

 

Jamie

Edited September 1, 2020 by jamie92208

[Happy Hippo]

7 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

 We both liked single malt.

 I think we all like single malt! (Well, to clarify that statement, those that are partial to the demon drink are).

[tomparryharry]

On a visit to St. Helier, I bought a bottle of 20 year Armagnac. "I'll open that when I've made my millions..."

 

The bottle is still on the shelf.... Must be near 50 year vintage by now. 

[bbishop]

59 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

As to music, Guide me oh though zgreat Redeemer  is indeed a fabulous hymn. Somecyears ago We were on holiday on the Gower and visited some caves up on of the valleys. There was an Eisteddfodd nearby and a Russian choir sang it in Welsh inside the largest cavern. It brought tears to my eyes.  However my late MiL detested it. We agreed to disagree. We blth liked single malt.

 

Jamie

 

We sang "Guide me O thou great  Jehovah" at Mum's funeral.  The proper translation , not Birkbeck's pansy effort for the English Hymnal.  Bill

[Happy Hippo]

Nyda is currently power washing the  front driveway.

 

This means I can go into the workshop and carry on with the N gauge Farish Hall rebuild.

 

It's only been 2 years since it came in for the intermediate overhaul.  It turned out to be a heavy!

 

 

[Dave Hunt]

2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

As long as his nuts aren't coarse threaded. 

Jamie

 

Thanks Jamie. You've just added badly watering eyes to my list of bodily problems.

 

Dave