car accessory from the past

Our guess is that nowadays this would not be considered a good way of keeping baby safe.

Cunard Line's RMS 'Franconia' (1910) in the dry dock

This 18,150 grt liner was launched in July 1910, but only lasted 6 years before being sunk by a U-Boat in October 1916 in the Mediterranean during WW1. This is probably a construction photo.  More info

Wagons-Lits sleeping car 2nd class poster, France

For the Chemins de Fer du Midi, 1920s(?)

1979 Pontiac Firebird

German steam train art, late 1940

Produced for the cover of the 1941 Deutsche Reichsbahn calendar.  Obviously a large tank loco is pushing in the foreground, but too indistinct to tell what is meant to be depicted.

Soviet poster featuring an 0-10-0 steam locomotive, 1931

The text is about working locomotives one hour longer a day, to save on building more.

Handley Page H.P. 42 at Cala, Palestine, December 1936

"The Handley Page H.P.42 and H.P.45 were four-engine biplane airliners designed and manufactured by British aviation company Handley Page, based in Radlett, Hertfordshire. It held the distinction of being the largest airliner in regular use in the world upon the type's introduction in 1931...

"G-AAUE, production number 42/2, was named after the Roman emperor Hadrian. Hadrian's first flight was on 24 June 1931. On the outbreak of the Second World War, Hadrian was impressed into No. 261 Squadron RAF as AS982, at RAF Odiham. On 6 December 1940, Hadrian was torn loose from its moorings at Doncaster Airport in a gale, cartwheeled, and ended up inverted on a railway track next to the airport. The aircraft was too badly damaged to be worth repairing. The aircraft made a brief appearance in the 1936 movie Song of Freedom starring Paul Robeson." (Wikipedia)

'I like a book I can touch and doesn't need batteries'

traffic in Burbank, greater L.A. residential area in color, 1940s

 

1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT

1949 Ford V8 Pilot (Australia)

'English styling' was seen as a plus although why isn't clear, as the American Fords were by then an advance of the pre-war style this is based on.

news from Lloyd's List on the Suez Canal blockage

(thanks to Mike Pryce) 

Thursday 25 March 2021 Lloyd’s List 

 

 

 

Questions raised over cause of Ever Given grounding 

How a large modern containership came to block world trade is a question that will need answering quickly to prevent a repeat occurrence

 

25 Mar 2021 James Baker 

As the number of ships waiting to access the Suez Canal increases, questions are being asked over how a large, modern containership could end up skewing off course and blocking the channel. 

Initial reports have included engine failure and strong winds as the causes behind Ever Given (IMO: 9811000) becoming wedged across the canal but neither of these is entirely convincing. 

BSM, the ship’s manager, has denied there was any loss of power. 

The vessel, which was built in 2018 at Japan’s Imabari Shipbuilding, did have a previous incident in February 2019, when it experienced an engine blackout on the Elbe off Blankenese. 

The vessel lost manoeuvrability and veered off course, and despite tug assistance, came in contact with a vessel berthed at the ferry pier. 

Nevertheless, none of its six sisterships have reported anything similar, according to data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence so it seems unlikely there is any serious design flaw in the vessel. 

Evergreen, which operates Ever Given, pointed to wind gusts of up to 30 kts pushing the vessel off course, but BSM was unable to confirm that the ship had been hit by strong winds. 

Weather reports on the day showed wind strengths of only F5-6 on the day, and those predominantly from the southwest. 

It is feasible that gusts could have reached F6-7, but even this should not have been sufficient to cause a fully laden 20,000 teu vessel to deviate from its course. 

Ever Given was in a convoy and no other ships before or after it were affected in the same way, and containerships this size routinely transit the canal without incident. 

Perhaps more plausible is the less-well known bank effect that can occur in canals. 

When a vessel sails close to a river or canal bank, the flow of water around the ship is altered when the proximity of the bank causes pressure differences. 

This can lead to the stern of the ship being sucked in towards the river bank, while the bow is pushed away into the middle of the channel. 

Animated footage of the ship’s AIS track shows Ever Given appears to have drifted towards the western bank of the canal just before it turned sharply towards the east bank and embedded its bow. 

This behaviour would be entirely consistent with the bank effect, and discounts the wind theory, as it shows the vessel initially steering to windward. 

