1967 Pontiac Parisienne 4-door hardtop

 

'wow, my boyfriend has sent me some real books for my birthday!'

 

official film of British locomotives from 1959

 

Pellarini PL-11 Airtruck

This was the second of two topdressing aircraft manufactured in New Zealand, photographed at a farm airstrip at Kowhiterangi in 1966 by Craig Bell. It was written off following a crash the following year -- details here

Details of the aircraft are here.

Volga paddlesteamer poster, Russia, 1935

 The name on it looks like it transliterates as Kashgar.

Preserved steam on the Lakeside and Haverthwaithe Railway, England

Headed by an early 1950s BR Fairburn 4MT 2-6-4 tank engine. A total 277 of them were built after WW2.

Info and lots of pics

NZR Auckland suburban train hauled by a Wab, 1929

En route from Auckland to Henderson, seen near the Grafton station.  A Google Earth reference for the McNiven building in the background which still exists, is here. 

For lots more, see our books.

NSW 46 class electrics

Two seen with the Indian Pacific between Westmead and Wentworthville in greater Sydney. No date - 1970s? See the book Railway Electrification in Australia and New Zealand for more. (Alan Greenhill pic)

"my long distance bus"

"Weren't they once somewhat bigger?"

colorized night scene at Sydney station, early 1900s

The "old Sydney station" must mean before the present building was completed in August 1906.

UK motorway speeds get cut from 70 mph to 60 mph

Highways England has kicked off a 12-month trial on sections of motorway in England.

In 2019, the transport sector accounted for 34% of the UK’s total carbon emissions, according to GOV.UK. It’s also the UK’s largest producer of emissions.

The UK has set itself an ambitious target to become a zero-carbon country by 2050.

But we won’t reach that target unless the government takes greater action. That’s according to Energy Institute’s Energy Barometer report.

To that end, Highways England has cut the speed limit on certain sections of motorway to 60 mph.

This is part of a trial that it hopes will help bring road emissions down to legal levels.

But one in four (26%) people think it’s not worth the inconvenience*.

Read the rest

[70 mph = 113 km/h, 60 mph = 97 km/h]

Blue Funnel Line poster

No date but judging by the mere three digit phone number quoted it goes back a fair way.  Info -- and plenty of pics -- on the line are contained on this page

'what's better than an iced coffee and a real book?'

 

small vessels in Buckie Harbour, Scotland, 1960s

 

taking your goat along for a ride

 

'Do as I say, not as I do'

 

The 'Seasider' and the 'Taieri Gorge' tourist trains of Dunedin return this summer

The Seasider excursion train is seen exiting the Cliffs Tunnel between Purakanui and Waitati. For lots more see the official website, and our books.

Ticlio Vista, Peru

This is on the Lima - Huancayo line, see earlier posts.

Škoda to supply new NZ Police cars

(Media release)

After a rigorous testing and evaluation process, New Zealand Police has selected the Škoda Superb as the new frontline Police car. The more environmentally friendly Škoda will become Police’s primary response vehicle, with the first cars expected on roads and in communities as early as April next year.
After General Motors announced it was pulling Holden out of the Australasian market, Police went to tender for a new preferred supplier.

“With more than 2000 primary response vehicles currently in action, selecting a new supplier provides an important opportunity to reduce carbon emissions and ensure value for money across our fleet,” says Commissioner Coster.

Throughout the tender process, two Škoda Superb models stood out as ideal primary response vehicles.
“Frontline staff said they handled well and they felt confident and safe driving the vehicle,” he says.
“They liked the large doors with a wide opening range, easy-to-read instruments, front and rear visibility, and the spaciousness of the rear passenger area.”

Police will be using station wagons as they offer greater flexibility for deployment and were the preferred body type by staff. The 162KW 2WD and the 206KW 4x4 Superbs will be deployed according to operational requirements.

“As well as the Superbs standing out in our evaluation process, Škoda is repeatedly chosen for use as police and emergency services vehicles throughout Europe. It is used in more than 30 jurisdictions, including Austria, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom,” says Commissioner Coster.

“More importantly, these new vehicles will deliver significant reductions in our fleet’s carbon footprint.”
The average CO2 emissions for all fleet vehicles in New Zealand is 180.7 grams per kilometre, while the Superbs sit on the greener side at 162 for the 162KW model and 176 for the 206KW.

