Canal Digger

What, I thought that you only had eyes for the St Jenny of the Red Unmentionables!

Not sure about a State count when I drove a RV from New York State to San Francisco, 5.5K Miles in 5.5 weeks. One of our daughters was doing a University American Studies Course in Swansea, which involved 9 months in Oklahoma so needed a US bank a/c but as she was not earning it had to be me as the primary name, so we thought that we may as well use it. Flew into JFK, train to upstate NY, drove to SF, flew to Los Angeles (LAX) and back to Heathrow. 5.5 weeks driving a 20+ft (small by US standards), first thing that I drove when back in UK was a 2 seat Smart Car, smaller than the bed in the RV. driving the RV was interesting, automatic column change and a pedal parking brake. Also a week in New Orleans a few years later

We had a good day visiting the Festival of Toy Trains at New Alresford yesterday, well done Bob and team. Too hot a day to be indoors, so not sorry to be exhibiting my stuff. http://www.alresford-toy-trains.org.uk/ After we went for a walk on the South Downs before heading for Lee-on-Solent and ice creams. On trees, a neighbour has a silly looking, truncated & drooping Leylandii and a Black Walnut far too close to our house. Swearing at them (the trees!) several times a day does not seam to kill them. The trees cause shading as said above but also provide perches for pigeons which seam to delight in waking me with their calling at day break. Tried telling neighbour that Walnut trees are park trees not garden trees but .... Rant Off

My JVM N2's have the the wrong wheel configuration, although the splashers are right, does anyone know why please? The chassis have not been turned round because there is a shaft/ bar from the 'cylinder' to the leading driver wheel.

As yes, Just In Time, or Not Quite In Time as it becomes when used in organisations where demand is by their very nature, "spiky". Then the mandarins report that on 49 out of 52 weeks last year, the system performed satisfactorily, just not during the three weeks when our forces were being shot at. Never mind. While I can understand the desire not to just keep stores full of stuff no-one actually needs, "Just in case", it's baffling how those that introduce these systems can't see that they were optimised for that which they were designed for (JiT came from Japanese mass-production manufacturing). It doesn't mean it transfers to other types of organisation. Unless I'm mistaken, you don't tend to see a 9000% increase in demand in a single week (and which reverts to normal demand the following week), for Nissan Micras. Speaking as an ex-MoD Inventory Manager, the classic extreme example of a project having to buy something is very possibly never going to used is Submarine Propeller Shafts, made of very special material, 'quite long'. several points at which it has been carefully machined (bearings), packed in a special crate so it doesn't bend .... . The cost and the lead time of buying just one when one fails don't bear thinking about. Just In Time works for some things but not all.

Given that is impossible to imply hyperbole in what was a plain statement, Rob was quite right to question it. It just goes to further demean those Police Officers and Police Staff struggling with an increasing burden of workload and under resourcing. This is IMHO getting far too serious. Close and move on please

Bear used these (Screwfix sell them) - there's loads of similar ones on Amazon. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234656139016?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28 What Screwfix sell takeaways as well now?! Sorry if someone has beaten me with this question, a busy day yesterday

Upon reflection I should have written '... an easy way to do a DIY ..., for the unskilled rider'. My apologies

The 2 wheeler average record is 135mph - peak speed is in the order of 200mph. All on public roads. Frontal Lobotomies are an asset, apparently. As an ex Motorbiker, who took a short, unscheduled Flying Lesson when bike came to a sudden stop, doing those speeds sounds like a way to give yourself a DIY Lobotomiy

I note admiration of Bears and Penguins. There is no trace of Hippo veneration. Such a picture posted on any day is bad enough, but to post it on my birthday is really hurtful. Now I shall have to go and gorge on Bara Brith to salve my feelings. Happy Birthday HH and many more to come. From a well known S American River, a Cookie Jar Hippo Brian

We have been in this house since March 93 and refitted it twice. The 2nd time was just after a kitchen extension was built. We bought the units over a few weeks from B&Q clearance, before going to visit son in hospital, 'no you can't come home tonight, the car is too full'. having bought the units from clearance, there are about 3 types of wall cupboard wall fixings, each having different fixings, so fitting them was fun. Oak frame/ panel doors, 2 sizes were not available so I had to disassemble a number to make my own. If you see pictures of my Diecast Trains you will see that I use the frames (a neighbour refitted their kitchen so I gabbed a whole load of matching doors from the skip). Her Indoors/ SWMBO collects Cookie Jar Bears. Must go, part way through wiring in a dash cam to the Smart, have 21 packs of tiles to lay in conservatory and something else (thinks) ... oh I know a daughter getting married on Saturday

