Boaty McBoatface.

'I just could not resisit it.'

What a name for a southern oceans research ship?

Humour or not, they had to go with number two Sir David Attenborough?

Many nations employ these types of vessels, mostly to protect their isolated assests? The British case being the disputed Falkland Islands, South-Geogia and the Sandwich group.

 These vessels measure sea tempratures and study aspects of underwater volcanism and many other supposed secret of the deep on of them being the level of radioactivity from the dumping of deep water waste.

Russia and China have huge fleets of such vessels mostly used for spying in the name of science? They too have their intrest now with the illegal occupation of the spratley Islands between Vieatnam and the Philippines.

Cable laying, monitoring of submarines, oil slicks and plankton activity are a few of the other areas.

These vessels are of a new design to cope more with their longer periods at sea. The helicopter deck is now at the front, while the rear has winches and cranes. Mini manned and robotic subs are carried along with internal scientific facilities.

Land Rover. Part-Two.

Not all a success Story.

No manufacturer can claim a perfect record and not all the products, even some present ones have been a success? The Land Rover truck for the British armed forces was one such flop, it was well meant and looked really good, but when in service it just did not perform as was expected.

In recent years some of the newer Range Rover designs sold to various Police forces have the aesthetics on the looks, but lacked on performance as was claimed. Much was spent on advertisement, which has helped sell record numbers in recent years and now again exported world wide.

But the dropping of the long established Defender has come as a disappointment to many, because the vehicle still has much civil and military potential. The history of the company from the series Mark1 to the Defender and various other adaptions has seen massive sales and promotion, with nearly every country in the world using the type.

Mercedes-Benz was the main competition in the European and Arabian market for some years, comfort, capability and performance out ranked Land Rover, but they caught themselves on and were quick to introduce more versatile designs and retake the market.

The RNLI, HM Coast Guard, Mountain Search and Rescue, Electricity Maintenance, Military Patrol vehicles, Police, other Emergency, Security, Farming.    

BAE Jetstream 31 and 41.

Military to Civil Turbo-Prop.

One of the most successful British designs to hit the world markets. This aircraft as the 31 series was developed by Handley Page, before passing over to Scottish Aviation where it was operated by the British RAF and Royal Navy as T1 and T2.

These first thirty early examples where powered by the Astazou power plants, but later when Scottish Aviation became part of Aerospace, the series 31 was more modified as we know it today. The new power plant for this twin engined nineteen-seater is the Garret Turboprop, over 252 Jetstreams had been sold by 1989 aimed at the commuter and light business markets.

The Jetstream 41 is a Super version of the 31, powered by the TPE 331 engine and capable of carrying 29 passengers. Today Links Air of Humberside operate three British Aerospace  Jetstream 31s, G-GAVA, which is stored and G-JIBO, G-LNKS which are both operational. 

Meanwhile Eastern Airways also based in Humberside operates seventeen of the Jetstream 41.

Registrations G-MAJA-L, G-MAJT-U, W, Y-Z.

Bristol to Swansea Electrification.

Promised for the upgrading of the GWR.

Most people know of Wales, but they think its part of western-England. Very insulting and this may be applied to the overdue delay in the promised electrification of the Great Western Railway line from Bristol Parkway to Swansea.

Cardiff is the capital and plans are a foot to get this far and no further, in fact the railways of Britain have always been slow on modernisation. Electric trains have been around since 1890 and still by 1960 steam was the main pulling power.

It was the London underground and Southern that employed fourth and third rail conduction, from 1900. The 1950's saw the introduction of early electric locomotion between London-Birmingham and Manchester. By this time one could get an electric train from Fenchurch Street in London to Clacton in Essex, but Paddington was the only station not to have any overhead-electric trains.

Since the privatisation of the Rail Network, the first dual-electric trains served the GWR. The Class 73 have been employed from time to time on various duties, wearing the BR blue and Swallow liveries, but that has been about it. 

Hopefully pressure by big business and the Welsh assembly government will see the development to Swansea, the real capital of Cymru/Wales?