Early Risers.

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

The sun is shining and and it’s quite warm outside. Breakfast has been consumed and shortly I’ll be heading off to the Trafford Centre for a few bits and pieces. I will be unaccompanied today, so it shouldn’t be a long trip, as usual I’ll call at the butchers on my way home and collect the weekly meat rations and hopefully a pastie for dinner too. I wound do any work in the cellar now until Monday, as I find if I do too much scraping, my shoulders complain. So a quite afternoon is planned, doing what I’m not yet sure, but I’ll find something, I’m sure. 

 

Tonight we have James and Amelia owing for tea, which tonight will be fish and chips, yummy. 

 

Back later. 

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Bright and sunny this morning but a bit nippy, got things to do so be back later.

[New Haven Neil]

OK, off down to the garage t0 pick a bike for todays run out to the old farts bike club.  The little modern one today I think.

 

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Nice and sunny and the visit yesterday from Mr Sparks sparks went well with only a limited amount of hole creation in the kitchen ceiling and the two new LED units lighting up the room (or rather one end of it) like  Blackpool without all the pretty colours.  Definitely an improvement on the previous low current (basically fluorescent) units although they still remain at the other end.  And guess what - Brian the sparky is heavily involved at the GWS and happened to have known an old friend of mine who was involved there rather along time ago, in fact on the night before the event below he and I had been coaxing 6998 into steam as previous efforts t do that after its arrival at Didcot had been unsuccessful.    That long ago - surely not?     That chap is nowadays a volunteer Driver on the Ratty and we met again up there some years back when I was doing some stuff for them.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/6961278791/

 

Now back to earth and a trip today to see off my former work colleague who died a couple of weeks back so I shall be navigating the inner part of Uxbridge later today and hoping that the demo in London will not involve halfwits crawling along the M40 at near zero mph in order to encourage other folk to adopt their view on Breggsit.

 

Have a good day one and all.

 

[Ian Abel]

POETS arrives, and is welcomed!

Yesterday late afternoon we had the "discovery" that all the new/modified reports the client urgently wanted were not actually specced correctly - quelle surprise!!!

Result is I have to redo most everything I've been doing the past 4+ days... their mistake, their money, so other than the fact I hate that sort of wasted effort, who cares, I guess.

 

Will depart early afternoon for the dreaded JFK, weather both ends supposed to be fair/acceptable, so with luck we'll be on time.

No firm plans for the weekend - YET - though I'm sure that'll change, especially since I'm hoping that a certain Hornby "Lord Nelson" will be awaiting some serious running in

 

7 and cloudy with some drizzle driving in so still no "top down" adventure. Expected to clear with a high of 13 time I depart JFK.

 

Hope the weekend starts well for everyone...

[newbryford]

7 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

The house we moved into near Settle in the late 50's had been built sometime in the mid 30's.   It had blanked off gas outlets next to each electric ceiling rose as well as a mix of 5 amp and 15 amp round pin sockets.  IIt was a constant source of frustration when you had a 5 amp plug on something and only a 15 amp socket .    When we end up with the wrong combination of French and English sockets it reminds me of those times.

 

 When we had an extension built some years later the house was re-wired with 13 amp sockets and the sparky's discovered that the whole gas distribution system was still live.

 

Jamie

 

My family house was mostly wired with Wylex plugs. Big round plugs with centre earth pin and live/neutral on either side. You could plug them in either way up....

 

 

Back seems fine. Currently testing it riding a 142 on jointed track with no ill effects. 

 

Off to visit Transport Models in Preston for supplies. I could have driven but have a cheap day ranger ticket courtesy of a railway friend. It's a 20 min walk from station to shop and the sun is shining

 

Have a good rest of the day folks.

 

Cheers

Mick

Edited March 29, 2019 by newbryford
image added

[grandadbob]

A'noon,

A lovely sunny and warm day and it should stay that way.

A bit late on parade here but I was up fairly early, not by my normal standards but it was before 8.00. Considering the amount of booze and food I took on board at the reunion yesterday this was no mean feat. Started about 12.40 and finished at around 8.30 and an extremely good time was had by all. Even TfL behaved although the Tube was rammed coming home. Attendance wasn't bad there , about 50 or so.  This was helped by 6 or 7 youngsters turning up for the first time who'd been at the school when it closed. Amazingly a couple of them remembered me although I didn't have a clue who they were, they'd have been snotty 1st years when I left. I did know one of their brothers though who has unfortunately since died along with 3 or 4 others which is about par for the course.

