Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Sunday, November 3, 2024

1970 Sunbeam Imp


British Railways DMU set purrs through leafy countryside

It looks like a class 104 from 1957.  The yellow 'apron' patch indicates it's a pic from the mid 1960s, seen on a run from Bishop Auckland to Seaton Carew, England.

Great Western Railways autocoach for steam trains

Car 190 in the GWR cream and brown livery at Didcot.

The GWR made 256 of these, or which 15 were preserved, a type of coach that was used by for push-pull trains powered by a steam locomotive.

The distinguishing design feature of an autocoach is the driving cab at one end, allowing the driver to control the train without needing to be located in the cab of the steam locomotive. This eliminates the need to run the engine round to the other end of the coach at the end of each journey.

When one or more autocoaches are connected to a suitably equipped steam locomotive, the combination is known as an autotrain, or, historically, a railmotor train. A steam locomotive provided with the equipment to be used as an autotrain is said to be auto-fitted.

The autocoach was the forerunner of the driving trailer used with push–pull trains.

Saturday, November 2, 2024

ATR 72


The ATR 72 twin-engine turboprop, short-haul regional airliner was developed and produced in France and Italy by aircraft manufacturer ATR which is 50% owned by Airbus Industrie. The "72" in its name is from the aircraft's typical standard seating capacity of 72 passengers. It has also been used as a corporate transport, cargo aircraft, and maritime patrol aircraft. The first delivery was in late 1989 and so far over 1200 more have been sold.

cars in Downtown Belgrade, Serbia, 1960

With a late 1950s Fiat 500 Nuova in the foreground.

a pair of NZR Ab's with a long distance passenger train on the old Belmont Viaduct, circa 1925

This viaduct stood just north of Johnsonville on the then North Island Main Trunk. After the completion of the Tawa Deviation this bridge was demolished. For lots more info, see our books.