A gimmick certainly, but it raises lots of implications and there was a lot of media comment this past week; this article on the CBC website poses most of the questions.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
'look ma, no hands' - the Google driverless car
A gimmick certainly, but it raises lots of implications and there was a lot of media comment this past week; this article on the CBC website poses most of the questions.
BB electric locos of the former CdF du Midi in Neussargues, France, early 1960s
Although quite boxy, these 1.5 kV locos had a distinct pioneering charm. See earlier posts.
steam/sail ship in Farm Cove, Sydney, 1907
Looking west with Government House in the background. The ship is not identified.
Friday, May 30, 2014
sailing vessels off Whitby, England, 19th century
+Luggers+and+other+commercial+traffic+in+a+calm+off+Whitby+(1871).jpg)
cars outside the post office, Whakatane, 1950s
"OK, we need a 'wish you were here' scene for a postcard of Whakatane - what's the most interesting thing there?"
"How about the post office?"
"Uh, um, isn't there anything more exciting?"
"No."
the world's longest trolley bus line - from Simferopol to Yalta, Crimea
Until a few weeks ago Crimea was in Ukraine, now Russia. The 86 km (53 mile) trolleybus line was built in 1959 as an alternative to extending the railway line from Simferopol over the mountains to the coast.
It opened in two parts: Simferopol–Alushta in 1959 and Alushta–Yalta in 1961. The journey time to Alushta is about 1½ hours, to Yalta about 2½ hours. It goes across the Angarskyi Pass, reaching 752 metres (2,500 ft) altitude at the highest point, then descends to the resort town of Alushta on the coast. The remaining distance to Yalta is 41 km (25 miles) and winds around the mountains above the sea.
Škoda 9Tr and Škoda 14Tr buses were used, being replaced from 2010 by Bohdan T601-11 buses. These pics, taken in 1973, are from this webpage, where there are more.
Škoda 9Tr and Škoda 14Tr buses were used, being replaced from 2010 by Bohdan T601-11 buses. These pics, taken in 1973, are from this webpage, where there are more.
cars and trams in Princes Street, Dunedin, early 1950s
Looking south. The 1952 Hillman Minx on the right is the most recent identifiable car. See earlier posts and our books for more.
how well do you treat books?
An article by UK Guardian blogger Alison Flood from last week is here
Paperback spines will always suffer compared to hardback spines, but hardbacks cost more to produce. However, the existence of creased and cracked book spines in your bookcase makes it look like you've read them a few times; one of the advantages of printed books over e-readers...
trains and buses at Billings Union Depot, Montana, circa 1910
Thursday, May 29, 2014
The Duke of Gloucester admires a South Australian steam engine, 1934
Christmas Island phosphate trains
the story of crude oil
A documentary first screened 7 years ago is viewable on the Australian ABC website here.
Some key points-
* About 90% of oil is used as fuel, the other 10% is used by petrochemical industries to make products such as plastic and paint.
* About half the oil that was in the ground, land or undersea, in the 1880s has now been consumed.
* At present rates of consumption the rest will be used before the end of the century.
* Before that happens, however, the economics of extracting remaining oil in the most difficult to access places will kick in.
* The most optimistic estimates are that there is enough oil that can be accessed economically to last for about another 50 years; pessimistic estimates are much for a much shorter time.
* While big, the challenges of developing alternative energy sources in time in developed countries are achievable; for less developed countries which represent most of the world's population, the picture is more troublesome.
Some key points-
* About 90% of oil is used as fuel, the other 10% is used by petrochemical industries to make products such as plastic and paint.
* About half the oil that was in the ground, land or undersea, in the 1880s has now been consumed.
* At present rates of consumption the rest will be used before the end of the century.
* Before that happens, however, the economics of extracting remaining oil in the most difficult to access places will kick in.
* The most optimistic estimates are that there is enough oil that can be accessed economically to last for about another 50 years; pessimistic estimates are much for a much shorter time.
* While big, the challenges of developing alternative energy sources in time in developed countries are achievable; for less developed countries which represent most of the world's population, the picture is more troublesome.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Russian tram graphic, 1927
Something to do with constructivism. Reklama v tramvaye means 'advertisement on a tram'.
