Early Risers.

[AndyID]

5 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

Why are modern trolleys so ugly? I am guessing that it has four trucks; one in front, one under each articulation joint, and one under the rear?

 

 

More importantly, the inner rail looks like girder rail but is the outer rail just plain flat-bottom?

[Barry O]

White Rabbits!

 

Baz

[chrisf]

Greetings one and all

 

To my surprise, there were no brickbats yesterday about my stated decision to drink rose wine with rump steak.  I found myself sipping it whilst watching "Don't Lose Your Head", the Carry-On team's take on the French Revolution.  I have no idea what ITV3 will show in the same slot next Sunday.  Formulaic they may be but the Carry On films have a place in British cinematic history and make a great antidote to intellectualism.  So there.

 

I am wondering what Ffestiniog Travel [FT] will think of my latest bright idea.  I sent an e-mail yesterday to register my interest in the Christmas and New Year expedition to Switzerland, which I have enjoyed every year bar one since 2005.  We have a running disagreement about the best way of travelling to and from Switzerland.  The route offered by FT uses the Rhine Valley between Cologne and Basel and takes two days.  It's very scenic but familarity breeds contempt.  The journey could be done in a day if we went via Paris and did not hang around till the crack of noon waiting for a Eurostar.  However, the transit between termini using RER Line D is considered too hard by some and the logistics of managing the group are not unlike those of herding cats.  This leaves taxis.  A taxi ride through Paris traffic can be scary and brown upholstery would be an advantage.   My idea, inspired by The Man In Seat 61, is to take the overnight ferry from Harwich to the Hook of Holland and rail the rest of the way via Rotterdam, Utrecht and Frankfurt.  I wonder how well it will be received?   I am hoping, possibly against hope, that the tour will run but that ruddy virus and consequences thereof may well dictate otherwise.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris

 

 

 

 

[iL Dottore]

10 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

In order to avoid the awl perhaps we need to start an Early Risers breakaway group which is inclusive of Aircraft, Railways and Ships.

 

Those in favour of become an ARSER vote now!

I suppose that would give a new meaning to the old expression “I can’t be ars*d”

10 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

What about the Trains, Watercraft, Aircraft and Trams group?

Dave

You are being naughty, aren’t you? Go and wash your mind out with soap and come back when you can think clean thoughts 

7 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

....I did try an I-pad but no thanks, its now laying dead in the back of a cupboard....

May I ask why you binned it? Was it how it functions or was it the way Apple insists that all apps should push advertising and everything should be done “the Steve Jobs way“.  Although I find the iPad very convenient, I do find the way Apple seems to minimise the flexibility of how you use their otherwise technologically brilliant products quite frustrating.

8 hours ago, Tony_S said:

... not to change what we have been doing. The doctors in the family don’t seem to be quite as optimistic as the “expert” ones on the news conferences....

Unfortunately, it does seem that the U.K.’s population, in general, lacks the discipline of the Swiss and the Germans when it comes to following official guidelines, so given the chaotic and piecemeal nature of how the U.K.’s government has responded to the pandemic, I would agree with your brother in law. Although, from personal experience, I do find GPs tend to be somewhat more pessimistic than their more specialised colleagues.

As a relevant digression, one of the things that I noted many young doctors struggling with, when they entered drug development, was being able to transition from regarding patients as individual cases to regarding Individual patients as Just parts of an overall population under study – the population being the important thing.  For example, for a cardiologist or a GP a patient who has a myocardial infarction is, naturally, of concern; but in a large study of a new cardiovascular drug, a myocardial infarction is just one of those things you would expect to see in the population under study and not necessarily a cause for significant concern.

7 hours ago, Barry O said:

...After being spotted they were slowly on the way out when they were collected and brought to the firing point. The crew then showed them what could happen if a shell hit their camper van (in reality a Chieftain hard target) one of them rushed to find the toilet.. but they said they thought the signs were advisory only...

Wasn’t it the ancient Greeks who first noted that the gods tend to protect idiots and fools?  If it wasn’t for the ever present threat of ambulance chasing lawyers suing the bejeesus out of you, because some idiot didn’t read or chose to ignore a warning sign, I would be very much in favour of letting social Darwinism take its toll.  
Are we really doing our species any favours by saving the foolish from their own folly?