“When compared to our current fleet, C02 emissions per kilometre could be reduced by up to 38.6 per cent per vehicle, depending on what is being replaced,” he says.

Electric and hybrid vehicles were tested, but limitations including power efficiency and the total cost of ownership meant they were not the preferred option.

“While incredibly promising, electric and hybrid technology are not yet a viable option for our patrol vehicles,” says Commissioner Coster. “However, we are committed to reducing our carbon emissions and have outlined a ten-year plan to an emissions-free fleet.”

Prime 1 Patrol Vehicles in the existing fleet will be replaced when they have reached the end of their useful life, at a rate of around 400 per year. 

Police is expecting to deploy the first lot of Škodas in April 2021. The new-look Police cars will be revealed early next year.
ENDS

Frequently Asked Questions
What was the evaluation criteria?
Each vehicle was tested against a rigorous set of criteria. Mandatory criteria included radio interference, performance and brake testing. Non-price attributes (such as emissions and service capability) accounted for 20 per cent of the weighting, physical testing accounted for 40 per cent (such as road testing), and the total cost of ownership accounted for the final 40 per cent.

Does Police use any electric or hybrid vehicles at the moment?
Police has a small number of electric and hybrid cars for use in non-operational roles. Police intends to expand the number of low/no-emission vehicles through the annual replacement programme.

When will a Holden be replaced?
Police cars and car-based models are considered for replacement at an average age of six to seven years or once the clock up 120,000 km, whichever comes first. 

Will the Holdens continued to be serviced?
Holden dealerships are not disappearing completely. Holden will remain available to service Police vehicles for the next ten years. However, should it happen that a Holden service agent is no longer available, Police will continue to work with its partners to maintain the servicing requirements for its operational fleet. 

What is Police’s 10-year plan to an emissions-free fleet?
New Zealand Police is in the process of developing a 10-Year Fleet strategy (2020-2030), which will outline a roadmap to reducing CO2 emissions and improve sustainability across the Police fleet over the next decade.
This evaluation gave Police some real experience with electric and hybrid vehicles and provided practical learnings for their future implementation. While the technology does not currently align with Police’s core business requirements, EVs and hybrids will continue to be tested as the technology improves in terms of vehicle performance and range. 
Police will actively introduce more electric and hybrid vehicles into its fleet for use in non-operational roles from 2021.

How many vehicle submissions did Police receive?
The Request for Proposals (RFP) received submissions from seven suppliers with 27 different vehicles. 12 shortlisted vehicles underwent a process to physically assess a broad range of criteria necessary to perform as a Prime 1 Patrol vehicle (primary response vehicle). When all criteria were considered the two Škoda Superb models ranked the highest.

Lawrence, Otago, a century ago showing its railyard

The railway is now long gone.  For lots more, see our books.

1937 Rolls Royce 25/30

Moscow trolleybus farewell, Russia

The system was inaugurated in 1933 (see earlier post). Last August the Russian capital announced that it will be retiring all its trolleybuses and replacing them with regular buses and electric buses."The decision to gradually abandon the trolleybus service was not easy for us, but we understand that this is a step forward. The future belongs to innovative electric transport," the head of Mosgortrans, the city's transit agency, told the state-run TASS news agency.

Moscow's transport department said it plans to keep one trolleybus route running as a tribute to the system, with two retro trolleybuses taking passengers from Komsomolskaya Square to Novoryazanskaya Ulitsa, where the second trolleybus route was opened in 1937.

More pics on this webpage.

Soviet trolley and diesel buses 1967

 Which city not stated.

Southbound Christchurch-Invercargill express at Ashburton, April 1959

Pic by Leslie Adkin (1888-1964) -- biography.

For lots more photos like this one, see the book New Zealand 1950s Steam in Colour

'I like to read a real book while sunbathing, not a smartphone'

 

LMS 'Royal Scot' poster illustration, 1938

This poster was part of a series created by author Enid Blyton in collaboration with a number of well known illustrators of the time including Kathleen Nixon, William Fyffe, Ernest Aris, Raymond Shepherd et al. They were designed as teaching aids to create discussion in school classrooms.

