The thoughts of Chairman Q

[TheQ]

Last night was the Broadland Model Railway Club Christmas dinner at the "Recruiting Sergeant" in Horstead (next to Coltishall)http://www.recruitingsergeant.co.uk/

All I can say is it was one of the best Christmas dinners I've ever had. The Portion sizes are enormous!!! the starter I had was Terrine of ham hock, now normally in other places, you'd get a 1/4 slice of the ham hock plus salad and toast. This was the size of a large can of corned beef! 2 inches X 4 inches By 3 inches plus salad and toast. This was followed by the turkey dinner you could tell the Turkey slices were cut from a turkey with some skin, the plate was covered, piled high with some veg and the bird to a height of 4 inches and then more veg came out!!! by the end of that I was near exploding and then the sweet came!!.

Chocy cheese cake and Ice cream. a triangle of the cheese cake about 3 inches on the short side to a point of about 6 inches and with 1/2 biscuit base and a depth of about 3 inches and a scoop of Ice cream..

This plus the company was a very good night out....

PS I still feel exceedingly full this morning...

[roddy]

Portion sizes nowadays are ridiculously huge. On the rare occassion that I go to a chippy, I ask for a kid's portion, and take some off that please because I don't want to feed the street for a week. It's not just fast food that's causing obesity. I'm pleased that you enjoyed it, but a plate that size would kill my appetite before I got stuck into it.

[TheQ]

I must admit when we go to the chippy its one portion between the two of us. If we go to the Recruiting Sergeant again we will be ordering less courses now we know the size of the portions.

Today should have been spent working on the railway shed. But yesterday I switched on the bathroom heater and SWMBO shouted from downstairs there was a load buzzing from the electrical cupboard. Heater switched off went down stairs and looked in the cupboard and found smoke coming from the ELCB ( a predecessor to the RCD) that goes to the garage.

Not taking any chances I switched off the power and disconnected the lead TO the ELCB. And switched on the heater again with SWMBO watching the electrics .... More smoke!!!! So I removed the output leads no smoke this time!!!

Having ensured everything to do with the ELCB and heater was made safe that's how it was left while I puzzled out what was wrong.

At a silly time in the morning I awoke with what was wrong and this morning I got my meter out and started checking. Shortly after i was proved correct!

I had to take the heater down to check it, on doing so I found the old fashioned woven insulation!! And some dubious looking switches, I didn't bother any further with that, thats going in the bin!! It probably been there since the bath room was built in 1963. After making safe and ordering a replacement it was time to find why the ELCB fried. The only connection to the ELCB was the earth when the second lot of smoke appeared.

The house is TT wired, that is we get mains live and neutral from the electricity supply, but get the earth from our own rod hammered into the ground. I measured from the rod to the earth in the distribution box no connection!!! Modern houses particularly those fed by underground cables tend to get their earth from the mains supply.

I have no idea when the earth wire failed it could have been years ago!! But when the heater failed live to earth, due to having no earth the MCB (a breaker that replaced a fuse) didn't trip but tried to go through the ELCB to power the battery charger in the garage.

Anyway I've decided to update almost the entire system I've ordered RCBOs ( breakers and RCD combined) for every branch of the system. 16 mm cable, a new earth rod, and box there goes £250!!!

Luckily with modern electonics being plastic cased and for the most part not needing an earth, no power has been fed to them and they've all survived. Though I suppose we were lucky no one was touching a fridge, freezer or cooker at the time as the metal work would have become live.

Tomorrow I'll check out the mobile home / railway shed supply, now that was installed in the 1980s so should be OK.

[TheQ]

Well it bucketed down yesterday and checking out the electric supply for the mobile home ( the box is on a telegraph pole) in the rain is not my idea of safety so that'll have to wait.

I spent the day sanding the floor even though I was overalled gloved goggled and of course dust masked, I caused a beach of dust left in the bath after!!

Then it was off to the works dinner 3 courses of food and a bottle of wine paid for by the company at a Marriott hotel. the portions were 1/3rd of the size of Wednesdays dinner and I'm not complaining about that. the food however was not as well cooked and it was industrialised food, obviously factory produced, just cooked at the hotel. Everything I think is penny counted. 5 years ago when we first went there, you got a proper cup and the waiter/Esses brought round tea and coffee from pots. Now it's a caffetiere dumped on the table, and some of the smallest cups you've ever seen.

