Snail mail

User avatar
Graeme
Cosmic Lounger
Posts: 1188
Joined: 11 Feb 2010, 12:23
Location: Medway, Kent, UK

Re: Snail mail

Post by Graeme »

Mixed up UK stands out in yellow. I have had to think in imperial and metric since I was at school! I still measure stuff with a tape measure with both on and just pick either based on whichever comes out closest to a whole number!

Our classic railways are measured in miles and chains but the high speed is measured in km.

Regards

Graeme
_______________________________________

http://www.averywayobservatory.co.uk/

User avatar
ChrisGreaves
PlutoniumLounger
Posts: 15498
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 23:23
Location: brings.slot.perky

Re: Snail mail

Post by ChrisGreaves »

BobH wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 23:36
Perhaps I should have been more specific: The Daily Mirror.
"On reflection, I should have been more specific: The Daily Mirror.", surely?
Cheers
Chris
An expensive day out: Wallet and Grimace

User avatar
ChrisGreaves
PlutoniumLounger
Posts: 15498
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 23:23
Location: brings.slot.perky

Re: Snail mail

Post by ChrisGreaves »

Graeme wrote:
22 Oct 2020, 04:34
Our classic railways are measured in miles and chains but the high speed is measured in km.
Hi Graeme.
My understanding is that rail lines came in 66-foot lengths, hence three chains.
I have a memory of my Dad telling me that if we counted the coach-wheels rhythmic drumming each time we went over a joint, and did a simple calculation we could calculate how fast we were going; but in 1951 that was expressed in miles per hour.
Cheers
Chris
An expensive day out: Wallet and Grimace

User avatar
stuck
Panoramic Lounger
Posts: 8125
Joined: 25 Jan 2010, 09:09
Location: retirement

Re: Snail mail

Post by stuck »

BobH wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 17:58
Tell that to the Mirror. :grin:
No point telling them, they are only peddling what people are buying so why would they do anything else? After all they have a business to run and make a profit from. The problem is the vast numbers of people consuming the trash.

Only the other day I smiled at the irony of a comment that appeared in my Facebook feed. The source material was a mindless/pointless article about the Duchess of Cambridge and the comment was along the lines of, "For goodness sake leave the woman alone." Yet in order to make such a comment the person commenting had to have read the article they were decrying (can you hear the cash register in the background?). If the person making the comment really did feel that strongly then they would not 'follow' the source newspaper (listen, the sound of the cash register has stopped).

Ken

LisaGreen
5StarLounger
Posts: 964
Joined: 08 Nov 2012, 17:54

Re: Snail mail

Post by LisaGreen »

If you think metric v imperial is a mess, that article on the gimli glider was great Bob, and mentioning trans, look at track gauges!

https://trn.trains.com/railroads/abcs-o ... rack-gauge

User avatar
ChrisGreaves
PlutoniumLounger
Posts: 15498
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 23:23
Location: brings.slot.perky

Re: Snail mail

Post by ChrisGreaves »

LisaGreen wrote:
22 Oct 2020, 13:18
If you think metric v imperial is a mess, that article on the gimli glider was great Bob, and mentioning trans, look at track gauges!https://trn.trains.com/railroads/abcs-o ... rack-gauge
I hate to make Canada seem so parochial, but they can't hold a candle to Australia, as gauged by this article.

I have some interest in Australian Rail Gauges as this recent article on Koolyanobbing highlights. In the article you will read that iron ore is shipped through Esperance, on the south coast. Hence east, then south of Koolyanobbing. My understanding is that the narrow 3'6" guage line was upgraded (1966/67) to the standard 4’8½” gauge on the grounds that the iron ore at Koolyanobbing would be shipped WEST to Perth to the little blast furnace at Kwinana. This article mentions ore trucks tipping ore from Koolyanobbing into railway trucks at Southern Cross, and I well remember seeing what seemed like 80% of the load blow away as red dust in the wind.
I rode that narrow gauge line six times a year to and from high school in Perth, and have fond memories of rounding the bend at 2:15a.m. and seeing my mother dancing with joy on the platform.

Then that damned standard gauge was run into town, and the new line looped north of the town, bypassing our station (think "Petticoat Junction") all for the sake of the Koolyanobbing iron ore. Don't talk to me about politics and graft!).
At about the same time (1968) another great mining boom broke out in the North of the state; Hematite (68% pure iron?) was to be shipped to Japan, and that pretty well doomed Koolyanobing, and the stated reason for the standard gauge upgrade.

Worse! Trains could now run straight through from the Eastern States bringing more foreigners on the new-fangled "Indian Pacific". No more switching trains and gauges at Kalgoorlie, so we lost not only "The Kalgoorlie Express" (My train! left Perth just before 5pm and arrived at Southern Cross 230 miles away at 2:15a.m., and arrived at Kalgoorlie 340 miles east of Perth around 8am the next morning; do the math), but also "The Westland".

And don't believe everything you read on the web. This page says in part "The Kalgoorlie Express overnight service to the goldfields at Kalgoorlie-Boulder ... ran for 51 years before being replaced by The Westland on 4 June 1938.". It was NOT replaced by the Westland. The Westland ran an hour or two after The Kalgoorlie Express, and did not stop at Southern Cross, as far as I know, except, perhaps, top sling off mail sacks. I traveled on The Kalgoorlie Express between 1960 and 1964; that's for sure!
Untitled3.png
The map shows (circled starting at top-right) the new "station" outside of town; The site of the old station, in town; the heart of downtown Southern Cross where were Mr Reghanzni's green-grocers and Sid Carlson's butcher-shop.
The big looping curve can be seen just below the first circling; I still come close to tears when I relive the scene ...
An open-cut goldmine is seen just south of Mister Reghanzni's shop.
Cheers
Chris
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
An expensive day out: Wallet and Grimace

