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The Official Eleanor Roosevelt (And Anything Else Non-Topical) Thread

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Posted by Juniatha on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 12:49 PM

Bucyrus

 

 Victrola1:

 

Did EMD ever make a lemon locomotive on par with the Chevy Volt and the Chevy Vega?

 

 

I don't think EMD made anything as bad as the Volt or the Vega, but their BL-2 was kind of an Edsel. 

 

"Imagine if ..."

= J =

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, December 17, 2011 9:15 PM

Victrola1

Did EMD ever make a lemon locomotive on par with the Chevy Volt and the Chevy Vega?

I don't think EMD made anything as bad as the Volt or the Vega, but their BL-2 was kind of an Edsel. 

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Posted by Victrola1 on Saturday, December 17, 2011 8:58 PM

Did EMD ever make a lemon locomotive on par with the Chevy Volt and the Chevy Vega?

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Posted by Modelcar on Saturday, December 17, 2011 8:40 PM

...We'll have to wait and see...how disastrous the Volt could be to GM....and maybe not, if a quick fix is put in place.

But right now, I'd think the potential is there to go either way.

The cost to develop that system, must be big $$$$'s.

Quentin

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, December 17, 2011 1:09 PM

Oh I don't think the public is afraid of the Volt at all.  They don't see the problem.  It was the safety experts who have discovered the battery fire problem.  But what is really burning down fast is the brand of the Volt.  It must be serious for GM to offer to buy back the Volt from anyone who prefers that option.  It also must be serious for GM to resolve to redesign the battery.

Coincidentally, the Volt is related to Coke and their white can.  Both have the same objective.   

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Posted by zugmann on Saturday, December 17, 2011 12:51 PM

Every time someone rants about how the people are going to rise up and change the government, I just chuckle when I think about how the public cries when coca-cola changes the color of the can.  Or screams in fear when they think that a car that isn't strictly a gas engine is going to explode and kill us all...

 

People are funny.

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, December 17, 2011 12:05 PM

You would think somebody would buy a Volt battery, and use it to create and illustrate the type of fire that has become an issue with the Volt.   I have a feeling that there is a large disconnect between what the public visulaizes when they hear about a "battery fire" and what actully can occur during a Volt battery fire.

It strikes me as incredibly odd that public safety officials are telling us that the battery poses no threat because it will not catch fire unless you have an accident.    

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, December 17, 2011 11:40 AM
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, December 17, 2011 11:38 AM
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, December 17, 2011 11:37 AM
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, December 17, 2011 11:35 AM

"Investigation of Chevy Volt Prompts Opel to Delay Sales of Ampera"

From the NY Times:

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/investigation-of-chevy-volt-prompts-opel-to-delay-sales-of-ampera/?ref=automobiles

 

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Posted by Modelcar on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 7:11 PM

Always fun to look at the automotive stuff Murray.

Quentin

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 5:34 PM
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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 5:32 PM
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Posted by Modelcar on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 9:38 PM

Firelock76

Did you know developement started on the B-36 in 1940?  The Army Air Force was looking for a bomber that could hit European targets from the continental US and return.  They were concerned about what to do if Britain fell and we wound up fighting Hitler with no friends in Europe at all.  The first one flew in 1946.  By the way, that Jimmy Stewart film "Strategic Air Command"  has some magnificent footage of B-36's  both flying and on the ground.  A real visual treat!

You are so correct....Some time ago I saw that movie on TV, and marveled at the excellent photos {all kinds of views}, of the great B-36

Quentin

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Posted by Firelock76 on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 6:58 PM

Did you know developement started on the B-36 in 1940?  The Army Air Force was looking for a bomber that could hit European targets from the continental US and return.  They were concerned about what to do if Britain fell and we wound up fighting Hitler with no friends in Europe at all.  The first one flew in 1946.  By the way, that Jimmy Stewart film "Strategic Air Command"  has some magnificent footage of B-36's  both flying and on the ground.  A real visual treat!

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Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 10:46 AM

Size of airplane vs size of runway brings back memories of the B-52's at Chanute AFB in Illinois (hard by the "Mainline of Mid-America").

Chanute was home for B-52 aircraft mechanics.  There were several on the base, and they'll never fly out.  Not because they've been stripped, etc (although that's likely true), but because the runways are too short (5000 ft) for them to take off.  As I understand it, at least one overshot the runway when it landed. 

IIRC, there were at least three "Buffs" on Chanute, including one in the hangar for training.

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Posted by switch7frg on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 10:35 AM

Smile Quentin; you are right , W.P.A.F.B. was home to a couple of the big birds. Patterson field as it was known then  had a runway long enough for takeoff. That big bird made windows and dishes  rattle. At the end of the field there is a ridge line there is a ridge line to the west  that was over flown , that was quite an event  for the neighborhood when one flew over.  The B-36 was a S.A.C. plane before the B-47 came online. The other event was when  the B-36 was moved over the highway in pieces to the meusem.  Wright field was  the developement test center for many years.  My folks and I lived across the road from there in my young years .   

                                                  Cannonball

Y6bs evergreen in my mind

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Posted by Modelcar on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 9:51 AM

....Interesting article using the B-36 as test bed..{modified}.

I can say, having witnessed seeing and hearing the {production}, B-36 fly back in the late '40s...One could recognize one as soon as it could be heard.  They made a low rumbling, pulsing sound as it passed.  Supposed it was the 6 engines that helped to produce the different sound.  Believe the jet engines were needed only for heavy take off.

