Early Risers.

[BSW01]

53 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

I wonder how many of the long serving husbands on ER were enlisted into service early (say early to late 20s, and how many joined up at a later age (anything over 30 years of age).

 

iD

We fall into the first group. I was 22 and Sheila 23 when we married, we'll clock up 42 years in October. 

Edited June 13, 2020 by BSW01

[Ian Abel]

11 hours ago, polybear said:

20 hours ago, Ian Abel said:

Jemma will be over briefly tomorrow to drop Whitney off, she has to go to Atlanta for her six-month sim training/review - not exactly a happy camper about it as they're NOT flying at present anyway, just sitting on "long reserve", so it's rather a pointless exercise...

 

 

 

Oh, I dunno.  It's a tick in the box, and in the current climate with airlines shedding staff like crazy every tick in a box helps HR decide who goes under the axe, and who doesn't....

Somewhat, however, she pretty much already knows she will be furloughed in October given her seniority which is pretty low. Delta have already posted the expected list based on hire dates, and likely she'll be even on the "unassigned" list within 30 days meaning she won't even have to go to NY (her base) and sit there waiting for the non-existent call.

 

Moaning all

Apparently I managed to pull a muscle in my back at some point yesterday, meaning I'm rather immobile right now. Sort of staggering around moaning when I try and sit down or stand up. The Mrs has therefore declared I am allowed to do NOTHING but sit quietly, no modelling especially on my hands-and-knees laying the remaining track for the garden railway...

 

Looks like a quiet weekend, although I did manage to get the ice cream made last evening, and it's definitely VERY GOOD, attested to by Jemma and Brendan, who came over for their "share", and the Mrs and myself who had to "test" it for this evening soirée

 

13 first thing, headed for 19 and partly sunny, would have been the PERFECT weather for some garden railwaying <sigh>

 

Enjoy the weekend...

 

[roundhouse]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

 

 

It seems to me that - certainly in the UK -marriages nowadays seem to fall mostly into one of two extreme camps: the first whereby the couple divorce before the wedding presents have even barely been completely unwrapped, the second whereby the happy couple rack up innumerable anniversaries, with only “death stopping play” (to bastardise a cricketing saying). Presumably the secret to a long lasting marriage is for give-and-take to be present on both sides. To paraphrase an old aviation saying: “There are old husbands and there are bold husbands, there are very few old, bold husbands!!“

 

Some data I have seen suggest that the older you are when you get married, the longer the marriage will be and the more successful it will be. 

We are testing that. been together for over 26 years and yet to formally tie the knot. Both still very happy together apart form that she wants to drink my beer. However she also buys plenty (Titanic brewery was her last order) that I drink

 

Today we walked a slightly different route to Reigate then up over the top to the castle rather than the tunnel form the station into the town centre. Superb spot that we haven't ever done before. Then to Pilgrim brewery to get two growlers filled and a walk back via the park and Crumbs bakery (who also do beer) for a fresh loaf of sourdough as luckily this time a very short queue. We were tempted to get the train back but in the end decided to walk home. The earlier train had just 4 passengers on and no one got on or off at Reigate. How long can these empty trains continue. By contrast Amtrak are shedding 20% of their workforce and cutting services to try and survive over in the USA. Roads around Reigate were busier than pre Covid days and I suspect will only get worse with no one really using public transport. 

 

If our planned trip to Devon is possible we will leave home at 5am to get past the Stonehenge bottleneck and park up at St Davids where we hope to leave the car for a few days for various walking expeditions. We may use the local trains down there for one or two journeys so will have ready our bandanas / face masks etc.

 

This afternoon been sitting under the shed canopy on the big laptop drinking Pilgrim progress and then Saracen. Now that's gone its time to open a few Hook Norton bottles and maybe finish on a can of Brewdog Barnard Castle Eye Test - lifes a beer, well what else are we to do in these strange times

Edited June 13, 2020 by roundhouse

[The Stationmaster]

24 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

I’ve always wondered about the “instanter“ coupling, it always seemed to be to me neither fish nor fowl. Perhaps the GWR/WR cognoscenti on this thread could care to illuminate me as to the whys and wherefores of this particular coupling.

 

 

 

24 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

 

 

Some data I have seen suggest that the older you are when you get married, the longer the marriage will be and the more successful it will be. I wonder how many of the long serving husbands on ER were enlisted into service early (say early to late 20s, and how many joined up at a later age (anything over 30 years of age).

