Metro Systems.

Introduction.

Whatever you call them, underground, subway or metro systems, railways, nearly every major capital city now has one or more. We will look at four of them over the next few months in Moscow, Russia, Paris, France, New York, U.S.A. and London UK. 

These are probably the four most well known, because of 'Hollywood and the film industry.' They are really 'the daddy systems of underworld urban transportation and are unique in their history and construction.' Today they are old, in need of some 'Tender loving care.'

The other feature that mark them out for further study are there use of new and old stock trains, while also a mixture of wiring and signalling. They also have secret tunnels and stations no longer used.

Maritime Recconaissance.

Reconnaissance aircraft.

With the retirement of the the British Nimrod Mk3/4 MR. The U.K. is still without a suitable replacement. Many nations who have access to a coastline have to have some form of aircraft large or small dedicated to patrol the seas and oceans, even large inland seas and lakes.

Today there are a plethora of civil types which can be adapted for various roles from the big jobs, right down to fishery protection. Aircraft of yester year such as the P-3 Orion, Tu-16 Badger, F-27 and the Atlantique may no loner be as effective as they one were in the Cold War years.

Today's threats come from drug/narcotic smuggling, asylum seekers in overcrowded ageing ships and ship dumping fuel to clean their tanks.

Canal Barges. Part-One.

Britain and the rest of the world.

The canal barge and coaster remain a very viable form of transport across the world today, from the River Rhine in Germany to the many rivers of China. 

These flat bottomed vessels can move from rivers to man made canals to the sea with ease. Today's shipping is far flung from the early days of invention and development in England, UK. 

The UK retains the long barge now almost soley for pleasure and living use. But some river barge industries remain in the river Thames.

Doclands light railway. Part-Two.

The East-London DLR.

With the first phase of the DLR completed, it was decided to extend it to the city of London. This was done by digging a tunnel from just before the Tower Gateway station to the Bank, so the first tunnel was constructed on the system.

A second line was then proposed from island gardens to Mudchute Lane, eventually connecting with Stratford. Initially this would cause problems for the Popular depot, but as the building proceeded it improved. The rolling stock was tram like, it was both clean and efficient and a breath of fresh air to London.

Today the system has a loop line at Popular connecting Stratford to Bank and has been extended under the River Thames first to Greenwich and then on to Lewisham in south-London. Another branch takes the line further east to the Beckton loop and another new depot. This line gives a connection to London City airport.

The line now extends through a second Thames tunnel to Woolwich, deep into SE-London. The system also has introduced new stock, were you can walk the whole length of any train. It is not known if there will be any further extension in the future, but there is enough there for it to grow, if needs be.

'Virgin Space Vehicle'

Richard Branson is a man who is making his mark on history and why not. It is his dream to see space flight in near earth orbit as a reality for everyone. Branson has also been the man who wants to re-vitalize the Concorde and supersonic travel. 

The continued development of the inner orbit vehicle will be the first of a generation, this century anyway of more designs and perhaps one day even the defunct Space shuttle too will allow commercial travel into space. Current space stations such as the ISS could be developed into a type pleasure station, or perhaps flights to a moon base or something further afield.

These are the first steps to the future of space travel. What will be the answers to all this in one hundred years from now?