bigherb Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 And we still have the anomaly of buying Milk in Pints from supermarkets and Litres from your local shop, so you end up usually paying more and for less in your local shop. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted April 17, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 17, 2019 8 hours ago, martin_wynne said: Hi Jim, Why? Most folks can cope with more than one set of units. Everyone knows what a 6ft fence post looks like, why try to specify it in mm? cheers, Martin. Because that's what building supllies are done in. Fence posts come in increments of metres, if somebody is supplying you with a six foot one it's because it's actually 1.8m 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
talisman56 Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 Is anyone (else) typing 'Level Crossing accident' into Google in a desperate attempt to get this topic back on track? (pun intended) 2 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted April 17, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 17, 2019 Again, lack of new on-topic material is a Good Thing. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium TheQ Posted April 17, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 17, 2019 Just now, Compound2632 said: Again, lack of new on-topic material is a Good Thing. Is that a Metric material or a Imperial material? 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 9 hours ago, martin_wynne said: .... UK shoe sizes are still based on a 1 barleycorn difference ...... Is that why new shoes keep giving me corns ? 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caradoc Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 9 hours ago, martin_wynne said: Hi Jim, Why? Most folks can cope with more than one set of units. Everyone knows what a 6ft fence post looks like, why try to specify it in mm? It feels good to retain a link with the past and use the traditional units. Some of them are very sensible, derived from centuries of practical use. For example UK shoe sizes are still based on a 1 barleycorn difference between each full size. A barleycorn is 1/3rd of an inch. cheers, Martin. Until today I had no real nidea what a Barleycorn was, my only prior knowledge of the word being the Traffic song 'John Barleycorn must die'. Thanks Martin ! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Vistisen Posted April 17, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 17, 2019 14 minutes ago, caradoc said: Until today I had no real nidea what a Barleycorn was, my only prior knowledge of the word being the Traffic song 'John Barleycorn must die'. Thanks Martin ! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold mcowgill Posted April 17, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 17, 2019 (edited) On 15/04/2019 at 14:49, kevinlms said: Both signs apply ONLY to unfitted trains. How often does the Festiniog Railway run unfitted trains? Not very often, I suspect. Infrequent enough for drivers to be especially reminded in some way, BEFORE they head off, with such a train? Unfitted trains are still a regular occurrence on the Festiniog, all the heritage freight stock is unfitted and until recently most of the stock used for infrastructure work. The PW dept's main loco (Harlech Castle, the loco involved in the incident) was not vac fitted until an overhaul this winter and as the PW train is out on the line for inspections and maintenance almost every day that would give an indication of how familiar crews would be at working unfitted trains. There are some unfitted trains that you don't want to come to a halt above the crossing except in the case of the gates being closed, so a controlled approach and the ability to either stop or continue rolling past the sign is appropriate - the Festiniog is unique in running demonstration gravity slate trains and these are run alongside the rest of the normal services on the line particularly at special events. There are specific local instructions for running these trains, so the issue with the incident is more a matter of non-compliance with operating procedures than an issue with the signs themselves. Martin Edited April 17, 2019 by mcowgill 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium kevinlms Posted April 17, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 17, 2019 3 hours ago, Porkscratching said: Sorry but I think and work in imperial, the trouble with metric is you soon end up with crazy unwieldy numbers, its a bit like a quid equals 85597.4 lira or something, a daft example but you see what I mean. As for us changing to driving on the 'wrong' side of the road...how many people do you want to kill and injure..? You might have just about got away with that up until the early 70s perhaps. I don't get your comment about unwieldy numbers using the metric system, unless your exactly converting an imperial measurement into metrics - such as a foot represents 304 point whatever millimetres. Changing side of the road for driving, is obviously far too late - same of course for Australia, New Zealand and other places, especially island nations. Sweden did it years ago and it made 100% sense for them and obviously it wasn't an EU Directive! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 On 16/04/2019 at 11:49, martin_wynne said: Much needed in the UK too -- see: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-47851582 Martin. Most single carriageway roads in Scotland have very large white direction arrows painted on the road, specifically for tourists. The black BMW in the clip had just passed one. Tourist probably too busy either watching the scenery or racing to their destination. ps my family was nearly taken out by a tourist in identical circumstances. