Birthplace of the Industrial Revolution

More than thirty years ago I completed a school project on bridges. I recall being fascinated by the different construction methods used to span all manner of obstacles. I think this was moment that my love for civil engineering was born.  Today, I’m still fascinated by these remarkable feats of engineering; as more than one post in this blog will testify. Over the years, one bridge in particular has always captured my imagination; the Iron Bridge spanning the River Severn near Telford, England. Even the village it links is fondly called Ironbridge. Last weekend, while based in London for work, I hired a car and drove north to finally see the bridge for myself.

This structure is the world’s first cast iron bridge; possibly the world’s first large scale bridge span built entirely from metal. Upon completion in 1779 it heralded the arrival of an entirely new, significantly stronger, building material; one the ultimately built the modern age. Previously, only wood and stone had been available for large-scale construction. Within decades, other pioneering iron milestones including steamships, skyscrapers and large-scale industrial factories were emerging across the industrialised world.

All these milestones can be traced directly back to the actions of one man, Abraham Darby. In 1709 he first smelted iron using coke instead of wood-based charcoal. Coke, prepared from coal, was more plentiful than wood, thus enabling iron to be manufactured cheaply, in unprecedented volume. He lived in Coalbrookdale, a village located in valley less than a mile from the site of the Iron Bridge. The company he founded later went on to smelt iron for the first Iron Bridge, then built first steam locomotive for Richard Trevithick in 1803.

 Darby’s original iron furnace has been carefully preserved as part of the town’s fascinating Museum of Iron. The brick structure is largely intact despite centuries of weathering and neglect. Today, its crumbling remains are protected by a stunning triangular glass atrium. Exploring this structure was a surreal experience. As I looked into its bulbous interior I struggled to comprehend that one of the Industrial Revolution’s defining moments happened right here.

I feel a similar sense of awe and pioneering majesty standing under the iron lattice of the Iron Bridge. It’s a remarkably elegant and graceful structure as its design and construction was based on established carpentry techniques. This meant that each member of its frame was cast separately, and fastened using mortise and tenon, and dovetail joints. The bridge comprises more than 800 iron castings of 12 basic types, many of which were carefully customised to fit the final structure.

Its main arch span stretches 30.5 metres across the River Severn. At its highest point, the span provides 18 metres of clearance below. Smaller stone arches link the main span to the opposing river banks. When first completed, a toll was charged for its use. The original toll house still stands today on the edge of its southern approach. Vehicular traffic was barred from bridge in 1934, but it remains in use for pedestrians. Interestingly, a toll was still charged for pedestrians up until 1950. Today, you can cross the bridge for free, as well as wander scenic paths laid alongside and underneath it span.

Rena hits home

It’s been heart-breaking in recent days to watch an environment disaster unfolding along the coast of Mount Manguanui in New Zealand. The beachside city where my parents live has seen its pristine white sand beaches fouled by oil and debris from Rena, a container ship, that ran around on Astrolabe reef. The reef, roughly 20 kms offshore, was first marked on maps by early European explorers more than three hundred years ago, so its location is well known. Naturally questions are being raised as to how a modern ship ran into such a outcrop, at 17 knots , in broad daylight on a relatively calm sea.

Within days of running aground rough seas hit the region, stressing the vessel to the point that frightening large cracks have appeared along its midsection. The swell also left it leaning at a precarious angle, resulting in the loss of 88 containers so far, 30 of which are currently unaccounted for. This tally is expected to rise as more foul weather descends on the area.

For days now I’ve watched photo after photo published of a beach littered with cargo from burst containers (which include frozen meat patties and animal skins). Most distressing is the realisation that these images were shot from the beach metres from my parent’s home. This is the same beach that Garry and I were frolicking on as recently as January this year. Regular readers may recall we made good use of our jetlag one morning to venture down to the shore to watch the sun rise.

The opening image on this post was captured by Katie Cox earlier this week and published by the New Zealand Herald.  The other images are also taken from the Herald's files.  It's grim stuff.

Hooray for Hollywood

We finished our Southwest USA road trip with a three-day stopover in Los Angeles. While I’ve stopped in LA many times over the years, this was Garry’s first proper visit. Of course it wouldn’t be a California vacation without a hire car to get around. To make things as authentic as possible I splashed out and booked a convertible. However, we saved a fortune on our hotel by cashing in some credit card loyalty points. It ultimately cost us US$30/day and was located next to a large Westfield shopping mall. This pleased Garry no end as he was keen to make the most of end-of-Summer clothing sales.

Our first evening in LA was taken up by a visit to a local coin-operated launderette. After two weeks on the road we were both running short of clean clothes. It made for a novel evening as we hung out with dozens of the other people doing their laundry. At times it felt like a scene from a movie which was rather apt considering Hollywood was a few short miles away.

