PupCam

I had a call on my mobile yesterday from the "National Fraud Office" (from a mobile number) and they were keen to tell me via an automated message (took them ages to press the play button) that my National Insurance Number had been suspended. I didn't wait to find out how this could be fixed I just told them to B off! I've noticed that many "agencies" are now using mobiles to contact their "clients". BT Open Reach obviously just priced themselves out of the market then no doubt

In the world of classic motorcycles that would be described as "an honest engine with bags of patina"

Sorry to hear your story, I fear it is typical rather than unusual these days. A short while before I jacked in the daily grind a couple of years ago I was down to have my 6 monthly check-up at the local GPs and, as a precursor, blood tests etc were arranged ( "No a fasting blood test is not required on this occasion") and a follow up visit to discuss the results with the doctor was made for 3 weeks time. So, on the appointed test day I got up, had breakfast, dropped by the GP's surgery for the blood letting and then went on my merry way to work. The next morning whilst engaged in a particularly tricky rocket science problem I got a phone call from the surgery that went something along the lines of: Surgery - "Hello Mr Puppers, it's the surgery here we've got your results back. I see you have an appointment to see the doctor in 3 weeks time but the doctor would like to see you sooner so can we bring the appointment forward?" Puppers - "Oh yes, that should be OK, when do you want to make it?" Surgery - "Sometime today?" Puppers (slightly anxious) - "Er, yes, OK this afternoon after 3:00?" Surgery - "OK, 3:30 this afternoon, See you then" Later that same day in the doctors consulting room with a new, never seen before doctor Doctor - "Ah Mr Puppers, sorry to bring your appointment forward like that but I've looked at your results and I'm very concerned that you are now diabetic" Puppers - "Oh no! Don't you have to have a fasting blood test to determine that?" Doctor - "Yes" Puppers - "Well I was told I didn't need a fasting blood test on this occasion so I didn't and I had breakfast before coming to the surgery" Doctor - "Ah! That would explain it, we'll need to repeat the tests and you will need to fast beforehand. While you are here I'll just check your blood pressure" A short delay while blood pressure is checked .... Doctor - " Your blood pressure is very high Mr Puppers" A little voice in Pupper's head - "No Sh1t Sherlock!" I understand the new doctor has now left the practice. As it happens I need to see the doctor for something (you know, like have a proper consultation and examination not a 5 minute phone call while they are probably checking there Emails or RMWeb posts). What's the chances of getting such an appointment at the moment? I know, I'll go and buy a lottery ticket instead. Alan

And not forgetting his drag reducing Carrots on Victors etc.

Surely not! Are you certain that your tiler is using the right product and hasn't mistakenly been applying the complimentary (but far less useful) Self Sloping Compound? It's many years (35+) since I've used SLC but the clue was in the name ...... You put down a layer over the surface to be levelled and, well, it was done (mainly with the help of the combination of its viscosity before setting and gravity). Unless of course there's a significant but local perturbation in the direction of gravity in Bearland in which case perhaps SSC would be more appropriate?

Don't know what the "critical" temperature for magnesium castings is but if it's somewhat higher than 380C you might get away with using Alutite (like "solder" for aluminium and alloys, no flux required). That's what I used in the photo of the Amal Carb repair I posted yesterday. I've used it quite a bit, it's marvellous stuff with just a couple of rules: 1) Melt the Alutite onto the base material and scrape through the molton surface with a sharp steel point (I use an old sharpened rat-tail needle file) to "tin" the surfaces to be joined. 2) "Sweat" the two components together. 3) Use it very sparingly - don't get it where you don't want it as it's very hard to remove afterwards. The soldering terms are in quotes because it isn't solder obviously. Available from Permagrit tools but is not cheap (but lasts a long time). Usual caveat, just a satisfied customer. Here's a little dummy Smiths Chronometric speed gearbox I rustled up from a couple of turnings "Alutited" together.

