Gruffalo

Newsy update Bob. Re IT bits, I am generally an Apple type but there are some things for which I need a PC so I have a laptop representing each. Generally I use the MacBook Air (OS10.7) as it is so convenient and (touch wood) reliable without the problems of viruses (virae?). All systems are now trying to be more like your tablet / mobile phone but this seems to bring its own issues. My Sony laptop runs Windows 7 with Kaspersky protection. You pay more for Apple stuff but it does seem to have longer life and less added costs in use.

Seriously, put me down for one please. I have the "colliewobbles" in anticipation (for two collies)

Students and bad trips Mick bring other connotations to mind! I do hope you manage it all without undue risk and strain.

I loved Pete's stylish response Andy and also remember crossing Biscay in a 3,000DWT gas carrier, most pleasant place was in the bowels of the engine room about which point the ship was rolling! I am tempted to break out the Gin and Bitters, bacon and eggs in sympathy! Then again, maybe the diet should be considered, so just the Gin then!

The rugby match had a satisfactory outcome, albeit a difficult wind for kickers. Sadly the play was so broken that it was not a good advert for the modern game. Strong winds here but only a partly cloudy sky and rain isn't forecast to be heavy so we have been lucky. I hope you all have similar good fortune.

Job lot of wellie boots required for local sheep. Birds still circling overhead and not being blown into next county. Hopefully a rugby match to attend this evening.

Oh, I wouldn't say that - it gets pretty dark when the fuses / circuit breakers go!

A massive dose of thumbs up from me Gordon. Now comes the debate about whether to ballast or to have an alcohol free January. I have to say I'm tippling towards the ballast and a large glass of something suitable.

Coincidence there Beast, I had one fail but luckily I already had a spare and changing that particular one is not difficult on the Alfa.

An analogy that helped me explain how things get "pushed" along electrical circuits was: Imagine you have a water reservoir on the top of a hill. That water will flow downhill if you open the outlet valve (tap) and will go all the way until it reaches the sea. The higher the hill, the greater the potential water flow rate and the smaller the valve, the lower the flow rate. To relate that to electricity, the height of the hill in relation to sea level is the VOLTAGE (volts). The valve that lets water out of the reservoir is the RESISTANCE (ohms). The water flow is the CURRENT (amps). The amount of water reaching the sea will be dependent upon the number of valves and the size of the pipes between the reservoir and the sea. For that reason, we always add resistance together. If we find we can't get enough water to flow down the hill (or the flow is too slow), we add a new and larger pipe. In this case, some water continues to go down the old route but more goes down the new route - this is why we have to look at parallel circuits a little differently. If the stream between the reservoir and the sea is an open ditch, we don't want it to overflow and flood the surrounding area so we install a measuring system that will close the water valve upstream before floods start. In electrical parlance, that is a FUSE or CIRCUIT BREAKER. For everyone's safety, those protection devices should always be installed. Hope that helps.

Please Sir, me sir.... Yes, I'm the one sitting at the back of the class and I think you have said Volts V = Current I divided by Resistance R. I'm sure that Professor Ohm told me many years ago that V=IR, or volts = current x resistance. ...at this point the teacher would normally chuck an old-fashioned blackboard rubber at the smug little git at the back!

Thanks Stationmaster. I have already got a couple of NCE Switch8 units to go with my PowerCab, some Tortoise motors and a whole heap of Peco and SEEP solenoid motors. I intend using the Switch8s with the Tortoises and keeping the solenoid motors for signal operations.Very unprototypically, they will not be interlocked but I will be happy with working signals. It seems I may be somewhat diverted in doing something for the RMWeb Live event in September so yet another delay on Penswear!

Oh no, not using up the leftover sprouts AND baked beans?

The Nissan GTR is a lovely beast, my son's favourite supercar but not for him at the mo. He is throeing one around Silverstone in the next month or two, full harness belts, wide run-off areas and competition tyres will make it more sticky. Not dry fly fishing this afternoon then Neil?

I saw Missy at work at WycRail. What a craftswoman, 2mm finescale point rodding even!

