On Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:21:51 +0100, John Williamson wrote:

Andy Breen wrote:
I'm getting more and more sure there's some subtlety in the way these
early machines were operated that I'm missing - some lost art of
working those boilers...

'Twas ever so. New tchnology comes along, and the old ways get lost.

How many people can properly set the mixture on a gas lamp nowadays just
by looking and listening?

I could a few years ago, back when the electricity supply out here could be
a bit intermittent and (bottled) gas lamps were one of my standbys. Not sure
I could do it now, at least not without a few goes.

--
From the Model M of Andy Breen, speaking only for himself