Early Risers.

[TheQ]

Afternoon awl, 

Shelving completed, 

At that point,  it was decided that a seat would be built in the porch opposite the sink. 

This was built with a remaining complete  plank and  off cuts. 

 

In a normal year I'd now be in bed,  catching up on missing sleep. 

 

Part of the tin shed has been prepared to receive sheep,  that's sheep missing the living bits. 

SWMBOs weaving group has been offered 34 rare breed fleeces,  but with the club on lock down at the moment they need somewhere to store them while distribution is organized. 

 

I'm now having a siesta which will be followed by walking Ben the cooling Collie he was sunbathing earlier. 

Mowing will follow that. 

 

 

[The Stationmaster]

Afternoon all,

 

The sun is shining, various aircraft have turned overhead in order to line up for a 09 approach to LHR but fortunately not many of said machines, the vacuum has been cleaned, the shopping has either been disinfected or placed in quarantine, there are still total idiots abroad on various threads elsewhere on RMweb and it ain't 'alf hot.  But most critically of all where we should have been today, and currently partaking of the regular Sunday buffet lunch, is currently heading 329 degrees at 9.4 knots on her way to the Dogger Bank over a 'slight' sea, with wind Force 3 to 5, and showers forecast for later. Definitely much more amenable conditions there than here but that's the way the Covid cookie crumbles and it's no good worrying about it.

 

R What strikes me as far more worrying is the latest 'advice' from Govyt mentioned above by Simon and mentioned on R4 News which together imply that despite what we might think it must be true.  Overall I suspect the 'experts' haven't got much idea at all about what the R rate might be in any particular place and if the contagion is still present it will have been well and truly spread by the behaviour of the Darwin Award candidates over the past 2 - 3 weekends.  So I shall not only not change my behaviour at all but will no doubt exercise greater care than ever if I have to go outside the curtilage of our property - when all about are losing their heads and throwing alertness, common sense, and social distancing to the winds then it is I think the time to exercise even greater personal caution.  And whoever you believe if weekly new infections are still measured in thousands it seems pretty clear to me that things aren't exactly hunky-dory out there.

 

But no good at all. moaning about the stupidity of others because the only thing which will persuade them is what they catch and suffer from.  The lad's employers seem to be taking a far more mature attitude with talk of those in the UK who can work from home possibly not going back into their offices until Q3 or even Q4 .

 

But now it's  time for a late, distinctly non-buffet, lunch.  Have a good day everybody and stay safe.

[Happy Hippo]

38 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

I have yet to find a class of locomotive that LNWR livery does not suit:

 

 

Reminiscent of the Liverpool Riverside Special Tanks Euston and Liverpool?

I have to say that I am also a fan of their Carriage Lake and Coach White passenger paint scheme.

[Joseph_Pestell]

2 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

The Government won’t publish regional figures. 
 

The Mayor of Manchester apparently released some to the Daily Wail but with no date attached so we have no way of knowing how accurate they might currently be. 
 

The figure for London is said by Westminster to be around 0.4 but that published is 0.7 which is nearly double 

 

The rate for the West of England was shown as 0.9 and possibly rising yet all the Westminster slides from daily presentations, also the reasonably credible Workdmapper site (which uses Westminster numbers), show most of SW England to have a low infection rate of around 10-19 / 10k population 

 

We also have a significant divergence of opinion on daily “new cases” with Westminster suggesting just shy of 2000 but scientific luminaries claiming 8000 but without supporting evidence. 
 

In short one can “prove” anything with statistics. It was also well said that “There are lies, damned lies and statistics”. 
 

Which leads me to the question “Who do we believe, in whom can we trust and to what extent?” 
 

Stay well. I have trusted myself and have managed to remain well thus far. 

 

These statistics are nearly meaningless let alone suitable for interpreting to make an argument. How can we have any idea what the R rate is when so many people who get it are asymptomatic and therefore "known unknowns"?.

 

Only when the antibody test is rolled out and everyone tested will we have a proper understanding of where we are going with this.

