Tagged With "Iron"

3,000 years old? ? Would that make it extra mature or vintage ?

That is an amazingly sad story. But that's for sharing that wonderfully symbolic photo, Mac.

My main purpose in traveling is to see how things are done elsewhere. I try only observe and not overlay my personal opinion on what is there. After all, the point is to see and learn. Sometimes, as in this case, it can be hard to lay aside those personal feelings. The old custom does speak volumes about the importance to these people of tradition and structure in their lives. Thank you for the thought provoking photo.

This behemoth locomotive is the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range (DM&IR) 2-8-8-4 "Yellowstone" which is now preserved at Two Harbors, Minnesota. Eighteen of these powerful coal burning locomotives were built between 1941 and 1943. The 2-8-8-4s were retired between 1958 and 1963 as diesel locomotives took over. Sadly, only three of the 2-8-8-4s still survive...Number 229 pictured above, Number 227 at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, Minnesota, and Number...

The Airlander 10  is 302 feet long and was designed by British Hybrid Air Vehicles(HAV) for the U.S. military. An even bigger Airlander 50 is in prototype. It combines the characteristics of fixed wing aircrafts, helicopters and balloons. The...

Jonathan L finds another small museum with a great story: the history of the early industrial revolution along the Erie Canal.

While wandering through the streets of Delhi, DrFumblefinger came across a small laundry using this massive hand-held iron to press its linens.

British archaeologists have found evidence that cheese-making in the high Alpine regions may date back to the Iron Age, 3000 years ago.

A team of British archeologists is using crowdfunding to finance an excavation in a Spanish Iron Age hill fort, and to recruit willing diggers.

In a cook-off mimicing Iron Chef, contestants will compete at Chicago's O'Hare for prizes and a spot on airport restaurant menus.

The engineering skills that produced these mammoths must have been colossal. I can get lost for hours looking at one of these works of art. My wife never gets the sense of history that goes with these living monuments to our past. So I take bundles of photos - "Move along - nothing to see here" "yes my dear"

I've seen that locomotive and it's H-U-G-E! Hard to appreciate how massive from any photos. Thanks for sharing these and reminding me when machines were still built like, well, machines!

Hi Garry and DrFumblefinger DrFumblefinger, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I'm glad you enjoyed this POD. Garry, your story is so funny yet so true. It sounds like my wife and your wife have very much in common and would probably get along great. These machines are just so amazing, I too could admire them for quite a long time. What can I say...maybe it's a guy thing... boys and their toys, and all that. Hopefully one day you and I will be able to meet, ditch our wives, and go check...

I know just what you mean Ottoman ! How can an intelligent person look at huge model train layout and just say : "Ok - what does it do ?" Like casting pearls before swine ! Like getting your 15 seconds viewing the Mona Lisa and just taking photos. Like watching the Space Station pass across the sky like a huge sparkling jewel. "Yes - I know it's the same every time - but it's an amazing piece of..... doesn't matter.."

A few years ago we went to a commercial laundry in Kerala and, like you, I was intrigued by the huge irons they used. I was even more fascinated by the fact that they were 'coal-powered'. I attach a photo of what they look like inside.

Makes me wonder, Professor, how often hot ashes burn the very clothes and linens they are pressing?

I do not know the answer to that question, but the irons seemed well up to the job and the operators clearly knew what they were doing. There were huge quantities of bed sheets, towels, and clothing involved. I actually wonder whether the people working there would consider what we might view as a 'normal' iron as an improvement.

One of the saddest sights that I have experienced in my travels is to be seen at the “Iron Gate” ( Loha Pol ) of the massive Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur in Rajasthan, India.