Experimental Flash Steam and others

[Richard Hed]

Since I inadvertently and mistakenly hog the blog, that is, write things that the original poster didn't intend to go there, I am starting my own blog to hog in this post. Just first let me make things "perfectly clear" as R. Nixon might have said: Please do not write on this thread unless Someone, anyone, nobody, a horse or a dog (or cat) might be interested. Please make sure your subject is on anything you wish, or nothing you wish or anyone, someone, nobody, a horse, a dog or a cat might be interested in seeing or reading. So please, be as irritating as you wish (like me), as nice or kind as yuou wish, use bad spelling (like my hero Ulysses), mis-use the words your, you're , there, they're and their,; and especially to, too and two; and please mispronounce neither and either, potato and tomato. Whatever you do, do NOT become a couch tomato!

With that out of the way, I recieved today a copy of "Experimental Flash Steam" by Benson and Rayman. it's a short little book with 189 pages but packt with interesting stuff with that old moldy smell forbidden books. As a writer myself, I can't help but critique other's writing, (please don't excuse me for this). These fellow's writing is superb in that it is compact, filled with meaningful sentences and the plot is excruciatingly delish. One complaint I have, like missing maps in books on wars or the mention of a city or town in one of those books which isn't on th emap, is when someone, particularly this book mentions a boiler type, but doesn't have a quick illustration of it. Of course, books, as we all know are from the dark ages befor the internet, and possibly worse, before cruise control! and that left us with paper bound by thick cardboard and sometimes human leather, so we must allow for the expense of that paper and thus space constraints on printing willy nilly. Anyway the very first paragraph of this book definitely caught me. Please let me read it for you:

Flash Steam! These magic words have caught the imagination of steam lovers and other enthusiasts for well over 60 years. It is perhaps not generally realised that the principle was probably first employed by Jacob Perkins early in the 19th century. This gentleman is best remembered for his invention of the steam gun. It was capable of discharging musket balls at 1,000 per minute, and the Duke of Wellington turned it down as being 'too destructive'!

Well, I've only started on the book (I only look at the pictures, as I don't know how to read, but please don't tell anyone), and it's a page turner which I am sure I will not put down till I can't even keep my eyes open with tooth picks or a cattle prod.

In the second chapter there is a bit on White Steam car, a bunch on the Doble, some engines I never heard of, and a bit on trains and boats. The third chapter is about homebuilt cars including a Westbury engine, V4, which looks very intriquing. chapter 4: applications to models. Lots of interesting things between till chapter 12: some modern flash steamers. Of course that gets a laugh out of me since this book was printed in 1973. Wasn't that around the year Winston Churchill was born? or maybe that was A. Lincoln. Anyone else have this book? Recommend (check mark).

 

[goldstar31]

No! Winston Churchill played at Chequers

OK, OK, it's a pun

 

[Richard Hed]

No! Winston Churchill played at Chequers

OK, OK, it's a pun

Oh haw ha, I got that. Did you know that Winnie was a major (I thimpfk) in WWI after he left his job as 1st Admiral (or whatever it is called) when one day his colonel sent a message to come to see the colonel. So Winnie trudged the cursed 12 miles! one way in the mud (most likely up hill both ways). When he got to see the colonel, the colonel forgot what he wanted to see Winnie for. So Winnie, cursing as you can imagine, trudging thru the muck (up hill both ways) and finally arriving at his command post to find the command post WAS GONE! It had been struck by a cannon missile and obliterated! This is a true story. Really. Divine providence? total coincidence? cosmic necessity? I don't know but I certainly am amazed at this. (BTW, for those of yuou who wish to know, my vote for the greatest man living in the 2nd millenia is Winston Churchill.)

 

[Richard Hed]

Oh haw ha, I got that. Did you know that Winnie was a major (I thimpfk) in WWI after he left his job as 1st Admiral (or whatever it is called) when one day his colonel sent a message to come to see the colonel. So Winnie trudged the cursed 12 miles! one way in the mud (most likely up hill both ways). When he got to see the colonel, the colonel forgot what he wanted to see Winnie for. So Winnie, cursing as you can imagine, trudging thru the muck (up hill both ways) and finally arriving at his command post to find the command post WAS GONE! It had been struck by a cannon missile and obliterated! This is a true story. Really. Divine providence? total coincidence? cosmic necessity? I don't know but I certainly am amazed at this. (BTW, for those of yuou who wish to know, my vote for the greatest man living in the 2nd millenia is Winston Churchill.)