[roundhouse]

Afternoon all.

 

A lazy day today as the only thing worthwhile done is adding more of the many decals to the Nimrod and garden railway now running.

 

I have also been looking up hotels for July so may be booking a few days in Premier Inn Exeter but it will be pay on arrival and cancellable to 1pm on the day just incase. We will have the option of driving if trains are still not advisable and there should be enough for us to do for a few nights. Brother doesn't seem keen for us to see them at present which is fair enough and so far we have only seen one friend in over 10 weeks at a social distance of well over 2M. So we have been and will continue to be cautious and always carry a bottle of hand sanitiser with us.

 

My other half has been advised that all employees should take 50% of their leave by end of August so she may just cancel one week of booked leave.

As to where else we travel in July remains to be seen till more info is received on what hotel chains will be open in July. The planned trip to USA looks like it might be just aswell the flights will be cancelled with the widespread unrest which may well end up in a rise in infections across the country but hoping that doesn't happen nor affect our ER's on the left hand side of the pond. I gather that the SVR pubs plan to open in July and the railway may be open in August so will be interesting to see what actually happens with many of the preserved railways.

[45156]

Afternoon All

 

Again, all posts read and rated, and generic greetings are proffered to each and every ER.

 

Walk around the block again this morning, followed by an unsuccessful attempt to clean the kitchen blind.  However, it did come up a little cleaner.

 

Not a great deal else has happened here, so I'll revisit tomorrow after the early morning fodder run.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

[Happy Hippo]

7 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Nothing wrong with pannier tanks. 

Much as I am a great fan of the breed, the big problem with the 57/8750 and other number series of that class are the blasted coil springs that stick up through the floor of the cab, and generally seem to get in the way.

 

So in comparison with the panniers with 6 sets of leaf springs, they are not flawless.

 

Although the BR Std 80xxx you mention are nice locos for their size they are only rated at 4MT, For that little bit of extra grunt, you really need the smaller ex GWR 56/66xx  which were 5MT which was I am led to believe the highest MT rating achieved by a tank loco in the BR fleet

[Simon G]

1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

  But most critically of all where we should have been today, and currently partaking of the regular Sunday buffet lunch, is currently heading 329 degrees at 9.4 knots on her way to the Dogger Bank over a 'slight' sea, with wind Force 3 to 5, and showers forecast for later. Definitely much more amenable conditions there than here but that's the way the Covid cookie crumbles and it's no good worrying about it.

 

We should now have been in Scotland at Loch Lomond, where we go each year at this time.  This year we had friends joining us, with a plan to walk the 3 Lochs Way in the week we should have been there.  As things stand, it might currently been a bit too warm for such walking, and we would have had to settle for a few glasses of chilled Sauvignon Blanc on the balcony.  As you say, no point in worrying about it!

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Having given the computer a break it seems to be OK at the moment. I've been busy emptying the garden storage box and I've found a few 'lost' items as well as some other useful items that I didn't know I had. The box was used principally for storing some ceramic floor tiles intended for the kitchen. I am halfway through moving them out and feeling cream crackered already. Fortunately the weather forecast is dry for the rest of the week. Its back to shifting tiles soon after a muggatee or two and a bite of lunch, be back later.

[The Stationmaster]

43 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Much as I am a great fan of the breed, the big problem with the 57/8750 and other number series of that class are the blasted coil springs that stick up through the floor of the cab, and generally seem to get in the way.

 

So in comparison with the panniers with 6 sets of leaf springs, they are not flawless.

 

Although the BR Std 80xxx you mention are nice locos for their size they are only rated at 4MT, For that little bit of extra grunt, you really need the smaller ex GWR 56/66xx  which were 5MT which was I am led to believe the highest MT rating achieved by a tank loco in the BR fleet

Those bl**dy coil springs are only a problem when you forget they are there - and bang your shin against them.  The latter  action of course quickly and painfully reminds you that they are still there, unfortunately.

