Gondola Coal
Enjoy a Scottish Vacation in Edinburgh, Skye and the Highlands
If you want to enjoy a Scottish vacation in Skye and the Highlands of Scotland, you must first visit the capital city of the country: Edinburgh. Although Glasgow is the largest city in the country, in terms of both population and area, Edinburgh has the history and exudes a sense of times past in every street you walk.
A personal tour of the Royal Mile is a must for any traveler to this historic city. The Royal Mile runs from Edinburgh Castle, that overlooks the city from the top of a volcanic plug, right down the detritus left by the last ice age to Holyrood Palace, the ancient seat of Scottish kings and queens, and the one-time home of Mary, Queen of Scots.
However, there is more in the Royal Mile than just that. Underneath the current streets lies an underground town: the original town of Edinburgh, and one that is said to be haunted. The most famous Ghostbusters of the modern day have failed to prove that the spirits haunting this part of Edinburgh are figments of the imagination - in fact many have run screaming from the vaults underneath Edinburgh's Royal Mile. None have dared to claim the hauntings to be false.
You can visit these vaults - if you are brave enough - but only under the guidance of Edinburgh's experienced guides that know where it is safe to take you - and where you dare not visit for fear of your sanity. Edinburgh is the ghost capital of Europe, if not the world, and if it is your desire to meet them, then the choice will not be yours: it will be theirs at a time and place of their choosing. So sleep well during your Scottish vacation and do not awaken in the night!
On a lighter vein, once you have left Edinburgh you should head for Fort William, nestled under the highest mountain in Britain - Ben Nevis. Small by American standards, but high enough at 4,500 ft. One man pushed a piano up Ben Nevis right to the summit. It is said the remains are still there - the piano's, not the man's. You can take a gondola ride up there and enjoy the breathtaking view of the Grampian mountain range.
However, before you get there, you must stop at Loch Fyne on the way, since this loch is famous for its fish, kippers and oysters that you can taste at the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar. You will also pass Loch Lomond, the longest fresh water Loch in Scotland, and also the most beautiful. Stop in Luss, on the banks of Loch Lomond, for a pint of beer and a visit to the bagpipe and kilt shop - they will send your purchases back home for you.
When you are in Fort William, don't miss Glencoe to the south. This was the scene of the massacre of the MacDonalds by the Campbells in 1692 - it is an eerie and dangerous place and still said to be haunted by the ghosts of the MacDonalds. The MacDonalds had acted as hosts to the Campbells that winter, feeding and entertaining them for a week, and then were slaughtered during one night on the behest of the English king. No Scottish vacation is complete without a visit to Glencoe.
Some scenes of the Harry Potter films were shot here, and you can also visit bleak Rannoch Moor close by, where many of the MacDonalds froze to death on that terrible night. There is still a feud between these two clans because of this betrayal, and the ghosts of the Macdonalds still walk the moor, waiting for any unwary Campbell to walk by. To this day no Campbell dare walk the moor or the Glen at night.
If your name is not Campbell, you can now get the ferry boat to the Hebridean island of Skye, and perhaps visit Dunvegan Castle, where the remnants of the Fairy Flag can be seen - the flag taken by the MacDonalds into every battle they fought. If you get the chance, travel round Skye and the other islands by boat and enjoy the beautiful Red Hills to the east of the island and the brooding Cuillan in the west.
You should then leave Skye over the new bridge that replaced the ferry from Kyleakin to the Kyle of Lochalsh, and head off down the Caledonian Canal route to Loch Ness. Perhaps you will be lucky enough to see the Loch Ness monster. Not many are, but I have ridden its back and it's an enormous beast. However, I have been sworn to secrecy or I will disappear.
If you like your drink, or just a wee dram, stop off at one of the distilleries on Speyside. The Spey is the river that meets the Atlantic at Inverness, and is one of the purest rivers in Scotland. The whisky it produces is like nectar, and Glenlivet, Glen Grant and the Macallan are just three of the most famous of the 38 single malts distilled in this area. Each of them allows you to visit the distillery and taste the product. Don't stop at them all or you will never reach your next hotel!
If you are lucky enough to get this far after the Edinburgh Vaults, Glencoe and Rannoch Moor, you will pass through the ancient Caledonian forest which is the nearest existing forest to the prehistoric carboniferous forests that produced the coal, oil and gas that we now rely upon for power. It is said that unknown creatures walk this ancient forest at night.