The 'ten-wheeler' type LMS Royal Scot class consisted of 70 -- built by North British Locomotive Company (50) and the LMS, Derby Works (20) in 1927 and 1930. They were rebuilt from 1943 to 1955. 

More info

buses in Tainui Street, Greymouth NZ, 1960s

The red buses belonged to the Kennedy's fleet; there is also a blue and cream NZR Road Services bus visible. (Gary Boucher collection)

Soviet health resorts poster featuring a convertible tourer, 1920s

 

two bridges, one steam train at Greymouth NZ

A fairly short passenger train headed for one of the mines - Rewanui or Rapahoe - crosses the Grey River which looks slighly swollen in size.  The other bridge was for road vehicles and was later replaced with a higher level one.  This bridge was also replaced more recently with a curved concrete one. No date but likely inter-war years. For lots more, see the book On the Trans-Alpine Trail.

Nile paddle steamer tour boat illustration, 1926

The name shown on it is "Arabia."

Antar oil poster, France, 1949

 
"On 24 July 1949, petroleum gushes out at Pechelbronn."

1984 Dodge Diplomat

 

Peru railway centenary medallion 2008

Produced for the centenary of the railway from Lima to Huancayo. Reaching a maximum altitude of nearly 16,000 feet, this is the highest altitude railway in the Western Hemisphere.

Info

NY Times article

Ferrocarriles de Mexico 2-8-0, 1962

 

another VW spider, in the wild

 

1961 Oldsmobile Cutlass F-85 coupe

 

MV 'Mahout' (1963~1968) MV 'Evagelia S.' [+1982]

A British-built 9153 grt ship; dimensions 146.3 x 19.2 x 11.6 metres; ran aground and was wrecked in the Iran-Iraq war in 1982.

Info and more pics

Mt Panorama, Bathurst NSW racing, Australia, 1946

John Crouch in a Delahaye 135 followed by Alby Johnson in a an MG TC, Grand Prix, Bathurst, October 1946. (State Library of NSW)

BNSF SD70MAC in Sheep Canyon, Wyoming

Source with more pics

Qantas turns 100

https://youtu.be/x6wrUhFo-ow

Says CEO Alan Joyce, "... this has probably been the toughest year in our long history, [but] it’s also a timely reminder of how far we’ve come.

"From humble beginnings in outback Queensland, carrying mostly mail, we grew to become the national carrier, flying 50 million people a year. We’ve been there through war, natural disaster and national celebration. We’ve pushed the boundaries of endurance to take generations of Australians all over the world, and bring them safely home again.

"We’ve had the honour of being part of so many journeys – including yours. And that’s what pushes us forward.

"So, in marking the day in 1920 when two recently returned WW1 servicemen and a local grazier decided to start an airline, we acknowledge the huge contribution of all those who have helped make Qantas the Spirit of Australia."

trams and buses on Renfield Street, Glasgow, Scotland, 1950s

(oldglasgow.com)

'Smartphone addicts are so missing out by not reading real books'

 

1954 Nash Metropolitan 1200 [541]

A still from the movie Clueless.

Voroshilov funicular, Sochi, Russia, early 1930s

Sochi has many big resorts and spa treatments called sanatoriums. The Voroshilov Sanatorium had built a funicular in 1930 that allowed residents direct access to the sea. The funicular operation was stopped in 2002 and remained abandoned until, with the Winter Olympic Games of 2014, the funicular was fully reconstructed (track, cars and machinery) by Garaventa. 

The line is 373 metres long with a height difference of 81 metres (a 22% average gradient).  More

zipper boat

 

steam passenger train on the line from Santiago to Valparaiso, Chile, 1910s

 

NZR 'Southerner' promotional brochure cover, 1970

For lots more, see the book New Zealand RailwayMemorabilia.

1956 Heinkel Kabine 200 microcar

A 3-wheel car with a (reported) 200cc single cylinder engine and 4 speed gearbox with reverse.  Production was fairly limited with 6,000 built over 2 years and they are now rare. 

More

Veterans' Day -- a fitting locomotive paint-scheme

An SD70ACe of the Montana Rail Link (MRL) in Missoula, Montana, from the Railfan and Railroad magazine -- more

Moscow railway station art, 1965

Yaroslavsky in Moscow by Yu Kuzmin.