The Night Mail

[PhilJ W]

4 hours ago, NHY 581 said:

 

I get quite grumpy when we have pages of posts decrying various aspects of a newly announced model. 

People making point after point regarding the shape of this,  the position of that, the height of something or the width of some thing else. 

 

And funnily enough, when the model is released, it all goes quiet on the thread because none of the vacuous guff that was presented can be substantiated because the model is actually pretty bl@@dy good. And neither is this guff retracted......

 

Even more rare is the sight of the modelling or the layouts of these experts...........not even a photo of the well worn armchair....

 

Now that would be a good thread, never mind 'How realistic is your........' 

 

How about ''Show us your armchairs....'

 

 

 

 

 

You should read the threads on the generic coaches from Hornby and Hattons. The moans and groans about they don't resemble this company or that companies stock are common. What is it they don't understand about the word 'generic'?

Edited January 31, 2021 by PhilJ W

[Happy Hippo]

19 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

Lots of G*R rusty lumps being shuffled about.

 

And a bit of modeller's licence to show a few being cut up.........................

Not modellers licence. 

 

See below:  Contrary to urban myth, folklore and legend, Dai Woodham was not a benevolent steam loco loving philanthropist, he was a hard nosed business man.

 

The first four locos into the yard were dispatched in pretty short order and were all of GW origin.  Others followed until the wagon contract kicked in.

 

https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/the-barry-story/

 

 

Edited January 31, 2021 by Happy Hippo

[Winslow Boy]

I follow various threads on RM some are centred/about the build of the layout, my preferred choice, whilst others are what you would probably what you would class as 'water cooler' discussions. I would not contribute to discussions about railways nor the paraphernalia that run on them as a) I'm just not knowledgeable enough to do so and b)  know when to keep my 'mouth/fingers' shut/off the keyboard. Having said that I am prepared to comment on the scenic/landscape as that is where my background and knowledge lie.

 

In terms of layouts or as Mr H puts it armchairs I can offer neither for the following reasons. Firstly  whilst I was a keen modeler when I was young, admittedly Hornsby (gasps of horror I hear but I was young) I lapsed as life and work took over and secondly I am now on a restricted budget, due to severe illness, and limited space.

 

Does this make me a 'poor' modeller most likely however it doesn't stop me peering over the wall, even if it is on tiptoe, and hoping/dreaming that one day i too would be able produce something spectacular.

 

I would though make the following observation and this is more about society as a whole and we can agree to disagree but I do think that the art of compromise seems to fallen by the wayside with people wanting either a yes or no/ black or white answers and think that is very sad.

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

Not modellers licence. 

 

See below:  Contrary to urban myth, folklore and legend, Dai Woodham was not a benevolent steam loco loving philanthropist, he was a hard nosed business man.

 

The first four locos into the yard were dispatched in pretty short order and were all of GW origin.  Others followed until the wagon contract kicked in.

 

https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/the-barry-story/

 

 

Indeed, practically all the none ferrous metals had been removed. In retrospect a lot of the time, money and expertise spent on restoring these locomotive wrecks would have been better spent on building replicas of extinct classes. Some parts from Woodhams were used in such replicas but there should have been more.

[Happy Hippo]

I think that if you ask anyone who actually models a railway, then it matters not whether you are Simon George and his 0 gauge Heaton junction, or you are  'Sheep bloke' (Sorry Rob) with his sublime small single board offerings, they will all tell you that railway modelling is all about the art of compromise.  Apart from the 1:1 prototype, you cannot fully replicate it exactly.

 

I'll take an aviation example here, in that you can have a 1/4 scale Merlin engine, built to works drawings, and everything scaled down exactly.  It should work, but it won't.  Certain parts of the engine, such as valve springs and carburettor vents have to be workable rather than scale.  This is down to the physics.  So yes the engine runs, and very well too, but I bet you, even if you put it in a flying model of a Spitfire, it wouldn't sound like a Merlin.

 

NHN Neil will tell you that model live  steam locos are also very much a compromise:  You can't scale down water molecules, so that immediately affects  the piping and ports needed to transfer steam (and condensate) from boiler to cylinder to exhaust.  Valve gear is likewise compromised.

