{"id":8505,"date":"2023-03-28T23:26:10","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T22:26:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markwilson.co.uk\/blog\/?p=8505"},"modified":"2023-03-29T21:37:15","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T20:37:15","slug":"timeless-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markwilson.co.uk\/blog\/2023\/03\/timeless-technology.htm","title":{"rendered":"Timeless technology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In recent days, I’ve been thinking about tech that has become ubiquitous. Like the IBM Personal Computer – which is now well over 40 years old and I still use a derivative of it every day. But then I started to think about tech that’s no longer in daily use but yet which still seems modern and futuristic…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

…like Concorde<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Concorde may not have become as world-dominant was originally intended but, for a while, the concept of supersonic flying was the height (pun absolutely intended) of luxury air travel. Sadly, changing market demands, soaring costs, environmental impacts, and the Paris crash of AF4590 in 2000 sealed its fate. The plane’s operators (British Airways and Air France) agreed to end commercial flights of the jet from 2003.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The elegant lines and delta wings still look as great today as they would have in 1969. And supersonic commercial flights may even be returning to the skies by the end of the decade<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

…the British Rail Advanced Passenger Train<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

British Rail’s Advanced Passenger Train (Experimental) – or APT-E<\/a> – of 1972 is like a silver dart. Just as you don’t have to be a plane-spotter to appreciate Concorde, the APT-E’ is ‘s sleek lines scream “fast” and in 1975 it set a new British speed record of just over 150 miles an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The APT project was troublesome but the technology it developed lived on in other forms. The idea of a High Speed Train (HST) developed into the famous Inter-City 125. That was introduced in 1976 and is only now being withdrawn from service. Meanwhile, tilting train technology is used for high speed trains on traditional lines – most notably the Pendolinos on the UK’s West Coast Main Line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

…and Oxyg\u00e8ne<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Last night, I was relaxing by idly flicking through YouTube recommendations and it showed me this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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