Cutty Sark..

Built on the Clyde in 1869, Cutty Sark was one of the finest and last China Clippers ever to sail the high seas.

For a ten year period in its history, it held the speed record from Sydney Australia to Britain. It wasn’t carrying tea though. It had been demoted to the wool trade.

At the same time as Cutty Sark was built, so was the Suez Canal. A Tea Clipper could beat a steamship ‘round the Horn’, and could even beat a steamship which took the Suez shortcut, but large commercial sailing ships were useless in the Suez Canal.

Cutty Sark was at the top of a sailing ship’s game at 16 knots in a good wind, but steamships were improving and were more reliable.

The last part of her working life was served as a training ship

Since 1954, she has been a London landmark in Greenwich Dock, but on 21st May, 2007, Cutty Sark was a blazing mess. Parts had already been taken away for renovation but, on this day, it looked like there would be no home for the restored parts.

It has cost £25m and five years of painstaking work to put her right, and she still could never sail again. You can read up on why she can never sail again here..

http://web.ncf.ca/bf250/cuttysark.html

It is sad that such a great ship could be treated so badly..

London Underground

The most famous, the first and still the largest underground rail network anywhere.

A London icon and one of the best known logos in the world, it hasn’t changed much at all in over 100 years.

No trip to London England is complete with a ride on the Tube.

At first, a road would be dug up and a section of tunnel would be made by digging out and then covering back over, a very tedious process which only worked for the sub-surface parts.

Also, the first trains were pulled by steam locos. They used smokeless coal and the steam was re-circulated but traction was a problem, especially on the gradients in and out of the sub-surface and deeper lines.

So electric traction was borrowed from the USA, after which the Tube just kept growing.

Apart from moving thousands of Londoners and tourists around, it has also doubled as air raid shelters during WWII. Some stations were only ever air raid shelters, some were built in the wrong place, and others were used as underground bunkers for government.

Want to know more than you would otherwise see if you travelled the Tube?

Some more for you..

http://www.webring.org/hub?ring=londontransport;id=2;ac=D%0B%0Dq%7EzlnR%5E%5EJ%04%16%F0%FE%E0%AC%B3%8D%DF%D9%C3%94%A1%A4%AD%BC%BC%B1%8A%8F%94%85%88b%7DfzuR%09BA%5E%110+;go

http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/k/kingsway/

When the trains stop running for the night, an army of workers go through the system removing litter, human hair and anything else which gets sucked into the tunnels as your train rockets out of the station and back into the burrows that make up the London Underground.

The Morris Minor..

.. aka the Jelly Mould was a small eminently British car which appeared in 1948. It had a 918 cc which allowed for over 40 mpg and a 0 to 60 time of over 50 seconds. Despite less than fiery performance, there was a lot of room inside and the car handled surprisingly well. It also had rack and pinion steering which gave it good directional control. All controls were light and easy to use, even for novice drivers.

The photo on the right shows a nice, sedate example of the marque, the only real difference being the bright paintwork, lowered suspension oversize rims and tires, and huge V-8 plus blower.

Yes, this one would definitely blow off a Zodiac or Cresta of the period at the traffic light Grand Prix’s held around the country on a daily basis.

The ladies loved these cars. They were light and airy, good all round vision, bright cheerful colours (well some of them), light controls, ideal for transporting the kids and the shopping, and  they rarely broke down.

The photo on the left shows a nice lilac Minor, a colour that would have gone down well had it not been for a surplus of camouflage paint from WWII.

The Minor was made in a variety of styles which included 2 door saloon, Tourer (convertible), Traveller (estate), panel van, and pick-up. There was also a 4 door saloon. Needless to say, no factory made cars sported the parts as seen in the above photo.

In early life, it lost its split windscreen and grille mounted headlamps, the lamps making it to better defined front wings, and in later life, it was fitted with an 1100 cc power plant.

OK, so now to a photo of a typical Morris Minor.

These cars were tough, and not too protective in an accident. The later models had front panels made of thinner steel in a bid to take some of the shock that was previously transmitted directly to the passengers, a crumple zone of sorts.

You should be impressed by now, having seen that the Morris Minor is not just one more boring British car. There is still an ardent following and cars are restored to original condition as well as being made into hotrods and such like.