One point of the evening was interesting, young ladies tottering around on six inch heels in their mini dressed really should learn to bend down at the knees not at the waist to chat to their friends. There wasn't much not showing!!!

[TheQ]

Well Monday was yet another Christmas dinner, very enjoyable especially as the £30 cost was being paid for by the company this time it was the section do, almost all senior engineers and me. Do to an oddity of the system here I'm the lowest graded. So I have a deputy head of lab above me, the head of lab above that then the head engineer ( who is also head of the factory). As far a works family tree is concerned I'm the bottom of a straight line..

Friday was a half day as I used the last of my spare holiday. I spent the afternoon preparing to reconnect the earth system of the house. I expected to have to hammer in the earth rod but I pushed it down by hand for the first 3 ft and just tapped the last foot down with the adjustable wrench I had to do up the bolt on the rod. I then drilled a hole in the wall for the earth cable, fed it through and connected the rod end which was finished with a capping box and concreted into place.

Saturday morning after posting the last Christmas cards I observed two people, with telephoto lens pointing at my garden, so I went to find out. They were twitchers seemingly some European rarity had been seen in my garden I hope the cat doesn't get it!!

I spent a couple of hours connecting up the distribution box to a working earth I feel a lot safer now!! Just some cable clipping to finish that bit now.

Then it was on to making valences, 12 inches to the foot scale, I cheated and made each row out of a single piece of plastic just like 4mm scale!! So other than a little bit of painting the front entrance to the railway shed is complete.

Meanwhile SWMBO was putting the first coat of varnish on the floor, it was supposed to dry in 30minutes but took an hour so I only managed to rub it down before the sun started setting and I had to give up.

In the week off between Christmas and new year I must put in more lights and not flashing ones!!

Edited December 21, 2015 by Guest

[TheQ]

Tis the Sunday before Christmas,

it should be snowing,

but I went sailing

so out in the landy it came to pass...

I left home at 08:00,

passing children playing in the street,

this is rare enough these days.

I came home at 15:00,

passing children playing in the street,

They say global warming is these days,

Causing the world to heat.

There were families out with the Dog,

not at at home with the log,

fire giving out the heat.

So during the day sailing we went,

But all went not well,

we could not prevent,

the weed on the rudder,

the boat it did shudder.

until the final bell.

and slowly we were, left behind.

but warm we were, we did not mind,

well actually we did.

we tried are hardest,

to be the fastest.

so it all went wrong, string breaking

it was not our day in the making.

Next time we are out will be Boxing day,

we'd better not pass out for on that day,

There will be some rum punch,

to lighten our lunch.

on that our Boxing day.

The event may bring a special prize.

for the event, there is a big wooden spoon

in the the event last place does loom.

that spoon is a very large size.

And now I must appologise for this poem

it must be the the heat outside,

more terrible could not be this poem,

it must be the the heat outside,

but now I must leave you,

For I have work, inside,

at a 23 degrees the lab is, inside.

so to a degree, good bye to all of you.

[TheQ]

Christmas day was quiet for us, SWMBOs brother is on holiday in Thailand, and her sister lives north of Rotherham and almost all mine are in Scotland. So I just fitted the new heater in the bathroom, before retiring to the settee putting the TV on and watching telly. We had roast beef for Christmas dinner as we'd already had Turkey several times this December.

Saturday we had our traditional sailing club two races, mince pies and Rum punch, only thing was when we'd packed away the boat there was no punch left!!!! Too many members who no longer sail had turned up for the event and it had all gone!!

We got a first and second in our class but the total time meant we were second by just a few seconds!!!

Sunday, off down to the railway shed, I decided to build SWMBOs easel for her painting. In the semi circular end of the shed I have fitted a central pillar. To this i spent most of the day fitting an old easel she had given to me to use. It is now done and has the first coat of varnish. It can be raised up and down, rotated 360 degrees, and tilted from vertical to 45 degrees.

I had hoped to work outside for a bit but its been raining all day, and it was a definate squelch, squelch walking down the garden.

[Baimor]

roast beef. We had that too. I'm not really a fan of Turkey. My 5 year old says it's just posh chicken!!

