johnarcher

9 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Hi John

 

It is still sitting there waiting for its chance to make you unwell again, but it will be shingles if it does not chicken pox. I hope that you do not get shingles again.

Thank you, I hope not too, but better that than chicken pox.

On 15/09/2019 at 23:10, Clive Mortimore said:

I use to care for patients with server shingles and the hospital doctors would prescribe an anti viral like Zovirax and Gabapentin, which is an anti convulsive and  is very good with nerve pain. The Herpes Zoster virus (chicken pox and shingles) lays dormant in your spine after you have been infected with chicken pox. At times of low body resistance and in many cases high stress levels out it trots along a nerve route. It is very painful so the patients told me. We use to try and help with the itchyness of the pustules with Calamine lotion applied several times a day.

 

There is now a vaccine to prevent shingles available to those in the 70 to 80 years age group.

 

Shingles is highly infectious so please keep away from anyone who has never had chicken pox. As an 18 year old soldier I was hospitalised with bad chicken pox because the Medical Officer did not isolate a chap who had shingles and was in the same barrack room as me.

 

Chicken pox in adults kills more people than Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, yet many GPs do not understand the seriousness of it. With adults the pustules can start to form in the mouth and throat causing airway obstruction, I looked after a chap where they were present in his bronchial tubes, he survived, was very poorly for a long time afterwards. Or the virus gets in the blood stream and infects multiple organs and the patient dies very quickly of organ failure.

 

It is not a "childhood disease" it is a life long infection, so please do not hold chicken pox parties for kids, "so it gets it out the way", just ask an adult with shingles.   

Clive, may I bother you woth a question?

I had shingles about 8 years ago, quite nasty but not as bad as some here have described.

Still that presumably means the virus is hiding in my spine, and could re-appear.  Do you know is there any risk of it re-appearing as chicken pos rather than as shingles? I ask as I am not only older now (69), but have quite severe emphysema/COPD, so the bronchial effects you mention could be very serious.

If there is any such risk maybe I'll talk to my doctor about the vaccine.

1 hour ago, APOLLO said:

Gordon Bennett !!

 

Back to the caves folks --- PUT THAT BL**BY FIRE OUT BARNEY - Haven't you heard about global warming  !!!

 

 

There will be NO living soon without politically correct intervention in every action we do, every word we speak. (expect a club at the back 'ot yed in a thousand years or so!!).

 

Brit15

It's about the results of science, which has nothing to do with political correctness.

The fact that increasing gases like CO2 in the atmosphere has a warming effect has no more to do with political correctness than the fact that you drop if you step off a high building

6 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Not strictly correct of course - we make steel, we make cars and aircraft and aircraft components, we refine oil and we have chemical plants plus we have some sold fuel fire power stations.  And we have a massive amount of road traffic.

 

A couple of the UK's 'yellow' flags mark a small part of that remaining and continuing industrial effort but an important factor is that a lot of that stuff is now being done in a much cleaner and less polluting manner than iisted to be the case.  but if they were showing far more town/city centre monitoring where traffic is a big element I think we'd find teh situation to be worse than all those 'greens' suggest - as in the Cardiff example which will inevitably be down to road traffic.

You're right of course, we still do some making, and I believe in some cases manage to do it in a cleaner manner than once was the case.

But the fact remains that a lot of manufactured items bought here, that might once have been made here, are now made in China or other parts of the world.

Each of those is a bit of our pollution that is counted as someone else's, indeed, considering what you say about cleaner manufacturing here, if they are produced somewhere that hasn't made that improvement then the pollution is not just exported but also increased!?

15 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

All I can see is the "The End Of The World Is Nigh" types has changed from dirty old men with sandwich boards to naïve young kids on the internet.

 

People have been saying it's the end of the world for thousands of years. Every one was a crank. Has it happened yet? Nope. Move along. Nothing to see here.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dates_predicted_for_apocalyptic_events

 

 

And before people start saying "The experts say this or that", I think we've had enough of so called experts over the last few years. Just because someone went to Uni for a few years doesn't make them wise. Most "environmentalists" are biased anyway, so of course they are going to predict doom and gloom.

 

 

 

Jason

That some predictions in the past have been wrong doresn't mean all predictions always are. Remember saying it's not true, it will all be OK is a prediction too.

What matters is the evidence the prediction is based on, and do the people making it know what they're talking about.

Also, of course, we're not talking about a prediction of something that might or might not happen in the future, but rather about how far and how fast processes will go that we can see happening now.

