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Withdrawn and stored GE Dash-7s 5057-5059-5058 watch silently as two of their replacements, GE Dash 9s 7067-7068, head past the 7-Mile Yard at Karratha with an empty ore consist on August 17, 1998
(98.040.23_HI_5057-59_7067-68MPwt)
Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 09-Apr-22 (DeNoise AI).
Right side.
This aircraft was delivered to QANTAS Airways as VH-EBQ in Dec-79. It was leased to Air Pacific (Fiji) as DQ-FJI in Dec-98 and returned to QANTAS as VH-EBQ in Aug-00.
It was withdrawn from service and retired in Nov-02 and was donated to the Outback Museum, Longreach, Australia where it's on display.
Fountain Square is a city square in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1871, it was renovated in 1971 and 2005 and currently features many shops, restaurants, hotels, and offices.
An Indian mound stood at the present site of Fountain Square when the first white settlers arrived.
Fountain Square has been the symbolic center of Cincinnati since 1871. The square, which replaced a butcher's market, was a gift from Henry Probasco in memory of Tyler Davidson. Probasco traveled to Munich and commissioned a bronze allegorical fountain from Ferdinand von Miller named The Genius of Water. Originally, the square occupied a large island in the middle of Fifth Street with buildings to the north and south, much like nearby Piatt Park. A 1971 renovation of the square included slightly moving and re-orienting the fountain to the west, and enlarging the plaza by removing the original westbound portion of 5th Street and demolishing buildings to the north. It is used for lunch-breaks, rallies, and other gatherings.
The Fountain can be seen in the opening credits on WKRP in Cincinnati
In the early 2000s, the square was completely renovated and re-designed by 3cdc and BHDP Architecture (consulted by Cooper, Robertson & Partners and OLIN) to attract more visitors to the city, and to serve as a cultural/recreational hub for the city. In addition to the renovations, many buildings in and around the Fountain Square district are currently being renovated and redesigned. The Fountain itself was completely restored and moved to a more central location in the square.
After the death of his brother-in-law and business partner Tyler Davidson, Cincinnati businessman Henry Probasco went to Munich, Germany in search of a suitable memorial to him. Many years before, artist August von Kreling had collaborated with Ferdinand von Miller at the Royal Bronze Foundry of Bavaria to design a fountain. Probasco requested the addition of four figures with animals that would act as drinking fountains, which Miller's sons designed.
Fountain Square has many events all through the week including speeches, games, movies, concerts, giveaways, and festivals. The square also has many seasonal events such as Halloween on the square, the ice rink, Oktoberfest (largest outside of Germany) and more.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day 2010, the square featured "EcoSculpt 2010", an exhibit of sustainable art. The exhibit included "Atlas Recycled" by Tom Tsuchiya, a sculpture made of used atlases that doubled as a recycling receptacle for plastic bottles and aluminum cans.
The Fountain Square District is becoming a restaurant and entertainment hub. It contains many offices, hotels, specialty shops and restaurants.
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
DEL2263 seen at Hammersmith Bus station on the 533. Route 533 was introduced in May 2019 as a long term replacement route between Hammersmith and Barnes Via Chiswick Bridge due to the closure of hammersmith bridge. It was ran by Metroline from their Brentford (AH) garage with existing Enviro 200s. They were then replaced by existing Enviro 200 MMCs in 2022, then the route passed to Go Ahead from their Putney (AF) garage with existing YW19 Enviro 200 MMCs from a 209 pvr cut.
With class 37s being replaced and withdrawn in large numbers in 1999, they were still used on some engineering trains. 37174 goes east at Coedkernon at 13.50 on the 2nd September with an engineers working.
++++ FROM WIKIPEDIA ++++
U Bein Bridge (Burmese: ဦးပိန် တံတား) is a crossing that spans the Taungthaman Lake near Amarapura in Myanmar. The 1.2-kilometre (0.75 mi) bridge was built around 1850 and is believed to be the oldest and (once) longest teakwood bridge in the world.[1][2][3] Construction began when the capital of Ava Kingdom moved to Amarapura,[4] and the bridge is named after the mayor who had it built.[5] It is used as an important passageway for the local people and has also become a tourist attraction and therefore a significant source of income for souvenir sellers.[1][5][6][7] It is particularly busy during July and August when the lake is at its highest.[8]
The bridge was built from wood reclaimed from the former royal palace in Inwa. It features 1,086 pillars that stretch out of the water, some of which have been replaced with concrete. Though the bridge largely remains intact, there are fears that an increasing number of the pillars are becoming dangerously decayed. Some have become entirely detached from their bases and only remain in place because of the lateral bars holding them together. Damage to these supports have been caused by flooding as well as a fish breeding program introduced into the lake which has caused the water to become stagnant. The Ministry of Culture’s Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library plans to carry out repairs when plans for the work are finalised.[1]
From 1 April 2009, eight police force personnel have been deployed to guard the bridge. Their presence is aimed at reducing anti-social behaviour and preventing criminal activities, with the first arrest coming in September 2013 when two men were reported for harassing tourists.[8]
Contents
1 Construction
2 Design and Structure
3 Gallery
4 References
Construction
The construction was started in 1849 and finished in 1851. Myanmar construction engineers used traditional methods of scaling and measuring to build the bridge. According to historic books about U Bein Bridge, Myanmar engineers made scale by counting the footsteps.
Design and Structure
The bridge was built in curved shape in the middle to resist the assault of wind and water. The main teak posts were hammered into the lake bed seven feet deep. The other ends of the posts were shaped conically to make sure that rain water would fall down easily. The joints of the bridge are intertwined.
Originally, there were 984 teak posts supporting the bridge and two approach brick bridges. Later the two approach brick bridges were replaced by wooden approach bridge. There are four wooden pavilions at the same interval along the bridge. By adding posts of two approach bridges and four pavilions, the number of posts amounts to 1089.
There are nine passageways in the bridge, where the floors can be lifted to let boats and barges pass. There 482 spans and the length of the bridge is 1,209 metres.
Myanmar (Burmese pronunciation: [mjəmà]),[nb 1][8] officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and also known as Burma, is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia. Myanmar is bordered by India and Bangladesh to its west, Thailand and Laos to its east and China to its north and northeast. To its south, about one third of Myanmar's total perimeter of 5,876 km (3,651 mi) forms an uninterrupted coastline of 1,930 km (1,200 mi) along the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The country's 2014 census counted the population to be 51 million people.[9] As of 2017, the population is about 54 million.[10] Myanmar is 676,578 square kilometers (261,228 square miles) in size. Its capital city is Naypyidaw, and its largest city and former capital is Yangon (Rangoon).[1] Myanmar has been a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since 1997.
Early civilisations in Myanmar included the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states in Upper Burma and the Mon kingdoms in Lower Burma.[11] In the 9th century, the Bamar people entered the upper Irrawaddy valley and, following the establishment of the Pagan Kingdom in the 1050s, the Burmese language, culture and Theravada Buddhism slowly became dominant in the country. The Pagan Kingdom fell due to the Mongol invasions and several warring states emerged. In the 16th century, reunified by the Taungoo Dynasty, the country was for a brief period the largest empire in the history of Mainland Southeast Asia.[12] The early 19th century Konbaung Dynasty ruled over an area that included modern Myanmar and briefly controlled Manipur and Assam as well. The British took over the administration of Myanmar after three Anglo-Burmese Wars in the 19th century and the country became a British colony. Myanmar was granted independence in 1948, as a democratic nation. Following a coup d'état in 1962, it became a military dictatorship.
For most of its independent years, the country has been engrossed in rampant ethnic strife and its myriad ethnic groups have been involved in one of the world's longest-running ongoing civil wars. During this time, the United Nations and several other organisations have reported consistent and systematic human rights violations in the country.[13] In 2011, the military junta was officially dissolved following a 2010 general election, and a nominally civilian government was installed. This, along with the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners, has improved the country's human rights record and foreign relations, and has led to the easing of trade and other economic sanctions.[14] There is, however, continuing criticism of the government's treatment of ethnic minorities, its response to the ethnic insurgency, and religious clashes.[15] In the landmark 2015 election, Aung San Suu Kyi's party won a majority in both houses. However, the Burmese military remains a powerful force in politics.
