JohnDMJ

If the Inspection train was a 313, it would be 313 123 running as ECS. It regularly runs through Ford, even when it had to be towed from Horsham to Eastleigh by 313 202 having broken down! 313s also run Brighton - Lewes on the East Coastway. 313-201 is featured often on this route! Check https://www.facebook.com/groups/212317446034446/

So when are you due to hit Bognor? Or is that 3Q23 on Friday Morning?

Having just watched the new episode on line, I find it a much more refreshing approach than previously. Russell Totten was so into the concept, he had his own blazer badge. Nathan Berry seemed to be too much of 'this is my show and I'll do all the reports'! Cathy Cat seems to be much more subservient (less arrogant, more respectful) of Ryo's astounding knowledge. IMHO, I found that an enhancement as it actually gives the viewer the feeling that facts are being explained. All I can say is Wow, great new, refreshing, approach!

Good Afternoon, I have noted the stairs issues and offer: http://bentleymobility.co.uk/ They provided us with a stair lift using much tighter radii than Stannah could contemplate. Worked fine and was well maintained by them! At least a stair lift can be easily removed if you move; a vertical lift ain't so easy!

Good Morning, and Happy May 1st, to all! Semi-rhetorical question: Is today the International Day of Distress Calls (May Day) or is this term actually the French exclamation "m'aider"? Answers on a post card scheduled to arrive on Star Wars Day!

Shame I edited my post!

So who's doing the Square Leg slot? In a works internal match, as a then Scorer Member of the ACU&S, I did once score and umpire at SqLg! The rules of the engagement were that having scored more than 25 runs, they were 'retired not out'. There was an appeal for run out; I didn't see it as I was updating the sheet but I looked to see who the appeal was against, looked at his total (and took into account his membership of a CC) and, loudly so all could hear, vocally gave him "'out' on the basis that someone else should have a go"; he took the decision with the humour in which it was made! It caused amusement amongst all involved!

Not specifically, more a system which only allows the boiler to only be on at certain times of day so, regardless of the thermostat setting, temperature may fall significantly (the thermostat demands but does not get!). My current system has no such time switch so the thermostat is in total control knowing that when it demands, it gets!

Good Evening Awl, Another mixed day both at work and personally! As a result of an eye problem earlier in the week, the local hospital rang to ask if I could present today! Being at work and one hour before the suggested time, I declined and was offered an alternative appointment tomorrow! Let me check; eye'll get back to you. Having agreed this was OK, then spent 10 minutes wrestling with the hospital's phone network to confirm this was OK. All this before 09:30! In other parts: This is one aspect in which the UK seems to be left behind! Certainly, every time I have used contactless payment in Switzerland, for example, regardless of the amount, I have not (yet) had a transaction declined or been asked to 'insert my card into the reader'. It simply asks me to enter my PIN and is happy! Rhetorical question: why does the UK insist on being out on a limb; post brexit HMRC, Schengen, et alia? Such 'digital' control (on or off) certainly uses more energy than maintaining a minimum level. In my current abode, I only have a thermostat with several programmable settings for each day of the week; I have no time switch on my boiler. In my previous domicile, I had a 'twice per day' timer on the boiler and a bi-metallic strip thermostat. It was possible to have the central heating on but with the water heating off, thus pumping cold water to the radiators! My gas bills are much lower here because I never let the temperature fall below 17 Celsius. Today's thermostats also allow period settings such as 'holiday' mode (maintain this minimum temperature for X days, X being set so that during the return day from holiday, the temperature is being restored to the normal cycle ) or 'at home' mode (maintain this cycle, usually Sunday's, for X days) Technology may have some benefits!

IIRC, 30MPH was the 'magical' speed! It is recorder that Queen Victoria was the first person worthy of membership top the Railway Performance Society! She used to travel, stopwatch in hand, timing the transit between the mileposts beside the track to ensure that she never exceeded 30MPH. There was one noticeable exception: her funeral trains from Whippingham to London!

I agree with the concept of the "technocan'ts". They will certainly feel the brunt of Darwinian Evolution! The whole Evolutionary process takes time but will reach the result eventually! IIRC, a certain pairing from Harvard Uni co-founded microsoft - some guy called Gates and another, Steve Jobs? Maybe that's why I use Linux!!

