Early Risers.

[The Stationmaster]

5 hours ago, bbishop said:

 

Richard,  without looking it up, Packets were allowed to Exeter, rebuilt LPs to Plymouth and unrebuilt to most places in Devon and Cornwall.  Everything took the Meldon Viaducts dead slow.

 

Bill

And to bring it up to full completeness MNs were of course allowed to Plymouth on the main line route via Newton Abbot and Totnes.

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[JohnDMJ]

Good Morning all

[J. S. Bach]

Good night owl from the Piedmont.

[AndyID]

BTW, re. Bulleid's Pacifics I was only half in jest. It may be an apocryphal tale but it has been claimed that, due to non-availability of sheet metal at that time, some of the cladding wasn't exactly metallic.

 

Discuss

[AndyID]

17 hours ago, Shedman5 said:

Why?  

For is it not written “those who can, do; those who can’t, teach and those that can do neither go into HR” 

 

As I spent a spell as European HR Director for a large pharmaceutical company that quote is a load of bulls**t  along the lines that any Dr who works for a Pharma company is a failed medic who cannot relate to patients and has low interpersonal skills.

 

 

 

As I spent many spells as a Technician, Staff Engineer, Manager, Senior Manager, Director, Senior Director, Vice-President and Senior Vice-President of a variety of companies in Europe and the US I thought some of the HR departments were absolutely brilliant while others should have been shut down forthwith.

 

But what I could never come to terms with was the flippin' name!

 

If someone really tried it would be hard to come up with a more de-humanizing name than "Human Resources". To me that equates humans with things like coal, iron-ore, wheat, pork-bellies,....you get my point. Human nature being what it is if you treat people like a commodity they tend to react accordingly.

 

I've tried to 'splain this to some "Captains of Industry" but either they don't get it or they are entirely happy with the status quo.

 

 

 

[chrisf]

Greetings one and all

 

Here once again is the parallel universe diary.  Were it not for that ruddy virus I would have been at Stoke Mandible today for Railex and finding a kindred spirit or several with whom to put the world to rights over breakfast.  On Tuesday afternoon I would have made the effort to drive down to Welwyn for a talk by Chris Green.  Wednesday evening would have seen an HMRS study walk from Luton Airport Parkway to Harpenden East, sticking as closely as possible to the disused railway.  With the aid of Zoom we will get that in virtual form!  On Thursday I would have been visiting the shed where the layout lives, in Stevenage, to do some m*d*ll*ng and stir-frying lunch for me and Poorly Pal before dinner in the local ‘Spoons and the outbreak of democracy that is the AGM of the Stevenage Locomotive Society.  How unreal all that seems now.  On Saturday I would have contemplated catching the bus over to Oxford for Pride, possibly wearing the new and eminently suitable T shirt which JohnDMJ recently drew to my attention and which is somewhere in the postal system as I type.

 

Roasting a chicken for Sunday lunch is getting to be a habit and is some compensation for the loss of Railex.  It was good to rediscover early in the lockdown that I can get at least three meals out of the leftovers – a risotto and two portions of tikka masala, the latter thanks to a proprietary sauce.  Those who enjoy curry made properly will pooh-pooh this timidity but it’s an advance on korma, albeit modest.  I’m not all that fond of curry but I’m even less fond of losing out on social occasions through not liking it.  To be the only person in an Indian restaurant who is not eating curry is not a situation that I relish.

 

Tony S, I can believe anything of Amazon.  My e-friend Harry might be able to explain how your eBay purchase arrived with an Amazon label.  His job is to manage relationships with people that sell on Amazon.  Thanks to the huge growth in online shopping he is super-busy and I fear for his mental health.  If you like, I will ask the question, though his current attitude to social media does tend to build in delays.

 

Best wishes to all.  It will always be OK to not be OK.

 

Chris

[roundhouse]

1 hour ago, chrisf said:

 

Tony S, I can believe anything of Amazon.  My e-friend Harry might be able to explain how your eBay purchase arrived with an Amazon label.  His job is to manage relationships with people that sell on Amazon.  Thanks to the huge growth in online shopping he is super-busy and I fear for his mental health.  If you like, I will ask the question, though his current attitude to social media does tend to build in delays.

 

 

I had a parcel ordered on Ebay arrive yesterday in an Amzaon box. It threw me but when I checked I had defintely ordered through Ebay. Not bothered as I got the order next day (maybe Vellejo thinners is classed as essential) but does seem odd.

