Thursday 28 November 2013

Dubai Metro, Dubai, U. A. E.



This post card shows the Dubai Metro with the famous land marks of Dubai in the background.

The William Halsey Locomotive Drawing Collection.



This a painting of a locomotive from the William Halsey Locomotive Drawing collection.

Wednesday 20 November 2013

Lisbon Trams, Portugal.



The Lisbon tramway network serves the municipality of Lisbon in Portugal. In operation since 1873, it presently comprises five urban lines, and is primarily a tourist attraction. There are several popular tram lines. Amongst the popular lines are tram 28 from Largo Martim Moniz or tram 12 from Praça da Figueira through the narrow streets of the Alfama. Two other useful lines are tram 15 from Praça da Figueira and Praça do Comércio via Alcântara to Belem., and tram 18 from Praça do Comércio via Alcântara to Ajuda. Tram stops are marked by a small yellow paragem (stop) sign hanging from a lamppost or the overhead wires.

Sunday 17 November 2013

Locomotives from different times, Germany.



Different locomotives from the steam era to Diesel and High Speed ICE Train in Germany.

Trams of the Past in Cologne, Germany.




Different types of Trams used in Cologne between 1912 - 1921.

Monday 11 November 2013

T G V, France






The TGV  links the majority of major cities and towns in France. You can reach over 150 destinations by the high-speed TGV network. With peak speeds of 320 km/h, TGVs carry millions of passengers a year. With some 450 TGVs now serving 230 destinations, you can travel to major cities in France and across Europe and return the same day, alighting in the very heart of town. 



Wednesday 6 November 2013

The Outeniqua Choo Tjoe on the Garden Route, South Africa.






South Africa’s only remaining scheduled steam train, the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe offers its passengers a unique, picturesque and scenic 52-kilometre journey experiencing the Garden Route with spectacular views of the Indian Ocean.

The railway initially traverses mainly agricultural land used for grazing. Two major rivers are crossed. These are the Gwaiing and Malgate rivers. After crossing the Gwaiing River the railway climbs towards the siding of Skimmelkrans. After Skimmelkrans the railway winds its way for 4 kms into the Malgate Valley. The railway crosses the Malgate River high above the river where large roundish holes can be seen in the rock of the riverbed. These holes are the result of floodwater rolling stones over and over in the depressions causing gradual, but noticeable erosion. From Outeniqua the line begins its descendant to the sea. As the train twists around a large horseshoe bend, the hillsides fall dramatically towards the sea. The first seaside resort to come into view is Glentana.

The view of the Indian Ocean with its foaming waves crashing on to the seemingly endless beach, is  breath taking. The train plunges into a deep cutting and then snakes through the only tunnel on the line. Emerging again into the sunlight, passengers have an awesome vista, which stretches away to the St Blaze lighthouse to the south of Mossel Bay.

At Great Brak River the original corrugated-iron station building, erected by the Cape Government Railways, still stands. Crossing the Great Brak River just after the station, one can see the remains of the supports for the original railway bridge. During construction of the line in 1906, a temporary wooden bridge was built over the river. There was great drama on one occasion when the bridge collapsed and a locomotive fell into the river.

After Hartenbos station the Voorbay marshalling yard and railway workshops are passed. In these workshops the steam locomotives, that haul the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe, are maintained.








Monday 4 November 2013

Bullet Train, Japan.





The Bullet Train also known as the Shinkansen is a network of high speed trains in Japan. Starting with the Tokaido Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of 2,387.7 km of lines with maximum speeds of 240–320 km/h The network presently links most major cities on the islands of Honshu and Kyushu, with construction of a link to the northern island of Hokkaido.