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The four fastest on the Thursday practice at the Bathurst 1000. HOW GOOD to have it roll around.
(1/4) #230 Milwaukee Racing, W.Davison & A.Davison Ford Falcon FG/X
(2/4) # 55 Supercheap Auto Racing, C.Mostert & J.MoffatFord Falcon FG/X
(3/4) #7 Castrol/Plus Fitness Racing, A.Heimgartner & A.Russell Nissan Altima
(4/4) #23 Industrial Athlete Racing, M.Caruso & D.FioreNissan Altima
Mount Panorama, Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia.
The fastest four in Friday practice of the Australian Superbike Championship at Winton Raceway.
(1/4) #47 Wayne MAXWELL (Yamaha Racing Team, Yamaha YZF-R1) 1:20.351
(2/4) #17 Troy HERFOSS (Penrite Honda Racing, CBR1000SP) 1:20.697
(3/4) #25 Daniel FALZON (Yamaha Racing Team, Yamaha YZF-R1) 1:20.718
(4/4) #1 Josh WATERS (Team Suzuki ECSTAR, GSX-R1000R) 1:20.995
Winton, Victoria, Australia.
YouTube [Full-HD] Video: youtu.be/MwN91usHAWU
I’m pleased to present my video # 1299 showcasing one of the amazing battles amongst the newbie hauled LHB trains at cumulative speed of 230 Kmph. Under cloudy weather, fastest locomotive series in form of Vadodara (BRC) WAP-5 # 30089 charging down with honking & towing Ahmedabad bound 12933 Karnavati Express bang at its MPS of 110 Kmph which was perfectly ended with surprising entry of strongest locomotive series in form of HOG enabled Vadodara (BRC) WAP-7i # 30476, zoom passed towing Mumbai bound, 22210 New Delhi - Mumbai Central AC Duronto Express bang at its MPS of 120 Kmph. Enjoy the LHB sound speeding at their best. Somehow my calculation sheet showing me that both these trains were doing above their assigned MPS. Both these trains selected in 2nd phase of HOG operation. Till the time, CLW do not roll out HOG enabled WAP-5, all HOG trains will be hauled by HOG enabled WAP-7. So hoping to see all HOG enabled WR train with either BRC or GZB WAP-7.
The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is a mid-engine sports car built by Italian automobile manufacturer Alfa Romeo. It was the fastest commercially available car for the standing kilometer upon its introduction.[2][3][4] 18 examples were produced between 1967 and 1969. "Stradale" (Italian for "road-going") is a term often used by Italian car manufacturers to indicate a street-legal version of a racing car; indeed the 33 Stradale was derived from the Tipo 33 sports prototype. Built in an attempt by Alfa Romeo to make some of its racing technology available to the public, it was also the most expensive automobile for sale to the public in 1968 at US$17,000.[5]
History
The 33 Stradale was based on the Autodelta Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 racing car. The car, designed by Franco Scaglione,[6] and built by Carrozzeria Marazzi, made its debut at the Paris Salon de L'Auto 5 October 1967.[7]
The first prototype (chassis no. 10533.01) was built at Autodelta's workshop in Settimo Milanese, side by side with the Tipo 33 "Periscopica" race car in 1967. The body was built by Franco Scaglione and his team from Carrozzeria Marazzi, while Autodelta worked on the technical aspects of the car. Work to manufacture another magnesium bodied prototype (chassis no. 10533.12) (intended for street racing) was started by Scaglione. However, this was not finished until 1968 by Marazzi. The two prototypes are the only ones to have the dual headlight arrangement. This was redesigned by Scaglione on the production cars due to regulations on minimum headlight distance from the ground.
