h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Tell me more. Why did they do that?
Detroit never sleeps unless it's to install new machinery or remove broken ones.
And what were it like growing up in Derby (how did they pernounce it?)?

You should pronounce it DARBY

I think it was just convenient for the management. They needed to do annual machinery overhauls and it made sense to close the factory and give all the workers a couple of weeks off.

I didn't actually grow up in Derby. I was based in a small village outside but close enough to bus into town occasionally. It was a brilliant place to be a kid - lots of countryside and hills (oh how I miss hills!)

shazz

You can have the @#*&! hills. Me hometown had 'em. Santa Cruz had 'em. Austin had 'em. and this poxy burg has 'em. Me bicycle legs ain't what they used to be. I'm not breaking as many cranks and frames as before.

But to be near something like RR...
the best I could do was selling gasoline to Eric Johnson and one of Maiden's stage crew buses...

I mean, did you see many RRs or Bentleys?
I've only seen maybe a half dozen in my life.

as far as 'i' know, the RR works in Derby did mostly industrial engines...aircraft, marine turbines, even nuclear sub propulsion.

friend of mine worked there, had to sign the official secrets act and couldn't tell us what he was doing.

alec.

You are correct AlecTrician

I think it's ok to say now that my dad worked on the Merlin engines and, later, stuff for the Ariane rocket.
He was extremely annoyed when the government scrapped the project.

He had a beautiful book full of watercolour drawings showing details of all the engines from just about every angle. I still have the specially minted RR coin struck for the Queen's coronation in 53... yes, I am that old but only just.

shazz

me too shazz...but i stopped counting at 42

i've seen those watercolours too.
RR managed to put great beauty into serious engineering, a feature which i find sadly lacking today.

Fortunately i was able to find an industry where my customers are willing to pay me to take my time, in order to do a good job instead of a quick fix.

(i mend megayachts for millionaires)

Do you know the story about when RR put out a tender for drill bits to drill the hole for the carburettor jet and Union Carbide sent their best bit??

! greetings to you from Florida...love the

alec.

Well, for a firm that started out making electrical motors and industrial engines, I would say that was a very good pinnacle of mechanical success.

I had forgotten that there were essentially two RRs.

Lessee, the other one was at Crewe, wasn't it?