Kilometre - Kick it into Touch

[bb21]

I'm sure I have seen wine being described as 75cl and travel-sized whisky 5cl.

 

[radamfi]

Wikipedia explains this phenomenon. In countries where the metric system was in use before the SI standard, there is a legacy of using metric prefixes other than powers of 1000. In countries which went metric later, they tend to use the standard metric prefixes.

 

[ert47]

I think bottles of Evian are in cl

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I'm sure I have seen wine being described as 75cl and travel-sized whisky 5cl.

Indeed. I know the likes of Whistlestop usually display cl, as do some onboard menus.

 

[Liam]

I think bottles of Evian are in cl

Yes they are, I have a few bottles I use to refill.

 

[Jonny]

Am I right in thinking that ETCS only works in km/h and related units? Mind you it is fair to say that mainland Europe is metric-only, as is Eire and most of the non-American english-speaking world (e.g. Australia, New Zealand).

 

[edwin_m]

Am I right in thinking that ETCS only works in km/h and related units? Mind you it is fair to say that mainland Europe is metric-only, as is Eire and most of the non-American english-speaking world (e.g. Australia, New Zealand).

Someone posted somewhere that ETCS can work in mph but Network Rail chose to adopt km/h for the Cambrian scheme and presumably will do so for future installations.

Incidentally all our tramways use the same design of speed signs with black figures on a white diamond, but Metrolink's are in mph with everyone else's in km/h.

 

[starrymarkb]

Am I right in thinking that ETCS only works in km/h and related units? Mind you it is fair to say that mainland Europe is metric-only, as is Eire and most of the non-American english-speaking world (e.g. Australia, New Zealand).

The standard permits mph, but Network Rail have chosen to go Metric (presumably with signage removed and the fitting of glass cockpits as part of ETCS it's a sensible time to do it without extra upheaval)

 

[talltim]

Well I'm afraid that your link shows an error. That figure equates to 4ft 8.514 in..
So you would be out of gauge by 14thou!

Gauge widening for a curve

 

[bb21]

Someone posted somewhere that ETCS can work in mph but Network Rail chose to adopt km/h for the Cambrian scheme and presumably will do so for future installations.

Incidentally all our tramways use the same design of speed signs with black figures on a white diamond, but Metrolink's are in mph with everyone else's in km/h.

What about TW Metro on the shared section with National Rail?

 

[BlythPower]

What about TW Metro on the shared section with National Rail?

At Sunderland station, there's pairs of speed signs - one for NR in mph, the other for Metro in kmh.

 

[edwin_m]

I think the km/h speed signs on the Metro shared section were hexagonal and the ones on the rest of the Metro were changed to suit (having previously been like normal road speed signs but in km/h). However at St Pancras HS1 the km/h signs have white figures on black background in a red circle.

 

[Trog]

You are correct, it should be expressed in metres only or millimetres. We officially use the MKS system which is the standard for SI measurement where there is no such thing as a centimetre.
Topically, remember that standard gauges track is 1435mm, not 143.5cm, 14.35dm, however 1.435m would be acceptable.

Except for when it is 4'-8 1/2", 1432mm or 1438mm all gauges that British mainline standard gauge straight plain line has been laid at.

 

[Clip]

Has anyone noticed how The Mile seems to be playing second fiddle to the Kilometre when used as a benchmark for distances in a lot of British Media Outlets.

Television and Newsprint seem to be equally guilty of this heinous crime :cry:

Well they have been measuring height and depth in Nelsons columns, double deckers and football pitches along with Olympic sized swimming pools for more years than I have been alive

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Well they have been measuring height and depth in Nelsons columns, double deckers and football pitches along with Olympic sized swimming pools for more years than I have been alive

Popular units of time include the blink of an eye, in a flash, a season, and of course yonks (which are never used in the single) and eons.

Philosophically, I like the phrase 'since time immemorial' as it implies that if there weren't wintesses to remember the event then it is not commensurate with the measurement of time.

As for mesuring heights in Nelsons Columns, isn't that local to the nation? The French use the Tour Eiffel and the Americans the Empire State. Conversions between the systems are not used.

 

[reb0118]

Perhaps we should go back to having 240 pence in a pound too by your reckoning. :roll:

Would this mean a pay rise? I'm all for it!

 

[GatwickDepress]

Having a bus fare be two pounds one hundred and sixty pence? Blimey O'reilly, I don't have that much change!

 

[button_boxer]

Incidentally all our tramways use the same design of speed signs with black figures on a white diamond, but Metrolink's are in mph with everyone else's in km/h.

I'm pretty sure Sheffield uses mph too.

 

[David Barrett]

Having a bus fare be two pounds one hundred and sixty pence? Blimey O'reilly, I don't have that much change!

