MrWolf

Such a confusing array of switches on the Triumph...

I rather like scary old electrical items, like this one which lurks in our living room. Rewired, cleaned and tested by my brother in law, a former aircraft engineer, it's absolutely fine. The components are so heavy duty, you'd have to look inside a modern military radio to find anything similar.

But not those bubble switches used on 80s and 90s Fords, replace rear fog light switch every MOT.

If you work with your hands as I do, you'd find that touch screens are an absolute pain in the backside, everything from your phone and tablets to cash machines and cars. They can't always sense fingers that are in any way dry or calloused, only soft and slightly damp ones. Like a tree frog with a desk job. As for touch screens on motorcycles, pull up somewhere safe, take off your gloves... You get the idea. I prefer clunky switches.

"Self-Drive Cars and You: A History Longer than You Think" https://velocetoday.com/self-drive-cars-and-you-a-history-longer-than-you-think/

Today's amusement was provided by the 20mph zone in the next village. As it's a twisting, narrow road with high stone retaining walls and various 300+ year old buildings directly on the road side which has been the site of numerous fatalities, I don't find it as ridiculous as most. There's signs, red bands of tarmac and big white 20 symbols on the road and recently humps have been added. We were driving along at twenty (about 22-23 on the clap-o-meter) and behind us was a P.O.S. old VW Polo driven by a potato head and behind that a large Mercedes. The Polo decided to overtake us and as he got alongside pulled a stupid face at Miss Riding Hood in the driver's seat. She didn't hit the horn or swear at him, just pointed calmly ahead at the rapidly approaching blind left hander. Cue panicked acceleration from the potato head as we and the Mercedes braked and waited for the bang. Lucky for him the Polo got around the corner and away. The memsahib didn't say a word, just made a gesture with her little finger which suggested that the Polo driver either has or possibly is a pitifully small male member...

What's an FSD level 5? * I checked the 1959 Standard - Triumph parts book, no mention of it, so I probably don't need one anyway.

Indeed he can, which is the oft shouted mantra of the banger racers who will spend over £2000 on a classic car that is restorable just for the fun of being able to say to everyone else "It's mine, I can smash it up". I had a disagreement with some older chap who was busy modifying a mid 1950s Matchless motorcycle "because it wasn't safe in modern traffic", (I suspected that he'd scared himself at some point.) He was fitting a disc front brake, so needed modern anti dive forks to accommodate it and the associated re-engineering of the steering head bearing. He was also fitting indicators, hazard flashers, halogen lamps and an alternator to power it all. He was busy telling us about his struggles with finding a disc brake rear wheel that would fit in the Matchless swinging arm rear fork, or a fork that could be made to fit the Matchless frame when I asked: "If you want all that, why not just go out and buy a five year old Honda?"

I thought there was nowt going on, but there's been a fair bit of figuring out what I need to do and importantly what order I need to do it in. Unfortunately the White Rabbit has been giving me lots of stick about all the other things I need to do. He isn't the slightest bit bothered that in this Wonderland, Alice isn't a precocious little blonde girl, but a potty little brunette with access to unstable chemicals...

70 year old motorcycle components in fact! I haven't given up on Aston or completely disappeared down the rabbit hole, I've been up to my ears with work, home and getting the 500cc BSA Star Twin put back together after the fire last summer. Of course, it became a complete rebuild of the "I might as well do it now because the bike is totally dismantled" variety. I've also acquired a couple of 250 BSA's from 1951 and 53, these had been dismantled forty five years ago and partly reassembled with no regard to what part came from what bike. I'm actually looking forward to making some more trees!

Ditto. I'm also a cyclist and I find the pair of them embarrassing.

Nice bit of carcass failure. Is it just me, or would anyone else like to stick something sharp into those bubbles?

It looks like it's been off the edge of the layout and another nose panel bodged on. Might also explain the dodgy chassis?

I do enjoy the regular postings from Dewchurch, it's good to know that the Beeching axe hasn't fallen yet, even though I don't often get time to comment, keep them coming, they're always inspiring and entertaining. Rob

I'm suffering from the after effects of that at present. I have two motorcycles of the same make and model, manufactured only two years apart which were dismantled forty five years ago by someone who started to "restore" them. Naturally, there's bits everywhere... I've spent hours measuring, trial fitting, reading old manuals, parts books and factory bulletins as well as trawling the internet and bothering those in the know whilst untangling everything. It's been emotional!

For me the black and white picture looks like some real place back in the 1930s and the colour one is like being able to time travel.

The DVLA seems to have not been all that concerned in the past with Isle of Man registered cars that had been sold off to the mainland. My school metalwork teacher had an ancient Triumph Herald 1200 estate on an IOM plate, displaying a K registration when the last sold here were on a J. (IIRC the island began the letter series a year before us.) It still wore its MAN plate in the late 1980s.

The Cumbrian Railways Association has some very good books available, I'd certainly recommend The Pilling Pig to anyone interested in light railways, especially as it became part of the big four and eventually British Railways. I also have a copy of Lancaster's Line To The Sea. "BOOKS" https://cumbrianrailways.org.uk/books.php

Quite the transformation I would say! Note to self: Must not start another project before getting the others finished.....

I suspect that is more to do with the current style of registration number being rather non memorable rather than your memory breaking down. I remember the registration number of the old bangers my father owned, (Hillman Minx 9080RE, Vauxhall Viva JJV205F, Hillman Avenger NJF750M, Vauxhall Cavalier YVS692S, but once they started putting letters at the front, I was lost.

You've made a great job of some more of those ordinary items that are seldom if ever modelled. The stink pipes were generally painted mid green or a bluish green to blend in with their surroundings.

Today Little Muddle, tomorrow - the world!

It's interesting to see the large oil lamp on the corner of the building too. In the later photo it has disappeared and there's a row of gas lamps beneath the canopy.

That looks suspiciously like a wash house, the washer itself being built into that odd corner. I do like to see models of things that were once very ordinary but now all but extinct. A very nice job you made of it too.

It occurred to me that the shepherd may have been awake all night worrying sheep. 😜