7 hours ago, NGT6 1315 said:

...1024 got accepted on 6 May, meaning it’s now got eight years to go till its first full revision. Still got that nice showroom fragrance, too! 

Sigh!  I’ve never had the opportunity to ride on a brand-new tram, with a nice “showroom fragrance“. A few years ago, the transport authority for Baselland - BLT -  acquired a new fleet of trams (I think from Stadler); BLT runs two lines out of Basel into Baselland: the number 10 line which terminates in Dornach (lots of serious money), whilst the number 11 line goes to Aesch (not a lot of serious money). Guess which line got the brand new trams? The number 11 tramline eventually got the new trams - well after they had been run in on the number 10 line and had thus lost the “showroom smell“.

6 hours ago, AndyID said:

But the IoM isn't part of Switzerland (yet).

(Apologies in advance to iD)

I suppose you could always apply to join the Swiss Confederation. Although I suspect that a reason for polite refusal would be the extreme difficulty of connecting the Isle of Man to the excellent Swiss public transport network.

6 hours ago, brianusa said:

...the good ole US of A; The Wonderland Express Train is back just in time for Christmas, at only $144.99 plus another $20 shipping,  In this era of Prime shipping, thats a bit of an insult to add to the injurious price charged for this injurious object!  And don't forget, comes with a Certificate of Authenticity though, which must mean its very valuable. 

Ah, the good ole US of A.  The land where good taste goes to die. That great American showman and entrepreneur, PT Barnum, got it right when he said “you can never go broke underestimating the taste of the American public“.

When you think of some of the dubious things advertised on late night American TV (something I can attest to, many times having woken up at 3 o’clock in the morning due to jetlag with nothing else to do but watch late night cable TV on the hotel television), you cannot help but agree.

Brian, you make a very pertinent point about adding insult (shipping costs) to injury (a train set of the most dubious taste and quality); but consider this: with such a large and diverse population within the USA, there are undoubtably enough individuals that will buy such things and pay for the privilege of having such things delivered to them, to make it worthwhile to produce such rubbish.

This sort of thing really shakes one’s faith in humanity!

5 hours ago, BSW01 said:

...I’ve wrecked on paint brush in the process. So the next one I do I’m going to spray a coat of primer on to first and then just paint over it with the finishing coat..

I’ve always wondered why, in these days of inexpensive and easy to use sprayguns, people still insist on using paintbrushes and rollers on those things which – at least to my eyes at least - could be just as easily painted by spraying. Okay, you’d probably need to have a really big roll of masking tape, but apart from having to do some careful masking (if at all needed), I really don’t see why you couldn’t spray most things.  And, let’s be honest here, the average garden fence or garden trellis really doesn’t need a flawless, dust free, finish (or does it?)

4 hours ago, pH said:

Three of our four have at least a passing interest in trains. I spent an hour or so this morning with a grandson on our knees on a wooden floor building and playing with a wooden train set. I'm sure the pains will go away soon.

May I ask if that is the pain of old joints doing what they really don’t want to do any longer  or is it the pain of having to play with a train that only just resembles the prototype? 
 

Anyway, a quiet day beckons. Mrs iD and The Wolfpack are still at friends, I have a mould for a Japanese water feature to finish building and some bacon and eggs with black pudding to look forward to at lunch.

Back later.

 

Have a safe and sane Monday

 

iD

[jamie92208]

Good morning. It's sunny and a bank holiday here. That means that the builder won't be coming till tomorrow.  No idea what is on the agenda but have no doubt that something will get done.  Not a lot else to report so I will wish you all a good next 24 hrs, wherever you are.

 

Ian A and the rest of this motley crew across the pond, hope that things calm down and you stay safe.

 

Jamie

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Due to my collision with the floor last night I have a few more aches and pains this morning. Pah!

Mugatea has been brewed and is being drunk. Her indoors has "banned" me from doing painting today...like nope! I want the job finished today.

 

Despite the reduction in lockdown and because of the antics of the folks around Yorkshire at the weekend we will be staying in for a while longer yet. I prefer to listen to scientists.

 

Now, once tea is drunk it will be upandatam so watch out Monday my time is precious!

Thoughts will all ERs especially BoD, Ian A, GDB, Andrew P and of course the awl supremo..Debs.

