The Night Mail

[polybear]

3 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

What is the cost of servicing though? Or such things as consumables and wearing components? Or the dreaded phrase "Dealer part only"? This has always been the issue I've had when I've run anything made in the last three decades. 

When I hear people talking about the thick end of £1000 to replace a clutch and knowing exactly what is involved, I have to stop myself telling them that they're being mugged. 

 

The MG Dealer that Bear uses charges £85 +vat/hour for labour - I reckon that, for a main dealer that's not too bad; though I realise that independent Garages will be cheaper.  I dread to think what some Beemer/Merc/etc. Main Dealers charge.

 

 

 

[jamie92208]

6 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

Just off to Rugby motorway services to meet up with No. 2 son and collect our granddaughter from him as he is on his way oop north and she is coming to stay with us. I know we shouldn’t have favourites when it comes to grandchildren but she is mine so I’m really looking forward to seeing her.

 

Dave 

We've only got the one grand child and are very unlikely to have any more so can say that I talked tmy favourite granddaughter this morning without any guilt at all.  She starts school in September so was showing off how she looks with her uniform on.  

 

As to cars my 19 Yr old Volvo with a 2.5 litre lump at the front gives me 50 mpg and 900 miles on a long run. 

 

As to particulates I am told that cities are the big problem area.  I doubt that we have much of a problem in sparsely populated rural France.  With the mileage we to tget hospitals, supermarkets and trainspotting I'lstick with what I've got. loo

[Dave Hunt]

15 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

It's probably the same company that made it's fortune selling brass magnets.🤣

 

I think that at the moment it'll cost you a fair bit north of £100K to own one but they are hoping that they can sell enough to get the price down to a more reasonable level. Apparently the largest cost factor is getting solar panels made to fit a curved roof contour rather than just flat and using the newest type that don't rely on direct sunlight but can generate current in cloudy conditions. How much their performance varies  in differing light levels I don't know.

 

Dave 

[Happy Hippo]

3 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

I think that at the moment it'll cost you a fair bit north of £100K to own one but they are hoping that they can sell enough to get the price down to a more reasonable level. Apparently the largest cost factor is getting solar panels made to fit a curved roof contour rather than just flat and using the newest type that don't rely on direct sunlight but can generate current in cloudy conditions. How much their performance varies  in differing light levels I don't know.

 

Dave 

When they can make them that work off moonlight, then that's a winner.

[Dave Hunt]

17 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

As to particulates I am told that cities are the big problem area.  

 

Isn't it the case that modern (post about 2010?) diesels have much better particulate filters? Hence, I think, the low, £30 annual VED for my car and when I drove through the London ULEZ in March and put my registration number into the web site there was no charge.

 

Dave

[AndyID]

27 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Isn't it the case that modern (post about 2010?) diesels have much better particulate filters? Hence, I think, the low, £30 annual VED for my car and when I drove through the London ULEZ in March and put my registration number into the web site there was no charge.

 

Dave

 

The particulate output is much lower because the diesel has much less sulphur content than it used to (in the US anyway). Diesels produce more oxides of nitrogen because of the higher combustion temperatures. The higher combustion temperatures make diesels more efficient (fundamental heat engine  thermodynamics) despite the fact that diesel actually has a lower calorific content than gasoline.

 

The oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are now greatly reduced by exhaust treatment with urea. VW got unto trouble by trying to avoid the urea treatment but they were only able to do that by cheating the test by altering engine performance when the engine management software detected that it was running under test.

 

Because diesels are more efficient they emit less CO2 but they emit more NOx which is a problem in urban areas if the concentration gets above a certain level but it's not a problem in rural areas and NOx does not remain in the atmosphere in the way CO2 does.

[New Haven Neil]

Diesel only in this household - although we may consider a hybrid, but never pure electric.  It's bolleux, a lot of the stuff they spout, and as for charging infrastructure and sufficient current to supply it.....dreamland.

 

To make me feel better after that, I went in the garage to play trains as it keeps raining so playing out is off the menu.