Had enough of experts? Well they are, of course, not infallible (nobody is) but someone who has studied something for years is less likely to talk uninformed twaddle than somebody who knows much less about it.

Actually it takes more than a few years to establish a position in climate science. Anyway someone who studied something for a few years is actually likely to know more about it than someone who has never studied it at all, maybe not wise just better-informed.

'We've had enough of experts'- who's 'we'? Not everybody obviously.

Still those who have had enough of experts no doubt would prefer to fly in a plane piloted by someone with no training (but he has made a couple of Airfix kits).  If the untrained shouldn't control a plane, why not base running something far more complex like the climate on the best-informed opinion?

2 hours ago, Mike Bellamy said:

For a dockyard scene, I would suggest that a model boat supplier should have what you need - such as here

 

https://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/index.html

 

Problem is that you can't tell from the photos if it will look right - do you have any similar shops locally ?

 

.

As an ex ship modeller I was going to suggest that.

There's also https://www.model-dockyard.com/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?WD=rigging&PN=Amati_Rigging_Cord.html#a4124_2f63

As someone generally of a more western disposition I must admit I do like J69's (and 68's and J15's).

And that's enough shameful secrets for tonight.

52 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

The for-profit automotive companies have done just that. Practical electric vehicles are available - suitable for all short distance commuting needs. Longer distance driving can be accommodated with hybrids, or in some countries, public transport. There is an infrastructure problem with charging that is quite solvable, even if expensive.

 

The infrastructure problem is no different to the adoption of the automobile in the first place. For how many years did automotive enthusiasts have to make a trip to the chemist for their fuel? The establishment of a network of petrol stations took decades to evolve and it did so when the affordable automotive tipping point arrived with the Ford Model T.  We're not quite at the affordable tipping point with EVs, but it will come and I don't think it is more than 10 years away, certainly less than a generation. Vehicle autonomy is a wildcard that could cause the flip separately from motive energy.

 

If we leave aside aircraft and shipping which contribute much less (around 2% - 3% of global CO2 each, from a total of 29% of US CO2 / 15% of global CO2 for transportation), the issue with sustainable transport is really about electrical power generation. This is where the focus of reducing greenhouse gas emissions really needs the political/socio-economical will.  In the US in 2016, transportation actually exceeded power generation in CO2 emissions for the first time ever. As people move to EVs, this puts pressure back on power generation.

 

I think you're right, but also think that it would take a lot of government support and intervention to get the shift to EV's happening on a big enough scale soon enough to really help.

There are the infrastructure and generation issues you mention which would need serious investment, also the cost of vehicles. Think how many people could not consider buying a new car (of any type), so EV's will need to be around for some years presumably before there are affordable second-hand ones?

1 hour ago, APOLLO said:

This is an interesting map - Real-time Air Quality Index Visual Map - Look at China

 

https://aqicn.org/map/china/

 

Then look at the UK (zoom in)

 

https://aqicn.org/map/europe/

 

Currently on a scale of 1 (good) to 500 (very bad) Wigan is 17 (good - green) - London Marylebone 56 (moderate - yellow). Most of Western Europe seems OK (ish). Norther Italy and Eastern Europe less so.

 

Over in China a sea of amber and red & worse. I suppose Wigan was like that 100 years ago when we had coal mines, steel works and zillions of cotton mills - now all gone - mostly to China !!!

 

Note there are several extremely hazardous places on the world map- Edirne Turkey 824, What the hell goes on there (the scale supposedly goes up only to 500) ? Dìqū Zhàn, Hotan China 457 etc etc.

 

Looks to me like our Greeta needs to get over to these places sharpish on her yacht and cry her eyes out there . THAT IS WHERE THE BULK OF THE PROBLEM IS - But will they listen ?

 

Brit15

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other words we don't make stuff anymore, just buy it from China - we import the stuff and export the effects of making it.

27 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

At a recent US Congressional hearing, the 16 year old in question recently said "don't listen to me, listen to the scientists".

She did, and people should. But that doesn't stop some using the approach I quoted as an excuse for ignoring them.

2 minutes ago, Reorte said:

 

Exactly what I'm getting at. Unfortunately the media is notoriously bad at scientific reporting, even on non-controversial subjects.

That's true, look at all the over-hyped stuff about positives or negatives of certain foods, when the original researcher would probably be a lot more measured.

The other problem is it gives some who prefer not to see the problem a way out - the "why should I believe it because a 16 year-old girl says so" line, obscuring the fact that what matters is the work of thousands of scientists.

