Early Risers.

[JohnDMJ]

Morning all!

 

Just of to Ford to see what's parked at platform 1 for today's blockade

 

As some of you will know, or have sussed out, I have more than a passing interest in all things DCC Concepts.

 

I will be having a chat with Bill at Warley to try and help him out.

There are known historic problems with some of the earlier models and these have since been designed out as Jol says a few posts back.

 

However, as I hope you'll understand, that is all I will say here, as all other Cobalt correspondence will be in other places.

Cheers,

Mick

 

 

You could always refer them to your senior colleagues on B06!

Edited November 20, 2016 by JohnDMJ

[jonny777]

School dinners were a bit of a mixed bag for me; some I loved, some I hated.

 

I can't eat cheese, unless it is the mild mozerella used on decent pizzas, so the regular dish of cheese pie was a definite no. Even the smell of it cooking which wafted up from the kitchens into the classroom was too much for me.

 

I loved spam fritters and toad in the hole, plus any kind of meat pie; but although I am not saddled with a sweet tooth, I also loved chocolate sponge pudding with chocolate sauce.

[NHY 581]

Early start as Memsahib working early turn.

 

Washing done and hoover exercised. Kids fed and entertained.

 

Some modelling done, more to come by way of weathering some stock later today after some vehicle maintenance.

 

Sausages for lunch and planning a pasta dish for dinner. Wine chilling.

 

Sun shining and Planet Rock providing the soundtrack to what seems to be an alright day.

 

Rob.

[PhilJ W]

Morning (just) from Estuary-Land. Fortunately we seem to have missed the worst of the wind from Angus, still windy but not any gales. All I need to do today is a bit of shopping so I'll be back later.

[Barry O]

Home after a busy weekend with a bit more to come!

 

Polly, the Grammar School at Leeds dinner menus are very varied - they even include do it yourself sandwiches.. of course for our show we get the same menus  including ginger sponge and custard...mmmh! but not allowed for me! ( and all year 7s are banned from all fizzy drinks)

 

Bye for now

 

Baz

[BSW01]

Good afternoon everyone

 

Up very late this morning so I went straight out to the workshop to take full advantage to the weather.

 

The weather has been very mild today, it's been very fresh, but we've had very little wind and no rain, although we did have some overnight, as the ground was quite damp. The Christmas tree bucket has now been painted on the inside, a nice dark green and is ready for the outside to be given its final top coat of red on the outside tomorrow.

 

Whilst waiting for the paint too dry I managed to finish off another gearbox that just needed tweaking a little. This was then followed by a complete clearing of the workbench, which then had a thorough clean.

 

Chris. Enjoy your evening with Gervase Phinn, his books always make me chuckle!

[Oldddudders]

A dreary, drizzly but mild day in la Sarthe, after some nasty winds overnight. No damage worth talking about, as far as I can see. 

 

Sherry had hoped that I would be able to spend Xmas in Devon for once. But it seemed that Alison would be in the Vendée with Gérard, so the cats and horses could not be fed. But that now seems unlikely as she has told him that their thing isn't working, and so that's that. I have been aware for some time that her feelings for him had cooled, but like many of us, she found dumping a perfectly decent partner is not easy. Despite texting regularly today, it was only when she said she needed to drop in that I guessed this momentous event had finally happened. A tearful Alison sat on my sofa and drank tea while she explained. No row, just a realisation that their hopes of the Spring have faded with time.  The re-emergence of Tom as a prospective partner have not been mentioned - I had counselled against it, as she has never told Gérard of her former affair with him. So Xmas in England for the first time since 2003 becomes a distinct possibility!

[newbryford]

Newbryford

Chippewa Square in Savannah probably commemorates the battle of Chippawa which is my ancestral home, one of the few that the Americans won in the war of 1812. My father told me that the American troops were advancing north from Buffalo area. The British commander thought they were militia from the uniforms and deployed his defenses accordingly. When the Americans advanced, he said, " My God, those are regulars!"

How is Tybee Island now? We had reports of a lot of storm damage. We camped there some years ago.

 

Tybee Island (and much of the surrounding areas) had indeed suffered storm damage but was recovering well. All across our journey through NC, SC and GA, there were large piles of chopped up trees awaiting collection. Tybee were in the process of removing the deadwood.

Cheers,

Mick

[newbryford]

 

 

 

 

You could always refer them to your senior colleagues on B06!

 

But then they'd pass it onto me. I'm just cutting out the middleman.....

 

See you there.