Myanmar is a country rich in jade and gems, oil, natural gas and other mineral resources. In 2013, its GDP (nominal) stood at US$56.7 billion and its GDP (PPP) at US$221.5 billion.[6] The income gap in Myanmar is among the widest in the world, as a large proportion of the economy is controlled by supporters of the former military government.[16] As of 2016, Myanmar ranks 145 out of 188 countries in human development, according to the Human Development Index.[7]
Etymology
Main article: Names of Myanmar
In 1989, the military government officially changed the English translations of many names dating back to Burma's colonial period or earlier, including that of the country itself: "Burma" became "Myanmar". The renaming remains a contested issue.[17] Many political and ethnic opposition groups and countries continue to use "Burma" because they do not recognise the legitimacy of the ruling military government or its authority to rename the country.[18]
In April 2016, soon after taking office, Aung San Suu Kyi clarified that foreigners are free to use either name, "because there is nothing in the constitution of our country that says that you must use any term in particular".[19]
The country's official full name is the "Republic of the Union of Myanmar" (ပြည်ထောင်စုသမ္မတ မြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော်, Pyidaunzu Thanmăda Myăma Nainngandaw, pronounced [pjìdàʊɴzṵ θàɴməda̰ mjəmà nàɪɴŋàɴdɔ̀]). Countries that do not officially recognise that name use the long form "Union of Burma" instead.[20]
In English, the country is popularly known as either "Burma" or "Myanmar" /ˈmjɑːnˌmɑːr/ (About this sound listen).[8] Both these names are derived from the name of the majority Burmese Bamar ethnic group. Myanmar is considered to be the literary form of the name of the group, while Burma is derived from "Bamar", the colloquial form of the group's name.[17] Depending on the register used, the pronunciation would be Bama (pronounced [bəmà]) or Myamah (pronounced [mjəmà]).[17] The name Burma has been in use in English since the 18th century.
Burma continues to be used in English by the governments of many countries, such as Canada and the United Kingdom.[21][22] Official United States policy retains Burma as the country's name, although the State Department's website lists the country as "Burma (Myanmar)" and Barack Obama has referred to the country by both names.[23] The Czech Republic officially uses Myanmar, although its Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentions both Myanmar and Burma on its website.[24] The United Nations uses Myanmar, as do the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Australia,[25] Russia, Germany,[26] China, India, Bangladesh, Norway,[27] Japan[21] and Switzerland.[28]
Most English-speaking international news media refer to the country by the name Myanmar, including the BBC,[29] CNN,[30] Al Jazeera,[31] Reuters,[32] RT (Russia Today) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)/Radio Australia.[33]
Myanmar is known with a name deriving from Burma as opposed to Myanmar in Spanish, Italian, Romanian, and Greek – Birmania being the local version of Burma in the Spanish language, for example. Myanmar used to be known as "Birmânia" in Portuguese, and as "Birmanie" in French.[34] As in the past, French-language media today consistently use Birmanie.,[35][36]
History
Main article: History of Myanmar
Prehistory
Main articles: Prehistory of Myanmar and Migration period of ancient Burma
Pyu city-states c. 8th century; Pagan is shown for comparison only and is not contemporary.
Archaeological evidence shows that Homo erectus lived in the region now known as Myanmar as early as 750,000 years ago, with no more erectus finds after 75,000 years ago.[37] The first evidence of Homo sapiens is dated to about 11,000 BC, in a Stone Age culture called the Anyathian with discoveries of stone tools in central Myanmar. Evidence of neolithic age domestication of plants and animals and the use of polished stone tools dating to sometime between 10,000 and 6,000 BC has been discovered in the form of cave paintings in Padah-Lin Caves.[38]
The Bronze Age arrived circa 1500 BC when people in the region were turning copper into bronze, growing rice and domesticating poultry and pigs; they were among the first people in the world to do so.[39] Human remains and artefacts from this era were discovered in Monywa District in the Sagaing Division.[40] The Iron Age began around 500 BC with the emergence of iron-working settlements in an area south of present-day Mandalay.[41] Evidence also shows the presence of rice-growing settlements of large villages and small towns that traded with their surroundings as far as China between 500 BC and 200 AD.[42] Iron Age Burmese cultures also had influences from outside sources such as India and Thailand, as seen in their funerary practices concerning child burials. This indicates some form of communication between groups in Myanmar and other places, possibly through trade.[43]
Early city-states
Main articles: Pyu city-states and Mon kingdoms
Around the second century BC the first-known city-states emerged in central Myanmar. The city-states were founded as part of the southward migration by the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states, the earliest inhabitants of Myanmar of whom records are extant, from present-day Yunnan.[44] The Pyu culture was heavily influenced by trade with India, importing Buddhism as well as other cultural, architectural and political concepts, which would have an enduring influence on later Burmese culture and political organisation.[45]
By the 9th century, several city-states had sprouted across the land: the Pyu in the central dry zone, Mon along the southern coastline and Arakanese along the western littoral. The balance was upset when the Pyu came under repeated attacks from Nanzhao between the 750s and the 830s. In the mid-to-late 9th century the Bamar people founded a small settlement at Bagan. It was one of several competing city-states until the late 10th century when it grew in authority and grandeur.[46]
Imperial Burma
Main articles: Pagan Kingdom, Taungoo Dynasty, and Konbaung Dynasty
See also: Ava Kingdom, Hanthawaddy Kingdom, Kingdom of Mrauk U, and Shan States
Pagodas and kyaungs in present-day Bagan, the capital of the Pagan Kingdom.
Pagan gradually grew to absorb its surrounding states until the 1050s–1060s when Anawrahta founded the Pagan Kingdom, the first ever unification of the Irrawaddy valley and its periphery. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Pagan Empire and the Khmer Empire were two main powers in mainland Southeast Asia.[47] The Burmese language and culture gradually became dominant in the upper Irrawaddy valley, eclipsing the Pyu, Mon and Pali norms by the late 12th century.[48]
Theravada Buddhism slowly began to spread to the village level, although Tantric, Mahayana, Hinduism, and folk religion remained heavily entrenched. Pagan's rulers and wealthy built over 10,000 Buddhist temples in the Pagan capital zone alone. Repeated Mongol invasions (1277–1301) toppled the four-century-old kingdom in 1287.[48]
Temples at Mrauk U.
Pagan's collapse was followed by 250 years of political fragmentation that lasted well into the 16th century. Like the Burmans four centuries earlier, Shan migrants who arrived with the Mongol invasions stayed behind. Several competing Shan States came to dominate the entire northwestern to eastern arc surrounding the Irrawaddy valley. The valley too was beset with petty states until the late 14th century when two sizeable powers, Ava Kingdom and Hanthawaddy Kingdom, emerged. In the west, a politically fragmented Arakan was under competing influences of its stronger neighbours until the Kingdom of Mrauk U unified the Arakan coastline for the first time in 1437.
Early on, Ava fought wars of unification (1385–1424) but could never quite reassemble the lost empire. Having held off Ava, Hanthawaddy entered its golden age, and Arakan went on to become a power in its own right for the next 350 years. In contrast, constant warfare left Ava greatly weakened, and it slowly disintegrated from 1481 onward. In 1527, the Confederation of Shan States conquered Ava itself, and ruled Upper Myanmar until 1555.
Like the Pagan Empire, Ava, Hanthawaddy and the Shan states were all multi-ethnic polities. Despite the wars, cultural synchronisation continued. This period is considered a golden age for Burmese culture. Burmese literature "grew more confident, popular, and stylistically diverse", and the second generation of Burmese law codes as well as the earliest pan-Burma chronicles emerged.[49] Hanthawaddy monarchs introduced religious reforms that later spread to the rest of the country.[50] Many splendid temples of Mrauk U were built during this period.