Ah yes, but you might have had two pounds thirteen shillings and fourpence. If not you'd have eightpence change from two pound notes, a ten shilling note and two florins or you could just tender three quid, get a rollicking from the conductor for not having any less and six shillings & eightpence change in as much copper as he/she could muster to help you pay exactly next time.

Mind you at these prices you would have been going a long way in those pre decimal days and have concluded that, although three pounds five shillings and sixpence was much more than the bus fare the saving of six hours and going by train might just be worth the extra twelve shillings and twopence.

If I've got any of this wrong then you can see why I, for one, was not too distressed at £ s d's passing.

 

[edwin_m]

http://www.epicure.me.uk/capstick.html

Do you know, when I were a lad you could get a tram down into t'town, buy three new suits an' an ovvercoat, four pair o' good boots, go an' see George Formby at t'Palace Theatre, get blind drunk, 'ave some steak an' chips, bunch o' bananas an' three stone o' monkey nuts an' still 'ave change out of a farthing.

 

[bb21]

or you could just tender three quid, get a rollicking from the conductor for not having any less and six shillings & eightpence change in as much copper as he/she could muster to help you pay exactly next time.

If you run into Olive as the clippie, you might find all your change in sixpences.

 

[David Barrett]

If you run into Olive as the clippie, you might find all your change in sixpences.

I don't know about Olive but we certainly had both Stan Butler and Blakey doubles at our local bus depot in Scunthorpe at the time. However, on the metrication front, in the garage we all purchased our own tools, with large amounts of both Whitworth and A/F spanners included, but when the Leyland Nationals came along the Company provided a metric set to be kept in the stores for common use. Anyone see any problems here?

 

[nw1]

Load of crap, This is Britain, we should be using BRITISH weights & measures, never mind all the foreign rubbish. Why should we change? the likes of America don't change. A mile, a foot, an inch and a pound & pence, gallon, pints. loosing our identity.

I'm fairly easy about whether we use imperial or metric - but with all that has gone on of late are the US government really a good role model for anything? Becoming part of Europe does not mean we lose our identity. Germany is still Germany, France is still France. If anything, the breakup of large Soviet-era states such as the USSR or Yugoslavia 20 years ago means there is more national identity in continental Europe now, not less. In fact given that France, Germany and Italy (for instance) appear to have more home-owned companies than we do, we're probably losing our identity more to amorphous globalisation than those particular states.

To be honest I really don't give a damn about whether we use miles or km, metres or feet, and as for the euro, I'm slightly in favour as you wouldn't be at the mercy of the exchange rate when you went abroad. And as for furlongs: I didn't even know what a furlong was until I read this thread!

 

[Clip]

As for mesuring heights in Nelsons Columns, isn't that local to the nation? The French use the Tour Eiffel and the Americans the Empire State. Conversions between the systems are not used.

So are we saying its 2 nelsons columns to an Eiffel tower?

And 1.5 Eiffel towers to the Empire state?

This conversion stuff is easy *








* I have not checked actual measurements here.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

6 feet = 1 fathom

15 fathoms = 1 shackle

 

[bb21]

27 shackles = 1 gobbledygook squared

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

27 shackles = 1 gobbledygook squared

Now then, young moderator, I am old enough to have commenced my education in 1950 at the age of 5 and can well remember as part of our school books, there being one with a red cover that on the outside back cover was a full page listing of what many of our young forum members would view today as incomprehensible.....rods, poles, perches, ells, chains, bushels being some that one would expect to be found somewhere in the text matter of the King James Bible...

 

[David Barrett]

Now then, young moderator, I am old enough to have commenced my education in 1950 at the age of 5 and can well remember as part of our school books, there being one with a red cover that on the outside back cover was a full page listing of what many of our young forum members would view today as incomprehensible.....rods, poles, perches, ells, chains, bushels being some that one would expect to be found somewhere in the text matter of the King James Bible...

It hadn't changed much by 1961 although our weights and measures were supplemented by common sense behaviour when on or around the Queen's Highway. For all that I do get the impression that there are some people around who are of the opinion that the 1835 Weights and Measures Act destroyed the coal industry by outlawing the use of Bushels and Chaldrons (Newcastle or London, both were different) for the sale of the black stuff.

 

[Oswyntail]

...remember as part of our school books, there being one with a red cover that on the outside back cover was a full page listing of what many of our young forum members would view today as incomprehensible.....rods, poles, perches, ells, chains, bushels ...

Ah yes, wasn't the brand "Silvine", with a shiny red cover, slightly stiffer than usual? I seem to remember it also covered scruples and drachms

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Ah yes, wasn't the brand "Silvine", with a shiny red cover, slightly stiffer than usual? I seem to remember it also covered scruples and drachms

Indeed it was. I would love to source a copy for "old times sake".