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Post by connieguy on May 17, 2021 11:17:46 GMT -5
Heathrow's envelopment in one of the London smogs of the 1950s is one of the major elements in the film 'Out of the Clouds' (Ealing Studios, 1955). However, Battersea Power Station was about 13 miles away and one of the prime concerns of the 1956 Clean Air Act was reducing the pollution caused by many thousands of household coal fires, not only in London but other major British cities as well. Things must have been significantly better by 1962, although a further act was necessary in 1968 and in 1962 750 people died as the result of a London fog. However, ten years earlier one of the lower estimates of the death toll from the 'Great Smog' is 4,000, the dead being mainly the very young or the very old. Construction of Battersea Power Station began in 1927 and the B Station was only finally completed in 1955, so it cannot have had anything to do with smogs in the early part of the century. The late 1950s and early 1960s also saw the replacement of steam by diesel engines on Britain's railways, at exactly the same time as the propliners were giving way to jets. The final steam engines built - the last of all was named 'Evening Star' - were technically the finest of all, and were withdrawn after only serving for about five years, a curious echo of the Starliner. However, they have never been forgotten, and an astonishing number have been preserved and are still running on heritage lines. No example of the London and North Eastern Railway's A1 Class survived, so in the 1990s one was built from scratch. They belched out dirty smoke, but they were beautiful.
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Post by Defender on May 17, 2021 11:55:35 GMT -5
And as well as producing power it served a useful purpose as a visual aid to aircraft being almost exactly in line with 28R. Fly between the stacks at the runway heading and you'll be there in 4 or 5 minutes. It survives to this day, decomissioned, but as cultural centre with shops and restaurants.
Bill
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Post by Dennis the menace on May 17, 2021 18:38:05 GMT -5
Here she is spewing away in all her glory, circa 1957. The smoke actually looks grey, not black as I had first thought.
Some of the plans for it after being decommissioned were odd - a theme park, a children's center, a senior retirement home.
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Post by johnhinson on May 18, 2021 3:36:18 GMT -5
It should never be demolished as it is listed by English Heritage as a "building of historic interest", although finding a use for it that doesn't disturb the structure and its contents has been difficult.
Design inspired by an upturned piano stool ... :)
John
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Post by connieguy on May 18, 2021 8:14:38 GMT -5
It is possible, Mike, that the colour of the smoke was affected by the type of coal they were burning, and that it might therefore have sometimes been black. The preserved steam locomotives now almost all emit white or whitish smoke because the coal being used is of a high grade (how that is defined I do not know). It was not like that in the old days, when the smoke was often filthy and deposited a great deal of filth. I remember Leeds in the late 1950s and everything was dirty, including the buildings after many decades of smoke pollution. Modern Leeds is not recognisable as the same place. On other matters, I use the UK VFR scenery from 2000 as I guess many do, although some prefer the default landclass. I have just discovered that the Cal Classic Core Landclass folder contains two bgls - LC4713 and LC4813 - which seriously interfere with the London area. Removing them, naturally, solves the problem. My 1953 Heathrow scenery includes the Battersea Gasometer, which stands near the power station. I seem to remember downloading this from the Google 3D Warehouse and I also have a vague recollection that there was a Battersea Power Station which I looked at but in the end did not install. I have volumes 1 and 2 of the UK Air Navigation Obstacles, which include the more modern power stations with cooling towers (Didcot is often visible west of Heathrow), but not older stations of the Battersea type. Battersea Gasometer, with the power station to the north east. UK VFR Scenery.
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Post by Tom/CalClassic on May 18, 2021 11:30:38 GMT -5
Good to know, thanks.
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Post by Defender on May 18, 2021 13:44:11 GMT -5
What did you find wrong with the revised landclass Ken? The Battersea Power Station is a default building.
Bill
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Post by jsaus on May 18, 2021 14:23:08 GMT -5
The steam colour can also relate (along with quality fuel) to how efficient the fuel is burning. With a steam train, I think its how the fireman is stocking the fire, coal placement or too much coal? And it when its greyish/white steam (rather then smoke) its burning more efficiently.
SO I'm assuming for a monster power station like that one, they'd (technicians/engineers/plant operators etc, bean counters)want quality fuel and the fuel burning efficiently to get the most bang for you buck. Lighter steam / smoke is showing this to be the case.
I've gathered all this knowledge from playing with my nephews train set and my Meccano power station I built as a kid. Actually interesting is I just googled Meccano power station (as I lied and never built one nor maybe even had Meccano) and an image came up of the Battersea Power Station I think on the front cover of a Meccano magazine from way back in the day.
I think turning it into a theme park would've been a great idea. "what do you want go on kids? The Thundering Turbine Ride or the Sizzling Smoke Stack Slippery Dip?" Sounds great!