 

Married 43 years, got married when I was 29 and herself was xxxxxxxxxx younger than me.

 

Now Instanter couplings - a truly clever and - importantly - money saving idea which of course is what we expect of the GWR.  Freight trains long came in two forms with some wagons (occasionally all) continuously braked and without any wagons, or a quite a number of them, not continuously braked.  The way the two types of train are worked varies, especially when decelerating and to a lesser extent accelerating.  But in theory, and in practical terms (not much different from the theory) a continuously braked freight train or portion of one applies its brakes more or less at a consistent pace across its whole length (we'll stand aside very long trains) especially if all vehicles are equipped with that other GWR innovation - the direct admission valve.  Thus it is sensible and beneficial to keep the whole thing reasonably tightly together with minimal 'play' between successive vehicles.  And to do that you need a coupling which can be shortened, traditionally by means of a screw between two shackles which allows it to lengthened for coupling and uncoupling but shortened once it is required to act in a moving train.

 

But using screw couplings has a number of disadvantages, particularly when they are used where there is no continuous brakes apart from the large handicap of time and safety risk involved in lengthening and shortening them which can only be done by a person going between the vehicles.  So the ideal coupling is one which can be lengthened or shortened without going between vehicles although there might still be vacuum bags to connect in a fitted train or portion and connecting them can only be done by going in between.  The Instanter coupling has two positions - 'long' which effectively makes it about the same in length as a 3 link coupling, and 'short' which gives roughly equivalent close coupling distance to a screw coupling which has been tightened (but not up to the maximum to which a screw coupling can be tightened).  And best of all when wagons are bunched together with buffers touching or almost touching there is no need to go in between to adjust the length of the coupling - it can be done from 'outside' using a shunting pole.  So now the only time Goods Shunters, Guards, and Train Preparers needed to go in between was when bagging up vacuum pipes - everything else, including coupling and uncoupling, could be done from outside - which saved time and reduced the risk of fatal or serious injury.

 

On the other hand a long coupling is advantageous when it comes to shunting and can be used on unfitted wagons because there is no need to close couple them because they don't have continuous brakes.  So an instanter fitted wagon can easily be dealt with when working unfitted, it simply has the coupling in the long position.  The same of course applied, even more so, with traditional shunting where a long coupling allows relatively easy, and quick, uncoupling which means the work can be done in less time.  

 

The modern advantage of an Instanter on wagons is that it is easier to get greater coupling strength because it is all forged steel components rather than having the the separate, machined, central component of a screw coupling plus the cut threads into which the central screw has to connect.  When we were running the really big Mendip stone trains with trailing loads in excess of 4,000 tons (and frequently in excess of 5,000 tons, the coupling arrangements were very carefully specified to ensure that any screw coupled wagons went on the back.  Equally when we did the really big trial train out of Merehead with a load in excess of 10,000 tons (not tonnes) it was even more critical to keep the screw coupled wagons on the back.  We used a mid-train helper on that train although it was there almost as much for brake propagation reasons as it was for load shifting.  Interestingly the component which broke turned out to be not a screw shackle but a coupling hook which sheered off as the front end of the train was trying to go ahead and gravity  was drawing the other end in the opposite direction although slow releasing brakes were in fact the main culprit. (which at least proved one person correct (no not me - but I did have the pleasure of having the burger van - I had laid on to feed us all at Theale - all to myself, oh dear, what a pity an entire van load of free burgers).

[Ian Abel]

Happy anniversaries to Mr & Mrs GDB and to Mr & Mrs SirTopamHatt

 

Missed these as I posted first then went back to cover what I'd not yet read...

[bbishop]

6 hours ago, JohnDMJ said:

I have a problem.

 

There are many 'coded' messages hereon.

 

 

TLAs (Three Letter Acronyms) are great for the informed. PPE i kinda get as 'Personal Protection Equipment' but 'CFR' leaves me out in the cold! LAS, I have worked out as London Ambulance Service, given your location and role.

 

With respect, some TLAs my not be obvious to outsiders.

 

CFR?

 

Community First Responder.

Bill

[Joseph_Pestell]

1 hour ago, BSW01 said:

We fall into the first group. I was 22 and Sheila 23 when we married, we'll clock up 42 years in October. 

 

I am very much in the second group. 55. And sadly only lasted 7 years.

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, Coombe Barton said:

If you have to move one, then if they're connected at the bottom you have to drain both. If connected at the top you don't.

