Why so many 4X4s?

[Lord Braykewynde]

it has nothing to do with 4x4's but it's the way the conversation has run, it's like any long conversation, you start off on one subject and end up talking about something so far removed you end up wondering how you ended up there in the first place !.

I do apologise Prof but Icemaker has described it admirably why the post has veered to railways, the connection I suppose being pollution as usual. Again I apologise for being one of those straying off 4x4s, although that is probably a good thing considering the past controversy in this forum, but to just talk about 4x4s is about as interesting as just talking about self tapping screws. The topic has been done to death on this forum a thousand times. The only surprising thing is it's still running

In all of my life when talking, no matter where, it could be at work, pub, caravan site or wherever, talk mostly veers off the original topic. A bit like leaving the mainline and going down the branchline. Oops there I go , railways again, I do apologise.

That's three apologies in one post. God, I MUST be mellowing.
To stick to one single topic per se is totally boring and I've always found those who do so boring

As they say, variety is the spice of life and the more spice I can get at my age the better ... heh! heh! heh!

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

in the dim dark recesses of my mind i vaguely recall adverts by British Rail for car trains that would take cars , lorries, caravans from various stations to the south coast and the ports.

I'm not sure if this has already been mentioned in a previous post Spadders old bean. If it is the one and same I believe it was Icemaker who replied giving the reasons it never got off the ground.

 

[OmOnWeelz]

I see we have now moved on from 4x4's to 8x8s and 12x12 with upto 4000Hp on tap!

Must be a ve-------ry big caravan!

Cars I had as a youngster never towed a caravan. The fuel poured in the tank had huge amout of tax on it that helped fund the NHS and your present life style Prof

Working on cars from before I could drive and as a young petrol head enhanced my skill set and helped get me good employment. I could have joined dole queues and knocked out a dozen sprogs to have them supported by the state whilst abusing the benefits system. Why do women wear short skirts and why isthere talk of flairs comeing back in to fashion. 4x4 is just another designer move that appeals to many of us and also gives some practical benefits when driving or towing.
Should we not ask "Why are there not more 4x4's" We rarely fly anywhere, we don't have 8 kids and we've not jetted in with them to rip off the state and feed UK money back home.
Don't ask what my country has done for us, ask what we've done for our country

Kept our heads down, paid are way and some and in return as we're taxed to the hilt whilst politicians and others bleed the system dry, a little freedom of choice without all the silly questions about what people choose to drive isn't much to ask, is it?
ps. Picasso's and Civic's are fine cars, I just don't want to own them. We're awaiting our new 300bhp 4x4 with 37- 40mpg+

Should tow like a dream and still give better mpg than many other tow cars.

 

[JonnyG]

Chris i see very little to argue about on the above post, you are right Choices are upto each of us,and nobody else buisness.
Sorry i cannnot help myself, just out of interest your 37/40 mpg car "should give better mpg than many other towcars" remark
Which ones would they "the many"be.....

 

[Dustydog]

Please will someone tell me why we are going to spend £17. 4 billion on a new railway between London and Birmingham?
Absolutely bonkers and imo a complete and utter waste of tax payers hard earned cash!

Will it reduce HGV traffic? I doubt it.

DD read my earlier post.
I know which I would rather have between a new dual track railway line or a new 6 lane motorway to carry the nations goods. The problem is it doesn't stop at 6 lanes because there's the central reservation and hard shoulders, enough room to lay 9 railway tracks.
Something has to give due to our rising population. There as to be enough land to accommodate three cities the size of Nottingham so if it isn't railways, which when electrified are more environmentally friendly and quieter, it has to be pollutant choking motorways which need four times more land than rail. The noise factor is another. Electric trains are much quieter than the constant noise of lorries on a motorway.
No doubt the NIMBYs were about in the 1820s when railways were taking over from canals but imagine where the country would be if those NIMBYs had got their own way. This country wouldn't have led the industrial revolution or sent engineers all over the world building their railways. In those days the NIMBYs were mainly the landed gentry. Some were actually successful in stopping the railway builders going across their land. Some were more generous but with provisions. The railway company had to make a tunnel rather than a cutting, build castellations at the tunnel mouths or have their own private station built with trains stopping on request.
You ask will it stop HGV traffic. In my opinion it will and for more than one reason. The oil situation and how we are now more reliant on other nations who aren't actually friendly towards us. Another reason is we no longer govern ourselves and Brussels dictats are demanding we cut our emissions and if not we get fined. All of our cabinet politicians have the backbones of jellyfish so will comply with the despots. Don't forget, the line isn't just going to Birmingham.