A chance to crack on with another loco kit then perchance? I thought Khaki, Battleship Grey (Light, Mid and Dark) and Camo colours were more up you street Brian? Dare one mention that minefields are frowned on these days and you'll need to come up with another metaphor for fear of offending someone in this soft and cuddly age in which we live?

Oh I'm sorry, but it's been a while since I sniffed the Trich, I sort of fell off the wagon temporarily (that's probably why I fell off!) How very noble of you, but don't forget others are available to help with, shall we say, the more practical aspects of your research (i.e, Scoffing copious quantities of LDC). Yes lathe up and running some time ago with some nice new, modern switch gear to replace the knackered and dangerous old Dewhurst switch and non-existent NVR switch. I've already done lots of useful work with it and it's a shame I didn't get one 20 years ago! Although many would be amazed at the extent and diversity of the work I've done on the old Unimat 3 over the years. I even used it as an optical bench on one occasion but that's another story ....

Surely they wouldn't ........... As was suggested, one for every 500,000+ is hardly statistically significant when, if I recall, there are a number of other causes of blood clots that predate both Covid and its vaccines. One of which, if I maybe so bold, may include unusually high levels of ingestion of LDC. Of course, there's some fascinating research to be carried out to determine what the safe levels of LDC consumption really are. I don't suppose there are any volunteers around here that would willingly help such research? No, thought not

What a remarkable piece of work! Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Alan

Thanks that is good to know. Is there a handy, concise and definitive list (I'm sure there must be!) of all of the necessary actions in such cases? I will have to do this at some point during the next few years because of the relentless march of time ....

Ah, Bragbury End, I remember that. Could never understand why the Club house was so far away from the place of employment. Oh, come to think of it, remembering Hatfield, yes I can. Rocket Science Barry O? The hardest bit was always getting people to make a (the correct) decision ......

Ideal apocryphal fodder for the Darwin awards Cretingham so close to Cretinham although that may be how it's pronounced in Suffolk ... Talking of Suffolk, is it time for another episode of Brian from Melton yet?

I thought I was in a time warp! Having wasted far too much money replacing the thermostat and far too much time recently building an Arduino based fridge / freezer monitor to make the rubbish old Beko work properly in the cold garage. Plan A was to provide a little heat to the thermostat to trick it into thinking the ambient temperature was higher than it was and thus cause the Bxxxxx thing to work (some manufactures actual sell a "garage kit" which is precisely that, a little heating element that sits inside the thermostat housing and is wired across the supply) I have to say I'm favouring Plan B. Forget the thermostat and let the Arduino drive the compressor directly. Always best to cut out the middle man ....... Sorry Bear, no cake yet. I'll try harder next time Puppers

WHAT! What on earth is one of those! Good heavens Bear - you're retired and no longer need to wake up let alone get up just so that you can race in to "that place" to claim poll position in the car park. Now, let's have no more talk of such things. It's bad enough with all this talk of decorating ...... Puppers

Have you tried using a pin vice? Turned between thumb and forefinger much more controllable (but a slower job) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Starrett-162A-Vice-0-0-040-Range/dp/B001VY1R2Y/ref=sr_1_16?dchild=1&keywords=pin+vice&qid=1615242111&sr=8-16 Alan

Absolutely brilliant Laurie, PM sent. I have a confession to make - I've only just twigged that its 2mm not 4mm which makes it even more remarkable! Alan

That's excellent! I love devious solutions to problems and wasn't thinking along those lines. I've built a couple of very small R/C cars in the past, many years ago when the technology just wasn't there (we are very fortunate today) but they weren't 4mm/ft shunting tractor small by a long way! But now ...... I'm not so sure

Sorry! Late to the party on this, it's absolutely marvellous. Any chance of any technical details and/or photos; home brew R/C link, motors, battery etc? Disorientation when driving? You should try R/C model flying! Alan

The thing that sticks out the most (by a country mile) in this photograph in my, most humble, opinion is ....... .... the colour of Tornado, whoever thought that blue was a good colour for such a locomotive (whether originally or more recently)? TAKE COVER! Now where's my tin hat? Alan

