14 April 2010 - Spring Social Event
The first event in our Summer Programme was in fact held in the Spring at the Colchester Bowling Club near Ardleigh, when the President and Pam welcomed 46 Members and guests to an evening of wine, good food, and an interesting presentation by the National Trust on their properties and activities in the immediate area of Colchester.
The venue was new to most of us and the Bowling Green provided a lovely outlook from the clubhouse which may have whetted the appetite of potential bowlers and if it did please contact me for a practice run.
The bar was well used to supplement the reception wine and the supper, provided by our caterers was sumptuous, full of special nibbles and tasty treats and to say the least was more than adequate. Well done to those who took a doggy bag away with them!! The President's breakfast would have never been the same otherwise!!
A donation was given to both the Bowling Club and the National Trust and we still made a small profit.
A reminder for those of you who did not attend to put a note in your diaries for next year. The Council hope you all enjoyed the event - the start to a super Summer Programme for you all. Please try to support as many events as you can. John Hutton
21 - 23 May 2010 - Visit to Kent and Calais
 Blessed with beautiful weather which fortunately lasted all weekend, 43 members and guests set forth for a weekend together. The Friday was largely spent north of the Thames, our first visit being to the Coryton Gas Fired Power Station. After a very welcome coffee break the engineering staff gave an in depth presentation about the plant followed by a tour of the compact site. The main source of motive power are two Alstom gas fired turbines each coupled to a generator. However the extremely hot and usually redundant exhaust produced by these units is passed through a steam generator and in turn this drives a steam turbine coupled to its own generator, giving the plant an overall efficiency of over 60%. The Magnox Atomic Power Stations, such as Bradwell generated about 400MW of electricity whereas Coryton generates 800MW and employs only 39 regular staff.
 Having enjoyed an excellent complimentary lunch at the power station we moved on to Stratford where, in the company of a "Blue Badge" Guide we toured around the outside of the Olympic Park using the coach.. This was followed by a walk along a newly constructed footpath which disects the park. Many buildings including the main stadium look almost complete but there is much "fitting out" still to be done. Although 22,000 competitors are expected to attend the games there will be in excess of 28,000 media persons on site and the Media Centre is the size of the Canary Wharf tower laid on its side. After the tour there was time to relax as we made our way to our sea front hotel in Hythe and a welcome evening meal.
Saturday, following an early start, we crossed to France
using the Channel Tunnel and headed for our first stop the German
WWII V3 Site at Mimoyecques. Much to our disappointment a notice on
the gate proclaimed "This Site is Closed Until The End of March 2010 for
Refurbishment and Enlargement Funded by the E.U." Having received
written confirmation of opening times and admission charges we could
only wonder at what had gone wrong - and pressed on to the main
attraction -
 La Coupola V2 Rocket Assembly and Launching Site. This certainly was not a disappointment! Like so many German military projects this was a massive undertaking - a 72 metre diameter, 5½ metre thick concrete dome built over an existing quarry which was excavated further to provide the necessary facilities. It was constructed by local and east European workers who had a life expectancy as low as two weeks. Consequently thousands died and are buried on the site. Although the R.A.F. failed to penetrate the dome the ground around it was extensively re-arranged and that, coupled with the advance of allied armies forced the Germans to abandon the site before a rocket could be fired. The associated museum has been enlarged over the past two years and now includes a café, video theatre, exhibits on the V1, V2 & V3 and even some initial drawings of a V4 rocket capable of landing a conventional or nuclear
warhead on New York.
As we did not stop at Mimoyecques, Bob Light suggested we might like to spend the end of our visit in the lovely town of St.Omer. This was agreed and most members and friends ended up in the town square sampling the local beverages and cakes before returning once again to Hythe.
