My insurance went up by 111% this year, so I certainly went to comparison sites, but they came back with similar or higher quotes. No claims and one more year NCB as well. Painful.
David
Hairy Bikers and Other Petrol Heads
- Thread starter Eastsidepilot
- Start date
David
chigley
Western Thunderer
no computers neededOh - I remember it well in my Mark 1 Ford Consul....
no computers needed then, bliss
oldravendale
Western Thunderer
Ouch!!
michael mott
Western Thunderer
I started my toolmaking apprenticeship at Trico Folberth in Brentford, my dad was a charge hand on the assembly line that built those vacuum wiper motors in 1958. Thanks for the memories with your pictures of Trico’s stuff. The men leaning over the toluene hot degreasing tanks is something that I will never forget. The smell was noticeable as soon as I stepped onto the floor.
Michael
alastairq
Western Thunderer
I had a 6 volt 1500 beetle once, from the early 1960's....The washer bottle was charged directly from the spare tyre. However, there was a pressure valve attached, which prevented the pressure in the spare from dropping below the minimum pressure for fitting to a wheel station. IIRC, a much later-owned type 3 fastback had a similar system....[Mid 1970's]
Eastsidepilot
Western Thunderer
Well that's one way to de-ice the motor !
Col.
Col.
simond
Western Thunderer
I remember lighting up a very small gas turbine at the Poly in Liverpool many (very many) years back - it was an RN fire pump, (the original Coventry Climax slant 4 that ended up in the Hillman Imp had a similar pedigree but I digress).
The beast comprised a cuboid framework with some dials and levers on top and a pair of starting handles sticking out of the ends. One of us on each end and CRANK! It was very high-geared and took some getting going but after about 20 or 30 seconds the tacho was showing sufficient to open the fuel rack and off it went. Not quite as exciting as that thing, but the nearest I ever got to one.
Just found this, if not the same, very similar, but I don't remember the flames...
this one is even better!
The beast comprised a cuboid framework with some dials and levers on top and a pair of starting handles sticking out of the ends. One of us on each end and CRANK! It was very high-geared and took some getting going but after about 20 or 30 seconds the tacho was showing sufficient to open the fuel rack and off it went. Not quite as exciting as that thing, but the nearest I ever got to one.
Just found this, if not the same, very similar, but I don't remember the flames...
this one is even better!
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Eastsidepilot
Western Thunderer
I do re-call the 'track dryer' at Santa Pod drag strip back in the 70's, which much to everyone's amusement used to blow the metal deflector to bits occasionally that directed the blast onto the track, or did it melt the tarmac !
. If I remember correctly it was a jet engine mounted on an old 'D' series Ford truck ?Col.
simond
Western Thunderer
I mentioned my old Series 1 in Overseer’s Airfix Landrover thread, here are a few blasts from my past
Easter 87, Birkenhead, Parents’ drive.
Summer 88, Durness
August 89, Near Porth Dinllaen
I recall that trip caused the final & terminal demise of the original crash 1, 2, synchro 3, 4 gearbox, involving my long-suffering dad in renting a LWB and a bit of a relay to get the boat home. Replacement box fitted about a week later.
The boat is a 1966 Coronet 21DC which I bought in 1982, when I couldn’t afford it. I finally finished rebuilding and re-engined it in 2002, and it was sold when we went to India in 2007. Don’t know what happened to it. Fantastic hull, and with a Volvo duoprop & KAD32 it was good for 36knots.
The Landy had a P6B 3500 V8 wedged it, it was good for well over the ton but I was never brave (or stupid) enough to push it any further.
Happy memories!
Easter 87, Birkenhead, Parents’ drive.
Summer 88, Durness
August 89, Near Porth Dinllaen
I recall that trip caused the final & terminal demise of the original crash 1, 2, synchro 3, 4 gearbox, involving my long-suffering dad in renting a LWB and a bit of a relay to get the boat home. Replacement box fitted about a week later.
