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IrCOm reading Werner For|fmannrCOs -+Selbstversuch: Erinnerungen eines Chirurgen-2 and needed to look up -+Fittich,-2 which is a literary
German word for rCywing,rCO particularly in the sense rCyto take someone under onerCOs wing.rCO
The translation given was rCywing, pinionrCO; I knew rCypinionrCO as a bit of jargon from mechanical engineering but couldnrCOt have given you a definition, but clearly this was not that pinion. From the OED entry
this pinion is a well-established word likely best-known to
entomologists. I wonder is a spell-checker likely to correct it to rCyopinion.rCO
On 14/10/25 07:07, Aidan Kehoe wrote:
IAm reading Werner For#mannAs +Selbstversuch: Erinnerungen eines
Chirurgen2 and needed to look up +Fittich,2 which is a literary
German word for awing,A particularly in the sense ato take someone
under oneAs wing.A
The translation given was awing, pinionA; I knew apinionA as a bit of
jargon from mechanical engineering but couldnAt have given you a
definition, but clearly this was not that pinion. From the OED entry
this pinion is a well-established word likely best-known to
entomologists. I wonder is a spell-checker likely to correct it to
aopinion.A
If you'd asked me to define "pinion", I would have referred to bird
feathers. I'm sure that the word is well familiar to bird watchers. I
know that mechanical engineers also use the word, but have never
bothered to look up their definition.
On Tue, 14 Oct 2025 09:42:13 +1100, Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org>
wrote:
On 14/10/25 07:07, Aidan Kehoe wrote:
IAm reading Werner For#mannAs +Selbstversuch: Erinnerungen eines
Chirurgen2 and needed to look up +Fittich,2 which is a literary
German word for awing,A particularly in the sense ato take
someone under oneAs wing.A
The translation given was awing, pinionA; I knew apinionA as a
bit of jargon from mechanical engineering but couldnAt have given
you a definition, but clearly this was not that pinion. From the
OED entry this pinion is a well-established word likely
best-known to entomologists. I wonder is a spell-checker likely
to correct it to aopinion.A
If you'd asked me to define "pinion", I would have referred to
bird feathers. I'm sure that the word is well familiar to bird
watchers. I know that mechanical engineers also use the word, but
have never bothered to look up their definition.
Surely, in Australia, people are familiar with "rack and pinion"
steering. Not just engineers, but common auto mechanics.
The circular geared wheel is the pinion, and the geared bar is the
rack.
On Tue, 14 Oct 2025 09:42:13 +1100, Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org>
wrote:
On 14/10/25 07:07, Aidan Kehoe wrote:
IrCOm reading Werner For|fmannrCOs -+Selbstversuch: Erinnerungen eines
Chirurgen-2 and needed to look up -+Fittich,-2 which is a literary
German word for rCywing,rCO particularly in the sense rCyto take someone >>> under onerCOs wing.rCO
The translation given was rCywing, pinionrCO; I knew rCypinionrCO as a bit of
jargon from mechanical engineering but couldnrCOt have given you a
definition, but clearly this was not that pinion. From the OED entry
this pinion is a well-established word likely best-known to
entomologists. I wonder is a spell-checker likely to correct it to
rCyopinion.rCO
If you'd asked me to define "pinion", I would have referred to bird >>feathers. I'm sure that the word is well familiar to bird watchers. I
know that mechanical engineers also use the word, but have never
bothered to look up their definition.
Surely, in Australia, people are familiar with "rack and pinion"
steering. Not just engineers, but common auto mechanics.
The circular geared wheel is the pinion, and the geared bar is the
rack.
Surely, in Australia, people are familiar with "rack and pinion"
steering. Not just engineers, but common auto mechanics...
The circular geared wheel is the pinion, and the geared bar is the
rack.
That's the part that is not in my memory.
On 14/10/25 07:07, Aidan Kehoe wrote:
I'm reading Werner For#mann's +Selbstversuch: Erinnerungen eines
Chirurgen2 and needed to look up +Fittich,2 which is a literary
German word for 'wing,' particularly in the sense 'to take someone
under one's wing.'
The translation given was 'wing, pinion'; I knew 'pinion' as a bit of jargon from mechanical engineering but couldn't have given you a definition, but clearly this was not that pinion. From the OED entry
this pinion is a well-established word likely best-known to
entomologists. I wonder is a spell-checker likely to correct it to 'opinion.'
If you'd asked me to define "pinion", I would have referred to bird
feathers. I'm sure that the word is well familiar to bird watchers. I
know that mechanical engineers also use the word, but have never
bothered to look up their definition.
Tony Cooper:
Surely, in Australia, people are familiar with "rack and pinion"
steering. Not just engineers, but common auto mechanics...
