Railcars and Railbuses.

British demand For.

One cannot speak for other nations, but it would seem that the 'Railcar is something unique to the British railway system. The first cars with twin cabs were built for the Great Western and saw service between Bristol and Swindon from the late 1940' to the early 50's, despite their popular appeal nothing more was done to improve them.

The 1950's saw the re-introduction of these one coach units operating on small lines, some where termed rail buses rather than cars and they were an essential link prior to Beaching. The Class 101 got the idea off with two to three car Diesel Multiple Units (DMU's), but the 117/121 were demanded for sharper bends in Cornwall. 

Past smaller steam locomotives and limited stock could work these lines, but the newer carriages and locos were to long. By the 1970's plans where in progress for the Pacer Class 150 and 153 units, which is some cases were nothing more than a Leyland bus on a carriage chassis.

Northern-Ireland railways had developed a spread of single and multiple rail cars from the 1930's, many of these originated on the various narrow gauge lines that were still in operation in the province of Ulster. Some were sold to the Isle of Man, but very little was shared I believe with the mainland. NIR did by some unusual vehicles from the Southern Railway one-offs built at Norwood Junction?

Ballooning.

First solar powered.

We tend to forget about the balloon in the age of machines, but it was the balloon (Montpelier's) that opened modern society to aviation well before the invention of the (Wright brothers) aeroplane. Today ballooning is a major sport and can be a dangerous pursuit.   

Recently Bristol University in England have been the first to develop the totally Solar powered balloon and fly it safely, this a a major breakthrough that will perhaps spread to Micro-Lights and Gliders/Hand-Gliders in the near future.

Solar scientists in Wales have been developing a flexible solar panel skin and I had wondered if this had been Incorporated into the Bristol project.

Trinity House Tenders,

Mair, Galatea, Patricia.

There are a number of ships that visit the Port of Swansea here in Wales on regular bases, most are involved in the repair of light markers buoys around the coasts of the Bristol Channel and the Celtic Sea. 

But some them also specialise in sea surveying and undersea seismic recording, the newer vessels such as the Pharos and Granuila have a all round bridge and are fitted with more powerful cranes.

Lights at sea still remain an essential aids to shipping warning of lower water and sand bars, despite GPS. Trinity house covers both the waters of Britain and Ireland very much like that of the RNLI.

Sail Ships. Part-One.

Knowing the basics.

Living by the sea one see's loads of yachts and boats, including the odd sail ship. Over the years I have missed quite a few of them either in Swansea Bay, and the Bristol Channel and many other parts of the UK and Ireland.

There are a few films on classic yachts and some of them may be original trawlers, since the trawler started life in this part of the world anyway. Sail ship deign is strange enough still improving, but it was in the early 19th Century, that the Clipper came to its fore. Ships like the 'Cutty Sark, which has now been restored and is at Greenwich in London by the River Thames.

She was built in Dumbarton Scotland in 1869, weighing 921 tons and was 212 feet long. Her hey day was in carrying tea from China to the Port of London in 100 days and at a speed of about average 16 knots. 

The basic sail layout of these ships had developed from one main sail and a few smaller one to the three-four mast tall riggers. Ships like the Cutty Sark ended their days in the wool industry from Australia and the introduction of steam power and the opening of the Suez canal in Egypt.

Dredgers.

Sand and Mud.

Modern shipping cannot operate effectively without the deployment of ships that can remove sand and mud bars from river mouths and estuaries. Ships are getting bigger and heavier, they also are some times much larger under the water and now are more likely to scrape their hulls.

The dredging companies are usually under licences to clear and sell sand for commercial uses, where as mud is redeposited to other deep area of water.

Sand and mud flats are created by the under water currents and built up deposits from rain and flooding in rivers. I have filmed quite a number of boats that visit the Port of Swansea and work around the Bristol Channel ports. Arga Bay, Sand Heron/Harrier, Welsh Piper and Arco Dart.