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Post by delaplume on Feb 14, 2019 19:07:48 GMT
Fascinating film footage. I'd never seen that before. Stories about it were legion. Care had to be taken when loading to make sure the loads were balanced either side of the rail in each carriage. Question:- How do you move a cow and its calf and ensure balance? Answer:- You borrow 2 more calves, put the cow on one side of the wagon, and the 3 calves on the other side. When the cow and its calf reach their destination, you then send the 2 calves you borrowed back on the next train, one each side of the wagon. Can't see Virgin Trains coping with that, can you? Maybe the Pendolino swinging system was inspired by it ??...LoL !!
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Post by steamer5 on Feb 16, 2019 8:18:28 GMT
Hi Alan, Thanks for the photos, I hope one day to get back to Ireland & taking a ride on the Lartigue. I brought the book nearly 30 years ago when they were looking at doing this, so it’s great to see they finally got there.
Cheers Kerrin
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Post by danlank on Feb 16, 2019 19:09:44 GMT
In the nicest possible way, what was the point in the monorail? Seems like an awful lot of complication if a normal line would have done the trick...
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JonL
Elder Statesman
WWSME (Wiltshire)
Posts: 2,909
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Post by JonL on Feb 16, 2019 19:21:52 GMT
In the nicest possible way, what was the point in the monorail? Seems like an awful lot of complication if a normal line would have done the trick... I suspect thats a pretty good reason it died a death. Today I went to my MES steam up and saw a really good turn out. My favourite however was one of the best Tiches I've ever laid eyes on. Not only was it beautifully turned out but it went like the blazes. He was blasting round for ages and barely touching the fire. Very impressive. He did say one of the injectors was playing up but the axle and hand pump still worked fine. I apologise for the terrible picture, he didn't ever stop for long!
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Post by Roger on Feb 16, 2019 22:27:32 GMT
In the nicest possible way, what was the point in the monorail? Seems like an awful lot of complication if a normal line would have done the trick... When I was growing up, there seemed to be a bizarre obsession with mono-rails, as if it was somehow the obvious futuristic end game for rail transport. Lord Montague couldn't resist getting in on the act with what now looks like a sad, pedestrian affair that is no more than a folly. Just a moment's thought would tell anyone that trivial things like points become unwieldy and costly affairs, and nobody seems to have asked themselves what the benefit was supposed to be. I never did get it.
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Post by David on Feb 17, 2019 6:42:46 GMT
How about Sydney? We got a monorail in the late 1980s! Stupid waste of time and money that was.
And now after having torn all the tram tracks up before I was born they're busy relaying them at vast expense.
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uuu
Elder Statesman
your message here...
Posts: 2,812
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Post by uuu on Feb 17, 2019 8:51:45 GMT
This is a proper monorail: Wilf
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Post by andyhigham on Feb 17, 2019 11:09:05 GMT
Butlins at Minehead had a monorail when I was young, it was good attraction for sight seeing. I could possibly see the attraction of an elevated system in congested cities, Liverpool did that until the mid '50s. Not a monorail though en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool_Overhead_Railway
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Post by d304 on Feb 17, 2019 11:31:17 GMT
Don’t forget the Bennie Railplane that was at Milngavie, just outside Glasgow. The railplane was built in 1929, Bennie broke by 1937. The railplane for some reason was not scrapped during the Second World War, and lasted till the mid 50’s. I have photos taken by my grandfather when it was new in the 30’s and photos taken by my father as it was being scrapped in 1956. My dad was given one of the propellers, unfortunately it became too heavy while dragging it home and left it in the trees. Might still be there today!! There was a model in the Milguy library some years ago.
