The Night Mail

[PhilJ W]

One unexpected result of putting the clocks back. I usually have lunch about twelve o'clock and I'm already feeling peckish.

[newbryford]

7 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

One unexpected result of putting the clocks back. I usually have lunch about twelve o'clock and I'm already feeling peckish.

 

At work about 3.45pm, I have been known to utter the phrase "Is it 5 o'clock yet?" this week.

[Happy Hippo]

4 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

I first rode a ski lift u derground in a Coal mine in the 70's, changing levels between seams.  A strange experience.  Funnily enough another strange experience was climbing a spiral staircase whilst flying in a jumbo jet on my first ever flight.. 

 

Jamir

Why?

 

Was it because it was the only way to the outside toilet?

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, newbryford said:

 

 a Paternoster lift

I though that was an undergarment for larger ladies.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

13 hours ago, AndyID said:

Scissor jacks are really nasty!

Yes, watched a big one at Chicago O'Hare eat several suitcases blown into it (by a passing 747's jet efflux from a  toppled baggage trolley on the apron).

[iL Dottore]

16 hours ago, AndyID said:

Most of you youngsters are probably not old enough to remember loose shunting but when I was very young I used to spend hours on an overbridge watching Caledonian Jumbos shunt coal wagons at the sidings near our house. I was fascinated when they did loose shunting and how far the wagons would roll at walking pace to allow the shunter to apply the brake just at the right time.

 

I have an idea that it might be possible to recreate that activity in 00. I realize it really is pushing it (pardon the pun) more than just a bit but it's worth a shot. Wish me luck. I'll need a lot of that 😆

I reckon that you do that by having high friction wheel sets/bogies - so that a nudge from a loco will only propel the wagon but so far. If your wagons are too free running, they'll go shooting off all over the place.

[Hroth]

42 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

I reckon that you do that by having high friction wheel sets/bogies - so that a nudge from a loco will only propel the wagon but so far. If your wagons are too free running, they'll go shooting off all over the place.

 

But I like Railway Snooker!!!

 

[TheQ]

Never been anywhere near a ski lift, and will keep it that way.

 

Just had mud and snows 155/65R14, fitted to "The little red Driving Machine © Gwiwer", it doesn't matter what time of year it is, the roads around here are often covered it mud, they would be today it it weren't chuckingitdarn. There are various tyre combinations available down to a 195/40 rubber band. 

We now do a much reduced  mileage now I'm retired, the loss in tyre life is not a worry.

 

If the weather is really bad then there is the Landrover, 235/80R16 all terrain tyres are fitted, I've driven in 12 to 18 inches of snow without problems.

 

I've a farmer's jack for the Landrover,  48 inch max lift, a very useful tool, but you have to use it properly or it can take your fingers off.

There's also a trolley jack in the shed,  used for cars when needed.

Edited November 1, 2023 by TheQ

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

  

5 minutes ago, Hroth said:

But I like Railway Snooker!!!

You need a truly stable plane horizontal yard, and free rolling wagons are best. If you can get them to roll away on a true 1 in 100 that's a good start, 1 in 200 is achievable with kit and RTR OO

 

And also DCC for consistent control of speed, to obtain controlled placement. You are after an impressive break rather than having the black hit the umpire, and the cue ball in a pocket.

 

On 31/10/2023 at 15:13, MrWolf said:

My uncle flew AVRO Ansons which were clapped out by 1948 and apparently bits regularly fell off them.

Show me an aircraft type from which bits haven't fallen off in flight. The delightful 'Wings on my Sleeve' by Captain 'Winkle' Brown covers this subject very well, the fruit of his wide ranging experience; and there are plenty of others in the same vein. Heard much else on this matter from my Pa's colleagues at DeHavs...

[Willie Whizz]

5 hours ago, SM42 said:

Leicester GC (Shipley club?)   I recall had a motorised 12t van. 

 

…

Yes, it (or they) were used in conjunction with working wagon turntables to represent movement of wagons by hydraulic capstans into their massive Leicester South Goods shed. “State of the art” stuff by the GC when built, I presume, and something I’d love to have a crack at modelling one day on a lesser scale. 

[Florence Locomotive Works]

11 hours ago, AndyID said:

When did Meccano change from slotted scre

About 1989. 
 

8 hours ago, Hroth said:

Must be modern "elf'n'safety" stuff, don't want shar

I’ve done that with a Meccano screwdriver. It really hurts. Much prefer the hex head bolts.

[MrWolf]

1 hour ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

 

I’ve done that with a Meccano screwdriver. It really hurts. Much prefer the hex head bolts.

 

Likewise, when I was about thirteen with one of these, the infamous, but very useful Villiers magneto screwdriver*

 

 

*I may not have been using it as intended!

[Tony_S]

30 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

 

Likewise, when I was about thirteen with one of these, the infamous, but very useful Villiers magneto screwdriver*

 

 

*I may not have been using it as intended!

That looks remarkably like something I was supposed to make when I was about 13. Mine was a bit wonky. 

[SM42]

Painting activity has been suspended for the night.  

 

As is normal in such endeavours , I ran out of paint with a half wall to go. 

 

Now awaiting Mrs SM42 to call. 

 

With luck  I will be able to finish off tomorrow night after work. 