The circular geared wheel is the pinion, and the geared bar is the
rack.
Peter Moylan:
That's the part that is not in my memory.
The rack is essentially equivalent to the one on a rack railway.
http://previews.123rf.com/images/manganganath/manganganath1411/manganganath141100012/33736581.jpg
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
On 14/10/2025 11:22, Richard Tobin wrote:
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
Weather and Welsh visa permitting, they can jump on one in
Llanberis and disembark at the top of Snowdon.
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
-- Richard
P.S. Your visa application has been rejected
On 14/10/2025 12:22, Richard Tobin wrote:
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
Yet I bet they (English) have heard of a funicular. Both work on the
same principle of a rack track - same as modern elevators (only less vertical).
On Tue, 14 Oct 2025 13:48:33 +0100
Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> wrote:
On 14/10/2025 11:22, Richard Tobin wrote:
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
Weather and Welsh visa permitting, they can jump on one in
Llanberis and disembark at the top of Snowdon.
Well, at the cafe. One can then walk up another 10m? and claim to have climbed up Snowdon. possibly in flipflops.
P.S. Your visa application has been rejected - it's "Yr Wyddfa"--
I walked up Yr Wyddfa on the day King Charles and Diana were
married.
On 2025-10-14, occam wrote:
On 14/10/2025 12:22, Richard Tobin wrote:
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
Yet I bet they (English) have heard of a funicular. Both work on the
same principle of a rack track - same as modern elevators (only less
vertical).
How are they using the same principle?
Funicular: motor fixed at the top drives a cable which pulls one car
up and lets the other down.
Rack and pinion: motor on the train turns the pinion, which engages
with the fixed rack.
On 2025-10-14 10:22:07 +0000, Richard Tobin said:
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
This particular English person hadn't, until today.
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
This particular English person hadn't, until today.
I'm pretty sure this isn't the first time Mr Brader has mentioned them
here, and tourists to Switzerland or Austria are likely to mention them.
Den 14.10.2025 kl. 17.46 skrev Snidely:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
This particular English person hadn't, until today.
I'm pretty sure this isn't the first time Mr Brader has mentioned them
here, and tourists to Switzerland or Austria are likely to mention them.
I learnt "rack and pinion" in this thread, but I have known for a long time about different ways to pull a train up steep slopes. Judging from pictures from a search, rack and pinion refers to two different things.
There are 'straight' rack and pinion connection, and then there are what I believe is called "worm gear". Is that also rack and pinion?
A worm gear is smart because it locks automatically.
On 14/10/2025 11:22, Richard Tobin wrote:
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
Weather and Welsh visa permitting, they can jump on one in
Llanberis and disembark at the top of Snowdon.
On 14/10/2025 15:33, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
I walked up Yr Wyddfa on the day King Charles and Diana were
married.
There being no 3,500ft mountains within convenient walking
distance, we of the denim brigade walked up the local 500ft hill
on the same day and, it appears, for much the same purpose.
On 14/10/2025 16:22, Adam Funk wrote:
On 2025-10-14, occam wrote:
On 14/10/2025 12:22, Richard Tobin wrote:
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
Yet I bet they (English) have heard of a funicular. Both work on the
same principle of a rack track - same as modern elevators (only less
vertical).
How are they using the same principle?
Funicular: motor fixed at the top drives a cable which pulls one car
up and lets the other down.
Rack and pinion: motor on the train turns the pinion, which engages
with the fixed rack.
You're right. The similarity between funicular and elevator is more apt.
Den 14.10.2025 kl. 17.46 skrev Snidely:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
This particular English person hadn't, until today.
I'm pretty sure this isn't the first time Mr Brader has mentioned them here, and tourists to Switzerland or Austria are likely to mention them.
I learnt "rack and pinion" in this thread, but I have known for a long
time about different ways to pull a train up steep slopes. Judging from pictures from a search, rack and pinion refers to two different things.
There are 'straight' rack and pinion connection, and then there are what
I believe is called "worm gear". Is that also rack and pinion?
A worm gear is smart because it locks automatically.
Den 14.10.2025 kl. 17.46 skrev Snidely:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
This particular English person hadn't, until today.
I'm pretty sure this isn't the first time Mr Brader has mentioned them
here, and tourists to Switzerland or Austria are likely to mention them.
I learnt "rack and pinion" in this thread, but I have known for a long time about different ways to pull a train up steep slopes. Judging from pictures from a search, rack and pinion refers to two different things.
There are 'straight' rack and pinion connection, and then there are what I believe is called "worm gear". Is that also rack and pinion?
A worm gear is smart because it locks automatically.