The two prototypes carry the project's original serial numbers, 105.33.xx. However, the Tipo 33 racing- and production cars got 750.33.0xx (racing) and 750.33.1xx (stradale) chassis numbers. Marazzi claims to have built 18 chassis. 5 of them were used for 6 concept cars (one chassis was used twice) by Pininfarina, Bertone and Giugiaro/Italdesign and 8 were used for production cars. The rest of the chassis numbers are not confirmed due to a lack of available information as the exact number (allegedly 18) of actual Stradale-chassis (with 10 cm longer wheelbase than the race cars) doesn't quite match the range of chassis numbers.[citation needed]
The production version of the 33 Stradale was introduced at the Sport Car Show at Monza, Italy in September 1967.[8] The prototype (chassis No. 105.33.01) was sold to the Gallery Abarth in Japan.[3] The second magnesium bodied Stradale prototype (chassis No. 105.33.12) and the five concept cars are now part of the Alfa Romeo Museum. Wikipedia
The fastest quadruped on the planet, a Cheetah, looking back at some antelopes making movements and strange noises in the neighbouring paddock at Whipsnade Zoo.
One of the birds of prey that took part in an impressive display at Berkeley Castle on late August Bank Holiday. This is a falcon, the fastest of all birds of prey in flight which can reach speeds of an amazing 200mph.
The fastest train of India 12002 NDLS-BPL Shatabdi Express negotiates the sharp curves and slight gradients on Bhadbhada ghat section between Sanchi and Bhopal with GZB WAP-5 # 30031 doing the honours, work in progress for Bina-Habibganj 3rd line!
..at least that is what it said on the rear mudguard of the motorcycle, so who am I to argue?
Having the World's Fastest anything is pretty cool I think
So nice when the plan in my head actually works. 😉 This was made by sewing a single tape of @lecien_fabrics Jelly Freedom Zipper along the top edge of a wide rectangle, then folding the rectangle in half and sliding the pull on. I then bound the seam allowances on one side and on the bottom on the inside. On later pouches, I put the binding on the exterior, and it makes the pouch much more square and nice.
The four fastest on the Thursday practice at the Bathurst 1000. HOW GOOD to have it roll around.
(1/4) #230 Milwaukee Racing, W.Davison & A.Davison Ford Falcon FG/X
(2/4) # 55 Supercheap Auto Racing, C.Mostert & J.MoffatFord Falcon FG/X
(3/4) #7 Castrol/Plus Fitness Racing, A.Heimgartner & A.Russell Nissan Altima
(4/4) #23 Industrial Athlete Racing, M.Caruso & D.FioreNissan Altima
Mount Panorama, Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia.
Hunting with birds of prey probably originated with the nomadic peoples of the Asiatic plains. The nomads used their tame falcons to help procure the food necessary for survival, in perhaps one of the first methods of hunting ever used by man.
The Houbara Bustard is the falcon's chief prey. This is a large, fast-flying desert bird , and it is hunted for its delicious meat. Great skill is needed by the falcon in tracking down a bird of this size and speed, as it is often required to cover distances of four or five kilometres before finally capturing its prey.
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug)
gyrfalcon (falco rutsticolus) are some of the species used for Falconry. In these the Peregrine falcon is the fastest (200km /hr) n Gyr Falcon is much prized for its size n handsome appearance.
I was part of the Houbara bustard reintroduction research team when I started my assignment in UAE. The Houbara bustard, once plenty in the arabian peninsula, alomost wiped out due to Falconry. Thanks to the efforts of HH(late) Sheik Zayed, former President of UAE for the reintroduction programes which helped to re establish the populations of both the Falcons n bustards.
RPM WAG 7 with HOG capable (1st one to be given for RPM), in charge of the local Shatabdi of MS-MDU route, Vaigai SF express,
The fastest #LandRover ever, the #RangeRoverSportSVR. Performance delivered in all terrains. Search ‘Range Rover Sport SVR’ on your desktop to find out more. #SandDriving #Desert #Performance #UAE #SVR by landrover ift.tt/20qRvv3 ift.tt/1YS83vy ift.tt/1pZRVvM
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is the third fastest growing city in Africa with a current population of around four million.
