Monday, March 31, 2014
readers on 'the tube', circa 1966
Taken by Vogue photographer Brian Duffy (English, 1933-2010). This pic was probably the inspiration for the short film below featuring Denise Van Outen, one of a collection of nine London Underground-themed short films collectively called Tube Tales (1999)
1902 steam railcar, Switzerland
Numbered CZm 1/2 31, belonging to the Uerikon-Bauma Bahn or UeBB, a collection of a few standard gauge lines: that between Hinwil and Bauma subsequently became part of the SBB. Built by the Maschinenfabrik Esslingen; this weighed 23 tonnes and had a 45 km/h top speed. The 1/2 may mean it had one powered axle and one running axle.
Swedish D class electric
From a stereoscope view published in America; no date and the location was simply given as Northern Sweden. The D class was a 1-C-1 type, produced 1925-1943, see earlier posts.
CFL class 1600 diesel-electrics, Luxembourg
Because of the wine red-yellow livery of Luxembourg's railways and their round front, the "nez ronde", the locos were nicknamed doryphores (potato beetles).
The Belgian locos originated as versions of the NSB Di 3 of Swedish manufacturer Nydqvist och Holm (NoHAB), which in turn had a license for the F-units of Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), a subsidiary of General Motors (GM). The Belgian manufacturer Anglo-Franco-Belge (AFB) received a license from NoHAB, with GM delivered motors (each loco had a 1700 hp prime mover). The main intended use was deployment on passenger trains in the Ardennes. Two of the Luxembourg units, 1602 and 1603, have been preserved.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Citroen C4 poster, 1928
2 doors, 4 seats, length 4.18 metres, 1,628 cc, 4 cylinders, 9 hp, 80 km/h top speed. The name C4 was reintroduced by Citroen in 2004 (or perhaps inspired by the plastic explosive...)
L.A. gets a strong shake
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake was reported last Friday evening one mile from La Habra or 28 miles (45 km) from Downtown L.A., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 9:09 p.m. Pacific time at a depth of 0.6 miles (1 km), and that is pretty shallow, hence the problems it caused were out of proportion to what you would normally expect from an earthquake of that size.
LA Times article on making your home earthquake-safe.
LA Times article on making your home earthquake-safe.
Pan Am China Clipper poster
San Francisco to Manila is actually all the way across the Pacific |
1939 Austin 12
A still from the epic movie Exodus (1960) which was filmed in Cyprus and Israel (this scene is Israel).
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Southern Pacific SD40M-2
As featured on this Guinea stamp in "the trains of the world". The unit was a rebuilt SD45 - info. The same road number was earlier carried by a U33C.
1960s Skoda 1000mb
"Hi folks, our new car has broken down, the repairmen have arrived."
"No matter, we're in a nice spot."
"Hmm, I zink ze motor is here."
Released 50 years ago, this was powered by a 1 litre (hence the 1000) rear mounted engine.
double deck steam tram in Paris, France, 1900s
"System V. Purrey", built in Bordeaux. Only one Purrey is operational today, in Rockhampton, Australia - info here
diesel-electric hauled train, Argentina, 1933
A cigarette card featuring one of three 1,700 hp Armstrong Whitworth locos for the Buenos Aires Great Southern between Buenos Aires and San Vincente. Each was powered by two eight cylinder in-line four-stroke type 8LV34 engines, each producing 850 hp at 550 rpm, with 8 x 134 hp traction motors, tractive effort 38,000 lb (169 kN), weight in working order 133 tons. Numbered UE 3,4 & 5 they were used to haul eight passenger coaches.
Pic below and more info is on this webpage
steam trains and trams in Ludwigshafen, Germany 1900s
The original main station was built in 1847, extended at the end of the 19th century and seriously damaged in 1945. It was partially rebuilt in 1954 but a new station was opened in 1969. The metre-gauge tram system has operated since 1878, today entending to 97 km (encompassing a system for Mannheim across the Rhine) and powered by 750 V DC.
1973 SEAT 127 4-door
"I hope this thing is powerful enough for the five of us"
"I'm just worried about us all squashing in here"
If it looks like a Fiat 127, it is because the Spanish automaker produced it under license from Fiat between 1972 and 1982. While usually fitted with the same 903 cc engine as in the Fiat 127, SEAT also produced a 1,010 cc engine which produced 52 hp (38 kW) rather than 43 or 45 hp (32 or 33 kW) of the 903 cc - presumably this was used in the 4-door.
"I'm just worried about us all squashing in here"
If it looks like a Fiat 127, it is because the Spanish automaker produced it under license from Fiat between 1972 and 1982. While usually fitted with the same 903 cc engine as in the Fiat 127, SEAT also produced a 1,010 cc engine which produced 52 hp (38 kW) rather than 43 or 45 hp (32 or 33 kW) of the 903 cc - presumably this was used in the 4-door.
Lake Geneva steamboat at Geneva, Switzerland
Or as it would be called locally, un bateau à vapeur sur le lac Léman, à Genève. From the look of the car on the left, probably 1950s.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Tatra 15/30 as a railway draisine, Czech Republic
The Tatra 15/30 had a front engine and rear wheel drive, an air-cooled straight four cylinder engine of 1680 cc with 18 kW (24 hp), a two-speed gearbox and a top speed of 80 km/h. Brakes were mechanical - hand for the rear wheels and foot to the front wheels. Damper leaf spring suspension on the railroad track provided sufficient comfort. A swivel rod placed under the vehicle enabled it to be rotated 180 degrees without using a turntable or a passing bay. One featured in the Oscar-winning movie by Jiří Menzel, Closely Watched Trains.
traffic on Tamaki Drive, Auckland, 1940s
Looking southeast from the footbridge near Parnell Baths. The Leyland half-cab bus seems the most recent vehicle. The NIMT is on the right.
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