Film making Industry!

 Machines for Effects?

Most people believe that film making is a simple process made complicated by cameras and scripts and the addition of a green screen for special effects!

But it is far more complicated than meets the eye with many specialist machines to carry vehicles causing accidents and others to create explosions, gunfire and smoke?

There are also many moving background scenery, that is much more complicated than, the old curtains used in the past of early days of black and white!

Computer graphics and model making show some of the best artistic skills for the dramatic events, but the engineers behind the rest would blow you away with their expertise?

No long term Replacements?

Diesel to Remain!

It is great to hear that many nations are trying or they claim to be trying to cut down on their carbon emissions, with the introduction of electric and battery powered or hybrid vehicles?

But they still have to make that power from the burning of fossil fuels, if they have no nuclear power it is a catch 22 situation or political hypocrisy!

For the foreseeable future the Diesel engine will remain the mainstay of all types of heavy transport, but the developments are progressing amid costs being too high for the man in the street and the farmer to purchase these limited use machines.

Submarine Drones.

With Advanced Technology?

Conventional submarines will still continue in design and operation for some time yet, but with the ever increasing speed of computer chip, Nano-chip technology one has to wonder what the future holds?

Currently most subs need to be manned, the human mind is still more advanced than the logical thinking of a man-made machine and tactics is still in the psyche of humanity to outwit the other side!

But just like aircraft and Space, the underwater world is starting to introduce drone technology to go where it is not safe to send humans and submarines! It is believed that many torpedoes in the future will be similar to the Reaper drones identifying target accusation on their own?

What we do not know is if the militaries of the world have as yet built underwater bases, and this might be a clue as to why civil investigation and research remains limited to the deeps of our Oceans and Seas?

Component Suppliers.

Cannot do Without?

Technology and engineering rely on the supply of components from about nine groups or nations around the world to keep everything working, the U.S.A., Europe, Russia, China, Japan, Australia, India, Brazil, Israel, Japan and the Republic of South-Africa.

All supply what could be termed common components, but in many cases in their own right they are individual! Trains, automobiles, tanks, shipping, Space and aircraft are now not usually built or constructed in one place?

Some are moved or have to wait for other parts, many networks, airlines and road transport are owned by several companies, shareholders and nations?

Chip technology is a world-wide product being made for many nations and manufacturers from Israel, S-Korea and Japan! While India, China, Russia and the U.S.A. have developed their own systems in computing their is still breech of licence and copyright issues in many cases?

Alternative Energy.

Diesel and bio-Fuel.

Most of the machines that are working today around the world are operated by Diesel engines, until recently this was thought to be the best performance fuel over that of petrol?

Many nations want to use alternative energy over that of the fossil fuels of coal, gas and oil, but two factors come to the fore?

One cost and two much of what we have in alternative energy will not power the plethora of machines in existence around the world?

When Diesel invented his first engine it was powered by peanut oil and this has lead to much research into various forms of bio-fuel mixtures, lead by the aviation industry! Cost is the main factor in the production of hybrids other than motor cars and it may be some time before we will get over our new pollution problems?

Electric engines are and can be made across the board in relation to the railways, the main problems is again cost as in the GWR Padding to Swansea plan being cancelled in the U.K. The other is that third rail is susceptible to the weather from slipping leaf fall to frost, ice and snow fall?

Never seeing the light of Day. ONE.

Bores.

Boring machines come in various sizes and uses, we tend to associate them with tunnel construction as in the London Tubes, Channel Tunnel and the new London Cross rail project?

But there are as many used in a variety of roles from water well sinking to the present day need of fracking. Many of the surface drillers are set up for short-term workings, where as the boring machines are constructed under ground and when the jobs are completed they are buried or encased.

Smaller boring machines where developed for the mining industry to take men off the coal face, but today many are no longer used.

Despite computer or robotic automation, humans are still required to clear obstacles and this has lead to some very serious and devastating accidents in China, Russia and South-America.

It's Christmas. Part-Two.

Ice Vehicles.

There is a whole plethora of tracked, sled and four plus wheeled drive vehicles across snowy world to come with both permanent snow and winter conditions. But it amazes me that still the U.K. is not able or wants to be able to operate normally in snow.

Back in the 1970's British Rail always excused its stock problem delays with its the leaves on the line or I once hear on a train 'its the BR pork pies.'

It is claimed by many experts that snow varies from country to country and that is why it's not worth investing here in the complex machinery needed. Airlines and rail enjoy making money out of the traveller and it would seem sensible to not cause them delays.

Anyway Happy Christmas to you all.

Time Machines.

Travelling into the Future.

The Science-fiction writer H.G. Wells was the first to propose the idea of 'a time machine' and since then the idea has spread into many other sci-fi books and films. Wells machine went forward to see a bleak future for humanity, with machines taking over from man. 

Meanwhile in the Star Trek series time is played with to a point where it becomes ridiculous. Back to the Future, is more of a comedy and several other film concepts have off-shot from this one.

 In the Stargate SG-1 world we are dealing with dimensional universes and ancient technologies and again there has been various off-shoots, such as the short lived Atlantis. These are then part of the perhaps best known.

But is it possible in reality, the answer in current science is No. Time is continuous and we only can see the past events in our universe, because of the time it has taken light to travel to us.

Perhaps one day in say' 500 years from now, if we are still here and can go faster than light we might find a planet, where we could observe light coming from our own sun???

Construction Vehicles. Part-One.

Roads, Rails and Homes.

Where ever you live in the world today, you will come across some form of vehicle or machine being employed to help, support and construct. The construction machine has existed since the days of moving large stone blocks to developing cranes, these machines where not motorised as today. 

But then we had to start some were to progress forward to today. Mechanical diggers, JCB types, Tractors in all sizes, cement mixers, Tarmac rollers, Bulldozers. Before you start to lay a railway line, the area has to be cleared by these conventional machines. Track laying is now done as a one piece pre-assembled unit, but it still needs to be joined.

The good old engineering vehicles, which are bi-passed by many railway film makers are perhaps more interesting than the locomotives and worth further study.