 First visit on Sunday was to New Romney Station and Engine Sheds of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway - the smallest Public railway in the world. Opened in July 1927 the railway saw service during WW II but afterwards had a chequered life until bought and now operated by a group of enthusiasts and volunteers. The first eight locomotives were built in 1925 by Davy Paxman at Colchester and on
our arrival one of these was in the station yard, taking on coal and water so we had a chance to have a close inspection. We were given a comprehensive tour of the engine sheds and a visit to what must be one of the largest "00" gauge model railway layouts in the country. There was just enough time for a quick "cuppa" in the station restaurant, where our president, John Hutton, presented a cheque to the Managing Director of the Railway in appreciation for our visit before boarding the 11.35 am train to Hythe.
 Our Kings coach and driver Peter were waiting to take us on to Dover Castle for lunch and our afternoon tours of the Defence Tunnels buried within the "white cliffs". Construction of the Green Goddess
tunnels was commenced in the 13th Century to improve the castles defences following a prolonged siege in 1216-17. These were considerably extended during each of the World Wars but now to provide Command, Communication and Hospital facilities in an area which was to known as "Hell Fire Corner" These facilities have been re-equipped and now appear as they would have been during WW II.
 The week following our visit was the 70th anniversary of the
Dunkirk Evacuation which was organised and controlled from these
underground defences. The Great Tower or Keep of the castle, built by
Henry II was not initially intended to be a defensive structure but a
very upmarket hotel for the king to display his power and wealth to his
guests. English Heritage have spent nearly £2million over the last two
years giving the main hall and adjacent rooms a "make over" and we can
now appreciate just how magnificent they would have looked in 1180.
All
too soon it was time to leave, relax on the coach and wend our way back
to Colchester and Yes! - The sun was still shining.
COLCHESTER ROBOT CHARIOTS 11th October 2009
The 5th Annual Colchester Robot Chariots event promoted by the Colchester Engineering Society, was held on Sunday 11th October at The Colchester County High School for Girls.
School teams from the Chelmsford and Colchester area competed to build a battery operated device on which was mounted a Roman Chariot. The teams then had three events to compete in.
The first was a sprint race involving pairs of chariots and the fastest in each race competed in a knock out competition. The winner of this event was team Lizard Light Bulb, Nida Raoof and Molly Rampton from the Colchester County High School for Girls.
The next event was to race round a replica of a Roman Circus, which was won by team Flaming Falcons, Amelia Hacon and Danielle Young from the Colchester County High School for Girls.
The best looking roman Chariot was judged by the Mayor Councillor Henry Spivey, the Lady Mayoress and Jess Jephcott. Jess was dressed in authentic roman costume and also brought along a roman chariot. The winner of this event was team Bobs, James Oldfield and Sean Curtin from the King Edward Grammar School Chelmsford.
During the lunch interval, John Woods and his colleague from the Essex University brought along some of their advanced robots and demonstrated their capabilities.
At the conclusion of the event the mayor presented the prizes which were donated by Rapid Electronics the main sponsor of the event, to the winners. Mike Rumsey
 INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION – Industrial Expansion in Ipswich – 23 October 2009 - Elizabeth Townsend (a member of CES)
The Ransomes of this firm is the same family as that of Ransomes Sims & Jefferies, the great grandson of their founder was Robert James Ransome born 1830 and died 1897, he made friends with Richard Christopher Rapier 1836-1897 and due to the fact that Ransomes Sims & Head (as it was called then) wanted to concentrate on agriculture machinery and lose the heavy machine making – the firm Ransomes & Rapier was founded 1869 – Waterside Works, Ipswich. These two men were of very different characters, Robert James ‘a man not of great bodily activity …. Reigned in almost splendid isolation’ whereas Rapier was ‘here there and everywhere, designing. inventing, estimating, commercial traveller one day and artisan the next…’
Rapier wrote a book ‘Remunerative Railways’ (published to this day) concerning selling railways to new countries ‘or in new districts of old countries’. He organised the building of the first railway engine in China called the ‘Pioneer’ which arrived in China in 1874 – it made its first trip of approx. ¾ of a mile on Chinese soil in 1876. R&R began by making railways and all the necessary items that went with them, as ‘railway mania’ swept England and other firms made the actual engines, the firm diversified and specialised in making cranes for mishaps and debris on the railways. The main characters after Rapier and Robert Ransome were Mary Fenwick Rapier (only daughter of Rapier) who married Phillip Folliot Stokes who was a director of the firm from 1896-1922. His brother Sir Wilfrid Scott Stokes who received his knighthood because he designed the Stokes Mortar Gun for the 1st WW as well as being Chairman of the East Anglian Munitions Committee, he also wrote a book – all about cranes! He was a great inventor – ‘a man of striking personality, charm and whimsical humour’. After these two came Richard Rapier Stokes – Managing Director of the firm 1927 – 1957, and Socialist MP for Ipswich 1938-1957, Privy Councillor, Minister of Works responsible for the Festival of Britain. Also Elizabeth’s father Anthony Scott Stokes (1898-1970) who was ‘Technical Director and was responsible for some ingenious products’. Also the Hintlesham Festival.