 

Baz

[roundhouse]

Morning - Sorry Baz but all I can think is 'Covid Rabbits'

 

Brother has sent confirmation of nephews flight bookings for Saturday, so now to find out how long that they will need for check in at Heathrow to make sure that they dont miss the flight or end up being in the terminal for longer than need be.

 

I have just booked a few nights in Exeter as Premier Inn now allow bookings after 4th July and the rates are quite good but we can also cancel last minute if things take a turn for the worse. I strongly suspect that we will be driving down which will give us flexibility  to go elsewhere should little be open in the city but there are plenty of walks that we can do that we have often wanted to do but always run out of time. We are craving ot go away but will be very cautious what and where we go. Might meet up with brother but thats up to him and his other half.

 

I have just seen a very large blow up workshop / spray booth that can take a car inside it and even comes with its own blower that will have it up in 3 - 5 minutes and separate ventilation blower. Very tempting to set up layouts in the garden and have my own private socially distanced show but must check if it will fit on the lawn first. Its got large clear windows so you cold in theory set it up in a public space where viewers could look through the windows at the layout (s)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Portable-Inflatable-Tent-Paint-Spray-Booth-Car-Mobile-Workstation-with-2-Blowers/173918990429

[TheQ]

9 hours ago, Barry O said:

At Aberporth the worst trespassers were the Russian Spy Trawlers. We had a problem with a prototype Sea Skua missile.. as it headed directly at the trawler ..showers of diesel and the trawler shot off at speed...

 

We also had a problem at Lulworth. Some people had wandered into the range to visit the "lost" village after all it was a Bank Holiday and the Army were on "holiday".. wrong! After being spotted they were slowly on the way out when they were collected and brought to the firing point. The crew then showed them what could happen if a shell hit their camper van (in reality a Chieftain hard target) one of them rushed to find the toilet.. but they said they thought the signs were advisory only..

 

Baz

These would be the trawlers that the nets were always stowed and had an amazing amount of aerials on top. They used to sit offshore of the rocket range on Sout Uist as well..

[BoD]

Did someone suggest an iPad to overcome  crashes because of heat?

 

Apologies if the reflection of the person taking the photograph scares the more sensitive reader.

 

Edited June 1, 2020 by BoD

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Yet again, another sunny start to the day, but my first task will be the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix, as Sheila wants a few items that only seem to be on the shelves early in the morning. So once breakfast has been finished I’m off to join the queue. 

 

Like a few others and unlike some, I am (Sheila has no intention of going anywhere at the moment) am staying in and not venturing out unless it’s for food etc. 

 

Stay safe, stay sane, enjoy whatever you have planned for the day, back later. 

[Simon G]

40 minutes ago, BoD said:

Did someone suggest an iPad to overcome  crashes because of heat?

 

Apologies if the reflection of the person taking the photograph scares the more sensitive reader.

 

We were having a FaceTime chat with no 1 son yesterday, and he was sat out in his garden in the sun.  After an hour, his ipad cut off the connection and displayed that message to him.  He gave it a few minutes, then reconnected, only inside this time!
 

Like others, I will not be suddenly rushing out to enjoy my “freedom” from shielding.  If we do venture out, it will be to a place that is pretty much guaranteed to be quiet.

[NGT6 1315]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Sigh!  I’ve never had the opportunity to ride on a brand-new tram, with a nice “showroom fragrance“. A few years ago, the transport authority for Baselland - BLT -  acquired a new fleet of trams (I think from Stadler); BLT runs two lines out of Basel into Baselland: the number 10 line which terminates in Dornach (lots of serious money), whilst the number 11 line goes to Aesch (not a lot of serious money). Guess which line got the brand new trams? The number 11 tramline eventually got the new trams - well after they had been run in on the number 10 line and had thus lost the “showroom smell“.

 

I guess you're referring to the Stadler Tango trams: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadler_Tango#Baselland_Transport . Nice bit of kit they are, I think!

 

Mawnin' awl. Coffee not fully effective yet, so, peace and love… 

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl Inner Temple Hare,

6 hours sleep followed by 2 hours intermittant dozing.

 

Ben the Very Suspicious Border Collie watched from his bed as I started back into the old routine for work. He went upstairs to tell SWMBO i was up and around , while I was in the kitchen getting her MuggoTea..

