Florence Locomotive Works

Thank you all for the responses, I’ll certainly check them out especially the Atlantic over the Waverly route. Douglas

This may be a bit extreme but this seems very similar to something like the Romans hosting a gladiator tournament for the victims of hostilities in Carthage. I find it very strange how humanity has to see another human do something uncomfortable to be able to cough up some money. (rant over)

Hello chaps/chapesses Slowly beginning to build up some stock for my large scale NBR collection and I were a wondering if we might of know of any good books about experiences on the NBR? thanks, Douglas

Very very glad I was able to find out what happened to the engine I spent far to much time gawking at on the Station Road Steam website! Its probably the greatest piece of work I've seen come through there. Will you be steaming the engine "in anger" on a club track so to speak? Douglas

That's a very interesting model Mike. Unusually Brunel's biography (by Rolt) only makes passing mentions of it. With regards to the driver sleeping with the horse, its unlikely. Your average horse can only lay down for 3.5 hours before it becomes unable to stand up, unless its going through prolonged labor. That's why stalls are never really big enough for a horse to lie down comfortably in, as its quite an ordeal to stand up a horse, especially a sick one which is when they most often lie down. Douglas

I don’t typically classify any bathroom as exactly being a warm haven of tranquility…

Thanks Mike, Those are full volumes 1 & 2 of “The Steam Engine” by Daniel Kinnear Clark, former CME of the Highland Railway. They are very hard to find but I’m slowly hunting them down. These are the only 1890 original full volume copies I’ve ever seen, my dad bought them as a xmas present for me off the ‘bay. I know someone up in Mass. who has a full set of original half volumes though. Here’s an illustration from Vol 1 showing the Lancashire boilers in a typical cotton mill. They also have a copy of the original indicator diagram for Gooch’s first 4–2-2, I can send a scan should you be interested. Douglas

I know there was one in Bolton in either a station or civic building, Fred Dibnah talked about it. A coin operated rocket is in the care of the Science Museum Group though and I think is stored at Shildon.

Morning all, We’ve gotten about 5 inches of snow since Wednesday, very pretty. Other than that little has happened. Re Cornish pasties: if only they could be had here. I typically just get an empanada when I feel like having one. Douglas

Hello all, Update time. The engine is now more or less finished bar a few detail parts coming from Walsall Model Industries, (Westinghouse pump, brake hangers etc) and construction is now starting on the tender. Here are some photos of the finished loco in its splendid NBR livery except for the polished buffers. The tender is made in the way tenders for large scale engines are usually made, using two flat plates for the frames which are cut and filed to shape. These then have holes drilled in them to clamp them together whence the all holes for axles etc are drilled. These frames are then held in place by the drag beam, the buffer beam and and an internal stretcher with machined steel angles made on the lathe. It’s a very sturdy setup. The current modern bolts will be replaced with cheeseheads soon. The wheels for the tender are castings from Walsall Model Ind which will be machined here in Oklahoma, and I will also be using their GCR pattern axle boxes as I can’t find in any NBR ones and they seem the most similar. The interior of the tender will be filled with batteries and the tank top will be a varnished wooden board with an old style on/off switch on it. Douglas

Yes adding weight to a pendulum is huge no no, but is standard practice if you have a watch running exceedingly fast. My personal 1884 pocket watch (not the one pictured earlier) is running 1.5 hours fast so the balance needs a weight. The Georgians counteracted the expanding of pendulums in the summer and opposite in winter by inventing the mercury pendulum, which has a mercury filled bob which expands/contracts contrary to normal thermal expansion. They are often made as fakes now in carriages clocks but I have seen a real one and we used to keep vials of mercury at the shop to replace broken ones (that's a bad day). I wouldn't say its reluctance to maintain them, but I would say its the ignorance of the owners who often seem to assume that, "well, its been working for 150 years, should be fine for another 100." Without stopping to think it probably had a rebuild every 30 years before they owned it. There is also the fact that people don't even think clock-makers exist any more, something I've experienced first hand. Douglas

Current conditions: Very tranquil and its exceptionally quiet out. (Photo is from a second story window) There’s currently about 4 inches down but 8 is predicted tomorrow. The most I’ve ever seen in Tulsa is 10 inches which fell in 8 hours, on Christmas Eve as well! 2009 I think it was. Douglas

Yes I’ve been over that pass in the summer and even then you’d see vehicles struggling. I would not be jealous of anybody driving now. Mark Knopfler’s “Sailing to Philadelphia” is a very good musical accompaniment to that drive.