Taungoo and colonialism
Bayinnaung's Empire in 1580.
Political unification returned in the mid-16th century, due to the efforts of Taungoo, a former vassal state of Ava. Taungoo's young, ambitious king Tabinshwehti defeated the more powerful Hanthawaddy in the Toungoo–Hanthawaddy War (1534–41). His successor Bayinnaung went on to conquer a vast swath of mainland Southeast Asia including the Shan states, Lan Na, Manipur, Mong Mao, the Ayutthaya Kingdom, Lan Xang and southern Arakan. However, the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia unravelled soon after Bayinnaung's death in 1581, completely collapsing by 1599. Ayutthaya seized Tenasserim and Lan Na, and Portuguese mercenaries established Portuguese rule at Thanlyin (Syriam).
The dynasty regrouped and defeated the Portuguese in 1613 and Siam in 1614. It restored a smaller, more manageable kingdom, encompassing Lower Myanmar, Upper Myanmar, Shan states, Lan Na and upper Tenasserim. The Restored Toungoo kings created a legal and political framework whose basic features would continue well into the 19th century. The crown completely replaced the hereditary chieftainships with appointed governorships in the entire Irrawaddy valley, and greatly reduced the hereditary rights of Shan chiefs. Its trade and secular administrative reforms built a prosperous economy for more than 80 years. From the 1720s onward, the kingdom was beset with repeated Meithei raids into Upper Myanmar and a nagging rebellion in Lan Na. In 1740, the Mon of Lower Myanmar founded the Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom. Hanthawaddy forces sacked Ava in 1752, ending the 266-year-old Toungoo Dynasty.
A British 1825 lithograph of Shwedagon Pagoda shows British occupation during the First Anglo-Burmese War.
After the fall of Ava, the Konbaung–Hanthawaddy War involved one resistance group under Alaungpaya defeating the Restored Hanthawaddy, and by 1759, he had reunited all of Myanmar and Manipur, and driven out the French and the British, who had provided arms to Hanthawaddy. By 1770, Alaungpaya's heirs had subdued much of Laos (1765) and fought and won the Burmese–Siamese War (1765–67) against Ayutthaya and the Sino-Burmese War (1765–69) against Qing China (1765–1769).[51]
With Burma preoccupied by the Chinese threat, Ayutthaya recovered its territories by 1770, and went on to capture Lan Na by 1776. Burma and Siam went to war until 1855, but all resulted in a stalemate, exchanging Tenasserim (to Burma) and Lan Na (to Ayutthaya). Faced with a powerful China and a resurgent Ayutthaya in the east, King Bodawpaya turned west, acquiring Arakan (1785), Manipur (1814) and Assam (1817). It was the second-largest empire in Burmese history but also one with a long ill-defined border with British India.[52]
The breadth of this empire was short lived. Burma lost Arakan, Manipur, Assam and Tenasserim to the British in the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826). In 1852, the British easily seized Lower Burma in the Second Anglo-Burmese War. King Mindon Min tried to modernise the kingdom, and in 1875 narrowly avoided annexation by ceding the Karenni States. The British, alarmed by the consolidation of French Indochina, annexed the remainder of the country in the Third Anglo-Burmese War in 1885.
Konbaung kings extended Restored Toungoo's administrative reforms, and achieved unprecedented levels of internal control and external expansion. For the first time in history, the Burmese language and culture came to predominate the entire Irrawaddy valley. The evolution and growth of Burmese literature and theatre continued, aided by an extremely high adult male literacy rate for the era (half of all males and 5% of females).[53] Nonetheless, the extent and pace of reforms were uneven and ultimately proved insufficient to stem the advance of British colonialism.
British Burma (1824–1948)
Main articles: British rule in Burma and Burma Campaign
Burma in British India
The landing of British forces in Mandalay after the last of the Anglo-Burmese Wars, which resulted in the abdication of the last Burmese monarch, King Thibaw Min.
British troops firing a mortar on the Mawchi road, July 1944.
The eighteenth century saw Burmese rulers, whose country had not previously been of particular interest to European traders, seek to maintain their traditional influence in the western areas of Assam, Manipur and Arakan. Pressing them, however, was the British East India Company, which was expanding its interests eastwards over the same territory. Over the next sixty years, diplomacy, raids, treaties and compromises continued until, after three Anglo-Burmese Wars (1824–1885), Britain proclaimed control over most of Burma.[54] British rule brought social, economic, cultural and administrative changes.
With the fall of Mandalay, all of Burma came under British rule, being annexed on 1 January 1886. Throughout the colonial era, many Indians arrived as soldiers, civil servants, construction workers and traders and, along with the Anglo-Burmese community, dominated commercial and civil life in Burma. Rangoon became the capital of British Burma and an important port between Calcutta and Singapore.
Burmese resentment was strong and was vented in violent riots that paralysed Yangon (Rangoon) on occasion all the way until the 1930s.[55] Some of the discontent was caused by a disrespect for Burmese culture and traditions such as the British refusal to remove shoes when they entered pagodas. Buddhist monks became the vanguards of the independence movement. U Wisara, an activist monk, died in prison after a 166-day hunger strike to protest against a rule that forbade him to wear his Buddhist robes while imprisoned.[56]
Separation of British Burma from British India
On 1 April 1937, Burma became a separately administered colony of Great Britain and Ba Maw the first Prime Minister and Premier of Burma. Ba Maw was an outspoken advocate for Burmese self-rule and he opposed the participation of Great Britain, and by extension Burma, in World War II. He resigned from the Legislative Assembly and was arrested for sedition. In 1940, before Japan formally entered the Second World War, Aung San formed the Burma Independence Army in Japan.
A major battleground, Burma was devastated during World War II. By March 1942, within months after they entered the war, Japanese troops had advanced on Rangoon and the British administration had collapsed. A Burmese Executive Administration headed by Ba Maw was established by the Japanese in August 1942. Wingate's British Chindits were formed into long-range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines.[57] A similar American unit, Merrill's Marauders, followed the Chindits into the Burmese jungle in 1943.[58] Beginning in late 1944, allied troops launched a series of offensives that led to the end of Japanese rule in July 1945. The battles were intense with much of Burma laid waste by the fighting. Overall, the Japanese lost some 150,000 men in Burma. Only 1,700 prisoners were taken.[59]
Although many Burmese fought initially for the Japanese as part of the Burma Independence Army, many Burmese, mostly from the ethnic minorities, served in the British Burma Army.[60] The Burma National Army and the Arakan National Army fought with the Japanese from 1942 to 1944 but switched allegiance to the Allied side in 1945. Under Japanese occupation, 170,000 to 250,000 civilians died.[61]
Following World War II, Aung San negotiated the Panglong Agreement with ethnic leaders that guaranteed the independence of Myanmar as a unified state. Aung Zan Wai, Pe Khin, Bo Hmu Aung, Sir Maung Gyi, Dr. Sein Mya Maung, Myoma U Than Kywe were among the negotiators of the historical Panglong Conference negotiated with Bamar leader General Aung San and other ethnic leaders in 1947. In 1947, Aung San became Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council of Myanmar, a transitional government. But in July 1947, political rivals[62] assassinated Aung San and several cabinet members.[63]
Independence (1948–1962)
Main article: Post-independence Burma, 1948–62
British governor Hubert Elvin Rance and Sao Shwe Thaik at the flag raising ceremony on 4 January 1948 (Independence Day of Burma).
On 4 January 1948, the nation became an independent republic, named the Union of Burma, with Sao Shwe Thaik as its first President and U Nu as its first Prime Minister. Unlike most other former British colonies and overseas territories, Burma did not become a member of the Commonwealth. A bicameral parliament was formed, consisting of a Chamber of Deputies and a Chamber of Nationalities,[64] and multi-party elections were held in 1951–1952, 1956 and 1960.