If you make a pun, is that a punt?

 

[goldstar31]

If you make a pun, is that a punt?

Only if you make a slip between Chartwell and Cherwell. The Gleaming spires with piss pots on the gargoyles!

And then there was 'Alice'- Alice Pleasance Hargreaves nee Liddell and her Dad who wrote the Lexicon. All Greek to you?????

 

[Richard Hed]

Only if you make a slip between Chartwell and Cherwell. The Gleaming spires with piss pots on the gargoyles!

And then there was 'Alice'- Alice Pleasance Hargreaves nee Liddell and her Dad who wrote the Lexicon. All Greek to you?????

Hebrew

 

[goldstar31]

Hebrew

Sorry be reread. It was from the greek.
Somewhere in the vastness of time Dean Henry Liddellof Oxford is a relative through marriage- or a castle which fell down or because his daughter "Alice in Wonderland" knocked the **** out of one of Queen Victoria's many infants and therefore never became Queen. Lizzie Bowes-Lyon whose folks had a 'pad' next door to the Ravensworth Castle- did.

Shame really really, I always fancied being nobbled or ennobled but heigh ho. I did become a Spanish Don but that isn't quite the same-- but as the song said-- By Jove how the Money rolled in - rolled in

 

[Richard Hed]

Sorry be reread. It was from the greek.
Somewhere in the vastness of time Dean Henry Liddellof Oxford is a relative through marriage- or a castle which fell down or because his daughter "Alice in Wonderland" knocked the **** out of one of Queen Victoria's many infants and therefore never became Queen. Lizzie Bowes-Lyon whose folks had a 'pad' next door to the Ravensworth Castle- did.

Shame really really, I always fancied being nobbled or ennobled but heigh ho. I did become a Spanish Don but that isn't quite the same-- but as the song said-- By Jove how the Money rolled in - rolled in

I'm a Don: Don Ito or Donito. Pronounced doaneetoh

 

[fcheslop]

Did Winny not have something to do with sending the army to sort the Welsh miner out even shot a couple. Dam strikers Maggy the milk snatcher must have taken lessons from him
No gentleman he gave his parole and broke it I believe or is that yet another myth .
Another good little book High Speed Steam A A Raymon

 

[goldstar31]

Did Winny not have something to do with sending the army to sort the Welsh miner out even shot a couple. Dam strikers Maggy the milk snatcher must have taken lessons from him
No gentleman he gave his parole and broke it I believe or is that yet another myth .
Another good little book High Speed Steam A A Raymon

Hi Frazer- Hope all is well-well?
Winnie actually - changed his Political Party---- Liberals to Conservatives.
Again, you are quite right- He turned the troops on the coal miners.

Oh Maggie??? Never liked the woman.
I can't recall Winston but wasn't he a War Correspondent in South Africa?
Having said vall that- Is there any politician to be trusted?
Again, it was Labour with the Empire Windrush but we poor buggers in National Service who got worse. We were on 4 shillings a day and out of that had to pay out for blanco and boot polish and NAAFI breaks because the food was both scarce and almost inedible anyway. 'Cookie' my top clerk at RAF Hendon was a vegetarian and his weight dropped to 6 and a half stone and was as skinny an an inmate in a German prison camp.
Cookie died recently at Ouston, and I trained him up to get promtion of an extra one shilling a day which meant all the difference Chester Le Street. Johnny, my mate was on 7 shillings a day as the best Merlin engine basher that we had. I forged him leave passes on the London underground so that he could go home at night. Fred Higginson was the top airframe rigger on the same pay, was killed on the v21st April 1949 and the RAF wanted £2.12 and 6 pence to send his body back to Chester. That money was almost a King's Ransom.
I was the 'bright lad and offered a commission from the ranks. My Dad was a colliery blacksmith/farrier and we couldn't afford the bills in the Officers' Mess.
Instead, I shot up to the dizzy heights of Corporal (Paid) and had all of 3 guineas a week and I paid both tax and National Insurance out of that.

