The weekly newsletter for Fed2 by ibgames

EARTHDATE: February 24, 2008

Official News page 9


REAL LIFE NEWS: THE END OF A SIMILE

by Hazed

Here in the UK we have a saying for any task that seems to be never-ending. We say "It's like painting the Forth Bridge". This refers to the railway bridge in Scotland that crosses the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh; it was built over 100 years ago, and during that time there have always been painters at work on the structure because whenever they get to the end, it's time to start over at the beginning again.

But we won't be able to use that simile for much longer, because this century-long paintjob is scheduled to finish in 2012. Network Rail, which maintains tracks in the UK, is about to pay £74 million for a special three-coat paintjob which will last for up to 40 years. It's similar to that used on oil rigs, and it will restore the bridge to its original condition and preserve the steel-work for decades.

Assuming the project doesn't overrun, of course!

For more information on the Forth Bridge, see http://www.forthbridges.org.uk/railbridgemain.htm.


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