Monday 27 October 2014

Prime Mover Monday - Power to the People

Tonight there are municipal elections in every City in the Canadian Province of Ontario. With that in mind, we decided to take a look at the quaint mechanical devices that have been used to give the good people of New York City access to their power from the 1940s into the 2008 elections. The machines were made obsolete by the "Help America Vote Act" (HAVA) and are slowly being replaced.

How to Vote in New York City


Last Hurrah For Old Voting Machines



Read all about it

Monday 20 October 2014

Wind Mill Mondays - It's clog - It's clog - It's better than bad - It's good

The polder - unique landscape under sea level
A childlike sequence that explains how the windmill is used to drain sea water from The Netherland's below-sea-level territories.


The Story of Dutch Windmills
In practical terms this is a 90 second commercial for a DVD set. But it sets the stage for what is to follow here...



Werken met Wind en Water (In Dutch only)
I love the part when the rugged windmill keeper describes that this mill pumps "hundreds of liters of water per minute" from the polder (drainage pond).



A 200 year old Dutch windmill at work.
Windmill "Onrust" (Unrest) was build in 1809.
It is still in full use for drainage, and in control of the water level of the "Naardermeer". This nature reserve (680 ha / 1700 acres) with lakes and marshland is located just east of Amsterdam.



Hoe krijgen we die polder droog?






Monday 13 October 2014

Power Plant Mondays - Zuiderzee Edition - Woudagemaal there is?

Dear readers, in only a few short weeks sweetie and I will be clogging through the low countries. In celebration, we take a brief look at how 1920s steam technology pumps out the polders in the Netherlands...

Woudagemaal Lemmer (puur geluid !) - 4:08

Since 1920 the Woudagemaal pumping station in Lemmer has pumped water from a drainage area into the IJsselmeer Lake. Woudagemaal is the largest pumping station of its type in continuous operation. At 94 years old (in 2014) it is still capable of raising 4 million liters of water per minute from the drainage area into the IJsselmeer. A couple of personal notes:
  • I have been in lots of power station boiler rooms. This is the first one I've seen where you could eat off the floor
  • I heart the reciprocating eccentric cams. I assume they have to do with the expansion cylinders. Which suggests the cylinders are inline.
IJsselmeer Lake itself was made by damming the former Zuiderzee (which, if any English-speakers are curious, means South Sea).

Woudagemaal onder stoom

The literal translation of the title describes this video perfectly- The Woudagemaal under steam.

Ir. D.F. Woudagemaal Lemmer

Because you can't get enough of this steam-powered pumping facility. Especially "onder stoom"

The official Woudagemaal website - EXPERIENCE THE CATHEDRAL OF STEAM!

Monday 6 October 2014

Power Plant Mondays - Down by the Crossness

In anticipation of our trip to the low countries, here's a look at a few stationary steam engines that pumped water...

The Biggest Operating Rotative Beam Steam Engine At Crossness
Designed by the Metropolitan Board of Works Chief Engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette

The Biggest Operating Triple Steam Engine At Kempton

Thursday 2 October 2014

Hunchback Thursdays - Abandoned Gothic Castle

As my readers know I am making a Safari to Belgium with my precious sweetie. Which means the Google filter-bubble now shows me only derelict Belgium pages because it knows I am a UXer. As a countdown, I am re-posting them here for all to enjoy.

Remains of Chateau Miranda

Throwback Thursdays - Abandoned Amusement Park

As my readers know I am making a Safari to Belgium with my precious sweetie. Which means the Google filter-bubble now shows me only derelict Belgium pages because it knows I am a UXer. As a countdown, I am re-posting them here for all to enjoy.

We begin with Dadipark amusement park, Dadizele, Belgium.