Chris M
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Post by Chris M on Dec 7, 2009 11:18:46 GMT
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Oracle
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RIP 2012
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Post by Oracle on Dec 7, 2009 11:27:00 GMT
In Australia some farmer I think it was created a homemade aircraft with a Rover V-8 engine, which was filmed flying above the bush! Completely illegal!
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Post by Dmitri on Dec 7, 2009 12:22:35 GMT
Similar vehicles, known colloquially as 'mad stools', are used in Russia to drive over the abandoned narrow-gauge railway lines, although they have petrol engines, not electric ones. Photo1, photo2, video. |
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slugabed
Zu lang am schnuller.
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Post by slugabed on Dec 7, 2009 12:31:36 GMT
Absolutely fantastic! .....Although (puts sensible hat on) I thoroughly disapprove on H & S grounds......of course.....
Wasn't there a similar thing on Tomorrow's World about 1973?
In England,using a car engine?
Also there was an Eastern European kid's programme which featured a Stationmaster using a bicycle with an outrigger wheel to travel the tracks....
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2009 14:22:56 GMT
There is at least one (otherwise disused) line in Sweden where you can hire a 'rail trike' to take you into the backwoods...
And I believe that at the end of its life the Croesor tramway (in N Wales) was used on a 'self service' basis by the local farmers.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2009 15:20:32 GMT
In the US, they had an episode of "Junk Yard Wars" (which I believe, like everything else, started in the UK) where the teams had to build a vehicle to race down the tracks with the best time whilst stopping withing a certain distance.
FYI - the team of Kentucky Fried Family won - much to my delight.
This whole idea now sounds like a retirement activity for yours truly.
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Chris M
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Post by Chris M on Dec 7, 2009 15:37:26 GMT
Now you mention it, I did see an episode of Scrapheap Challenge (that became Junk Yard Wars when exported to the US) where the teams had to build what was effectively a road-rail locomotive. Had to tow a trailer load of sleepers about 500 yards, on the Bluebell Railway I think. The winning team built a motorbike version of the rail pedal cycle the LU engineering teams used to use and beat the other team who used a taxi. edit: I've found the link to the programme www.channel4.com/science/microsites/S/scrapheap2002/challenges/RailRoadRacer/index.htmlThe program was broadcast in 2002 and the winning team were LU engineers. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2009 16:00:56 GMT
Paint that German contraption yellow and it would bear an uncanny resemblance to the sort of thing that Network rail use in engineers possessions. Priceless! Mind you, (sensible hat on) just because no trains were scheduled to run doesn't mean that they wouldn't have come across some engineers train or another. One wonders if the footage from the helicopter will appear on a 'Police, Camera, Action!' style show before too long.
Scrapheap challenge have done a couple of railway based episodes. The above one at the Bluebell railway and one where the teams had to build a fully-functioning steam powered vehicle.
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metman
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Post by metman on Dec 7, 2009 17:08:43 GMT
That is quality! But danagerous!
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mrfs42
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Big Hair Day
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Post by mrfs42 on Dec 7, 2009 18:08:25 GMT
And I believe that at the end of its life the Croesor tramway (in N Wales) was used on a 'self service' basis by the local farmers. It was indeed; as was the upper reaches of the FR between Tanygrisiau and Brookes'. Of course the upper reaches of the Croesor was famed for Rhosydd incline where runaways would launch themselves across the valley.... That valley is immortalised in the poem Hen Hogia'r Rhosydd - however, quite a bit would be lost in translation. |
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mrfs42
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Post by mrfs42 on Dec 8, 2009 0:10:56 GMT
Feeling slightly wistful, I append the full text of Hen Hogia'r Rhosydd - this was written by the caretaker of the quarry when it was deserted and left alone - below in the valley the farmers ran their own trains to suit their needs:
Hwy ddeunant ataf beunydd yn eu tro,
"Hen hogia'r Rhosydd" ar gariadus hynt.
Mi glywaf eto'u lleisiau - daw i'm co'
Y tynnu coes, a'r llon ffraethineb gynt.
Cyrchent i'r chwarel o gartfref pell,
Gan herio gwynt a glaw ac oerni'r hin,
Heb ofer boeni am ryw amser gwell -
Dirwgnach fy eu taith hyd "lwybrau blin".
Y chwarel nid yw mwy - mae'n adfail prudd,
Heb swn periannau yn y llethol hedd,
Mae'r gwynt yn chwiban rhwng y meini rhydd,
A llu o'r gweithwyr heini yn y bedd.
Ond erys rhai fel minnau yn y fro,
Nes daw i'n rhan y gorffwys yn y gro.
Anyway, on a more cheerful note and back to the subject in hand - how many batteries do you think the motorised trolley had? I can see 2 but I suspect there were 4 - two per axle. What do others think?
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Post by pakenhamtrain on Dec 8, 2009 5:54:08 GMT
Has someone watched Malcolm one too many times? |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2009 9:31:09 GMT
I do hope that the people designing Sydney's new metro don't see that photo.
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Post by norbitonflyer on Dec 9, 2009 17:25:45 GMT
Oh dear!! In the UK, they'd be looking at Prison terms, right? the article indicates that it happened in Germany and yes, they could be jailed. (As they could be in the UK). But there are more immediate penalties for driving unauthorised vehicles on the railway. My sympathies are with the driver. |
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