Early Risers.

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

A bit dull here with some sunny spells forecast and the chance of rain later.

Good to hear from Warren albeit with some not so good news. I hope things improve soon.

A couple of parcels due today so waiting in is necessary.  Nothing of interest for me, these are for Herself.

If they come early we may possibly visit our local garden centre if it doesn't seem too crowded.  It seems there are gaps in the garden that need filling.  Oh great!. 

Have a good one,

Unenthusiastic gardener of Sutton.

 

 

Edited June 30, 2020 by grandadbob

[Dave Hunt]

6 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

The world still awaits the definitive work on LMS electric traction. Would that help to pacify the Swiss?

 

Stephen,

 

I suppose that having spent some of my formative years living in Formby on the ex- L&YR/LMS Liverpool - Southport electric line, which I used almost on a daily basis, and Jill's grandfather having been foreman at the line's power station that I have some tenuous link with LMS electric traction. Would that be sufficient to deflect William Tell's arrows should they be launched Shropshire-wards do you think?

 

Dave

[BSW01]

8 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

You really should include a resistor in series with the IR LED to limit the current to something no greater than the maximum specified current. You can't determine how much current the LED is passing by measuring the voltage across it but you can determine the current by measuring the voltage across the resistor.

Fear not, there is a resistor fitted between the LED and the negative rail, for that very purpose!

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Well it’s rained overnight and the garden is very wet, but it’s not raining at the moment so I may chance setting up the workbench in front of the shed and try sanding the bench slats. Once they’re done I can start priming and then painting them, so that’s most of the day sorted out. 

 

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

[Happy Hippo]

3 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

I'm not sure if Wilesco ever did this but the steam pipe on my ancient Mamod stationary engine loops around under the boiler before it goes to the cylinder. I always assumed this was a very basic form of superheater or at least a steam dryer.

 

I forgot to mention that IIRC its throttle doesn't act on the live steam going into the cylinder. It actually throttles the exhaust from the cylinder. I'm not sure if that's the most efficient thermodynamic way of doing it but it but it reduces the number of live steam connections and it seems to work quite well.

One of the problems with an oscillating cylinder is there is no method of 'cut off' to allow the steam to work expansively as seen where variable valve gear if fitted.

 

Once the steam gets to the cylinder it's all or nothing, which is why they have a tendency to run very quickly.

 

Adding a form of throttle on the exhaust side of the system has long been one method of slowing down such cylinders, especially in locomotive applications.

 

The throttle is designed to create back pressure in the exhaust so that the piston is having to work harder to force the exhaust.  this slows it down.

 

The use of a coil in the fire between the live steam exit from the boiler and the cylinder is indeed to keep the steam temperature up above the condensing point.  The very low pressures in toy boilers mean they are running on very wet steam, and prone to condensation issues.

 

The amount of water these things piddle all over the place is testament to this.  They tend to leak water and not steam!

[New Haven Neil]

Morning.

 

Good to hear from Warren.  We're with you.

 

Got our results from anti-body testing, both negative.  A little surprised, as we were both quite ill in February, but realise it must have been standard flu (despite having had the jabs) not the CV19 variety.  Also got my diabetes results - result! 5.5% again, that's a year now,  Type 2 I have you under control.  I'd love a cake though.  Maybe Richard would share a crumb?

 

I wonder, is this the time to mention to iD that my Board of Trade certification to be a qualified watch-keeping Marine Engineer officer applies to motor vessels, not steam?  Having read Dave's books also, I enjoy both forms of transferring potential energy to motion.  

 

 

 

[New Haven Neil]

Oh, looks like the 'Hedgehog'  device is about to be deployed. (See WW2 anti-submarine weapons).

[Barry O]

1 minute ago, New Haven Neil said:

Oh, looks like the 'Hedgehog'  device is about to be deployed. (See WW2 anti-submarine weapons).

Careful the flying bits hurt... an awful lot!

 

I am trying to develop the Multiple Headed Ballistic Flinging Teddy. It isn't as sharp as awls or spears but its shape allows more bang - and it can be fired from the Multiple Awl Fling Device...

 

Baz

[jamie92208]

2 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

The world still awaits the definitive work on LMS electric traction. Would that help to pacify the Swiss?