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 1 hour ago, kevinlms said: I don't get your comment about unwieldy numbers using the metric system, unless your exactly converting an imperial measurement into metrics - such as a foot represents 304 point whatever millimetres. Well I've worked on numerous jobs, fitting and welding, with quite large components, where the dimensions were all in MM... resulting in some crazy numbers, just my experience in real life... For anything I do that is set out by me, I use imperial, because to ME it works better... Doubtless many of you know only metric...bon appetit. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Reorte Posted April 17, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 17, 2019 The primary advantage of metric IMO isn't so much the "10 of this, 10 of that part" but that derived units are derived pretty much directly, no conversion factors, even if that sometimes results in rather oversized units like farads. You could argue that the prefixes are a conversion factor rather than a notational shorthand, which weakens it slightly. The other advantage is that it doesn't suffer from different groups using different definitions of the same unit - easier to standardise with a complete change. Still see it as mostly change for the sake of it though - would choose it starting from scratch but I'm not going to make any effort to stop thinking in miles and will resist any attempt to make me do so. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 11 minutes ago, Porkscratching said: Well I've worked on numerous jobs, fitting and welding, with quite large components, where the dimensions were all in MM... resulting in some crazy numbers, just my experience in real life... For anything I do that is set out by me, I use imperial, because to ME it works better... Doubtless many of you know only metric...bon appetit. Agreed .......... a MkIII coach is 22150mm over headstocks ( http://www.barrowmoremrg.co.uk/BRBDocuments/Diagram_Book_200_for_issue.pdf ) that's an unwieldy number ! Is it actually built to the exact millimetre anyway? - the diagram doesn't specify the temperature at which it should be measured. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 2 minutes ago, Reorte said: ......The other advantage is that it doesn't suffer from different groups using different definitions of the same unit ........ That's OK so long as we all have ten fingers and ten toes - which Sir Clive Sinclair found not to be the case ! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold martin_wynne Posted April 17, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 17, 2019 10 minutes ago, Porkscratching said: Well I've worked on numerous jobs, fitting and welding, with quite large components, where the dimensions were all in MM... resulting in some crazy numbers, just my experience in real life... For anything I do that is set out by me, I use imperial, because to ME it works better... I agree. The metric system is based on decimals, and very prone to errors caused by getting decimal points in the wrong place. The imperial system is based on fractions, not decimals, and much better suited to everyday life where fractions are everywhere. 1/3rd of a foot? easy. 1/4 of a yard? easy. 6 eggs in a box, or 5? no brainer. Martin. 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobby Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 (edited) 30 minutes ago, Wickham Green said: Agreed .......... a MkIII coach is 22150mm over headstocks that's an unwieldy number Or 22.15m not so unwieldy. Or 24yds 0ft 10 1/2ins (approx)... Give me decimals over fractions any day Edited April 17, 2019 by Hobby 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 I don't ever remember being handed a job that was dimensioned in metres!...always mm, and as I said, often of a fairly substantial nature...so big silly numbers... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Reorte Posted April 17, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 17, 2019 The people who keep calling for further metrification never seem that bothered by 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, differing numbers of days in a month, 12 months in a year... 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Vistisen Posted April 17, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 17, 2019 (edited) 17 minutes ago, Reorte said: The people who keep calling for further metrification never seem that bothered by 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, differing numbers of days in a month, 12 months in a year... Why not go further PI should be 3,2 none of this 3.1426.... rubbish. Indiana state was almost bold enough to do it http://mentalfloss.com/article/30214/new-math-time-indiana-tried-change-pi-32 Edited April 17, 2019 by Vistisen 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 1 hour ago, Hobby said: Or 22.15m not so unwieldy. Or 24yds 0ft 10 1/2ins (approx)... Give me decimals over fractions any day .... but then a Mk II is an unwieldy 19.526m over headstocks or a comprehensible 63'5'' ! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted April 17, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 17, 2019 Imperial, metric.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold SHMD Posted April 17, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 17, 2019 22150mm? Easy - 22 metres and 6 inches! Kev. 1 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold SHMD Posted April 17, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 17, 2019 22150mm? Easy - 22 metres and 6 inches! Kev. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold SHMD Posted April 17, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 17, 2019 ...so good they named it twice! 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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