The geographical area Burma encompasses today can be traced to the Panglong Agreement, which combined Burma Proper, which consisted of Lower Burma and Upper Burma, and the Frontier Areas, which had been administered separately by the British.[65]
In 1961, U Thant, then the Union of Burma's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and former Secretary to the Prime Minister, was elected Secretary-General of the United Nations, a position he held for ten years.[66] Among the Burmese to work at the UN when he was Secretary-General was a young Aung San Suu Kyi (daughter of Aung San), who went on to become winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.
When the non-Burman ethnic groups pushed for autonomy or federalism, alongside having a weak civilian government at the centre, the military leadership staged a coup d’état in 1962. Though incorporated in the 1947 Constitution, successive military governments construed the use of the term ‘federalism’ as being anti-national, anti-unity and pro-disintegration.[67]
Military rule (1962–2011)
On 2 March 1962, the military led by General Ne Win took control of Burma through a coup d'état, and the government has been under direct or indirect control by the military since then. Between 1962 and 1974, Myanmar was ruled by a revolutionary council headed by the general. Almost all aspects of society (business, media, production) were nationalised or brought under government control under the Burmese Way to Socialism,[68] which combined Soviet-style nationalisation and central planning.
A new constitution of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma was adopted in 1974. Until 1988, the country was ruled as a one-party system, with the General and other military officers resigning and ruling through the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP).[69] During this period, Myanmar became one of the world's most impoverished countries.[70]
Protesters gathering in central Rangoon, 1988.
There were sporadic protests against military rule during the Ne Win years and these were almost always violently suppressed. On 7 July 1962, the government broke up demonstrations at Rangoon University, killing 15 students.[68] In 1974, the military violently suppressed anti-government protests at the funeral of U Thant. Student protests in 1975, 1976, and 1977 were quickly suppressed by overwhelming force.[69]
In 1988, unrest over economic mismanagement and political oppression by the government led to widespread pro-democracy demonstrations throughout the country known as the 8888 Uprising. Security forces killed thousands of demonstrators, and General Saw Maung staged a coup d'état and formed the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). In 1989, SLORC declared martial law after widespread protests. The military government finalised plans for People's Assembly elections on 31 May 1989.[71] SLORC changed the country's official English name from the "Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma" to the "Union of Myanmar" in 1989.
In May 1990, the government held free elections for the first time in almost 30 years and the National League for Democracy (NLD), the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, won 392 out of a total 492 seats (i.e., 80% of the seats). However, the military junta refused to cede power[72] and continued to rule the nation as SLORC until 1997, and then as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) until its dissolution in March 2011.
Protesters in Yangon during the 2007 Saffron Revolution with a banner that reads non-violence: national movement in Burmese. In the background is Shwedagon Pagoda.
On 23 June 1997, Myanmar was admitted into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). On 27 March 2006, the military junta, which had moved the national capital from Yangon to a site near Pyinmana in November 2005, officially named the new capital Naypyidaw, meaning "city of the kings".[73]
Cyclone Nargis in southern Myanmar, May 2008.
In August 2007, an increase in the price of diesel and petrol led to the Saffron Revolution led by Buddhist monks that were dealt with harshly by the government.[74] The government cracked down on them on 26 September 2007. The crackdown was harsh, with reports of barricades at the Shwedagon Pagoda and monks killed. There were also rumours of disagreement within the Burmese armed forces, but none was confirmed. The military crackdown against unarmed protesters was widely condemned as part of the international reactions to the Saffron Revolution and led to an increase in economic sanctions against the Burmese Government.
In May 2008, Cyclone Nargis caused extensive damage in the densely populated, rice-farming delta of the Irrawaddy Division.[75] It was the worst natural disaster in Burmese history with reports of an estimated 200,000 people dead or missing, damage totalled to 10 billion US dollars, and as many as 1 million left homeless.[76] In the critical days following this disaster, Myanmar's isolationist government was accused of hindering United Nations recovery efforts.[77] Humanitarian aid was requested but concerns about foreign military or intelligence presence in the country delayed the entry of United States military planes delivering medicine, food, and other supplies.[78]
In early August 2009, a conflict known as the Kokang incident broke out in Shan State in northern Myanmar. For several weeks, junta troops fought against ethnic minorities including the Han Chinese,[79] Wa, and Kachin.[80][81] During 8–12 August, the first days of the conflict, as many as 10,000 Burmese civilians fled to Yunnan province in neighbouring China.[80][81][82]
Civil wars
Main articles: Internal conflict in Myanmar, Kachin Conflict, Karen conflict, and 2015 Kokang offensive
Civil wars have been a constant feature of Myanmar's socio-political landscape since the attainment of independence in 1948. These wars are predominantly struggles for ethnic and sub-national autonomy, with the areas surrounding the ethnically Bamar central districts of the country serving as the primary geographical setting of conflict. Foreign journalists and visitors require a special travel permit to visit the areas in which Myanmar's civil wars continue.[83]
In October 2012, the ongoing conflicts in Myanmar included the Kachin conflict,[84] between the Pro-Christian Kachin Independence Army and the government;[85] a civil war between the Rohingya Muslims, and the government and non-government groups in Rakhine State;[86] and a conflict between the Shan,[87] Lahu, and Karen[88][89] minority groups, and the government in the eastern half of the country. In addition, al-Qaeda signalled an intention to become involved in Myanmar. In a video released on 3 September 2014, mainly addressed to India, the militant group's leader Ayman al-Zawahiri said al-Qaeda had not forgotten the Muslims of Myanmar and that the group was doing "what they can to rescue you".[90] In response, the military raised its level of alertness, while the Burmese Muslim Association issued a statement saying Muslims would not tolerate any threat to their motherland.[91]
Armed conflict between ethnic Chinese rebels and the Myanmar Armed Forces have resulted in the Kokang offensive in February 2015. The conflict had forced 40,000 to 50,000 civilians to flee their homes and seek shelter on the Chinese side of the border.[92] During the incident, the government of China was accused of giving military assistance to the ethnic Chinese rebels. Burmese officials have been historically "manipulated" and pressured by the Chinese government throughout Burmese modern history to create closer and binding ties with China, creating a Chinese satellite state in Southeast Asia.[93] However, uncertainties exist as clashes between Burmese troops and local insurgent groups continue.
Democratic reforms
Main article: 2011–12 Burmese political reforms
The goal of the Burmese constitutional referendum of 2008, held on 10 May 2008, is the creation of a "discipline-flourishing democracy". As part of the referendum process, the name of the country was changed from the "Union of Myanmar" to the "Republic of the Union of Myanmar", and general elections were held under the new constitution in 2010. Observer accounts of the 2010 election describe the event as mostly peaceful; however, allegations of polling station irregularities were raised, and the United Nations (UN) and a number of Western countries condemned the elections as fraudulent.[94]
U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Aung San Suu Kyi and her staff at her home in Yangon, 2012
The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party declared victory in the 2010 elections, stating that it had been favoured by 80 percent of the votes; however, the claim was disputed by numerous pro-democracy opposition groups who asserted that the military regime had engaged in rampant fraud.[95][96] One report documented 77 percent as the official turnout rate of the election.[95] The military junta was dissolved on 30 March 2011.