 

2 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Stephen,

 

I suppose that having spent some of my formative years living in Formby on the ex- L&YR/LMS Liverpool - Southport electric line, which I used almost on a daily basis, and Jill's grandfather having been foreman at the line's power station that I have some tenuous link with LMS electric traction. Would that be sufficient to deflect William Tell's arrows should they be launched Shropshire-wards do you think?

 

Dave

Can I try and claim some protection by offerring to write the bit about the Midland's contribution.  

 

Jamie

[Compound2632]

1 minute ago, jamie92208 said:

Can I try and claim some protection by offerring to write the bit about the Midland's contribution.  

 

I know where it could be published...

[jamie92208]

Anyway good afternoon fron a rather cloudy Charente.   I didn't get to sleep till 02.30 but it was a self influcted wound after a very pleasant  evening sitting on Ruffec station, chatting to Andy and watching trains go by. Andy wimped out at 22.00 but after a cuppa with him I went back to the station and enjoyed myself.

 

Here domestic engineering had occupied the morning as the boss is due back tomorrow.  The maison des dames fort had just delivered some new pages for the negative files and whilst doing other things my scanning has got up to 1988.  

 

Lunch, of curried eggs will be prepared soon then it is off the spend muddling tokens for two new tyres.  Not a lot wlse will be done today.

 

Good to hear from Warren, I hope that things improve. And Chrisf, that fall sounds to have been quite nasty.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. I went to pour my morning tea this morning and there was white bits floating on top. A quick eyeball of the milk revealed nothing apparently wrong neither did a sniff test. There was a lump of the white bits in the bottom of the mug. Not wanting to risk anything I threw the rest of the 2 pint plastic bottle (about a quarter of a pint) away though the use by date was 3rd.July and it had been kept refrigerated. I managed to squeeze my usual 2 mugfuls out of the pot.

4 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

 

Is this not "S" scale?

 

Curiously the philatelic sales department of the US Postal Service just sent me a catalogue with a number of USPS die cast (presumably) vehicles in 1:64. They actually looked really nice and included a number of distribution vans including a full tractor trailer.

 

The USPS issued a 50th anniversary sheet of stamps commemorating Hot Wheels cars. They had models of these cars as well.

Interesting prototypes. I notice that a couple of the vehicles are right hand drive.  This is because many American homes have a mailbox kerbside and the postie can deliver without leaving the vehicle.

2 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Stephen,

 

I suppose that having spent some of my formative years living in Formby on the ex- L&YR/LMS Liverpool - Southport electric line, which I used almost on a daily basis, and Jill's grandfather having been foreman at the line's power station that I have some tenuous link with LMS electric traction. Would that be sufficient to deflect William Tell's arrows should they be launched Shropshire-wards do you think?

 

Dave

 The 502/503 classes had a very long life and a wide range of liveries from LMS maroon through various shades of green with different applications (or not as the case may be) of yellow ends. All over blue and ending up in blue/grey. It would be great if an enterprising manufacturer could produce a model of these units. 

[grandadbob]

A couple of hours ago I said there was a chance of rain later. Ten minutes after that it started raining and is still pouring!

No parcels have arrived yet and there will be no visits to garden centres or anywhere else now.

I have been "helping" with domestic stuff.  During this the ####### Dyson decided to play up and wouldn't stay switched on.  My first inclination was to throw the ####### thing through the window as I'm fed up with it but common sense prevailed and after a quick Google I found a remedy that didn't cost any money. (for now)  If  When we need to purchase a new machine (which I suspect will be sooner rather than later) it will not be one of those.  

Whilst "helping" I managed to find the misplaced Nevil Shute book (Pastoral)  which was not misplaced but exactly where it should have been on the bookshelf!  Strange that.  

Brownie points have been accrued as according to The Boss I have (unlike a former PM) been most helpful around the house during lockdown.  Good -oh!

She's now making me a muggatea. 

Edited June 30, 2020 by grandadbob

[Simon G]

Morning all from a cloudy but dry and calm Cumbria.  It has been a busy morning so far, with a trip in the car to coll3ct more horse manure, some soft fruit picked and made into a summer fruit pudding mix, and final clearance of the old shed site in preparation for assembling the new shed.  Suitable lengths of old wood have been found to make into a base for the shed, and I will fix some damp-proofing plastic to the base to prevent water seeping up into the shed.  Assembly of shed planned for Thursday as it seems to be the day with the best forecast this week.