 

Worried about Jamie & Dave's sensibilities, so kept the Paneers out of shot.

 

 

 

[Dave Hunt]

26 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Diesel only in this household - although we may consider a hybrid, but never pure electric.  It's bolleux, a lot of the stuff they spout, and as for charging infrastructure and sufficient current to supply it.....dreamland.

 

To make me feel better after that, I went in the garage to play trains as it keeps raining so playing out is off the menu.

 

Worried about Jamie & Dave's sensibilities, so kept the Paneers out of shot.

 

 

 

 

When I saw "Diesels only in this household," and at the same time the photograph of the Peckett I thought, "How sad, poor old Neil has lost his marbles - must be something in the Fraggle Rock water," but then to my relief I read on. Phew!

 

Dave 

[AndyID]

14 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

When I saw "Diesels only in this household," and at the same time the photograph of the Peckett

 

Maybe it's an oil-burner?

[SM42]

2 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

The particulate output is much lower because the diesel has much less sulphur content than it used to (in the US anyway). Diesels produce more oxides of nitrogen because of the higher combustion temperatures. The higher combustion temperatures make diesels more efficient (fundamental heat engine  thermodynamics) despite the fact that diesel actually has a lower calorific content than gasoline.

 

The oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are now greatly reduced by exhaust treatment with urea. VW got unto trouble by trying to avoid the urea treatment but they were only able to do that by cheating the test by altering engine performance when the engine management software detected that it was running under test.

 

Because diesels are more efficient they emit less CO2 but they emit more NOx which is a problem in urban areas if the concentration gets above a certain level but it's not a problem in rural areas and NOx does not remain in the atmosphere in the way CO2 does.

 

One of the problems if measuring NOx is stripping out that created by lightning. 

 

It was interesting recently to read the top 10 most poluted areas of Brum were mostly taken up by areas in the CAZ after 12 months of operation. 

Working well then. 

 

So we are now encouraged to go round producing more CO2 that stays out there unlike NOx and kill the whole planet quicker. 

 

I'm not going near the  statistical somersaults used to justify London's ULEZ as that would be too near to politics. 

I do find it strange though  that if you can afford to pay, it's  on to shorten people's lives.

 

Andy

[SM42]

Today we have been to the military day at Zmigrod as planned. 

 

Various local regiments in attendance with their display stands.

(The SiL asked the recruitment stand if they would take her husband 😁)

 

I must say that putting two very attractive female soldiers at the front of the recruiting stand was a genius move

 

Various firearms on display for you to pick up and hold.  ( I know they are probably not functioning, but no muzzle awareness required it seems.)

 

There was also the chance to have a go on the BB  gun range.  

 

Various vehicles on display, including the current hot topic  the Leopard 2. 

 

A military band played various marching tunes and popular classics and lunch in  the form of pea, potatoes, bacon and sausage soup plus bread was provided by the Catering Corps. 

 

The military police ( yes they do wear MP badges) were on a don't drink and drive campaign but the man from the local badminton association  seemed very lonely with just his net, rackets and shuttlecocks for company.

 

It eventually got too hot so we made tracks for home. 

 

Andy

Who's just been iverfliwn by two fast jets, probably F16s  from the local air base.

[Hroth]

Diesels can chuck as much black stuff into the atmosphere as a steam loco.  Just search for "class 37 cold start" on youtube...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W6R7QR01L9g

Cute smoke rings too!

 

50s put up an equally good smokescreen

 

Edited August 12, 2023 by Hroth
A couple of links

[AndyID]

13 hours ago, SM42 said:

What an elecrric car needs is a nice little diesel engine running a generator to power the motor. 

 

Why it has never been thought of remains a mystery.

 

Andy

 

Actually a small gas turbine powered generator as a back-up charger or even continuous operation charger for longer journeys might go a long way to solve the problem if it could be produced at the right cost. It could even be towed behind on a small trailer or sit in the bed of a pickup and it could also run on lots of different fuels including hydrogen.