 

Just because you only do a little, dream about rather more, or sit and watch what others have done (or not done) does not make you a bad modeller.

 

To my mind a bad modeller is one who is happy to decry others efforts, has a low standard which is usually not met and declines any advice or help which would improve their abilities.

 

As for the worry about Hornby, well stop right there!  I have Hornby locos in my 4 mm fleet, and the likes of the Grange and the Q1 (both technically old hat now compared to newer models) are superb examples of how a manufacturer should go about building a model.

 

There is nothing to stop you joining  a 'technical' conversation and putting in comments and if necessary queries.  Remember the stupid question is the one you don't ask.

 

 

[Tony_S]

26 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

 

To my mind a bad modeller is one who is happy to decry others efforts, has a low standard which is usually not met and declines any advice or help which would improve their abilities.

Then there are a few wonderfully talented modellers who just aren’t nice people. There was one who when I made a positive comment about his railway and said it was something I couldn’t achieve, he replied by saying anyone could if they made enough effort and I clearly wasn’t. I seem to recall replying wait until you are a bit older and your hands and eyes don’t coordinate so well. 

[Winslow Boy]

Thanks H much appreciated. 

 

Your last comment about asking questions reminds me of what I used to say to my staff namely if you don't understand something ask because that's how you find out. Likewise I usually finished conservation's to contractors with the following ,it is better to report a failure/problem etc rather than for it to go wrong.

 

What I do find disappointing is the ease with which people criticise but aren't prepared to help. I think it's lazy.

[Happy Hippo]

3 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Then there are a few wonderfully talented modellers who just aren’t nice people. There was one who when I made a positive comment about his railway and said it was something I couldn’t achieve, he replied by saying anyone could if they made enough effort and I clearly wasn’t. I seem to recall replying wait until you are a bit older and your hands and eyes don’t coordinate so well. 

You are so right there, although there are also a few who mellow quite quickly:

 

I asked a  well known modeller why he had placed a trap point to each of his carriage sidings rather than one at the throat?

 

Cue a bit of grumpiness and a rather dismissive and flippant reply.

 

I persevered and explained that I was not being critical but was studying various railway companies signalling and permanent way configurations, and was interested why he had opted for  'option b rather than option a'.

 

Wow, talk about an instant attitude adjustment!

 

After an instant apology, "I'm so sorry, I thought you were just having a go", all of a sudden there was this friendly chatty individual who was more than happy to discuss the finer points (sorry) of point work and crossing configurations.

 

The answer was he'd simply not had enough space to get in the two sidings and still have enough space to install a trap with sufficient clearance before the running line.  (Back to the art of compromise)

[Tony_S]

I spent a few years attempting to teach older teenagers. When looking at their computing  practical work I did have to criticise but tried to be positive. I often asked questions like “why did you do it that way?”  Though one’s enthusiasm for some really good work could sometimes lead to accusations of sarcasm. I can remember once insisting I really, really was impressed and if I were just trying to be nice would have said something like “nice font, Dave”. One of the students said one of the other tutors had said that about his work recently. I said I doubt it. “why?”. “You aren’t Dave”. I really did like the vocational course IT students. 

[polybear]

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

I'll take an aviation example here, in that you can have a 1/4 scale Merlin engine, built to works drawings, and everything scaled down exactly.  It should work, but it won't.  Certain parts of the engine, such as valve springs and carburettor vents have to be workable rather than scale.  This is down to the physics.  So yes the engine runs, and very well too, but I bet you, even if you put it in a flying model of a Spitfire, it wouldn't sound like a Merlin.

 

Such items are usually only run for very short periods too, with fans pointing at them - you can scale down the engine but not the heat transfer, so I'm told.  Run it for more than a few minutes and years of work quickly seize, apparently.

[simontaylor484]

There are lots of keyboard warriors out there on their tippy tappys wanting to force their wills on the rest of the population. Like others have said they never show their efforts. 

 

[Happy Hippo]

I remember  a number of keyboard warriors who ranted and raved that the 1940 Wartime weekends(or whatever they were called) on the Severn Valley and other heritage lines were ruined by the presence of some enactors turning up as the Germans.