These were the same people who made the battery powered Underground train. Yes Ever Ready, if you want to know more jump to: Ever-Ready 1950s 00-gauge underground train: Belongs down a drain.... at:

an update

OK, my turn to tell you all about what I'm working on. I have said before that my collection is described as 'eclectic and eccentric', I can't think why ... Anyway, Main Line Models of Hadleigh 'Impulse Drive' Railcar, looks more like the body of an aeroplane (fish?), made of green Bakelite(?), no motor, instead a coil pulling against a series of steel plates set at intervals between rails. The body bears no resemblance to the picture on the box! What fun!! The box contains a slip of paper saying that if I post it to 'Main Line Works, Beech Road, Hadleigh, Essex, I can have some free window transfers. Please, is there someone here who knows the area, I would be very surprised if there were any still available. On Google Street View is looks like all houses, perhaps Main Line Works was a private house? The drawing (blueprint) has the name 'Skinley Model Rly' There is supposedly 9ft of track and a pot of Acrabond Liquid Glue, but I'm going to try to get the car (train doesn't quite seam right) working on a length of 00 track. Also included a packet of sleepers and insulators and 3 lengths of aluminium strip. Below you will see a length of 00 track with a 3rd rail, 1 of the 3 strips and a few of the steel plates laid in the 4ft

If that was Angst-Lesspork it's documented at http://hnorwood.co.uk/files/angst.htm That's it!

There is on the exhibition circuit (I saw it at Thornbury/ Bristol a few weeks ago) a very nice 009 model of Ankh Morpork, complete with at least most (if not all) of the the characters from the books. The operators were in costume as well

Compare the Life-Like with the Lone Star F7 in green and BR Arrows. Lone Star also did the same Caboose but not (so far as I know) in BR markings

I don't know the situation on civilian airfields but on RAF bases the airfield is the area likely to be used by aircraft and is defined by notices stating that all vehicles must have permission from Air Traffic Control before entering. That permission can be automatic in certain areas for particular traffic but in the absence of such standing clearance, individual permission must be obtained. This can also be granted en masse for the likes of public open days when control of traffic in certain parts of the airfield can be delegated to the RAF Police. The non-airfield part of the site is subject to the normal rules and laws pertaining to public roads, hence vehicles must have appropriate insurance and that insurance is valid. I know this because I once had a collision with a service vehicle on an RAF station that was deemed to be my fault and my insurance had to stump up for the damage. I know of a bus driver who was given a new route to do on a foggy night. Part of the route took him round the Married Quarters estate surrounding RAF Colerne and somehow found himself on the main runway shortly followed by an escort vehicle. At the time airfield was only used by the ATC and the University Air Sqn in their Chipmunks and perhaps as an Emergency Diversion for RAF Lyneham.

Had a good 3-part day out yesterday: Sandown Racecourse Toy &Train Fair. SWMBO bought herself an early birthday present, while the only trains that I liked (Readers that know me, know that I collect Diecast Trains - see my posts on Collectible/ Vintage) were limited to one stand. Anyway we chose our pick and waited to pay, ... after a few seconds nobody from behind the stand gave us any attention, so called out. eventually got the attention of a neighbouring stallholder, "he appears to have gone for a break"! Looked at other potential customers with curious amazement. By this time we had been waiting 10+ min, so went around the back and placed my pick behind the stall and left, came back 10 min later, still no stallholder, off again, back again later got a silly high price from stallholder and said that we that we may be back. Before leaving, we did go back, maybe I could talk him down in price, guess where he was, nowhere in sight! The models that I was looking to buy were Z or N scale or so, I could have closed my fist over them and walked off with them. I know that a running a stall by yourself is hard but I felt that the reasons for his prices, was to cover his losses on what was stolen while he had gone 'walkabout'. Popped into Newbury Showground to look at some Motorcaravans. A very nice pub meal and an evening walk along the K&A Canal - Royal Oak at Wootton Rivers

The run from near where we live on the Hipposhire Union to Llangollen is a nice, gentle two and a bit days cruising. We’ve done it twice now and enjoyed it immensely, even though Jill has insisted on remaining firmly on the towpath side when crossing the Pontcysyllte (sp?) aqueduct. I’ve twice seen boats get stuck when trying to turn round at winding holes, though, due to the current that Jamie and Polish Andy have referred to. The last time I took a boat across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct I had to go extra slow to avoid the lads to had been on the wine gums too much and fell off their bikes/ deliberately jumped into the trough.

Call me in about 12 months I'm getting confused here, is it to be 'Polish Andy', 'French Polish Andy', or 'In About 12 Months'?

I quite agree; he is getting far too soft on those who admire green things with polished copper things on top and/or (shudder) panniers. Whilst his suggestion for the disposal of such things has some merit it does not have the drawn out quality that appeals to members of the TFSMG*. I will arrange for someone from the society to visit him. *Things From Swindon Must Go We need a 'Boo Hiss' button!

Agreed. The only snag is that the paper gets hot and the film on transfer paper can partially melt and jam in the printer if you don’t let it rest for a while after a couple of passes. I used to be a Photocopy Service Engineer, one type of machine passed the the paper under a grill to dry the toner. Great fun, if the paper gripper didn't grip the paper properly (or the paper not fanned, so that a 2nd sheet got picked up) and dropped the sheet under the grill

If this set is still available, how much would you want for it please? I like a challenge

lady penelope the - shadows