A Tale of Two Bridges

The Clifton Suspension Bridge..

Completed in 1864. It isn’t the largest span ever at only 702 feet, but the bridge is not about breaking records. It is about getting from one side of the river to the other without getting one’s feet wet, and it does that in true style. As you can see from the first photo, locations for the towers were less than convenient. This tower is called the Clifton tower and as you can see, it is built atop a solid precipice. The Leigh tower on the other side is very different and here is a link to a website which shows how it was done.

http://www.interactory.com/web/hidbrid/content/dev5

OK. Now for a scene to kill for. If you know of a suspension bridge and surroundings that looks as good as this one, please leave a comment and I will check it out..

The Forth Railway bridge..

The suspension bridge on the left is called the Forth Road Bridge and was completed in 1964. at which point the one on the right became known as the Forth Railway Bridge. From its completion date in 1890, it was called the Forth Bridge, and the ‘Railway’ part was added just in case there was any confusion over which was which after 1964. It is made from riveted steel tubes, big steel tubes, it carries a double track, and I understand that no other bridge was ever made exactly like it because it was so expensive to create. However, other bridges borrowed some of the design features.

It looks small from this angle, but when you stand on the jetty just to the left of the brick towers, you get a much better idea of just how big this bridge actually is.

It is a very strong bridge too. The engineers and designers were acutely aware of what happened to the original Tay bridge, and there was no way that this bridge was going to collapse.

The death toll of workers was quite high, ninety eight killed and thousands of non-fatal injuries sustained, but you have to remember that this is the Firth of Forth. Weather in Scotland is not as kindly as it is in the South West of England.

For more info:

The Clifton Bridge.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifton_Suspension_Bridge

The Forth Railway Bridge.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forth_Railway_Bridge

HST.. The Intercity 125

The first production car, 43002 was delivered in 1975. Rumour had it that the HST was a stopgap measure until the AP-T was perfected. It never happened and the HST became the star of British railways

The speed limit on the rails at the time was 100mph, but the light axle loading of the HST allowed for 125mph. It was and still remains the fastest diesel powered passenger service in the WORLD, setting a record of 143.2mph in 1973.

Power was delivered by two power cars, one at each end, Each end was fitted out with a Paxman Valenta 12 cylinder marine diesel engine developing 2,250hp, but due to overheating problems was eventually reduced to 2000hp. Since 2005, HSTs have been refurbished with Paxman VP185 engines

The prototype had a look all of its own, not the prettiest look for a streamliner. This is 41001 on display at the National Railway Museum in York. The buffers look decidedly out of place, and lights are close grouped behind glass in the centre..Also note that there was no provision for a view out of the sides for the driver.

The final design was a little more raked, side windows were added, the buffers disappeared and the lights were spread out and in their own nacelles, an altogether more pleasing look.

Why diesel? Well, the only overhead electrified lines ran down the West Coast main line originally. The East Coast main line didn’t get converted until the 80’s. The Western region was also not electrified, so it made sense to produce a ‘one size Diesel fits all’ The UK was up to this point lagging behind the rest of Europe in high speed trains. The lack of overall electrification and the more traditional train sets made up of Class 55’s and Mk3 coaches was not cutting any mustard.

Anyway, here is a photo of a production HST, 43058 sitting at Leicester on the East Coast main line pre electrification

The HST is a definite favourite with train spotters, not just for the rakish looks and overall performance, but also for the way its starts up. The Valenta turbocharger is really quite noisy, and standing next to an HST is not unlike standing next to jet aircraft as it powers up for take-off. Watch the video and turn your speakers up..

The HST will not be around forever so make the most of them while you can.

The ‘real’ Cunard Queens..

Forget Blue Ribands. They come and go, but the Queens don’t. The first two were built in response to other European countries putting up a show on the high seas. Even the Americans built a ship, the SS United States, but where are they now? All scrapped and no future plans.

Pictures say a thousand words..

RMS Queen Mary.. now preserved at Long Beach, USA

She even looked impressive in her ‘war togs’.. New York Harbour 1945

RMS Queen Elizabeth.. the big sister.. in Cherbourg, France

She had ‘war togs’ too. After the war, Mary and Elizabeth got to fulfil their purpose.. to run the finest trans-oceanic crossing EVER..Unfortunately, at the end of her service, she was sold off to be a floating University. After a fire broke out on board, Hong Kong Fire Department sprayed so much water onto her, she sank.

RMS Queen Elizabeth II.. preserving standards and carrying out her duties with the same grace as her namesake..

So this is where the story of the ‘real’ Queens ends, , for me anyway..

And now for the sad part..

The Cunard Queens which followed the QE 2 are not what I would call real Queens. QM 2 is designed to do Trans-Atlantic crossings, but the new Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria are just a couple of high-rise river barges. Even QM 2 has that look about her.