Very pleased to meet up with 3 old friends and rugby clubmates who I haven't seen for years. One of these is now the club president and was twisting my arm to visit the club in a couple of weeks. 

Have a good one,

Bob.

 

Edited March 29, 2019 by grandadbob

[Coombe Barton]

POETS will be celebrated later with an early bu99er off. 

 

Been a long week.

 

[TheQ]

The Chinese system is finally on it's cross checks, it's clanking it's relays behind me at the moment, I might get rid of it on Monday.

 

Our works toilets are to be rebuilt... as all cubicles.. so those who don't know what sex they are can hide..

 

Just had to fill in this years Objectives, with both me and my Boss being on the rundown to retirement it's more a conspiracy to get HR out of hair for another year.. (whats left of it we have).

 

 Not being in a mains gas area, I suspect until the early 1960's the house had parafin lamps, whch would explain the comparitively large ceiling roses hiding where the hooks were.

 

In this area mains water wasn't until the early 1970's I believe..

 

[New Haven Neil]

Survived the ride.....

 

My brother's house in the UK had live gas pipes from lighting in the walls, he found this when hanging a picture....hissssss....... 

 

Really nice sunny day, but not as warm as it looks at 12c.  Car needs washed, as the 'Manx Eagles' (aka shitehawks) have been using it for bombing practice.

[81C]

Afternoon All 

I think I'm married to a Nutter.

Her what are you doing today , Me cleaning the car as it's like a tip and cleaning the BBQ as some one wrapped it up for winter covered in grease and bits of sausage.

Her can I have the car, Me are you going into town no I'm going round the corner to visit a friend, Me take it by all means but it won't get washed till the end of May.

Her I'll leave the car here then, Me OK I can wash it then .

Her I thought you were washing the BBQ, Me I'm doing them both.

Her I'll take the car as I promised to take friend for lunch Me where are you going for lunch.

Her just over the back (200yds away) Me why don't you meet your friend there (she lives 200yds away)

Her can I have the car then, Me, F##k off . 

                                                                                     Is it idiots day today or did I miss something , enjoy your day    Tota L Disarseter.

 

[Barry O]

Been a busy bee today

 

shopping..done

Parcels made up... and posted

Shelves removed from walls in bedroom....done

Lawn mower serviced (ie cleaned plugs)... done

SPROG.... fixed

 

next up..mugadecaff..

 

Baz

[roundhouse]

Afternoon.

 

Been a busy day so far. This morning I swapped a fence panel for one that has recently been treated. Some more weathering commission then off to a friend to help with his Swiss layout. Did platform edging for him. Hes got 4 weeks to get it completed for Rotarail.

Back home after getting another container of wood preservative and next fence panel now drying ready for swapping tomorrow morning.

 

Booked Caledonian sleeper - got last two solo berths but despite the payment confirmation arriving the e - tickets hadn't so went online then realised the berths are only valid with 1st class tickets so rang them and cancelled. Not at all clear that. back to original plans for our trip to Aberdeen / Inverness.

 

Layout mover still not ready to be collected form garage after it failed MOT on Wednesday on rear brakes. Fingers crossed it will be by close of business tonight.

[AndyID]

7 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

 a mix of 5 amp and 15 amp round pin sockets.  It was a constant source of frustration when you had a 5 amp plug on something and only a 15 amp socket .

 

My parents' house was like that. I seem to remember there were adapters that had a 15A outlet on the front and a 5A outlet on the sloped top. There might have been another 5A outlet on the bottom too, but I can't remember.

[jamie92208]

Just now, AndyID said:

 

My parents' house was like that. I seem to remember there were adapters that had a 15A outlet on the front and a 5A outlet on the sloped top. There might have been another 5A outlet on the bottom too, but I can't remember.

I also remember adaptors.   Fortunatley I never saw one that allowed you to plug a 15 amp appliance into a 5 amp socket.   Maybe that's why I'm still here. I've a fairly good idea that our first house in Chesterfield had only 5 an 15 amp sockets and the first 13 amp ones were when the house at Giggleswick was rewired which would be in about 62.

 

Jamie

[Barry O]

woohhooo.. might just have got a buyer for our "other" house.. fingers crossed..big time!

 3 locos set up for sound, now to finish renumbering them and putting coal into them. Two are to be unweathered, 4 to weather.. that is my task for tomorrow!

