Oct 16 - Back to the Science Museum

Another busy day.  I booked a bunch of tours today, as it seems like you don't have a good chance of getting in if you just walk up.  So, I went crazy and booked 3 tours, including a One Day Paris trip on the Eurostar.  After I finished I had to wait for a while for my credit card to cool off. 

A couple notes about the blog.  I typically write it about 8 - 10 a.m. your time and I upload it every few minutes so I don't lose my work.  Therefore, it may not seem to be finished when you look at it because I haven't uploaded everything.  Keep checking  - I will end with a note saying I'm finished.

The other item is that I looked at the blog with my phone and the formatting is terrible!  The text flows down beside the photo in a single letter column.  Yecch!  I'm going to try posting the photos centered on the page with the text above or below and see if that works better on a phone.

I decided I would try to finish the Science museum today.  Easy trip down since the Piccadilly Line was back in service,

Before I went into the Science Museum I popped over to the Imperial College, where their Department of Mining and other facualties are.  Laura's brother Dennis took his Masters and Doctorate of Geotechnical Engineering there.  A rather impressive entrance to the building.

Into the Science Museum.  Stopped by the Steam engines again, but I'll spare you the photos.

On my way to the Information Age exhibit I walked through a corner of the Engineering exhibit.  You know you are getting old when .......

.... the 'state of the art' computer you worked on at university is being displayed as an obsolete piece of equipment!  That is a PDP8, which was programmed by flipping switches on the front panel.

I was looking for the Information Age exhibit, which traces the evolution of communications.  In the 1800's there was a big push to install undersea cable to send Morse code across oceans.  One of the first cables they referenced went from Vancouver Island to New Zealand.

One of the first significant uses of radio communications was the distree signals from the Titanic. Marconi would actually train his employees to be wireless operators for the ships.

One of the very early radio receivers that could hear the BBC when it started broadcasting in 1922.

Early televisions after WW2.  The improvement in communications during the war resulted in a lot of leftover equipment that could be used.  The set in the lower lower centre was home built,

Wars spurred on a lot of effort to improve many types of communications.  Shown on the left  are examples of the rapid evolution of the GPS Receiver.  The rig on the right was a communications "manpack" used in the Gulf War.

 The rest of the exhibit dealt with more modern stuff, so I skipped through most of it.

Off to the "Flight" exhibit.  The next pictures show the advancement of flying machines.

Early Breakthroughs 

Lighter than Air

Upto and through the Second World War

Lots of aircraft hanging from the ceiling.  Here's a sampling:

Vickers VIMY, 1919

Twin Engine Biplane

Hawker Hurricane, 1938

Hawker Siddeley P1127,

 precursor to the Harrier Vertical Take-off Jet

I was on my way out of the museum.  As I walked by the great big steam engine (the red one, second photo in Oct. 14th's blog), it was running!  there were two techniians minding it, so I chatted with one for a while.  I asked why there were no railroad steam engines on display.  He directed me to another room at the other end of the building which had a number of them.  

I will show you one:  the world's oldest steam locomotive.

That's it for steam engines and the Science Museum.  One museum down and a whole bunch more to go.

I had a bit of time to kill so I took a walk around the Royal Albert Hall on the way to the Tube.

Buildings on the way there.  I think the one on the right had a sign indicating they were luxury apartments.

The main entrance to the RAH

Turning around, you face the Albert Memorial

On the way back, the Royal College of Music.  Anothe spectacular brick building

So, that's it for today.  I have lots more photos of the Science Museum, but I won't bore you.

Tomorrow I have a ticket for a Westminster Abbey tour.  

Bye for now.

(Late note.  I just re-read my work and corrected spelling mistakes.  HopemI got them all, but I doubt it.  I'm a terrible checker)