 

Cummingsgate is still headlines on the news and now apparently is classed as fake news - this phrase is spreading from across the pond.

 

Today we are planning on another new walking trip for which we ideally require ot take the bus a couple of miles. These buses are empty each time we see them so an early Sunday one we should be very safe catching if they let us on. We watched a GWR train go across the Reigate level crossing yesterday to Reading. Not a single passenger on board.

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Despite the BBC weather site suggesting we now have "a light breeze" still blowing a hoolie here.

Cool start to the day with heavy cloud cover. Need to change back into long trousers today rather than shorts.

 

Chinese style spare ribs were prepared and eaten and enjoyed for tea last night. Very tasty!

 

Today will involve trying to fix a light fitting   cooking tea and... muddling.

 

Stay safe! Positive thoughts to all but especial thoughts to the BoD family and also to our Lady of the awl Debs, sadly missing from these pages for too long methinks.

 

Now time to set Sunday to work....

 

Baz

Edited May 24, 2020 by Barry O

[Ozexpatriate]

1 minute ago, roundhouse said:

this phrase is spreading from across the pond

You're welcome!

[iL Dottore]

10 hours ago, brianusa said:

...There were few of these kinds of problems when Westminster ruled the parliamentary roost and it was all Great Britain and the United Kingdom was whole.  Not this separated state that exists today at the behest of a few ardent separatists that imagine that they can do better individually.  If their performance so far is any indication, then there is little future in their endeavour.  This latest 'invasion' example just adds to their folly!

    Brian.

I think that you have illuminated the problem (and I believe it is one relevant to nearly all Western Democracies) how do you balance strong central leadership/guidance/authority with flexible, diverse and locally focussed lower tier government? I think that you can argue that a fully centralised government is not the answer (Whitehall doesn’t always know best), but devolving most everything to the counties/states/Kantons isn’t a recipe for a cohesively run country either. Although, to be fair, it does work to a greater or lesser degree when there is a very large social, economic and political concordance between the sub units (as it does it Switzerland). And, also to be fair, a heavily centralised state can also work - as in China, though at a social/political/economic/environmental cost most of us in the West would not find acceptable.
This balancing act between central and local can also be seen in the media: in Switzerland there are a few national newspapers, but in comparison local (well Kantonal) newspapers are thriving (albeit down in number from the pre-WWI high point of 406 titles), whereas in the UK most newspapers are “national” - which means London centric (one Newspaper, renowned for its typos, has been accused of having over 90% of its UK topic content focussed on London).

I am not sure what the optimal balance would be, but running everything from London (or from Bern for that matter) is probably not the optimal solution.

9 hours ago, brianusa said:

You should be so lucky!  All I get is a young, bearded techie type looking thoughtfully at something or other to satisfy his elevated ego, or at least thats what the ad implies!

     Brian.

All I get are ads featuring attractive young women, in tight gym clothes, offering to help build up my pecs (Gym membership offers). To be quite honest, at my age, having a tech toy to satisfy my “elevated ego“ would probably be the better choice for me.

7 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

...A nightcap of rum and shrub was enjoyed during the performance..

Shrub? What’s that? Tonic? another type of mixer? cuttings from the garden?

Enquiring minds need to know.

7 hours ago, newbryford said:

...As it is the updated version of my current car, I shall probably be spending the latter part of Wednesday evening getting to grips with the new gadgets and gizmos on it...

Aah, the joys of a new car.

With exception of our current car and the two “company cars” I drove when based in the UK, all my cars have been either “used“ (Showroom models, or 1 year old trade ins) or extremely second hand (such as the last car I bought when living in the US. I found it through the newspaper small ads and it was a great little car even though the radio could only get C&W stations, but it only cost me $600 [1982 dollars]).

But I digress, what I wanted to say is that, nowadays, one needs a degree in electronic engineering (or, even better, a 10 year old niece/nephew/grandchild) to figure how to work all the “gizmos”. And as for “home repair/maintenance”, the last car I reckon I could have - successfully - worked upon was my first company car: a Ford Sierra (1984). Topping up the oil, refilling the windscreen washing fluid tank and, of course, filling up the fuel tank are the only things that I feel qualified to do on our current car (and the oil is taken care of at the routine services). A far cry from the days when all you needed were a set of spanners, a set of screwdrivers and a heavy hammer and you could fix almost anything!