Steve, the whole thread is inspirational but for me, taking the first step is about managing time first and foremost. Please keep it up so when I am less time-sparse I can start. I want all my signals (ground and post) to be operational but I seem to have taken on a significant project for RMWeb Live!

Good afternoon all. As a true GOF, I managed to avoid any celebration of Tuesday becoming Wednesday (to the chagrin of SWMBO) but grandkids were awake at various times during the night (02:00, 03:30, 04:15; daughter and SiL returned at 04:20) so a somewhat broken night's sleep! It is persisting down at around 45degs here at present and I have repaired the washing machine so smiles from the daughter. I am about to start food preps having put a shoulder of pork in the Aga 5 hours ago. I trust the next 365 days are an improvement upon that last for everyone who visits ERs and also for those Webbers who don't.

Neighbour disputes are always something that local councils try to avoid. I sympathise with your predicament Tony as I have a neighbour who lets his Leylandii get to around 20 feet before he will countenance a cut and even then, it is only taking off the top third. At least he does do it, more than your neighbour appears to do. Copper nails into the trunks are usually very effective at gradually removing the problem!

Elsewhere others have recommended a hard covering such as galvanised steel or aluminium sheet over your membrane. It does not rip in the wind and saves renewing the "felt" every few years. Less easy and if you were to go over the edges, you could lay-up some chopped-strand fibreglass matting with suitable resin as an equally robust treatment.

Weather similar around Gruff Towers, sadly Mick I can advise that after another decade you will still be unable to fathom the workings of the female mind IMVHO! Once a defective headlight is cured and a detached piece of architrave refixed, I am free to continue with things railway related it seems. Tomorrow however I am designated to convey her ladyship to the daughter & SiL's as we are grandchildminding once more.

And not forgetting as a base component in certain dark coloured soft drinks!

Stationmaster mentions yesterdays DT and unusually we actually bought a newspaper (that one) because Madam Gruffalo's eldest nephew's engagement was posted in it - the intended bride's family does things very properly! Alongside the announcement was reproduced the DT's cover of December 28th 1943 reporting the sinking of the German battlecruiser "Scharnhorst". I found the coincidence that the same day's paper printed the announcement alongside that of the battle for which my late uncle was awarded a DSC most surprising! Gruff Towers is returning to some normality. SWMBO's aunt was collected yesterday and is now back amongst the other dragons to the west of Offa's Dyke. A hard frost was visited upon us yesterday,, our roads were skating rinks before 19:30 when we walked round to the house of some friends to partake of an excellent forerib of beef with all the roasted trimmings (damn the waistline) and the road is yet to cleared. We are planning to eat leftovers (and there are plenty of them) in addition to consuming the remaining and various open bottles of falling down water. Debs' wonderful gauges on a previous page are almost tempting me to do a small O gauge layout No No No No No.... I trust your day GOes well.

I'd love to offer words of advice Ian but I can't. My marriage is well into its fourth decade now and I still fail to understand women's minds. I do hope it all works out well and that the daughter stops looking at the ended relationship between her parents as if she has to worship and protect that one and starts to look towards her mother's future happiness.

Kit building takes time and skill, scratch building even more so. R-t-r offers a shortcut on the basic construction and then you can personalise from that point on adding dirt, wear and tear, numbers, name boards etc. I have a number of old GWR clerestories that I am in the throws of weathering and paint-ageing, re-bogieing with the Bachmann 9' GWR style (after I have removed the couplings ND substituted the draw-bar variety explained by Tony a hundred or so posts ago) to give me a rake of 7 or 8 vehicles that won't look too out-of-place behind my newly acquired Hornby Star. I am part way through building a few old PC Models 57' Toplights so hopefully I can get a decent mix that suits the era of 1929-33 I intend to attempt replicating. Yes, some may say that is all r-t-r but to me, it is r-t-r with added sparkle and I will be happy at that. I am putting on my tin helmet and flak jacket prior to posting this message...

Ian, that brings to my mind all sorts of images of "The Thinker" and a play on its creator's name!