The last photo shows how it looked in standard 2 door trim, a classic design which brought cheap affordable motoring to many, including a wind in your hair convertible.

It was replaced by the criminally poor Morris Marina, already blogged by me as a British Worst. Long live the Morris Minor.

For more.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_Minor

The Meriden Bonnie..

Named after the famous salt flats in the USA, not the birthplace of William The Conqueror in Normandy France, the Triumph Bonneville, a 650cc twin motorcycle, captured the hearts of many a British motorcyclist.

It wasn’t the electrics which didn’t always work when you needed them most,  or the capacity of the machine to retain oil in its vertically split crankcase, or the vibrations in the frame which made the view in the rear view mirrors somewhat blurry. 

For a stock machine, it was nicely balanced, and power delivery was even and strong. Mostly, it was fast and it looked right.

This is a stock T120, pre-unit construction. Note the separate gearbox. Improvements were made over time, the gearbox was integrated into the main engine housing,  and general frame improvements were made to make it all more rigid, and it also gained twin leading shoe front brakes, and eventually a disc brake.

As nice as the bike above is, there was a version, never made in the Meriden factory, which was a real stunner.

What you do is take the engine out of the Triumph frame, bolt it into a Norton Featherbed frame, add a nice pair of Ceriani front forks for better front wheel control, bolt on a few goodies, and you get one of these..

The tank sports the Norton name still, but this is not a Norton. It is a Triton, and an very smartly finished Triton at that. A bike like this one has seen many hours of hard work and meticulous finishing skills.

For some history on the infamous Featherbed frame, see here..

http://thevintagent.blogspot.ca/2008/12/rex-mccandless-and-featherbed-frame.html

The Bonnie went on to become a 750 in the guise of the T140, and then it all went wrong for Meriden along with the rest of the motorcycle industry. The Japanese invasion, notably the original Honda CB750 spoiled the party, introducing disc brakes, electric starters, smooth riding and vibration free mirrors, they showed the Triumphs, BSAs and Norton's for what they were.

Among others, the Bonnie was not stylish like the Italian bikes, not super smooth like the BMWs, not clumsy and ungainly like the American Harleys, not technical masterpieces like the Japanese Hondas and Suzuki's. The Bonnie was a renegade, and it delivered what it looked like it could deliver, no frills, little comfort, but as much fun as could be had on two wheels.

For more on the Triumph Bonneville, and links to al associated with this most famous of motorcycles, see here..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_Bonneville_T120

Ford’s Transit

The most popular van in Europe for many years, you name it and the Transit has been there and done it.

Apart from ‘white van’ delivery tasks, it is used by the Emergency services (all branches), and Royal Mail. There are four wheel drive conversions, camper van conversions, ice cream van conversions, whatever you want and as long as you have the cash.

You can have long wheel base or short wheel base, regular top or high top, pickup, mini-bus, twin rear wheels for greater load capacity, and all of these choices lead to many more uses than already mentioned. 

Fancy a vacation? Large or small, the Transit can handle the load. This one is high end.. You can get them as small as the Police vehicle, but if you want comfort, the one on the left is cool.

The great thing about the Transit, and what really made it popular was the huge range of factory options, the size and the fact that Transits are comfortable and drive like cars.

I remember sitting in a South Manchester cafe, the King and Castle. There was a couple there extolling the virtues of their recently converted Transit which was basically the long wheel base delivery style van but now sporting a 3 litre engine from a Ford Capri. They talked as if it was a Rolls Royce, and I had to smile. I looked for it when I exited the cafe, and sure enough, there it was. Rust and patchy paint work didn’t bother them at all. It was the performance which put it at a level above transport used by their friends.

Don’t think that all Transits are rusty and patched up. Customisers like them as well, giving them fancy paintwork, lowered suspension and of course the 3 litre conversion. There is one more conversion which deserves a mention. The stretched Transit..

No problems getting your party into this one..

For more on this remarkable vehicle.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Transit

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.

Ford Escort Mk 1

Replacing the Ford Anglia, the Escort in standard trim was not exactly the most exciting car ever made, especially with the 1.1L engine. Shown is the two door model, four seats, rear wheel drive. It was cheap, cheerful and very popular. Ford released a 1.3L variant, and 1300 E and GT models which had more go in them and better interiors..