Politicians-- I could go on.

 

[Richard Hed]

I read somewhere that during WWI someone had tried to use steam powered cannons. Apparently they workt very well but something went wrong. It might have been that it rusted the barrels but I'm not sure what happened. Of course, the cannons needed one heck of a steam generator which woujld not have been mobile. On ships they might have workt well because their mobility would have been on the ship itself, and thus not really a necessity to be mobile. Has anyone else ever heard of this? I'm very curious as steam pressure can move mountains.

 

[goldstar31]

Both Archimedes and Da Vinci had are reputed to have tried but again, air in torpedoes ?
I do recall as a snotty nosed bundle of battery spots the two ball shaped compressed air cylnders i the V1 rockets to drive the navigating systems. I slept in a pre-war barrack block which had been hit.
However it is all academic because a full broadside of 14 or 16 inchers???


I recall HMS Manchester letting fly off Tynemouth in ?1937 before she was attacked by British Swordfish torpedo bombers. Again, I recall but now a 6 foot tall snotty nosed urchin 'inspecting' a Stringbag that had come in to be mended at RAF Hendon.

 

[fcheslop]

Hi Norm , I believe it was as a war correspondent that he was captured and gave his parole.
All is well this end although Im struggling to keep up with the social calendar and sister bacteria is still running a dry house .
keep well all

 

[goldstar31]

Hi Norm , I believe it was as a war correspondent that he was captured and gave his parole.
All is well this end although Im struggling to keep up with the social calendar and sister bacteria is still running a dry house .
keep well all

It was the Boer War! I'm glad that you are OK( Well sort of)
Yes my gay, social whorl is at 4PM on a Sunday that a kind neighbour brings in my Sunday dinner.
Wonderful stuff.
I'm fed up with old TV and I could do with something exciting-- like 2 flies walking up down the windows
I've sent you a PM

Meantime

Be Safe

Norman

 

[Richard Hed]

Yes, Winnie was a correspondent in S.Africa, the Boer War, but he was captured then escaped. He might have been captured again, don't remember. But HE wrote the bit on himself which made him famous. (The the Prime Minister of OZ who always counted the votes!) He changed parties TWICE, first he was a Tory, then a Liberal and lastly a Conseervative. He always changed over when the parties had calcified and stultified into inability to get anything done. Just like the dumocrats and ratlicans in USA today

 

[Steamchick]

Thanks Richard, for the comment about the book. I have just ordered one to burn in my boiler and watch it make flash steam.... I think? But first I'll ask the child (49 - going on 7..) to explain the pictures... as I am sure they are talknickle. Is Benson and Rayman a company that makes hot stuff like Benson and Hedges? - but Rayman being the lazer psuedonym of the tramp's bonfire?
A great site! - Or is that a Grate Sight?
Norman, WHile you wer hod-nobbing through life, I am a simple serf. I live on land that used to be Bowes-Lyon estate - 999 year leasehold for 6 guineas p.a. - until the solicitor wanted more than that every year to collect the rent! So I had to buy the land from Dear Old Lizzie... Money grabbing Lawyers destroy everything - including our heritage! Almost as bad as politicians - who promise everything then take it for themselves! Winnie and Maggie were the exceptions: She promised to take the school milk - and did. He promised "blood toil tears and sweat" - and delivered. - Respect! - Love 'em both! I'll not mention Brexit, for fear of your blood pressure....
But for Richard's benefit: Wasn't it the MacCarthy plan wanted to make the German Christian Democrats the power in Europe with their unifornication of economies back in '47? (before I was born - pre-history!). With Mrs. Mercall as the Christian Democratic head of Europe, it has worked after 70 years. Brexit is the British finally saying "NO" to the political unifornication and taxification of UK and Europe. It was - and is still - just a pond for the big fish to feed on the smaller fry, where there are Piranhas that feed off the big fish as well! I'm sure the US economic policy after WW2 has been to finance the Germans so they are rich enough for everyone to want to join them (= EU) - and make everyone else poor enough not to be able to resist them. Hence no more wars? Took Britain till the mid-60s to repay the loans from the US. Did Germany ever pay back a Penny/Mark or Dime of the money the US poured in to rebuild Germany? I suspect that when the news (a decade or so ago?) that Britain was one of only 3 countries putting more money into EU than getting out from the EU (We were told that 25 take more out than pay in!), combined with the news at the time that we were the 3rd from poorest country after Greece and Spain - made the steam effuse from British ears like the steam cannon that launched post-string-bag aircraft from ships! We like a bit of fairness in Britain. (Providing we are at the top of the pile receiving fairness!).
(Did you like the way I managed to get back to steam cannon at the end? - Taxed my noggin just a bit!).
K2