User avatar
DaveA
GoldLounger
Posts: 2599
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 15:26
Location: Olympia, WA

Re: Snail mail

Post by DaveA »

Growing up in the mountains of Colorado, I remember the 3 rails for the trains.
Many if the tracks were no longer being used at that time but the track was still there.
But in the Durango are the narrow train was in use and is still being used.
Have a read at https://www.durangotrain.com/ or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Central_Railroad
I am so far behind, I think I am First :evilgrin:
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

User avatar
ChrisGreaves
PlutoniumLounger
Posts: 15498
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 23:23
Location: brings.slot.perky

Re: Snail mail

Post by ChrisGreaves »

BobH wrote:
15 Oct 2020, 19:19
AHA! I found the problem! You're using those infernal kilometers and not the good old miles. ...
Hi Bob; I watched your USA Space-X launch tonight, as is my wont.
Untitled.png
Here is the link. https://www.spacex.com/launches/

You're Welcome! :laugh:

Cheers :mice: :pinkelephant: :bananas: :snail: :kitty: :pup:
Chris
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
An expensive day out: Wallet and Grimace

User avatar
Graeme
Cosmic Lounger
Posts: 1188
Joined: 11 Feb 2010, 12:23
Location: Medway, Kent, UK

Re: Snail mail

Post by Graeme »

If you go here you can watch them all!

Put your own location in!

Regards

Graeme
_______________________________________

http://www.averywayobservatory.co.uk/

PJ_in_FL
5StarLounger
Posts: 1090
Joined: 21 Jan 2011, 16:51
Location: Florida

Re: Snail mail

Post by PJ_in_FL »

ChrisGreaves wrote:
05 Nov 2020, 23:39
...
Hi Bob; I watched your USA Space-X launch tonight, as is my wont.
...
There goes my BABY! :sad:

(former Production Engineer for the On-Board Computer (OBC) for GPS III SV04 - SV10)
PJ in (usually sunny) FL

User avatar
ChrisGreaves
PlutoniumLounger
Posts: 15498
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 23:23
Location: brings.slot.perky

Re: Snail mail

Post by ChrisGreaves »

Graeme wrote:
06 Nov 2020, 23:22
If you go here you can watch them all!Put your own location in.
Hi Graeme.
<sarcasm>Thanks a LOT </sarcasm>
There goes another hour of each day for the next week.
Or two. :grin:
Cheers
Chris
An expensive day out: Wallet and Grimace

User avatar
ChrisGreaves
PlutoniumLounger
Posts: 15498
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 23:23
Location: brings.slot.perky

Re: Snail mail

Post by ChrisGreaves »

PJ_in_FL wrote:
07 Nov 2020, 00:10
(former Production Engineer for the On-Board Computer (OBC) for GPS III SV04 - SV10)
Untitled.png
I actually remember Sneaker-Net!
Cheers
Chris
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
An expensive day out: Wallet and Grimace

LisaGreen
5StarLounger
Posts: 964
Joined: 08 Nov 2012, 17:54

Re: Snail mail

Post by LisaGreen »

I actually remember Sneaker-Net!
Cheers
Chris
I still use it!

User avatar
Graeme
Cosmic Lounger
Posts: 1188
Joined: 11 Feb 2010, 12:23
Location: Medway, Kent, UK

Re: Snail mail

Post by Graeme »

ChrisGreaves wrote:
07 Nov 2020, 11:44
Graeme wrote:
06 Nov 2020, 23:22
If you go here you can watch them all!Put your own location in.
Hi Graeme.
<sarcasm>Thanks a LOT </sarcasm>
There goes another hour of each day for the next week.
Or two. :grin:
Cheers
Chris

You wait, it won't be long until you identify a train going over just after sunset on a clear night, then you'll go out and see it. They are surreal. You will be hooked! :)


Regards

Graeme
_______________________________________

http://www.averywayobservatory.co.uk/

User avatar
ChrisGreaves
PlutoniumLounger
Posts: 15498
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 23:23
Location: brings.slot.perky

Re: Snail mail

Post by ChrisGreaves »

BobH wrote:
18 Oct 2020, 18:38
To understand the true evils of the metrickery system, look up the Gimli Glider.
Hi Bob.
I so value your direction that I spent five minutes this morning looking up 'Gimli Glider" to refresh my memory.
I found this link on YouTube.

I know that you are a busy man, so we can save you some time here. Just skip ahead to the 2m4s mark and you will hear this:-

"Remember, a kilogram is only about half a pound"

I am not sure whether the narrator's accent being a USA accent has anything to do with this misconception.

Yours in pedantry
Chris
Last edited by ChrisGreaves on 15 Nov 2020, 19:17, edited 1 time in total.
An expensive day out: Wallet and Grimace

User avatar
BobH
UraniumLounger
Posts: 9211
Joined: 13 Feb 2010, 01:27
Location: Deep in the Heart of Texas

Re: Snail mail

Post by BobH »

Give 'em an inch and they'll take a kilogram!
Bob's yer Uncle
(1/2)(1+√5)
Intel Core i5, 3570K, 3.40 GHz, 16 GB RAM, ECS Z77 H2-A3 Mobo, Windows 10 >HPE 64-bit, MS Office 2016

User avatar
ChrisGreaves
PlutoniumLounger
Posts: 15498
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 23:23
Location: brings.slot.perky

Re: Snail mail

Post by ChrisGreaves »

BobH wrote:
15 Nov 2020, 19:15
Give 'em an inch and they'll take a kilogram!
Not up here they won't!
Up here they will have to be happy with 0.019643 of a quintal.
Then they will have to soak it overnight, and then rinse it, before they can start cooking it, :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Cheers
Chris
An expensive day out: Wallet and Grimace