Wright writes.....

[Headstock]

2 hours ago, Mike 84C said:

The B16, a very appealing loco, long boiler, commodious cab and  I like the look of the motion and connecting rod driving on the first axle. Avery attractive machine which I never saw! But I am sure I read somewhere they had the nickname of "blood spitters" is it true and if so why?

 

Good evening Mike,

 

it was the GC men who nicknamed the B16 bloodspitters, a bit of intercompany rivalry. The NER men referred to the B7's as black pigs, if you want to insult a locomotive, it is best to question its ability to make steam and or distress the fireman. The term bloodspitter is similar, referencing the apparent arduous nature of the fireman's job and the reputation the B16's had of throwing the fire. If the countryside was ablaze along the length of the london extension and a mini volcano had just passed down the line, it would be a bloodspitter on a York Woodford fast freight. 

Edited July 20, 2020 by Headstock

[Jesse Sim]

The ECJS brake is nearing completion, it’s by far no means the best, but I’ve built it and it’s also my first dive into replicating teak-which has worked to some degree..... still not the best, but I’m happy to live and keep on learning. 

 

Next step which, will be a first for me is lining. 

[Woodcock29]

3 hours ago, Jesse Sim said:

The ECJS brake is nearing completion, it’s by far no means the best, but I’ve built it and it’s also my first dive into replicating teak-which has worked to some degree..... still not the best, but I’m happy to live and keep on learning. 

 

Next step which, will be a first for me is lining. 

Jesse

 

You don't actually need to line it if you don't want to as from about 1928 pre-grouping stock wasn't lined anymore. In fact for your period its more appropriate not to. I have one to complete that I got from Bill Gorman's estate and I won't be lining that.

 

Andrew

[Jesse Sim]

2 hours ago, Woodcock29 said:

Jesse

 

You don't actually need to line it if you don't want to as from about 1928 pre-grouping stock wasn't lined anymore. In fact for your period its more appropriate not to. I have one to complete that I got from Bill Gorman's estate and I won't be lining that.

 

Andrew

Oh really? I could kiss you, I really wasn’t looking forward to lining it!!! 

 

 

Edited July 21, 2020 by Jesse Sim

[DougN]

I think Andrew has just relaxed now that he knows you wont kiss him! 

[polybear]

6 hours ago, Jesse Sim said:

What’s cricket? 

 

It's a game that's slower than a Koala, the aim of which appears to be the member of one team trying to take the head off a member of the other team using a ball that's as hard as a house brick.

 

Gone.....

[Tony Wright]

8 hours ago, Mike 84C said:

The B16, a very appealing loco, long boiler, commodious cab and  I like the look of the motion and connecting rod driving on the first axle. Avery attractive machine which I never saw! But I am sure I read somewhere they had the nickname of "blood spitters" is it true and if so why?

Headstock has explained the epithet regarding the B16s very well, Mike.

 

From my own experience, any steam loco (given certain circumstances) could 'spit blood'. 

 

I've written about my urchin Cestrian observations in BRILL, recalling an incident when The Emerald Isle Express was late one evening (it was usually double-headed). Standing on the city's walls, the reason for the lateness became apparent as 46169 THE BOY SCOUT burst out from the tunnels, under Canal Street Bridge, over the Shropshire Union Canal and under the walls' bridges with a display of pyrotechnics I'll never forget. It was just a column of flame - not blood spitting, more a haemorrhage, as the Scot left Chester at a speed I'd never seen before, Our little group avoided red-hot coals as big as a man's fist, and as the spectacle disappeared along the Dee estuary the beginnings of several lineside fires were in evidence. 

 

Years later, behind UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA, close to midnight and hours late (not through any fault of the A4), returning from Aberdeen on a railtour, the skies above the approaches to the Forth Bridge were bright red with sparks from the double Kylchap. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

6 hours ago, Jesse Sim said:

The ECJS brake is nearing completion, it’s by far no means the best, but I’ve built it and it’s also my first dive into replicating teak-which has worked to some degree..... still not the best, but I’m happy to live and keep on learning. 

 

Next step which, will be a first for me is lining. 

Good morning Jesse,

 

It'll look rather jolly behind your new C2!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

13 hours ago, Woodcock29 said:

I've just watched a series of WPC56 which Is supposedly set in the mid 50s and the term 'Train Station' was used in that. I couldn't believe it! I don't recall the one in George Gently but I've probably seen it.

 

Great win at Old Trafford Tony! I guess they might keep Broad in the side (!) and bring Anderson back in?

 

Andrew

Good morning Andrew,

 

'Great win at Old Trafford Tony! I guess they might keep Broad in the side (!) and bring Anderson back in?'