It is now what I would call peacefully chucking it down with snow. Very nice to watch.

Afternoon all, Today was a Cyber Day, my schools version of a snow day. Online but no scheduled classes and little work. Very nice. No snow has arrived yet but I believe its about 10 degrees out (old money) with random freezing rain. This evening the snow is too begin and won't stop for another 48 hours. I received two very nice surprise gifts today from my grandmother today. The first is a Tortoise handle umbrella from the 1890s, which has a viscous recoil! I'm not sure its terribly waterproof now either, but is beautifully made. The second is a Tortoise handle walking cane with a secret, it is in fact a concealed sword. This is one of the objects I always used to stare at in wonderment as a child and open when no one was looking. Its now hanging in my room, just in case. Both were bought in New Orleans back in 2000. Douglas THIS JUST IN: freezing rain falling in great quantity now.

Still seems a bit slow over here in the USA, especially loading images. Left laptop for 40 min and none loaded. I would suggest attempting the previously successful banana trick. Big thanks to Andy though for all his work. Douglas

Your welcome! However before go I would call them to ask about how long it will take. You may be waiting a long time depending on whats wrong, their rebuild waiting list is 10 months I believe.

Here you go, http://www.clockworkshop.co.uk

Would you be willing to ship/take it to somewhere else in the UK? The Clock Workshop is quite a good place.

Afternoon all, Re driving fast. I don’t have any experience actually piloting a a car at anything over 25, but I’ve been a passenger at 110 mph. However when I’m karting we are regularly hitting +45 with no suspension and a searing hot engine next to you, and when geared up we can do upwards of 70 mph* on a proper track. (My karts theoretical top speed is 105, most I’ve known it to be clocked at is 98) Its somewhat hair raising especially when the seat bottom scrapes on the track, but after a while you settle into a groove and your mind more or less drifts away from what your doing. That’s typically when you set your best laps oddly enough. Douglas *for anyone concerned, we have to wear full protective gear. I e, abrasion/fire resistant race suit, chest pad (to stop rib separation from seat pressure), neck braces, SNELL rated helmets and special gloves. Most people wear special karting shoes as well which have a rounded and strengthened heel to stop some the pain from your ankles. Here’s what it all looks like:

They often get kinked/broken when they are being moved, often when one is moving house. Your replacement is the correct tonic for the diagnosis though. Sometimes the movements have little friction hooks to hold the pendulum in place while being moved, they are quite hard to see though.

They often get kinked/broken when they are being moved, often when one is moving house. Your replacement is the correct tonic for the diagnosis though. Sometimes the movements have little friction hooks to hold the pendulum in place while being moved, they are quite hard to see though.

As we are on the subject of ticking things I thought we might like to see this. It’s one of my personal projects, (not work related) a 1839 pocket watch Fusee Chain Movement made by Joseph Bretherton of Liverpool (No 2 York Street to exact!). Currently it has a broken balance staff and a jewel which means it’s far from functioning. I can’t replace a balance staff myself, so I’m hiring it out to a CIK 21 certified watchmaker. The broken jewel I have been discussing with Michael Dickson on how to fix it. Douglas

That is true, The Repair Shop has done a great deal for us and I think it’s an excellent show. However, I think it has failed to attract new horologists in any great number due to the way Steve is portrayed, which, (IMHO) is somewhat like he works off in a dark Tudor cottage somewhere and was hunted down specially for the purpose of this show. This has changed somewhat with the appearance of his son in the show though, which I think showed a lot of young people that “there is hope.” With regards to the way Steve takes apart and reassembled clocks/watches, thats just the way we do it. We do take pictures of the movement before we take it apart but contrary to public option your standard clock is not at all very complicated, and your average watch even less so. Most people could become fluent in watch components in under 24 hrs. Then again thats coming from someone who works on them regularly. After the movement is dismantled everything goes into several ultrasonic baths, and then it gets dumped out the basket onto your desk, ready for bushing replacement or something similar. I’ve thought a lot about what the shows demographic is, and I’m not really sure. I’d venture to say it appeals to all though. Douglas

Give everybody a traction engine. Problem solved!