The Night Mail

[NHY 581]

35 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

 

No.  The (possibly apochryphal) story is that, while they were being built at Swindon, the works foreman stated that 'we built The Great Bear, now we are building a teddy bear'.  At Canton they were called the 'miracle engines'; miracle if you could get it to go, and another miracle if you could get it to stop'.

 

It has always mildly amazed me that a loco with such a dire reputation for unreliability and poor brakes should have been so popular with it's various industrial owners.  

 

What I think is remarkable is how Heljan managed to replicate the reliability,or otherwise,  with their 4mm version.

 

 

[Happy Hippo]

3 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

 

What I think is remarkable is how Heljan managed to replicate the reliability, or otherwise,  with their 4mm version.

 

 

It's bigger 7mm Minerva, version also runs very well. It has certainly sold well.

 

Mine has neither broken down nor failed to stop.

 

If only Heljan could start making 7 mm locos that were a bit more accurate.  The model railway expert panels claim most are the wrong shape or have panels in the wrong place.  (Although I believe their Hymek, in both 4 and 7 mm scales, was well received.)

[Dave Hunt]

10 hours ago, SM42 said:

We are also expecting to meet the new pet frog

 

If it needs a friend we have a large amount of frogspawn in our pond again.

 

Dave

[SM42]

2 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

If it needs a friend we have a large amount of frogspawn in our pond again.

 

Dave

 

I'm sure it would appreciate the food. 

 

We are back, full of vodka ( well, once the bottle is opened...) and cake of various varieties. 

 

I might need a bit of nap

 

Andy

[Dave Hunt]

24 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

The model railway expert panels claim most are the wrong shape or have panels in the wrong place. 

 

I am often minded to take the prognostications of expert panels with a pound or so of salt. I once wrote a review for Wild Swan of a RTR model, the prototype for which was the subject of  a book I had written. Another review appeared in a different magazine and was, quite frankly, a load of rubbish. I got rather incensed about it and through the magazine got in touch with one of the people who had written the dud review and it turned out that their criticism of the model, including dimensions, was almost completely based on photographs and one weight diagram. 

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

24 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

I am often minded to take the prognostications of expert panels with a pound or so of salt. I once wrote a review for Wild Swan of a RTR model, the prototype for which was the subject of  a book I had written. Another review appeared in a different magazine and was, quite frankly, a load of rubbish. I got rather incensed about it and through the magazine got in touch with one of the people who had written the dud review and it turned out that their criticism of the model, including dimensions, was almost completely based on photographs and one weight diagram. 

 

Dave

You and I have a very similar view of 'experts'.

 

You only have to look at what they write in the the Daily Wail and it's ilk.

 

My two eldest grandchildren who arrived for their early Easter holiday this afternoon have been telling me about the nature club at their school and what then have been doing there:  Including sitting around a pond watching Frogsporn.

 

I think they may have misheard.

 

Either that or I'm getting behind the times!

[Canal Digger]

An April Fool Joke from the US

[Northmoor]

8 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

You and I have a very similar view of 'experts'.

 

You only have to look at what they write in the the Daily Wail and it's ilk.

The only problem with "experts" is when they are self-appointed.  I raise my eyebrows when someone is being interviewed for a news programme and is described as "So-and-so Expert".  You can bet there are dozens, even hundreds out there with more knowledge, but unfortunately they were too busy applying their expertise instead of talking about it and hence unavailable for comment.

 

In the world of railways we have Christian Wolmar.  Yes, he is knowledgeable, but I can think of quite a few individuals with much more knowledge but who have fewer opinions (or are less enthusiastic about the sound of their own voices).

[J. S. Bach]

41 minutes ago, Canal Digger said:

An April Fool Joke from the US

Those two cars are real Lionel products, although not in those paint schemes. The track that they are sitting on is called Fastrack and is available in many configurations.

Edited April 2, 2023 by J. S. Bach

[newbryford]

Golf was played yesterday. A doubles competition. It looks like we may have won...

As it has been one of the first dry weekends in many weeks, the jungle was attacked. A quick crop with the mower and allowed to dry out a bit. Then out with the scarifier to drag up the first layer if winter moss.  Let it dry again and then round for a third time with the mower to collect the mossy remains. 

Knackered and back to work tomorrow for a rest.