 

It was, and well-deserved. 

 

Disregarding the feelings of those Philistines who do not appreciate the greatest sport of all, yesterday was a 'perfect' day for England. The imperious batting of Stokes to begin with, followed by a fine all round bowling/fielding performance (speaking of Philistines, is Jesse the only Aussie who doesn't love cricket? I thought he was joking when he first told me he didn't play. It was almost as bad as my finding out that a Yorkshireman I taught with didn't play cricket either!). 

 

Selection? Definitely Broad and (especially as it's his home ground) Anderson for the next test. Difficult to drop Woakes (his batting might be useful), but Wood ahead of Archer (what a daft thing to do in going home - what was he thinking?).

 

The result - England to win and regain the Wisden Trophy (which really should be renamed the Three 'Ws' Cup). The Windies' batting is like glass! 

 

 

Edited July 21, 2020 by Tony Wright
typo error

[Jesse Sim]

53 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning Andrew,

 

'Great win at Old Trafford Tony! I guess they might keep Broad in the side (!) and bring Anderson back in?'

 

It was, and well-deserved. 

 

Disregarding the feelings of those Philistines who do not appreciate the greatest sport of all, yesterday was a 'perfect' day for England. The imperious batting of Stokes to begin with, followed by a fine all round bowling/fielding performance (speaking of Philistines, is Jesse the only Aussie who doesn't love cricket? I thought he was joking when he first told me he didn't play. It was almost as bad as my finding out that a Yorkshireman I taught with didn't play cricket either!). 

 

Selection? Definitely Broad and (especially as its his home ground) Anderson for the next test. Difficult to drop Woakes (his batting might be useful), but Wood ahead of Archer (what a daft thing to do in going home - what was he thinking?).

 

The result - England to win and regain the Wisden Trophy (which really should be renamed the Three 'Ws' Cup). The Windies' batting is like glass! 

 

 

I obviously played (forced to play) the odd game or two at school during sport classes, but that was it. I played footy (NRL) and then made the switch to dancing, which I got a lot of slack for, Bulleid right up till I was about 16-17. I soon told everyone to get effed and decided on dancing in front of my whole school to stick it up them. I earned a lot of respect after that and then was asked to dance for the remaining 2 years creative arts nights, on top of the singing and guitar playing. Maybe that’s why I’m not good at spelling and grammar, I was too busy with the music, dancing and singing......... 

[St Enodoc]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning Andrew,

 

'Great win at Old Trafford Tony! I guess they might keep Broad in the side (!) and bring Anderson back in?'

 

It was, and well-deserved. 

 

Disregarding the feelings of those Philistines who do not appreciate the greatest sport of all, yesterday was a 'perfect' day for England. The imperious batting of Stokes to begin with, followed by a fine all round bowling/fielding performance (speaking of Philistines, is Jesse the only Aussie who doesn't love cricket? I thought he was joking when he first told me he didn't play. It was almost as bad as my finding out that a Yorkshireman I taught with didn't play cricket either!). 

 

Selection? Definitely Broad and (especially as its his home ground) Anderson for the next test. Difficult to drop Woakes (his batting might be useful), but Wood ahead of Archer (what a daft thing to do in going home - what was he thinking?).

 

The result - England to win and regain the Wisden Trophy (which really should be renamed the Three 'Ws' Cup). The Windies' batting is like glass! 

 

 

It would have to be two of the Ws, as the Frank Worrell Trophy is contested between the West Indies and Australia.

 

Quiz question: who was the first Yorkshire captain to go to Australia but never play in a Test?

[jwealleans]

Captain Cook.

[Jesse Sim]

20 minutes ago, jwealleans said:

Captain Cook.

You’re not wrong 

[Chamby]

On the subject of grammar and spelling, I fear that things have now changed permanently.  I worked in central government for a while, and observed a profound transition where the need for equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion started to take precedence over the need to uphold grammatical standards.  Spelling and grammatical errors in written material and especially verbal communication became more commonplace as the number of employees from other countries and/or more diverse education backgrounds grew.

 

The modern view is now of greater acceptance of regional and even international variation: When the meaning is both communicated and understood clearly then the grammatical correctness of that communication is secondary to the acceptance of diversity and inclusion.  

 

The younger generation is being brought up with a different set of values to us baby boomers, now that accepting others as equals is regarded as more laudable than finesse in the use of grammar and spelling.  In a nutshell, the modern idiom is that accuracy in spelling and grammar matters less than wholly accepting others who may not have had the same educational advantages in life as ourselves.  

 

Food for thought, indeed.

[LNER4479]

Hypocrophrally, the reason the Americans can't get on with cricket (despite being a former colony) is that they can't get their heads round the concept of playing a game for five days which ends up in a draw.