They have even unregistered in Southampton, and re-registered in Hamilton, Bermuda, and guess why? They want to be able to do weddings in the Caribbean.

Mulberry

Not the tree or the berries.

An apprentice Grim Reaper is sent in to ‘collect’ an aging, crotchety lady, trampled down throughout her life by two sisters who always had the edge over her.

The stuff of comedy? Excuse the pun, but ‘hell yes’. I saw it first time around on TV. The credits rolled and I didn’t know what to expect. Within minutes, I was hooked by the amazing performances by all of the cast, most especially the two main stars, Karl Howman and Geraldine McEwan.

The series only ran for two seasons, and at the end.. no, I can’t spoil it for you. Watch it for yourself. If you have seen it before, it will bring back memories, all good of course, and if it is your first time, you will be enchanted, just as I was.

Here is a taster for you, episode 1, part 1

You are going to want to save the entire set of both series because I know that you will want to see it again and again. So, I will give you a link to a free YouTube downloader where you can save each episode and watch it at your leisure in Windows Media Player or Windows Media Centre. Your choice..

http://www.dvdvideosoft.com/products/dvd/Free-YouTube-Download.htm

OK. You have the tools, and you have seen the first episode. What are you waiting for? Permission? Permission granted.

The Morris Marina..

This is a Best of British failure. That it sold in numbers over almost a decade is sad testament to the undemanding nature of many car buyers at the time.

This car, other than the body, was a parts bin special. A nasty plastic interior, the worst colours imaginable, and vague steering were three attributes that it shared with other British auto nasties.

I drove a Ital shooting brake for maybe seven miles way back when. Every time that I approached a turn, I was never sure how the car would negotiate it. There were never two turns alike. It was scary.

The fact that it shared engine and suspension parts with the ubiquitous MGB did nothing for it at all. It was designed as a dreary vehicle, and it didn’t ever disappoint in that way.

Top Gear have it right. Take a look..

And yes, there really is a Morris Marina Owners Club..

So who bought a Marina? Essentially, any undemanding buyer who also didn’t like foreign imports.

Daley, Daley, Daley..

The world’s greatest decathlete ever, and he was British (still is)..

He was the first athlete to win Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European titles and hold world record.

Before him, British Olympic athletic interest was none too high because we didn’t have too many outstanding competitors. Daley changed that, and how we roared. In case you do not know what constitutes a decathlon, read this..

The decathlon requires proficiency in ten events - the shot put, discus and javelin throws; the long and high jumps; the pole vault; the 100 m, the 400 m and the 1500 m run and the 110 m hurdles.

You have to be good to win the Olympic decathlon just once. Our Daley won it twice.. in a row.. yayyyyyyyy.

He began competing in the decathlon in 1975 and won every event he entered from 1978 until 1988, winning gold medals at the 1980 and 1984 Olympic Games.

It has been suggested that he lights the torch for the 2012 Olympics. I can’t think of anybody more appropriate, can you? Maybe he will whistle the British National Anthem again, for old times sake. Yayyyyyyyyyyy..

You will never read anything bad about Daley. He may have been a little irreverent at times, but that was his to be. He was and always will be one of Britain’s true greats, and we all love him for what he is, and what he did..

For more about our Daley, start here..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daley_Thompson

Supermarine Spitfire

Designed by R.J Mitchell, built by Supermarine of Southampton (and many shadow locations around the country), the Spitfire was one of the pair of Merlin engined single seater fighters of WWII which defended Britain’s shores during September 1940 and beyond.

The photo shows a Mk IX which would not have been flying during September 1940, but the basic design and elliptical wing shape never changed. This one would be wearing the universal C wing.

Was it the best fighter of all time? It wasn’t always the fastest, and it couldn’t go into a dive like the BF 109 could, but most Brits would say ‘yes’. In truth, the German BF109 was equally good. It came down to the quality of the pilot and the way in which each pilot and aircraft was deployed.

What you have to understand is that the Spitfire was seen to have saved ‘Blighty’, so there will obviously be a soft spot for it. People ‘in the know’ have a healthy respect for both.

However, it is generally accepted that the Spitfire was the most beautiful aircraft to ever take to the skies, and it still is. The sight and sound of a Spitfire has universal appeal, and everybody within visual and aural distance will always turn to the direction of the noise, even Germans. The video below shows a Spitfire XIX flying at a German airshow.

The XIX was powered by the Rolls Royce Griffon, developing twice the power of the original Merlin. Griffon engined Spitfires turned a five blade prop, and sometimes a pair of contra-rotating four blades to counteract the immense torque of the Griffon. Pilots of the Spitfire would most likely tell you that the Merlin was the nicer to fly.

Enjoy the video. There are many more on YouTube.

If you would like to know more, see here..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarine_Spitfire