As a relevant digression, I must say that it is quite interesting to contemplate how what were once “luxury appointments” found only on the top end models from the luxury marques (air-conditioning, automatic gearbox, cruise control, electric windows, navigation systems, stereo radio, et cetera) have now become pretty much standard on most cars. I think you’d have search far and wide to find a currently manufactured car with the simplicity of, say, even a 1984 Ford Sierra. TBH I can’t actually think of one. Any suggestions, folks?

Enjoy Sunday

iD

[TheQ]

Mooring awl, Inner Temple Hare, 

A better nights sleep of around 7 hours with few wake ups and turn overs. 

 

Cool, dull,  grey and overcast out there,  Ben the alarm clock Collie slept in this morning and i had to wake him up... 

 

It's noticeable that he who keeps getting the mower out across the road,  is missing,  along with wife and children, I've not seen them for several days,   also the grandmas have stopped visiting. I suspect they have done a Cummings. 

 

Talking of mowing,  the rain we had the other day has encouraged the green stuff, I'll have to get the mower out myself. 

 

In normal times I would be sailing today,  tomorrow boats would start arriving for next weeks 3 Rivers race.

 

The two HR departments I've had most dealings with seemed to be set up to lie and cheat the staff, certainly support senior management in dodgy dealings and generally be involved with bypassing employment law. Certainly they were / are not to be trusted.

However so far our latest HR manager who seems to be about 1/2 my age , has been more correct in her dealings. 

 

And so to today,  more lead melting,  a check of the the muddling shed and alleyway to see if I've missed any suitable ply to complete the new shed floor.  More moving of wood from Garage / alleyway / muddling shed to tin shed and start the post rebuild tidy up of the area. 

 

Time for a Muggacoffee.. 

Edited May 24, 2020 by TheQ

[Ozexpatriate]

8 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

And, also to be fair, a heavily centralised state can also work - as in China ...

I'm not sure all the citizens of Xinjiang province* would agree. Or Tibet. Or Hong Kong. (Perhaps I should stop now.)

 

* Properly the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

[iL Dottore]

17 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

I'm not sure all the citizens of Xinjiang province* would agree. Or Tibet. Or Hong Kong. (Perhaps I should stop now.)

 

* Properly the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

True, but you omitted the caveat in my comment, to whit: though at a social/political/economic/environmental cost most of us in the West would not find acceptable.

Suppression of dissent and oppression of minority groups is clearly a cost few in the Western Democracies would agree to

[Ozexpatriate]

And the corona madness rolls on. This is a psychological condition that is unrelated to cerveza and only indirectly related to CoViD-19.

 

I should have kept a list of the craziness in the US alone. Here's a few pulled together from a couple of articles:

 

A Flint, Michigan store security guard was killed for "disrespecting" the shooter's wife by insisting that the patron wear a mask - per store and state requirements.

 

Also in Michigan a store patron wiped his nose and mouth on a store worker's shirt after being asked to wear a mask, despite posted signs saying that masks were required.

 

A cook in Aurora, Colorado was shot for refusing to serve a man not wearing a mask.

 

There are numerous other cases of assault of people either wearing masks or of people who have asked others to wear masks.

 

Reports from Missouri indicate that a sick hairstylist exposed 84 clients and 7 coworkers to the Novel Coronavirus. This story was updated today to two sick hairstylists and 140 clients. The salon was legally open EDIT and the hairstylists wore face coverings.

 

A church attendee to a Mothers' Day (May 10) service in California exposed 180 people to the Novel Coronavirus. This occurred when such gatherings were banned.

 

(Alleged) arsonists burned down a Pentecostal church in Mississippi that was ignoring orders to stay closed during the pandemic. The church had been cited for holding a bible study of more than 10 attendees and an Easter service and filed a lawsuit in response. A message was spray painted on the ground: "Bet you stay at home now you hypokrits" [sic].

 

It's depressing.

 

Edited May 24, 2020 by Ozexpatriate
Update on hairstylists

[Ozexpatriate]

22 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

... you omitted the caveat in my comment ...

I'm not looking to argue. Indeed I didn't quote it, but my comment was unrelated to your caveat and would be directed at the words "can also work". Perhaps I should have highlighted them. A full discussion on that would be far beyond our proscription on politics so I'm not inclined to go further and offer this as a polite explanation of my editorial decision in my earlier reply. (I suspect we may not really differ here but it's off piste.)