So why have I included it in Best of British? Well, Escorts were not all made equal. This simple car was just waiting to bloom, and did it ever.

See this? The Ford Escort RS2000. Still the same front grille, but now with go-faster stripes, fancy alloys and a power plant to die for. Along with RS1600’s and Mexico’s, all available as road cars, these wolves in sheep’s clothing became one of the all-time great rally cars. In go-faster trim, I think that this was/is the best looking Ford in the UK.

I believe that this was the very first European Ford, a joint venture, but it was way more popular in the UK than anywhere else, and a sheer delight to watch and hear on the RAC Rally. It showed that you didn’t need a blown and injected 7 litre power plant in a car with the proportions of a canal barge to have fun and be a real winner.

The Escort Mk 2 carried on the sporting traditions that the Mk 1 set, but after the Mk 2 came the front wheel drive versions.

The great thing about the early RS Escorts was you had the fun of high power rear drive but in a nicely controllable package, not unlike the BMW E30’s.

For more on the Escorts, take a look here…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Escort_(Europe)

Is it a ship? No..

Is it a plane? No..

It is the SR.N 4, the world’s largest ever passenger and vehicle carrying hovercraft. The name is an acronym for Saunders Roe Nautical, by the way. They made other things, notably flying boats, and big ones too, but under the name Saunders Roe..

Anyway, this is a Mountbatten class SR.N,, and one of these crossed the English Channel in a record 22 minutes with over 250 people and 30 cars on board. Impressive, eh. Also impressive was the huge size, noise and fuel consumption. They were not cheap to run, but always paid there way.

For passengers inside, it was noisy and the ride was not exactly smooth, despite the fact the hovercrafts do not sit in the water. But it was fast, and a unique way to travel. Unlike the venerable channel ferries, they couldn’t go out in overly rough seas, and the Dover Straits are some of the roughest seas anywhere, trust me, especially in the winter.

They don’t run anymore, which is a shame, but one or two have found their way into museums. Meanwhile, the ferries continue to plug across the Channel at various points, and of course, the Eurostar whisks under the sea all through the year apart from the odd time when the wrong kind of leaves or snow are on the lines.

Hovercrafts can be found in other places. The US used SK-6’s as part of their military fleet, and the Canadians used two SR.N 6’s for search and rescue on the west coast, but I believe that they are now decommissioned.

For photos of all of the types, see here.. http://www.bartiesworld.co.uk/hovercraft/saunders.htm

The Original Mini

This is it, the Morris Mini-Minor. At the front, a transverse 848cc engine: front wheel drive, external door hinges, sliding windows. At the back, more room that you had a right to expect, hinged rear windows, a small boot made even smaller by the inclusion of a spare wheel, fuel tank and battery.

Most importantly, it had a wheel at each corner, literally at each corner, almost zero overhang. Combined with a low centre of gravity and very direct rack and pinion steering.

Along came a guy called John Cooper, famous for making winning Formula One cars at the time. He reworked the A series engine and produced the 970cc and 997cc Mini Cooper and the 1071cc and 1275cc Cooper ‘S’. This is the car which would win the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, ‘65 and ‘67. Anybody could go to a Mini dealer and buy either of the Coopers, and more than a few did. With a bit of preparation and a Halda meter, club rallying became a reality. To stop the Coopers, they were fitted with twin caliper disc brakes at the front.

Rallying success opened the gates for every tuning company in the country to produce ‘go faster’ bits, and trust me, they did. A standard mini could become anything you wanted it to be with cash and the time to do the work.

My experience with a Mini

I bought a Mini Clubman Estate because I liked the idea of extra space. While travelling in North Wales, I encountered a hill so steep that the Mini could not make it to the top. I vowed that on my return, the Mini would not only make it all of the way up, but that it would do it with attitude to spare.

I acquired an MG Metro engine, Stage 3 ported head, 286 cam, Maniflow manifold and exhaust system, K&N filter, Cooper S brakes, finned aluminium rear brake drums to bring the rear track in-line with the front, and Hi-Lo suspension units all round.

The result was around 80bhp at the wheels, huge torque which could get the car moving in 3rd gear, a top speed just shy of 100mph, and more fun that words can put across. It was as fast through corners as it was down straights, and first gear was only used on steep hill starts.

