Vintage work crew photos

[Jon]

United States Postal Service workers showing off their motorized scooters. 1917.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...s_fullsize.jpg

[Toolmaker51]

So, which is Dean Kamen's grandfather?

[Ralphxyz]

Yes Frank, your appraisal is more likely!

Ralph

[Frank S]

Yes Frank, your appraisal is more likely!

Ralph

But the title would still be correct as tying into an existing line with a new one is installing a pipeline

[Beserkleyboy]

TM51,
Wow! That's a blast from the past...XERB, the Mighty 1090! I used to listen to the Wolfman from my suburban bedroom in Orinda Calif in 69-71...sorta like nearly meeting the outside world...and through my shortwave listening, on a Lafayette Radio 5 band receiver from a kit, $40!, I sent a QSL to Radio Havana Cuba, and promptly got on their mailing list for their 'Granma' newsprint propaganda sheet...complete with copious stories and BW photos of Che Guevara; my mum was a bit worried, but the CIA never came calling... Thanks for the memory, cheers

Jim in South Coast NSW Aus

[Jon]

1910s Navy airship and crew. Largest image size available.

[Ralphxyz]

What are those tubes hanging down from the airship?

[mklotz]

Surprisingly, this compilation...

https://bluejacket.com/usn_avi_lta.html

indicates that the the earliest classes of Navy dirigibles (A, B, C) were filled with hydrogen. It wasn't until C-7 that helium was used.

I suspect the smaller of the two tubes was used to spill the water ballast so the ship could rise. The other tube might be a gas vent for descending. Maybe that tube is a fill tube. In either case, why the strange angle?

[Denis G]

What are those tubes hanging down from the airship?

I think that they are tubes to allow air in and out of the "ballonets" (interior balloons) to control the pressure in the airship:
https://aviation.stackexchange.com/q...-a-zeppelin-nt
The ballonets within the airship also control the trim.

[Ralphxyz]

I do not see any rigging on the angled one there might be something on the smaller one.