Early Risers.

[45156]

Afternoon All

 

Finally managed to get online and caught up.  I'm guessing it's quiet as many are at DIdcot today - enjoy, even though they're adorned with brass and copper, they're STEAM. 

 

Very pushed for time, so it has, regrettably, got to be generic greetings only.

 

Start as a volunteer at a local charity bookshop tomorrow which should keep me quiet, and occupied on one or two mornings a week.

 

Back tomorrow.

Regards to All

Stewart

[BSW01]

Good afternoon everyone

 

As has been the norm for the last few weeks, I went straight outside to do a spot more in the back garden. Despite the sea weed twirlers predictions there has been no rain since yesterday dinner time. So today I cut the grass and strimmed the edges. This was followed by some trimming of the ivy that grows on one of ours fences and the cuttings were deposited in the green bin, meaning that it is once again almost full.

 

I then spent the afternoon trawling through my mountain of loco kits making a list of bits and pieces, wheels etc, that I need to complete them.

[jamie92208]

Good afternoon everyone

 

As has been the norm for the last few weeks, I went straight outside to do a spot more in the back garden. Despite the sea weed twirlers predictions there has been no rain since yesterday dinner time. So today I cut the grass and strimmed the edges. This was followed by some trimming of the ivy that grows on one of ours fences and the cuttings were deposited in the green bin, meaning that it is once again almost full.

 

I then spent the afternoon trawling through my mountain of loco kits making a list of bits and pieces, wheels etc, that I need to complete them.

From My experience of retirement it would be interesting to put all that kit info on a spreadsheet and then look at it in 5 years time to see how much has actually been achieved.

 

Jamie

[BSW01]

I spoke too soon, it's p!ssi!ng it down now!

[New Haven Neil]

New centre stand fitted to the BMW - stinker of a job.  VERY strong springs....ptoingggg.....also had to be done with the bike half on its side and me lying on the garage floor, which has seen my foot off for the day.

 

Then rewarded myself with fitting a decoder into a Hornby Charlie I bought last year on holiday.  Runs very nicely, just needs making very dirty now as they don't look right clean.  Mr Stanier thought they didn't look right full stop (where does the key go joke), but he was a GWR man in disguise anyway so who cares.

 

Also got my DJM Austerity saddletank to run properly, it had been poisoned with Peco Electrolube - which it would appear doesn't conduct electricity.  This did not help the split frame pickup system.  It's rather sweet now with an hour's running in.  They're a little grindy to start with but soon settle down with an hours running.  Much criticism aimed at them from folk who don't read the instructions that make this very clear.

 

A successful day for once.

[Gwiwer]

As I have unearthed the connector cable I can finally transfer the contents of the camera to the computer.  This includes the two very brief visits I made to Cornwall recently.   These were officially photographic trips to build up my stock of images and the costs have been assigned to my non-trading entity in case any income should arise at any future time.  Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BSW01]

From My experience of retirement it would be interesting to put all that kit info on a spreadsheet and then look at it in 5 years time to see how much has actually been achieved.Jamie

Jamie.

 

I made a list many years ago and then converted it into a spreadsheet format several years ago. All that's happened since is that the list has either grown bigger or that some of the kits I've got are now available as R-T-R models, including some of the coaching stock too!

[BSW01]

As I have unearthed the connector cable I can finally transfer the contents of the camera to the computer.  This includes the two very brief visits I made to Cornwall recently.   These were officially photographic trips to build up my stock of images and the costs have been assigned to my non-trading entity in case any income should arise at any future time.  Enjoy.

 

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Rick. Love the photos, especially the sunset ones, I love painting sunsets.

[BlackRat]

Great ride out with 4 fellow retired ratters, brunch in Deb'n........home to go out and around Plimuffs Barbican with son and his family, back home for a Chinese takeaway, chimnea ready to flash up and marshmallows ready for toasting with grandson.

 

Happy days.

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon from Estuary-Land. Returned from the toy fair and after a bit of lunch and an eyelid inspection inspected the goodies. Bargain of the day has to be a Skaledale modern telephone booth in unopened packaging for £1 and a Bachmann Scenecraft block of flats for £44, about £10 below the box shifters price. Some of the stuff on display though was a lot of tat but not often priced as such.

[The Stationmaster]

Evening all,

 

That was the day that was - great time and Didcot and nice to meet many old friends from here of course.  For those with an interest in pointless statistics you can note that today I have twice passed through Nettlebed but fortunately the bloke in front of me who seemed to driving with his handbrake on this morning wasn't about when I came back this afternoon.  Major miscalculation on the outward journey as Root One doesn't now open until 10.30 on a Sunday (I'm sure it was earlier in the past?) so I headed on to Didcot and ate a lesser but still satisfying meal at the GWS and oddly a few minutes later Duncan chose exactly the same combination as me - great ERs think alike, or hunger?.

 

Very pleasant day there of which one of the highlights fortunately turned out not to be a lowlight when GDB of this place decided to take a step backwards in order to take a photo - the 'fortunately' being that it was 'a step' rather then three steps as they would have seen him going backwards into an inspection pit; suitable warnings were shouted but allegedly weren't needed, he said.

 

My feet gave up after the loco shed and works so I decided to miss out on the carriage shed and I only used half of my footplate pass (for 4144 and not for the 'Teddy Bear, aka D95XX, which was deputising for the steam railmotor).