On 14/10/2025 16:30, occam wrote:
On 14/10/2025 16:22, Adam Funk wrote:
On 2025-10-14, occam wrote:
On 14/10/2025 12:22, Richard Tobin wrote:
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'. >>>>> For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
Yet I bet they (English) have heard of a funicular. Both work on the
same principle of a rack track - same as modern elevators (only less
vertical).
How are they using the same principle?
Funicular: motor fixed at the top drives a cable which pulls one car
up and lets the other down.
Rack and pinion: motor on the train turns the pinion, which engages
with the fixed rack.
You're right. The similarity between funicular and elevator is more apt.
Unless you are talking about:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynton_and_Lynmouth_Cliff_Railway
where there is no rack & pinion, nor a motor of any description.
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>, J. J.
Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion in
their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
In article <10clpjj$30v33$1@dont-email.me>,
Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> wrote:
On 14/10/2025 15:33, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
I walked up Yr Wyddfa on the day King Charles and Diana were
married.
There being no 3,500ft mountains within convenient walking
distance, we of the denim brigade walked up the local 500ft hill
on the same day and, it appears, for much the same purpose.
I think we got a day off school, in which case I probably slept
through it.
On 14/10/2025 18:52, Richard Tobin wrote:
In article <10clpjj$30v33$1@dont-email.me>,
Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> wrote:
On 14/10/2025 15:33, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
I walked up Yr Wyddfa on the day King Charles and Diana were
married.
There being no 3,500ft mountains within convenient walking
distance, we of the denim brigade walked up the local 500ft hill
on the same day and, it appears, for much the same purpose.
I think we got a day off school, in which case I probably slept
through it.
Tough school. Ours gave us six weeks off.
On 2025-10-14 10:22:07 +0000, Richard Tobin said:
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
This particular English person hadn't, until today.
On 14/10/2025 12:22, Richard Tobin wrote:
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
Yet I bet they (English) have heard of a funicular. Both work on the
same principle of a rack track - same as modern elevators (only less >vertical).
There's an impressive one in south-west Tasmania. If you're ever in
Strahan, make sure to take the train through the wilderness.
https://wcwr.com.au/
On Tue, 14 Oct 2025 14:29:32 +0200, Athel Cornish-Bowden
<me@yahoo.com> wrote:
On 2025-10-14 10:22:07 +0000, Richard Tobin said:
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
This particular English person hadn't, until today.
Though I had never seen one, I knew about rack railways from about the
age of 8 through having had a copy of "The Wonder Book of Railways", published in the UK, so thousands of English kids who read that book,
and others like it, had probably heard of rack railways, even if they
had never seen one.
s.a. The Wonder Book of Railways. London: Ward, Lock.
On 14/10/2025 16:22, Adam Funk wrote:
On 2025-10-14, occam wrote:
On 14/10/2025 12:22, Richard Tobin wrote:
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
Yet I bet they (English) have heard of a funicular. Both work on the
same principle of a rack track - same as modern elevators (only less
vertical).
How are they using the same principle?
Funicular: motor fixed at the top drives a cable which pulls one car
up and lets the other down.
Rack and pinion: motor on the train turns the pinion, which engages
with the fixed rack.
You're right. The similarity between funicular and elevator is more apt.
On 14/10/2025 16:22, Adam Funk wrote:
On 2025-10-14, occam wrote:
On 14/10/2025 12:22, Richard Tobin wrote:
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
Yet I bet they (English) have heard of a funicular. Both work on the
same principle of a rack track - same as modern elevators (only less
vertical).
How are they using the same principle?
Funicular: motor fixed at the top drives a cable which pulls one car
up and lets the other down.
Rack and pinion: motor on the train turns the pinion, which engages
with the fixed rack.
You're right. The similarity between funicular and elevator is more apt.
Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> wrote:
On Tue, 14 Oct 2025 14:29:32 +0200, Athel Cornish-Bowden
<me@yahoo.com> wrote:
On 2025-10-14 10:22:07 +0000, Richard Tobin said:
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'.
For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
This particular English person hadn't, until today.
Though I had never seen one, I knew about rack railways from about the
age of 8 through having had a copy of "The Wonder Book of Railways",
published in the UK, so thousands of English kids who read that book,
and others like it, had probably heard of rack railways, even if they
had never seen one.
s.a. The Wonder Book of Railways. London: Ward, Lock.
Presumably this one ><https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wonder-Railways-Harry-editor-Golding/dp/B000MTO7LW>
Originaly published 1920, reprinted into the fifties,
no longer in print afaics, but no lack of antiquarian copies,
occam <occam@nowhere.nix> wrote:
On 14/10/2025 16:22, Adam Funk wrote:
On 2025-10-14, occam wrote:
On 14/10/2025 12:22, Richard Tobin wrote:
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'. >>>>>> For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
Yet I bet they (English) have heard of a funicular. Both work on the
same principle of a rack track - same as modern elevators (only less
vertical).