The hydrodynamics of the bank effect, known colloquially as sucking and squatting, are well understood and there is little chance Ever Given would have been allowed that close to the bank intentionally. 

Until Ever Given’s vessel data recorder is analysed, the causes of the incident will remain a matter for speculation only, but it seems plausible that initial suggestions may paint only part of the picture. 

If it does turn out to be the bank effect, questions will need to be answered over how a ship that was under the control of a Suez Canal pilot was allowed to get so close to the shore. 

 

Boxships begin to divert from Suez Canal 

25 Mar 2021 James Baker 

With the Suez Canal set to remain blocked for at least another day or two, shipping companies are being forced to confront the spectre of taking the far longer route around the Cape of Good Hope to get to Europe or the east coast of North America. 

Data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence AIS tracking indicates that the first containership to do this is Evergreen’s Ever Greet (IMO9832729), a sistership to Ever Given (IMO: 9811000) the vessel that ran aground in the canal on Tuesday. 

The Suez Canal-bound Ever Greet, a containership of the same size and capacity as the blocked Ever Given, is now appearing to divert around the Cape of Good Hope. 

The diversion was noted around 1030 hrs London time on March 25, just hours after attempts to refloat Ever Given at the Suez Canal failed. 

Ever Greet appears to be the first containership seen changing course as the vessel tailback lengthens at both entrances of the Suez canal, reaching more than 216 ships after three days’ closure. 

The route around the Cape takes an additional 12 days to Europe, with any diversion based on calculations that delays to clear the canal will take more time than the longer voyage. 

Nevertheless, Maurice Storey, honorary chairman of Evergreen Marine (UK), told Lloyd’s List that discussions were still taking place in Taipei about whether or not to divert Europe-bound ships round southern Africa. 

He said he would not be surprised to see ships re-routed. 

However, by late Thursday afternoon UK time, “no decision” had been made, Mr Storey said. 

Earlier today, a number of other container lines indicated that they had not yet decided whether to divert or not. 

Maersk, which has nine of its own vessels affected by the closure of the canal, along with two of its 2M alliance partner Mediterranean Shipping Co, said estimated times of arrival would be “jeopardised” as salvage efforts continued. 

“We are closely following the refloating operations and will do our upmost to mitigate the delay as best as we can,” the carrier said. 

Hapag-Lloyd, which has five vessels directly affected, said it was monitoring the situation to follow the implications on its services. 

“We are presently looking into possible vessel diversions around Cape of Good Hope,” it said. 

Evergreen’s Ocean Alliance partner CMA CGM also said it was monitoring the situation daily, and had two ships waiting to enter the canal. “We are closely following the steps taken by the Suez Canal authorities, who are doing their utmost to resolve the situation quickly,” it said.  “For the time being, the group is not considering rerouting ships”. (I guess that rerouting will cause problems for bunkering supplies around the Cape). 

 

Suez blockage extends as salvors fail to free Ever Given 

25 Mar 2021 Richard Meade 

The latest attempt to refloat the grounded Ever Given, currently blocking the Suez Canal, has failed and salvors have warned that the operation may take several days. 

The latest attempt to move the fully laden 20,000 teu containership started at 0800 hrs local time, but sources close to the operation have confirmed that the Smit-led team on site will need larger suction dredgers before their next attempt at 1400 hrs begins. 

Eight tugs, the largest of them with a towing power of 160 tonnes, have been trying to push and pull Ever Given free of the canal’s banks, the Suez Canal Authority said in a statement. 

However, given the multiple failed attempts at high tide points it is looking likely that the vessel will have to be lightened and dug out at the ends, an operation that could add several days to the blockage. 

“After 48 hours of proactive efforts to re-float Ever Given, the time chartered vessel’s grounding situation has not been resolved,” conceded Evergreen in its latest statement to the press on the grounding. 

The setback comes as over 200 vessels have now joined the queues at either end of the canal awaiting transit and shipowners start to weigh up options of costly rerouting. 

Peter Berdowski, chief executive of Dutch company Boskalis, which is trying to free the ship, said it was too early to say how long the job might take. 

“We can’t exclude it might take weeks, depending on the situation,” Mr Berdowski told the Dutch television programme