Thursday, October 29, 2015

inauguration of electric traction on the railway from Milan to Varese, Italy


This happened on 16 October 1901 and used a third rail on the outside of the running rails at 650 Volts DC. The length of this line is about 60 km.  Twenty two-car electric units were built which consisted of a power car and an unpowered trailer (presumably containing a driving cab).  The system was replaced with 3 kV from overhead in 1947(?).

Manly Pier, Sydney, 1890s


cars in North Bridge Road, Singapore, 1968


Nearly all British and European.  The truck could be a circa 1946 Ford.

a great British institution - the car boot sale


It's not unusual to see these in Britain - a large number of people setting up little tables in a field and selling items to the public that they literally take out of their car boots [trunks]; a kind of collective garage sale, but where each person is selling only a small number of items.

The practice has spread to other countries in Europe as well as A/NZ.

In America the equivalent is a tailgate sale where the tailgate of a pickup or station wagon provides the table, although they are not common in all parts of the country.  In California the equivalent is a swap meet or a flea market.

Compania Trasatlantica Espanola poster


Age uncertain. Info on the company here

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

the four lane highway through Gladewater, Texas, 1940s


US 80 still goes through the city.

the swarm of violent Muslim migrants has seen gun sales soar in Austria


Shotguns have 'virtually sold out' in Austria as citizens rush to buy arms amid fears of a massive influx of migrants, dealers claim
* There are now thought to be estimated 900,000 firearms in Austrian homes
* Police say around 70,000 guns have been sold this year alone in Austria
* Dealers say shotguns have almost sold out because you don't need a permit
* Women are driving the sales rush as fears grow amid influx of refugees


It's hardly surprising, given the numerous reports of break-ins, rapes, child molestation, assaults on individuals and group fights, particularly in Sweden and Germany, which the many young Muslim men who represent about three-quarters of the "refugees" have been responsible for.

Hopefully, those buying guns will acquire skills and learn how to handle and store them safely. The last thing they want is for guns to fall into the hands of the Muslims.

by Southern Railway and the CdF Etat to the Emerald Coast and the Pyrénées poster, circa 1930


meanwhile, 100 years ago the war on the Gallipoli peninsula raged on


For details of the ANZAC troop and naval ships, see the book at top right.

train time at Hikurangi, NZ, circa 1910


This is 17 km north of Whangarei.  It looks rather like the train has overshot the platform and is reversing up...  The station is long gone but the rails are still in place.

an Italian cycling firm upset the Political Correctness brigade with this Tweet


And it was forced to apologize - article

steam launch 'Eureka', Montréal, Québec, circa 1908


(Musée McCord)

Marine Le Pen on trial after comparing Muslims in France with Nazis


At a meeting in Lyon in 2010 the Front National leader compared Muslims occupying streets for their five-times-a-day prayers to the Nazi occupation during WW2: "Si certains aiment parler de la seconde guerre mondiale et bien pour le coup ici ils peuvent, car il s'agit d'une véritable occupation du territoire." (If some like to talk about the Second World War, and well for once here they can, because this is a real occupation of territory.)

Now she faces charges of "Provocation à la discrimination, à la violence ou à la haine raciale"


Clearly France needs an American style First Amendment guaranteeing free speech.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

1964 Chrysler Imperial


1963 Pontiac Le Mans convertible


a Lada and a half, Russia




A 1979 Lada, reengined, with a trailer of half of another one... Full story with pictures

NZ Government wants ideas on what to do with millions of used car tyres


The NZ Government wants ideas on what to do with millions of used car tyres [or tires as it is spelt in America].

It says four million tyres are taken off vehicles in New Zealand every year, and they present a big ecological problem.

About one million are re-exported for recycling or burnt for energy and the rest go to landfills or end up dumped in piles beside rivers or on the coast, creating a fire risk.

Environment Minister Nick Smith said there was strong interest from the tyre industry for a compulsory collection system and prohibition on waste tyres going to landfills.

"But there problems in finding places to put the tyres, and the markets for recycled rubber products like mats and artificial turf are limited," said Dr Smith.

"We need to find more ways to use waste tyres if we are to find an enduring and sustainable solution to this waste problem.

"Possible alternatives include using the tyres as a source of fuel in cement kilns and power stations."

Dr Smith said New Zealand's current management of waste tyres did not match up with its clean green brand.

"Too many end up in rivers and on the coast, or in unwanted stockpiles posing a fire risk. Our ambition from this initiative is to fund work with entrepreneurs on a solution that can create jobs and improve the environment."

A Ministry for the Environment report released in May this year found there were risks of chemicals leaching from tyres in landfills and air pollution from those that are burnt.

The problems in New Zealand match those in the United States, which generates almost 300 million used tyres a year.

Suggestions presumably can be made via the MfE website

Yakolev Yak-40


A Soviet small 3-jet-engine airliner of which just over 1,000 were made between 1967 and 1981; of these 130 were exported to other countries. Capacity was 32 passengers and top speed was 550 km/h (297 knots, 342 mph) at 7,000 metres (23,000 ft).

More

the death of Europe

"Muslim migrants expect Europe to subsidize their large families with its welfare state, while they deal some drugs and chop off some heads on the side."

"Mohammed isn’t staking his future on the shaky pensions of European socialism. He invests in what social scientists call social capital. He plans his retirement by having a dozen kids. If this lifestyle is subsidized by infidel social services, so much the better. And when social services collapse, those of his kids who aren’t in prison or in ISIS will be there to look after him in his golden years. "

Full article

West German E50 (150) class electric


If it looks like an extended version of the E40 class, that's pretty much what it was. A total of 194 of his Co-Co type were built by Krupp, AEG, BBC, Henschel, Krauss-Maffei, and Siemens-Schuckert Orenstein & Koppel (SSW) between 1957 and 1973. 

Their power output was 4,500 kW (6,000 hp) but the most impressive statistic was the starting tractive effort — according to wikipedia, "To date, the Class 150's starting tractive effort of 450 kN (100,000 lbf) remains unparalleled on German rails — in fact it was very close to the breaking force of the chain couplings used at the time of its production. Some engines were therefore fitted with automatic coupling (type unicupler AK69e) to haul heavy ore-trains."

bascule bridge and train track in Semarang, Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), 1910


1972 Audi 80


(favcars.com)

1971 Pontiac Le Mans hardtop coupe


This was about the end of the era of artwork rather than photos for promotional pictures.