melmerby

Some Goldfinches decided to come down into our garden today where they were snacking on the few berries still left on the bushes. Keith

Somebody worked out the RPM of the driving wheels at the claimed 90+mph 9F and it turned out to be the same as Mallard at 126mph Not recommended. Keith

Way ELCB & RCD are two of a kind for providing protection against earth leakage currents. The voltage type measures the voltage generated when there is a leakage, hence the earth connexion. They are not infallible as the earthing has to be perfect in the first place and can also give false fails The current type (RCD) has an out of balance detecting current transformer through which both live & neutral pass. If there is no leakage the sense coil has no output. If a current flows asto earth there will be unbalance and the sense coil produces an output which triggers the breaker. (IIRC Maximum of 30mA to trigger in less than 100mS) The voltage type (the older of the two) is now obsolescent. Both can suffer from mechanical or electrical problems associated with any sort of relay. MCBs are the overload protectors - in effect resettable fuses! My broadband passes through 3 RCDs and all that cabling but is still about 50% of what it started at. Let's get back to TrainController Keith

That's not unusual on tram systems in the UK, but definitely not on heavy rail though. Woverhampton: https://goo.gl/maps/yHxrqpi7XkS2 Sheffield: https://goo.gl/maps/rMAbuaA7BZU2 Nottingham: https://goo.gl/maps/3PV453XJphE2 They used to do it with the first generation tram systems as well, complete with junctions. Birmingham Lancaster Circus 1945: http://www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=7964.0;attach=8782;image (Note the trolley bus to the right) Keith

Same in West Midlands region. Sketchy main news stories get fleshed out more. We also get some frivolous stuff to pad it on a quiet news day. e.g. cat rescued from tree by fire brigade etc. The news I heard was variously from BBC Breakfast, BBC R2 & Classic FM. The last mentioned is the worst for abbreviating news, so much sometimes that it barely makes sense. It was the later Radio 2 bulletins that gave more details. BBC Breakfast also had a bit about "elderly drivers" with Edmund King (of the AA) discussing driving license conditions and the fact that renewals for over 70s (myself included) just have a tick box form filled in by the driver with no proof of the fitness to drive. (Apparantly there are currently 250+ drivers over 100 in the UK) Eyesight being the biggest failure amongst elderly drivers because many don't have regular eye checks. It was also mentioned that most accidents involving over 70s involve turning out of a T junction. So a thinly veiled questioning of the Dukes fitness? Keith

I felt that the early bulletins were too pro-royal and not as objective as they should have been. Little attention was given to the other party apart from the comment about accidents being caused by speeding drivers. That comment I felt was unnecessary and as it stood a sleight on the other driver. Even my missus commented (unusually) about it the fact that only the Duke was mentioned to start with. Maybe it was the overnight news hacks cutting out too much detail? There was more detail in later bulletins including the condition of the occupants of the other car and more about the problems with that stretch of road and the fact that speed limit reduction and cameras had already been agreed by the council and would be installed ASAP. I also heard one local's quote that it was a "rat run". Strange, I've never heard an A road called a rat run before! A bit of jocularity based on perceived bias in the reporting. Keith

Not totally street running but an unusual road rail interface in Tavares FL Keith

Amazing An old scrote prangs his Chelsea Tractor and it knocks Brexit off the news! Pity they didn't have some concern for the occupants of the other vehicle in the earlier news bulletins. I only found out later that there were two women that had to go to hospital, one with cuts and one with a broken wrist, there was also a toddler. Even the county council seemed to be sympathetic to the Duke saying that motorists "regularly speed" down that stretch of road, seemingly trying to put blame on the other driver before the facts were even known. The obsequeity left a bit of a sour taste in the mouth. Remember. They are Royal and you are not, only because their ancestors had bigger sticks than your ancestors! Keith

I think a longer tender would improve the appearance somewhat. keith.

