Back and the snow

I really feel for you lot! were suffering from the cold at 50f today I had to put a sweat shirt on at work it got so cold!
But really glad the move went safely Carl and I have that Defender here ready for you!! ..................Paul............

Brian, I think you're mad but seeing you out in that cold like Scott of the Antartic I shall go out and clear some snow today.

Nice steam, how long did it run for in this cold and how did the butane burn? Did you use a mixture butane/Propane and did you use warm water in the boiler to start with?

I'm always interested in other's cold start procedures.

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I'm afraid this is the only machine we need now.

A Hagglund.
I drove the earlier BV202 in the army a couple of times, great vehicles.

Seriously I have just bought snow chains for the Fiat it's getting that bad.

How much for the Defender Paul?

I would love one even a good series 2A/3. I looked at buying one here, we have a 4x4 dealer on the main road but the Land Rover prices are grossly inflated.

UMMs/Peugeot P4s and alike can be relatively cheap though.

I can buy an ex MOD released LHD 90 for around £7,000 from dealers in the UK but then add at least £500 for shipping, registration (DRIRE here) etc.

An old series Landrover to rebuild would be a good proposition for next winter (that is if this one ever finishes first). Parts are still fairly easily available and I have all the tools.

Carl, Re builds are difficult to get a Cart Gris for in France. You need to get a standard Landrover from the UK they will be cheaper in the spring when the snow has gone away. My disco is worth les than 7,000 and its a year 2000.

Here is another clip of the Regner in the snow.

I'm looking forward to running it in warmer temperatures - I'm sure that will see better running when the temp is around 12 - 18 deg C higher.
At the moment, it gets up to a pressure of 3 bar, runs and the pressure drops to below 2 bar after around 30 seconds, which is no good to pulll a load......

(I'm using standard butane, water is at room temp 19/20 C when I take the loco outside)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xVnu6vLLds

Carl Hibbs wrote:

Brian, I think you're mad but seeing you out in that cold like Scott of the Antartic I shall go out and clear some snow today.

Nice steam, how long did it run for in this cold and how did the butane burn? Did you use a mixture butane/Propane and did you use warm water in the boiler to start with?

I'm always interested in other's cold start procedures.

Put the madness down to cabin fever - being snowed in for the week.

Yes - reverted to a propane /butane mix, but didn't bother warming the water. Both the loco and the water were stored inside so probably about 18C for the first fire up. Probably took quite a few minutes longer to raise temperature than normal on the first run which probably only lasted 10 minutes or so. The second run with a hot loco was probably nearer 15 minutes, but I did waste a lot of steam - tooting the whistle to impress the neighbours!

Madness not repeated today as a further 5cm dumped last night.

If you do end up running a Land Rover, I've found a young French couple who supply parts, as part of a Land Rover club!
They're not far from Mikey in Sers.

I see on the bulletins that the South had more snow.
Keep warm and well!

Snow just and I mean just starting to melt a few millimetres here but it'll be another white-knuckle ride or slide to school tomorrow as the country roads are still bad.
...But I do have the sexy fabric snow 'chains' now if I get stuck.

Monsieur Meteo says weather should improve around Wednesday-Thursday.
But he lied last time.

How is everyone else coping with this cold madness?

I've touted a few more ex-Mod dealers in the UK for LHD 90 prices, I found a couple are offering them at around £5,500 plus VAT but I can't just go and look them easily as they are well up in the North.

As soon as I can see the garden I'm going to start putting some track down even temporarily. Can't go this long without running trains.

Carl , I have seen copies of Landrovers here in Spain, the forces use them and I have seen that they (Land Rovers) seem quite poular here. I don't know anything about them myself but maybe some Spanish dealers/traders might have the MOD equvalent. Mind you the way they drive I dunno if I'd want one used.

Patrick those Spanish 'Land Rovers' are better than the Solihull versions.

The are made by 'Metallurgica di Santa Anna' and sold as 'Santana' They originally assembled series 2 - 2A and 3s in kit form and beefed them up. The fitted their own 6 cyl. diesel engine and produced several successful different models.

I don't think they use Land Rover parts under licence anymore and they make their own vehicles entirely.

