The Night Mail

[TheQ]

Home brew was common out there, someone must have sold or given some to a local, which was the big no no.

The general rule was no selling to locals or to the cheap labour and no going off compound while intoxicated..

 

I used to make 5 gallons of cider at a time, it never left my room.. Funny you go to the local supermarket out there to find fruit juices, sugar and yeast all next to each other...

 

Locally in the mountains by the road side  you could buy a drink called subia ( spelling might be wrong) made from the left overs of making bread plus flavouring... I bet the vintage stuff was wonderful!!!!

Edited December 15, 2020 by TheQ

[Winslow Boy]

5 minutes ago, TheQ said:

Home brew was common out there, someone must have sold or given some to a local, which was the big no no.

The general rule was no selling to locals or to the cheap labour and no going off compound while intoxicated..

 

I used to make 5 gallons of cider at a time, it never left my room.. Funny you go to the local supermarket out there to find fruit juices, sugar and yeast all next to each other...

 

Locally in the mountains by the road side  you could buy a drink called subia ( spelling might be wrong) made from the left overs of making bread plus flavouring... I bet the vintage stuff was wonderful!!!!

Re my earlier statement about changing the name of this thread to cooking with H. I think a better title might be 'cooking & brewing with the Hippo' or C B H for catchiness.

[TheQ]

Ah found it, or the politically religiously correct version in Saudi.. ( using cooked bread!

http://worldlocalfood.blogspot.com/2017/12/sobia-saudi-traditional-drink.html

Edited December 15, 2020 by TheQ

[PhilJ W]

It seems to me that most American sausages are of German origin and style and even the names such as frankfurter indicate that. I was thinking perhaps thats why black pudding was not so popular and then I remembered blutwurst, very much like black pudding using the same ingredients but spicier. 

[Tony_S]

36 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

cold October when the canteen served up beef stew and dumplings, they all wolfed it down.

Aditi’s cousin is married to a chap whose Dad was a senior judge. After he retired he read a lot of Sanskrit literature. After his deliberations he said he could not find any rules about not eating beef, just cows. 
Aditi’s Mum used to entertain a lot when they lived in Nottingham. There were a couple of elderly ladies who brought their own food as MiL wasn’t a Brahmin. At the same functions the Pandit (priest) who was a Brahmin was always tucking in to the rather good food (though it was all vegetarian). MiL said when she was young (1930s) to make it easier to do business her father employed a Brahmin cook so anyone would eat in his home.  The cook didn’t allow anyone in “his” kitchen. 
Tony

[polybear]

2 hours ago, rockershovel said:

 

On my very first trip as a Client Representative, I took over the succeeding rotation when my back-to-back dropped out at short notice, and spent 56 days at sea before disembarking in Stavanger. The bar bill still hangs, framed, in my downstairs lavatory...  

 

After Gulf War 1 every civvy firm and their dog that were involved were trying to flog their products left, right and centre.  My firm "borrowed" an RN Lynx Aircrew Nav for a big sales drive (Singapore IIRC).  He had something like 2 or 3 weeks out there, staying in a hotel that was "beyond" 5*  (no expense spared for the sales team...).  He did 2 or 3 twenty minute speeches on his experiences.  Penthouse suite, whirlpool bath drinking pina colada's, turn the bed down every night, free choccies....you get the idea.

He pinned a copy of the itemised bill at the wall/ceiling joint in the crew room at HMS Osprey.  It didn't touch the floor, but it wasn't far off....

He wouldn't tell me how much it came to....

The firm didn't utter a squeak.  The sales boys write their own rules, whilst the managers were all over the expenses of us guys doing the real work, often in crap conditions.  Barstewards.

[Happy Hippo]

Making a trip from the kitchen to the study had me further thinking about a 7 mm scale mini layout that might be a bit different.

 

It had to be quite narrow and top out at 13 feet in length.

 

I'm looking at about 7 foot of scenery on the visible section with a 3 foot cassette(max) arrangement at each end.

 

some time back I looked at Porthywaen, and feel the 3 turnout arrangement might be interesting to operate.

 

The line at the time of the three turnout arrangement was freight only and operated on the 'one engine in steam' principle.  But I thought that if you keep the quarry traffic,  add a small coal yard and retain a single car DMU or auto train for the passenger service, it would add a bit of excitement to the operating.