Opinions differ whether the transition to liberal democracy is underway. According to some reports, the military's presence continues as the label "disciplined democracy" suggests. This label asserts that the Burmese military is allowing certain civil liberties while clandestinely institutionalising itself further into Burmese politics. Such an assertion assumes that reforms only occurred when the military was able to safeguard its own interests through the transition—here, "transition" does not refer to a transition to a liberal democracy, but transition to a quasi-military rule.[97]
Since the 2010 election, the government has embarked on a series of reforms to direct the country towards liberal democracy, a mixed economy, and reconciliation, although doubts persist about the motives that underpin such reforms. The series of reforms includes the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission, the granting of general amnesties for more than 200 political prisoners, new labour laws that permit labour unions and strikes, a relaxation of press censorship, and the regulation of currency practices.[98]
The impact of the post-election reforms has been observed in numerous areas, including ASEAN's approval of Myanmar's bid for the position of ASEAN chair in 2014;[99] the visit by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in December 2011 for the encouragement of further progress, which was the first visit by a Secretary of State in more than fifty years,[100] during which Clinton met with the Burmese president and former military commander Thein Sein, as well as opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi;[101] and the participation of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party in the 2012 by-elections, facilitated by the government's abolition of the laws that previously barred the NLD.[102] As of July 2013, about 100[103][104] political prisoners remain imprisoned, while conflict between the Burmese Army and local insurgent groups continues.
Map of Myanmar and its divisions, including Shan State, Kachin State, Rakhine State and Karen State.
In 1 April 2012 by-elections, the NLD won 43 of the 45 available seats; previously an illegal organisation, the NLD had not won a single seat under new constitution. The 2012 by-elections were also the first time that international representatives were allowed to monitor the voting process in Myanmar.[105]
2015 general elections
Main article: Myanmar general election, 2015
General elections were held on 8 November 2015. These were the first openly contested elections held in Myanmar since 1990. The results gave the National League for Democracy an absolute majority of seats in both chambers of the national parliament, enough to ensure that its candidate would become president, while NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi is constitutionally barred from the presidency.[106]
The new parliament convened on 1 February 2016[107] and, on 15 March 2016, Htin Kyaw was elected as the first non-military president since the military coup of 1962.[108] On 6 April 2016, Aung San Suu Kyi assumed the newly created role of State Counsellor, a role akin to a Prime Minister.
Geography
Main article: Geography of Myanmar
A map of Myanmar
Myanmar map of Köppen climate classification.
Myanmar has a total area of 678,500 square kilometres (262,000 sq mi). It lies between latitudes 9° and 29°N, and longitudes 92° and 102°E. As of February 2011, Myanmar consisted of 14 states and regions, 67 districts, 330 townships, 64 sub-townships, 377 towns, 2,914 Wards, 14,220 village tracts and 68,290 villages.
Myanmar is bordered in the northwest by the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh and the Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh states of India. Its north and northeast border is with the Tibet Autonomous Region and Yunnan province for a Sino-Myanmar border total of 2,185 km (1,358 mi). It is bounded by Laos and Thailand to the southeast. Myanmar has 1,930 km (1,200 mi) of contiguous coastline along the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea to the southwest and the south, which forms one quarter of its total perimeter.[20]
In the north, the Hengduan Mountains form the border with China. Hkakabo Razi, located in Kachin State, at an elevation of 5,881 metres (19,295 ft), is the highest point in Myanmar.[109] Many mountain ranges, such as the Rakhine Yoma, the Bago Yoma, the Shan Hills and the Tenasserim Hills exist within Myanmar, all of which run north-to-south from the Himalayas.[110]
The mountain chains divide Myanmar's three river systems, which are the Irrawaddy, Salween (Thanlwin), and the Sittaung rivers.[111] The Irrawaddy River, Myanmar's longest river, nearly 2,170 kilometres (1,348 mi) long, flows into the Gulf of Martaban. Fertile plains exist in the valleys between the mountain chains.[110] The majority of Myanmar's population lives in the Irrawaddy valley, which is situated between the Rakhine Yoma and the Shan Plateau.
Administrative divisions
Main article: Administrative divisions of Myanmar
A clickable map of Burma/Myanmar exhibiting its first-level administrative divisions.
About this image
Myanmar is divided into seven states (ပြည်နယ်) and seven regions (တိုင်းဒေသကြီး), formerly called divisions.[112] Regions are predominantly Bamar (that is, mainly inhabited by the dominant ethnic group). States, in essence, are regions that are home to particular ethnic minorities. The administrative divisions are further subdivided into districts, which are further subdivided into townships, wards, and villages.
Climate
Main article: Climate of Myanmar
The limestone landscape of Mon State.
Much of the country lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator. It lies in the monsoon region of Asia, with its coastal regions receiving over 5,000 mm (196.9 in) of rain annually. Annual rainfall in the delta region is approximately 2,500 mm (98.4 in), while average annual rainfall in the Dry Zone in central Myanmar is less than 1,000 mm (39.4 in). The Northern regions of Myanmar are the coolest, with average temperatures of 21 °C (70 °F). Coastal and delta regions have an average maximum temperature of 32 °C (89.6 °F).[111]
Environment
Further information: Deforestation in Myanmar
Myanmar continues to perform badly in the global Environmental Performance Index (EPI) with an overall ranking of 153 out of 180 countries in 2016; among the worst in the South Asian region, only ahead of Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The EPI was established in 2001 by the World Economic Forum as a global gauge to measure how well individual countries perform in implementing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The environmental areas where Myanmar performs worst (ie. highest ranking) are air quality (174), health impacts of environmental issues (143) and biodiversity and habitat (142). Myanmar performs best (ie. lowest ranking) in environmental impacts of fisheries (21), but with declining fish stocks. Despite several issues, Myanmar also ranks 64 and scores very good (ie. a high percentage of 93.73%) in environmental effects of the agricultural industry because of an excellent management of the nitrogen cycle.[114][115]
Wildlife
Myanmar's slow economic growth has contributed to the preservation of much of its environment and ecosystems. Forests, including dense tropical growth and valuable teak in lower Myanmar, cover over 49% of the country, including areas of acacia, bamboo, ironwood and Magnolia champaca. Coconut and betel palm and rubber have been introduced. In the highlands of the north, oak, pine and various rhododendrons cover much of the land.[116]
Heavy logging since the new 1995 forestry law went into effect has seriously reduced forest acreage and wildlife habitat.[117] The lands along the coast support all varieties of tropical fruits and once had large areas of mangroves although much of the protective mangroves have disappeared. In much of central Myanmar (the Dry Zone), vegetation is sparse and stunted.
Typical jungle animals, particularly tigers, occur sparsely in Myanmar. In upper Myanmar, there are rhinoceros, wild water buffalo, clouded leopard, wild boars, deer, antelope, and elephants, which are also tamed or bred in captivity for use as work animals, particularly in the lumber industry. Smaller mammals are also numerous, ranging from gibbons and monkeys to flying foxes. The abundance of birds is notable with over 800 species, including parrots, myna, peafowl, red junglefowl, weaverbirds, crows, herons, and barn owl. Among reptile species there are crocodiles, geckos, cobras, Burmese pythons, and turtles. Hundreds of species of freshwater fish are wide-ranging, plentiful and are very important food sources.[118] For a list of protected areas, see List of protected areas of Myanmar.
Government and politics
Main article: Politics of Myanmar
Assembly of the Union (Pyidaungsu Hluttaw)
The constitution of Myanmar, its third since independence, was drafted by its military rulers and published in September 2008. The country is governed as a parliamentary system with a bicameral legislature (with an executive President accountable to the legislature), with 25% of the legislators appointed by the military and the rest elected in general elections.
Installed as part of the Water Orton corridor resignaling scheme between 2009 and 2012 the repeater for WN4884 has always made for a fine frame for trains on the Up Derby Fast from the Saltley Viaduct. The signal stands in the way of the alignment of the new viaduct and has recently been replaced with a simple pole mounted version between the fast and slow lines. Pictured here back in 2019 as 43366 powers by with 1S51 Plymouth to Glasgow Central.
Replacing an earlier scanned print with a slightly better version 03-Feb-19.
Fleet No: "714".