Great idea though. I had forgotten about them.

I feel a trip to Spain coming on. "Hola !"

I ventured out shopping for the first time this morning as we still have 10cm snow, -7C and no sign of a thaw.

Our village roads are still treacherous, but the main D13 had been well treated and totally dry. Our local LeClerk is only 15k away in La Rochefoucauld but at half distance just 7k away the snow was gone - what a difference 7k's West and a 300 meter drop in altitude can make. One of the penalties of living in the hills of the Haute Charente!

C'est la vie!

One spin off benefit though - Caro couldn't get to the UK this week as her flight from Bordeaux was cancelled. So she's at home working online via the University of Kent's VPN.

More snow and freezing rain forecast for tonight. Much of the country is on 'alerte orange'.

Take care on those roads if you can see where they still are.

Our L'Eclerc is about 8kms away and really is the only shop around.

I have a job too now. After a lot of haggling and interviews with the Education Nationale I start at a Lycée in February in Pont Audemer about 30 mins from here.

18 hours a week up until the end of the summer term teaching teenagers English up to and beyond Baccalaureate.
That'll pay for some trains....

Congratulations on the job Carl that will help a lot I would think. Just rain here at the moment.

Thawing at last!

The rain belt hit us last night so we can see green again and slide around on slush - yuk!

Sparkeswood wrote:

They've decided that the safest way to protect other road users from my van is to send an ambulance in first...

I got stuck behind one once here in TN. GOING very slow. I had a Volvo with a full set of Nokia snow tires, I could have made better time than him!

What a difference a day makes!

In the last 24 hours we have had a big thaw. Still a fair bit of snow around but I think it will all be gone by the end of the day. Most roads are clear and even dry.

Time for some preliminary railway construction work I think while I have the day to myself.

I feel a nice weekend in the garden coming on......

That thread is alive.

The end of the week is going to get colder and snow will come Saturday.
You may swap for snow tyres now.

That's weatherforecast for north of France (normandy included)

Yes you're right Laurent. Here we go again.....Is it really, nearly a year ago....?

I wish I had bought that 4x4 instead of a Twingo!

We just had few drop of snow this afternoon, not enought to stay only 1°c at the moment.
Very early in season, as I always remenber having snow late in december (rarely), most of the time in january.

Snow?

75F here in Nashville, mix of sun and clouds, two turkeys in the smokehouse, and I am wearing shorts and shirt-sleeves as I cook...

Paris and arround are cold atm, colder than usual and no sun...

Blizzard this afternoon at 17h00 coming back from Evreux on the N13 but almost clear here.
Thick ice however and roads are very slippery. Plus wife's car broke down and is abandoned and waiting for recovery tomorrow.

84 DegF yesterday here in Houston. Upper 70s today. About an hour ago, a cold front hit - freeze warning for tomorrow evening. Happy Thanksgiving indeed.

Ah yes it was Thanksgiving and St Catherine (25th November) here.

The day for the 'catherinettes', a great term used for women of about 30 years old who are still not married or 'on the shelf'. There is supposed to be a lot of matchmaking and dating going on where the still free women try by any means to attract a man.

I didn't see any of it

...but we had lots of snow though.

KleineDicke wrote:

84 DegF yesterday here in Houston. Upper 70s today. About an hour ago, a cold front hit - freeze warning for tomorrow evening. Happy Thanksgiving indeed.

Yes, thanks for sending that east, I saw it coming from TX on TV yesterday!

Sidebar, anyone notice we have no smileys for cold?

Spule 4 wrote:

Sidebar, anyone notice we have no smileys for cold?

You do now...... ... ... ... ... ...

And just for those unfortunate and unlucky enough not to be enjoying the cold weather right at this moment (bastards)....I've added some hot ones too.
... ...

Mike
Down on the Sunny Costa del Sol







Oh ok, I lied, its damned AND its tipping it down as well! I shall have to go out and drain some water from the swimming pool before it overflows onto the terrace

We had about 10cm last night (made getting home from a gig very difficult!). nice sunny day today and its nearly all gone. Just a bit worried because its quite early. Still, as long the winter isnt as long as last year!!



mikey