An exciting airplane to see....It seemed to be sort of an oddball, and not seen much, and when one did see and hear one, it was attention getting right away.

 Had an opportunity to look at one close up many years ago over at Wright Patterson Air Force Base museum.  A very {unusual}, impressive appearing airplane.  If I remember correctly, it flew in to that location for it's final flight.

Quentin

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Posted by Victrola1 on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 8:18 AM

The NB-36H was a modified Convair B-36 Peacekeeper that was used as a testbed for an American nuclear powered bomber.

http://www.aviation-history.com/articles/nuke-american.htm

Go for the nukes. The reactor worked on a plane. Make it work on a  train, or a truck.

 

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Posted by narig01 on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 7:58 AM

PS With regards to LNG or CNG for heavy trucks.  

      The main problem for CNG or LNG is one of distribution. The CNG & LNG  trucks and busses now on the road in the US are vehicles that return to there point of origin (ie a fixed base or depot) every nite. Most of the over the road trucks get fuel at truck stops. It is a case of no one will buy the trucks unless they know they can get the fuel. And because no one is buying the fuel(CNG/LNG) truck stops do not want to put in the pumps.

       With DEF initially it was being sold in 1 gallon boxes. As the demand increased now it can be gotten at the pump instead.

    By the by electric airplanes powered off of geo stationary satelites?  Is that a new version of "FLY BY WIRE"?

Thx IGN

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Posted by narig01 on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 7:44 AM

My initial thoughts for an electric transmission for gas turbine engines goes back a ways. A few years back when the Green Goat & Green Kid switchers wer being formulated it kind of reminded me.

    Originally they were thinking about using either a 50 or 100 hp micro turbine. Theses were the original impetus for the current generation of Diesel-Battery-Electrics. With the newest generation using very conventional diesel generator sets.(up to four I think) for recharging batteries.

Thx IGN

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Posted by Firelock76 on Monday, December 5, 2011 5:08 PM

OK, did a search for the Nimrod on Wikepedia.  The last flights were in March of 2010.  I won't take too much time with the whole story, but search  Hawker-Siddeley Nimrod, the Wiki article tells the tale.

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Posted by Firelock76 on Monday, December 5, 2011 4:50 PM

I'm not sure if Nimrods are still flying, I'll have to do some lookin' on line.

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Posted by narig01 on Monday, December 5, 2011 12:39 AM

switch7frg

Firelock76; does the latest version of the Nimrod  still have the big ( W.C. Fields) bulbnose??  The Nimrod has served  R.A.F.  well for many years.

                                                         Cannonball

There is also an AEW version of the Nimrod.  It is the one with the big nose. The RAF version of AWACS. 

    Not sure if they are still flying. THX IGN

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Posted by narig01 on Monday, December 5, 2011 12:31 AM

Firelock76

While the subject of hybrid cars has come up there's one thing I'd like to know:  All the descriptions of hybrids no matter who makes them makes me think every one of them's over-engineered.  Battery packs, power generation through the brake system, et al.  Call me crazy, but wouldn't it be a lot simpler just to have a small gasoline engine turning a generator at a constant rate and  feeding the power to an electric motor through a rheostat, or something similar?  Maybe someone can explain it to me.

The advantage of the hybred is you can run the engine at its absolute peak efficient point and then when the batteries are charged you shut the engine down.

Thx IGN

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Posted by switch7frg on Sunday, December 4, 2011 9:35 PM

Firelock76; does the latest version of the Nimrod  still have the big ( W.C. Fields) bulbnose??  The Nimrod has served  R.A.F.  well for many years.

                                                         Cannonball

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, December 4, 2011 9:14 PM

I have heard that the Volt is way over the top with computerized electronics.  The engineers could not overcome the laws of physics with driving range, so they compensated for that shortcoming by over-engineering everything else in sight (with the exception of the battery). 

One problem with the Volt is heating the passenger cabin in the winter.  I have heard that cold weather operation with some heating brings the driving range down into the mid-20-mile range.  They advise to not use the heater much.  They say the car can be heated at night during the charge cycle.  And we all know that once you get a car heated up, you can drive around with the heat off and feel just fine. 

But while the battery range is very short, the gas engine range is something like 300 miles.  I would speculate that most Volts will end up being driven around in the gas mode all the time with the battery left uncharged.  Then the driver will be paying to haul around the 500-pound battery all the time for no purpose. 

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Posted by Firelock76 on Sunday, December 4, 2011 8:46 PM

While the subject of hybrid cars has come up there's one thing I'd like to know:  All the descriptions of hybrids no matter who makes them makes me think every one of them's over-engineered.  Battery packs, power generation through the brake system, et al.  Call me crazy, but wouldn't it be a lot simpler just to have a small gasoline engine turning a generator at a constant rate and  feeding the power to an electric motor through a rheostat, or something similar?  Maybe someone can explain it to me.

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Posted by Modelcar on Sunday, December 4, 2011 8:13 PM

This latest reported battery problem {fire}, with the Volt might spin into a real GM problem. 

They must have many hundreds of millions of dollars in the development of this very complicated power train.

And I've read recently Cadillac is involved in a possible vehicle with this power train.

I'm sure these types of powertrain designs can be engineered to produce good {great}, fuel economy.  But, I wonder if all the complications and expense of doing so is really necessary for the bulk of automotive transportation in the future.

Do we need to make a vehicle to move from point A to point B so expensive and {very}, complicated.  We {U. S. Auto industry}, have the ability now...to produce good performing vehicles, and still record a very decent fuel consumption.  And keep the complication {relatively},  less so. 

Quentin

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