From the ancient Chinese to Halloween.
Fire works were developed by the Chinese initially for the pleasure, very much as they are used today to mark a celebration or event globally.
But for a time the humble firework became a weapon from ancient China-Mongolia to the 17th Century French. The British Royal navy, and the U.S developed it as a distress flare.
The rocket came to its fore as a serious artillery piece during World-War-II (1939-45) where all allied and Axis sides had their own versions. Soviet Russia really when for the rocket from its Katyshka platforms to the BM-21 which remains in service across the world.
The humble firework today still finds other uses such as in demonstrations with the police and in pipe-bombs by most terrorists and other criminal groupings.
Tuesday 27 October 2015
Tuesday 20 October 2015
Coaching Stock. Part-Three.
Engineering to Specialist Stock.
Generally when everyday coaching stock comes to the end of its life, it is either sold on or scrapped. But some coaching stock is kept for a new lease of life in the engineering side of the railways, while others become track recording and various measurement vehicles.
This type of stock in Great Britain is generally painted yellow, while in other countries they will have their own schemes. Some older locomotives are also kept in a pool known as Departmental for special duties and for back up, if new trains have power failures.
Many of these trains also work on behalf of the military, with unlisted movements at night and other government work.
They also operate on lines that are no longer listed on maps, but if you are in the know or are good at hunching then you might be able to film one?
Generally when everyday coaching stock comes to the end of its life, it is either sold on or scrapped. But some coaching stock is kept for a new lease of life in the engineering side of the railways, while others become track recording and various measurement vehicles.
This type of stock in Great Britain is generally painted yellow, while in other countries they will have their own schemes. Some older locomotives are also kept in a pool known as Departmental for special duties and for back up, if new trains have power failures.
Many of these trains also work on behalf of the military, with unlisted movements at night and other government work.
They also operate on lines that are no longer listed on maps, but if you are in the know or are good at hunching then you might be able to film one?
Tuesday 13 October 2015
Rockets. Part-One.
1938 to the Present.
The German V2 rocket was the first intercontinental ballistic missile targeted from Southern-Denmark to London. In 1957 Soviet Russia changed the world with Sputnik, the first signal received from Space. The 1960's marked out the Space race from Gagarin to the Space shuttle and the establishment of the International space station (ISS).
Today we have the Internet and space communications, satellite TV, GPS and many other things, due to the development of the rocket. On the other side we have nuclear weapons from Trident here in the U.K. to many other sophisticated U.S and Russian counterparts. Missile warfare is now standard, ad seen in the Middle-East with captured Surface to air SCUD systems and we hear of Iran testing a newer system nearly every month.
The German V2 rocket was the first intercontinental ballistic missile targeted from Southern-Denmark to London. In 1957 Soviet Russia changed the world with Sputnik, the first signal received from Space. The 1960's marked out the Space race from Gagarin to the Space shuttle and the establishment of the International space station (ISS).
Today we have the Internet and space communications, satellite TV, GPS and many other things, due to the development of the rocket. On the other side we have nuclear weapons from Trident here in the U.K. to many other sophisticated U.S and Russian counterparts. Missile warfare is now standard, ad seen in the Middle-East with captured Surface to air SCUD systems and we hear of Iran testing a newer system nearly every month.
Tuesday 6 October 2015
Volksvagen Camper Vans. Part-Two.
Pleasure to Icon.
The VW brand has a shaded history in the twenth-century and has now come in for more dishonesty in relation to its cars having the abilty to give false readings. I expect we will be hearing more about this for a long time yet, because many manufacturers are telling lies about the performance of their machines!
Todays models of the classic camper are far more advanced and one feels that something has been lost in the box designs compared to that of the 1950', 60's vehicles. VW originally developed this van for its West-German paramilitary police in several chassis versions and all were based on World War-II ideas to improve thier amphibious scout car.
In 1946 the iconic shape was developed to run along side that of the Beattle car and they both were extremly sucessfull in taking the world market for sales.
The main reason being both had simple constructed engines that were easy to fix and manintain and the parts were also cheap.
The VW brand has a shaded history in the twenth-century and has now come in for more dishonesty in relation to its cars having the abilty to give false readings. I expect we will be hearing more about this for a long time yet, because many manufacturers are telling lies about the performance of their machines!
Todays models of the classic camper are far more advanced and one feels that something has been lost in the box designs compared to that of the 1950', 60's vehicles. VW originally developed this van for its West-German paramilitary police in several chassis versions and all were based on World War-II ideas to improve thier amphibious scout car.
In 1946 the iconic shape was developed to run along side that of the Beattle car and they both were extremly sucessfull in taking the world market for sales.
The main reason being both had simple constructed engines that were easy to fix and manintain and the parts were also cheap.
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