pH

People joke that there are only two seasons in Winnipeg - “minus 40” and “mosquitos”.

Very useful information, Ray. Thanks for the effort of putting it all together, and for showing details of your modifications. Some points about the shed codes on the models: - 45116 with an early emblem should probably be 65B (St Rollox). It was there at least from Nationalisation to March 1957. The late crest was introduced in 1957 - I believe there’s discussion of the actual date elsewhere on here. It’s probable it would have carried the early emblem and a 26B (Agecroft) plate for a while after its transfer from St Rollox till its next repaint. - 45156 with a 26A plate and the late crest is a correct combination. However, it was also a transfer from St Rollox (65B). It went to Newton Heath (26A) in April 1957. It had been at St Rollox at least from Nationalisation in 1948, so not always a Manchester area engine. - 45157 was never shedded at 65A (Eastfield). It was a St Rollox (65B) engine all the way at least from Nationalisation to withdrawal at the end of 1962. It was the only one of the four named engines (five if you believe 45155 was ever named) that I didn’t see.

Sorry to lower the tone of this topic - which I have found interesting - but I’m re-reading the “Hitchhiker’s Guide” books and that phrase seemed familiar.

There was a famous vine in Scotland in recent times - the Kippen Vine. It was all under glass, though. I remember seeing it from outside the greenhouse in the early 1960s, just before it was ripped out. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kippen It was planted to provide eating grapes, but someone has made wine using grapes from a cutting of it: https://theweevine.org/2017/07/30/making-wine-from-kippens-famous-big-vine/

Flicking through the sports channels on TV, I’ve just come across the 2020 World Championship of the World Axe Throwing League! I just hope everyone can be a good loser if they have to be.

Another garden railway: https://www.railpictures.net/photo/756990/

I’ve wanted to try UV-setting glue for a while. I was going to a DIY store today for various things, and did some comparison shopping online for a starter kit before I went. The store I eventually bought it in had it at $18.77 (regular price, not a special). Another store had it at $24.99. In Walmart (Walmart!!), the same kit was priced at $61.73 !!!

I didn’t realize there was so much engine changing and picking up and dropping of pilots on a trip from Queen Street to Fort William! Seriously - an excellent video, shame about large parts of the commentary. Thank you for posting (really!).

Before we found out the proper name for these birds, we used to call them 'little tree birds'. They are actually bush tits. The go around in flocks, sometimes of several dozen birds. They are very active - when a flock alights on a tree, the whole tree seems to pulse.

Not close to this wildlife (cellphone camera at high magnification) but I thought it might be interesting. This is a group of crows 'mobbing' a bald eagle (bottom right). This usually happens in the nesting season, when they're being protective of their nests. They will even 'divebomb' people if they think they are getting too close; I've had it done to me. Obviously, there are no active nests at the moment - maybe they're just getting some practice in for next year.

SD30C-ECoS #5011 and #5019 at Port Moody this afternoon: They are switching at Pacific Coast Terminals, which export various products by ship. The two different colours of tank in the background contain ethylene glycol and canola oil. I can't remember which is which, but I'm sure PCT know! They also export bulk sulphur and potash.

There were supposed to be 'traffic calming' measures introduced in our local streets at the end of September. To be honest, something was needed, since the main road through the town, two blocks away from us, becomes totally blocked for over an hour in the evening rush hour. That leads to 'rat running' along the parallel residential streets one block each side of the main road. What was proposed would have been effective in stopping the rat running on the north side of the main road. But all that would have happened on the south side would have been to shift the rat running one block south - on to what happens to be the single-track street in front of our house, technically a lane in the original town plan. Several of us pointed out this problem (and others associated with the proposed changes) to the city planning department. I actually felt sorry for the guy I talked to - he seemed to be the designated 'punching bag' for people phoning up about the changes. So two and a half months after the scheduled implementation, nothing has been done, and there's nothing more been posted about it on the city's website.

I think the roots of ‘fascist’ lie further back than that: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasces

Still seems funny to see those two extra platforms where the car parking used to be between 11 and what were 12 and 13, and are now 14 and 15.