How are they using the same principle?
Funicular: motor fixed at the top drives a cable which pulls one car
up and lets the other down.
Rack and pinion: motor on the train turns the pinion, which engages
with the fixed rack.
You're right. The similarity between funicular and elevator is more apt.
Has anyone ever built a double elevator?
On Wed, 15 Oct 2025 10:35:43 +0200, nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J.
Lodder) wrote:
Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> wrote:
On Tue, 14 Oct 2025 14:29:32 +0200, Athel Cornish-Bowden
<me@yahoo.com> wrote:
On 2025-10-14 10:22:07 +0000, Richard Tobin said:
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and pinion'. >>>>>> For some strange reason the English tend to forget the pinion
in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack railway.
This particular English person hadn't, until today.
Though I had never seen one, I knew about rack railways from about the
age of 8 through having had a copy of "The Wonder Book of Railways",
published in the UK, so thousands of English kids who read that book,
and others like it, had probably heard of rack railways, even if they
had never seen one.
s.a. The Wonder Book of Railways. London: Ward, Lock.
Presumably this one
<https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wonder-Railways-Harry-editor-Golding/dp/B000MTO7LW>
Originaly published 1920, reprinted into the fifties,
no longer in print afaics, but no lack of antiquarian copies,
And if you look in GoogleBooks, you will find that it has been
reprinted, by a different firm, on the grounds that it is a valuable
cultural artifact.
Be that as it may, this book, and the "Wonder" books generally,
enjoyed a fairly wide distribution, not only in the UK but in other English-speaking countries, and contributed to the general knowledge
of several generations of children.
I no longer have my copy (though I do still have my copies of "The
Wonder Book of Science" and "The Wonder Book of the R.A.F"), but I
remember on chapter called "Railways Queer and Quaint", which
described rack railways, cable railways and a gravity railway in the
USA in a place with the improbable-sounding name of Mauch Chunk.
"Rack and pinion" I knew from the workshop manual for my mother's car,
a 1956 Wolseley 4/44.
On 2025-10-15 18:21:53 +0000, J. J. Lodder said:
occam <occam@nowhere.nix> wrote:
On 14/10/2025 16:22, Adam Funk wrote:
On 2025-10-14, occam wrote:
On 14/10/2025 12:22, Richard Tobin wrote:
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and
pinion'. For some strange reason the English tend to forget
the pinion in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack
railway.
Yet I bet they (English) have heard of a funicular. Both work
on the same principle of a rack track - same as modern
elevators (only less vertical).
How are they using the same principle?
Funicular: motor fixed at the top drives a cable which pulls
one car up and lets the other down.
Rack and pinion: motor on the train turns the pinion, which
engages with the fixed rack.
You're right. The similarity between funicular and elevator is
more apt.
Has anyone ever built a double elevator?
I think a paternoster is a sort of double elevator.
On 16 Oct 2025, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote
On 2025-10-15 18:21:53 +0000, J. J. Lodder said:
occam <occam@nowhere.nix> wrote:
On 14/10/2025 16:22, Adam Funk wrote:
On 2025-10-14, occam wrote:
On 14/10/2025 12:22, Richard Tobin wrote:
In article <1rk6u2r.1jax3o91acw1blN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>,
J. J. Lodder <jjlxa32@xs4all.nl> wrote:
It becomes more obvious if you complement it to 'rack and
pinion'. For some strange reason the English tend to forget
the pinion in their rack railway.
I doubt most English people have ever heard of a rack
railway.
Yet I bet they (English) have heard of a funicular. Both work
on the same principle of a rack track - same as modern
elevators (only less vertical).
How are they using the same principle?
Funicular: motor fixed at the top drives a cable which pulls
one car up and lets the other down.
Rack and pinion: motor on the train turns the pinion, which
engages with the fixed rack.
You're right. The similarity between funicular and elevator is
more apt.
Has anyone ever built a double elevator?
I think a paternoster is a sort of double elevator.
Good point - a paternoster strikes me as the closest anything might
be to a vertical funicular.
On 2025-10-16, HVS wrote:
On 16 Oct 2025, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote
I think a paternoster is a sort of double elevator.
Good point - a paternoster strikes me as the closest anything might
be to a vertical funicular.
Yes, although a paternoster is run continuously in a loop rather than
back & forth. (I guess you could change direction every so often just
to spice things up?)
They are very rare now --- this is the only one I know of:
<https://sheffield.ac.uk/efm/paternoster>
Yes, although a paternoster is run continuously in a loop rather than
back & forth. (I guess you could change direction every so often just
to spice things up?)
They are very rare now --- this is the only one I know of:
<https://sheffield.ac.uk/efm/paternoster>
