The Night Mail

[Happy Hippo]

8 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

I thought the highway to hell was the M25 -according to Chris Rea anyway*. Based on my experience a couple of months or so ago of taking two and a half hours to travel 24 miles on it I tend to agree.

 

Dave

 

* Yes, I know that Chris Rea's song was really the road to hell 

I would concur having also spent about six hours stuck in a jam caused by a complete brain donor, who was driving a BMW, and caused a rather nasty multi vehicle collision as he (it was a bloke) tried to get from lane 4 to the slip road in about 50 metres when he realised he was going to miss his exit. As you can imagine he did go down the slip road (eventually) not in his car but in an ambulance.

 

The total carnage he caused made me wish rather unsympathetically, that he and his car should have just been dragged to the side of the road and left there as some form of modern day gibbet This would serve as a reminder of others that this style of driving was not acceptable and to serve as warning.

 

 

[Tony_S]

6 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

that he and his car should have just been dragged to the side of the road

I think at Pisa airport years ago some people were a bit concerned about the various wrecked aircraft opposite the departure terminal. Someone explained it was also an Italian Airforce base and the wrecks were used for training. 

[AndyID]

1 hour ago, DenysW said:

when I lived in New Jersey

 

Which exit? 

 

(I should explain that this is a pejorative used by residents of states adjacent to New Jersey implying that NJ is nothing more than a motorway.)

 

We lived in Wyckoff for about six years.

[Erichill16]

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

Oh acronyms - don't get me started, I used to work in the NHS...beloved of TLA's. (Three letter acronyms). I worked at SNH, NGH, SOH, RVI and so on, but it did provide to odd laugh on notes pre-PC days, PIA (obvious) FDP gave a chuckle - 'fell down pixxed' and so on.

I stopped going to meetings because by the time I’d worked out what a TLA was the next one had made an appearance. As a result I resigned my position on the LPC..  AARGH! 

[simontaylor484]

2 hours ago, DenysW said:

Tony_S said "It was a Peco N gauge re-railer."

 

I use Atlas (of Hillside, N.J.) for re-railers. Partly this is sentimental reasons from when I lived in New Jersey, and partly it's because they do a MUCH wider range of odd lengths of straight track in both N and HO, plus some useful electrical switches for turning circles, better ramps than the UK, etc. etc. Their fishplates are in nickel silver, not stainless, making soldering easier as well. (a) Beware postage. It seems to be about $60 to the UK irrespective of order size (b) Their order form doesn't accept UK zip codes, which a helpful lady sorted out manually after I e-mailed.

 

So I accumulate enough of an order to make the postage less traumatic.

 

Some of the range is available via Gaugemaster. Their rolling stock does not include steam.

Thanks for the info if ever I get round to my retirement project in N gauge I do like American outline and have been put off by postage/customs charges etc.

I will probably be retirement age by the time I get to my retirement project I am retired at 44

[Dave Hunt]

3 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

Oh acronyms - don't get me started, I used to work in the NHS...beloved of TLA's. (Three letter acronyms). I worked at SNH, NGH, SOH, RVI and so on, but it did provide to odd laugh on notes pre-PC days, PIA (obvious) FDP gave a chuckle - 'fell down pixxed' and so on.

 

Aviation and the RAF are packed with TLAs, one of which is that what the uninitiated term passengers are known as SLF ............ Self Loading Freight.

 

Dave

[polybear]

1 hour ago, Erichill16 said:

I stopped going to meetings because by the time I’d worked out what a TLA was the next one had made an appearance. As a result I resigned my position on the LPC..  AARGH! 

 

The Great Empire would hold a "State of the Nation" presentation every year (both Bear and Puppers would be subjected to it) - all employees were  "encouraged" to attend, with line managers supposedly making sure they did wherever possible.  I'm not sure what was worse - the sound track (played at a volume which would drown out an RB211 at full thrust) which accompanied the video at the start, or the death by acronyms.  A certain naughty young Bear stopped going after a few years - but not before the year in which all the highest and mightiest gathered on the stage to start talking their assigned bullsh1t and Bear's buddy calls out "Excuse me, but WHO ARE YOU??"

The roar of laughter in the hall was a scream, though several of the grown-ups didn't laugh....

In subsequent years they took the hint and introduced themselves at the start....

[AndyID]

We purchased a set of studless snow tires for MrsID's Jeep Wrangler. They will be installed tomorrow at Costco, and not a moment too soon. It was snowing when we woke up.

 

(Some states are trying to outlaw studded tires. Interstate 90 through Spokane has grooves caused by studs,)

[AndyID]

An interesting comment on social media and a useful acronym.

 

"He’s developed a simple acronym to sum up the sinister purpose of tech companies that brought us the platforms we’re hooked on and their effect on us—BUMMER. It stands for Behaviors of Users Modified and Made into Empires for Rent."

 

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/a-simple-acronym-sums-up-what-s-wrong-with-social-media?utm_source=pocket-newtab

[Happy Hippo]

37 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Aviation and the RAF are packed with TLAs, one of which is that what the uninitiated term passengers are known as SLF ............ Self Loading Freight.

 

Dave

The guys who used to fly us on Para dropping exercise referred to us as OTA... 

 

Only to Altitude. 

[Tony_S]

19 minutes ago, AndyID said:

We purchased a set of studless snow tires for MrsID's Jeep Wrangler. They will be installed tomorrow at Costco, and not a moment too soon. It was snowing when we woke up.