Fastest AF, most accurate AF, best tracking AF camera Ive EVER used or owned......FUJI XT3, 50-140mm 2.8
Chassis n° ZFF76ZHB000203343
Estimated : CHF 2.600.000 - 2.800.000
Sold for CHF 2.185.000 - € 2.000.183
The Bonmont Sale
Collectors' Motor Cars - Bonhams
Golf & Country Club de Bonmont
Chéserex
Switzerland - Suisse - Schweiz
September 2019
"The LaFerrari is very possibly the world's fastest, most exciting hypercar. Which is some statement to make when there are machines such as the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder to contend with. The bottom line, however, is that LaFerrari has more power (a whopping 950bhp) and less weight to carry around than its prestigious rivals so figuratively, if nothing else, it quite clearly has the upper hand. Either way, this is the ultimate Ferrari..." – Autocar.
In today's increasingly environmentally conscious times, even supercar manufacturers have felt the need to polish up their 'Green' credentials. Seeking better fuel economy and reduced emissions, they have brought 'hybrid' technology to this previously exclusively fossil-fuels-only sector of the market. This has resulted in a 'win win' situation: these latest hypercars being more environmentally friendly while at the same time considerably more powerful than before.
Ferrari's first offering in this expanding category was the LaFerrari, a limited-edition coupé that entered production in 2013. Ferrari's last model with a mid-mounted 12-cylinder engine, LaFerrari was the distillation of no fewer than nine design studies created during the process of its development. The car was unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Auto Show. Unusually, its styling had no input from Ferrari's long-term collaborator, Carrozzeria Pinifarina.
Clearly, a car evocatively titled 'LaFerrari' would have to have a V12 engine, a type of power unit used in the very first Ferrari of 1947 and for a glorious succession of the Italian factory's most famous models. The LaFerrari V12 displaced 6.3-litres and produced 789bhp, supplemented by an electric motor producing 161bhp for a combined output of 950 horsepower, the highest power output of any Ferrari road car. With the car is in motion, the electric motor's lithium-ion battery pack is charged by a KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) as used in the current generation of Formula 1 cars. Power reaches the rear wheels (there's no four-wheel drive) via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. And if you didn't use those 950 horses all the time, there was also a useful decrease in fuel consumption, not that that would have interested the typical LaFerrari owner.
Designed by Ferrari's F1 technical director, Rory Byrne, the LaFerrari has a carbon fibre monocoque chassis with suspension at the front by double wishbones and at the rear by a multi-link system - pretty much the norm for the current generation of supercars. Any car with a 200mph-plus maximum needs plenty of stopping power, and the LaFerrari was equipped with Brembo's finest carbon-ceramic brakes. Ferrari claimed a top speed exceeding 349km/h (217mph), similar to the Enzo's top speed; however, the LaFerrari could accelerating from 0-100km/h (0-62mph) in under 2.4 seconds and reach 300km/h (186mph) in 15 seconds, comfortably out-performing its predecessor. The factory also claimed that LaFerrari had lapped its Fiorano test track in 1:19.7, faster than any other road-legal Ferrari.
Electronic systems abound in even the humblest of modern hatchbacks, and as one would expect, the LaFerrari boasts just about every bit of automotive electrickery imaginable: electronic stability control; high performance ABS/EBD (anti-lock braking system/electronic brake distribution), EF1-Trac F1 traction control integrated with the hybrid propulsion system; E-Diff 3 electronic differential; and magnetorheological suspension dampers - all controlled by 21 computers. There was also active aerodynamics, the front and rear wings being adjustable on the move to provide either high or low downforce while also controlling cooling of the engine, gearbox, batteries, and brakes. More electronics were deployed in the cockpit in the form of a 12.3" (310mm) TFT digital dashboard display with a choice of three optional layouts capable of relaying data from the telemetry system. The steering wheel featured integrated controls, while the gearchange paddles were fixed directly to steering column.
One of the fortunate few to have driven a LaFerrari, Autocar's Steve Sutcliffe was mightily impressed when let loose in one at Fiorano. "The ride instantly feels spookily smooth and calm, the steering surprisingly light but bursting with a delicious, old school kind of feel. The brake pedal also feels light underfoot but is again rippling with feel. And the throttle response, the first time I go anywhere near the loud pedal is just outrageous; the car explodes down the back straight even on half throttle in fourth gear.
