The American/Canadian Class 66 lives on?
At this time there remains no real replacement to the British class 66 locomotive, there are some newer classes but no substantial orders have been made for them in relation to freight haulage!
In fact many European engines are being returned to the U.K. to replace the early first introduction 6600-20 and there looks like no other engine is to replace it in the near future?
Like the Class 43 (Intercity 125) in passenger travel, it has seen a rebuild and over forty years of service. Many countries do not let go of their locomotion so quickly and hold on in reserve what might come in handy at a later date!
The price of fuels is one key factor the other be reliability and also ease of use to the existing drivers! None of these 66's were ever as far as ones knows ever employed in passenger services, apart from recovery of preservation trains?
Showing posts with label American. Show all posts
Showing posts with label American. Show all posts
Tuesday, 21 January 2020
Tuesday, 9 February 2016
Gunboats to Fast Attack. Part-Two.
From the American Civil War 1861-65.
The gunboat in its own right was developed during the American civil war in the deep south, there was a serious need to control the rivers of the region on both the Confederate and Union sides.
Many conventional ships were re-designed as low flats known as Monitors or Iron Clads and these where armoured with up to 7 cannons per vessel.
In fact any boat with any type of gun could be called a 'Gunboat? The United States despite being very successful with seagoing boats in World War-II (1940-45) had to reinvent in reverse during the Vietnam wars 1965-75.
This saw the introduction of a selection of machine guns and small cannons of various calibres, because these where found to be more effective than the standard 40mm cannons used on sea going boats.
The gunboat in its own right was developed during the American civil war in the deep south, there was a serious need to control the rivers of the region on both the Confederate and Union sides.
Many conventional ships were re-designed as low flats known as Monitors or Iron Clads and these where armoured with up to 7 cannons per vessel.
In fact any boat with any type of gun could be called a 'Gunboat? The United States despite being very successful with seagoing boats in World War-II (1940-45) had to reinvent in reverse during the Vietnam wars 1965-75.
This saw the introduction of a selection of machine guns and small cannons of various calibres, because these where found to be more effective than the standard 40mm cannons used on sea going boats.
Tuesday, 24 March 2015
Airbus. Part-One.
From A319 to A380/350.
The story of Airbus is the story about European Union co-operation in building a new family line of commercial aircraft, to compete with the U.S. manufacturer Boeing and this has now been achieved.
The Airbus story began with the A300/310 and from one design all the other aircraft have followed in their varying sizes and options. Initially a civil programme, it has now ventured into military conversions and the design of the A400M, to replace the Lockheed Hercules C-130.
Almost all European partners use one or several of the types that are available with the A320/321 being the most common in medium haul. The A330/340 has seen widespread use world wide and there are many versions available 100-600.
The smaller versions are now being converted to neo, which is that they are driven by bio fuel rather than pure aviation oil. The development of the Super Jumbo A380 has taken the market off the long standing Boeing 747-100/SP-300/400 and 8-market world wide.
The story of Airbus is the story about European Union co-operation in building a new family line of commercial aircraft, to compete with the U.S. manufacturer Boeing and this has now been achieved.
The Airbus story began with the A300/310 and from one design all the other aircraft have followed in their varying sizes and options. Initially a civil programme, it has now ventured into military conversions and the design of the A400M, to replace the Lockheed Hercules C-130.
Almost all European partners use one or several of the types that are available with the A320/321 being the most common in medium haul. The A330/340 has seen widespread use world wide and there are many versions available 100-600.
The smaller versions are now being converted to neo, which is that they are driven by bio fuel rather than pure aviation oil. The development of the Super Jumbo A380 has taken the market off the long standing Boeing 747-100/SP-300/400 and 8-market world wide.
Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Under Water. Part-One.
The Submarine.
This year marks the 100th Anniversary of World War-I (1914-18), when the advancement on the Irish inventor Holland was deployed by the British Royal navy against their Imperial German equivalents. Britain, America. Japan and Italy where some of the first to have this new 'warship of the deep.'
Compared to all that has been learnt with two World Wars and the 'Cold War,' they were really basic and very much death traps, but at the time very secret and state of the art.
These early submarines was very effective in taking out merchant shipping and if not detected naval ones also. It was believed for some time that Imperial Germany may have sunk the RMS Titanic, meaning that they were operational from 1910.
These first subs really operated just below the water line or sea surface and were not the real divers of the 'Cold war and present day.
This year marks the 100th Anniversary of World War-I (1914-18), when the advancement on the Irish inventor Holland was deployed by the British Royal navy against their Imperial German equivalents. Britain, America. Japan and Italy where some of the first to have this new 'warship of the deep.'
Compared to all that has been learnt with two World Wars and the 'Cold War,' they were really basic and very much death traps, but at the time very secret and state of the art.
These early submarines was very effective in taking out merchant shipping and if not detected naval ones also. It was believed for some time that Imperial Germany may have sunk the RMS Titanic, meaning that they were operational from 1910.
These first subs really operated just below the water line or sea surface and were not the real divers of the 'Cold war and present day.
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
Microlights. Part-One.
From Kite to Plane.
It was the ancient Chinese who first developed flight, as far as we know? They invented Kite flying and were able to use some larger kites in battles to scare their primitive enemies. Kites in the shapes of Dragons and giant birds were used, but moving on to the south-American civilizations there is some belife that a simple microlight glider was employed to fly over giant drawings in their desert regions again its all guess work.
The ancient Greeks had legends based on a contraption of a man flying into the sun and loosing his wings, many 19th century copies of these drawings lead to fatal crashes. In the 15th century Leonardo Di-Vinci had several flying concepts and his helicopter would have worked if he had been let build it.
It was the ancient Chinese who first developed flight, as far as we know? They invented Kite flying and were able to use some larger kites in battles to scare their primitive enemies. Kites in the shapes of Dragons and giant birds were used, but moving on to the south-American civilizations there is some belife that a simple microlight glider was employed to fly over giant drawings in their desert regions again its all guess work.
The ancient Greeks had legends based on a contraption of a man flying into the sun and loosing his wings, many 19th century copies of these drawings lead to fatal crashes. In the 15th century Leonardo Di-Vinci had several flying concepts and his helicopter would have worked if he had been let build it.
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