End of the line for the mile, the chain and the yard

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

ERTMS^▸ (European Rail Traffic Management System.) only works in metric.....

http://www.railnews.co.uk/news/2013/10/01-end-of-the-line-for.html

[Phil]

Poor old Yardley Wood station - it was nice knowing you. Somehow 09144ley Wood Station doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

[trainer]

All aboard for Mile End. 

[Tim]

Cruacha(I)n anyone

[Electric train]

ETRMS is not the only driving force behind this.  It is becoming increasingly more difficult in engineering terms to work in imperial units modern GPS surveying and measuring equipment work in metric; materials, components etc are supplied / manufactured in metric dimensions, weights and volumes

There are now whole generations of engineers that were educated only in metric, I was trained in both and worked with a mix now if I say to an engineer or tradesman I want something 6 11/16" by 100 by 21/32" they go 

My current project we refer to "chainage" but in actual fact it is meters.

[Red Squirrel]

...but in actual fact it is meters.

Picky of me to point it out, but I've noticed an increasing tendency towards using the US spelling of 'metre' - which I find odd given that metric units are less-widely used there. I know I should learn to live with this kind of thing, but it sticks in my craw; also it is to my mind useful to keep the distinction between the unit of measurement (the metre) and the measuring device (the meter). While I'm on the subject, does anyone else find it irritating that people pronounce 'kilometre' to rhyme with 'thermometer' rather than follow the pattern of 'milimetre' and 'centimetre'? Again, it sounds like a device for measuring 'kiloness' rather than a multiple of a metre.

Just me then 

At least the railways didn't repeat the daft mistake that was introduced on the roads with the (otherwise excellent) Warboys signage, whereby 'm' is used to mean 'miles' - how are they going to get round that one when they finally bite the bullet?

[Phil]

I know I'm generally old and increasingly curmudgeonly anyway, but I for one will only start using metric instead of imperial measurements at such time as our leaders start showing some leadership and the national media follows suit.

And in particular, when the weight of royal babies starts being announced in kilogrammes I'll know the game is lost for once and for all.

With apologies for referencing the Daily Mail:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2374332/Kate-Middletons-Royal-baby-boy-heaviest-future-king-100-years.html

[JayMac]

Saundersthirtypointfoureightcentimetres is a bit of a mouthful.

Will all those stations with -ton in their name have to change to -tonne?

[Red Squirrel]

Saundersthirtypointfoureightcentimetres is a bit of a mouthful.

Will all those stations with -ton in their name have to change to -tonne?

No.

I find it helpful to know that a foot is pretty close to a light-nanosecond though.

[grahame]

If we're truly going decimal, does Sleights become Sltens?

[Red Squirrel]

I have a dim recollection that when our currency went decimal (15 Feb 71; 21 Feb for buses!) the plan was to complete metrication by 1974. We seem to have slightly overshot that target!

It'd be interesting to know what percentage (or should it be fraction?) of people wish to see the current mess of partial metrication projected ad infinitum, rather than pressing on to complete what is surely an inevitable process. I appreciate that there are some issues that would require thought (for example, some counties have retained cast iron 'heritage' signposts with distances in miles) but none of this should be insurmountable. As a first step, introducing 'M' instead of 'm' as the abbreviation for 'mile' on road signs would surely make sense.

I see metrication as another example of how the rail industry is shaking off it's old-fashioned image. Good to see!

[ChrisB]

Picky of me to point it out, but I've noticed an increasing tendency towards using the US spelling of 'metre' - which I find odd given that metric units are less-widely used there. I know I should learn to live with this kind of thing, but it sticks in my craw; also it is to my mind useful to keep the distinction between the unit of measurement (the metre) and the measuring device (the meter). While I'm on the subject, does anyone else find it irritating that people pronounce 'kilometre' to rhyme with 'thermometer' rather than follow the pattern of 'milimetre' and 'centimetre'? Again, it sounds like a device for measuring 'kiloness' rather than a multiple of a metre.

Definitely WITH you on the first, but kilo-metre? You serious? Sorry, but it rhymes with thermometer.

[Red Squirrel]

Definitely WITH you on the first, but kilo-metre? You serious? Sorry, but it rhymes with thermometer.

I recognise I'm probably on the losing side of this argument (if indeed it is an argument!), but the non-idiomatic pronunciation follows millimetre and centimetre by putting equal stress on all syllables - so more or less 'killametre'. I've noticed that people who insist on the idiomatic US-style pronunciation seem to want to avoid the obvious pronunciation at all costs, coming out with weird alternatives like 'keelometre'. Strikes me as wilful 

[trainbuff]

Picky of me to point it out, but I've noticed an increasing tendency towards using the US spelling of 'metre' - which I find odd given that metric units are less-widely used there.

Just me then 

I agree with you Red Squirrel! Too many American influenced spellings! One of my pet hates as it were! Apologies your quote above not highlighted! I did something wrongly while writing the reply. I am not good with technology!



Moderator note: Fixed that for you trainbuff! bignosemac

[Chris from Nailsea]

I have a dim recollection that when our currency went decimal (15 Feb 71; 21 Feb for buses!) the plan was to complete metrication by 1974. We seem to have slightly overshot that target!

Personally, I never understood the reasoning behind the introduction of a decimal coinage which included a half penny ...