The boat is a 1966 Coronet 21DC which I bought in 1982, when I couldn’t afford it. I finally finished rebuilding and re-engined it in 2002, and it was sold when we went to India in 2007. Don’t know what happened to it. Fantastic hull, and with a Volvo duoprop & KAD32 it was good for 36knots.
The Landy had a P6B 3500 V8 wedged it, it was good for well over the ton but I was never brave (or stupid) enough to push it any further.
Happy memories!
Max M
Western Thunderer
They have a new track dryer now.....I do re-call the 'track dryer' at Santa Pod drag strip back in the 70's, which much to everyone's amusement used to blow the metal deflector to bits occasionally that directed the blast onto the track, or did it melt the tarmac !
Col.
Overseer
Western Thunderer
I can't compete with @simond for the coolest Land Rover but this is my first Land Rover, a 1968 Series IIA fitted with a Holden 186 6 cylinder engine bought in 1986. Headlights moved to the guards and a Series 3 grille fitted. A fantastic 7,000 odd km trip to central Australia an January/February 1987 certainly tested it. Broke three of the six mounting bolts in each of the front ball housings in a heavy landing near Chambers Pillar (didn't know until the mud was washed off at home) but it got us home. Sold in 1988.
Heading north up the Oodnadatta Track.
On William Creek Road between William Creek and Coober Pedy. The temperature in the shade reached 50 degrees C and then torrential downpours while still in the 40s.
Heading out to Trephina Gorge, east of Alice Springs.
Note the exhaust under the passenger door to match Simon's.
January and February are not usually recommended for visiting Central Australia but I really enjoyed it. I think we were away for 5 or 6 weeks. Hardly anybody about and camp grounds to ourselves. More recent trips have been mid year and there are 4wds, caravans and people everywhere.
Heading north up the Oodnadatta Track.
On William Creek Road between William Creek and Coober Pedy. The temperature in the shade reached 50 degrees C and then torrential downpours while still in the 40s.
Heading out to Trephina Gorge, east of Alice Springs.
Note the exhaust under the passenger door to match Simon's.
January and February are not usually recommended for visiting Central Australia but I really enjoyed it. I think we were away for 5 or 6 weeks. Hardly anybody about and camp grounds to ourselves. More recent trips have been mid year and there are 4wds, caravans and people everywhere.
Andrew Taylor
Member
I started working in powertrain design at what was by then BL Technology in Solihull in 1979. The department had evolved from Rover Gas turbines and still had many staff from the Gas Turbine era. I remember lots of fascinating tales.
The APT-E was powered by 6 Rover/Leyland Gas Turbines in each power car. As well as the cars, there were turbine trucks, boats and even a light aircraft power unit.
Overseer
Western Thunderer
How much power do you need for a single carriage?
The future is here. (but it is on the left)
These are publicity photos sent to interested railways around the world. I have seen cropped versions of the first image published several times but the descriptions of the tests I recall talk about two articulated carriages being used as seen in the second image. Does anyone know more about the single carriage tests?
Rob R
Western Thunderer
If that is a single carriage it's bent in the middle - twice!
Overseer
Western Thunderer
Well spotted. The single carriage (where passengers would travel if seats were fitted) is articulated between two power cars = 12 gas turbines powering the same load as a diesel bus engine could, instead of a full train as they were designed to do.
oldravendale
Western Thunderer
I'm not a specialist but I seem to remember that this was the first prototype to develop the tilting system so needed the excess of power to provide the speed needed when off the system. After all it was never intended that the APT would be anything other than electric.
The tragedy was that BR were put in an impossible position by the politicians (again) and had to launch the train to journalists before it was ready. They duly crucified it. The technology was picked up on the continent so now we buy our tilting trains from Italy, I believe.
Doubtless there will be others on this forum with much greater, accurate and confirmed information than I have.
Brian
The tragedy was that BR were put in an impossible position by the politicians (again) and had to launch the train to journalists before it was ready. They duly crucified it. The technology was picked up on the continent so now we buy our tilting trains from Italy, I believe.
Doubtless there will be others on this forum with much greater, accurate and confirmed information than I have.
Brian