"And that's what you get when you integrate electric power with a thumping great V12. At low revs the electricity provides the torque, and provides it instantly, and from there on up – at about 3000rpm – the V12 takes over. Yet the transformation is so smooth you are never actually aware that it takes place. Instead, it feels like the car is powered by a 10-litre V12 that somehow has massive low rev response at the same time.
"And yet, in their way, the gearchange, the brakes, the steering, the turn in, the handling balance and the ride... they are all every bit as incredible as the engine – sorry the power source – and the acceleration it can produce."
Putting a 950 horsepower car weighing only some 1,255kg dry in the hands of mere mortals, as opposed to professional racing drivers, might be considered somewhat reckless, but in designing LaFerrari, its makers ensured that whatever the car did it did predictably. "You always know where you are with this car," declared Autocar. "And considering just how insanely fast it is, that is arguably its greatest achievement; being manageable."
Despite a price of £1 million each, all 499 examples planned had sold before the first had been delivered. However, merely having pockets of limitless depth was not alone sufficient for you to acquire a LaFerrari, which was only available to loyal customers vetted by Ferrari.
Representing a possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own one of these fabulous Ferrari hypercars, the LaFerrari offered here was delivered new to Germany and is currently registered on a temporary Swiss plate. The car has covered only 894km from new and is presented in generally excellent condition, reflecting its sparing use. Finished in yellow with black interior, this spectacular LaFerrari comes complete with charger, tool kit, and Equatorial Guinea registration document and technical inspection.
37 and 38 are oddballs in the fleet since they depict a type of vehicle that doesn’t exist in real life, although quite easily could have done. They are ADL Lances; the full size single decker engineered to share its underpinnings with the Trident, cheaply allowing Alexander Dennis to offer a more heavyweight alternative to the Mk1 Enviro 300 and Pointer Dart. And – obviously – act as an updated version of the 1990s Dennis Lance SLF.
As with the Trident, power comes from the mighty Cummins 8.3 litre ISC engine (hence the blind), longitudinally mounted to simplify the driveline and attached to a ZF transmission. Typically the engines would be de-rated for use in single deckers, but at some point in its past 38 gained a replacement engine straight out of a normal Trident, so it absolutely goes like stink. 37 isn’t exactly a slouch either, and they’ll about match the performance of the Scanias on the X11 if needed.
ADL Lance production would have ended when the new integral Enviro 300 came in with the 6.7l engine, which would also be powering the Enviro 400 by then, and heavyweight versions being restricted to just E300 bodies on Volvo, MAN or Scania chassis. In real life it would have been interesting to see all-ADL ALX300s on Lance chassis instead of the MAN 18.220 that Stagecoach bought. I really do wonder why Transbus/ADL didn’t go for selling them complete vehicles with their own chassis instead of letting their best customer turn to MAN for their larger single deckers?
For now 37 and 38 are remaining in their existing liveries, despite the fact they look a bit rough in places. This one has had the lower offside panels towards the rear replaced so the grey skirt is missing on those panels. All of 25, 26, 27, 37 and 38 are to stay as they are at least until the Park & Ride gets its new double deckers, after which the decision will come as to whether they are leaving, staying or being painted.
the fastest Korean Rabbit....
Bus No: 9509
Year released: 2008
Capacity: 45; 2x2 seating configuration
Route: Manila/Avenida-Tarlac via Dau/Magalang/Concepcion/Capas/San Miguel
Body: Hyundai Motors Korea
Model: 2008 Hyundai AeroSpace LS Series
Engine: Hyundai D6AB
Fare: Airconditioned
Transmission System: M/T
Plate No.: CXM-151(Region III-Centrl Luzon)
Taken on: December 16, 2011
Location: Mabalacat Bus Terminal, Brgy. Dau, Mabalacat, Pampanga
Reading Buses 420, still wearing its Project Vroom 'Fastest Bus in the World' livery, seen in Burghfield Common with a Route 2 for Mortimer.
