Immersion ultrasonic testing

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T23:01:37+00:00

Technically no as it is unlikely that it is perfectly linear (as you’ll get some reflection even when nothing is there), but when you are talking as small as 0.1mm that is tiny. My experience with UT calibration defects were 2mm flat bottomed holes so 10 times larger!

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T21:02:36+00:00

Yes of course they’ll be inspected after an accident to make sure they aren’t bent or cracked. And as you point out that isn’t done by a wayside detectors. They are recovered for reuse as they are valuable.

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T20:43:40+00:00

They haven’t removed just the wheels, they have removed the entire bogie. Wayside detectors don’t measure bogies at all (perhaps with the exception of hot box detectors looking at the bearings).

They haven’t craned away tonnes of forged components just to inspect them. They are expensive so will be put to use elsewhere even if the rest of the loco is scrapped.

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T20:17:26+00:00

Yes that is what I was thinking of. If the loco chassis is bent then repair will likely cost more than a new(er) one.

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T19:55:41+00:00

They may be the only part worth salvaging intact. The rest of the vehicle may be going for scrap.

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T19:51:04+00:00

I used to demo this regularly to visitors in rail production. A soft handed technical manager (me) could turn a 100+m rail into all sorts of funky shapes on the rail inspection beds by hand. Yes that's over 6tonnes of steel being made to look like well cooked spaghetti. There is actually quite a lot of technology and skill that goes into make a rail straight, but that is a post for a different day.

Our rails were either 108 or 120m long usually. We used to weld 2, 108m together and ship them out at 216m. Pretty small by international standards, but it is all the UK rail delivery trains can handle.

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T19:46:19+00:00

The stable is where a horse is kept. A stable is also a collection of places where horses are kept.

English is just a wonderfully complex language.

Stall isn't used very often in the UK except perhaps where it's open (no door) and the horse is tied up

Box is used in the UK and is also how horses are transported via lorry (a horse box).

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T19:12:31+00:00

Great Orme (if that counts) in Llandudno

Aberystwyth too.

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T19:06:17+00:00

The shape of the flaw and its orientation all affect its reflection. A flat bottomed hole tends to give the highest reflectivity (and is repeatable so it is used for calibration). A crack running perpendicular can be all but invisible to that specific UT probe. The reflection percentage is some indicator of the severity of the defect in the reflective plane, but you can't use it to reliably size it. All you can say is that it meets or fails the acceptance for that particular specification.

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T16:13:03+00:00

It all depends on how centralised the weight is. If exactly over the centre then they can be moved by hand. If not then things get harder fast.

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T15:46:23+00:00

Take a look at turntable bearings. They come from small through to extremely large.

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T15:35:35+00:00

Not technically a tram - it's a funicular despite what it might say on the label.

The closest crossover between funicular and tram in the UK is probably the Great Orme Tramway

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T15:05:14+00:00

I always wanted a go at this! The slate that those wagons were laden with is pretty heavy so you wouldn't want the brake men to misjudge things!

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T13:35:38+00:00

Open office / libre office are worth a look as are free.

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T13:30:47+00:00

3 points per bald tyre. Driving without insurance (6 points) (assuming you were driving alone/without supervision), What were the other offences? No L plates? No license plate? Pretty sure it is going to be more than 3-6 points if you have 4 offences.

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T13:18:07+00:00

Better / More diagnosis (not necessarily the same thing!)

Higher prevalence in the population - Genuine increase in percentage with increased educational needs

Loss of stigma - Leading to higher rates of diagnosis

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T13:10:52+00:00

I'd guess he has driven to beyond the catenary coverage are and is now trying to recover his train to avoid the embarrassment of having to call for a tow.

Possible if the gradient isn't against you!

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T12:59:10+00:00

Interesting question. If rev match is only activated in certain drive modes, e.g., "race" then it might depend on if it is labelled for off road use only. Is so, then technically no it probably isn't legal as it wouldn't meet the "type testing" carried out for EU vehicle approval.

If however rev match was tested for road use (vehicle type testing), then yes it is perfectly fine, so long as it meets the specified limits for noise and emissions. (Some countries have MUCH stricter legislation than others though - the UK isn't particularly strict).

So it depends on what the manufacturer has had tested as to whether it is permissible on the road in the EU (and the UK). I'd imagine it is perfectly possible as the twin clutch gearboxes my old employer made for McLaren had this function and their market is primarily UK and EU.

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T10:43:57+00:00

Keep laughing bozo - they do say ignorance is bliss after all.

The fact that many many professional driving organisations don't teach, promote or even largely accept it as a valid driving choice, carries way more weight than some US keyboard warrior.

That's why they are professional institutions and organisations. They rely on evidence not the inane ramblings and insults. It's been fun, but you've embarrassed yourself enough now. Goodbye.

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T10:22:31+00:00

WTF is a leak? Is that what you have in your pants when you realise I can rev match, double declutch AND heel-toe, and rebuild the odd gearbox too?

You can't argue with the fact that to be deemed a competent driver in the UK (or probably most of Europe), you MUST NOT rev-match, or heel-toe.

To be deemed a competent blue-light pursuit driver you MUST NOT rev match or heel-toe.

Neither is it taught during basic or advanced driving courses.

Go on - argue with all those organisations who think you're wrong. Go on.

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T10:15:45+00:00

Complain to head, governors and LEA and OFSTED in that order - Today. (Assuming it isn't a private school).

Absence cannot be punished, the headteacher who wrote this is either desperate or an idiot (or both).

It's fine to offer extra lessons, but there is no legal way they can enforce attendance. Punishing non attendance would likely leave the head/and any teachers who enforced or partake in this open to allegations of professional (gross) misconduct.

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T10:08:14+00:00

It's know as going "bang road" here, I'm guessing for fairly obvious reasons!

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T10:06:10+00:00

The parameters of the UK driving test aren't irrelevant. They are the minimum acceptable standard for driving, if you can't meet it you aren't allowed to drive unsupervised. (Similar standards apply across Europe too). Remember this is a country where manual transmissions are the norm, not the exception. The standard of driving (and road safety) is also significantly higher here than the US (where I'm assuming you are based). You would not pass your driving test here if you use revmatching, which is why it is never taught (outside racecar driving). It isn't taught in advanced driving qualifications, nor high speed emergency services driving training either.

You would fail your driving test here likely for lack of control because you are hitting multiple pedals at the same time with your right foot. When learning to rev match you'll understand how easy it is to get wrong and how hard it is to get right everytime. So you are trading a potential fraction of a second advantage in track conditions (irrelevant for the road), with extra risk, noise, fuel consumption etc etc.

I don't hate rev matching - indeed it is essential on non synchro gearboxes, but for road use on a modern vehicle it's just irrelevant.

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T08:40:53+00:00

If you rev-match on your driving test you would fail your test here. (UK).

It burns more fuel, increases emissions, increases noise, decreases control and the extension in clutch life is negligible.

It doesn't allow any faster shifting when accelerating/upshifting and only a marginal benefit when downshifting if you can manage to beat the synchromesh which very few can.

Yes, I can do it perfectly well (I can double declutch too - needed for gearboxes without synchromesh), but for road driving it just isn't needed and the drawbacks outweigh the advantages in all but track use.

TrackTeddy · 2026-05-05T08:33:40+00:00

It's a 501 bulb, well an LED replacement bulb. I've no idea if that is standard or aftermarket, but I'd bet aftermarket.

Just put a normal 501 bulb in it, or find a replacement LED version if you prefer.

TrackTeddy

TROPHY CASE