[polybear]

19 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

They are not your friends, and if that's their attitude, it just proves they never really were.

 

I have no friends, I'm not sure why.

 

Could it be my habit of inviting myself to their houses, turning the garden into a muddy hollow, walking the mud all over the house and eating all the food and drinking all the alcoholic beverages.  I'm  certain  I'm polite to my hosts, and due to my impeccable manners would never think of using the bathtub as a lavatory, I am able to talk about a number of subjects that are not railway related.  I'm also very popular with the ladies.

 

What's not to like?

 

Flicking sh*t all over the show with your tail every time you have a dump could be a clue....

 

5 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Looking at the photo, with the target at the range you state, I suspect that it is also a downhill shot, as targets that are either uphill or downhill from the shooter appear closer than they actually are.  The same optical illusion is also true when shooting over dead ground.

 

From personal experience, I know that markers and signs make no difference to the gormless and terminally stupid, who will walk past a sign or climb over a fence onto a live range.  Apparently the concept that trespassers could be shot does not register in their dinosaur sized brains.

 

A certain firing range in West Wales had cause to go out by boat to check one of the target barges due to a problem with the cameras, in preparation for a firing that day.  They found a yacht moored to the barge - it had been there all night.  Numerous very large signs on the barge read " Missile Target - keep clear".

If the cameras had been fine then they would never have known.....

 

 

[AndyID]

9 hours ago, pH said:

 

The thunderstorms have arrived here (about 160 miles almost due north of you). The sound and light show is spectacular, and the rain is of the firehose variety. No great winds with it, thought there were some gusts this afternoon which created pollen clouds from the conifer forests round about. And so far no hail, which is fortunate since the car is unavoidably not under shelter.

 

We seemed to miss the worst part of it - no serious hail, just some serious rain. It was was moving pretty quickly. Second wave arrived at 4:00 am and something knocked out our power. I suspect it was a tree branch contacting a line. I had to get up and start the generator for the water association pump but it didn't take the utility company long to detect and rectify the problem with the power lines. It's actually a co-op and they are very efficient.

[Ozexpatriate]

2 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

Only when the antibody test is rolled out

It would need to be more accurate than existing antibody tests - which apparently have a relatively high error rate.

 

Edited May 31, 2020 by Ozexpatriate

[AndyID]

7 hours ago, JohnDMJ said:

Geological studies of polar ice satisfy me on the issue. IMHO, the phenomenon of 'global warming' is nothing new to our planet although it seems new to many impulsive activists!

 

 

I'm not sure I'd refer to these guys as "impulsive activists"

 

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide

 

Please review - some useful data regarding CO2 over time. (But don't bother if you are not interested in actual data.)

[Gwiwer]

Afternoon all. 

 

So far today has been muchly spent indoors.  Not because of the Dreadful Lurgy but because the pollen count is somewhere off the scale and every time I look out of the window some idiot starts sneezing his head off

 

I have, if nothing else, managed to string up a tiny fence requiring 50 small post castings, one length of 0.4mm brass rod and three of No.6 piano wire.  Slow, as it had to be done one wire and one hole at a time, but not particularly difficult.  

 

SWMBO produced rock cakes (buns if you prefer) and tea an hour ago which was a lovely surprise.  She continues to suffer fairly severe anxiety about this whole situation which comes and goes - this weekend it has been in full flight and there's not a lot to be done other than acknowledge her feelings and wait it out.  Tomorrow could be a better day.  Or not.  At least we are not venturing forth to the coast-lands nor to the beauty-spots.  We don't have a car and she won't use public transport at least for now.  I use the train every working day and am careful but not worried.  

 

I have the second half of June off as my rostered summer leave.  I hope it is easier to do something useful with the time by the time it arrives.  Some casual train travel would be nice.  Again not to places on the usual A-list of day trip destinations but to some corners of the network not recently visited - indeed there remain a few places I have yet to visit for the first time as they have re-opened since I "completed BR" upon arrival at Whitby back in 1986.  We shall see.  Three weeks might be a long time in the course of this global nuisance and things might go either way.  

