Self isolation support group

[Neil]

More gardening for me today. Just had a Facebook video call with my daughter and grandchildren which was cheering. This afternoon I've another building to tart up for use on Northern Town. Good job I'm going nowhere or I wouldn't have time for all this.

[newbryford]

Something to help pass the time:

https://www.Hornby.com/uk-en/Hornby-kids-zone?utm_campaign=2635715_Hornby - Kids Zone comp - Week 52 2019%2F2020&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Hornby PLC&_%24ja=tsid%3A71284&dm_i=2DJZ,1KHQB,GV2O7,5B7B8,1

[Re6/6]

I'm getting to grips with 'WhatsApp' on my phone (new to me!). It wasn't until after my first contact (with CK and MrsCK as it happens!) I remembered that they can see me. My appearance was somewhat disheveled. The lesson is that standards must not slip!

 

I'm currently preparing for the fitting of the new washing machine in the kitchen, The task is being stretched out ...electrics done one day, plumbing yesterday and waste trap today.

Being rather elderly, also creaky, I don't much care for lying on the floor under the counter top!

 

On the modelling front, slow progress is being made on Rüthi with some copper-clad trackwork being made for the 'concreted-in' part of the layout.

[APOLLO]

Just had an email from my brother & family who live in Whitehorse in the Yukon - beyond the back of the beyond. They're also on lockdown etc similar to us in the UK. A handful of CV cases there which is a bit worrying given the location and small population of just over 25000.  Similar story of wife's family in Thailand and Hong Kong - lockdowns increasing daily. It's truly a global thing.

 

Anyway - hunkered down at home I came across this vid last night - I wish I was young and daft again (but not this daft !!!). Goes on a bit occasionally off topic (perhaps) but the Brazil railway content is good, though the end scene is scary !!.  An enjoyable 2 hours and I saw parts of a distant land and it's railways I would never otherwise have seen.

 

Question - the very busy freight main line seems to be dual gauge with the centre rails shiny (therefore used) - didn't see any NG trains though - Anyone know anything about this system ?

 

 

Brit15

[Barry Ten]

Heard a pretty good joke on the radio last night.

 

I was walking in the Brecon Beacons when I bumped into God, coming the other way.

 

I asked him what he was doing and he said "working from home".

 

[5050]

Now entering Week 2.  Doesn't time fly when you're enjoying yourself.......................

 

Saturday was Mrs 5050's birthday so, instead of her going for a Spa day with our daughters (and me to Scalefour North where my 'Braynerts Sidings' layout was to be unveiled to the great British public) we had a quiet day on our own.  Played Scrabble (I tried to let her win but it was a hopeless task), baked and iced her a cake (with a bit of tutoring), set the dining room table with posh cutlery and crystal glasses and cooked a chicken and cashew nut stir fry with basmati rice.  Cake for afters and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.  All very nice.

 

Yesterday just seemed to disappear (can't actually remember what we did apart from our daily trudge around the estate) and this morning I've (hopefully) sorted out my ex-DJH Barclay saddle tank (converted to P4) which, when I was using it as a test loco on Braynerts, decided to unscrew  one of the front crankpin retaining 'nuts' and jam it up behind the crosshead.  It was actually harder to get it unjammed than to sort it out.  A bit more thinning and filing and a dab of nail varnish should keep it in place.

 

Next on the list is a part 'finished' Barclay 0-6-0 diesel shunter that is crying out for completion.  No excuses now for not doing so!

[Dave 46]

On 27/03/2020 at 19:51, Dave 46 said:

I womder if I may ask a question of our correspondents in France.  What is the position regarding magazines out there?  I am particularly interested in Cles pour le train miniature.  I expected to get my subscription copy around the middle of March, but no sign of it yet.  Are magazines publishing?

 

Thanks in advance

Dave

 

 

well, I needn't have panicked.  It arrived this morning, taking 20 days from posting instead of the normal 4 or 5.

 

The "Angleterre" at the bottom of the address had been crossed out and GB had been written in, so maybe it had been on a tour of other countries?

 

Dave

 

[TT-Pete]

2 minutes ago, Dave 46 said:

 

The "Angleterre" at the bottom of the address had been crossed out and GB had been written in, so maybe it had been on a tour of other countries?

 

Ahh, that's brexit for you...  :^)

[Baby Deltic]

[County of Yorkshire]

It’s my birthday today, but for obvious reasons I’ve not been able to see in person the birthday cake that Mum has had commissioned. But thank god for smartphones and cameras. 
 

Behold, the Collett 2-2-2-4T! 

Cheers, 

 

CoY

Edited March 30, 2020 by County of Yorkshire

[SHMD]

Is it DCC ready?

 

(Directly Consumable Cake!)

 

 

Kev.

 

[Baby Deltic]

1 hour ago, County of Yorkshire said:

It’s my birthday today, but for obvious reasons I’ve not been able to see in person the birthday cake that Mum has had commissioned. But thank god for smartphones and cameras. 
 

Behold, the Collett 2-2-2-4T! 

Cheers, 

 

CoY

Will she also be eating it on your behalf live on a podcast?

[Mallard60022]

Actually that isn't unlike some Kit Built engines I have seen on eBay. Gostude 'specials'. Congratulations COY. Take a tip from an old git....never put off until tomorrow what you could do today. Yup, boring, but so true these days.

Phil

 

Edited March 30, 2020 by Mallard60022

[Colin_McLeod]

2 hours ago, County of Yorkshire said:

It’s my birthday today, but for obvious reasons I’ve not been able to see in person the birthday cake that Mum has had commissioned. But thank god for smartphones and cameras. 
 

Behold, the Collett 2-2-2-4T! 

Cheers, 

 

CoY

 

Happy birthday

 

You can't have your cake nor eat it too.