[Dave Hunt]

45 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

The only problem with "experts" is when they are self-appointed. 

 

Of course, it must be remembered that when defining an expert that x is an unknown quantity and a spurt is a drip under pressure.

 

Dave

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[AndyID]

Seems like a good idea.

 

[BR60103]

We went for a walk in the University Arboretum this morning.

Many of the paths had muddy patches and puddles that we had to walk around.  There were large ponds where there is normally lawn.  We detoured across one patch of lawn where the pond came to just below the level of the grass.

And one end of the parking lot had a big frozen puddle.

 

[SM42]

Last night I dreamt I was trying to photograph track maintenance Polish style at a location that looked a lot like somewhere on the non electrified southern region and was accompanied in this endeavour by Freddie Flintoff. 

 

The track gang were to replace a crossover and removed one rail whilst we were there, but trains were still running so had disappeared till later. 

 

We then started to photograph the signals too before heading back to the car via some steps down from a bridge that had a bracket signal part way down, the left hand arm at danger, due to the steps not being finished on that side. 

 

I woke up before it got really wierd  

 

Vodka can really mess with your head it seems. 

.

Andy

 

Did I mention  the large logo class 56 stabled the other side of the signalbox, or the mischievous family that kept photobombing us?

Edited April 3, 2023 by SM42

[Happy Hippo]

Off to Hoo Zoo which is a local animal and dinosaur attraction.

 

If I don't behave, there is the threat of being left there.

 

Apparently I could fit into either of the attraction categories!

[SM42]

That's the dentist done. 

Cleaned, x rayed and filling done. 

 

I shall be heading  out soon to tour my regular train watching spots in Kobylnica, Gadki and Piatkowo. 

 

Andy

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from the former Brickworks.  36 hours without food and only water to drink does appear to have sorted things out. Of course after any intestinal disturbance the acid test is being able to pass wind with confidence.  That has been achieved and porridge and toast has been consumed.  I needed to get right as this afternoon I'm driving up to Embsay to meet two cousins whose grandfather ran a small wagon builders and repairers in Keighley.  There is hardly any information in the public domain about the firm, but they built most of the wagons used by the quarries in the Dales.  It wil hopefully be a productive afternoon plus a peasant drive up the Aire valley. 

 

The fact that I'm fit enough to do this has been remarked upon. 

 

Jamir

Edited April 3, 2023 by jamie92208

[Compound2632]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

The fact that I'm fit enough to do this has been remarked upon. 

 

It's amazing what the body can do when there's an incentive!

[Hroth]

16 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

You and I have a very similar view of 'experts'.

 

You only have to look at what they write in the the Daily Wail and it's ilk.

 

My two eldest grandchildren who arrived for their early Easter holiday this afternoon have been telling me about the nature club at their school and what then have been doing there:  Including sitting around a pond watching Frogsporn.

 

I think they may have misheard.

 

Either that or I'm getting behind the times!

 

Going by the segment about Toads* on Wild Isles last night, they may have been chillingly accurate!

 

* The green hoppy things, that is...

 

[Tony_S]

We had a toad living in our compost bin last year. It certainly kept the flies and wood lice in check. I never actually saw it in the bin but Google images identified the poo. The toad disappeared. I did find it dead half way across our neighbours lawn, it seemed to be heading towards where there used to be a pond. 

[jjb1970]

We are regularly visited by frogs. And geckos. And the occasional iguana . Geckos are welcome, they're harmless and eat insects, and I quite like them.

[jjb1970]

16 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Of course, it must be remembered that when defining an expert that x is an unknown quantity and a spurt is a drip under pressure.

 

Dave

 

My late fathers favourite saying👍

 

What amazes me is the lack of expertise in specialist publications. I really don't expect journalists with the mainstream media to know anything about shipping, but I do find it infuriating that writers working for formerly respected sources such as Lloyd's List are so clueless. I suspect it is the same for other sectors.

[Compound2632]

5 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

I suspect it is the same for other sectors.

 

I'm sure you were intending to say BRM excepted...

[jjb1970]

5 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

I'm sure you were intending to say BRM excepted...

 

Indeed, I was thinking of specialist journals, websites etc for industry. Even academic journals. I used to be a fellow of two institutes but left one as their journal was frankly embarrassing, almost as embarrassing as their representation at regulatory fora on behalf of their members.