 

Did they not realise that without the enthusiastic participation of Germany back in the day, the 1940 Wartime weekends would not be possible?

[PhilJ W]

Breaking news, Capt. Tom is in hospital with covid and pneumonia. Get well soon sir.

[Chris116]

Get well soon Capt. Tom. You are an inspiration to us all.

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

 

Did they not realise that without the enthusiastic participation of Germany back in the day, the 1940 Wartime weekends would not be possible?

Though in 1940 someone who looked just like Himmler in full uniform parading about the railway station would have been probably put in a store room until the relevant authorities turned up. 

[simontaylor484]

Rudolf Hess turned up around that time though 

 

I believe some believe that these 're enactors are Neo Nazis 

[Happy Hippo]

1 minute ago, Tony_S said:

Though in 1940 someone who looked just like Himmler in full uniform parading about the railway station would have been probably put in a store room until the relevant authorities turned up. 

Agreed, although it would be interesting to have a platoon of Home Guard armed with  a rifle and pitchforks marching the downed crew of a Do 17 up to the local ducking stool for a touch of interrogation.to be locked up pending the arrival of reinforcements.

[Happy Hippo]

An interesting fact about the German uniforms is they were designed by a theatrical company, rather than our battledress which was obviously designed and made by Mr Bloggs who worked in Hessian and Serge and was a dab hand at turning out sandbags.

[New Haven Neil]

Evening.

 

Missing for a few days, apols.

 

I don't know about manufacturing, but having been involved with commissioning, and design of several large scale models, I can assure you it is not the way to a fortune.  Only the locomotive (Sea Lion) was 'worth the effort' monetarily, and we gave half of the profits to the Brown Bear construction appeal (it is running now), rolling stock did little more than break even. 

 

One amusing point about the rivet counter armchair critics, is we never had a single comment about the colour of the Peel Chemical Company M wagon.  They had three which we know from records, but there has never been a single mention of the colour of them found - so we guessed.  Dull red - they looked fine.  In years to come I have the 'collectors dream' version, the EP with a spelling mistake - unique! Make me an offer....then we will have made a profit on them finally...... 

 

 

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

An interesting fact about the German uniforms is they were designed by a theatrical company, rather than our battledress which was obviously designed and made by Mr Bloggs who worked in Hessian and Serge and was a dab hand at turning out sandbags.

Having worn the British battle dress (RAF blue Air Cadets) I think they must have been a German secret weapon.

[figworthy]

14 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Whilst Bear *may* be partial to the odd cake or bun (with the former far preferred) and *may* have consumed more jars of Marmite than Imelda Marco has shoes, mixing the two together seems a little weird.  However, in the event that the opportunity for a taste test should present itself then it would be rude not to, if only in the interests of science you understand.....

 

I'm aware of a butcher who makes Pork and Marmite sausages, and can confirm that they are rather scrumptious.

 

Adrian

[PhilJ W]

14 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Whilst Bear *may* be partial to the odd cake or bun (with the former far preferred) and *may* have consumed more jars of Marmite than Imelda Marco has shoes, mixing the two together seems a little weird.  However, in the event that the opportunity for a taste test should present itself then it would be rude not to, if only in the interests of science you understand.....

On the packet it says 'Marks & Spencer' so they should be relatively easy to obtain. We await your report.

[PhilJ W]

Update on Captain Tom:-

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/captain-sir-tom-moore-couldnt-23418339#source=push

[bbishop]

3 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Agreed, although it would be interesting to have a platoon of Home Guard armed with  a rifle and pitchforks marching the downed crew of a Do 17 up to the local ducking stool for a touch of interrogation.to be locked up pending the arrival of reinforcements.

 

Didn't need Home Guard around St Albans.  They sent out the ATS from the searchlight batteries, armed with baseball bats, led by my mother "'ands up, look you" in her Rhyl dialect.  Bill

[Happy Hippo]

Not much to report this morning.

 

I spoke to the doctor and have more pills and sprays to take as well as having to get a blood test.  We're getting there slowly, I suspect by process of elimination.  I probably need a light intermediate overhaul.  Certainly the problem cough is now probably a top end issue.

 

The weather has been kind this morning and is bright and sunny.

 

Of course once I get outside, it will be guaranteed to change.