Good Evening All, I think I've just caught up on the last 24 hours of ER and have distributed likes, etc. as I felt appropriate. However: I have reason to believe that the self-same monorail also appeared in Carry On Spying! The Carry On films were shot at Pinewood Studios where the 007 Set was (is?) a permanent fixture; given the tight budget the Carry Ons had, borrowing someone else's set was not beyond them! I feel there is the incredulity from the technophiles to realise that there are still technophobes out there! Three businesses I regularly contact only accept telephone or letter communication. I recall at my Father's funeral, one of his former colleagues proudly stating that 'I have used with computers for most of my working life. I'm not retiring to be a slave to a computer at home; telephone, (FAX), pen and paper will do me fine!' A Darwinian-style evolutionary process might, eventually, make this variant of the species extinct, but, for the moment, I know where my towel is, even though I do possess a digital watch! Somewhere amongst my effects, exist a Commodore PET, a Commodore C64 and an AMSTRAD PPC640 (and about 3 Raspberry Pis!); OK, so I'm tending towards a technophile but I respect the technophobes and the fact that they are not going to disappear overnight!

With a pantograph up?

Couple of missed calls yesterday (for, as I write, it is now Monday!) from the local hospital with no message left. Eventually, having identified the number which had called, I spoke to a very understanding person who enquired if I was coming for my covid swab prior to my endoscopy examination on Wednesday. I say 'understanding' as I informed her that this was news to me, my last communication on this matter having been on 16th April; I expect the letter later today inviting me for the test yesterday! She said she would log it other than as a missed appointment and make new arrangements!

Good Morning. I feel that today will turn into a non event quite rapidly! Let's just muddle through! Flavio, I fear you may have missed my point, a jibe about the division of terminology North and South of the Watford Gap! I refer specifically to the distinction between 'lunch' and 'dinner'! A northern colleague has been with us at base for over a year (having already become betrothed to another colleague), so has moved 'down sarf'! His 'dinner time' is around midday, but he does not dress for dinner! Why?! I have offered him a bow tie!

An interesting comment: Speaks volumes! What are you insinuating?

Good After Noon, Time of the day is both relative and precise! Lunch (or dinner for our Northern friends [I wonder how many of such 'Dress for Dinner'? ]) is a relative event occurring roughly around the middle of the day. Noon is defined as 12:00:00, so whilst it may still be considered as Morning because Lunch has not been taken, 12:00:01 is still After Noon!

Good Morning, Just trying to decide which departure from home railway station to my local metropolis will best fit the amount of shopping required with the minimum of wasted time hanging around for the return train! At least there are two trains per hour whereas on Sunday, there is just the one each way (unless there is a bustitution service operating from said metropolis!) Typically, on Sundays, arrive metropolis xx:17, depart xx:31; 14 minutes to shop! In previous news, may I offer another case for the reinstating of the groan button: Three chairs for Rick; Hip Hip ... Hat, coat, now where's that train?

Good evening at the close of another week of lunacy at the house of incredulity! When last seen, the doors to the asylum were well and truly off of their hinges and on lorries departing, at speed, in diverging directions. Result: lunar ticks everywhere with their 'phones! Hey Ho! C'est la Guerre! And, if carried out correctly, the subject of your villainy thanks you for what you have done!

Some do, some don't! Some even give a friendly blast of the horn! Amazing how it varies!

Good Evening, Just managed to scan today's posts as my eyes are still (physically) watering after two days! Advice is being souht! However, And Polytix (although I should not mention that here!)

Good evening, It being necessary for the sake of survival to be absent from the house for a large portion of the day, observatons and comments may refer to some older posts (albeit within the last 24 Hours!). Case in point, and very much tongue in cheek as always: Another task deferred! (Please add this as evidence to the petition for the reinstatement of the sadly missed Groan Button!) Hotels in Paris: my last two stays were at the Ibis Chateau Landon and Ibis Gare de l'Est; both of adequate (for me) standard on a B&B basis; my choice of 'easy' food (I am not given to gourmet) - where's the nearest Frog Pub? In other news, I am awaiting referral to ENT to investigate an apparent blockage on one nostril; today I have been plagued by constantly running nostril and adjacent tear duct. Off to lay in a cool, darkened room with no LCD distractions in the hope that life will be more tolerable in this area tomorrow!

Having learned from having done similarly, I now possess a Canon Maxify unit which works well (albeit not fully) under my Linux operating system!

I forget where, but I have happened across an hotel where the minibar price was less than elsewhere in the establishment! Tom Kerridge presents a very respectable and credible programme on the Food Network! IMHO, he out-trances many others! IMHO, he is so far down to earth, it would need a long back hoe JCB to dig him out! I regret that your reference "Rompidenti" stretches Google beyond its limits. However, less cooking is usually better I find! ChrisF: I've just returned from my local Sainsbury's and was mindful of your reference to Colemans!; curious to know the E numbers included therein, I regret to report that I was unable to locate an appropriate product!

Just a thought, but if your programming track is connected to the main track mechanically, is the isolation between the two in tact? Often, the 'barrier' in insulating fishplates can be bridged by the rail! Just humour me and try a totally separate piece of track, not mechanically connected to the rest of the layout, as the programming track, please!