The combination of induction roar through the K&N and the Maniflow system underneath was magical, but not on long trips down motorways. In the country, it was just incredible.

The only trouble was in towns and cities. Power came in at over 3000rpm, and if one happened to hit that in traffic, the car would surge forwards, firmly pressing the occupants back into the racing seats.

I picked up parts from auto fairs, and performance specialists like Minisport of Padiham. I would like to make a special mention about Minisprint Engine Developments (MED) of Leicester, in particular the owner, Steve Whitton, who did a great job with the engine and setup.

Problems with all Minis

Corrosion kills them all in the end. The ‘A’ panels ahead of the doors are double skinned and always go first in the panel behind. By the time that it surfaces, you have major problems. The drains around the roof line are bad, around the headlights, as are the rear doors on the Estate versions. Corrosion underneath at the back kills the rear brake pipes, sub-frame, electric fuel pumps on earlier models, and the handbrake cables and quadrants. Rear brakes are prone to seizing, and the battery boxes in the saloons have been known to fall out while in motion.

At the end of the day

Minis are priceless despite the lack of comfort, the noise and corrosion issues. You can’t have more fun for the money, and the shape is as timeless as ever it was. If ever you get the chance, drive one. I guarantee that you will want one after the experience.

For more reading, look here.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini

The Stanier 4-6-2

Known as 'Big Lizzies' by their drivers, the Coronation class locos were built in Crewe for the LMS Railway. They first appeared in 1937, and disappeared after 1965 along with all other steam locos. Some were streamined, but not all. The streamlining was fitted originally when they first started pulling the 'Royal Scot', but it was later removed as it did nothing for speed and impeded maintenance.     

Duchess of Hamilton is now preserved at the York Railway Museum in streamlined form. The Coronation class locos were not the worlds most famous British locos. That honour goes to A3 4472 Flying Scotsman of the LNER. They were't the fastest either. That honour goes to A4 4462 Mallard of the LNER. They were, however, the largest, most powerful locos ever built for use on British rails, and arguably the most beautiful steam locos ever built anywhere in the world (not the streamlined versions).  

 It wasn't all glamour. Rogue embers from the fire boxes could start fires in fields and on washing lines that were close to the tracks, and houses built adjacent to the tracks close to major stations were blackened by the continual output of soot in the smoke.   

 It still remains one of the iconic sights in Britain, an express loco charging across the countryside, laying a plume of white smoke behind it. See one in action. Sit back and enjoy the sight and sound of the Duchess of Sutherland and other preserved Great British Steam Engines..

The London Taxi

Most were all black, some were maroon, and some were a mix of the two colours.

The bodies were made by Carbodies, the mechanics underneath courtesy of Austin, and the vehicle was badged 'FX4', was designed to be 'easy entry', could turn in 24 feet, and there are/were thousands of them.


Later models could even be fitted with wheelchair access..

To be a London Taxi driver, you need to have the 'knowledge'. You get this by riding around London and environ on a scooter. Want to know what you have to know? Read this.. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/businessandpartners/taxisandprivatehire/1412.aspx

The big red bus

Without a doubt, this is the most famous bus anywhere in the world. AEC RT's and RM's were specifically designed for use in London, the RM probably being the most recognisable. The bodies were made at the AEC Park Royal coachworks, and were pretty much all aluminium, making them light and nimble. Drivers were particularly pleased with the fully automatic gearbox. There were/are other manufacturers of double decker buses, Daimler, Leyland, Bristol to name others, but the London Transport Routemaster is probably top of the tree.

The Daimler CVG6 was the bus of choice where I was born, and I do have a special place for it. The chassis was made in Coventry, the body I most liked was the Metro Cammel Orion (lightweight like the AEC RM), and it was powered by the ubiquitous Gardner 5LW/6LW coupled with a four speed pre-selector gearbox.

The Rocket

The year is 1829 and the Rainhill Trials  had been won by George Stephenson’s Rocket. It was the very first steam locomotive to use a multi-tube boiler configuration, the standard by which all steam locomotives would be made regardless of location.

Note also the angle of the cylinders. They were originally inclined at 35 degrees which reduced the swaying motion brought about by vertical placement. Eventually, they were moved to a horizontal position which virtually eliminated any tendency to sway. This was another feature which became the standard for nearly all that followed.