This aircraft was delivered to CP Air as C-GCPS in Apr-81, CP Air was renamed Canadian Pacific Airlines in Jan-86. Canadian Pacific Airlines was merged into Pacific Western Airlines to form Canadi>n Airlines International in Apr-87. It was sold to a lessor in Sep-96 and leased back to Canadi>n Airlines. In Apr-01, Canadi>n Airlines International was officially merged into Air Canada (although Air Canada had been providing finance guarantees for around a year beforehand. Quite a few aircraft, including this one, had already been repainted in Air Canada livery with Canadi>n titles). The aircraft was transferred to Air Canada Tango in Mar-02 and then to Air Canada's 'low-cost' airline Zip Air Inc in Feb-03. It was returned to Air Canada and then to the lessor as N2257 in Jan-04 and stored at Mojave, Ca, USA. It was sold to Petrozaz LLC in Dec-04 and leased to Nova Air (Mexico) as XA-OCI. The aircraft was returned to the lessor and permanently retired at Mexico City in Sep-09.
Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 19-Nov-17, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 22-Jul-23.
Fleet No: '5318', later '5418'.
This aircraft was delivered to United Airlines as N518UA in Sep-90. It was fitted with blended winglets in Jul-08. In Dec-08 the aircraft was sold to Wells Fargo Bank Northwest and sold back to United Airlines in Apr-17.
In Oct-19, after 29 years in service, the aircraft was ferried to Tupelo, MS, USA and permanently retired. It was sold to Universal Asset Management the following day and broken up at Tupelo in 2020.
Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 22-Sep-15, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 01-Sep-25.
Delivered to National Airlines in Dec-67 as N4731, National were merged into Pan American World Airways in Jan-80 and the aircraft continued with Pan-Am until it was retired at Oklahoma City, OK, USA in Dec-91 after 24 years in service.
It was sold to General Electric Capital Corporation (later GECAS) in Sep-92 and broken up at Oklahoma City in 1993.
Replacing an earlier digital photo with a better version 02-Jun-24.
First flown with the Airbus test registration D-AXAN, this aircraft was delivered to the easyJet Airline Company as G-EZOA in Dec-14.
It was the first aircraft to appear in easyJet Holidays special livery when it appeared in Nov-19 (I think there's also an 'neo' in this livery now). Current, updated 02-Jun-24.
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Replaced broken sections of painted glass, cosmetic repairs and cleaning of stained glass windows. 19c. Maxwell Park, Pollokshields, Glasgow. www.rdwglass.com
Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 04-Mar-15, plus DeNoise AI 26-Feb-23.
This aircraft was delivered to Canadian Pacific Air Lines as CF-CZA in Apr-58. In May-65 it was sold to Air Links in the UK, becoming G-ATGD two months later. The following month, Aug-65, Air Links was renamed Transglobe Airways.
The aircraft was sold to African Safari Airways in Sep-69 and registered in Uganda as 5X-UVT. It was re-registered in Kenya in Apr-70 as 5Y-ALP.
The aircraft was retired at Biggin Hill, Kent, UK, in Apr-71 after only 13 years in service. It was broken up there in Dec-71.
Volvo B10B/Sunsundegui Sideral VG1-20 are to de replaced by the 2015 equivalent VE1-20 in the very near future, VG6 is seen woken a shorten version of a Galway service to Athlone only.
Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 23-Mar-17 (DeNoise AI 02-Sep-22).
A 'one airline' aircraft!
First flown with the Airbus test registration F-WWAX, this aircraft was due for delivery to Monarch Airlines as G-MONT but that registration wasn't used and it was delivered as G-MAJS in Apr-91.
The aircraft served with Monarch for 23 years and was permanently retired at Tupelo, MS, USA in Feb-14. It was last noted stored at Tupelo without engines in Apr-14. The registration was cancelled in Jul-14.
The empty cement train from Devonport arrives at Railton with remote unit 2002 trailing the consist with 2010 up the front on 14-10-13.
Loco 2002 entered service on 1-11-1968 as 1522 of the 1502 class. It was later sold to Tranz Rail in New Zealand before arriving back in Tasmania under ATN ownership
CP 4514 replaced the CP 4509 as the pilot engine for the WSOR equipment after spending the night at West Davenport yard. It departed in the late morning and made good time up to Camanche where it sat for several hours due to M-of-W, other traffic, and the crew not being qualified east of Samoa.
It is seen here skirting the Mississippi River on the north side of LeClaire, IA.
June 18, 2015.
Monreale Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Monreale, Metropolitan City of Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy. One of the greatest existent examples of Norman architecture, it was begun in 1174 by William II of Sicily. In 1182 the church, dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, was, by a bull of Pope Lucius III, elevated to the rank of a metropolitan cathedral as the seat of the diocese of Monreale, which was elevated to the Archdiocese of Monreale in 1183. Since 2015 it has been part of the Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale UNESCO World Heritage site.
The church is a national monument of Italy and one of the most important attractions of Sicily. Its size is 102 meters long and 40 meters wide.
According to a legend, William II of Sicily fell asleep under a carob tree while hunting in the woods near Monreale. The Holy Virgin appeared to him in dream, suggesting him to build a church here. After removing the tree, a treasure was found in its roots, whose golden coins were used to finance the construction. It is more likely that the church was part of a plan of large constructions in competition with the then bishop of Palermo, Walter Ophamil, who had ordered the large Cathedral of Palermo. The construction of Monreale, started in 1172, was approved by Pope Alexander III with a bull on 30 December 1174. Works, including an annexed abbey, were completed only in 1267 and the church consecrated at the presence of Pope Clement IV. In 1178 Pope Lucius III established the archdiocese of Monreale and the abbey church was elevated to the rank of cathedral. The archbishops obtained by the kings of Sicily a wide array of privileges and lands in the whole Italian peninsula.
In 1270 Louis IX, King of France, brother of King Charles I of Naples, was buried here.
In 1547-1569 a portico was added to the northern side, designed by Giovanni Domenico Gagini and Fazio Gagini, in Renaissance style, covered by a cross vault and featuring eleven round arches supported by Corinthian columns. In 1559 most of the internal pavement was added.
The archiepiscopal palace and monastic buildings on the south side were of great size and magnificence, and were surrounded by a massive precinct wall, crowned at intervals by twelve towers. This has been mostly rebuilt, and but little now remains except ruins of some of the towers, a great part of the monks' dormitory and frater, and the splendid cloister, completed about 1200.
The latter is well preserved, and is one of the finest Italian cloisters now extant both for size and beauty of detail. It is about 2,200 m2, with pointed arches decorated with diaper work, supported on pairs of columns in white marble, 216 in all, which were alternately plain and decorated by bands of patterns in gold and colors, made of glass tesserae, arranged either spirally or vertically from end to end of each shaft. The marble capitals are each carved with foliage, biblical scenes and allegories, no two being alike. At one angle, a square pillared projection contains the marble fountain or monks' lavatorium, evidently the work of Muslim sculptors.
The church's plan is a mixture of Eastern Rite and Roman Catholic arrangement. The nave is like an Italian basilica, while the large triple-apsed choir is similar to one of the early three-apsed churches, of which so many examples still exist in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East. It is like two quite different churches put together endwise.
The basilican nave is wide, with narrow aisles. On each side, monolithic columns of grey oriental granite (except one, which is of cipolin marble) support eight pointed arches much stilted. The capitals of these (mainly Corinthian) are also of the classical period. There is no triforium, but a high clerestory with wide two-light windows, with simple tracery like those in the nave-aisles and throughout the church, which give sufficient light.
The other half, eastern in two senses, is both wider and higher than the nave. It also is divided into a central space with two aisles, each of the divisions ending at the east with an apse. The roofs throughout are of open woodwork very low in pitch, constructionally plain, but richly decorated with colour, now mostly restored. At the west end of the nave are two projecting towers, with a narthex (entrance) between them. A large open atrium, which once existed at the west, is now completely destroyed, having been replaced by a Renaissance portico by Giovanni Domenico and Fazio Gagini (1547–1569).