Some of the notable achievements of the firm other than the Chinese railway – 1) Water Control systems, including the Aswan Dam and barrages up the Blue and White Nile, Richmond Bridge, dams all over the world . 2) Revolving stage for London Coliseum. 3) Concrete pumps, mixers etc. 4) Revolving Restaurant for G.P.O. Tower, London. 5) Walking Draglines. 6) Many cranes. 7) Turntables for engines. 8) Catapult work. 9) Social work far in advance of its time.
The end – 1961 Newton Chamber took over the firm, announced closure 1972 but was bought out by Central & Sherwood and decision reversed. 1987, 5th May to end of September, Robert Maxwell was involved and gained control. By 1st October 1987, Ransomes & Rapier had ceased trading.
Elizabeth Townsend
 MINIATURE RAILWAYS – 20 November 2009
David Henshaw is the Editor of A to B magazine and on his previous visit to Colchester Engineering Society he gave a talk about Electric Bicycles but this time his topic was Miniature Railways.
In the mid Victorian era model engineering became fashionable and many gentlemen of means adopted miniature railways to grace their country estates. One of these wealthy enthusiasts in 1880 was Sir Arthur Heywood of Duffield Bank near Derby. He is regarded as the Father of miniature railways. His railway was of 15” gauge and it had two steep gradients and sharp curves.
The Earl of Westminster was interested also and used his miniature railway to carry coal to the very large stately home. This railway was used until the second world war and then was abandoned. However it has now been refurbished and is used to give trips to the public visiting Eaton Hall.
 A locomotive engineer named Henry Greenley in 1927 produced the first true 15” gauge miniature locos (obtainable as kits) for J. Bassett-Lowke and these have become classics. Bassett-Lowke thought these miniature railways had a future as leisure attractions and in 1915 converted an old freight line in Cumbria to a 15” railway and this still runs as the commercial Ravenglass & Eskdale. Other railways of note were Captain Howey’s Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch and a railway at Dudley Zoo (1938).
In the 1880’s other people who did not have great country estates wanted garden railways and so there was a tendency to go for smaller gauges – some 9” or 9½“ but by the 1930’s the 10¼” gauge was firmly established. Yet another reduction in gauge was recorded first in 1906 when a Mr. Mitchel of Nottingham had a 7¼” railway in his garden. Another gauge which has proved popular with owners of small gardens is the 5” miniature railway. This gives plenty of opportunity to have complex layouts with tight curves etc in a small space. It is effectively the smallest gauge which can carry people.
 David accompanied his talk with many excellent photographs – mainly of locomotives and rolling stock of various gauges in different locations such as:- Camberley: Cleethorpes: North Bay at Scarborough: Lord Rattan’s Stapleford: Oakhill in the Mendips: Broadland, Worthing: Dreamland, Margate: Dobwalls, Cornwall: Plowmans, Bournemouth: Luscombe Valley, Poole: Beer Heights: Eastleigh: Exbury Gardens, Lymington: Tat Bank: and Purbeck School. He also included pictures of his own garden miniature railway as it developed into a fun plaything for his young family & friends and into an essential means of transport for all the other garden chores.