 

I shouldn't have said anything. My apologies.

 

Edited May 24, 2020 by Ozexpatriate

[5 C]

Morning awl and lerts from a breezy Bedfordshire.

 

Yesterday's gales have calmed down and it may be safe to venture outside, unlike yesterday. Not that I would have done anyway. As expected, I spent most of it on my hands and knees cleaning up after my uninvited house guest.

 

Inevitably, I found further evidence of its travels which accounts for some of the really strange noises that had kept me awake. One of its stopping off points was my stereo cabinet. Consequently, every single separate was pulled out, disconnected, wiped down and then put back with a small change to the arrangement I've been intending to make for a few weeks. I confess I had to consult the instructions for connecting up of one of the units.

 

Today will be more of the same, along with an assault on a steadily growing pile of ironing. For some light relief, I need to change the bulb in the porch. I may also risk a supermarket trip or maybe save that pleasure for tomorrow. I can't have too much excitement in one day. In a parallel universe, I would be making a trip westwards to Stoke Mandeville for the highlight of the muddling year to exchange nods and greetings with @chrisf and others from this forum and beyond. Fingers crossed for next year.

 

On matters of miniaturised transportation, the unwanted job lot purchases will go on sale later today and I may attempt a repair to another surplus item. I need to fashion a small plastic  bracket to replace one that's missing. Fortunately, there is a corresponding one on the opposite side of the unmentionable I can use as a pattern and it will be hidden from view anyway.

 

With that, I encourage you all to carpe the diem and stay safe.

 

Regards to awl.

[Happy Hippo]

7 hours ago, southern42 said:

 

Clan Line made the journey from Waterloo (not Padstow as posted - I realised the senior moment error but the laptop battery died before I could correct it, since put right).   WC 34033 Chard hauled the train from Exeter to Padstow.  Camel Quay was based on/inspired by Padstow and the North Cornwall Railway (c. late BR) and we originally intended to run West Countries on it but they did not look right going over parts of the track. So, we stuck with the smaller engines such as the N class, T9s and Beattie Well Tanks which better suited the curved run into the station as well as giving an impression of the NCR.  It equally saved us from incorporating the turntable you mention, or having another loco to take the train out while the WC typically returned to Wadebridge light engine which I had hoped to imitate...but there we are!  The layout has gone now, so no worries!  But I still love the old NCR!

 _________

Polly

You mean my near apoplectic rant; the frantic research to check my facts; the consumption of huge amounts of cake to calm my nerves;  the need to wash down the cake with copious amounts of cider and trampling all over the keyboard was all because you had a senior moment?

 

Then to maximise your error you've managed to get the route wrong as well as being in the reverse direction.  To cap it all, you failed to mention you needed to use a WC on route.

 

Do you realise the damage you have done?

 

Even as we speak, researchers are climbing Snowdon trying to fathom the route of North Star from Swindon to the Summit of Wyddfa.

 

 

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

A bit grey here so far but there may possibly be some sunny spells later, then again there may not.

No beer on Sainsbury's delivery yesterday and I won't have substitutes for my beer as judging by some of the subs we've had on other stuff they might send me lager!  Enough in stock for now and another brewery order will be made later.

Tonight we will have our family Zoom meeting and I've been invited to another tomorrow with half a dozen old school friends.

More Shed time today and I'm hoping to get the rest of the locos unpacked.  I've decided I need to test run them all before I ballast the track, that could take a while.

Eggs and bacon will be served shortly, we've had an abundance of eggs delivered so I can have as many eggy things I want this week.  (Getting fed up with porridge most days)

Have a good one,

Bob.

 

[southern42]

21 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

You mean my near apoplectic rant; the frantic research to check my facts; the consumption of huge amounts of cake to calm my nerves;  the need to wash down the cake with copious amounts of cider and trampling all over the keyboard was all because you had a senior moment?

 

Then to maximise your error you've managed to get the route wrong as well as being in the reverse direction.  To cap it all, you failed to mention you needed to use a WC on route.

 

Do you realise the damage you have done?

 

Even as we speak, researchers are climbing Snowdon trying to fathom the route of North Star from Swindon to the Summit of Wyddfa.

