A GWR journey through the 1920s and 30s

Merde !!

  Apologies for any layout update, but prolonged illness has kept me away from modelling. The good news is I finally received a firm diagnosis this week and will need two lots of work on my gallbladder and right kidney. The gallbladder has been the cause of my discomfort while the new kidney stone suggests my preventative meds are no longer up to scratch, so more tests there! Consultant meetings next, after a quick recap with the GP in a few days. I just hope the gallbladder can be dispatched quickly, so my energy levels can get back to where they need to be.
   
  Frustratingly, the layout is just days away from being fully functional, but I have a restraining order keeping me away from modelling. However, we’ve been living around the problem of a failed sewer pump for a few weeks and as I’ve received the new pump, I have a good friend insisting in helping me fit it tomorrow. Dan will be doing all the digging and heavy lifting, but I’m looking forward to doing something useful following the enforced break in normal service.
   
  Hopefully some modelling news next time, as I have negotiated a pass to build the platform, as it can be done without any hazard to health.
   
  Best,
   
  Bill

Good luck Bill but don't forget to tell the doctors that you have important work to do on your layout  ;-)

Ouch Bill - having had gall bladder problems myself a few years ago, I feel for you.  I'm assuming it's gall stones, in  which case, they can be very painful indeed.  The good news is, they can easily whip it out with, in my case, no adverse effects whatsoever other than a massive scar - mine was blown up like a balloon so needed rather a large "key hole" to get it out !!

The kidney stones could be slightly more annoying in that I think alcohol might have to be avoided - at least whilst you're in theatre ………………. :roll:

Above all, you do need to take things easy - fitting sewer pumps doesn't sound very lightweight to me - lots of twisting and bending springs to mind………

Liz is currently undergoing cateract removal, one eye at a time a week apart - just a day patient but a 7.30 am appointment in Bordeaux requires an overnight hotel and a check up 24 hours later.  That's effectively, 3 days gone out of this and next week !!  We were saying the other day that, once you face health problems, however minor,  "normal life" simply goes on hold.

The very best of luck with all the treatment and DO AS THE NURSES TELL YOU !!!!

That nurse sentence sounds interesting  :Happy

Hi Bill
I am so glad you now have a definitive diagnosis and a positive treatment plan. I know exactly how you feel! My life, since my emergency hospital stay last May has been one long round of Doctors calls and Hospital visits. Happily, like you, the issues and treatment were finally determined a couple of weeks ago with what I would describe as a not unsatisfactory outcome :). Mind you, at my age, waking up in the morning can be described as a win!

I am so pleased that you can now see a clear road ahead and enjoy exciting projects like sewer pump replacement and perhaps even better, running trains on Newton Regis.

My kindest regards

John

ps for Petermac: Best wishes to Liz for her cataract op- been there done that- she will notice a big difference once its all completed, I was astonished how much more colourful the world had become.

  Hello and thank you very much Matt, Phil, Peter and John,
 
Your kind words were uplifting and I’m seeing the GP on Tuesday evening for the necessary referrals to our consultants of choice for the gallbladder and kidney issues. It’s then down to me to arrange the appointments for consultation and treatment.
 
I think I must have passed an offending gallstone, as the severe pain has abated, leaving tiresome fatigue, not to mention the debris just waiting to bite me again if I step out of line. I will therefore be listening to the nurses very carefully Peter, whilst contemplating what a ‘sentence’ with them might be like Phil!
 
With major assistance from my chum Dan, we replaced the sewer pump yesterday and the bride and me now enjoy all the benefits of running hot and cold water, dishwasher, washing machine and above all, flushing toilets!
 
Peter, please send our love and best wishes to Liz for trouble free interventions and a speedy recovery. We know these procedures are effective and give positive and lasting improvement, although hospitals can sometimes be worrisome.
 
Like us all John, make sure you keep winning every single day and as we all know, age is essentially just a number to be taken as seriously or light heartedly as you’re able, so feel free to continue with everything that makes you happy.
 
Kind wishes to all,
 
Bill

Hi Bill,

sorry to hear of your extended "unwellness". My last email reply was to an earlier post so I'd not caught up with your more recent news.

Hopefully you're on the mend by now in time for Spring.

Colin

[user=1814]Longchap[/user] wrote:

 
 
Peter, please send our love and best wishes to Liz for trouble free interventions and a speedy recovery. We know these procedures are effective and give positive and lasting improvement, although hospitals can sometimes be worrisome.
 
…………

Thanks Bill.  Hopefully her eyesight won't improve sufficiently to see what she's  married to !

  Quick rant regarding current high to exorbitant mail order pricing

Not yet able to tackle the final wiring stage of the layout due to restrictions from the doctor and bride, I’ve been doing some planning, or perhaps even scheming? The later certainly sounds more fun to me in a furtive sort of way and I’ve ordered in specialised equipment from a French surgical equipment supplier, since precision plastic surgery is very much on the agenda.
 
As I’ve lent my favoured Swan-Morton scalpel to a friend in the UK and will not be getting it back soon, I needed a replacement, so began looking through offerings from the usual suspects. Goodness, how depressingly expensive the rates were for both scalpel and blades, with shipping from Amazon alone (from several countries) requiring a restorative cup of tea and a lie down!
 