Good Maybe just a little sticky. It's always a bit disconcerting when something doesn't dismantle as you expect. Then any over-zealous tugging could end up breaking something! Cheers Keith

Hi Iain I would have thought that the (Voltage controlled) ELCB would have an easier signal path as it is straight through a pair of relay contacts whereas a Current controlled ELCB (RCD) has to go through transformer windings nas well. Cheers keith

It depends on the distance. Originally I was told be "those in the trade" that homeplugs (such as my Devolo dLan 200) only work on the same RCD in the consumer unit. So I tried using the adapter I was already using indoors down in my railway room. No problem. The router is on one RCD, the railway room is on another and even has another RCD in the satellite consumer unit in the railway room itself, so three in total. Incoming router speed around 75-76 mbps (up to 80 Mbps broadband package) around 40mbps after going through three RCDs and 75 feet of SWA cable (plus various amounts of 2.5mm T&E). I tried using straight wi-fi to the router, but even using a dedicated aerial pointing at the router from the railway room didn't produce a satifactory signal. (too many brick walls) Keith

He alighted at Sainte-Foy which he said was "for Quebec" and is shown as such on the Via Rail map for The Ocean. Keith EDIT Sainte-Foy is on the outskirts of Quebec City on the same side of the river. I don't know how the train does the journey as it needs to cross the river by Charny and then do a reversal from there to get back to the main route of the Ocean on the south bank

Some interesting railways Keith

Travelling to that good old British sugar company Tate & Lyle, or so it seems. Which looks half derelict on Google Earth: https://goo.gl/maps/ZU5u9TUG2Bn Keith

Hadn't noticed. I was going by the poster's language and the links which are from India. Keith

How far is too far? Mine is 75 feet away from the house with a dedicated PC networked using home plugs. With my fibre broadband I still get 40+ megabits download speed. Keith

Haven't you forgotten "Bath Tubs" but that's along time ago. Keith

It does say on the Via Rail Wiki pages that they are using some Renaissance stock on that route and it will be retired when the new Siemens kit arrives. Keith

There has been a lot of Scenecraft for several weeks, must be having a clear out. Keith

I was there at 1PM exactly There may have been more put out. Did you notice the three Liliput Steam Locos? all with largish mark downs. Two tender locos and a pretty little 0-8-0T which would make a good freelance industrial. (£60 IIRC) (I forgot to record those) Keith

Further to Jim's post. I was there about the same time and documented the items: Bachmann Branch Line 31-627B £65 3F LMS with Deeley Tender (5) 35-075 £70 E4 LBSC Umber (2) 31-168 £65 L&Y 2-4-2T Crimson Lake (3) 39-580 £40 Hawksworth Autocoach Choc/Cream (7) 39-777A £40 LMS Inspection Saloon Blue/Grey (3) 39-778 £40 LMS Inspection Saloon EWS (4) Bachmann OO9 393-050 & 393-051 open wagons £16 (lots of each) Dapol 7mm GWR Autotrailer Simple Choc/cream Twin cities livery £110 (2) Earlier fully panelled GWR livery £150 (3) Keith

Via Rail were also criticised for wasting tax payer's money on unsuitable rolling stock that needed a small fortune to make them usable! However they were the first "new" stock that they had had for 20 years. Looks like their time is running out as new trains are on order. Keith

IMHO the upgrade from V8 to V9 was somewhat underwhelming. It did offer some useful upgrades but did not seem as much of an advance as from V7 to V8. I'm unlikely to upgrade any further unless some earth shattering additions are part of the package. I made a suggestion to the Forum wishlist ages ago to add support for multi-track traversers & sector plates (As at Birmingham Moor Street & Snow Hill) but nothing ever happened, I was expecting it to be included in V9 when extra support for such things as sector plates was announced - but no. A trick missed. Keith

Did anybody realise the coaches on the train MP was using are the ex-Nightstar coaches sold to the Canadians? Keith