 

Turbines have a very high power to weight ratio but they are NBG for start/stop operation. Operating for long periods at high output power to charge a battery is a different story.

[AndyID]

19 hours ago, AndyID said:

If you can make pistons that displace fluid into a common space move with sinusoidal motion the volume of fluid is constant. If you can variably throttle that flow you have a brake and if the whole gubbins rotates you have a clutch. When the flow is blocked entirely the two elements are locked together.

 

 

Here's a pic.

 

[Happy Hippo]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12400909/Environmental-crime-investigation-boss-killed-camping-wife-national-park-attacked-hippo.html#newcomment

 

I have an cast iron alibi before anyone starts pointing the finger.☹️

[Tony_S]

10 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12400909/Environmental-crime-investigation-boss-killed-camping-wife-national-park-attacked-hippo.html#newcomment

 

I have an cast iron alibi before anyone starts pointing the finger.☹️

Only one other mammal causes more deaths in Africa. 

Edited August 12, 2023 by Tony_S

[SM42]

14 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Only one other mammal causes more deaths in Africa. 

 

Name that Hippo

 

Andy

[SM42]

1 hour ago, AndyID said:

 

Actually a small gas turbine powered generator as a back-up charger or even continuous operation charger for longer journeys might go a long way to solve the problem if it could be produced at the right cost. It could even be towed behind on a small trailer or sit in the bed of a pickup and it could also run on lots of different fuels including hydrogen.

 

Turbines have a very high power to weight ratio but they are NBG for start/stop operation. Operating for long periods at high output power to charge a battery is a different story.

 

I always fancied a small engine running at about 500rpm.

Bit like a Lister in an old canal boat, but smaller with all the modern exhaust cleaning gubbins attached

 

POP pop pop pop, POP pop pop pop and so on

 

Andy

[Thorness]

14 hours ago, SM42 said:

What an elecrric car needs is a nice little diesel engine running a generator to power the motor. 

 

Why it has never been thought of remains a mystery.

 

Andy

The Nissan e-power vehicles use a petrol engine to create electricity to drive the car.

[newbryford]

20 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

Purveyors of bovine fecal matter over this side of the pond have a plethora of excuses, first it was Brexit, then Covid, Ukraine war, Cost of living crisis, Government reshuffling,  now Climate change, 

The really clever thieves have managed to weave combinations of all those things....

 

 

 

Don;t forget  "global microprocessor shortage"

[newbryford]

20 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

The payoff of course is that by 1959 Buick had dropped in the 401ci V8, although I was amused to discover that you still got better mpg than the Rover V8 which was half the size...

 

My brother had a Buick V8. It used 2 gallons of 4* in about 4 minutes.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 12, 2023 by newbryford

[newbryford]

15 hours ago, Northmoor said:

Since I have no practical means of charging a car outside my house - and most of my neighbours are the same - I fully expect to be driving internal combustion (or hybrid at most) cars for the rest of my life.  Since our current cars are 21 and 14 years old, I'm not exactly a target customer for a new one anyway.

 

My brother (same one with the Buick) had a Mustang Mach-E on demo.

I went to visit him on Xmas Eve last year.
He showed me the app on his phone, showing the charge state of his car.

He had it plugged into a 13A socket.

It was showing Boxing Day to reach full charge

 

 

 

Edited August 12, 2023 by newbryford

[Hroth]

56 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

I always fancied a small engine running at about 500rpm.

Bit like a Lister in an old canal boat, but smaller with all the modern exhaust cleaning gubbins attached

 

POP pop pop pop, POP pop pop pop and so on

 

Andy

 

Bolinders and their ilk ae much more fun!

 

BlurpthumpthumpBlurpthumpthump...

 

 

[Dave Hunt]

I’ve had a great idea from watching the lid of a saucepan popping up and down from the steam inside. Why not make the steam work on a piston and use that to drive a wheel. I bet no-one’s ever tried that before.

 

Dave

[newbryford]

6 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

BlurpthumpthumpBlurpthumpthump...

 

 

 

Sounds like HH in a muddy hollow