travelintrev

Morning all, Not much to be added to whats been said over yesterdays sad news. My GF unfortunately lost two of her children (one in her early teens, and one in his early 20's)...I just cant imagine what goes on in ones head when that happens. Still it's hump day, lets try and make the best of what life throws at us today. Trev.

Good morning all, another day dawns.....looks like the rainy season is over .....so now the dust starts! (Very very fine stuff). Whatever your day brings lets hope it goes well , Trev.

Evening all, Well as predicted the ijects are still surrounding me -- some how managed to deliver a unit to site (not local to where I'm based but an hours flight away!) over the week end. - "can you get a crane (120 tonner) and crew to site today? " Eerr no may be tomorrow - tomorrow next day (local version of the day after tomorrow) . Who's done the site layout & lifting plan? Well you have, havent you?.........Eerr no cause you never confirmed when you were getting the unit! .........such is life? Anyway on a brighter note my GF has promised me a couple of train rides .....! (Full size US ones) in a couple of weeks time! ....... Back to planning - be good, stay warm & safe Trev.

Morning all, Best night sleep I've had for ages ....but why do the nights get shorter?? . Not sure what the day is going to bring but the normal round of chaos no doubt. Whatever you're up to stay warm, & keep safe, Trev.

Evenin all, As I mentioned earlier I did start with the "Printie" loco last night... done a bit more today. I much prefer working with metal or plastic so this was a bit of an adventure. Not over happy with it so far but will persevere and see what what I can make of it. One of the disadvantages of working with large scale stuff is some of the detail (grills etc) have to be in relief. Bed time now, Sleep well & stay warm Trev

Morning all, not quite sure why I'm up at this time on a Sunday, but there tiz, I am. Think my modelling mojo might be returning as last evening I restarted on a moribund project. Some years ago I came across a 0 scale "printie" of a narrow gauge diesel loco. Bit of a play on the photo copier & up the size to suit 1:24 scale. There it stopped! But as I was having a job sleeping last night started work on it... Lets hope our day goes well, stay warm, Trev.

Thanks for posting these photos Peter. (I have seen them "elsewhere"!) But it is nice to see more large scale stuff on RMW. (which reminds me I must get on with one or other of my projects) Trev

Morning all, Did pop in earlier - but a series of work panics got in the way - but at least I got a couple of pancakes for my breakfast. No frost here (and I'd be really worried if there was!) When the temperature drops (rarely) below 20C the locals can be seen in thick coats jumpers... Not sure what the rest of my day is going to bring, whatever yours brings, may it go well. Trev.

Good Evening all, Firstly let me say that I too are pleased for Sherry and Ian. You can get on with the rest of your life now. Just hope that my future plans work as well. (Though my beloved & I live on different continents..! ) The sales team today seemed to have moved into La-La land, seemingly they think they have sold a lot of equipment for next year (realistically though as far as I can work out there's no money forthcoming from clients yet - and if the sell what they think they might the suppliers aren't going to be able to supply!) The Sevenoaks thread has reminded me of someone who tried some thing similar back in the 70's -- (how dare he try to organise a model rail show for personal "profit") the local model railway "Mafia" in the area at the time let it be known that any club or individual who supported this upstart would be "blacklisted" - and not invited to any club organised shows....... ​Lets hope that philosophy has died the death it deserved. Well my penultimate weekend here this year - 11 more sleeps(excluding Sunday afternoon naps) & I'll be heading to Sunny Southern California! Make the best of your evening Trev.

Morning all, TTF it's POETS day - been one of them weeks............. Only had a 'flu jab once (back in the '70's when the group that owned our company (Henlys - I guess Jock will remember them) insisted that all staff had them - or no sick pay! ...Well I was ill! Had very bad reaction & took me nearly eighteen month before I felt well again. Whatever your day brings ,try to make the best of it you can. Trev

Morning all, Just noticed the fruit bats are having their early morning exercise...big beasties too. Not much else to report from here though. Lets hope the day is kind to us? Trev.

Evening all, Successful day a work for once .. best part of another 4 mw of power placed, at 8 am every thing and every one was on site... only one car parked in the way which quickly got shifted (and I didnt even have to threaten to stick it somewhere the crane could put it!) Rain held off despite the big black clouds lurking around..now just got to wait for the gas supply onto the site -- Lets hope those suffering with the deadly man flu recover ...I guess Jocks remedy is as good as any ... Sleep well, (14 sleeps & I'm outa here!) Trev.

Good morning all, Hope all goes well Railsquid - like most on here we've bin-there-done-that- got -the-Tee-shirt. Yesterday received "scan" of No.5 Grandchild..... Now a day of placing large lumps of metal in small places - at least I know every things on site (providing all the truck drivers are!) Lets hope all our (hump)day goes well, Trev.

Evening all, Another day over in idjetsville..... get to one site today were we have to recover some equipment ( client totally over estimated his power demand by about 2MWe) All paperwork & permissions done turns up at the time agreed - me , contractor & crew my site supper visor & crew. Security wouldn't let us on site!. About an hour goes by after several phone calls my contact sends some one to Escort us to our plant. (currently off line as BIG bills not been paid) we get on with ripping switch gear out that I need for another project thats to go on line in January and best delivery I can get on new is 21 weeks ex works! All of a sudden large group of armed policemen start arguing with our contact end up with one of them firing off into the air! ... Then to ca it all some plank decides that to check the setting out of some six 700mm diameter sleeves in a cast concrete floor will "only take 20 minutes" ...trouble is the wheel re-inventor doesn't realise that casting work in concrete is not a millimeter accurate job and didn't design any tolerance in! People got a bit piffed with me when I said I wanted three ours to do it & cant do it before Thursday... Placing boxes tomorrow at the limit of reach of a 250 tonne crane.. and that in a Hotel / Conference center carpark so we'll have a big audience! Now nice looking cottage pie awaits me, Try and make the most of your evening Trev.