Miniature railways seems to be a peculiarly English occupation with about 600 tracks in existence. However, David pointed out that over the years many miniature railways closed down and became redundant but strangely the locomotives and rolling stock reappeared some time later on a different track, sometimes refurbished, rebuilt or modified but he seemed to enjoy the detective work of identifying the origins of these reused items of miniature railway. Les. Handley
 AGM and Presidential Presentation - 15 January 2010
Following the formal business of the AGM, David Cannon the retiring President handed over to John Hutton the incoming President for the next two years.
John, in the title of his Presidential Presentation, posed the question - The Greatest Civil Engineer? He went on to show a DVD about the life and works of Thomas Telford.
Thomas Telford, the son of a shepherd, was born in Westerkirk, Scotland in 1757. At the age of 14 he was apprenticed to a stonemason. He worked for a time in Edinburgh and in 1792 he moved to London where he was involved in building additions to Somerset House. Two years later he found work at Portsmouth dockyard.
 In 1787 he became surveyor of public works for
Shropshire. By this time Telford had established a good reputation as an
engineer and in 1790 was given the task of building a bridge over the
River Severn at Montford. This was followed by a canal that linked the
ironworks and collieries of Wrexham with Chester and Shrewsbury. This
involved building an aqueduct over the River Dee. On the Pontcysyllte
Aqueduct, Telford used a new method of construction consisting of
troughs made from cast-iron plates and fixed in masonry.
After
the completion of the Ellesmere Canal Telford moved back to Scotland
where he took control of the building of Caledonian Canal. Other works
by Telford include the Menai Suspension Bridge (1819-1826) and St.
Katherine's Docks (1824-1828) in London.
Telford was also an
important road builder. He was responsible for rebuilding the Shrewsbury
to Holyhead road and the North Wales coast road between Chester and
Bangor. During his life Telford built more than 1,000 miles of road,
including the main road between London and Holyhead. Thomas Telford died
in 1834.
Les Handley
 9 February 2010 - Rainbows, Halos and Glories by Dr. Cyril Isenberg
Dr. Isenberg brought plenty of equipment with him to demonstrate the Characteristics of the three effects he was to explain.
 Everyone knows what a rainbow is but he described scientifically how the rainbow was formed by refraction and internal reflection within droplets of moisture. The critical angle being 42 º. He also pointed out that often a reverse rainbow could be seen above the original bright one separated by a dark area known as "Alexander's Dark Band."
He demonstrated these effects by shining a light onto a screen which had tiny glass beads stuck to its surface.
 A Halo is similarly brought about by refraction and reflection but this time the agent is ice crystals. This time the critical angle is 22 º. Moon dogs and Sun dogs are also bright features that appear on either side of the moon or sun. These occur as a result of almost invisible clouds of ice crystals high in the atmosphere. Cloud crystals are varieties of hexagonal prisms, (6 sides) and range in shapes from long columns to thin plate-like shapes that have different face sizes. Dr. Isenberg demonstrated the halo effect by shining a laser light onto a screen through a container full of crystals.
Another demonstration used a venetian blind to show an effect known as Moon (or Sun) Pillars. With a bright light situated behind the blind the pillar effect was obvious to all. This again is created by ice crystals although this time the light is reflected off their flat surfaces.
The final effect - the Glory - described, with photographs, was that of a climber on top of a mountain with the sun casting his shadow onto clouds behind him. The shadow is often surrounded by a brightness which looks like a halo. The same effect can be seen at times from an aircraft flying in sunshine above the clouds when the shadow formed by the aircraft has the bright light surrounding it.
Dr. Isenberg, as with his previous lecture on Bubbles, was very active and enthusiastic in his presentation, dashing between the overhead projector and his various demonstrations with great vigour. The lecture was very much enjoyed by all present. Les Handley
 19 March 2010 - Gunfleet Sands Offshore Wind Farm by Peter N. Sills of DONG Energy
The Gunfleet Sands project is located approximately 7 Km south-east of Clacton-on-Sea. The project consists of two phases: Gunfleet Sands 1 with and 30 Turbines and Gunfleet Sands 2 with18 Turbines.