 

 The computers here at work have taken an age to get up and  running due to a backlog of updates and company software changes.

I spent half an hour deleting messages on the computers that the backups and virus checkers hadn't been run. Then there  a long series of emails about virtual donuts, separate ones about virtual a candy stall. From various managers in the USA i've never heard of,  I have no idea what that's all about.. 

 

I awoke with some pain to my right hand and wrist, I have no memory of doing anything to it, but it's being annoying connecting up all these instruments.

 

Ben the Cooling Collie likes the Shower floor in the mobile home to cool down in, and the living room floor of the house. The living room floor is concrete under the laminate flooring, the living room is also on the North side of the house so it's cooler.

 

The Inflatable Tent is a good Idea, which suggested to me that since I have the marquee to work on the boat, once it's finished I could use that for a full layout set up.

 

The guys here have been working 3 weeks on 3 weeks off, with everyone split into 2 crews. So while I've had 10 weeks off isolating in the house and garden, some have had 6 weeks off doing what ever they want, (within government two metre rules).

 

Time to... get onto the final measurement of this range (DCV)

[Dave Hunt]

46 minutes ago, TheQ said:

These would be the trawlers that the nets were always stowed and had an amazing amount of aerials on top. They used to sit offshore of the rocket range on Sout Uist as well..

 

Whenever there was an air defence exercise in the North Sea or up towards the Iceland Faroes gap they would appear like a rash. Sometimes we would fly over them very low and very fast but the best sport was to get one aircraft to fly up and down slowly near them to get their attention then do a slow flyby on one side. This would get the crew out on deck to watch while the second aircraft would approach unseen from the other side as low as possible without hitting anything and put the burners in as he passed over the deck. The same thing took place out in the Mediterranean when operating from Cyprus.

 

Yesterday evening we had a family quiz on No. 2 son's Team meeting account with me as quiz master. It took a while for me to design a quiz that would suit four generations ranging in age from 5 to 97 but it seemed to go down well and the scores were satisfyingly close. Apparently we're doing another one in two weeks' time.

 

Welcome to June everyone and White Rabbits to you all. I hope we can all carpe it. Have a good day.

 

Dave

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Had a bit of a sniffle this morning from the hay fever but its clearing up now.

8 hours ago, pH said:

 

Three of our four have at least a passing interest in trains. I spent an hour or so this morning with a grandson on our knees on a wooden floor building and playing with a wooden train set. I'm sure the pains will go away soon.

Why not use a kneeling pad? In my case its not getting down on my knees thats a problem its getting up again!

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

I

May I ask why you binned it? Was it how it functions or was it the way Apple insists that all apps should push advertising and everything should be done “the Steve Jobs way“.  Although I find the iPad very convenient, I do find the way Apple seems to minimise the flexibility of how you use their otherwise technologically brilliant products quite frustrating.

 

 

Wasn’t it the ancient Greeks who first noted that the gods tend to protect idiots and fools?  If it wasn’t for the ever present threat of ambulance chasing lawyers suing the bejeesus out of you, because some idiot didn’t read or chose to ignore a warning sign, I would be very much in favour of letting social Darwinism take its toll.  
Are we really doing our species any favours by saving the foolish from their own folly?

 

I binned the I-pad because of the dreaded predictive text/spill chucker. It might be useful but not when it acts on your passwords. I ended up locked out of my E-mails and I'm more used to Microsoft with all its foibles.

 

But some stupidity can affect an enormous number of people.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-52867140

[Happy Hippo]

41 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Whenever there was an air defence exercise in the North Sea or up towards the Iceland Faroes gap they would appear like a rash. Sometimes we would fly over them very low and very fast but the best sport was to get one aircraft to fly up and down slowly near them to get their attention then do a slow flyby on one side. This would get the crew out on deck to watch while the second aircraft would approach unseen from the other side as low as possible without hitting anything and put the burners in as he passed over the deck. The same thing took place out in the Mediterranean when operating from Cyprus.

When I was in Cyprus,  there was a particular Aeroflot flight, allegedly a freighter which would invariably ask Larnaca for a VFR  approach.