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Post by connieguy on May 18, 2021 15:30:53 GMT -5
Bill, As I use the Just Flight photographic scenery (I know you do not favour this) no landclass is relevant. However, the landclass files in the Cal Classic Core folder were above the VFR scenery in my Scenery folder and they were resulting in a patchwork effect - sometimes the photographic scenery was there sometimes it was the landclass. I had never noticed this before but in what I wrote above I assumed the landclass files in Cal Classic Core had been there some time. Is what has actually happened that the new 1962 installer put them there? I didn't know the power station was a default building, because the VFR scenery, which I bought almost 20 years ago and have always used, eliminates all default buildings. Buildings are available for it, like the UK Air Navigation Obstacles I mentioned, but of course they show up because they are above the VFR Scenery in the Scenery Library. I would always prefer to fly above real scenery, even if it is that of 2000 rather than 1960, but away from the cities it actually doesn't make too much difference. Admittedly, I do see the M25 quite a lot around London. Equally, I am happy for others to differ. I think I do now understand what has happened and hope I have explained it clearly, Ken
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Post by Defender on May 18, 2021 16:04:35 GMT -5
Thanks and I thought that might have happened. Does it work if VFR is above CC landclass in settings?
Yes these files come with the 1962 London Airport. I started the landclass changes just to put it on the edge of the countryside as it was at that time but then decided to do the entire London city and surroundings using a 1960 OS half inch map. Default landclass is truly awful and I'm not surprised folk look for options. I'm on GE pro now.
I'm amazed that your PC can cope with London Airport 1962 as well as VFR photographic!
All the best
Bill
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Post by connieguy on May 19, 2021 5:06:35 GMT -5
Bill, I have moved the CC landclass folder below all my photographic scenery (including the Greek Islands - wonderful) so that there should be no further issues. This is also the point where I have to admit that while I have admired the 1962 version I had not actually flown from it, and that much as I continue to admire it I am unlikely to use it very much, because I do not fly in 1962. I want the world before it changed, when the Super Constellations reigned supreme, and before diesels replaced steam engines on Britain's railways. When Tom releases his 1955 traffic it will become my default setting. However...
I set my traffic to 44% - my normal setting - and visibility to 20 miles, because it is clear visibility which can give VFR scenery merry hell. I then took off from 27R in an Air France 049.
Just after take-off. VFR scenery does not display well at low altitudes in FS9, but it is not doing badly here and Didcot power station is visible to starboard. These cooling towers have been demolished quite recently. I do a wide circuit at 5,000 feet. VFR scenery continues to display well. It is still displaying pretty well at low level as I see the EGLL runways. This is 27L, although I shall land on 27R. Much closer and almost lined up on 27R. At no point before touchdown was there the slightest jerkiness. My system is not high end and this is deeply impressive; in fact, almost incredible. Touchdown. A very smooth landing, assisted by the quality of the scenery.
There is some slight sticking as I taxi into the central area, but this is normal for my system and it noticeably reduces in cockpit view compared with external view. I will just add that the VFR scenery excludes all default objects because many of them are in the wrong place. It has the disadvantage with EGLL that if you go to the overhead view you see the modern airport below it. That was why I gave ny 1953 scenery beautiful and completely inaccurate lawns.
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Post by Defender on May 20, 2021 6:01:39 GMT -5
Many thanks for the feedback Ken. It's also worth taxiing over to the maintenance areas to see the buildings and bits and pieces. AI percentage is the key and with the scenery objects set at four levels of density hopefully everyone can find a level that works for them. My testing was usually at extremely dense and 100% AI plus I have quite a lot of HQ AI and it still worked. Your interest in 1955 noted.
I had a look at how the London urban sprawl appears today on Google Earth and it's not so very different from the 1960 map I used so VFR is certainly not so far out. But where the FS team got their landclass ideas from goodness knows.
I do in fact have the VFR Photographic set myself, some loaded but not active because of frame rates. I admit that very occasionally I've used it for low and slow around the Lake District (with FS Global mesh) which is stunning. Even the footpaths show up and you can plan a hill walk in 3D! Southern England however is still in its wrapper. Sadly I can't get the Scottish Highlands which was out of production.
Bill
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Post by Defender on May 20, 2021 6:30:13 GMT -5
For those wondering what landclass editing can do here's how the London area appears. London Area 1960 Government map Same area FS9 default Same area with the EGLL 1962 edited landclass It also affects autogen types and makes it easier to find airports at night. Landclass editing courtesy of Tom's Classic Tips, calclassic.proboards.com/thread/6907/use-lwmviewer-fs9-landclass-editingBill
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Post by connieguy on May 20, 2021 7:33:19 GMT -5
Bill, The urban sprawl of London was controlled by the green belt legislation, which explains why the 1960 map is not too different to today. Moving the CC landclass folder to the bottom of the heap has given me back Mount Etna near Naples. I have found Fulvio Mazzokan'a Italian vfr scenery well worth bothering with, though I don't have it all installed. On Scotland, I picked up Horizon's Vol 4 The Western Isles, Vol 6 Scotland North and Vol 8 Scotland South on E-Bay. Bizarrely, the E-Bay seller told me that Vol 7 Scotland Central was never released for FS9. Flights from Stornoway to Burtonwood therefore have a rather strange aspect, as vfr alternates with default. I also have Horizon's The Netherlands and you can get Ireland East and West, but I don't fly there often enough for it to be worthwhile. Ken
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Post by Defender on May 20, 2021 8:31:52 GMT -5
Yes I now recall seeing the same thing about Volume 7. On the upland Highland areas, at least those areas you cross in or out of Prestwick/Renfrew, I changed the default landclass to cold grassland or similar which looks much better and more like the open moorland as it was before the forestry industry moved in. It gets rid of the mountain top trees. Nobody told MS that trees don't grow above about 2,500' in Scotland.
Bill
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