Fortunately, I found a local specialist medical supplier who's pricing was economical and with a 5,90€ shipping fee on orders up to 100€, free thereafter, but I restricted myself just to a No3 handle and 100 blades. Peter, check out Distrimed.com if you’re a Swan-Morton user.
 
I've been noticing increasing similar comments to my own across this and other railway forums of late and I only hope that prices, including some bizarre merchant’s shipping rates, may eventually moderate if or hopefully when the world settles into more harmonious revolutions.
 
Sincerely,
 
Bill

I am indeed a Swan Morton user Bill and was about to offer you some No 11 blades - I have probably 70 or 80 left in my last box of 100.  However, I'm pleased you found a source locally and thanks for their details - now listed for future reference although I'll pop on there now to see what else they do.

I too am shocked at current postage charges.  I think eBay have some input on those in that they have fixed charges which, I think, includes a cherry bite for themselves.

Sadly, I now buy very little from UK unless someone can bring it over for me.  It really has added another, very unwelcome, dimension to ex-pat life…….. :sad:

  Hi Peter and fellow Swan-Morton club member,
   
  Thank you for your kind offer of straight No11s. Fortunately, I’ve a modest stash of useful types left in stock, as I lent just my No3 handle with a few blades to my good pal Brian. I’ve ordered 100 of No10 curved blades with a new handle and as I know these will last me rather a while, let me know if you need any!
   
  Like you, it is very rare for me to order anything from the UK for direct delivery here now, although Hattons seem to have got their Trunk service pretty much aligned with the French authorities and my last delivery in December actually worked very well with no hassle or Brexit tax. Just as well, as the new Rapido gunpowder van found it’s way into my trunk yesterday and it looks like a right little cracker.

Fortunately, we have a few returning UK friends and clients this season, so we have opportunity to top up with PG Tips tea bags. Phew!!!

Best,

Bill

Once again I got no notification that there were more post's to see on this thread. Sorry to hear of the medical issues and hope everyone's back on deck, fit and well very soon. I have a scar about 5 inches long and two small one's from when I had the kidney out. Started off as keyhole but the kidney and tumour were just too big. Now there's a low potassium diet to deal with… not much fun. Rambling post over.

  G’day Pete and I’m sorry to hear your tale of kidney woe and trust that matters are now comfortably stabilised, notwithstanding the low potassium diet, which I’m sure takes some getting to grips with.
   
  Heavy couple of days of medical appointments here next week, which hopefully leads to a resolution and return to playing with railways and old cars!
   
  Best,
   
  Bill

Bill, sorry to hear about your health issues. Make a speedy recovery and be well enough to come and say 'Hello' at Barton Peverill School, Eastleigh next January. Yes, our exhibition will be going ahead once more. 
I hope to see you then,
Mark

Thanks Mark, I'm getting there and also looking forward to Barton Peverill in January.

Having some overnight visitors last week, I rather quickly had to move the layout boards and workbench out of their way and into a different building. Now with a little more time, I started tiding the various heaps and sorting stock from various other locations into big storage boxes, which was useful for my future sanity. Of interest were some half forgotten items, long salted away, which served to reinforce a recent decision to stop buying stock (except some existing pre-orders) and build all the kits and projects already on the embarrassingly long waiting list.
 
This box revealed my stash of old clerestories, mainly brake thirds which including a pristine LMS version, which might just avoid the razor saw and go into a display cabinet with some other fondly remembered ancient items.




I then discovered three more and I have numerous plans, including an unusual auto trailer, which I found a lovely prototype photo for the basis of the conversion.




Another surprise, as I have only a vague memory of starting the kit sometime in my 20s, is this old Wills loco kit.




I can only recall building the body of the 1804 saddle tank and the box still contains a pair of wheels, so the origins of chassis is a mystery, but perhaps it’s from that incomplete kit I bought of an open cab white metal pannier from that auction site.




I’ll need to check out the chassis some more and see how it runs and I have several other motors which might be fettled in. It will be wired for DCC.
 
I have a minor medical intervention next week, but am looking forward to getting into more productive railway modelling as soon as I can. This however will be getting the control panel and wiring completed to get the layout running and that’s a milestone I’m looking forward to reaching.
 
Speak soon,
 
Bill

Can anyone remember Kay's white metal kits back in the late 50's early 60's, my brother built a 57xx with what we now call superglue!

I've built a few. Superglue/CA works just as well as solder, as long as the metal is clean and bright.

Dimensions are normally dodgy, due to white metal (viable) shrinkage after casting. OK for OO, PITA for EM gauge.  Useful for weights when all else fails. Good frame design though. Rumor was that some major manufacturers used them for injection moulds, hence perpetuating the inaccuracy. 

Motors and wheels are best dumped in the trash.

Everybody should build one. Once.

Nigel

I think that should have read K’s kits.

[user=753]Phil.c[/user] wrote:

Can anyone remember Kay's white metal kits back in the late 50's early 60's, my brother built a 57xx with what we now call superglue!

I'm not sure if that would have been Cyanoacrylate in the 50s or 60s, AFAIK it only came into wider retail use in the mid 1970s, having been sold as a specialist industrial automotive manufacturing product from the late 1960s.

Again, AFAIR, only much later still did the price drop enough to make it the versatile product which it is today

I do have a K's kit of that era, mistakenly sold to me by Hattons as an Airfix 14xx. The chassis is typical of the era and I have Comet / High Level kits to replace its insides, a process somewhat rudely interrupted by the events of the last two plus years.