 

 

PS I think you meant 4-4-4-4T. Unless of course the coupled wheels on the other side have been eaten already

 

 

 

 

Edited March 30, 2020 by Colin_McLeod
Correcting auto correct.

[melmerby]

11 minutes ago, Colin_McLeod said:

 

Happy birthday

 

You can't have your cake nor eat it too.

 

 

PS I think you meant 4-4-4-4T. Unless of course the coupled wheels on the other side have been eaten already

 

 

 

 

0-4-4-4-4T surely?

Edited March 30, 2020 by melmerby

[Theakerr]

Just seen another use for Bog rolls that may be very appropriate for us over here in the GWN.  Specifically, by blocking off the bottom they can be used to start seedlings.  Have managed to get some modeling done but it has required some inventiveness.  I am building some old wagon kits and as a matter of course I want to replace the plastic wheels with metal ones.  I find I only have top hat bearings so they will not go very far into the axle boxes.  So I find that the remaining wheels all have long axles that will not fit.  Took the wheels off cut the axle, loaded it up into the Dremel and turned it down to a taper,

[brianusa]

Prince Charles has recently done his self isolating so is he along with others who have done their time, free to move about normally within the current restrictions

    Brian.

[TheSignalEngineer]

Very cold northerly wind on today's bike ride. Not sure how far going in your local area is but given that I can do about 60 miles electric or 40 miles conventional from home that would give me a lot of leeway. I actually got far enough to see a freight train, EWS livery 66 with a lot of big red opens, first one I've seen for three weeks.

[Andy Hayter]

27 minutes ago, brianusa said:

Prince Charles has recently done his self isolating so is he along with others who have done their time, free to move about normally within the current restrictions

    Brian.

 

He shouldn't be.  Just because he cannot get it again (we think) does not mean that he cannot pick it up on his hands for example and then pass it on to someone else who has not had the virus.

What perhaps he could do is work in a C-19 hospital ward with minimised risk.

[melmerby]

Planted some seeds on Wednesday, two types of tomato and some peppers, 75% of tomatoes have already poked their heads up.

I also planted some herbs on Thursday, one so far up.

 

I was going to get some shallot sets (I grew some last year) but mail order seedsmen seem to be OOS

[Colin_McLeod]

[halsey]

Just thought I'd share - I am a recent (returned/retired/slightly physically challenged) modeller and my preferred routine is app 4 hrs a day 5 days a week winter months only

 

This period of lockdown is putting pressure on my love of the hobby as it feels like the only thing I have to do that gets me out of the house and out of my armchair - I don't want to kill off my enjoyment by doing/achieving too much over the next 12 moths and not having a break...…………...

 

Am alone feeling like this - I have been self isolating for 5 weeks now - I do accept that my going to the shed is keeping SWMBO happy!

 

Others are far worse off than me I know and would love to have my problems but it feels very real to me.

 

BTW - just joined RM Gold and bought SWMBO a factory recon iPad so I will inherit her 3 yr old one - that will give us both a new "toy" and help with wider contact.

Edited March 31, 2020 by halsey

[boxbrownie]

14 minutes ago, halsey said:

Just thought I'd share - I am a recent (returned/retired/slightly physically challenged) modeller and my preferred routine is app 4 hrs a day 5 days a week winter months only

 

This period of lockdown is putting pressure on my love of the hobby as it feels like the only thing I have to do that gets me out of the house and out of my armchair - I don't want to kill off my enjoyment by doing/achieving too much over the next 12 moths and not having a break...…………...

 

Am alone feeling like this - I have been self isolating for 5 weeks now - I do accept that my going to the shed is keeping SWMBO happy!

 

Others are far worse off than me I know and would love to have my problems but it feels very real to me.

 

BTW - just joined RM Gold and bought SWMBO a factory recon iPad so I will inherit her 3 yr old one - that will give us both a new "toy" and help with wider contact.

I seem to be the opposite, I retired about 8 years ago and after two years we moved and since then I’ve not had the time (or inclination) to start modelling again although I have been “collecting” for that day......the day came about two weeks ago when we found it’s no longer safe for us to go out and the trades people we get to do the stuff we cannot can no longer come also....so..... a few days in the playroom and the baseboards (ready made modular) are built and up, the track is layed out and running (but not yet screwed down) and things are looking up, well at least on the model railway front, I am damn sure if we hadn’t been “restricted” everything would still be in boxes waiting for “that day”.

 

Its different for all of us, but we have to stay positive and take it as a bonus......as you say others have it much harder, I really do with our hobby think we are some of the luckier ones.

 

 

 

Edited March 31, 2020 by boxbrownie

[halsey]

4 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

I seem to be the opposite, I retired about 8 years ago and after two years we moved and since then I’ve not had the time (or inclination) to start modelling again although I have been “collecting” for that day......the day came about two weeks ago when we found it’s no longer safe for us to go out and the trades people we get to do the stuff we cannot can no longer come also....so..... a few days in the playroom and the baseboards (ready made modular) are built and up, the track is layed out and running (but not yet screwed down) and things are looking up, well at least on the model railway front, I am damn sure if we hadn’t been “restricted” everything would still be in boxes waiting for “that day”.

 

Its different for all of us, but we have to stay positive and take it as a bonus......as you say others have it much harder, I really do with our hobby think we are some of the luckier ones.

 

 

 

 

There are always 2 sides to every coin - good to read your positives - I am positive its just knowing my basic character I worry about having railway fatigue in 2 months time 

[boxbrownie]

4 minutes ago, halsey said:

 

There are always 2 sides to every coin - good to read your positives - I am positive its just knowing my basic character I worry about having railway fatigue in 2 months time 

The only thing I can suggest is get SWMBO to schedule a room for decoration..........shall I wash my mouth and thoughts out now?