Go Back   Shipping History > Swinging The Lamp (Off Topic) > The Pig & Whistle

Is it them or is it me?

Post Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 8th May 2019, 08:47
YM-Mundrabilla's Avatar
YM-Mundrabilla Australia YM-Mundrabilla is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Mundrabilla (haha), Melbourne really but I'd rather be in Narvik
Posts: 784
Images: 1698
Is it them or is it me?

Is it them or is it me?

A rhetorical question, of course, as I already know that it must be 'them'.

Just reading a 'most informative and highly technical' news item on the SBS (Oz TV) website a minute ago:

'''''' It's longer than two buses, weighs more than a Boeing 747 fully loaded with passengers and can pull 16 Statues of Liberty over a mountain.

.......... boiler able to hold enough water to cover an area the size of a basketball court to the depth of a high-top shoe. ''''''


It's the newly overhauled Union Pacific Big Boy 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive and, obviously, I am now much wiser due to the technical detail provided.

The world has gone mad and the pig ignorant are taking over, but not to worry some of us older members might get out just in time.

Geoff (YM)
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 8th May 2019, 10:01
Dartskipper's Avatar
Dartskipper United Kingdom Dartskipper is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Paignton. Devon.
Posts: 1,246
Images: 293
Ah, the fabled Union Pacific "Big Boy". A class of steam locomotive built for a specific purpose, to haul extremely long freight trains over difficult terrain. Wonderful to see that one of these magnificent beasts is in full working order again.


Not sure if they could haul Big Ben, 55 London buses, the Houses of Parliament and all of Times Square across the Colorado wilderness though.
__________________
"You do not ask a tame seagull why it needs to disappear from time to time towards the open sea. It goes. That's all." Bernard Moitessier.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 8th May 2019, 10:13
YM-Mundrabilla's Avatar
YM-Mundrabilla Australia YM-Mundrabilla is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Mundrabilla (haha), Melbourne really but I'd rather be in Narvik
Posts: 784
Images: 1698
If only something could haul the Parliament House and its contents from Canberra to the middle of the Nullarbor Plain ................ oops too close to Mundrabilla for my liking.
It is supposed to be the 'Westminster System' - perhaps you would like it back? I knew that there was supposed to be a marine component somewhere.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 8th May 2019, 10:29
Harry Nicholson United Kingdom Harry Nicholson is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Whitby, North Yorkshire
Posts: 131
Images: 3
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dartskipper View Post
Ah, the fabled Union Pacific "Big Boy". A class of steam locomotive built for a specific purpose, to haul extremely long freight trains over difficult terrain. Wonderful to see that one of these magnificent beasts is in full working order again.


Not sure if they could haul Big Ben, 55 London buses, the Houses of Parliament and all of Times Square across the Colorado wilderness though.
Reminds me of the line from Eskimo Nell: 'Have you ever felt the piston thrust of a giant CPR . . .?'
What's the next line?
__________________
Welcome to my blog: https://1513fusion.wordpress.com
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 8th May 2019, 11:02
BobClay's Avatar
BobClay United Kingdom BobClay is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Cornwall UK
Posts: 1,530
Images: 73
What in the hell are they going to do with all those 'Statues of Liberty ?' ….
Attached Images
File Type: jpg statueliberty.jpg (42.3 KB, 41 views)
__________________
"I say we take off, nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."
Corporal Hicks
(Actually Ripley said it first.)
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 8th May 2019, 11:18
Dartskipper's Avatar
Dartskipper United Kingdom Dartskipper is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Paignton. Devon.
Posts: 1,246
Images: 293
Stand one at each end of the old London Bridge maybe?
__________________
"You do not ask a tame seagull why it needs to disappear from time to time towards the open sea. It goes. That's all." Bernard Moitessier.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 8th May 2019, 11:38
YM-Mundrabilla's Avatar
YM-Mundrabilla Australia YM-Mundrabilla is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Mundrabilla (haha), Melbourne really but I'd rather be in Narvik
Posts: 784
Images: 1698
Is the price of scrap copper calculated in Statues of Liberty?
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 8th May 2019, 16:49
Farmer John's Avatar
Farmer John Farmer John is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: UK
Posts: 1,506
"with the punishing force of a thousand horse
Well you know what pistons are..."

At some point someones testicles are compared to to "Granite knobs on a garden gate". That is a measurement that is not often seen and I feel it is exaggerated.
__________________
Buvez toujours, mourrez jamais.
Rabelais
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 8th May 2019, 21:15
Harry Nicholson United Kingdom Harry Nicholson is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Whitby, North Yorkshire
Posts: 131
Images: 3
Quote:
Originally Posted by Farmer John View Post
"with the punishing force of a thousand horse
Well you know what pistons are..."

At some point someones testicles are compared to to "Granite knobs on a garden gate". That is a measurement that is not often seen and I feel it is exaggerated.
But Eskimo Nell was an infidel,
as good as a whole harem,
With the strength of ten in her abdomen
and her rock-of-ages beam.

It's on the internet now . . there's nowt sacred these days.
__________________
Welcome to my blog: https://1513fusion.wordpress.com
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 9th May 2019, 06:32
Tom Alexander's Avatar
Tom Alexander Canada Tom Alexander is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Nanaimo, B.C., Canada
Posts: 1,205
Images: 1
Quote:
Originally Posted by Harry Nicholson View Post
But Eskimo Nell was an infidel,
as good as a whole harem,
With the strength of ten in her abdomen
and her rock-of-ages beam.

It's on the internet now . . there's nowt sacred these days.
There is a story about Sergeant King of the Royal Mounted Police who was stationed in the far North, and had taken up a relationship with Nell.

He was sent all the way down to Edmonton to brush up on his fire arms training, and when he returned he had the "crossed rifles" badge newly sewn onto his sleeve.

Nell asked him what the badge was for and he replied "gunnery".

Nell said, "Hell, I've had that for years but no one ever gave me a badge for it !!"
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 9th May 2019, 11:33
Varley's Avatar
Varley Isle of Man Varley is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Isle of Man, G.B.
Posts: 2,403
I do not understand why Olympic swimming pools are cited as shorthand for an enormous quantity. If the Olympic's was the same as Titanic's it was only 10 metres by 4.5 or so. Not sure of the depth but can't have held much more than 50 tonnes.
__________________
David V
Lord Finchley tried to mend the electric light
Himself. It struck him dead and serve him right
It is the duty of the wealthy man
To give employment to the artisan
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 5th May 2022, 12:57
YM-Mundrabilla's Avatar
YM-Mundrabilla Australia YM-Mundrabilla is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Mundrabilla (haha), Melbourne really but I'd rather be in Narvik
Posts: 784
Images: 1698
Doco on Cruise Ships just aired on TV in Melbourne.

Some cruise boat under construction when the doco was made 'is/will be six metres longer than the height of the Eiffel Tower'.

Despite finding it 'most (un) informative' I still have faith that we are not all that bloody stupid.
__________________
If Global Warming is so prevalent why are there so many snowflakes around?
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 8th May 2022, 14:37
YM-Mundrabilla's Avatar
YM-Mundrabilla Australia YM-Mundrabilla is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Mundrabilla (haha), Melbourne really but I'd rather be in Narvik
Posts: 784
Images: 1698
Couple more oddities on TV docos in Melbourne in the last day or three:
  • Wind turbine diameters are measured in London Eyes.
  • Wind turbine speeds are measured in MPH rather than RPM.
  • Queen Mary was George VI's wife.
__________________
If Global Warming is so prevalent why are there so many snowflakes around?
Reply With Quote
Post Reply

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 15:05.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.