2 hours ago, Reorte said:

 

Not necessarily. It's easy to dismiss the ones who are in complete conflict with it. The others though, they run the risk of provoking a "boy who cried wolf" response.

If you mean the ones who are in complete conflict with the overwhelming scientific evidence it's not only easy to dismiss their views but sensible to do so.

The crying wolf effect comes when warnings are given but nothing happens, in this case there is abundant evidence that things are happening.

Though I wouldn't deny that over-dramatic warnings may have an effect as you say, it would be better if the media quoted actual scientists a bit more often rather than celebrities or politicians some times.

52 minutes ago, Reorte said:

 

I'm saying that the underlying mentality of either bunch of campaigners is pretty similar, even if one of them happens to align more with what the science says. Neither of them are taking a particularly hard look at the science when it doesn't say what they want it to say - that may result in one group ignoring it altogether and another ignoring some of it, but as I said "we're all going to die" really isn't any better than "everything's fine."

If one viewpoint aligns more with the science that seems a pretty crucial difference to me.

I haven't actually heard many saying "we're all going to die", that would be a bit beyond the evidence, but it's pretty clear that "there's a serious problem that we need to do something about pretty urgently" is a lot better than "everything's fine".

35 minutes ago, Reorte said:

 

Quite possibly. I'll put it down to the period of sustained, and utterly insane, population growth. But that's too much of a political hot potato to do anything with other than resolutely ignore.

 

It does when what we hear far more of are what those campaigners are saying, and there's no reason to have more belief in their visions than those who pretend nothing's happening. Both lots generally have their preconceptions and just latch on to whatever fits them (to a greater or lesser degree) and ignore the parts that don't. "We're all going to die!" isn't any better than "Zero chance of anything negative happening at all."

Obviously population growth is a large part of it, but so also is the level of use of resources per capita.

I'm not sure why you say there is no more reason to have belief in one position than the other. Surely, whoever may be advocating something, one can wonder what is the basis of that view and what the evidence for it is. Then you can look past the speaker and see that one view is suppoerted by the vast majority of climate scientists, summed up in studies like the IPCC report, while the other view has, perhaps, less visible means of support.

After all we do that on other issues, or we'd end up saying that the view that the Earth is flat is as good as the globular outlook, or that young Earth creationism makes as much sense as evolution and geology.

Thanks Bill, what sort of price would they be?

Which raises a question. I've not used the Mashima 1015 either, but have occasionally read some less than enthusiastic comments by those who have.

Is the Mashima sufficiently better than the other three to be worth the extra cost? (Which, when you live on not a lot of pension, is a real consideration).

If some people have now used some of these Chinese etc motors, may I beg the benefit of that experience.

I shall need a 1015 size motor before long, there seem to be three possibilities

The 10mm square 6 pole on eBay

The N20 (also eBay)

The N-drive 1015.

Any suggestions which would be preferable (with 54:1 High Level gearbox)?

My concern is not really with power or even longevity, but being for light use on a light railway more for smooth starting and slow running.

8 hours ago, Reorte said:

 

Fair comment, and one I get fed up of hearing in a similar fashion whenever I express my considerable dissatisfaction with various aspects of the modern world. But on the other hand there is a point where their behaviour might start to get hypocritical.

No doubt there are hypocrites among climate campaigners (what cause hasn't got some?), no doubt also in some ways they are forced to be somewhat hypocritical as nobody can live totally independently of how their society is organised.

But the case being made doesn't depend on the consistency or virtue of campaigners, or on sandalled people with beards, but on the consistent and near-unanimous findings of a lot of knowledgeable climate scientists, whose results are open to scrutiny if anyone has any real science to contradict them.

If things have got to the point where the suggested cures sound intolerable to many people, isn't that because the accumulating evidence has been ignored or dismissed for decades, allowing the problem to grow?

I'll revive this ancient thread to ask, as there is no kit, does anyone know if a decent drawing of these has been published, preferably in a magazine.

IIRC there is a basic drawing in Russell, but I no longer have a copy and can't buy one for the sake of one drawing.

4 hours ago, flubrush said:

 

John,

 

Nowadays,  another solution is to use a 3D printer to do the boiler fittings and you can either use the 3D prints on the model,  or use it as a master for lost wax casting.   I know that a 3D printer can be as expensive as a small lathe so maybe not for you to do it yourself.  But find somebody who can do a print for you.  In the SSMRS,  that could be me. :-)   I've already done prints of a Y7 chimney for some members and Caledonian chimneys and domes for myself.  So if you can find a good drawing of what you ewant I can print it in S scale.   3D printing can be a godsend for S scale since modellers building locomotives usually only want one or two of any particular fitting,  which can mean a lot of expense if you want one or two made or cast.