Mick

[45156]

 

 I will go to The Stables for "An Evening with Gervase Phinn".  For those who can't quite place the name, he is a retired school inspector who tells a good tale and has written several books which I shall take with me in case he signs autographs. 

A good night is guaranteed Chris as the guy is a natural raconteur, and I saw him in Kendal a few years ago.

[Ohmisterporter]

Spent the afternoon watching the telly in case somebody tried to pinch it. A Rugby League masterclass from Australia today to win the four nations trophy and reclaim number one slot in the world. Perhaps New Zealand didn't play well but you can only play as well as the other team let you. 

Stay safe all.

[45156]

Afternoon/Evening All

 

Late on parade, but all offerings read and rated, and greetings are proferred as required.

 

Busy day (again - where do these hours go), and I had a simple job to do which involved the lock and latch on the back gate, and my cordless drill/driver had two flat batteries, so a hand driver was needed instead.....How things have changed from when that was all we had.

 

A little bit of plus today was finding a signed copy of "British Pacific Locomotives" by Cecil J Allen in the local antique centre junk emporium at six quid, and it was a signed copy - I've never found any signed CJA books before - RESULT.

 

Back tomorrow

Regards to All

Stewart

[AndyID]

 and my cordless drill/driver had two flat batteries, so a hand driver was needed instead.....How things have changed from when that was all we had.

 

You mean to say you didn't have a "Barry Bucknell"?

[TheQ]

I suspect we are of a different vintage, i had never heard of pizzas while at school or come to that Chinese or Indian meals ( other than from relatives who had served out that way). School Meals consisted normally of

mashed spud, translation a watery white grey liquid with lumps of uncooked spud in it.

Meat, translation something lumpy greasy, with lots of gristle. Soggy Grey steamed? fish on Friday full of bones.

Veg, translation normally dark green cabbage boiled to death but with the consistency of rubber. Or boiled to death carrots.

Pudding likely to be sago or tapioca or rice normally lumpy with a burnt skin on top. Jelly and ice cream if the school inspector was visiting.

 

You queued up outside in the rain, filing into the hall past a trestle table where the above was slapped on the plate there were no choices. You then sat at another trestle table, all watched by the beady eyes of the teachers. Everything had to be eaten then table by table you filed round again to get the pudding. And again everything had to be eaten. Then you filed out again table by table depositing the empties on another trestle by the door.

[Tony_S]

You mean to say you didn't have a "Barry Bucknell"?

It used to be funny watching Barry do things.Just to see my Dad's reaction.

[TheQ]

This morning I said I was not expecting to sail. Things turned out a bit different, I left the house with Angus blowing strongly and my garden looking like a paddy field as it bucketed with rain. 30 minutes later I arrived at the club, the wind was dropping and it stopped raining.

 

While readying the rescue boat the skies started clearing so I put the buoys out ready for racing. But by the time that was done the wind stopped totally leaving the water like a mirror.

After coffee and a bacon butty we rigged our boat and went out for the first race amazingly with sun glasses on in a light breeze. The eye of the storm was going over.

 

We started in second place behind boat 173 only five boats in our class today, I think many were scared off by the forecast. We followed them along the river bank but if we pulled out into river to overtake the heavy tide caught us and we slowed. At the first right bend we were forced to start tacking across the river, surprisingly on the second tack we crossed ahead of 173, they had had a terrible tack. After that we kept ahead for the rest of the race.

 

For the second race the wind had increased, as the back edge of Angus approached. we arrived a few seconds early at the start line, so the helm turned the boat into the wind then down again and we popped out to start in the lead. This time we held the bank and made it up round the corner then on to the first buoy in front.

Rounding the buoy we were hauling up the spinnaker when we suffered a huge wind shift causing us to gybe. While sorting that out under main only the others were bearing down on us we just managed to drop and pack the spinnaker away get the Genoa out when the others arrived. For the rest of the lap we were closely followed by them.

 

Second lap we gradually gained a good lead, and spinnaker raising was successful this time. By the end of the third and final lap we were well ahead we stopped on the club frontage to drop the rig during lunch. But it started raining, the others sailed straight back to their moorings.

So we followed packed up and went for lunch, Baked spud and cheese for me...during which horizonal waves of drizzle or rain started blowing past the windows as Angus continued on his way.

So after chatting for a while we headed of home during a lull in the rain.

[roundhouse]

We managed to be away from the Wakefield show just over 35 minutes after closing. We also managed to fit all our purchases into the car along with the layout and four of us.

 

I drove the first hour or so and my other half is now behind the wheel. Big delays ahead on the M1 but we are turning off and going around Coventry to pick up the M40 then via Bracknell to avoid the M3 closure to drop Gordon off at home.