Are you overthinking pannier tanks?

Coombe Barton 10/0 The Stationmaster 

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, Ian Abel said:

Moaning all

Apparently I managed to pull a muscle in my back at some point yesterday, meaning I'm rather immobile right now. Sort of staggering around moaning when I try and sit down or stand up. The Mrs has therefore declared I am allowed to do NOTHING but sit quietly, no modelling especially on my hands-and-knees laying the remaining track for the garden railway...

Actually, my on-tap medical advisers tell me to keep moving:  Although they might just be enjoying my suffering from any extra discomfort that brings.

 

In this neck of the woods, anything on one's hands and knees is called grovelling!

[Chris116]

I am sadly a bad advert for marriage!

 

My first last 16 months before we parted. Second time around it lasted 5 years but third time lucky as we celebrated 18 years in March.

[Coombe Barton]

5 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Coombe Barton 10/0 The Stationmaster 

Two expertise spectra converging, one from an engineering water supply and the other from a water usage point of view. It really isn't obvious. Not until you've tried maintenance on interconnected systems and got very wet. Think also leaks and isolation.

 

I'm not out to score points, and after all the information that Mike has provided here for free not that kind.

 

[Happy Hippo]

3 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

Two expertise spectra converging, one from an engineering water supply and the other from a water usage point of view. It really isn't obvious. Not until you've tried maintenance on interconnected systems and got very wet. Think also leaks and isolation.

 

I'm not out to score points, and after all the information that Mike has provided here for free not that kind.

 

He started it!

 

 

[laurenceb]

Birthday greetings to Gemma and happy anniversary to Mrs & Mr GDB & Sir & Lady Toppam Hat

[NGT6 1315]

Cheers, troops.

 

Been off the air for a few days as we went on a trip to Rügen, which we had booked before the COVID outbreak. We had quite nearly cancelled it but given that the virus has been largely contained over here and the concomitant travel bans were lifted in time, we decided to carry through with it, considering that our objective wasn’t partying or similar activities!

 

A few impressions from oop 'ere to raise your spirits, I hope...at least that’s my intention!

 

 

We stayed at a little dairy farm in a town called Trent, whose owners had this DDR era Fortschritt E 512 combine parked up!
 

 

Old ferry terminal in Sassnitz, out of use since the large RoRo terminal at Mukran (also a part of Sassnitz) opened.

 

Old harbour at Sassnitz with tug Fairplay 25 and GMRS cruiser Harro Koebke.
 

 

 

 

 

Sassnitz also is a supply and maintenance base for offshore wind turbine parks in the Baltic.

 

Ex-RN submarine HMS Otus as a floating museum.

 

The famous chalk cliffs viewed from offshore.

 

Historic resort architecture of Sassnitz.

 

Are these the Seven Seas of Rye?

 

 

Vista at Cape Arkona.
 

 

Enchanted lake in the woods in Jasmund National Park.

 

Terra Baltica.

 

Thatched cottage on Hiddensee, a 45ish minutes boat trip from Schaprode. Hiddensee is famous among bird watchers, and has been designated an automobile-free island for about a hundred years. There are few exceptions to that rule, chiefly for public works and emergency services.

 

 

 

Two of the pax boats providing regular services to Hiddensee.

 

Lifeboat Nausikaa in Vitte, Hiddensee‘s primary harbour.

 

We also paid HMS Otus a visit the other day. I had visited the German U-boat U 995 laid up as a shoreside museum at Laboe thirtyish years ago, so this walkthrough brought back quite a few memories of confined spaces and crawlways which somehow were easier to negotiate when I was a kid!

 

 

Bodden (lagoon) waters at Ralswiek.

 

 

Now that we‘re back at home, the weather has turned decidedly hot and oppressive, and thunderstorms are forecast for the night. We shall see, but I certainly wouldn’t mind! I’ll commence eyelid inspection early tonight, I think.

 

Hope you’ve been well. Cheers...

 

 

 

 

Edited June 13, 2020 by NGT6 1315

[AndyID]

5 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

That is a real class act.

 

Especially the saddle lock, necessary, but often omitted, especially on smaller cheaper machines.

 

 

The motor drive isn't so classy. I cobbled it together about 28 years ago. I have the bits to do a proper one but somehow I never got ar.........

 

There are  quite a few "clones" of the South Bend. I seem to remember the metalwork shop at school had Boxfords.

http://www.lathes.co.uk/southbend/page7.html

 

Here are a couple of compound gears from my lathe. They are not quite the same (ignore the three holes someone drilled in one.)  For those who enjoy Stationmaster challenges:

 

What's the difference?