[rowanj]

I enjoyed the photos of the various B16 builds.A tip I got from Arthur Kimber when I was building mine, and a thing the older kits always got wrong, was that the rear handrail of NER tenders was a bar welded to the tender back, rather than handrail knobs. Not a big deal, but it does save a couple...

[drmditch]

44 minutes ago, LNER4479 said:

Hypocrophrally, the reason the Americans can't get on with cricket (despite being a former colony) is that they can't get their heads round the concept of playing a game for five days which ends up in a draw.

I'm sure that I've read somewhere that sometime in the second half of the 19th century the USA did play cricket, and there were international matches against Canada.

[Barry O]

6 minutes ago, drmditch said:

I'm sure that I've read somewhere that sometime in the second half of the 19th century the USA did play cricket, and there were international matches against Canada.

They still do play cricket. It is the next new sport in Germany as well..

[grahame]

6 minutes ago, drmditch said:

I'm sure that I've read somewhere that sometime in the second half of the 19th century the USA did play cricket, and there were international matches against Canada.

 

Apparently cricket has been played in America since at least 1709: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket_in_the_United_States

 

and they have a national team:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_national_cricket_team

 

 

[MJI]

Years ago you knew who the cricketers were.

 

These days they tend to be on the sports roundup of the news.

 

I think they are a great example of the dangers of pay TV.

 

I think F1 will be the next victim. Used to watch most weekends, now not seen one in three I think years.

[APOLLO]

I enjoyed cricket at primary school, soft ball and no protective gear !! We actually played on the Poolstock Cricket field just behind our school. A thriving local cricket club back then (Wigan had quite a few) with a nice friendly club house to have a drink in when I was of age - I think I even joined (but didn't play). The club folded several years ago and the field is now sadly built on.

 

As mentioned "big lads" cricket was not for me - the dreaded corky ball thrown with might and anger at any and all bodily parts (never the wicket - the bowler (sometimes a teacher) wanted you to stay "in" to receive maximum damage !! I'm sure Tony didn't do such things !!!!!

 

Brit15

Edited July 21, 2020 by APOLLO

[t-b-g]

10 minutes ago, MJI said:

Years ago you knew who the cricketers were.

 

These days they tend to be on the sports roundup of the news.

 

I think they are a great example of the dangers of pay TV.

 

I think F1 will be the next victim. Used to watch most weekends, now not seen one in three I think years.

 

Totally agree. I have hardly watched any cricket since the days of spending several hours watching a test on BBC2.

 

I sometimes listen to the commentary on the radio in the railway shed. There are still just enough people in the Test Match Special crew to make it listenable but there is nobody left who makes commentating an art form, like John Arlott, "Johnners" or Henry Blofeld did.

 

My dad used to play at a high level. He played for the RAF against county sides. I have an old scorecard that says 4 for 32 against Surrey. One day I must look up whether it was against the full team or a second XI. I am sure the records will be there somewhere. His career was ended by a car accident which left him with a dodgy bowling arm elbow but he did meet my mum in hospital so it ended well!

 

I inherited no noticable sporting talent although I did get roped in literally to make up the numbers for a side that a local solicitor got together in Doncaster. If they only had 10 players, I would tag along as a non bowling No 11 batsman. I think my top score was 3, when I accidentally hit the ball once.

 

I could bowl slow and straight and used to warm up our batsman in the nets. One time we batted first and made a good score. The opposition faltered and needed 42 off the last over. The captain gave me the ball and offered me my moment of glory, I ran up for the first ball and collapsed with cramp!

 

My only redeeming feature was my catching. I could pluck a very quick moving ball out of the air fairly easily.  

[richard i]

I did play when younger, I enjoy watching to, but loss of sight in my left eye meant the ball is not quite where I think it is. I too was roped in to play for Bordeaux for a game. Was number 11 batsman, I stayed in as they were trying to get me to Knick one to the keeper. Once they realized they just needed to bowl dead on my stumps, I was a goner. 
Richard 

[Clive Mortimore]

I simply cannot play cricket and have been told off before by Tony by saying the bloke trowing the ball was out to get me and all I had was a plank of wood to defend myself.

 

I did not follow the family in liking or playing cricket. My dad's two brothers were pretty good, my Uncle John

bowling ten out for 6 runs. My Uncle Charlie was playing well into his 60s.

 

They were pretty good at football, both having played for England's Amateur team in the 50s. 

[t-b-g]

If I disregard my high score of 3 (and out), my only other innings was a not out 0 never facing a ball.

 

If the second one had been my only innings, would my batting average have been "infinity"?