 

This is what it looked like in it's heyday:

 

 

The main line from Llynclys is the left hand line, Llynclys being at the bottom of the photo the line curving to the left goes past a passenger platform and follows the Tanat Valley.

 

The period/style I'm more interested is this track plan the picture of which is taken from the same bridge as the last picture and the picture that follows it, shows the other end of the double reversal.  they can be found about 3/4 the way down page 6 :

 

 

In all probability, it may come to nothing, but it makes a change from cake making!

 

 

[Tony_S]

31 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

The firm didn't utter a squeak.  The sales boys write their own rules, whilst the managers were all over the expenses of us guys doing the real work, often in crap conditions.  Barstewards.

Sounds very much like what my brother who worked mainly in warm countries as a telecoms engineer mentioned. He was in Thailand working for the Thai army. The company had a local agent who was very good. The army decided they would order another system. Brother sat down with the agent and created the order, removing all the stuff sales had put in unnecessarily and added all the stuff he had needed air freighting out to do the job. The agent said hopefully my brother would get the sales commission. No chance. Sales department had to send someone out to check and finalise the deal. He didn’t get put up in the tourist hotel (mainly German tourists) not near anywhere my brother was put up in. Also he had a message objecting to his buying local currency at tourist rates. He replied that there wasn’t a bank out where he was made to live. Did they want him to take a day off to collect money for his expenses? 
 

[rockershovel]

2 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

I might be wrong, not uncommon I hear you say at the back,  but I thought the pub name 'Lamb & Flag' was related to the navy.  Lamb being a brand of rum and flag being the white ensign. Correct me if wrong.

 

The reference is to the Lamb of God symbol (“Agnus Deii) which is used in Catholic iconography and commonly appears in stained glass Church windows dating from before the Reformation, and on the Arms of organisations like the Merchant Taylor’s Company or the Inns Of Court. The flag is often depicted in older representations as the True Cross, later often as the Cross of St George, in which case the whole may be intended to represent the Crusaders. 

 

It was a common pub sign at one time, the best known ones being in Covent Garden (aka the “Bucket of Blood” because of its association with bare-knuckle prize fighting) and on the old A30. 

 

[rockershovel]

“Client Representative” in oil industry terms, is a technical specialist of some sort, acting as the Client’s point of contact on board, or on site. They usually have authority to keep records, act as an independent observer on behalf of their employer, sign records, oversee (and if necessary, intervene) in safety matters relating specifically to their defined area of authority, and anything else relating to that. They aren’t salesmen and usually have no commercial or contractual authority. 

 

”Company Man” is the Client’s Representative on a drilling rig, basically having authority over the well. Jesus could walk on water, but the Company Man doesn’t need to; he can get a chopper for the asking! 

 

Specialist companies have “Reps” on board, usually the senior member of the team (“Service Hands”)

 

Edited December 15, 2020 by rockershovel

[simontaylor484]

The lamb and flag is also the emblem of The College of the Resurrection in Mirfield. My Dads theological college alumni including Rev Richard Coles from the Communards.

 

Hippo i thought you were going to build the great cake railway between the kitchen and study think of the "operating potential "

[Dave Hunt]

Don't know what happened there.

Edited December 15, 2020 by Dave Hunt

[J. S. Bach]

14 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

 ...snip... Hippo i thought you were going to build the great cake railway between the kitchen and study think of the "operating potential "

The only problem with that is that someone would have to be at the originating end to load the freight and dispatch on demand. Hmmm, after thinking this out a little bit, substitute a bucket conveyor system instead of a train!

[PhilJ W]

Oops.

[rockershovel]

11 hours ago, TheQ said:

Home brew was common out there, someone must have sold or given some to a local, which was the big no no.

The general rule was no selling to locals or to the cheap labour and no going off compound while intoxicated..

 

I used to make 5 gallons of cider at a time, it never left my room.. Funny you go to the local supermarket out there to find fruit juices, sugar and yeast all next to each other...

 

Locally in the mountains by the road side  you could buy a drink called subia ( spelling might be wrong) made from the left overs of making bread plus flavouring... I bet the vintage stuff was wonderful!!!!

 

There’s a drink called kvass which is commonly sold in Russia, basically a sweet, weak beer made from fermented rye bread and anything else left over in the kitchen. I quite liked it, although most expats don’t tend to encounter it. 

 

Tunisia offers a sweet roadside drink made from the sap of of the ubiquitous date palms...