Ok LB seen the original.
I'm all for a Shinkansen, TGV, ICE railway but even if it positively took a lot of the HGVs off the road I just can't see how England can afford it.If the line ran through Scotland or Wales we would start seeing those brass plaques "Paid for with EU Grant".

Pollution wise don't forget the power stations still pollute making all that electricity.
I see no reason however why a decent roll on roll off trailer train couldn't carry all the goods "inter city" so only local deliveries become necessary. A n artic delivers to our small Tesco Express store. He could easily have picked up the loaded trailer at the mainline station 10 miles away.

 

[Parksy]

.....Why do women wear short skirts and why is there talk of flairs comeing back in to fashion. ....................
...................Should we not ask "Why are there not more 4x4's" .........

I'd rather ask " Why are there not more short skirts" if I'm honest

 

[ProfAlGoogle]

" .........Why do women wear short skirts and why is there talk of flairs coming back in to fashion. ....................
...................Should we not ask "Why are there not more 4x4's" .........

woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowww, now the topic is moving in the right direction, Micro skirts, low tops, cleavage, stocking tops, G strings, 4x4 Drive what you like who gives a stuff,High heels,suspenders.....

 

[JonnyG]

. If you want to be looking at short skirts and G strings, then you need something closer to the ground Lotus Elan is what you should be driving.....

 

[ProfJohnL]

"Must be a ve-------ry big caravan!"

About 500ton John

Hi Colin,
Whats the nose load?, and which dricinglicence category is required? and doesn't it exceed the maximum size for our roads?

Help I'm confused - I thought I new my towing regs????

 

[Parksy]

" .........Why do women wear short skirts and why is there talk of flairs coming back in to fashion. ....................
...................Should we not ask "Why are there not more 4x4's" .........

woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowww, now the topic is moving in the right direction, Micro skirts, low tops, cleavage, stocking tops, G strings, 4x4 Drive what you like who gives a stuff,High heels,suspenders.....

Have you forgotten to take your tablets this morning Allan ?

. If you want to be looking at short skirts and G strings, then you need something closer to the ground Lotus Elan is what you should be driving.....

Even if I managed to get into an Elan I'd never be able to get back out again

That's another reason why I bought a 4x4 (see what I did there? - straight back on topic!)

 

[JonnyG]

So this little Lotus number would be no good for you Parksy?
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t1049152.html

Still on topic, honest

 

[ProfAlGoogle]

. If you want to be looking at short skirts and G strings, then you need something closer to the ground Lotus Elan is what you should be driving.....

My Son drives a Lotus Exige, supercharged / chargecooled, 0 to 60 in around 3.5 seconds and believe me looking at short skirts is the last thing you want to be doing!

 

[ProfAlGoogle]

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowww, now the topic is moving in the right direction, Micro skirts, low tops, cleavage, stocking tops, G strings, 4x4 Drive what you like who gives a stuff,High heels,suspenders.....

I'm all for this. It will at the very least cut down a high percentage of speeding in heterosexual males.

 

[Parksy]

So this little Lotus number would be no good for you Parksy?
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t1049152.html

Still on topic, honest

It would be great if I could become a 1⁄24 scale model of myself G

 

[OmOnWeelz]

Our eldest daughter, blonde, 72.5 inches tall drives a 4x4 V10 R8, I'd keep your eyes on the road when she pulls up. She also pack a mean punch as a couple of chancers have experience of

Johnny , the journo's favourite tow tug whale for one, the Disco 4

 

[Icemaker]

Gary
I have been retired now for a few years but it was ALSTHOM And the RUSTON 215

John

hi john, i was just reading up on the brittany ferries fast craft "normandie express" as i will be using it to get to france in a week, i was interested in what engines the craft was using and found out that it has 4 rushton RK270 20 cylinder engines rated at 7.080 kw each, unfortunately this time last year on start up the normandie express threwe a leg out of bed and destroyed the crankshaft in the process it also had damaged pistons and required all 20 replacing, i would not have liked that bill lol.
it got me in to researching the loco's you supplied and i think you mean they wher like the british rail class 67 and not the class 66 that i was on about they where called alstom prema diesel electrics, is this the one ? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alstom_Prima_diesel_locomotives
And here is a link that shows the same engines the normandie express has but these are on the condor fast ferry, very impressive i would love to strip one of those down if it failled. http://www.ship-technology.com/projects/condor/condor4.html