 

Former Neighbour (Upstairs) has been in touch and is back in the classroom tomorrow teaching Year 1.  We have yet to arrange a meeting though I am sure to be somewhere on her catch-up list.  

 

Despite the warmth of the weather I am expected to roast a cluckbird in the near future and after that must prepare to return to the House of Fun by way of smoothing out the creases in the uniform and buffing the shoes.  

 

 

 

 

[roundhouse]

Batman is currently patrolling Time Square. Seen on the live webcam just now.

Edited May 31, 2020 by roundhouse

[Coombe Barton]

25 minutes ago, AndyID said:

Please review - some useful data regarding CO2 over time. (But don't bother if you are not interested in actual data.)

I use, as does NASA, Mauna Loa data in my teaching. The parallels with that and temperature increase are very close.

[Ozexpatriate]

12 minutes ago, roundhouse said:

Batman is currently patrolling Time Square. Seen on the ive webcam just now.

Glad to hear that Gotham is safe.

[Coombe Barton]

7 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Glad to hear that Gotham is safe.

Not the one near Nottingham, then?

[tigerburnie]

2 hours ago, Simon G said:

We should now have been in Scotland at Loch Lomond, where we go each year at this time.  This year we had friends joining us, with a plan to walk the 3 Lochs Way in the week we should have been there.  As things stand, it might currently been a bit too warm for such walking, and we would have had to settle for a few glasses of chilled Sauvignon Blanc on the balcony.  As you say, no point in worrying about it!

You wouldn't want to be there today, full of neds causing chaos apparently.

[Ian Abel]

Moaning ALL..

We survived another night complete with curfew. With the sensible addition of the National Guard things were much more peaceful overnight here at least.

All our family and friends are safe, though several are rather too close for comfort.

 

On a lighter note or two;

i) The high school senior who lives across the street had her graduation "ceremony" this morning. The high school is travelling the area and presenting individual certificates, family and neighbors all alerted to the time, and appropriate distance congratulations shared with and for the young lady.

ii) We appear to have a pair of wrens setting up house in one of the tiny bird houses we've got under the eaves. Very refreshing to watch them.

 

Later today (15 minutes) we're Zooming with our friends in Hampton Hill, then later this afternoon a happy hour with our travelling companions, getting home before the curfew starts again.

 

Lovely day here, sunny and 20.

 

Stay safe everyone. 

 

[tigerburnie]

28 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

Not the one near Nottingham, then?

I used to fish the river at Thrumpton most weekends in the '70's, early morning would find a transit van trundling past the sign for Gotham(pronounced Go-thum apparently) with 3 lads in the front singing dud, da dud, da dud a da...…...BATMAN...…….little things please...………………….

[Coombe Barton]

11 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

I used to fish the river at Thrumpton most weekends in the '70's, early morning would find a transit van trundling past the sign for Gotham(pronounced Go-thum apparently) with 3 lads in the front singing dud, da dud, da dud a da...…...BATMAN...…….little things please...………………….

There was also a company called Bateman Catering, service, at least, some of the Milford Haven refineries in 1980. I was involved in quoting for control equipment.

Think they got fed up with "Dinner, dinner, dinner, dinner BATMAN." 

[PhilJ W]

I went back to the storage box to start moving the rest of the tiles. In front of the tiles was a large sack of grout. The sack was heavy paper with a plastic lining. Though the box was perfectly dry the snails had got in and had eaten the paper (and many of the cardboard boxes containing the tiles) but the plastic inner seemed to be intact. However when I went to move it the plastic split. Luckily very little if any was spilt so I've left it until I can decant the grout to a suitable container. I spent the rest of the afternoon clearing the garden path, I now have a pile of grass cuttings, roots and moss with a little soil that will be consigned to the compost.

[Barry O]

Right ..enough of the Trains.. as our awl flinger is not with us at the moment...

 

 

 

and remember.. Debs has a MultiAwl flinging machine (MAFM)...

 

Baz