 

This inevitably started out over the eastern Med with a fairly sharp descent over Famagusta, a straight run over the aerial farm at Ayios  Nikolios then a climb to take in as much of the ESBA at Dhekelia as the suspected cameras would allow.

 

 

 

 

[The Stationmaster]

4 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

More importantly, the inner rail looks like girder rail but is the outer rail just plain flat-bottom?

Probably to serve as a sort of check rail?

[J. S. Bach]

10 hours ago, NGT6 1315 said:

Five bogies: Two each under the first and last module, and one under the centre joint.

Good morning owl from the Piedmont.

 

Ah, it is a four-unit articulator?  I thought that it is a three-section car, a light pole hides one of the joints, it appears. Thank you for the information.

 

Note: I have been a trolley nut for a very long time; almost as long as I have been alive. My all-time favorite is the all-electric PCC. Unfortunately, I do not have a scanned photo of a prototype one available so this model (O scale) will have to do for now :

 

Second favorite, the air-electric PCC, this one is in Philadelphia:

 

This one is also in Philadelphia but on a fantrip:

Edited June 1, 2020 by J. S. Bach

[J. S. Bach]

2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

 ...snip... I binned the I-pad because of the dreaded predictive text/spill chucker. It might be useful but not when it acts on your passwords ...snip...

Can't that feature be turned off?

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

To start the day ( alittle later than first thing) Cathy the delightful diabolic nurse has been in telephonic communication to discuss the results of my diabolic tests which she described as 'excellent'.  Translated that means my whatsit number has dropped from 51 to 50, I have not gained any weight and my blood pressure is good compared with where it should be.  All I ought to do is take a decent walk everyday, she said (in an advisory manner).   Interestingly some added questions about, presumably, the impact of lockdown about how I'm feeling in general and am I or have I been depressed  (no) so all in all ok although I won't mention my cholesterol number in such polite society as ERs - statins have nasty side effects on me).  I am to continue eating as I do now as well which was nice and welcome.

 

On a similarly bright front I heartily approve of ChrisF's suggested route to the land of cantons and cuckoo clocks (sorry iD).   The night boat from Harwich to the Hook was always my favourite way eastwards off our island prior to the arrival of a proper through train service to Paris & Bruxelles.  And the service is provided by a decent size and civilised looking vessels although I know nothing of their accommodation and interior appointments - but they do emit white exhaust smoke because they are equipped with exhaust scrubbers.  the only short coming might be the need to get to Harwich on a 'Basil' - the name given to the new 745 and 755 units.  Basil as in Basil Fawlty because they have a marked tendency to fail in traffic - seems that Swiss export trains are definitely not in the same league as Swiss watches (sorry again iD).

 

Talking of the sea -again - this morning our voyage 'on the West Coast' would have seen us taking breakfast while the ship is busily doing 'something' on Dogger Bank.  And, although well out to sea, I could have crossed off my East Coast 'gap' in my ABC of 'Voyages Around The Coast of England and Wales';  ah well can't win 'em all and there's always another year (I hope).  Meanwhile on land the weather is much the same and the heatwave continues although we are still promised rain for Wedmesday - fingers are firmly crossed.

 

Nothing else to report and I was most impressed by Dom's new tram, excellent looking device and a marked improvement on a Crossrail train (sorry to damn with faint praise).  Have a good day one and all and stay safe - best done by keeping away from the seaside and city centres.

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, J. S. Bach said:

Can't that feature be turned off?

Yes it can. Settings, Keyboard then select all the things you want it to do or not do. 

[Happy Hippo]

10 hours ago, BR60103 said:

Having heard this for many years, can someone clarify what is meant by a "damned lie"?

 

That dam will never collapse.................

 

 

[Coombe Barton]

Climate Change and weather extremes - Met Office give evidence of the link

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-52877912

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. My computer will be ready in a couple of days time after an upgrade and removal of a few bits slowing it down.

28 minutes ago, Ian Morgan said:

I thought this was worth sharing

2 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

Can't that feature be turned off?

It could but I assumed that it was switched off for passwords. There were other features that I didn't like about it such as the small screen.

[NGT6 1315]

3 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Probably to serve as a sort of check rail?

I can’t speak for every single tram operation over here but girder rail is indeed used outside of roadbound sections in various locations on our network. It All Depends... ®