 

Next tasks include more fruit picking and staking up the tomato and cucumber plants we were given a few weeks ago.  The hedges are also starting to look rather ragged again, so another quick trim is required soon.  A gardeners work is never done!  With that, it is back to work!

[Two_sugars]

Morning all . . .still playing catch-up . . about 12 pages behind . . . 

 

Anyways . . . Time for a bit of local news . . .

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-53224639

 

For the benefit of our Leeds-based missionary.

 

Hope everyone's well . . 

 

John

 

P.S. I'm not missing . . .I know where I am . . . . .I Think???????

[newbryford]

 

 

18 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

 

I can assure you that Mick does not wear a yellow bikini top

 

*Wonders how you can be so certain?*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Rest assured dear readers - I don't.....)

[Erichill16]

3 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

The world still awaits the definitive work on LMS electric traction. Would that help to pacify the Swiss?

Can’t wait for it to come out, I’d be first in the queue  when it hits ‘The Works’  or other discount retailer.

[Happy Hippo]

4 hours ago, Barry O said:

They are fired through a mist of strong disinfectant .. and even smell nice!

Baz

That puts a whole new meaning to the term 'clean kill'.

[Happy Hippo]

5 minutes ago, Erichill16 said:

Can’t wait for it to come out, I’d be first in the queue  when it hits ‘The Works’  or other discount retailer.

I think it will probably hit the buffer stops first.

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Now that 'someone' has confessed to writing about diseasals I suppose I had better confess to writing about 'foreign' steam engines.  But in my defence I will hasten to add that they originated on England's second greatest Railway - the NER; second only to the GWR.    I'm not sure if L&Y electrickery trains would help calm Swiss feelings but Midland ones with knitting above to supply the juice ought to be acceptable I would have thought.   Having done a bit of research into the GWR's excursions into electric railways I suppose I could write a bit about them if I were so inclined, or offered money, and at least one of them does offer, still, some excellent GWR buildings in apparently original external condition and fake GWR colours. 

 

The weather is turning wet again and the fridge repairer has been, and gone away to order an expensive sounding part which also involves electrickery, meanwhile the smaller fridges remain in use so all is not warm in consequence of the continuing loss of the big one.  A foraging party has been despatched to Tesco but no other excursions are planned for today and more rain is expected, probably.

 

Have a good day one and all and great to see BoD back among us albeit with not entirely good tidings - I hope things improve on all fronts for you and yours.

[Compound2632]

19 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

But in my defence I will hasten to add that they originated on England's second greatest Railway - the NER; second only to the GWR.  

 

A correct statement. The LNWR and Midland were the United Kingdom's greatest railways, owning lines in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.

[newbryford]

6 hours ago, chrisf said:

 

I bought some more pain killers yesterday.  The woman in the pharmacy was very sniffy about selling me more than one packet.  “Have you had these before?” she asked.  Remind me to stick to Tesco for my drugs in future.  The pain is much diminished by comparison with a week ago and I can now lie on my side without it hurting too much.  The bruises are beginning to go too.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris

 

I had a similar response at my local pharmacy when I was struggling with back pain.

Since I visited the Doc and had an MRI scan and diagnosed sciatica,, he prescribed cocodamol and I now get them in packs of 200! No questions asked when getting a repeat every 6-8 weeks or so, depending upon my usage.

I was also on another with it , which I cannot remember the name of (I think it began with the letter A), but now Gabepentin/Neurocontin is the preferred choice to accompany the cocodamol.

 

Which reminds me - it's about time to call the NHS and arrange another epidural injection.

[newbryford]

I confess to having written a few articles about yellow stuff......

Other colours are also available

 

[iL Dottore]

6 minutes ago, newbryford said:

I confess to having written a few articles about yellow stuff......

 

 

Bananas?

[PhilJ W]

The best railway IMHO was the one who painted their locomotives royal blue, the Great Eastern Railway. Even Gresley appreciated what good locomotives they were by continuing to build and develop them even sending them to work as far away as Scotland.