Bridge that Gap: Great Central Railway News

I'm disappointed to see one of the engineers taking a photograph with a tablet instead of a proper camera. Yes, I know it does the job, but not so well.

 

If it is in focus and suitable resolution, what's the problem?

Thinking about the logistics of the work from the engineers point of view. Having a device from which you can take a photo and then save it directly, time- and geo-stamped, in whatever record keeping application you are using to control the work seems a lot better than taking a photo in a separate "proper camera", then having to remove the card, find a card reader, upload the photos etc, presumably back at the office and with a risk that you no longer remember precisely what each photo shows.

Ultimately, they are taking a record of the work done, not trying to win the National Geographic travel photography award.

Tom

 

Modern DSLRs and compacts come with GPS, and Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity. Apps such as SnapBridge or CameraConnect allow almost instant transfer. The only possible disadvantage I can see is perhaps lugging extra kit.

 

The plumber who services our boiler does exactly that - the photos get saved directly into the application they use to record each job, and can be annotated there and then.

One thing I don't understand from the video, perhaps someone can enlighten me - why are they painting the bridge, and then fixing the rust holes? I'd have thought they would have done so while it was still bare metal, and thus easier to weld?

 

I guess it is painted straight away because freshly blasted metal starts to rust immediately, especially in a damp atmosphere this time of year over water.

 

As someone 'at the sharp end' of on-site inspections having one device is far easier than two and you also assume that bean counters will sanction the extra cost. By the time the approval process for buying an extra bit of kit went through the camera technology/resolution on my phone was as good as the camera I was directed to buy.

Not in this case but actually getting on site can be a pain if you have to declare and have inspected every piece of kit. Many a happy hour spent cross checking my toolbox at entry and exit against the paperwork.

 

On a tablet you can see a *large* real-time image of a otherwise visually inaccessible area, which will help you decide what pictures to take. Seems very well suited to this kind of job.

 

I suspect I am not the only one to be adding record photos to their VMI and Unplanned Work Sheets. I started off using an I pad but my phone now produces equal quality records and can get into more restricted spaces. For someone who started off with slide rules, log and steam tables with records made with type writers with ink type ribbons and carbon copy paper (remember the mess they made) that's quite an advance in 50 years.
Brian

 

I follow the logic of the posts above. In my days as a young engineer, I drove the van with my boss smoking his pipe and reading the Times. Once on site, without any access checks of course, the boss would take off his brogues, put on his wellies and amble off. I would gather all the kit and try to catch up. At location, he would dictate notes and I might have to sketch a few things and measure up, without dropping anything in the muck. Sounds a bit easier today although I wouldn't like all the paperwork.

 

The overhaul and maintenance records at Havenstreet have been backed up and enhanced by the use of photos for a good few years now, very much easier to do when the main sever gives you access to all written documents and the photos. Photos are taken with a mixture of phones and cameras. The Engineering instructions also benefit from the inclusion of photos.

 

The days of cost cutting have hit hard... The boss can't afford to have an assistant, has to use his safety shoes as day wear and travels to far off sites stuffed in to seats designed for transporting sparrows. Of course you have to give instant feedback, resolve the problem and calm the customer down whilst dreaming of the luxury MacDonalds you will eat on the way back home as nothing else is open that time of night... I love an easy life...

 

Adding to the comments above: I'm not saying that a tablet is unsuitable, but a proper camera is much easier to hold and point in the right direction, and zooming to frame exactly what is of interest is surely easier with ring on the lens than with a touch screen. But this is an instance of two tests of a good engineer: a) knowing the right tool for the job, and b) still being able to get the job done if the right tool isn't available.

Anyway that's more than enough thread drift prompted by my rant. Let's agree to differ.

Meanwhile I am of course pleased to see the rapid progress on the canal bridge.

 

I had the misfortune of spending somentime working as a Hydrometric Engineer.

The move over to either toughbooks or Tablets with cameras for field work was definitely a welcome step for us- saved considerable time in the field and in the office being able to take and immediately highlight/annotate photographs whilst on site.

Chris

 

Work is still on going on the Canal Bridge, there was no sign of the "Lattice" sections yet though.
Picture taken with a camera though.....

 

Are the lattice sections the metal ornate criss cross barriers that are riveted on the sides of the up and down bridge decks phil?

 

People may be interested in this picture of the bridge on my first visit to the GCR.
View looking north from Loughborough Central depot by jon33040, on Flickr

 

Thanks for that picture Desperado, it shows those "Lattice" sections very well. They had been removed and sent to a firm in South Wales to be refurbished.

 

The Canal Bridge has been uncovered completely now and is in its new coat of paint. I expect the "lattice" sections will be put back in place in the New Year.

 

Excellent it's great to see the results of a donation. I'll take a look when I visit for the post-Xmas running days.

 

Well done on donating Mike. I've suggested that, when the lattice girders are back and the bridge is finished, they lay 50m of temporary track, do a shed shunt and get a steam locomotive through the engine shed and posed over the canal to kickstart the next section fundraiser.......