Comments for Sutton Grapevine

Comment on Hovertrains and visions of the future by CHRIS ROCKETT

CHRIS ROCKETT — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 21:13:15 +0000

My late fathet worked at tracked hovercraft from the start until the end as a maintenance worker. I went to the factory many times and saw the train and track . I remenber the tv cameras being their to film when any attempt was made to run the train. My father collected several photos of the train and buildings and also manuels with train specifactions etc. I do feel that these documents should be on show but i am not sure where they should go ? My father was kept on when tracked hovercraft closed by the new company called ICOS who where involved in excurvation work around the world, so he had many good years at that site.

Comment on Hovertrains and visions of the future by mike keane

mike keane — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:45:19 +0000

I was a boy of 10 in 1972 living in Earith. I remember all the excitement when the body of the train was brought through the village on the back of a lorry, and the problem it had with corners and telephone poles due to its size.

One of my friends father worked on the project and we went down to see the “first” run. – there was no one there, we waited by the wire fence for hours and hours – nothing, finally disappointed and bored we started walking back alone the dyke, suddenly we heard a strange noise and turning round , the yellow train glided past us, we whooped and shouted as we ran along side..it was not going very fast. As a child the whole thing was just “magic”

I pretty sure it was yellow, or maybe white – without any markings -maybe someone can confirm as childhood memories are often wrong

Comment on Hovertrains and visions of the future by Norman Sandland

Norman Sandland — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 10:34:04 +0000

I am happy to discuss my memories of the project with any interested partis

Norman Sandland

Comment on Hovertrains and visions of the future by Norman Sandland

Norman Sandland — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 10:31:17 +0000

I worked on the Hover train Project from 1969 to its closure in 1972. The 70 ft. vehicle was a test vehicle running on air cushions and propelled be a single sided linear Induction motor, the brainchild of professor Eric Laithwait of Imperial College. I was responsible for the design and performance of the computer system used to collect and process the telemetry data from the vehicle during it’s test runs and from other test rigs at the project headquarters in Cambridge..

The project was cancelled by the nice Mr. Hazeltine, then minister of Technology (in which he had zero experience) despite an approach from those horrible Frenchmen who were working on a similar vehicle. They wanted to set up a European joint project but to quote Hazeltine at the time “You cannot trust the French can you!”.

We reached a speed in the last run of the vehicle of 107 miles per hour on the short track of 1.5 miles from a standing start and a dramatic arrestor hook stop. The team on the motor moved to Canada and the dynamics team moved to Germany. U.K lost the technology (yet again). It was a great experience to work on the project. The civil engineering contractors would appear to have taken short cuts in preparing the piles (they were not installed to the design length) for the high level end of the track which promptly fell over in its first stages of construction, hence we only had the 1.5 mile length of track to work with.

Happy to discuss with any interested parties.

Regards Norman Sandland

Comment on What are you growing? by rodge

rodge — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 21:40:30 +0000

thats my nans board, i hope you asked her

Comment on Sutton Recordings by Where We Went « Sutton Grapevine

Where We Went « Sutton Grapevine — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:46:06 +0000

[...] can hear edited excerpts from all the above including from the many conversations we recorded with [...]

Comment on Sutton Grapevine at the Babylon Gallery by Where We Went « Sutton Grapevine

Where We Went « Sutton Grapevine — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:45:46 +0000

[...] Babylon Gallery Exhibit: We set up a map and postcards to collect visitors’ stories for Sutton Grapevine and promote the project. People were encouraged to write or draw their stories and pin them down on the map, or record them. Through this we connected with two villagers who then went on to record a series of wonderful stories for the project that can be hear on this site. [...]

Comment on Share your Story by | Proboscis

| Proboscis — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:28:32 +0000

[...] Should you find yourself in the area please come and find us in Sutton to add a story to the Grapevine or join in remotely. [...]

Comment on Join Proboscis in Sutton, 3- 9 June by | Proboscis

| Proboscis — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:28:22 +0000

[...] you find yourself in the area please come and find us in Sutton to add a story to the Grapevine or join in [...]

Comment on Hovertrains and visions of the future by Judy Ballanger

Judy Ballanger — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:32:57 +0000

Yes, the hovertrain was just a test, that’s all. It was such a clever idea but the technology was a British invention that just died a death due to lack of funds. It was not intended that people would move and commute using it. At that time the fens were very agricultural and people tended to work near home.