The following morning we drove down the freeway and through palm fringed streets to the La Brea tar pits. I’d visited the area back in December 2009. However this time the water table was much lower making the naturally seeping tar and petro-chemical fumes far more prominent. I was also delighted to find the main fossil excavation pit open for viewing. It’s fascinating to peer into the excavated pit’s gloomy depth and spot fossils still sitting in the black ooze.

Our next step was Hollywood Boulevard. This allowed us to see the famous Hollywood sign, admire memorial stars embedded on the sidewalk and go searching for the footprints of famous actors outside Grumman’s Chinese Theatre. The recognizable names are everywhere from Frank Sinatra to the Marilyn Munro. Even Kermit the Frog has his own memorial star.

Our second full day in town was devoted to shopping. I took Garry to the best shopping mall in town, the Beverly Centre, where we both shopped until our arms groaned under the weight. Our final day in town was then spent visiting Santa Monica beach to see its famous amusement pier, stand at the west terminus of Route 66 (you may recall we visited a popular section of the highway in Winslow, Arizona) and enjoy a leisurely lunch in the sun.

All too soon it was time to tackle the rush hour traffic, collect our luggage and make our way to the airport. Garry ensured our vacation ended on a high note by securing an points upgrade to First Class on Qantas’ uber-comfortable Airbus A380. Hooray for Hollywood.

Gunfight at the OK Corral

Tombstone, Arizona; they call it “the town too tough to die”. It’s also one of the best preserved towns in the midst of what once was the American Wild West. The town’s original 1880’s buildings have been lovingly maintained. The result is a streetscape that wouldn’t be out of place in a classic Western movie. The main street is lined by a shaded boardwalk protecting the entrance to saloons, brothels and stores. However, unlike a Disney stage-prop set, the buildings aren’t quite as spotless and exhibits are often worn and dusty.

Tombstone is also home to the OK Corral, the site of an infamous gunfight long since immortalized in more than one movie. On October 26, 1881, in a six-metre wide lot behind the Corral three cowboys faced down four rival townsmen. In less than a minute, 30 shots were fired, leaving three cowboys dead and two other seriously wounded.

Today, visitors can watch an amusing reenactment of the gunfight twice a day, staged in a simple amphitheatre alongside the original Corral. Alternatively, you can push a button at the actual gunfight site and watch some clumsy animatron robots crudely reenact the fatal scene. It’s probably the only truly chintzy tourist gimmick in town.

We spent 1.5 days exploring the township, learning all there was to know about the gunfight and host of other excentric characters that gave the town its enduring reputation. Highlights included the Bird Cage Theatre where an elevated row of opera boxes along its opposing walls were used by prostitutes to ply their trade rather than well-heeled theatre-goers. In fact, we discovered that many of the well-heeled local were the prostitutes. It seems that the wives of many prominent locals, including the sheriff, were prostitutes at one time or another.

Several horse-driven stagecoach tours also operate around the town. They’re undoubtedly a bit of a gimmick as a horse cannot travel far in 15 minutes at a leisurely pace. However, this does give the drive plenty of time to share all manner of amusing anecdotes about the town and its history. The odd stray bullet hole was also pointed out along the way.

I was fascinated to learn that that much of Tombstone’s colourful history took place over a surprisingly brief period. The town was founded in 1879; near a recently discovered silver mine. This made it one of the West’s last frontier towns. Within a year the town was the fastest growing city between St Louis and San Francisco. In fact, its population grew from less than 100 people to more than 14,000 in less than seven years.

The mines struck water in the 1880s and were kept open by a pump operating 24-hours a day. In 1886 the main pump house caught fire, seriously damaging its pump. The mines flooded and the cost of repair was deemed excessive. Mining in the area rapidly declined and the town began to falter. By 1990, less than 700 people remained. However, savvy locals turned to tourism in a bid to save the town. Today, Tombstone attracts almost half a million visitors annually.

Cactus Forest

Garry and I have left Tucson enroute to Tombstone, Arizona; the original Wild West town. I'll write more shortly. For now, here are a few photos from the Sarganro National Park where giant catcus grow in a forest-like formation.

Where do planes go to die?

If you’re a US military aircraft there’s only one place you’ll end up at the end of your flying days; the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. This site, also known affectionately as the “boneyard” is the official storage depot for all surplus, retired or decommissioned aircraft. 

It’s currently home to 4,400 aircraft and 13 aerospace vehicles from the Air Force, Navy-Marine Corps, Army, Coast Guard, and several federal agencies including NASA. As you can imagine, with so many aircraft in storage the site covers a huge area. Unsurprisingly, its presence makes Tucson a high-priority military target for nuclear-armed ballistic missiles.

Garry and I we lucky enough to join a guided bus tour of the boneyard, arranged by the nearby Pima Air and Space Museum. It’s an amazing sight! The might and power of the US military becomes all too apparent as the bus tour unfolds. The array of equipment is truly mind-boggling. There are acres devoted to storing jet engines, wing tip extensions and all manner of accessories. You then come across hundreds of neatly parked jet fighters, helicopters and giant high-speed B1-B bombers, all stretching as far as the eye can see.