 

[chrisf]

"The Old Lamb and Flag" is also the title of a musical show produced for Preston Guild in 1992 by what came to be known as the Jolly Fine Company Company, aka Strawhead and friends.

 

Chris  

[polybear]

9 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

Hippo i thought you were going to build the great cake railway between the kitchen and study think of the "operating potential "

 

The Great Train Robbery Mk. 2.......

[Happy Hippo]

With just the two of us here for Christmas this year, I did consider laying 2 lengths of Peco streamline down the centre of the dining table in order to pass the condiments.

 

However, I decided against this when the other half of the household stated the loco and stock would have to be sprayed with  silver glitter paint.

[jamie92208]

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

With just the two of us here for Christmas this year, I did consider laying 2 lengths of Peco streamline down the centre of the dining table in order to pass the condiments.

 

However, I decided against this when the other half of the household stated the loco and stock would have to be sprayed with  silver glitter paint.

But what track gauge, 32mm I hope.  I once delivered a bottle of red wine to Kendal Castle station, balanced on a warflat as a thankyou to David Jenkinson for letting me take part in a running day on the layout. He appreciated the goods train and it's load.

 

Jamie

Edited December 16, 2020 by jamie92208

[Happy Hippo]

Back on the Porthywaen saga, I decided that an extension to 8 feet in length to the scenic section would allow more of an impression of the incline to the quarry. 

 

I can get about an 1 1/2" lift between the running line and the 'top' of the incline.

 

Of course for ease of construction, it would mean I would use some 4 foot boards for the cassette tables at either end.

 

This extra length of train would also allow me to use my Class 25 and the Hymek on short freight rather than an 08.

 

All of a sudden it's getting much bigger, but would probably benefit from the extra length, especially if one works on the premise that less is more.

 

The extra length also offers the possibility of enhancing the off scene industry.

 

I think I struggle more with how to disguise the exits to the cassette tables.  The exit stage right is simply covered by an overbridge, as shewn in the photos, but the others end may have to be bushes and trees.

 

Perhaps using Neil's cunning ploy an putting the incline at the front of the model, would allow the trains to disappear behind the embankment.  If the through route were to descend as well!

 

I shall continue to plot..................... I have to use up all this spare track somehow!

 

Jamie the  table line locos and track  would have been  from the 45 mm 7/8" stable.  If you are going to haul food, make it sensible portions!

 

[tomparryharry]

On 03/12/2020 at 23:17, J. S. Bach said:

I have a hand drill that I got in an antique mall for less than $20.00, it is quite large; the wheel is at least 6" in diameter and it has a "shoulder stock" like a rifle. One can really lean into the work. I just need to find it as it got mis-placed at some point in time.

 Some old hands used to call that style a 'belly button'. I've had one somewhere, aeons ago and it had 2 speeds. I've never used it though.   Just had a look at 'Bay, and there are a couple listed, one as a Record Continental. Rechargeable technology has almost relegated the old hand drills to the museum, but not quite, I think.  Back in 1970, my father inherited an old Wolf electric drill, and, it had an add-on gearbox. Sheer unadulterated luxury! 

Edited December 16, 2020 by tomparryharry

[polybear]

3 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

However, I decided against this when the other half of the household stated the loco and stock would have to be sprayed with  silver glitter paint.

 

Oh, I dunno.....could be a vast improvement on GWR stuff....

Too late - I'm gone.....

[Compound2632]

15 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

Don't know what happened there.

 

Neither do we...

 

HH should take a look at the Maharaja of Gwalior's dining table railway:

 

 

Some interesting ideas for operation there - note how unloading a cruet from its wagon stops the train. Also some ingenious model engineering involved in getting an outside-cylindered 4-4-0 to go round those curves!

 

Now I'm off to set up my own dining table railway to give a certain bogie four-coupled engine a spin. Not solid silver but it did cost a bit more than its nominal price...

 

Edited December 16, 2020 by Compound2632
Removed repetition of "interesting".

[roundhouse]

6 hours ago, chrisf said:

"The Old Lamb and Flag" is also the title of a musical show produced for Preston Guild in 1992 by what came to be known as the Jolly Fine Company Company, aka Strawhead and friends.

 

Chris  

Lamb and Flag  is also a very nice pub in Oxford.

[Happy Hippo]

You need to be careful mentioning Lamb around here, NHY 581 might pay us a visit in search of his lost flock.