Depressed By Depressed
Readers with an astounding memory may remember that fbb has previously waxed not very lyrical about cement wagons, the one below being known as a "Presflo" because compressed air was used to load and unload the cement powder.
A later design consisted of two large tin cans ...
... also using air pressure as before. A further development was the so-called "depressed centre" tanks, the cause of fbb's current grief. Here is a "single" on a short fixed chassis.
When they were new they were shiny white or pristine grey.
But the combination of cement powder spills and very little cleaning led to a perpetual mucky image.
The next development was to plonk two tanks (both depressed) on a bogie chassis.
They soon acquired the same tatty image!
And so to Lima.
Lima was an Italian company that produced a wide range of railway models from all over the world.
In the mid 1970s, Lima entered the British market like no other company had ever done before or since. At first their range consisted of a UK locomotive (as with the Deltic below) ...
... but paired with with a mixed bag of wagons, some UK style, others from their continental range but nominally painted to suggest UK origin.
A much bigger UK range followed.
Experts tell us that Lima had a more efficient production technique which enable them to sell a much greater variety of liveries and wagon types. In theory a production run of 500 vehicles was viable, whereas Triang Hornby needed at least 4000. The benefit of the Lima operation is that, for example, depressed centre tanks could proliferate in many attractive (?) liveries.
How many of these colourful wagons were genuinely used on the UK network must be somewhat dubious.
Experts say that, at peak production, the company had 300 UK modes in its catalogue.
Perhaps their business model was not quite as slick as it appeared, because in the mid 1990s, Lima merged with Rivarossi, Lionel and Jouef. This deal did not produce the goods (literally!) and the whole lot went bust in 2004.
The assets were bought by Hornby who absorbed much of the UK product into their own range. The depressed centre tanks were taken over from the depressed Lima and made into Hornby models.
The only change was the imprinted manufacturer's name in the plastic of the chassis.
Anyway, as readers will already know, fbb realised to his horror that he only had Lima's two types in his collection; but nowhere in the coal measures of his layout did he have the Hornby versions.
He does now! Here is the four wheel tank ...
... and the bogie twin.
The Lima bogie version came complete with extra bits for the purchaser to add (desperate to cut production costs as the company sank slowly!?) which fbb hasn't!
AI - Awful Installations
As fbb was preparing the content above, he came across this article. This is just an extract but ...
... it doesn't look good for the Active Investors in the new systems.
Oh dear! Customers at Waitrose has better be VERY VERY careful as they check their till receipts.
Maybe go to Tesco?
Undaunted, fbb decided to try AI for himself, by commissioning ChatFBB to write a short Ode about his recent experiences with the panic search and subsequent acquisition of the missing Hornby tank wagons.
The results, using Adequate Inspiration are, as is to be expected, very weak poetically but well above the standard of today's so-called AI. The verses are certainly miles better that could be Automatically Invented by any commercially available AI stupidware!
Enjoy!
An Ode To Missing Tank Wagons
and their subsequent arrival
by
A Gentleman Of Quality
(Using AI)
=========================
Your blogger confessed
To being depressed;
His zeal was repressed.
Two tanks he possessed
Each lacking one "guest".
Both missing! A pest!
He was a bit stressed!
So he had to invest,
(With funding he's blest),
Thus, at Ebay's behest,
With no bidding contest,
He searched east and west;
The challenge addressed!
Success was finessed ...
... He purchased the best
To add to the rest.
(To childhood regressed?
It's hard to digest!).
Once, sad that he messed
Up, now passes the test.
His failure redressed,
His woes now suppressed,
He feathers his nest.
And now, well impressed
His shelf fully dressed;
He redoubles his zest
And has not digressed
To continue his quest.
His target's assessed -
To own ALL tanks, no jest.
He is really ...
... ... really ... ...
... ... ... really ...
... OBSESSED!! ...
and
Does not wear a vest
To keep warm his chest.
==========================
Silly Season Internet Idiocy blog - Tues 2 Sept