 

 

 

Not to mention my having to re-read an autobiographical account of my "mind's eye" footplate experience and re-tread happy memories of my days on the exhibition circuit with CQ, coming face to face with a certain member of the Happy Hippo family, seeing CQ depart to a new home, and CQ being awarded a Best in Show award on its first outing under its new owner.  Talk about getting emotional - I had to get my hanky out.   

 

Shall we call it quits?  

_________

Polly

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

I think the first forecast for the day “sunny spell” is occurring. We are having waffles for breakfast. Our last delivery substituted 4 pint for 2 pint milk bottles so we have had a more breakfasts using milk for a couple of days , and also custard for pudding. The custard accompanied rhubarb from the garden, which is doing well this year.  
I have read online an explanation of the “ordered on eBay, delivered by Amazon” but it all sounds too complicated for the small sums of money made doing it. It involves the eBay seller sending the product from Amazon as a gift to you. My name on the eBay item was as it appears on eBay (Tony) rather than on Amazon (Anthony). However at the time of ordering the paint was not available on Amazon but was on eBay. As I said , too complicated !

 

I am quite glad that modern cars don’t need too much owner interaction. I spent enough time coaxing various vehicles into life on damp mornings or muttering especially about the hated Volvo “what idiot put that part there”. The Evoque has an air of mystery about the engine. It must have a starter motor but it is well hidden. The Fiesta engine does look like an engine but again requires little attention. Once upon a time I thought I would like some sort of classic or sporty car to tinker with “when I was old”. I just want them to start now and not give me backache when I drive anywhere. Not that I am going anywhere nowadays (except to the pharmacy car park). 
Have a good day. 
Tony

 

[iL Dottore]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

...I shouldn't have said anything. My apologies.

Of course you should have said something, I welcome fair and honest criticism and comment on all my endeavours (especially my modelling) and definitely no apologies are needed. It was a fair comment and - as you suggest - we are likely to be on the same page on this subject  (a topic, amongst many, to be discussed over a beer, should we ever have the good fortune to meet).
The sad truth is that some of the most reprehensible and/or repressive regimes in history have functioned very well (certainly for the ruling elite and a good chunk of the populace). I, for one, would not have liked to been a Catholic or a Dissenting Protestant under the regime of Queen Elizabeth I - to refer to one of too many possibilities.
We can be a very unpleasant species at times (and at others, we soar like the angels)
Cheers

iD

Edited May 24, 2020 by iL Dottore

[AndyB]

Morning all. 

Well the "offshore investment" I mentioned recently arrived yesterday; a posh new dcc controller. Very a-Peel-ing.

One feature of this being the ability to write to CVs. At last I'll be able to investigate a decoder whose default settings, when used with a simple Bachmann controller, was to give any loco the combined properties of a rail gun and Infinite Improbability Drive. I've never had to use a baseball catcher's glove before when playing trains! Hopefully the glove can be retired.

 

 

 

[Tony_S]

3 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

). I, for one, would not have liked to been a Catholic or a Dissenting Protestant under the regime of Queen Elizabeth I - to refer to one of too many possibilities.

There is a village not far from here where there seems to have been a tradition of burning. From the dates they must have been equal opportunity burners, doing so under different regimes. Nice pub restaurant nowadays!

[JohnDMJ]

ChrisF, given your musings about music:

 

3 hours ago, chrisf said:

Here once again is the parallel universe diary.  Were it not for that ruddy virus I would have been at Stoke Mandible today for Railex and finding a kindred spirit or several with whom to put the world to rights over breakfast.  On Tuesday afternoon I would have made the effort to drive down to Welwyn for a talk by Chris Green.  Wednesday evening would have seen an HMRS study walk from Luton Airport Parkway to Harpenden East, sticking as closely as possible to the disused railway.  With the aid of Zoom we will get that in virtual form!  On Thursday I would have been visiting the shed where the layout lives, in Stevenage, to do some m*d*ll*ng and stir-frying lunch for me and Poorly Pal before dinner in the local ‘Spoons and the outbreak of democracy that is the AGM of the Stevenage Locomotive Society.  How unreal all that seems now.  On Saturday I would have contemplated catching the bus over to Oxford for Pride, possibly wearing the new and eminently suitable T shirt which JohnDMJ recently drew to my attention and which is somewhere in the postal system as I type.

 

Put the track by the Carpenters, "It's Yesterday Once More" or even Jethro Tull's "Living in the Past" away and thrive on Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop"!