 

[Richard Hed]

Thanks Richard, for the comment about the book. I have just ordered one to burn in my boiler and watch it make flash steam.... I think? But first I'll ask the child (49 - going on 7..) to explain the pictures... as I am sure they are talknickle. Is Benson and Rayman a company that makes hot stuff like Benson and Hedges? - but Rayman being the lazer psuedonym of the tramp's bonfire?
A great site! - Or is that a Grate Sight?
Norman, WHile you wer hod-nobbing through life, I am a simple serf. I live on land that used to be Bowes-Lyon estate - 999 year leasehold for 6 guineas p.a. - until the solicitor wanted more than that every year to collect the rent! So I had to buy the land from Dear Old Lizzie... Money grabbing Lawyers destroy everything - including our heritage! Almost as bad as politicians - who promise everything then take it for themselves! Winnie and Maggie were the exceptions: She promised to take the school milk - and did. He promised "blood toil tears and sweat" - and delivered. - Respect! - Love 'em both! I'll not mention Brexit, for fear of your blood pressure....
But for Richard's benefit: Wasn't it the MacCarthy plan wanted to make the German Christian Democrats the power in Europe with their unifornication of economies back in '47? (before I was born - pre-history!). With Mrs. Mercall as the Christian Democratic head of Europe, it has worked after 70 years. Brexit is the British finally saying "NO" to the political unifornication and taxification of UK and Europe. It was - and is still - just a pond for the big fish to feed on the smaller fry, where there are Piranhas that feed off the big fish as well! I'm sure the US economic policy after WW2 has been to finance the Germans so they are rich enough for everyone to want to join them (= EU) - and make everyone else poor enough not to be able to resist them. Hence no more wars? Took Britain till the mid-60s to repay the loans from the US. Did Germany ever pay back a Penny/Mark or Dime of the money the US poured in to rebuild Germany? I suspect that when the news (a decade or so ago?) that Britain was one of only 3 countries putting more money into EU than getting out from the EU (We were told that 25 take more out than pay in!), combined with the news at the time that we were the 3rd from poorest country after Greece and Spain - made the steam effuse from British ears like the steam cannon that launched post-string-bag aircraft from ships! We like a bit of fairness in Britain. (Providing we are at the top of the pile receiving fairness!).
(Did you like the way I managed to get back to steam cannon at the end? - Taxed my noggin just a bit!).
K2

yes, I didded like that. Don't know about McCarthy. The EU unifornication, I thimkpfk is an international bankster trick -- you can tell by the way that no-one is elected, the money is all the same but DEBT is trixsy (Greece). Luv yer pantomine at the top (wordomine?)

 

[Steamchick]

Did you know that the EU and the Vatican are the only 2 bodies in the world that do not audit their accounts? - Well, in the case of the Vatican, they do not have Italian auditors as they answer only to "higher authorities" - and are so truthful no-one should doubt their honesty. Wish the same applied to the EU parliament! - Even "Feds in Washington" audit their books.
K2

 

[goldstar31]

Did you know that the EU and the Vatican are the only 2 bodies in the world that do not audit their accounts? - Well, in the case of the Vatican, they do not have Italian auditors as they answer only to "higher authorities" - and are so truthful no-one should doubt their honesty. Wish the same applied to the EU parliament! - Even "Feds in Washington" audit their books.
K2

Oh my Gawd! Heaven preserve us.

 

[Richard Hed]

Did you know that the EU and the Vatican are the only 2 bodies in the world that do not audit their accounts? - Well, in the case of the Vatican, they do not have Italian auditors as they answer only to "higher authorities" - and are so truthful no-one should doubt their honesty. Wish the same applied to the EU parliament! - Even "Feds in Washington" audit their books.
K2

Didn't know that but it certainly is an opportunity for somebody.