Regards
David
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Midland
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,870
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Post by Midland on Feb 17, 2019 11:47:44 GMT
Ventured outside today and to my surprise I found a workshop with all sorts of interesting bits in it! No heavy things to lift, no accounts just heart attack friendly. Must explore! D
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Post by ettingtonliam on Feb 17, 2019 12:26:51 GMT
In the nicest possible way, what was the point in the monorail? Seems like an awful lot of complication if a normal line would have done the trick... Well, it was very cheap to build, which would have been hugely attractive in the impoverished Ireland of the 1880s. Laugh at it you may, but it did manage to operate from 1888 to final closure in 1924. According to Don Townley's book 'The Hunslet Engine Works', Hunslets built 3 of those locos, and as originally built they had auxiliary cylinders driving 2 wheels under the tender, for extra tractive effort when needed, although this was later dispensed with. With all its operating problems regarding crossings, it was probably ideally suited for the sparsly populated area it was built for, and maybe only the Irish could manage to cope with it! Has to be said it was more successful than Brunel's Atmospheric Railway. Now theres a project, might be a lot more successful with modern seals for the tube flap and pistons. 7 1/4" gauge anyone?
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Post by simplyloco on Feb 17, 2019 12:33:02 GMT
Ventured outside today and to my surprise I found a workshop with all sorts of interesting bits in it! No heavy things to lift, no accounts just heart attack friendly. Must explore! D How far away was it, aproxxonimately?
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Post by GeorgeRay on Feb 17, 2019 18:55:08 GMT
Just to be pedantic it is not Brunel’s atmospheric railway. It was Clegg and Samudas atmospheric railway. The South Devon was actually the third implementation in the UK, both the others were started before Brunel. The London & Croydon had closed, with all the problems later repeated in Devon, before the South Devon had opened. 😀
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Midland
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,870
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Post by Midland on Feb 17, 2019 20:03:33 GMT
Ventured outside today and to my surprise I found a workshop with all sorts of interesting bits in it! No heavy things to lift, no accounts just heart attack friendly. Must explore! D How far away was it, aproxxonimately? Depends whether you want it in normal or metric! But found my water valves and have done them!! D PS And finally gave in and ordered drills in those mm things!
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Post by delaplume on Feb 17, 2019 20:07:56 GMT
Just to be pedantic it is not Brunel’s atmospheric railway. It was Clegg and Samudas atmospheric railway. The South Devon was actually the third implementation in the UK, both the others were started before Brunel. The London & Croydon had closed, with all the problems later repeated in Devon, before the South Devon had opened. 😀 Nice one, George....You'd have thought by then that the shortcomings would have been realised and not bothered with it any further ?? Here's the Wiki }-------- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_railway
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Post by ilvaporista on Feb 18, 2019 8:15:23 GMT
Ah the monorail in Delhi Railway Museum, what a fun ride that was. We still have the remains of the monorail here in Turin, built for the Great Expo of 1961. Both stations still exist and a short piece of track still hangs above the pond used by the model boat fraternity on Sunday afternoons. goo.gl/maps/ptN65rfXqRA2
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Post by Jim Scott on Feb 18, 2019 12:16:00 GMT
As well as the conventional (?) monorail systems there were also Gyro stablised affairs developed early in the 20th century. This model gyrocar produced by the Irish inventor Louis Brennan was featured in publicity photos at the time and is presently in the Warehouse of the National Railway Museum at York (displayed not too far away from Roy Amsbury's unfinished 'baby' Deltic). Gyro stabilised monorails were developed in the early 1900's but were shown to have more drawbacks than advantages. A good overview can be found in: capacify.wordpress.com/2017/02/Wikipedia also has info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyro_monorailThis could be a fascinating addition to any Model Engineering Society's track plan...! Jim S
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Post by andyhigham on Feb 18, 2019 14:32:11 GMT
If a monorail is running on an overhead rail, as well as being inherently stable, when cornering the centrifugal force would cause the carriage to bank over, just like a motorcycle, aircraft or pendelino
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Post by delaplume on Feb 18, 2019 19:49:08 GMT
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Post by andyhigham on Feb 18, 2019 20:15:20 GMT
A perfect solution where space is limited
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