Monday, July 31, 2017

Spanish automotor from 1940


Seen in 1969, one of a batch of 6 2-bogie diesel-mechanical railcars built in 1940 for the Norte company by CAF under license from Fiat, they had 2 x 145 hp engines.  In Renfe service they were numbered 9215 to 9220.

More info and pics on this webpage

tour bus in Honolulu, 1960


Although we're not sure what it is -- for those who have the time, a good website of American coach builders to trawl though is here

little engine on the wharf, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 1900s


It could be an 0-4-0 saddle tank.  The tightness of the curve visible shows why this size of engine was desirable for such situations.

Japanese 2-car diesel multiple unit


It looks like a Kiha 56 class which appeared at the beginning of the 1960s.

French cycle race champion poster


Age uncertain: the first Tour de France was held in 1903 but this doesn't mention Le Tour, rather France Sport is "always first"!

Sydney: four Muslims plotted to blow up a plane, says the Prime Minister


Australian authorities have foiled a terrorist conspiracy to bring down an aeroplane using an improvised explosive device.

Four men are in custody after NSW and Australian federal police officers raided properties in the Sydney suburbs of Surry Hills, Lakemba, Wiley Park and Punchbowl on Saturday afternoon.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says the operation disrupted “a terrorist plot to bring down an aeroplane”.

The alarming plot triggered an “intensifying” of security measures at Sydney Airport on Thursday which has since been extended to all domestic and international departure points.

The Prime Minister warned passengers should arrive two hours before their flight and minimise carry-on and checked baggage.

trams, trains and traffic, North Sydney, circa 1957


It's a bit hard to identify exactly where this was taken, but probably on the roof of the apartment building on the right (click in and rotate) the Google streetview.

The whole structure carrying the tram tracks in the centre was demolished in the 1960s to make way for development of the freeway lanes. (Steve Terrill collection)

Sydney tram to Watson's Bay, 1908


These days you need to go to a country like Bangladesh to witness this sort of ridership.

Minneapolis cop who shot dead an Australian yoga teacher was a Muslim from Somalia


Justine Damond, the Muslim's latest victim.
In two years as a police officer, he had three formal complaints against him, two of which are still to be resolved. In a separate case from May 2017, he is being sued for allegedly assaulting a woman

This is the sort of detail that Mainstream Political Correctness Media usually wont mention.

Report

Friday, July 28, 2017

Convair CV580 F


A twin-engined commercial transport aircraft produced by modifications to the 440 model with two Allison 501 D13D/H turboprop engines with four-blade propellers, in place of piston engines with three-blade propellers, an enlarged vertical fin and modified horizontal stabilizers.  The first was delivered to a customer in 1964.

Length: 24.84 metres; Span: 32.12 metres; Weight empty: 13,732 kg Maximum take-off weight: 23,371 kg; Passengers: up to 56; Maximum cruising speed: 550 km/h (342 mph); Ceiling: 6,096 metres (20,000 ft).

Thursday, July 27, 2017

vessels in Circular Quay, Sydney, 1911


Quite different from the picture today.

General Motors PD4104 bus


Seen in Montreal in 1976.  These days "dot com" is ubiquitous signage, but it will have meant something else in 1976.

Info on the bus model is here

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

trams in Circular Quay, Sydney, 1911


The trolley wire seems to have been removed with the then equivalent of Photoshop, which wasn't unusual. See earlier posts.

NZR 4-4-0 with a mixed train at Reefton, circa 1900


Heading south with the Inangahua River visible at right.  These were ex-Midland Railway Company (see the book On the Trans-Alpine Trail)

1970 Trekka 4-16


If you've never heard of it, it's probably because they were made in NZ between 1966 and 1973, powered by Skoda engines.

More info

Monday, July 24, 2017

traffic on Jervois Quay, Wellington, circa 1908


Nearly all of it involving horses, but there's a new-fangled double deck electric tram headed for Newtown.

For lots more see the books Wellington: a Capital century and Wellington Transport Memories.

an NZR Di in the Karangahake Gorge, 1973


Hauling an excursion train; the railcars for regular passenger services had ceased in the 1960s.  Today this former double-deck bridge over the Ohinemuri River is part of the Hauraki Rail Trail through the gorge; see below, and of course our books.

the largest Military Base in the Middle East opens in Egypt


Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi [has] inaugurated a military base in Egypt that is reportedly the largest in the Middle East.

A number of top Arab government officials, such as Mohammed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, attended the inauguration.

The Mohamed Naguib Military Base, located west of Alexandria in Al-Hamam area, was built on a military city that was first constructed in 1993.

According to the Egyptian Armed Forces spokesperson, the military base consists of more than 1,100 new or recently renovated buildings. The spokesperson added that the new base would be used for joint military exercises with other countries.

23 July - Egypt's National Day

So, some Egyptian scenes
boats in the Nile, circa 1900
a MISR Airwork poster post-WW2
a Beech D-18-S -- info here


a passenger train near Memphis, 1963
the Cairo Metro is a standard gauge system of at present 3 lines totaling 78 km
Egyptian Air Force 1987 Beechcraft 1900C