They conducted an event for surf life savers at Mooloolaba beach last week that involved contestants of all ages in sprints and "flag races".I missed the sprints because they reversed the schedule for some unknown reason, but was in time for the open flag finals.To add further to my angst the head honcho said that I couldn't be on the beach at all so I slunk off to a safe distance and took a few shots of the semis and the final whilst crouching down behind a sand dune.That's life in Australia for you these days .Mind you, there was no "accredited" photographer in attendance for this event so I'll just post a couple of my shots.
Worlds Fastest Camaro / 2500HP Texas Mile Beast / Heavy Hitters Magazine
This Camaro has had over $250,000 pumped into it and holds the title of "Worlds Fastest Camaro". It hit a speed of 263.2MPH at the Texas Mile event in October before blowing the transmission to bits. There's a full story on this car and the owner/team in the current issue (issue 31) of Heavy Hitters Magazine. Go check it out and support print!
For prints or information please contact me: jeremy.cliff@yahoo.com
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Preserved first production Inter-City 125 power car , 43002 Sir Kenneth Grange , at the Railway Museum in York .
As a child I was obsessed with running everywhere absolutely flat out. I think I would still do that now if I didn't get such funny stares and keep knocking down old ladies in Tesco.
The feeling of gaining on someone as I chased after them was sheer ecstasy. To see their little head turn; surprise registering on their face as I caught them up and predicted every evasive turn they might make before ‘it-ing’ them was such a power trip. I felt like a cheetah tripping up my prey.
It was particularly satisfying to catch up boys, even though at primary school age girls are physically stronger it still felt great to charge up to them in my gingham summer dress and virgin socks and humiliate them in front of everyone.
Being a pony loving girl I also used to love imagining myself as a horse galloping around the playground, mane flowing (even though my mum kept giving me a boy’s haircut. “It will help it get thicker Lucy, you’ll see.”) I actually galloped; one leg leading in a kind of accelerated hobble, similar, one might imagine to the hunchback of Notre Dame running for a bus.
When I reached the age when boys overtake girls physically and get all those curly hairs and croaky voices, they started to beat me in sprints. I was totally devastated and would often flounce off in temper at my inferior body. No longer did I enjoy the feeling of catching someone up; I had to suffer the misery of being caught, being beaten, not being the fastest. I loathed the knowledge that someone else’s muscles were superior to mine.
The silly thing is that nowadays I would probably lose respect for a man who couldn’t beat me in a sprint. Women seem to be more comfortable in a physically inferior position. Just imagine if you beat a man by miles in a light-hearted race and he then curled up on the ground and sobbed because he felt like less of a man and realised that you would be better off running after a bag snatcher yourself.
some local young Japanese "gyaru" pose for a group shot.
my fastest viewed vs on uploaded on Flickr time photo. 1282 views since yesterday. wow thanks for looking! some comments would be appreciated also! 8)
Also known as "ORLANDO WEST," Lake County, Florida's 2020 population was estimated to be more than 400,142. Lake County has ranked among the top 6 fastest-growing counties in Florida. Lake County is expected to experience significant population growth over the coming decades as the Orlando urban core approaches build-out. Forecasts predict Lake County’s population to grow more than 431,500 by 2030 and more than 780,500 by 2050."
Tavares – from “Anytown USA” to “America’s Seaplane City”
By John Drury, Tavares City Administrator
I am frequently asked, “How did they do it?” How did Tavares transition from “Anytown USA” to “America’s Seaplane City”? The short answer is, that everyone started rowing in the same direction at the same time at the right time. The long answer follows below.
Approximately 19,500 cities in the United States, 400 in Florida, and 14 in Lake County. Most cities have no brand. They are perfectly content being who they are – Anytown USA. There is nothing wrong with that. They are proud and welcoming cities perfectly satisfied as is, with no distinctive brand. Some cities have a brand. Key West, for example, has a brand, as does Boulder, Colorado, and Daytona Beach, Florida. What is a brand? In short, a person’s brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room. Similarly, a City’s brand is what people say about the city when they have left it and reflect on it.