[TheQ]

Monday, ground still to soggy to work on , its very clay and so if its too wet you just stick to everything.

So in the shed I went, the easel varnish still hadn't dried. It was a clear day so it was quite light in the shed, so I could see what I was doing wireing downlighters . Five were fitted I changed the lighting circuits into 3 zones, just inside the shed 2 lights, to the right as you go in ( SWMBOs art area) five lights already fitted, and the left is the main railway area 3 fitted so far. So a triple light switch and the associated cabling were installed.

After that, it was a little sanding and tidying up before retiring to the house, as the temperature dropped.

[TheQ]

Tuesday,

I went to the shed and undercoated SWMBOs work table, before going outside to work on the path way to the shed. This was with all the new lights on they do the job well .

We've had no rain for 48 hours and there's heavy rain forecast for tonight. However a couple of shovelfuls soon showed it was too wet and sticky for proper paving to be laid.

So I cleared the undergrowth and put in one side of the edging, just into the mud not concreted. I then chucked a couple of bags of sand down and laid the pavors roughly in place about 200 of them . the pavors should reduce the amount of mud getting trailed into the shed and the sand should stop them sticking to the mud when it's dry enough to do the job properly. At least it's a step towards getting on with the garden railway.

Then it was into the shed for a rest and a coffee which had arrived with SWMBO and the cat.

After that I started sizing and cutting skirting boards to size for the curved end of the shed, while she varnished the easel and then top coated her table.

I then retrieved the plans I drew up some years ago for the layout and retired to the house with them to up date the plans with any changes i ve made since.

Well normally I don't go to the Tuesday MRC meeting as I get up early for work, but i'm off for the week so I'll attend tonight SWMBOs art groups however close for the holiday so she's left at home to watch all the soaps.

[mick]

One of the main considerations with a garden railway is providing suitable access to and around it. There's nothing worse than having to make your way through sodden ground with muddy feet and then carrying it all back on the bottom of your boots towards the house or shed. The immediate forecast isn't good but fortunately the ground does soon dry out once the rain stops and it's a job that should only need doing once. You'll then be able to make some headway.

[TheQ]

Yes Mick, considerations of access and maintenance of the line in any weather were part of my planning. It's just getting to that point is the problem.

Wednesday,

Well last night down at the MRC we got the model railway I've been working on, running for the first time since it was moved from Tiree, all the points now work but the track needs substantial cleaning the loco kept stopping. We found one section that's dead, but I have found out why so a bit more soldering on Friday should sort that.

There had been a little rain overnight but the wind was now increasing and its forecast for 60mph when the rain arrives.

Today's shed work was first assembling, and completing SWMBOs mount board storage area under the layout. Tomorrow when the glues have set she'll finish the painting of it. After that I trimed up some mains sockets on her art table to stop dust collecting behind them. Then I fitted and tested the dehumidifier and made the mountings for the portable A/C.

Then it was time for repairs SWMBO had blown the fuse in the small hoover she'd been using in the shed. Opening it up showed why, the bag was leaking dust and both filters were blocked. After cleaning and changing the fuse I ran it for a while, no bags or filters and it blew a lot of dust out. That's now reassembled ready for use.

Then it was on to the AC this we bought back in 2004 for the mobile home and used it for some years but the fan assembly has a bearing at one end which is mounted in sheet metal by a rubber top hat, the rubber has torn and so far I haven't found a replacement. So the assembly is now sat alongside me being glued, in The hope it'll hold till I find a replacement..

[TheQ]

Storm Frank was a bit of a wimp down here in Norfolk, but I suppose we are a long way from its centre, a bit of rain and some wind... So all day today it's been dry sunny and comparatively warm.

Thursday,

I spent the first hour trying to extract a trailer from the under growth in the garden, I could do with concreted parking but its all grass. If you park anything for some time the grass grows and if you are unlucky brambles as well. I spent some time cutting brambles and nettles before tying a rope to the trailer. Then even with the centre differential locked and the fact I have limited slip different fitted the trailer was stuck in the mud, the landrover just cut 6 inch trenches in the grass. So at that point I gave up, I'll have to get a jack out and several boards, jack up the trailer onto the boards and then pull it out when I've got some solid ground for the landrover to pull from.