 

Baz

[Tony_S]

Some neighbours are coming round this evening. They have all been very kind to us especially over the last year. So Aditi thought we should invite everyone for drinks snacks etc.  Anyway instead of rushing across to the freezer for ice in little trays we got one of those little insulated ice buckets like they have in bars and cruise ship cabins. However not having been raised in the traditions of ice buckets I am confused. It has the insulated body and a lid. There are some little tongs. So far so good. However there is a perforated disc supplied with a little round knob. It is clearly meant to go inside but I can’t think what for. Any suggestions? There were no instructions!

[newbryford]

3 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Some neighbours are coming round this evening. They have all been very kind to us especially over the last year. So Aditi thought we should invite everyone for drinks snacks etc.  Anyway instead of rushing across to the freezer for ice in little trays we got one of those little insulated ice buckets like they have in bars and cruise ship cabins. However not having been raised in the traditions of ice buckets I am confused. It has the insulated body and a lid. There are some little tongs. So far so good. However there is a perforated disc supplied with a little round knob. It is clearly meant to go inside but I can’t think what for. Any suggestions? There were no instructions!

 

Ice buckets/boxes often have a lower insert with holes in. I think it's to allow a bit of water to settle as the ice melts and not have the ice floating in water. (Or at least that's my theory behind it - as they have them at wife's workplace in the bar ice buckets.)

 

Cheers,

Mick

[roundhouse]

26 minutes ago, Barry O said:

 

 3 locos set up for sound, now to finish renumbering them and putting coal into them.

 

 

Coal powered sound decoders

[Tony_S]

10 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

Ice buckets/boxes often have a lower insert with holes in. I think it's to allow a bit of water to settle as the ice melts and not have the ice floating in water. (Or at least that's my theory behind it - as they have them at wife's workplace in the bar ice buckets.)

 

Cheers,

Mick

That was my guess too. However I just found another similar looking one on Amazon and it claims it is for keeping the ice in the bucket while pouring melt water away. I prefer your explanation. 

[Dave Hunt]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

I also remember adaptors.   Fortunatley I never saw one that allowed you to plug a 15 amp appliance into a 5 amp socket.   Maybe that's why I'm still here. I've a fairly good idea that our first house in Chesterfield had only 5 an 15 amp sockets and the first 13 amp ones were when the house at Giggleswick was rewired which would be in about 62.

 

Jamie

 

In 1991 we moved into an old farmhouse in Lincolnshire and I set about remodelling the kitchen, which according to some evidence I found had last been done in 1967, and reduced it to a shell before rebuilding. To my utter horror  discovered that the numpty who had done the wiring had taken the lead for the cooker off a light circuit, simply substituting bigger fuses by forcing them in, and the junction box that was hidden on top of one of the old units was actually charred inside. How the house was still standing I don't know.

 

Dave

Edited March 29, 2019 by Dave Hunt

[laurenceb]

Someone who's patron saint was St Jude

[Danemouth]

All this talk of 5 and 15 amp round pin plugs reminds me of my parents council house built just after the war had Dorman Smith 13 amp plugs like many Council Houses of the period. Never heard of them?

 

https://www.flameport.com/electric_museum/plugs_other_13A/dorman_smith_13A_ring_main_plug.cs4

 

The live pin was a screw in fuse which apparently could unscrew and be left in the socket (which was unswitched). Never happened to us but a recipe for disaster.

 

That house had just six sockets in total - Castle Danemouth  has 25 double sockets and four single sockets by way of comparison

 

Dave

[Danemouth]

33 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

In 1991 we moved into an old farmhouse in Lincolnshire and I set about remodelling the kitchen, which according to some evidence I found had last been done in 1967, and reduced it to a shell before rebuilding. To my utter horror  discovered that the numpty who had done the wiring had taken the lead for the cooker off a light circuit, simply substituting bigger fuses by forcing them in, and the junction box that was hidden on top of one of the old units was actually charred inside. How the house was still standing I don't know.

 

Dave

 

Both houses I have bought needed a rewire immediately after purchase because of botched electrical work.

 

The first house bought in 1981 had modern sockets and looked superficially ok., that is until a light switch fell off the wall and revealed the lighting circuit was the original 1926 cables. And I then discovered a double socket in the kitchen was wired to the lighting fuse - talk about "pass me my brown trousers"!

I had the place rewired immediately.

 

Dave

[BoD]

When I was at Uni the halls of residence had 2A round pin sockets in the rooms.   They were tiny  and by then the plugs were quite hard to come by.  The majority were sold on by those leaving that year.

 

Despite their size and rating it wasn't unknown for people to still try and wire kettles to them.