About 15 years ago, under the leadership and guidance of then-Mayor Nancy Clutts and East Central Florida Regional Planning Council’s Executive Director Phil Laurien, the citizens of Tavares assembled for about a year and ½ studying their current state of affairs (a struggling downtown) and developing a road map for the future. The result was the creation of a citizen-led, City Council-approved “Vision Statement” and supporting Downtown Redevelopment Plan. The leadership understood a vision without implementation is a hallucination, so the 169-page redevelopment plan included Chapter 11’s “Implementation Plan” describing what would be built, when, by whom, and how it would be funded.
The citizens, business community, faith community, City Council, and their city staff put their oars in the water simultaneously. They began rowing in the same direction in unison to get the job done and complete the “Implementation Plan” together. By 2010, America’s Seaplane City was formed, a seaplane base and marina constructed, a 3,000-foot FAA-approved virtual runway on Lake Dora was permitted, and three boutique hotel buildings were under construction, along with a wedding events pavilion. What followed was ten years of a renaissance period with both the business community and city government investing in itself. As the saying goes, “When you invest in yourself, others will invest in you,” which is exactly what happened here in Tavares.
First, a seaplane scenic tour operator, then a flight training center, followed by an FAA-approved passenger air charter operation, a seaplane manufacturing facility, many restaurants, and too many new businesses to list here. From practically a ghost town with very few businesses whose tax base was 90% funded by the residents and only 10% by the business community, to a tax base funded 35% by the business community and only 65% by the residential community. This shift in tax contribution for city services like police, fire, libraries, parks, and recreation is important because for every dollar a resident contributes on average in taxes to a city, they consume about $1.20 in services on average, and for every $1 a business contributes, they only consume about 80 cents, as they do not use parks, recreational services or libraries, nor call for police and fire services nearly as much as the residents do. So the business community ends up not only creating good jobs but also subsidizing city services for its residents.
Tavares continues to shift the tax burden from its residents to its productive business community, has lowered its tax rate three years in a row, and is growing its brand as “America’s Seaplane City”!
Tavares Seaplane Base (FA1) is a city-owned, public-use seaplane base on Lake Dora in Tavares. The base is popular and gives rise to the city's nickname, "America's Seaplane City."
History
The City of Tavares was founded in 1880 by Alexander St. Clair-Abrams, a newspaper and railroad man from a Creole family in New Orleans. He gave it the surname of a Portuguese ancestor. In 1883 a post office was established; by the next year, a hotel, three stores, a sawmill, and eight cottages were built. St. Clair-Abrams's dream of Tavares as the state capital was not realized, but in 1887 it was designated the county seat of Lake County. St. Clair-Abrams later chartered a railroad from Tavares to Orlando. In 1919, Tavares was incorporated.
The City of Tavares has served as the County's Seat for Lake County, Florida, since 1888. Downtown Tavares lies on the shores of Lake Dora. The picturesque Wooton Park sits only one block from Main Street and offers families everything from picnic pavilions to boat ramps. Tavares is also home to the Dora Canal, one of the most beautiful waterways in the world. Tavares is located in the center of the State of Florida, 45 minutes northwest of Orlando.
In the 19th century, Major St. Clair Abrams began implementing a vision for Tavares. He not only oversaw the development of the hub of rail lines converging in Tavares, but he also saw the state's future capital waiting to be realized. Had it not been for an inadvertent fire 125 years ago, the major’s vision of Tavares being the state capital may have become a reality. The spark from a train ignited the adjacent lumberyard downtown, destroying three dozen buildings in a matter of minutes. That same year, the Florida legislature removed Tavares from consideration as a potential new center of state government. Although times have changed, one factor remains a constant for Tavares. It is the center of government for Lake County, and it is, therefore, Lake County’s Capital City. A partnership has evolved through the years between Lake County’s Board of County Commissioners and the Tavares City Council. The two elected bodies work together to make downtown Tavares a supportive home for the civic activities of Lake County.