The two phases came about to some extent because the boundary of Phase 1 coincided with the boundary of The London Port Authority whist Phase 2 was outside this boundary and so different planning regulations and authorisations were required.
Each turbine generates 3.6 MW giving a total capacity for the project of 172 MW. The rotor diameter of the turbines is 107 metres with a maximum height of 129 metres from blade tip to sea level. The total area of Phase 1 is 10 SqKm and of Phase 2 is 7.5 SqKm. The turbines are positioned with spacing of 435 m x 890 m. The entire wind farm will generate enough clean, green energy to power approx. 120,000 homes (about 20% of the households in Essex).
The Turbines are mounted on top of monopile foundations which are about 5 m in diameter, with an overall length of 50 m and a sea bed penetration of up to 40 m .Rock has been used as scour protection around some of the turbines. The turbines generate at about 600 volts and this is passed through an inverter and a transformer to become to 33 KV AC. The cables linking the individual turbines to the offshore sub-station (Array cables) are three core/three phase cables. At the off shore sub-station the voltage is transformed to 132 KV and three core cables are used to reach landfall at Holland Haven (Export cable). The three phase cable is jointed to 3, single phase 132 KV cables from shore to the land sub-station at Cooks Green where the power is connected into the National Grid.
16 April 2010 - "Ship Repairing Viewed from Both Sides of the Counter" by David Blincow
This meeting was a joint meeting with the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (SE Branch)
Mr Blincow's career as a Superintendent of Shipping for different companies, including "Blue Funnel", and as a Manager for Ship Repair companies in different parts of the world including Australia, Japan, France, Greece & Malta and his experiences with technical, organisational and sometimes political problems formed the basis of a fascinating lecture on the processes involved in keeping ships serviceable when any time spent out of use could involve astronomical costs. He now runs his own ship repair consultancy.
The talk was well illustrated by examples of particular engineering problems which were solved by hard work, ingenuity and good organisation. Some of the problems were breakdowns, some were accidents and some were inadequate design or materials, particularly in the rush to produce ever larger and more economic vessels. A feature of marine engineering which was stressed was the importance of dry-docking to enable proper surveys of the condition of vessels to be carried out. These days this is not as frequent as it once was.
During his career of nearly 50 years, Mr. Blincow has seen many changes in the style of cargo ships from the traditional "3 island" format, via RoRo types, right though to the very large container vessels which are now a common sight at Felixstowe. Also the scope of shipping companies changed over the years because of technology - in one case his company in 1972 owned 136 ships but by 1983 it only had 15 vessels but with much larger capacity. He himself during this period oversaw the sale of 52 ships.
The attendance at the meeting was about 80 and everyone found the subject and presentation fascinating and enjoyable. Les Handley
 FAMILY RECYCLING CHALLENGE 24 April 2010
Last Saturday over thirty children mainly from the Broomgrove School, Wivenhoe took part in the Family Recycling Competition at the Hythe Community Centre, organised by the Colchester Engineering Society and sponsored by the Colchester Borough Council and Rapid Electronics, .
The challenge was to bring along a creation made from recyclable material found in the home.
Items ranged from a bi-plane, tank, rocket, bicycle and many more other ingenious designs.
The other challenge was to replicate three objects made by the Engineering Society, a robot, spaceship and steam engine all within two hours, from similar recyclable material provided by the society.
The creations were judged with the help of society member Jo Foster, and prizes given to the winners by The Mayor of Colchester Councillor Henry Spyvee and Mayoress Vivien Spyvee.
The winners of the first competition were Connor Knights and Dave Kim with a water powered boat and winners of the second competition Lewis and Alex McElroy with a steam engine and India Griffiths and Madelaine Westland with a boat. Mike Rumsey
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