 

Fingers crossed for a smooth journey.

Edited November 21, 2016 by roundhouse

[New Haven Neil]

evening.  Somewhat tired after a full day of business at Groudle.  Tasks from leaf raking to assembling loco bottom end bearings and everything in-between!  Preparations for Santa trains now too, C&^%$£s decorations going up, lights, that sort of thing.  I also got my new Grade Card - full house, guard, and passed out driver on steam, diesel and electric locomotives, and able to be responsible operations officer.  Who, me? Responsible?

 

Andy, the bike misses on pick up from tickover and it is a little but not a huge amount down on power. It gives rich indications, but replacing all jets, full carb overhaul kit, setting float height, ultrasonically cleaning the carb body, blowing everything through with 120psi air....and its no better.  New coil, points, condenser, timed accurately - no better.  Leaned off by dropping floats, no better.  Dropped the needle from factory settings - slightly better, but showing lean on the plug now.  Misfire improved but not eliminated, more power according to the buttock dynamometer, but oh so lean on the plug.  Parts book shows an emulsion tube above the main jet, but neither carb I have has one.....odd.  It is a push in main jet on an O ring, not the type that screws into the bottom of the emulsion tube.  1976 Honda XL250K3 by the way.  Compression good, recent-ish rings, doesn't burn oil. 'Scrap it'........

[emt_911]

A day where some has gone to plan and other things have been a complete PITA

 

Time to relax this evening

[AndyID]

evening.  Somewhat tired after a full day of business at Groudle.  Tasks from leaf raking to assembling loco bottom end bearings and everything in-between!  Preparations for Santa trains now too, C&^%$£s decorations going up, lights, that sort of thing.  I also got my new Grade Card - full house, guard, and passed out driver on steam, diesel and electric locomotives, and able to be responsible operations officer.  Who, me? Responsible?

 

Andy, the bike misses on pick up from tickover and it is a little but not a huge amount down on power. It gives rich indications, but replacing all jets, full carb overhaul kit, setting float height, ultrasonically cleaning the carb body, blowing everything through with 120psi air....and its no better.  New coil, points, condenser, timed accurately - no better.  Leaned off by dropping floats, no better.  Dropped the needle from factory settings - slightly better, but showing lean on the plug now.  Misfire improved but not eliminated, more power according to the buttock dynamometer, but oh so lean on the plug.  Parts book shows an emulsion tube above the main jet, but neither carb I have has one.....odd.  It is a push in main jet on an O ring, not the type that screws into the bottom of the emulsion tube.  1976 Honda XL250K3 by the way.  Compression good, recent-ish rings, doesn't burn oil. 'Scrap it'........

 

Neil,

 

Any possibility it's inhaling air between the carb and the head, or in a throttle body due to wear at the throttle shafts? IIRC it might be possible to use propane to find out, although I've never actually tried it myself.

 

Andy.

[pH]

Morning to most, evening to ERs in the Southern hemisphere.

 

And what about us in the Western hemisphere?

[newbryford]

Leeds is west of the Meridian.....

 

Cheers,

Mick

Edited November 20, 2016 by newbryford

[pH]

Neil,

 

Any possibility it's inhaling air between the carb and the head, or in a throttle body due to wear at the throttle shafts? IIRC it might be possible to use propane to find out, although I've never actually tried it myself.

 

Andy.

I've also seen gas (petrol) used for that, applied to joints and gaskets using a dropper, with the engine running - a change in engine note/speed shows a leak.

[New Haven Neil]

I've also seen gas (petrol) used for that, applied to joints and gaskets using a dropper, with the engine running - a change in engine note/speed shows a leak.

 

Yeah, replaced the O ring seal, tried spraying WD around it, nuthin.  Always a good trick though!  Mixture shows OK at the plug when the float and needle are in the factory settings, but then the pick-up is awful, it misses a couple of firing strokes then goes OK after it decides to light up - classic rich mixture sign.  I have tried two factory needles and an aftermarket one - not a jot of difference.  A friend at the old farts club may have another carb as he restored one ages ago and had a spares bike, if he shows with it we'll see if that is any better!  Thinking of trying a carb off something else if he hasn't got one, I have a box of suitable carbs off various 250 singles!  S model one with an accelerator pump is the first one to try.

[lightengine]

Just been to a concert of the Teignmouth Jazz festival. It is held over 3 days at various venues across the town. This year is the umpteenth year of the festival People travel from far and near to hear good jazz.

Today we saw the Gabrielle Ducomble quartet. She is Belgian and based in Londres. Very good and the venue was busy.