Modern Day Tavares
The Tavares Seaplane Base (FA1) is a public-use seaplane landing area owned by the City of Tavares, Florida. The State of Florida licensed the facility as a public airport in 2010. City officials launched the idea for a seaplane base as part of a plan to reinvigorate business and tourist activity in the downtown area. The Seaplane Base has been a major success, and the City of Tavares is now known as “America’s Seaplane City.”
Tavares, Florida, has experienced a renaissance. Inspired by the strategic approach of its citizens, elected officials, employees, and former City Attorney Robert Q. Williams (who served the city for 37 years, 1984-2021), Tavares has rebranded itself, appropriately, as America’s Seaplane City. It is an appropriate moniker for a city helping boost the downtown as a Central Florida entertainment spot and serving as the natural stopping point for seaplane pilots en route to the Bahamas and other island nations. However, the rebranding of Tavares to better align with its unique offerings is not the only revolution happening in City Hall. Tavares’ leaders are responding to citizens’ new expectations for personal digital experiences with their local government through their rapid and innovative adoption of smart technology.
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
www.tavares.org/1208/ABOUT-TAVARES
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tavares,_Florida
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At the north end of Bristol Temple Meads, two of First Great Western's Class 43 HST sets await departure for London Paddington.
The Western Region was the first of the British Rail regions to introduce the Class 43 HST, and had also been the testing ground of the original Class 41 prototype back in the early 1970's. The first HST operations on the Western Region was carried out on the 4th October, 1976, but 125mph speeds could only be carried out on certain sections of the line, although by 1980 as many sections of 125mph running had been introduced as possible. Initially, services only ran between London Paddington, Oxford, Swindon, Bristol Temple Meads, Cardiff and Swansea, although in 1979 a full service was provided to the South West of England including Exeter, Paignton, Plymouth, Newquay and Penzance.
The introduction of the HST services absolutely revolutionised the route, with the fastest morning services from Plymouth to London taking just under 3 hours instead of the previous 5 to 6. Additionally, the HST's saw off many of the loco-hauled operations on this route, including the much-loved Class 52 'Western' diesel hydraulic locomotives. Class 50's from the West Coast Mainline began to take over on many loco-hauled services, but these were slowly pensioned off to other routes, and very soon services out of London Paddington were exclusively operated by HST's, although Class 47's soldiered on until about 2004.
The Western Region was also known for its large amounts of developments to the HST fleet. Originally, the Class 43's and their HST sets were powered by Paxman Valenta V12 engines that were also used in the Upholder/Victoria class submarines. These engines had 2,250hp at their disposal and could whisk the Class 43 powercars to their record breaking top speed of 148mph, although in routine operation these trains never went above 125mph. However, by the late 1980's it was apparent that the Valenta engines were starting to look their age, and a variety of alternatives were analysed.
For a period of 9 years, 43167 to 43170 were trialled with Mirrlees Blackstone MB190 engines, but proved an unsuccessful replacement for the Valenta's. In 1987, Paxman began development of an updated version of the Valenta dubbed the VP185. Trials began in 1991, and an agreement to commence installing these engines to members of the fleet was signed in 1993. A qualifying requirement for the trial was that the engine should undergo a British Rail Type Test which was carried out between December 1993 and February 1994. The test involved completion of 3,000 cycles, each of 10 minutes duration, with four minutes at the maximum power of 3,500hp and six minutes at idle, simulating the typical 'on-off' nature of IC125 duty. The successful results of the test cleared the way for installation of a VP185 in Power Car 43170 at Plymouth Laira Depot for in-service trials in the summer of 1994. Power car 43170 entered service on 22 September 1994, being named 'Edward Paxman' to commemorate the event.
During the late 1990's 25 HST power cars were re-engined with Paxman 12VP185L engines in order to improve fuel consumption and reduce emissions, but these engines have proved less reliable in service than hoped. However, the 12VP185L was introduced fleet-wide within the Australian XPT series, a small fleet of HST sets built for the CountryLink services of Australia.
