transpress nz: September 2015

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

to Whitley Bay, England, by the L.N.E.R.

On the northeast coast. The lighthouse is 125 ft (38 metres) high, was built in 1882, electrified in 1977 and decommissioned in 1984, only 2 years after it was automated.

More

This is an edited down clip from the IMax documentary "Roving Mars" from 2006; kind of appropriate given the announcement of flowing salty water under the surface of Mars and the debut of the movie "The Martian" in cinemas this week.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

traffic in Heretaunga Street, Hastings, 1930s

historic coastal motor ship 'Tuhoe' an effective total loss

The historic restored ship MV Tuhoe was returning to her berth in the Kaiapoi River, after receiving more than $200,000 worth of repairs in Lyttelton, when she ran aground on a sandbar at the Waimakariri River mouth about 4 pm on Sunday.

MV Tuhoe Kaiapoi Riverton Trust chairman Philip Redmond said a surveyor had examined the ship and deemed the risk too great to try and save it.

Christchurch Press news article and video

For more photos plus details on this and many more ships of the type, see the book The Era of Coastal Shipping in New Zealand: the small motor ships -- this has nearly sold out.

'don't you realize how hard it is to find a transpress nz book?'

(Retrospace)

1936 Hillman Minx advertisement

In fact a billboard created by NZR's outdoor advertising studio, see the book at top right for lots more.

VW Dampfer

(thanks Stu)

Monday, September 28, 2015

Le Mans 24 heures poster, 1967

new fountain and steam trains at Fort de Kock, Indonesia, 1900s

This one is dated precisely!

Now known as Bukittinggi.

Ben Carson closes the gap with Donald Trump in latest polls in the Republican Presidential nominee race

Donald Trump appeals because of his entertaining political incorrectness, but there are only so many people you can offend before you create doubts. After all, a fundamental understanding of diplomacy is a key requirement of the top job -- running a country is different to running a business.

Ben Carson's surge in popularity came after he said that a Muslim would not make a suitable US President, just stating the obvious really.

News article

Southern Pacific lash-ups at Colton, California, 1978

Obviously after a downpour. An 8-unit set is on the left, 4-unit set on the right.

'I think I need to adjust for the understeer'

A French comic postcard from the late 1900s.

JA mountains on the express from Invercargill to Christchurch at Oamaru

Usually one locomotive was enough, but at school holiday times extra long trains saw double heading. For lots more, see the book New Zealand 1950s steam in colour

steam train approaching the station at Tanggung (Tangoeng), Indonesia, art, circa 1888

by Michel Theophile Hubert Perelaer (Maastricht 1831 - Den Haag 1901). Apparently he was a member of Parliament in the Dutch East-Indies. More artworks of the era here

steam train crosses the bridge at Bogor, Java, Indonesia, circa 1910

In Dutch colonial days hence the name Buitenzorg. See earlier posts for more.

Russia's Putin tells the West to work together with Russia to get rid of ISIS

Daily Express (UK) story

Although the the U.S. and Russia have fallen out over Ukraine, it's nevertheless in their mutual interest to eliminate Muslim terrorism. In Syria, President Assad may be a villain, but ISIS is much worse.

Democracy is always the ideal, but Syrians are too primitive for it to work and the best answer seems to be a benign dictatorship based on the present regime, minus Assad and his most culpable henchmen. The most important things that must be respected are due process and human rights.

motorbike and sidecar graphic, early 20th century

Going the pace at Wellington... he would be better advised to pay attention to the road and leave attention to his girlfriend until he's stopped.

This was probably a generic postcard with location names overprinted.

a book was better...

a Hillman at Whanarua Bay on the East Coast Road, 1950s

In the Bay of Plenty, North Island.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

1971 Ford Custom 500 Ranch Wagon

to Australia by Imperial Airways flying boat, 1937

See earlier posts.

cars in Honiton, Devon, England, 1940s

'I like to relax in the outdoors with a good book'

tram to Newcastle at Loftus, NSW

One of the items of equipment in the Sydney tram museum. More

cars in 2nd Street, Raton, New Mexico, 1950s

The Union Bus Depot is on the right.

the former Santa Fe depot in Raton, New Mexico

This station, at an elevation of 2,057 metres (6,750 ft), was built in 1903 in Mission Revival style. It is now used by Amtrak for the Southwest Chief train. In the station grounds is the non-profit Old Pass Gallery, located in the restored Railway Express Agency building from 1910.

Tajikistan vintage car stamps, 2015

Zis, Moskvitch and Opel. They look to have been painted by school kids.

Muslim migrants decide Finland is too cold and boring

Muslims in Helsinki who come from as far away as Pakistan - when is the mainstream
media going to stop calling them "refugees"?

Hundreds of predominantly Iraqi migrants who have traveled through Europe to reach Finland are turning back, saying they don't want to stay in the sparsely-populated country on Europe's northern frontier because it's too cold and boring.

Migrants have in recent weeks been crossing back into Sweden at the Haparanda--Tornio border just an hour's drive south of the Arctic Circle, and Finnish authorities have seen a rise in the number of cancelled asylum applications.

Read more

It will be interesting to see how many of the Muslims find after their first winter in Sweden that it's too cold for them also, even if they have they own city ghettos there where authorities let them do what they like.

tour the Orange Empire by Pacific Electric trolley poster, circa 1910

At a guess this depicts the Altadena area.

three Eo locomotives in a washout, Otira, May 1980

For details and more pics, see the book Danger Ahead: New Zealand railway accidents in the modern era.

Swedish wood-bodied electric D109

With coupled drivers, steam loco style, a 1-C-1 type built by ASEA in 1925. The pic was probably taken soon after its introduction into service, location not stated. This one still exists as a museum loco -- a couple of pics here.

It was also a Märklin model about 25 years ago. See also the post on D101 in the Gävle museum.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Plymouth Locomotive Works 25 ton Class S diesel from 1932

See here as Pacific Electric's locomotive 1646. It was built for Cleveland Southwestern Railway as their number 3676 and went through 3 more owners before being acquired by Pacific Electric who then sold it to Berg Metals Company.

a Vanguard at Hell's Gate on the Skippers Canyon Road, early 1950s

This is a popular and difficult road in Otago. Heaven's Gate is visible in the background.

VW satire from last week's revelations

up Mt Lowe by trolley, L.A. County, advertisement circa 1930

See earlier posts.

train tracks and ships in Port Chalmers, 1900s

The main facility for Dunedin, see earlier posts and our books.

souvenir postcard of Hettange-Grande, France, with a bus, 1930s

Friday, September 25, 2015

two Muslim terrorists who plotted to derail a New York-Toronto passenger train are given life imprisonment

one of the Muslim plotters, Raed Jaser (court sketch)

“These are the most serious of terrorism offences, designed to result in indiscriminate killings of innocent human beings,” said the Toronto judge.

The court heard conversations in which the Muslims, Jaser and Esseghaier, discussed their ideologies, the plot to derail a Via Rail train travelling between New York and Toronto and other ideas for potential attacks.

Jurors were also shown aerial surveillance of the two accused and the undercover officer scouting a railway bridge in September 2012 in broad daylight as several trains passed by only metres away.

Full CBC article plus video