It was school photograph time here recently - timed so they’re bought to be sent with Christmas cards? Anyway, the ones we got of grandkids were a beautiful illustration (sorry!) of the difference between a technically competent photographer and a really good one. The one of our granddaughter was a nice, routine pose. The ones of two grandsons, at a different school, really captured their quite different personalities.

A framed art print I'd bought arrived yesterday. I've been trying to find a print of this painting for some time. The original is in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow, but they do not sell prints of it. I got this one from a company in Austin, Texas. (?!) Amongst other people in the painting, it shows children playing at something my wife played at as a child, at a place where she played, and at a time when she would have been playing there. There's no child in the picture that could be her, but it's a very nostalgic image for her.

Just a correction - the user involved is not offering prints of any photographs, including mine, for sale. SmugMug sent the message I supplied onwards to the user. I heard nothing from the user. I also heard nothing further from SmugMug support. I contacted support again and they said they would forward my request to their “Trust and Safety” team for further advice. They reported that that team said “We have completed our review of your request and have determined that applicable law, and our contract with the user that posted the content you mentioned, restrict our ability to take further action on your request.” and recommended that, if I wanted to take it further, I should contact the user directly. Can you sing “There’s a hole in my bucket”? Has anyone else dealt with SmugMug with regard to other users posting their material?

Shades of Y2K!!

Longer version: One fine day, in the middle of the night Two dead men got up to fight. Back to back they faced each other, Drew their swords and shot each other.

I left my cellphone service provider earlier this year. Our son has a family plan with much better terms and my wife and I transferred to that. I had a “pre-paid” plan with the previous provider, and there was a bit of money on it. The terms of the contract seemed to say that any money paid was not refundable, but I thought it was worth trying. So, early in July I phoned and asked about a refund. If they had said “No” at that point, I would have grumbled but accepted it. However, the rep said “Yes”. (Whether he should have or not, I don’t know.) That started a series of phone calls, as various reasons were given why the promised refund had not turned up. At one point, I even had to open another account and be sent, and activate, a new SIM card. About two weeks ago, I was promised that I would receive a cheque in seven to ten days. As of this morning, no cheque had arrived, and I was preparing for the next phone call and wondering if it was worth escalating, just on principle. Then the mail arrived, including a cheque for $136.07! My wife’s name is on the cheque, since it had originally been her account, but she says I put in the effort, so I can have it all. As they say, I won’t spend it all in one shop.

I was given to understand that there is a brand of adhesive tape sold in Australia which goes by the name of 'Durex'. A prim young Australian lady I worked with in the UK was quite embarrassed when she asked for tape by that name in a UK shop soon after arriving in the country.

As was ‘z’ for the letter ‘yogh’ in early printed Scots. Hence ‘Menzies’ often being pronounced as spelled, rather than ‘Mingies’. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogh

We’ve only been on one cruise - to the eastern Caribbean. Friends who were avid ‘cruisers’ persuaded us to go with them and made all the arrangements. We did enjoy it, but that’s it ticked off the ‘to do’ list and we’ve not felt we really need to go on another. (After getting off the ship in Fort Lauderdale, we drove down to Key West. Now, that’s something I would happily do again!) The one cruise I might want to do is the one that Jamie has described just above, through the Panama Canal. Every year (this, of course being the exception), all the cruise ships that have been sailing out of Vancouver to Alaska all summer re-position to the Caribbean for the winter. There’s another fleet moves the opposite way in the spring. There are usually bargains to be had on these trips.

In the April 1999 edition of ‘Steam Days’, there’s an article titled “Firing the ‘Long Meg’”, based on an interview with a former Kingmoor fireman, about the working of the anhydrite trains on the northern part of their route, as far as Blea Moor. There are photographs of both southbound loads and northbound empties. 11 9Fs are mentioned, either in the text or in photo captions. 9 are Kingmoor engines. One may have been a Speke Junction engine, but is mentioned as being used in the month in which it was transferred from there to Kingmoor. The only definitely ‘foreign’ 9F is 92239 of York shed, photographed in July 1966. Engines of other classes mentioned as being used on these trains in the time covered by the article are 8Fs from Newton Heath and Holbeck, and a Kingmoor Britannia(!!).

There is coffee, but no biccies (or cake!).