The very last VP185 engine to be manufactured at Paxman's Colchester Works was despatched from the factory on 15th September, 2003, for duty with Midland Mainline. At the time Midland Mainline operated 18 of these powercars, whilst First Great Western operated 4.
On the 4th February, 1996, the Western Region became the first private franchise to operate following the privatisation of British Rail in 1994, this being under management of Great Western Trains, a subsidiary of the bus company Badgerline. HST powercars were outshopped in a very pleasing and striking Green and Ivory livery, which took us folks here in the South West by total surprise and admiration.
However, dark clouds arose with privatisation, the first being on the 19th September, 1997, at Southall, when a Bristol to London service hauled by 43173 smashed into a freight train after its defective Advanced Warning System (AWS) failed to register two amber and a red signal, with the result of 7 deaths and 139 injuries.
In March 1998, Badgerline was taken completely under the ownership of First Group, who promptly rebranded the franchise as of December the same year as First Great Western, revising the livery with a golden band that made the HST's look something like a Golden Virginia cigarette packet, being affectionately dubbed 'Fag Packet' livery. FGW's new ownership however was mired in yet another devastating crash, this time on October 5th, 1999, when a Thames Trains Class 165 overshot a red signal on its way out of London Paddington and smashed into the front of an approaching HST hauled by 43011 at Ladbroke Grove, resulting in the leading trailer of the 165 exploding and setting fire to the First Class carriages, with the result of 31 deaths and 523 injuries.
The most recent fatal crash of a First Great Western HST was on the 4th November, 2004, at Ufton Nervet, where 43018 operating an evening train to Paignton struck a car that had been deliberately parked on a Level Crossing caused by Brian Drysdale, a chef at the nearby Wokefield Park Hotel, committing suicide. Upon striking the car at 125mph, the HST essentially took-off and smashed down a few hundred yards down the line, killing 7 and injuring 71.
In 2005, First Great Western, in cooperation with leasing company Angel Trains and MTU of Germany, set about replacing the original Paxman Valenta engines of the 1970's with brand new MTU 16V 4000 engines, intending to extend the life of the HST's by another 20 years. Engine changes began with 43009 and 43004, together with a new livery that is currently worn today. Over the next two years, the Class 43's engines were replaced, the last three powercars, 43002, 43003 and 43034, making their final journeys under their original engines in December 2007.
Today the HST reliability and efficiency has been increased massively thanks to the new MTU engines, and First Great Western continues to carry out widespread operation of these plucky and powerful trains. The company has increased capacity with different Buffet cars, being reduced to Bar/Bistro's, and the conversion of many First Class trailers to Standard Class. However, time may be running short for HST's on the Great Western, as the new Class 800 Bi-Mode InterCity Express Programme intends to see these 39 year old trains retired by 2025. In the mean time, these services continue to be an integral part of the InterCity network to the South and West of London.
The fastest train in India is the Bhopal Shatabdi Express(Train number 12002) which touches 150kmph on theTughlakabad- Mathura section (as per info by Chaitanya Mangesh Gokhale and Trayambak Ojha )
and is considered fastest both in terms of average speed for end to end journey and also for attaining the highest speed for any train in India at any point during the journey. The usual link (i.e. the the usual loco /engine) given for this train is a WAP-5 class loco of Ghaziabad Electric Loco Shed,the WAP-5 class of locos are the fastest locos on Indian Railways at present . On 9-June-2012 ,the allotted WAP-5 loco failed near Karonda/Agasod on Jhansi-Bhopal section and the train was delayed by around 4 hours.And in place of WAP-5,WAG-5A multiple unit (multiple unit means when 2 or more locos attached together to get more power, in this case TKD WAG-5A 23314 and 23251 ) took charge and brought the train upto Bhopal .Later , a WAP-4 (Vadodara WAP-4 22679 ) class of loco took charge of the train for its return journey to New Delhi.