Why (with proof)?

 

 

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

8 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

New Neighbour (Next Door) has introduced herself and tells us she "loves all the flowers" in an accent I am not quite familiar with but which may be north-west Canadian.

That's a curiously specific accent diagnosis Rick. What other clues suggest the Yukon? Or is it the Northwest Territories?

 

Perhaps she is Inuit?

 

My ability to place an accent (without visual ethnic clues) has changed considerably. I believe a low ability to place an accent is true for many people who live in the western states of the US. There is a 'standard' western accent, (think US television shows) but the high proportion of people who come from somewhere else means there is a lot of American English as a second language so people are more accustomed to identifying accents from Latin America and Asia.

 

Many non-US English speakers can easily distinguish the southern hemisphere English accents (like South Africa, New Zealand and Australia) but unless the Afrikaans aspect is pronounced but I find it less true here. People struggle to place my trans-Pacific voice, but they usually guess correctly.

 

 

[polybear]

12 hours ago, grandadbob said:

Also can't believe this was 50 years ago:

 

 

 

 

Congratulations GDB.

Shoes could do with a polish...

 

When my best mate (RIP Dan ) got married, he'd painted "HE" and "LP" on the soles of his shoes with Tippex.  When bride & groom knelt in front of the Vicar the congregation fell about.....

Vicar wasn't in on the joke until later.

 

12 hours ago, TheQ said:

I'd love that lathe,  I wonder how many perfectly good lathes were scrapped without offering them for sale.. 

 

 

 

All those British engineering firms, colleges, schools etc. etc.

So hundreds of thousands, at a fair guess.

[Florence Locomotive Works]

13 minutes ago, AndyID said:

 

The motor drive isn't so classy. I cobbled it together about 28 years ago. I have the bits to do a proper one but somehow I never got ar.........

 

There are  quite a few "clones" of the South Bend. I seem to remember the metalwork shop at school had Boxfords.

http://www.lathes.co.uk/southbend/page7.html

 

Here are a couple of compound gears from my lathe. They are not quite the same (ignore the three holes someone drilled in one.)  For those who enjoy Stationmaster challenges:

 

What's the difference?

Why (with proof)?

 

 

 

 

I seem to remember that the late Fred Dibnah had a lathe almost exactly like that, but slightly larger. It might have been a Cincinnati though, which must have an interesting story about how it ended up in Bolton.

[polybear]

17 minutes ago, AndyID said:

What's the difference?

Why (with proof)?

 

 

 

 

 

Gear ratios, for starters.  One has 17T on the smaller gear, the other 18T.

Do I win I prize?  The Southbend would be acceptable....

[AndyID]

2 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Gear ratios, for starters.  One has 17T on the smaller gear, the other 18T.

Do I win I prize?  The Southbend would be acceptable....

 

Correct.

For maximum credit why is that (and please submit a proof).

[AndyID]

Duplicate

Edited June 13, 2020 by AndyID
Duplicate

[polybear]

Just now, AndyID said:

 

Correct.

For maximum credit why is that (and please submit a proof).

 

Not sure how to submit proof, but I'd say for screwcutting processes.  Different gears for different threads

[Happy Hippo]

31 minutes ago, AndyID said:

 

The motor drive isn't so classy. I cobbled it together about 28 years ago. I have the bits to do a proper one but somehow I never got ar.........

 

There are  quite a few "clones" of the South Bend. I seem to remember the metalwork shop at school had Boxfords.

http://www.lathes.co.uk/southbend/page7.html

 

Here are a couple of compound gears from my lathe. They are not quite the same (ignore the three holes someone drilled in one.)  For those who enjoy Stationmaster challenges:

 

What's the difference?

Why (with proof)?

 

 

 

 

 I was sad enough to count all the teeth so you have  a 54/17 on the left and a 54/18 on the right.

 

(I see the Bear beat me to it)

Edited June 13, 2020 by Happy Hippo

[polybear]

4 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

 I was sad enough to count all the teeth so you have  a 54/17 on the left and a 54/18 on the right.

 

(I see the Bear beat me to it)

 

[AndyID]

7 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

 I was sad enough to count all the teeth so you have  a 54/17 on the left and a 54/18 on the right.

 

(I see the Bear beat me to it)

 

Jolly good! Now why would that be?