MYSTERY OBJECTS

[plaques]

Trying a different track, A vintage electric voltage controller for a model railway. or perhaps something that Pinochet used and that Trump would like to use for a bit of light entertainment.

[Tizer]

It's not related to electric fences and it wouldn't kill a sparrow unless you threw it at the bird and had a lucky shot. If Pinochet and Trump use it for a bit of light entertainment then they must be engaging in a hobby loved by many people, mainly men. In fact Plaques really is on the right track when he mentions model railway. But the main point is that it's not for controlling the trains.

[David Whipp]

From the clues; is it controlling the points?

[Tizer]

Well done, David. That's correct, it's the electric motor that moves the point blades across to redirect trains on a model railway. Each set of points (or `turnout', as many modellers seem to call them nowadays) in the track has its own motor, with electrical connections to a switch and a source of power. I cheated and turned the image upside down, partly to make it more difficult to read any of the text on the side of the casing and partly because they are normally fixed underneath the baseboard with the operating wire rising up through a hole to attach to the tie holding the point blades (seeing it hanging under a board might have given the game away). Here's a picture of what it would normally look like, connected to the track above.

But there's still another question, can you work out the brand name of the product and why it has that name?

[PanBiker]

I know but I had to Google it.

► Show Spoiler

It's a Circuitron Tortoise slow motion (3 seconds) controller

[Stanley]

You learn something every day.....

[Tizer]

You don't find many of those on average model railways. They are expensive but are used by modellers who must have everything authentic. The usual point switch motors on models flick the point blades back and forth but on the real railways the heavy blades move slowly across, especially when its a signalman pulling a handle in his signal box that operates the blades through a series of linking rods. The Tortoise is named so because it is designed to mimic the slow movement of real point blades. These are usually the same modellers who buy model rail and sleepers separately and build their own track to custom specifications. In comparison, the track used by most hobbyists is far from authentic even in its most modern form.

[Stanley]

Try this oldie.....

[David Whipp]

Engineer's flagellator?

[Tizer]

Fossilised marine coral?

[PanBiker]

We have had that before and I seem to remember it was for static discharge, or I could be wrong.

[Tizer]

I'll bet it's something to do with Morris dancing...or perhaps exotic lady dancers need a pair of them?

[Stanley]

You're not there yet. Think weaving sheds......

[Cathy]

Was it used to 'sweep' under the looms?
(Possibly by children)

[chinatyke]

I remember it from before so I'll let them keep guessing!

[Stanley]

China, if nobody else remembers, break it to them tomorrow. If you don't I will, it's gone on long enough. Another clue, the chains were used individually and replaced string.

[chinatyke]

Happy to oblige.

On 16th September 2015 Stanley wrote:

Time to knock this one on the head I think.... It was difficult, you need a fairly intimate knowledge of looms to recognise them. They are heald chains, the way the healds were connected to the rocking bar on top of the loom that lifted and lowered the heald at the appropriate time to give you the weave. The normal knitted healds were always connected with tackler's band, a very strong string, when metal reeds were used (very rare at Bancroft) these chains were used instead of the string. I never saw this done...

I'm surprised how quickly we forget these objects.

[Stanley]

Ah, you have a good memory China. Exactly right..... Now give us a new one!

[Stanley]

What is it?

[Gloria]

No idea, but does the pump make the disc spin?? Can't think what for though.

[PanBiker]

Pump for an atmospheric vessel, used to create a vacuum.

[Tizer]

The famous Stanley Challenger Graham patented football bladder inflater.
On the other hand, by attachment of the readily-available accessory connector tube it can be used in an emergency to deflate Donald Trump.

[Stanley]

Too easy.... You both know you have it right.... Used for demonstrations of the effects of vacuum in lectures. Probably late 19th century.
Next one?

[Tizer]

Where did you get if from? Did you have a previous life as a 19th century scrap dealer?

You all know, in general, what this picture shows. But can you guess what is special about it, and perhaps where it's located (it's somewhere in England)?

[Stanley]

I got it in an old workshop buy-out Tiz.
It's a lighthouse but god knows where. Presumably on a headland because of its lack of height.