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Rich5ltr
Joined: 28 Mar 2008
Posts: 678
Location: Hampshire, UK
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 Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2023 6:30 pm Post subject: |
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| Ray White wrote: | They (Americans) also don't differentiate between "their" and "there".
The worst offenders don't know the difference between "break" and "brake".
We still love 'em though! |
I am sure they do differentiate between 'their' and 'there' or at least they should do. It's probably more a case of poor education. |
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Ray White
Joined: 02 Dec 2014
Posts: 6318
Location: Derby
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| Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2023 7:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Rich5ltr wrote: | | Ray White wrote: | They (Americans) also don't differentiate between "their" and "there".
The worst offenders don't know the difference between "break" and "brake".
We still love 'em though! |
I am sure they do differentiate between 'their' and 'there' or at least they should do. It's probably more a case of poor education. |
You are probably right. Even in this country there are many people who conflate "less" with "fewer" and one dares not correct anyone for it.! |
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MikeEdwards
Joined: 25 May 2011
Posts: 2471
Location: South Cheshire
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| Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2023 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Penman wrote: | Mike;
Did your mate say Folksvagn? |
No, strangely enough, not that I recall.
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1976 Vauxhall HP Firenza, 1976 Vauxhall Sportshatch (x2), 1986 Audi coupe quattro, 2000 Audi TT |
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alastairq
Joined: 14 Oct 2016
Posts: 1954
Location: East Yorkshire
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| Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2023 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | The worst offenders don't know the difference between "break" and "brake". |
I was surprised to find the spelling ''break'' to be used, regarding vehicles [vee-high-culls?]...in British manuals, from the early 1900's, if not before.
Also that spelling was used to describe the 'brake' van [as I know it] on railways of the Victorian era. [Break Van]
How much of that is down to the original authors' idea of the spelling...and how much was down to the 'official' spelling, I know not.
But it isn't new [to my surprise] and not even an Americanism [to my surprise]
Hoods, trunks and fenders have me thinking twice about what is being said.
But the biggest issue I have in modern times concerns the google spellchecker!
Which doesn't seem to be able to differentiate between Americanisms, and those of the rest of the [English-speaking] world!
Despite the relevant box being ticked!
_________________
Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
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Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces. |
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Ray White
Joined: 02 Dec 2014
Posts: 6318
Location: Derby
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| Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2023 8:11 pm Post subject: |
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Someone correct me please if I am mistaken but I always thought the "BRAKE" van was the Guard's Van at the back of the train which had an actual BRAKE that he could operate.
I didn't think it had anything to do with him taking a BREAK. |
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Penman
Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 4757
Location: Swindon, Wilts.
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| Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2023 11:13 pm Post subject: |
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Ray; This section from Wiki has some explanation.
"The first railways, such as the pioneering Liverpool and Manchester Railway of 1830, used a version of the tramways buffer and chain coupling, termed a screw-coupling. Vehicles are coupled by hand using a hook and links with a turnbuckle-like device that draws the vehicles together. Vehicles have buffers, one at each corner on the ends, which are pulled together and compressed by the coupling device. With no continuous brake across the entire train,[1] the whole train was reliant on the braking capacity of the locomotive, and train lengths were restricted.
To allow for longer trains, early railway companies from the 1840s onwards began replicating industrial tramway practises, by adding "break vans". The term was derived from their name on the industrial tramways, in which they controlled the (residual) train if there was a "break" in the linkage to the locomotive.[citation needed] Early railway couplings had been found to be prone to breakages. The term was only replaced by "brake van" from the 1870s onwards.[
_________________
Bristols should always come in pairs.
Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10 |
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bjacko
Joined: 28 Oct 2013
Posts: 362
Location: Melbourne Australia
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2023 6:00 am Post subject: Brake Vans |
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They have always been known as Guards Vans in my train spotting days of the 1940'=50's until today. Brake or break vans are American terms as far as I remember!
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1938 Morris 8 Ser II Coupe Utility (Pickup)
1985 Rover SD1 VDP |
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alastairq
Joined: 14 Oct 2016
Posts: 1954
Location: East Yorkshire
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2023 1:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Brake or break vans are American terms as far as I remember! |
Very British terms, I'm afraid.
In the US, individual freight cars had their own manual braking systems...
They didn't have 'guards' either....but often, conductors, who were actually in charge of the whole train..the engineer simply drove the thing.
In the UK, the opposite applied.
In the US, brakesmen would walk along the roof walks applying brakes via the rooftop brake wheels.
Very quickly the Americans adopted continuous air brakes on trains.....before the Brits, I believe?
In the UK, for many years there existed goods trains which had no continuous brakes...Thus the guards van [or rather brake van] would assist the engine by having its brakes applied as & when needed. Also, a train may stop for the guard to walk along setting the brakes manually on each[or relevant] wagons, before continuing . Usually prior to a steep downhill bit.
_________________
Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
----------------------------------------------
Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces. |
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Penman
Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 4757
Location: Swindon, Wilts.
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2023 2:15 pm Post subject: |
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Alastair it is not a long time ago when I saw the sign at the top of Lickey Incline which instructed the guards of unfitted goods trains to pin down the brakes before descending...
It may still be there for all I know.
_________________
Bristols should always come in pairs.
Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10 |
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alastairq
Joined: 14 Oct 2016
Posts: 1954
Location: East Yorkshire
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2023 3:18 pm Post subject: |
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Indeed...
Signs of the past round here might still include warnings for drivers to 'engage bottom gear and remain in that gear, until the next sign [at the top]...'
More often than not, placed by the resident bus company...and woe betide a company driver who ignored the signs.
I believe one such example exists at the bottom of Ruswarp bank, near Whitby?
_________________
Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
----------------------------------------------
Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces. |
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Penman
Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 4757
Location: Swindon, Wilts.
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| Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2023 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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Hi
| Ray White wrote: | | If there is one word that I wish the Yanks would adopt, it is tyre. They insist on using the spelling 'tire'...which, to me, means something completely different. |
Apparently Tyre with the final E pronounced as EEE is a first name in part/s of America.
_________________
Bristols should always come in pairs.
Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10 |
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peter scott
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 7118
Location: Edinburgh
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| Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2023 11:44 pm Post subject: |
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I share your thoughts.
Peter 
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http://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon |
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ukdave2002
Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 4105
Location: South Cheshire
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| Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2023 12:38 am Post subject: |
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| Awesome thread, have a good day all. |
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Ray White
Joined: 02 Dec 2014
Posts: 6318
Location: Derby
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| Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2023 11:45 am Post subject: |
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| ukdave2002 wrote: | | Awesome thread, have a good day all. |
Awesome is another example. You have correctly posted it as an adjective. It is often incorrectly used as a noun. |
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