Paris - London Trip  January 2007

Photos and text from Todd Cahill

 

At long last I have gotten these pictures posted to Errol for your perusal. Last January I had the opportunity to go to London and Paris for 8 days with my family. My brother Chris turned 40 and wanted more than anything else to spend a part of that day with us in the Delirium Café in Brussels where they serve up 2007 different kinds of beers from around the world. Me, my younger brother and his wife, and my parents were all to happy to accept his invitation.

While there I was able to attend the London Model Engineering show held in Alexandria Palace as well as The Musee des arts et Métiers, a technology museum in Paris.

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1 Quite the venue for an ME show indeed, Alexandra Palace is located North of London high on a hill with a spectacular view of the city in the distance

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2.5 The English don’t seem to be reluctant to change the historical perspective of their landmarks with modern elements as can be seen by the radio tower atop the palace.

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3 In England each ME club has their own booth with members displaying their models on tiered display shelves. Just like the pictures in old Model Engineering periodicals.

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4-6 I believe these were full size launch engines

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7 Triple expansion model engine

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8 Several of many traction engines on display

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9 Another marine engine designed to drive paddle wheels

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10 model of Stephenson’s Rocket

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11-12 The work of Anthony Mount who writes for Engineering in Miniature and Model Engineer. When I was in England in 2006 I purchased castings of his engines (still working on them) I spent some time talking to him about his methods and his unique models

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13-14 Some model locos

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17-18 full size launch

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19 Beautiful High wheel loco. Not sure if this was broad gauge or not

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21 Model of the 90 inch Cornish Beam engine at Kew Bridge Pump Station. The model was built by the late Frank Tucker who used to run the model on steam. It’s almost as impressive as the original

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23 The Tate Modern Art gallery is Located in a former Power Plant. This view is from the millennium footbridge that crosses the Thames.

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24-25 The Turbine Hall in the museum hosts a different artist every year or so. This is the work of Carston Holler who removes old amusement park rides and reinstalls them inside galleries. Whether it’s art or not is debatable but it sure was fun to slide down.

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26 having seen the models in the Science Museum in London and at the National Railway museum in York, I didn’t think there could be better model makers anywhere. The models I saw at the Musee des Arts et Métier sure made me appreciate the French craftsmen. Some of the following are full size examples of looms from the 1700s including the early programmable looms that could weave a portrait in silk

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31 Scale model of the construction of a building. It had a portable steam engine to run the plaster and concrete mixers and the crane.

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32 There were two model depictions of the Statue Of Liberty under construction. This one shows the Copper being applied.

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33 Model of a trip hammer

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34 Model of a continuous paper-making machine.

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36 model of a coke oven ?

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37 Model of a glass making facility

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38 Scale Model of the scaffolding for the dome of the Wheat Market in Paris

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39 This appeared to be about a ½ scale model of a steam powered dredger

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41 Diesel’s first engine?

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45 I think this was an engine by Mathew Murdoch.

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47 model of a side lever beam engine for marine use

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49 Model of a Corlis Engine

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50 Scale model Boiler

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53 In each of these vitrines were machine tools and instruments of the utmost beauty.

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55 This Rose engine lathe belonged to King Louis XVI, made by Mercklein in 1780

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56 Planer by Whitworth and Co, Manchester

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57 I came around a corner to find my father and brother staring up at the ceiling with a bewildered look on their faces. It didn’t take long for me to join them. "Avion 3" by Clement Ader was a flying machine inspired by birds. It apparently did manage to get off the ground just before being toppled over by the wind. 1897

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58 Avion 3’s steam power plant

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59 Cugnot’s fardier, a steam powered dray 1780s

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66 In the Chapel is many vehicles on platforms, this beam engine, airplanes hung from the ceiling, and Foucault’s Pendulum silently swinging back and forth. There was so much more in this place that I didn’t get pictures of, such as Lavoisier’s Laboratory and many early astronomical devices. The collection of Automatons was amazing. Too much to digest in one visit

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71 We spent a day in Brussels and it sure was cold. The Architecture there was amazing.

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