 

And just to prove I was there here's a pic of 4144 with'Castle' of RMweb looking cheerily from the cab -

 

 

 

[Gwiwer]

Nettlebed.  One of those places I had to cycle through in my yoof just to see it.  Because of the name.  Others on that "must pedal" list have included Steeple Bumpstead, Pease Pottage, Crapstone and the curiously named Ruyton XI Towns.

And yes I too have fallen into a few for reasons which don't need airing here but which usually involved ale and female company

[AndyID]

 

 

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Did it ever really look like that during it's time on BR, or is someone being "creative".

[emt_911]

An excellent day at the Didcot Railway Centre although it nearly went wrong getting there. I'd got as far as Paddington but the train was delayed by 20 minutes waiting for the driver and guard who were on an inbound train that had developed a technical fault.

 

Great company with Bob (GDB), Bob (81C), Mike (Stationmaster), Castle and others. A suitable breakfast was purchased just after my arrival and was definitely needed. I learned a great deal and found that there is even more research to be done for the layout. Thanks to Mike I have a far better understanding of signalling but I will never profess to be any sort of expert on the subject.

 

The journey home was quicker but I found the usual Southern problems with overcrowding from Victoria. Far too many bikes from todays Ride London.

 

A prawn curry has been consumed since getting home and another coffee is on the cards before sorting out the recycling and anything that I need for the next two days away.

 

Back later.

[New Haven Neil]

#jealous#

[BSW01]

Good evening

 

The rain this afternoon stared Of quite light, but we ended up with quite a heavy shower, but by early evening the sun was coming out again, but it's been raining on and off ever since. However, the rain that we did have this afternoon means that I don't have to go out and water the garden this evening.

 

Hic, I think it's wine o'clock now.

[TheQ]

Evening Awl, Inner Temple here, as I lie here in my berth, the fake paddle steamer Southern Comfort, has just parked up at its mooring complete with a sea shanty band playing. This is slightly deadened but the sound of a light drizzle hitting the cabin roof.

 

Today's sailing went well several of the small single handed dinghies capsized in the larger gusts but they all sorted themselves out.

 

Over heard today a conversation between two competitors, " but I thought he's older than me, but he said he was only 80" "so how old are you?" "I'm only 90". Meanwhile some of the other competitors are only 8 there can't be many sports like sailing with such a huge age range in equal competition.

 

So here's a picture of some of today's competitors.

 

Edited July 30, 2017 by TheQ

[Barry O]

Evening all. My cough has turned into a cold.pah!

 

Spent a lot of time doing serious eyelid inspection. Now off to bed with some paracetamol and a decaf...

 

Sleep well all.

 

Baz

 

PS shame on you Mike, the C&W is the interesting bit at Didcot.

[grandadbob]

Evenin' each from a kernackered GDB.

 

I'll echo the comments above about a very enjoyable day at Didcot. I ended up doing a 170 mile round trip via 81C Towers and also Nicki's House to collect The Boss on the way home. They'd had a girls day out with Abbie & Gemma and it seems that some wine was drunk. (Mainly by the oldest member of the party!)

Bob & I had an enjoyable breakfast en route in the cafe at Blackbushe Airport which set us up nicely for the day.

Re Mike's comment about the inspection pit, I honestly had clocked it but was grateful for his reminder. I need all the help I can get which leads me on to say.....

.....it's a pity he wasn't about when I exited the signal box locking room. I remembered to duck going in...........er coming out, not so much.     Luckily this time no blood was spilled and the lump is not very big. In fact by my standards it's positively amateurish.

 

Now enjoying a couple of pints of Speckled Hen, might even have another one.

[newbryford]

Evenin' all.

 

A busy weekend away exhibiting with New Bryford at Railex NE.

It mostly ran well with any problems caused by operator error with our two less experienced team members...................

 

Now safely stored in work's warehouse until it's next outing in 5 weeks at our own Blackburn club show. Hopefully the above two will be more on the ball then.

 

Not back to work until Tuesday as tomorrow, is a 520 mile round trip to Colchester to see Junior NB. She only has four weeks to finish her course and has to move about three doors down her accommodation block, as the showers and bathrooms are being refurbished for the next student intake. The opportunity is being taken to clear out most of her stuff.

She's already booked lunch at her place of study/work for us and applied for the 50% rate!

 

At least I'll have her company for the return trip as she's coming home for a couple of days to say farewell to her cousin who is travelling to the USA to start a four year soccer football scholarship at Concord in West Virginia. (This is the niece that has played for Blackburn Rovers ladies for the past couple of years)

 

Up at 6am to navigate the M62/A1.

 

Have a good week folks

 

Cheers,

Mick

[The Stationmaster]

Did it ever really look like that during it's time on BR, or is someone being "creative".

 

The livery is absolutely correct - but it was never carried by that particular engine.

 

And g'night all.

[jamie92208]

Up at 6am to navigate the M62/A1.

 

 

Cheers,

Mick

Don't forget to wave as u go past.

[emt_911]

Night all

[BSW01]

Goodnight all

[bluebottle]

Emily, Helen and Richard back this evening from the Firbeck sailing club's annual holiday at Abersoch. A couple of Helen's snaps:

 

Scots Guardsman hauling The Welsh Mountaineer through Betws-y-Coed, Tuesday 25.07.2017

 

I'm told that Emily has a couple of presents for me. Here she is testing them.

 

Edit: larger file for Bettws-y-coed snap.

Edited July 30, 2017 by bluebottle