 

Jim.

Thank you, I certainly couldn't think of doing the printing myself (not just the cost of the printer, but also being too much of an aged Luddite to get to grips with the necessary CAD or other software).

I'll bear your kind offer in mind, if I do try this (and you are incre\asing the temptation by removing that hurdle), I will certainly be in touch.

Thanks again

12 hours ago, ScottW said:

 

Vol. 2 issues 3 & 4. I can’t recommend it enough to anyone wanting to have a go at scratchbuilding their own wagons. It was this article that got me started. Over the years I have tweaked the techniques to suit my own style of building but they are basically the same.

 

When I started in S Scale there were a number of things I was hesitant about. The thing that stops us from having a go is the fear of failure, We keep telling ourselves that we can’t do it and so we don’t, because that’s the easy route to take. Over the years, especially back in the early days, I had many false starts and for a while I flicked back and fourth between 4mm and S. One day I took a long hard look at my modelling as I felt I wasn’t achieving anything except half made kits. I decided then that I was going to make a serious go at S Scale. All the things I was hesitant about I would have a go at. If I failed, and I did, I would pick myself up, learn from my mistakes and have another go. Yes it can be disheartening when we fail but nothing beats the satisfaction you get when you have reached your goal.

Thank you, I'll see if I can get hold of those issues.

The thing with boiler fittings is not so much not having a go, but feeling that one really needs a lathe. I'm quite happy to use a lathe, have done in the past, but nowadays I couldn't afford to buy one, and would have nowhere to put it if I could.

I appreciate the words of encouragement though.

On 07/09/2019 at 08:07, ScottW said:

Thanks, Jim.

 

With the use of microstrip, scratchbuilding a wagon IS just as easy as building a kit. The downside is it does take a little longer but the bonus is you can build something a little bit different, not to mention the immense satisfaction you get from building something from scratch.

 

Years ago Simon de Souza wrote a two part article in the magazine Model Railways Illustrated. If they can find a copy I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone thinking of having a go.

 

 

Do you happen to know which MORILL issues that was, I'd like to have a look?

Nice work with the wagons, I'm tempted ny S, I think boiler fittings are one thing that makes me hesitate. (That and natural indecision!).

10 hours ago, Nick Mitchell said:

 

This evening I've made a little film showing off my 9F shuffling a few engineers' wagons on a small shunting layout called Clive Road Sidings, while doing its party trick with the reversing gear.

 

The loco is built from the Bob Jones (Fence Houses Model Foundry) kit, with a few little additions of my own. The layout was built many years ago by Mark Fielder, and is now my test track. The wagons (which were also on the competition table at STEAM) are all built from Stephen Harris etched kits.

 

 

I was going to click 'like', but that's not strong enough.

That is simply wonderfully excellent, not only the valve gear but the smooth slow running too.

I had to add a PS - as I was just considering the actual size of all that neat pipework. You have a trained flea with a microscopic soldering iron?

I would add from personal experience (long ago when I had more space) while it is probably a good idea having tracks no more than 2' 6" or 3ft from the front it's no problem having wider boards if they are separable boards that can be worked on from both sides (making scenics etc), even if the back can't be reached in normal use.

I just thought that worth mentioning because less than 3ft width is a bit limiting for 7mm scale, especially if you are interested in modelling the setting as well as the railway, which, from your mention of a model village you seem to be.

Some sort of terminus to fiddle yard set up on quite wide boards would fit well I should think, and give some scope for the buildings.

A through station would be possible, thou an extra fiddle yard loses a fair bit of length in that scale.

Just a thought - Culmstock was a smallish through station, with attractive buildings close to the station.

While on the subject of cathedrals, a nostalgic excursion. Does anyone else remember an article in RM (early '60's?) re a cathedral made from cigar-box wood, called Minford or something similar? Vaguely recalled as a decent piece of modelling I think, but especially as an engagingly-written article.

On 03/09/2019 at 09:09, Colin_McLeod said:

Heritage railways are trying to model the past in 304.8mm scale, but like a lot of 4mm models they have too much stock for the baseboard, unrelated stock and way too much track. Just my 2d worth as to why they make an unpopular layout subject. Who wants to model an unrealistic model!

 

This is not a criticism of heritage railways, I love them; it's my Response to the OP.

Their weathering is often not so good.