Morning all, Not much to report from here so far... is it friday yet ? - no - buqqer! Have a good un, Trev.

Evening all, Ah the Sands at Weston & Brean -- seems when I was first living down there a car getting stuck & drowned was almost a weekly event. Many a lad (my then bosses included) "borrowed" dads new company car to impress some young girl -- to get it drowned..! (Fortunately we were a company associated with Henlys so my boss got his fixed on the QT) . But as soon as the council started charging for access in the summer we stopped going - after all I was paying an exorbitant amount in rates! Pay to park on "my" beach - not bloomin likely! On the ladder thing, one of the multinationals that we do work for here insists that any work over 1,5m is "work at height".....and all and as many precautions as if we were working at 105m up. They got a bit peeved when I took a photo of their plant engineer stood on fork truck forks 10 meter up! . Enjoy your evening, Trev.

Morning all, Pinch & a Punch and all that malarkey.....and it's the last month of the year .....are they getting shorter? (years that is?) Not sure what chaos today will bring, but sure to be some. So enjoy cyber Monday as best you can ! Trev.

Afternoon all, Slightly fraught morning as I had a reminder from US border agency that my visitor visa was about to expire ......now you cant do a renewal on-line you have to apply again ... takes quite a long time to fill in -- then after you've paid - there's a nerve twitching few minutes (not that I'd got anything to fear) while your details are being "processed" ..anyway I'm apparently good to go! (18 days!) My Mum can remember as a child seeing the night sky lit up by the Crystal Palace fire - this was around 27 miles away in Hertfordshire. So must have been some blaze? (She also remembers seeing the fated airship R101 on it's final voyage ) Oh well back to the drawing board.. I hear there ( through unofficial work channels) are another six project coming live in the next four months ...but my manager gets very up set if the sales guys talk to me before him! Be good Trev.

Good morning all, and happy Sunday. I seem to have disturbed a small number of tiny ants that were scurrying around my key-board. Mind you apart from the elusive one on the screen the others are no more! Whatever your day brings - lets hope its fruitful? Trev.

Good morning all, all quite here at the moment as it is the last Saturday in the month so "environmental" day when all are are supposed to clean streets out side their houses... but of course every one just uses it as an excuse to lie in! Not sure which of he multitude of tasks I need to do today - work & household repairs & some preparation for my trip in December. On another note ex sent me an email yesterday telling me that "MY" Daughter had had a minor motoring accident - so does the careering father bit , phone said daughter, minor damage to car and the young girl who drove into the back of her had only just passed her test and offered to pay for damage! Oh well such is life I guess? Lets hope we all have a good day, Trev.

Morning all, and thats another week,and almost another month over!. Not sure what the day will bring -but I'm sure somebody will come up with some half baked idea which I willneed to sort out. What ever your day brings, try and make the best of it you can, Trev.

Evening all, By a bit of deviousness our HR team has managed to get me a flight a lot cheaper (Less than the BA flight from London!) to San Diego in three weeks time! - means I'll have some "pocket money" ! So my moods a bit improved this evening.(and got my way over the crane!) While on the subject of relatives my Mum has done a lot of research (even had a couple of book published) on my relatives, but cant get much before the early 1700's. Records of poor country folk tend to be patchy. But among this lot is my Great -great grandfather. (Hertfordshire farm workers mid 1800's) Not a very good picture I'm going to try to get my brother to scan it. While talking of past relatives my Grandfathers WW1 RFC/RAF uniform and some of the wooden props he "borrowed" (dont ask!) are we believe on display at the new RAF museum at Hendon, (he was airframe fitter) ... Stay warm, Trev

Good morning all, & happy Thanksgiving day Seems ER's "fame" has now spread to the far east - welcome Railsquid! Better nights sleep - pain seems to be subsiding in my back and hips. Wheel reinventors at it again. I need a 250 tonne crane to do a job - "it's too expensive - cant you use a smaller one" - nope, "cant you just try?" Nope. Look at the lifting chart - can't be done ... in fact I'd be happier using a 400 tonner -- whine please try - NO! Well OK if you indemnify me from potentially writing off several million dollars worth of kit -I will. On that note I'll wish you all a happy Thursday, Trev.

Was passed by this motor cycle today - refugee from fraggel Rock Neil? - weaving in and out of Lagos traffic. My bed calling (time to chat to the security services) sleep tight. Mind the bugs dont bite, Trev.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! I am not a happy bunny! I planning to spend Christmas with my GF near San Diego(California) this year. Found a reasonable flight that didn't go round the houses.... here - LHR - San ...for just over 2800USD last week .....goes to see the guy in our HR department to get him to book it. (I allways have to pay difference to flights any were other than my "home". By Monday the flight had gone to 3351 USD, now as I've had the three flights back to UK this year I've got to pay for this one, so gave him the cash (mix of US & local mony) ---- on top of all that due to falling oil prices the govt here has devalued the currency against the USD - and the flight gone up another 100$, and he still hasn't got the ticket! This must be the only country in the world (7th largest oil reserves) were a fall in oil price is now going to put price of petrol (gasoline) up in the new year! Rant over - now to see if I can find some more scans to put up. Trev,