The main internal features are the vast (6,500 m2) glass mosaics, executed in Byzantine style between the late 12th and the mid-13th centuries by both local and Venetians masters. The tomb of William I of Sicily (the founder's father), a porphyry sarcophagus contemporary with the church, under a marble pillared canopy, and the founder William II's tomb, erected in 1575, were both shattered by a fire, which in 1811 broke out in the choir, injuring some of the mosaics and destroying all the fine walnut choir-fittings, the organs and most of the choir roof. The tombs were rebuilt, and the whole of the injured part of the church restored a few years after the fire. The present organ, revised in 1967 by Ruffatti, has six manuals and 102 stops.
On the north of the choir are the tombs of Margaret of Navarre, wife of William I, and her two sons Roger and Henry, together with an urn containing the viscera of Saint Louis of France, who died in 1270. The pavement of the triple choir, though much restored, is a specimen of marble and porphyry mosaic in opus alexandrinum, with signs of Arab influence in its main lines. The mosaic pavement of the nave was completed in the 16th century, and has disks of porphyry and granite with marble bands intermingled with irregular lines.
Two Baroque chapels were added in the 17th and 18th centuries, which are shut off from the rest of the church. The bronze doors of the mosaic-decorated portal on the left side was executed by Barisano da Trani in 1179.
Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 13-Aug-18.
Named: "Tormod Viking".
This aircraft was delivered to SAS Scandinavian Airlines as OY-KIN in Aug-97. It was sub-leased to SAS associate Blue1 Airlines as OH-BLD in Sep-06. The aircraft was returned to SAS in Nov-10 and stored at Stockholm-Arlanda. It was sold to Delta Air Lines (via Wells Fargo Bank Northwest as owner trustee) as N931DN in Apr-11 and initially stored at Marana, AZ, USA. The aircraft entered service in Jan-12. It was withdrawn from service in Mar-20 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic (although it was due for retirement anyway) and permanently retired at Blytheville, AR, USA. Updated (Oct-20).
Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 24-Aug-21 (DeNoiseAI)
Being a great DC-10 fan, I love this shot !!! This photo was taken just 4 weeks before the aircraft was retired and stored at Madrid, Spain.
Named: "Costa de Azahar".
Delivered to Iberia in Apr-74, this aircraft was operated by Iberia for almost 27 years, operating it's last service on 28-Nov-00. It was also Iberia's last DC-10 service. It was stored at Madrid in Dec-00 and remained there for a year until it was sold to Firstport International (Spain) in Dec-01.
It remained stored at Madrid for another year until it was ferried from Madrid to Mahon, Menorca, Spain in Dec-02 for further storage. In approx Aug-03 the aircraft was ferried via Madrid to Mobile - Downtown Airport, AL, USA, with the intention of converting it to freighter configuration. However, nothing came of the idea and it remained stored at Mobile.
In 2004 (exact date?), still as EC-CEZ and in faded Iberia livery, it was sold to a Uruguayan company, Global Sun SA. It remained stored at Mobile until it was sold to Wells Fargo Bank Northwest in Jul-05 and re-registered N8095V.
It was ferried to Greenwood, MS, USA in Aug-05 where it was permanently retired. The aircraft sat at Greenwood for another 4 years until it was finally broken up there in Apr/May-09.
521 - PA06 AAU
Alexander Dennis Trident, East Lancs Myllennium Lolyne (H47/27F)
Xelabus, Eastleigh
Southampton Road, Eastleigh
29 October 2022
(HMN 249J)
Replacing an earlier scanned print with a slightly better version 24-Jan-19. Sorry it's a little blurred.
Taken from the Templeton Bridge.
Named: "Derwent Water".
This aircraft was delivered to BOAC British Overseas Airways Corporation as G-AWNE in Mar-71. BOAC was merged with BEA British European Airways to form British Airways in Apr-74. The aircraft was sold to AAR Aircraft Leasing in Feb-98 and leased back to British Airways. After 28.5 years in service it was returned to the lessor and stored at Roswell, NM, USA in Nov-99. It was sold to Kabo Air (Nigerial) in Jan-01 as 5N-RRR. It never left Roswell and was eventually broken up there for spares.
The Winding Road to llyn Cowlyd reservoir dam.
Llyn Cowlyd is the deepest lake in north Wales. It lies in the Snowdonia National Park on the edge of the Carneddau range of mountains, at a height of 1,164 feet above sea level. The lake is long and narrow, measuring nearly 2 miles, The dam, which replaced a lower, earlier one, was completed in 1921, and it was officially opened on 20 September 1922.
panorama
Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 20-Nov-15.
'Sister Ships'... the one behind it is G-ARRA.
Delivered to British Overseas Airways Corporation/Cunard (BOAC Cunard) as G-ARRB in Feb-63, the BOAC Cunard partnership didn't last and it became solely BOAC in Jan-67. It was wet-leased to MAS Malaysian Airline System in Apr-73, returning to BOAC in Aug-73. BOAC and BEA were merged to form British Airways in Apr-74. The aircraft was sold back to Boeing in Jan-76 in part exchange for a new B747-236B, it was withdrawn from use and stored at Kingman, AZ, USA, It was broken up there in Sep-79.
Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 22-Oct-15, DeNoise AI 02-Oct-22
The final livery for Cambrian before it was absorbed into British Airways. Retro-fitted with weather radar.
G-AOYS was one of those rare aircraft that retained the same registration throughout its life. It was delivered to BEA British European Airways in Jun-58.
It was sold to Cambrian Airways, part of British Air Services, in Sep-71 (above photo taken just after delivery) and operated until Cambrian/British Air Services was absorbed into British Airways in Apr-74.
The aircraft was withdrawn from British Airways service and stored at Cardiff, Wales, UK, in Apr-80. It was sold to BAF British Air Ferries in May-81 and was wet-leased to Air Algerie between Jun/Oct-81.
It was sold to Panavia Air Cargo in Jan-84 and leased back to BAF until late 1984 when it was retired at Southend, UK. It was broken up there in Feb-85.
At East Midlands Airport on staff taxi duties. This bus has since been replaced by new Enviro 200s
FJ58 KJN
Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 25-Oct-15, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 10-Jan-24.
Another British aircraft that came to market too late. Like the Bristol Britannia, it had already been superseded by the early Douglas & Boeing jets. Only 43 were ordered by BEA and Trans Canada Airlines.
This aircraft was delivered new to Trans Canada Airlines in Dec-60 as CF-TKJ. Trans Canada Airlines was renamed Air Canada in Jun-64. After slightly more than 8 years in service it was sold to Air Holdings Ltd., in Apr-69 and re-registered G-AXOO in Sep-69.
In Feb-70 it was leased to Indonesian Angkasa Civil Air Transport as PK-ICC. They ceased operations the following month and the aircraft was returned to Air Holdings Ltd., in Apr-70 and was stored. It became G-AXOO again in May-70.
Invicta International leased it in Mar-71 and flew it until Jan-73 when Air Holdings Ltd., repossessed all 5 of Invicta's Vanguards because of outstanding lease payments. They were stored at Lydd, UK.
In Feb-73 the European Ferries Shipping Group took a 65% interest in the company and the 5 Vanguards were returned to Invicta's base at Manston, UK. However, G-AXOO's CofA expired at the end of Feb-73 and wasn't renewed.
The aircraft was used as a spares source for the rest of the fleet and was completely broken up at Manston in Apr-76.
Construction work underway on the Birkenhead Tramway November 26, 1994
This section has been out of use in 2022 as due to problems with track wear.
In the background can be seen the Woodside Hotel.
The hotel was built in 1834 and replaced an older hotel of the same name (originally the Woodside Royal Mail Ferry Hotel) and until land reclamation in the mid 19th century was on the riverfront.
Believed to be one of the oldest pubs in Birkenhead.
Adjacent was the Woodside Hotel Vaults.
Extended in 1963. Demolished October 2008 following a fire. The site remains undeveloped.
Camera: Contax RTSII + Carl Zeiss 50mm f1.7 lens
For more 35mm Archive Images of Tramways please click here: www.jhluxton.com/The-35mm-Film-Archive/Tramways-
Replacing an earlier digital photo with a better version 15-Sep-21 (DeNoise AI).