 

(Some states are trying to outlaw studded tires. Interstate 90 through Spokane has grooves caused by studs,)

The winter tyres on Aditi’s car have been on all year. We hardly went anywhere in the summer so it wasn’t worth swapping them. My car has all season, mud and snow tyres. They should be ok for the trip to Chelmsford next week for the annual service and MoT test. No other trips planned for the foreseeable future. 
Tony

[SM42]

All trips from SM42 Towers are postponed as Mrs SM42 is playing host to a thing that is going around. 

 

Daily scraping of orifices is now 

SOP 

 

Sat here now in separate rooms, masked up, with the windows open and the heating doing its best to keep up. 

 

I suspect it is only a matter of time till I start playing host too. 

 

 

 

Andy

Can anyone else smell bleach?

[Tony_S]

3 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

Thanks for the info if ever I get round to my retirement project in N gauge I do like American outline and have been put off by postage/customs charges etc.

I will probably be retirement age by the time I get to my retirement project I am retired at 44

 For US models in N gauge it might be worth having a look at “Plus Daughters” who trade not far from here in darkest Essex (and on the internet). 

[Tony_S]

Aditi’s uncle in California is keen to arrive for a visit to visit his sister (Aditi’s mother) in early January. Earlier he was hoping to come at Christmas as he assumed Aditi was hosting a big family get together. She disabused him of that idea. He would normally have stayed at MiL’s flat but nowadays she has overnight carers. I don’t think anyone has mentioned this to MiL yet, in the hope that sense will prevail and the visit is “postponed”. It turned out this morning that she had invited the grandchildren of her sister to come and visit at Christmas. However as they only moved to universities in the US and Canada from India  this year I suspect they might quite like to see the holiday season there. Being polite young chaps they politely declined. Aditi asked her Mum where she had planned to accomodate a couple of large teenagers (they are twins) especially as she hadn’t mentioned anything to anyone else in the family. 

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Aviation and the RAF are packed with TLAs, one of which is that what the uninitiated term passengers are known as SLF ............ Self Loading Freight.

 

Dave

The Police service was loaded with TLA's as well. Drink driving was OPL, Over the Prescribed Limit. However one that was kniwn to be written in picket books was, "Attempted to serve summons, NCI.  No **** In.  And verbally TJF and NCC.

 

Jamie

[AndyID]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

The winter tyres on Aditi’s car have been on all year. We hardly went anywhere in the summer so it wasn’t worth swapping them. My car has all season, mud and snow tyres. They should be ok for the trip to Chelmsford next week for the annual service and MoT test. No other trips planned for the foreseeable future. 
Tony

 

We haven't bothered with snow tires on her Jeep in recent times but the regular M+S tires don't have a lot of tread depth left. I thought it best to get the very grippy snows. We might put new M+S tires on it in the Spring, possibly with new wheels so I can swap them with the snows myself next year.

 

We used to run studs on her first Wrangler while she was working. One spring, probably around April, I swapped them back to M+S tires. About a week later it was freezing overnight and she had to go in very early. She skidded on black ice on a bend at the top of the pass, crossed the other lane and pranged the bumper on a Jersey Barrier.

 

Guess who got the blame for that one

[Dave Hunt]

24 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

The Police service was loaded with TLA's as well. Drink driving was OPL, Over the Prescribed Limit. However one that was kniwn to be written in picket books was, "Attempted to serve summons, NCI.  No **** In.  And verbally TJF and NCC.

 

Jamie

 

We had an understanding that to refer to someone as OBE actually meant O (Zero) Between Ears

 

Dave

[Florence Locomotive Works]

With or without pilot? (Cowcatcher)

 

 

The PRR had a De Glehn as well as a LNWR Dreadnought so I don’t see why the the B&O couldn’t have a Coupé Vent…

 

 

 

Thoughts wanted.

 

Douglas

[Dave Hunt]

2 minutes ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

With or without pilot? (Cowcatcher)

 

 

The PRR had a De Glehn as well as a LNWR Dreadnought so I don’t see why the the B&O couldn’t have a Coupé Vent…

 

 

 

Thoughts wanted.

 

Douglas

 

For me the cowcatcher makes it too 'steam punk'. Much better plain.

 

Dave 

[Florence Locomotive Works]

9 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

steam punk

Agreed I am already pushing the limits of sanity somewhat. Next thing you know I’ll start looking at sheep….

[J. S. Bach]

17 hours ago, AndyID said:

 ...snip... A nastygram registered polite letter will be heading to the CEO of said shipper on Monday

A total waste of time and effort!

[AndyID]

2 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

A total waste of time and effort!

 

Oddly enough my NY lawyer pal disagrees. He thinks there is sufficient grounds for a class action

 

 

[J. S. Bach]

8 hours ago, Tony_S said:

The only train news I have to share is that I had a padded envelope arrive. This was a surprise as I didn’t remember ordering anything, but fortunately I did remember once I opened the package. It was a Peco N gauge re-railer. I have been sorting out some of my OO9 stuff and putting narrow gauge stuff with wheels set well inside the body width seemed to be more difficult now than when I last played with them. 

I seem to be having that problem with normal (?) US O scale stuff so I found a Lionel "re-railer" at a train show for pennies on the dollar; it sure is a great help when putting something like this on the layout:

Note that I now have one of these in two-rail and it is not any easier to put on the track! Even in this configuration:

 

 

[AndyID]

17 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

A total waste of time and effort!

 

BTW, the NY lawyer was working (pro bono) on this case.

[BSW01]

Ava and I have had quite a productive day, the complete base for the water tower has been constructed, I just need to make a base for the water (Airfix) tank to stand on and then fit that to the tower, then it’ll be ready for a couple of coats of protective varnish. I’ve not yet taken any photos, but I’ll take some tomorrow and post them in the evening.