The Roman Army & Live Steam
Greece & Rome At War
I have a bit of a passion for Ancient Greek and Roman warfare and my all time favorite book is Greece and Rome At War by Peter Connolly (I have an Author signed edition)
My particular interest is Ancient Rome during the early Imperial period From Augustus to the civil war of 193 after the reign of Commodus.
It is the period of dynamic expansion and consolidation that had a profound effect on the world even down to our day.
There is a quotation in the Life of the Deified Augustus by Suetonius that is attributed to him which reads:
“May it be my privilege to establish the State in a firm and secure position and reap from that act the fruit that I desire; but only if I may be called the author of the best possible government, and bear with me the hope when I die that the foundations which I have laid for the State will remain unshaken”
Wow! If only he knew what he had set in motion would last so long.
The Roman army of that time was unmatchable They were well trained disciplined and professional there was nothing to match it until the formation of the modern army during the English civil war
The only reason they ever lost was due to poor leadership or when they fought each other during civil war.
Live Steam
Just to ensure I do not get bored I am helping a friend build a 5 inch gauge steam locomotive. The model is a Princess Coronation Class, or as more commonly known Duchess class and is considered to be Sir William Stanier’s ‘Magnum Opus’ for the former London Midland and Scottish Railway. Built in both Streamlined and un-streamlined versions they were designed to compete with Gresley’s Class A3’s and A4’s on the LNER’s East Coast route for the lucrative business between London and Scotland.
These massive and imposing locomotives were the most powerful express passenger steam locomotives to operate in the UK and monopolized top-link express train operation on the West Coast mainline out of the London Euston terminus for 25 years. A total of 38 members of the class were constructed and named after Royal personages, ladies of the British aristocracy and Cities in the United Kingdom. The penultimate member of the class was named most appropriately – Sir William A Stanier FRS.
We did not want to start with anything easy and to date it has taken us over five years.
It is a four cylinder engine which even as a model will be extremely powerful At the speed we are progressing it should be ready for a compressed air test in the next couple of years!
We then have to make the decision to continue and purchase the boiler. When we started it was possible to build your own boiler and then get a certificate once it passed its pressure tests. Unfortunately new EU regulations demand that all boilers have to be produced by a registered boiler maker. Increasing the cost considerably
I have a bit of a passion for Ancient Greek and Roman warfare and my all time favorite book is Greece and Rome At War by Peter Connolly (I have an Author signed edition)
My particular interest is Ancient Rome during the early Imperial period From Augustus to the civil war of 193 after the reign of Commodus.
It is the period of dynamic expansion and consolidation that had a profound effect on the world even down to our day.
There is a quotation in the Life of the Deified Augustus by Suetonius that is attributed to him which reads:
“May it be my privilege to establish the State in a firm and secure position and reap from that act the fruit that I desire; but only if I may be called the author of the best possible government, and bear with me the hope when I die that the foundations which I have laid for the State will remain unshaken”
Wow! If only he knew what he had set in motion would last so long.
The Roman army of that time was unmatchable They were well trained disciplined and professional there was nothing to match it until the formation of the modern army during the English civil war
The only reason they ever lost was due to poor leadership or when they fought each other during civil war.
Live Steam
Just to ensure I do not get bored I am helping a friend build a 5 inch gauge steam locomotive. The model is a Princess Coronation Class, or as more commonly known Duchess class and is considered to be Sir William Stanier’s ‘Magnum Opus’ for the former London Midland and Scottish Railway. Built in both Streamlined and un-streamlined versions they were designed to compete with Gresley’s Class A3’s and A4’s on the LNER’s East Coast route for the lucrative business between London and Scotland.
These massive and imposing locomotives were the most powerful express passenger steam locomotives to operate in the UK and monopolized top-link express train operation on the West Coast mainline out of the London Euston terminus for 25 years. A total of 38 members of the class were constructed and named after Royal personages, ladies of the British aristocracy and Cities in the United Kingdom. The penultimate member of the class was named most appropriately – Sir William A Stanier FRS.
We did not want to start with anything easy and to date it has taken us over five years.
It is a four cylinder engine which even as a model will be extremely powerful At the speed we are progressing it should be ready for a compressed air test in the next couple of years!
We then have to make the decision to continue and purchase the boiler. When we started it was possible to build your own boiler and then get a certificate once it passed its pressure tests. Unfortunately new EU regulations demand that all boilers have to be produced by a registered boiler maker. Increasing the cost considerably