The entire scene is made even more surreal thanks to the preservation method used on site. Despite the areas’s protective dry desert environment, every aircraft is carefully preserved by wrapping it in a special white plastic cling film. The result is row after row of ghostly white objects of all shapes and sizes. The weather also played along by adding it own dramatic flair which included a sudden burst of torrential rain, lightening and thunder.

Pima Air and Space Museum was an equally impressive attraction. The site covers a huge area upon which is stored an incredible variety of aircraft. Highlights include several lovingly restored Super Constellation aircraft. These were the workhorse of the long-haul commercial aviation industry prior to the start of the modern jet age. I’ve always wanted to see one for myself. I was thrilled to discover that the Museum has one painted in classic TWA colours. It was like an old grainy photo from the 50s come to life.

Inside the museum’s numerous hangers we saw the world’s smallest plane and the smallest jet plane (which was only slightly larger); both of which looked like large toys. However, the Guinness Book of Records has verified that they really did take to the air. Elsewhere we came across a World War II plane flown by Lt. Louis E. Curdes, the only pilot to be awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross medal for shooting down a friendly plane.

Apparently, the wayward American aircraft was preparing to land on a runway that had been recaptured by enemy forces. The quick thinking pilot tried to warn off the pilot to no avail. In the end he carefully shot the plane’s engines forcing it to ditch miles short of the airport. The plane landed close to another friendly aircraft pilot who was also preparing to be rescued.

All in all we spent half a day wandering among literally hundreds of planes, many of which were one-off test craft, others which held a unique place in aviation history. For example, we saw a plane that was used by President Kennedy and President Johnson as the last propeller-driven Air Force One. Was this the aircraft that carried Kennedy's body back from Dallas?  

Nearby was NASA’s aptly named Super Guppy cargo plane. It looks much like a giant tadpole with wings. It was used to transport segments of the Saturn V moon rocket and more recently segments of the International Space Station. I was also thrilled to see my first Sikorsky S-64 sky crane helicopter. There are incredibly powerful, heavy-lift helicopters that look much like a praying mantis.

Finally, being the true space geek that I am I was thrilled to see the B-52 bomber that had been specially modified to carry the X-15 rocket plane aloft. The X-15 was the first such craft to fly to the edges of space and return to earth as a regular plane. This twin vehicle concept has since been adapted by Virgin Galactic as it prepared to launch its first commercial sub-orbital spaceflights. Needless to say I went back to our hotel a happy lad, while Garry was probably relieved to be doing something different!

Biosphere 2

I can honestly say that only two venues on our entire Southwest road tour failed to live up to expectations. One of these was Biosphere 2. It’s a 3.14-acre (12,700 m2)[1] series of airtight structures built to test the concept of creating and maintaining a self-contained ecological system. Five buildings housed a series of artificially recreated environments ranging from a coral sea to desert terrain and jungle foliage.

The structure was notable for its innovative solution for coping with atmospheric expansion. During the day, heat from the sun caused the interior’s air to expand, while cooler night time temperatures caused it to contract. Building a sealed structure able to cope with these daily forces would have been prohibitively expensive. To solve the problem, large inflatable diaphragms in domes were used to store expanding gases that passed along two large passages between the domes and the main structure.

Over the course of three years, two teams entered the complex where they were sealed off from the external environment. Each team set out to demonstrate that it was possible to create enough oxygen and food within an artificial environment to sustain life indefinitely. The first mission lasted two years; from September 26, 1991 to September 26, 1993. Eight crew members participated.

A second mission followed on March 6, 1994, with an announced run of ten months but was terminated early after a series of nasty disputes, including a protest by participants from the first mission that climaxed in an act of vandalism. Since then the site has been used for experiments on a range of ecological questions including climate change and the natural water cycle.

The first mission generated mixed results. The agricultural system produced 83% of the mission’s total diet. This included a wide variety of crops such as bananas, papayas, sweet potatoes, beets, peanuts, lablab and cowpea beans, rice, and wheat. No toxic chemicals were used since they would quickly impact health. During the first year inside the eight inhabitants reported constant hunger. During the second year, applying lessons they’d learnt the crew produced an additional ton of food. Their average caloric intake increased and they regained some of the weight lost during the first year.

Of course, each experiment included moments of drama and many fascinating insights into the complexity of our planet’s ecosystems. Unfortunately, few of these insights were shared during one of the guided tours you take through the complex. Even more disappointing, the interior is currently in the midst of a drought experiment which has made much of its vegetation increasingly scrappy. Furthermore, many of the plants are now two decades old and thus showing their age.

The overall impression was rather shabby and our tour guide seemed far too keen to justify the complex’s current reason for being. Our tour’s only highlight was the discovery that fish in the artificial ocean are descendents of the site’s original population. They’ve never been fed or cared for and thus represents compelling proof that it is possible to create a sustainable, artificial ecosystem.