So then it was back to the shed, I had just got there when SWMBO arrived with some coffee and some heavy hints! She has a high powered projector into which you put photos or drawings and its then projected onto a canvas to draw the outlines. Anyway she wishes to use it at an angle for what it was not designed. I spent the next hour building a frame to hold it and still allow cooling air around it.

After that it was back to normal shed work, we have over the years accumulated / inherited several chests of drawers. Most are of the MFI type, Made to Fall In bits. So I've been building then into one side of the shed over which the layout will run. With much bracing to the shed walls and layout supports, plus building in shelves for the drawers to sit on they may actually not fall in bits and work....

[TheQ]

Friday,

Frost!!! In a big way , which wasn't nice as I had a half hours work to do outside before commencing on the shed. I was glad to get in there and sit in front of the fan heater for a few minutes before starting work.

The first hour was spent fitting eight skirting boards of various sizes in the curved end of the shed.. Then it was back to building in the MFI chests of drawers, I finished yesterdays, built in another five drawer chest and then had 3 drawers and a couple of doors but no carcass to build in as well.

Off down the MRC again tonight.

[TheQ]

Saturday,

No frost this morning but very overcast and slightly drizzly all day, good job I got some lights fitted the other day it was so dark in the shed.

I built in the final MFI style chest of drawers, which took six hours including breaks including reinforcing every drawer, it was in an awkward place and I'm running out of screws and timber. So I had to "laminate" some beams to finish the job. That leaves a 30 inch wide gap, 23 inches deep and the layout is at 36 inches high. This will have just one shelf and cupboard doors, somewhere for the larger items.

[TheQ]

Sometimes working for this company, there are little extras, if some section of stores goes obsolete or gets over ordered , they put the excess items on a table in the canteen for anyone to take for free.

I now have 50 3V (will take 6V) motors!!! they are constant speed 3250rpm.

Time to look at gearing down and making my own point motors for the indoor layout.

[mick]

Frost? We haven't seen any for ages. All we seem to get is drizzle if it stops raining for long enough. We've got table lamps on in the living room most of the day because it's so gloomy outdoors and the outside lights are on sensors so are just about permanently on. The solar panels on the roof are producing barely anything so it's a good job we have low wattage bulbs in the lights! Never mind - it's going to get colder later this week so we're told.

[TheQ]

We've definitely not had frost today, it was bucketing down when I left for work 06:00 and it's still bucketing down now 14:01.

Next weeks forecast looks somewhat chillier!!

[TheQ]

Last night was for the first time in ages that, the rain and wind was hitting the north, north east side of the house. This is a common direction in the winter as the colder weather comes down the North Sea to us.

There must have been a lot of rain last night as the roads were as flooded as they get round here, a massive 6 inches at worst. being out in the country there are no drains, but a small embankments through which are cut slots in to the ditches behind. during the summer these slots form a nice osy area for the plants and they grow longer and thicker then block the slots which therefore allow our mini floods.

The ditches then often lead into Dykes, which then lead to the rivers, but the rivers are often higher than the Dykes and so there are pumping stations which pump the water in to the rivers. In the winter the nearest dyke to me is normally kept at 1 foot deep allowing for extra rainfall, in the summer they are kept at 4ft deep to keep the fields moist. The area was several centuries ago marsh and broads (a broad is a small lake).

Originally they area was drained by wind pumps, ie a windmill connected to a pump and not a mill?! as in Holland and many of the drainage schemes here were put in by the Dutch. These were later converted to steam power, and at my model railway club we have one gentleman who was born in one of the adjoining houses as his father /family were pump men. Post war they were all changed to electric automatic /radio controlled systems so the Pump men are no more.

[TheQ]

Well I priced up, using the motors previously mentioned, to drive the points, I.e cogs., rack, controls electronics.

Then I priced up the current price of servos( from china) and the parts needed to control them.

Servos win, and a lot less effort, so the motors go in the spare boxes.

Amazingly you can get a single servo delivered from China (via Eblag) for about £1.20, the electronics, 4 resistors, 2 variable resistors, 2 capacitors, one transistor, one NE555 chip a switch and a piece of vero type board for another couple of pounds.

Added to that a 6V 2Amp power supply that would run probably 50 points ( I haven't done the exact calculation on that) for under a tenner and servos become very economic.