This aircraft was delivered to AVIANCA Colombia as N794AV in Mar-17. It was withdrawn from service and stored at Bogota, Colombia in Mar-20 as a consequence of the COVID-19 Pandemic and returned to service in early Sep-21. Current, updated 15-Sep-21.
Replacing an earlier digital photo with a better version 15-Oct-19.
First flown with the Airbus test registration F-WWAZ, this aircraft was delivered to AWAS Ansett Worldwide Aircraft Services and leased to Garuda Indonesia Airlines as PK-GAS in Dec-92. It was returned to AWAS in Nov-96 and stored. In Jan-97 it was transferred to Nordstress Australia as VH-OPW and leased to Qatar Airways as A7-ABO in Mar-97. The aircraft was returned to the lessor in Oct-07 and sold to FedEx Federal Express as N745FD the following month. It was converted to freighter configuration with a main deck cargo door at Dresden, Germany in May-08 and entered service later that month. Current. (updated Oct-19).
Skipton population 420.
This is an important pastoral region and Skipton was sited on Mount Emu Creek in 1852. It was named after Skipton in Yorkshire which means sheep town in old English. It was a very Presbyterian region and a church was built in 1857 which was replaced by the current heritage listed church in 1871 which we will see on our left. The architects were Davidson and Henderson of Geelong. Note the kangaroo gargoyle water spouts on the tower. The town only began to grow a little after the surrounding pastoral estates were subdivided for closer settlement after World War One, especially for soldier settlers. Thus the railway reached the town in 1918. Former Victorian Premier Sir Henry Bolte (premier 1955 to 1972) came from Skipton. We also pass the charming wooden Mechanics Hall which dates from 1880. Next to it is the Catholic Church opened in 1897.
Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 19-Sep-15.
All Boeing 707-320C's were built with a main-deck cargo door as standard and could be used in either passenger or freight configuration.
This aircraft was delivered to Air France in Dec-68 as F-BLCK. It served with Air France for 14 years before being sold to ZAS - Airline of Egypt as SU-DAA in Nov-82.
ZAS ceased trading in Apr-95 and the aircraft was stored at Cairo. It was bought by Air Memphis, Egypt, in Nov-96 and re-registered SU-PBB. It was retired and stored at Cairo in late 2000 and was broken up there in Jun-03.
*Update* This photo has been replaced. It was previously cropped differently but i like this more :)
Click it! Looks better in light box.
So I had a photoshoot today and after it was all set and done I wanted to take advantage of my time and try a photo. This is what I came up with, im still sitting on it. Not sure if its what I expected it to be. I promise I can do better! I have loads of ideas just need to make them all happen.
Hope everyone is well! "this photo might transform in a few hours once I give myself some time to look at it.
Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 18-Apr-15, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 19-May-23.
Delivered to Channel Airways as G-ATEI in Nov-65. It was leased to LIAT Leeward Islands Air Transport the following month as VP-LIN, returning to Channel Airways as G-ATEI in May-66.
In May-69 it was leased to Transair Canada as CF-TAX and returned to Channel Airways as G-ATEI again in Nov-69. It was wet-leased to Rousseau Aviation, France, from May/Aug-70.
In Aug-70 it was leased to Philippine Airlines as PI-C1029 and re-registered RP-C1029 when the Philippines country code changed in Nov-74. It was written off when it crashed shortly after take-off from Manila in May-75 when a tyre burst during undercarriage retraction. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair. There were no fatalities.
Replacing an earlier digital photo with a better version 28-Oct-19.
Additional 'Dubai Summer Surprises 2005' logo & titles.
First flown with the Airbus test registration F-WWJP, this aircraft was delivered to Singapore Airlines as 9V-SJN in Sep-98. It was traded in to Boeing for Boeing 777's in Aug-03 and registered D-AIFL to Boeing Capital. In Jan-04 it was leased to Emirates Airline as A6-ERM. It was withdrawn from service in Jul-16 and stored at Dubai World Central, UAE. The aircraft briefly returned to service for one round trip to Muscat, Oman in early Oct-16 and was stored again at Dubai. It was ferried to Teruel, Spain in Dec-16 for further storage. The aircraft was sold to AS Air Lease IX (Ireland) Ltd as EI-GAD in Jan-17 and remained stored at Teruel until it was leased to Hi Fly Airlines Malta as 9H-JAI in Jun-17. It operated many short-term and one-off leases for a number of airlines until it went on long-term wet-lease to Estelar Latinoamerica (Venezuela) in Dec-17, it returned to Hi Fly Malta in Jan-19 and was stored at Cairo, Egypt. It was wet-leased to Estelar again in Aug-19 and the lease continues. Current, updated (Oct-19).
A Cuban Tree Frog sleeps in a philodendron during the day. Cuban Tree Frogs are an invasive species in Florida and prey upon native frogs. I've read that you are supposed to capture them and place them in the freezer for a few hours to cause them a humane death. I don't have the heart to do that. Should I? They have replaced all the native, beautiful green treefrogs, but they are abundant in my neighborhood and I don't think I could make much of a dent in their population.
Replacing an earlier digital photo with a better version 07-Jul-19.
Named: "Clann MhicAonghais / Clan Macinnes".
First flown with the Embraer test registration PT-SGX, this aircraft was delivered to a lessor and leased to BMA British Midland Regional as G-RJXD in Feb-00.
It was renamed 'bmi regional' in Feb-01. 'bmi regional' ceased operations in Feb-19 and the aircraft returned to the lessor. It was leased to Loganair as G-SAJN in Mar-19. Current, updated 25-Mar-24.
Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 19-Feb-15, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 23-Nov-23.
Ordered in 1941, this aircraft was delivered to the USAAF US Army Air Forces in Jul-42 serialled 41-18428. It was allocated to the US 8th Air Force in Europe.
It survived WW2 and was sold to LAI Linee Aeree Italiane as I-LONA in Nov-47. LAI was merged into Alitalia in Nov-57. The aircraft was sold to Martins Air Charter as PH-MAB in Feb-60.
It was sold to Australian Aircraft Sales in Dec-68 and sold to the Indonesian Navy serialled U-603 in Feb-70. The aircraft was written off on 15-Aug-84 at Wamena, West Papua Niugini.
This small species is very similar in plumage to its European counterpart, the turtle dove. It is a little larger than that species, particularly in the case of orientalis, about the same size as a collared dove. It shares the black and white striped patch on the side of its neck, but the breast is less pink, and the orange-brown wing feathers of the turtle dove are replaced with a browner hue, and darker centres. The tail is wedge shaped, like the turtle dove. The flight is more relaxed and direct than that of its relative
Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 01-Feb-18 (DeNoise AI 11-Sep-22).
BASE Airlines - Business Air, with additional 'So nice to fly with' titles.
Previously G-LOGT of Loganair
Replacing an earlier photo with a better version 29-Apr-23.
Arriving to take Manchester City FC on the short hop to London-Stansted before their match against Fulham tomorrow (30-Apr-23)
First flown with the Airbus test registration D-AUBE, this aircraft was delivered to Silk Air (Singapore) as 9V-SLN in May-11. It was sold to a lessor as G-POWK and leased to Titan Airways in Jan-15.
As well as operating charter flights in their own right, Titan Airways are a major 'ACMI' airline operating services for other airlines.
The aircraft was wet-leased to British Airways between Mar / Oct-18, TUI Airways UK between May / Sep-19 and again between May / Sep-22. It was wet-leased to Jet2,com between Oct / Nov-22. Current, updated 29-Apr-23.
Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 22-May-22 (DeNoise AI). Slightly blurred!
Operated by Eagle Airways on behalf of Air New Zealand Link.
Enlarged from a shot well beyond the focal range of the 200mm lens I had at the time. A little blurred in places, but 'it is what it is'. Bandeirantes were rare in 1999, even more so now.