Paris traffic, 1910
No traffic policeman is visible but it seems one was desirable; perhaps when the double deck compressed air tram started off it got priority. The location is not stated but obviously somewhere between the Gare St Lazare and the Gare de Lyon.
HMS 'Bounty'
One of the best known sailing ships in British and South Pacific history. The length was 90 ft 10 inches (27.69 metres), beam 24 ft 4 in (7.42 metres) and depth of hold 11 ft 4 in (3.45 metres). In total the ship had 44 officers and men.
On 24 December 1787, the Bounty set sail for Cape Horn with a crew of 44 men under the command of Captain Bligh. His orders were to call at the Island of Tahiti, load as many breadfruit trees as could be carried and then transport them to the West Indies where they were to be cultivated in large plantations as a supply of food for the slaves.
On arriving at Tahiti, after a 10 month voyage, Captain Bligh discovered that he would have to wait six months before the young breadfruit trees were ready for digging up and transporting. He therefore had no choice but to spend this length of time on the island. But life there proved to be so idyllic that at the end of the six months the crew did anything but welcome his order to start loading and return on board ship.
On the morning of 18 April 1789, during the return voyage, the infamous mutiny took place. Captain Bligh and 18 loyal members of crew were cast adrift with 150 pounds of biscuits, 20 pounds of salted meat and 120 litres of water. They were also given a compass, sextant and the Bounty's logbook.
With only these victuals and equipment Captain Bligh reached the Island of Timor after 42 days and 3400 nautical miles. Later Bligh was made a vice-admiral and colonial governor.
The mutinous crew of the Bounty found a safe hiding place on Pitcairn Island and there they unloaded the cargo before setting fire to the ship.
One of our authors, Vic Young, has an ancestry going back to a crew member. More photos of this model are on this webpage.
bus in the Hautes Cevennes, France, 1924
tram on Karori Road by Tringham Street, Wellington, 1947
While on the subject of Karori trams, this aerial view by Whites Aviation from December 1947 shows one by the intersection with Tringham Street in the upper part of the photo. Unfortunately, it won't be too visible on this blogspot page as blogspot compresses all pictures above 1600 pixels down to that size, and you need to see the 4000 pixel original.
Irrespective of that, the more interesting aspect of the pic is the general lack of traffic. Despite being over 2 years after the end of WW2, petrol (gasoline) rationing was still in place, and private car ownership wasn't extensive because of government import controls and high taxes; the latter situation didn't change until the early 1960s.
For lots more, see the book Wellington Transport Memories.
tram by Nottingham Street on Karori Road - 2
In reference to the post of 3 August 2011 with a painting, we have received an e-mail from the artist (it can take a while for folks to stumble across our site) attaching the photo above showing the scene circa 1954 with the comment below.
Even accepting this, the inclusion of a VW Beetle in the painting is questionable as NZ assembly of VWs didn't begin until the same year (1954) that the Karori tram line was closed and trolley bus operation began. Geoff Churchman says he is very familiar with the scene as he grew up in Nottingham Street in the 1960s-1970s and caught the bus where the car on the right is parked for about 20 years. The service station on the left of the photo was rebuilt in the 1950s.
********
Regards, Phil Dickson Artist
s'cool bus bike
Of "Patent Bending Bus Lines"... More such Images rigolotes et insolites of custom motorbikes are on this webpage
Missouri Pacific 4-8-2 at St. Louis Union Terminal, Missouri, 1947
Locomotive number 5340, the train not recorded.
Monday, May 26, 2014
unorthodox tree transport in Croatia
In the US and NZ you'd quickly get stopped by a cop for doing this. From a viral e-mail.
former NZ Shipping Company ship 'Opawa' (1906)
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Her length was 460 ft 7 inches (140.4 metres), breadth: 60 ft 2 inches (18.3 metres), and depth: 28 ft 7 inches (8.7 metres). Tonnage was 7,230 gross, 4,588 net and 10,620 deadweight.
On 28 November 1943 the ship was sunk by U.S. submarine Bowfish 25 miles off Nah Trang, Vietnam, while operating as a tanker. More info on this webpage
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Zagreb main station, Croatia
Or Zagreb Glavni kolodvor as it is called locally; built in 1892, renovated in 1987 and 2006.
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