 

Andy

Edited November 1, 2023 by SM42

[MrWolf]

11 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

That looks remarkably like something I was supposed to make when I was about 13. Mine was a bit wonky. 

 

We ended up making a screwdriver, but instead of the loop, we had to make a knurled handle out of aluminium on the lathe. I've no idea what happened to it, I've still got the Villiers one and another about twice the size that came as part of the toolkit in Vauxhall cars in the 50s and 60s. Definitely one of those get you out of the **** tools.

[PhilJ W]

On 31/10/2023 at 15:13, MrWolf said:

My uncle flew AVRO Ansons which were clapped out by 1948 and apparently bits regularly fell off them.

About 1951 when I was a toddler we lived not far from RAF Hornchurch. There was a wheatfield adjacent to the airfield and an Anson overshot the runway into the wheatfield losing its undercarriage and tail. I went to investigate and I almost managed to get inside the fuselage before one of the guards caught me. My grandfather had spotted me making my 'escape' from the garden and then took me home.

[Tony_S]

45 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

 

We ended up making a screwdriver, but instead of the loop, we had to make a knurled handle out of aluminium on the lathe. I've no idea what happened to it, I've still got the Villiers one and another about twice the size that came as part of the toolkit in Vauxhall cars in the 50s and 60s. Definitely one of those get you out of the **** tools.

We later also made a screwdriver with a turned handle but I think the first one was the pinnacle of the heating and bashing metal part of the curriculum. That came after sawing, filing and drilling. 

[The White Rabbit]

20 hours ago, AndyID said:

Most of you youngsters are probably not old enough to remember loose shunting but when I was very young I used to spend hours on an overbridge watching Caledonian Jumbos shunt coal wagons at the sidings near our house. I was fascinated when they did loose shunting and how far the wagons would roll at walking pace to allow the shunter to apply the brake just at the right time.

 

I have an idea that it might be possible to recreate that activity in 00. I realize it really is pushing it (pardon the pun) more than just a bit but it's worth a shot. Wish me luck. I'll need a lot of that 😆

 

I've seen some films of this and seen just how skillful it must be but loose and fly shunting was explicitly banned on the heritage lines I've volunteered on, so have never tried it myself. Probably just as well! 

 

I have wondered myself about recreating it in 4mm scale, never got there (yet?) but I spent some hours thinking about practicalities and rolling a dozen wagons about by hand. If you're just using one (or two?) wagons then it's probably reasonably straightforward. Personally, I thought if I was going to try model loose shunting I'd want to have at least a dozen wagons with proper three link couplings and operate prototypically and probably with DCC sound. As well as the various comments already made, I would suggest that unless anyone's planning on using DCC and motorised wagons, the most important element would be to have similarly running wagons - otherwise the whole thing becomes very complex. Not so much differentiating between say an unloaded conflat and a 'loaded' van in terms of the amount of 'shove' given, but if you have to remember the rolling resistance of the brown van with a dirty roof is twice that of the brown van with the grey roof and half that of the grey van with a white roof ... I think I'd pass. 

 

(If you do try - good luck). 

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, SM42 said:

Painting activity has been suspended for the night.  

 

As is normal in such endeavours , I ran out of paintwork a half wall to go. 

 

Now awaiting Mrs SM42 to call. 

 

With luck  I will be able to finish off tomorrow night after work. 

 

Andy

No doubt she will tell you that you are short of paint and need to get some more🤭

[petethemole]

11 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

Nice selection of Meccano!

 

Gold, Maroon (both pre-war) and two shades of green!

The pieces that were coloured green were originally issued in bare metal.

[AndyID]

5 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

I reckon that you do that by having high friction wheel sets/bogies - so that a nudge from a loco will only propel the wagon but so far. If your wagons are too free running, they'll go shooting off all over the place.

 

With a lot if friction they would stop rolling almost immediately. But even with almost no friction they are too sensitive to small gradients which will either make them accelerate or come to a halt. The trick is to store the kinetic energy without adding a lot of mass. I've seen it done with a US box car but a 16 tonner presents some serious challenges 😄

[AndyID]

8 minutes ago, petethemole said:

The pieces that were coloured green were originally issued in bare metal.

 

I never had any like that but I have seen some. I always assumed it was plated.

[MrWolf]

59 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

We later also made a screwdriver with a turned handle but I think the first one was the pinnacle of the heating and bashing metal part of the curriculum. That came after sawing, filing and drilling. 

 

Our heating and bashing consisted of making barley twist pokers. I don't think anyone actually used them. My parents had the heating converted to gas when I was about three because coal had become too expensive.

[MrWolf]

3 minutes ago, AndyID said:

 

I never had any like that but I have seen some. I always assumed it was plated.

 

Tinned perhaps or lacquered to stop it rusting?

[AndyID]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

We later also made a screwdriver with a turned handle but I think the first one was the pinnacle of the heating and bashing metal part of the curriculum. That came after sawing, filing and drilling. 

 

We made pokers with a steel shaft and a turned aluminium handle that screwed on to the shaft. The one I made was very pointy at the end and would have stopped any vampires PDQ. My dad kept it in the bedroom but fortunately never had to use it in earnest. No idea what happened to it.