I'm sure everybody is Tony. To not be would be to suggest some people are "normal" and I'm also fairly certain there is no such thing as that! Alan

Tony it's amazing how different people look at things in completely different ways! Do you know I was almost completely unaware of the trains (in those shots that have them) in fact I just had another quick flick through to reminded myself that there were actually some photographs with trains present. Clearly I haven't bothered studying the trains, they were just getting in the way of the subject of my interest in these books - the glorious GN architecture and of course the marvellous OS maps. With regard to the shots of trains out on the open main line but with no architecture/infrastructure interest; I do believe that I've given them only the most cursory of glances. Now in the shots of say, New Barnet under the platform canopies or of the covered entrances I can still smell those characteristic odours that lingered around such places and as for the old cars in the station car parks, well that's a different thing entirely! On reflection I could now be slightly critical of the books inasmuch as there are too many photographs where the non-train interest is obscured by those pesky trains to which you refer or there is no non-train interest at all which, given the purpose of the volumes, just seems to be a waste of valuable space. However, and as I mentioned previously, these are by far the best books available covering the subject matter unless of course others know better and in which case will you please spill the beans? Anyway, I find the different viewpoints quite fascinating! Alan

I thought as much! At the same exhibition and from the same stand I also bought a copy of "Deltics - A Personal Recollection". When I got home I found it went very well with the copy I already had - Doh!

I acquired Vols 1 & 2 of Peter Coster's "The Book of the Great Northern, The Mainline, An Engineering Commentary" shortly after they emerged. I seem to recall a lot of criticism (certainly within the GNRS of which I was a member) of the books short comings and inaccuracies but I think I must have been looking at different books! I find them to be a fascinating, informative and in the case of the north London / Hertfordshire entries nostalgic books. Yes I'm sure there are errors but they are certainly by far the best books on the subject that I have ever come across. What do you mean there are no other books on the subject? - Exactly! I often find myself plucking one of them from the bookshelf for a few minutes pondering, something which can't be said for the vast majority of books in my fairly extensive book collection that continue to gather dust. I'm also amused to see that in the photograph of Welwyn North's car park in Vol 2, the Austin Seven Mini's registration number is numerically less than ten from that of my first car, an Austin Seven Mini that I purchased from a private seller less than two miles from that very station! Whilst we are on about inaccuracies and Bloopers, I purchased a copy of "Diesel Dawn - 1 Deltics" at the Stevenage exhibition in January and I quote from the first page; "... and the petrol (Napier) 'Sabre' famously powered the Gloster 'Typhoon', built from 1941". It didn't, it powered the Hawker Typhoon albeit built at Gloster's Hucclecote works as a matter of wartime expediency, aided by the fact that Gloster were actually part of the ever-growing Hawker establishment by then. Many years later Gloster's produced the Gloster Javelin which entered service as Britain's first operational delta winged aircraft. It was never a Hawker Javelin ...... Nevertheless, some fabulous photographs of Deltics to which I'm very partial! Alan

I too have dabbled with the DCC++ project and apart from my Deek Robot motorshield not wanting to play at first (not sure how I actually fixed it!) it works very well. I have a suitable project box for it and just need to install the Arduino/motor shield boards and provide some suitable terminations. I haven't gone down the WiFi route yet but I have a couple of modules I got for a another Arduino project (a motorcycle GPS route tracker) but didn't use so I'll have a go at that at some point. The "Processing" environment for the user interface isn't that bad actually (the IDE is very similar to the Arduino "Scratch and Sniff") although the programming of the layout plan is rather clunky. I've replaced his layout with mine which, as the layout is a plank of wood with two lengths of 7mm Peco track on, is extremely simple! I've also configured the first loco interface to control a DigiTrains 08 decoder and it seems to work very well. For the price of an Arduino and a motor shield board the system is truly excellent and means that you'll never have to remember the code to get the 08 driver to scratch his right ear is Shift F23 on your NEC Powercab which has to be a bonus. Like Justin, I found the YouTube videos particularly useful and interesting. Anyway, see it works - do you like the complex track plan? Alan