So that is what a Scottish vacation involves: ghosts, mountains, murder and treachery and whisky. What could be a better way to spend a week or two than that! A vacation to Skye and the highlands, with a stop in Edinburgh is the ideal vacation for anybody with a sense of adventure and a desire to prove that they are not easily frightened. Just a word of warning: if you feel you cannot be frightened then Edinburgh will prove you wrong. You will be shaking in your shoes as you run screaming from the underground 17th century vaults.
About the Author
If you are looking for a Scottish vacation with top class hotels and food, and business class air travel, then visit Ultitude where you will be offered a first class luxury Scottish vacation with personal guides and individual bookings. You can also visit Ultitude-Travel.com, our luxury travel blog on luxury vacations Scotland.
Gondola Coal
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 1975 Lionel 6 9824 NYC Gondola With Coal Load L0263L  US $77.00
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 Lionel 3659 Remote Control Gondola Coal Car with 160 tray and coal US $125.00
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 LIONEL CANADIAN PACIFIC RAIL GONDOLA CAR 6 30048 coal train o gauge cp 6 26375 US $54.84
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 LIONEL NYC GONDOLA CAR w LOAD train o gauge 5 barrels coal ore 6462 w box US $50.00
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 LIONEL NYC GONDOLA CAR w LOAD train o gauge barrels coal ore 6 38310 6462 NEW US $48.84
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 1987 Lionel 6 17401 Conrail Gondola W Coal Load L0259L US $47.00
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 1986 Lionel 6 17401 Conrail Gondola With Coal Load NIB B1323L US $47.00
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 Lionel 6209 Gondola w Coal Load NYC Gondola O Scale US $46.99
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 Lionel 6209 New York Central Gondola with Coal Load US $46.00
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 LIONEL GREAT NORTHERN GONDOLA COAL 6 19401 1988 NIB US $45.99
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 LIONEL 6209 NEW YORK CENTRAL GONDOLA WITH COAL LOAD US $44.95
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 Lionel 6209 NYC Standard O Gondola w Coal Load US $39.95
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 LIONEL 9824 STANDARD O NYC GONDOLA W COAL LOAD GREAT US $37.99
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 LIONEL NYC 6462 GONDOLA OPEN COAL CAR TYPE VI US $37.00
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 1988 Lionel 6 19401 Great Northern Gondola With Coal B2048L US $37.00
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 Lionel 19401 Great Northern Gondola w Coal 1988 US $34.99
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 LIONEL 9315 SOUTHERN PACIFIC GONDOLA W COAL LOAD US $32.99
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 Lionel NYC Gondola with coal load C 9 6 6209 US $32.00
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 M1 LIONEL 6209 NEW YORK CENTRAL STANDARD O GONDOLA WITH COAL LOAD NEW IN BOX US $32.00
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 Lionel 19403 WESTERN MARYLAND Gondola w Coal Load US $31.00
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 Lionel Santa Fe Gondola with Coal 6 17402 US $30.00
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 Lionel NIB 6 19401 Great Northern Gondola with Coal US $30.00
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 LIONEL 19401 GREAT NORTHERN GONDOLA WITH COAL LOAD FF 3 MINT US $29.99
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 Lionel New 6 19401 Great Northern Gondola with Coal US $28.00
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 LIONEL 6209 STANDARD O NYC GONDOLA W COAL LOAD GREAT US $27.99
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 LIONEL 19401 GREAT NORTHERN GONDOLA W COAL US $27.00
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how much thermal energy is produced, and how much electrical power is generated?(full question below)?
A loaded gondola train car contains about 100 tons of coal. A train of 110 cars is
necessary to run a coal-fired electric power plant for one day. Given that the energy
content of coal is about 13,000 Btu per pound, how much thermal energy in Joules is
produced in burning the coal in the 110-car train? (Hint: Use powers of 10 and estimate
your answer before using your calculator.) If the thermal efficiency of the plant is 33%,
how much electrical power in megawatts is generated at the plant? (Note: Power is
expressed Watts, which are Joules per second). [By contrast, a pressurized-water nuclear
power plant of similar power output requires refueling less than once a year with
replacement of about one-third of the fuel rods whose total weight is about100 tons.]
(100 T/car)(110 cars/day)(2,000 lb/T)(13,000 Btu/lb)(1 KWH/3,413 Btu)(3,600 s/hr)(1 J/Ws) ≈ 301,670,000,000 kJ/da or 3.0167*10^14 J/da
(3.0167*10^14 J/da)(33/100)(1 da/24 h)(1 h/3,600 s)(1 Ws/J)(1 MW/10^6 W) ≈ 1,150 MW