four cylinders in line

1 linea; tratto, segno ( grafico); riga; fila; riga ( di parole); (mus.) rigo: (geom.) a straight line, una linea retta; a diagonal line, una linea diagonale; a horizontal line, una linea orizzontale; a vertical line, una linea verticale; a dotted line, una linea tratteggiata; a wavy line, una linea ondulata; sleek lines, linee pulite; to draw a line, tirare una riga; line of demarcation, linea di demarcazione; a line of trees [of cars], una fila d'alberi [di auto]; (geom.) convergent lines, rette convergenti; The soldiers stepped into line, i soldati si sono messi in riga; to stand in line, fare la fila; communication lines, linee di comunicazione; the first line on page 87, la prima riga a pagina 87; starting line, linea di partenza; to fall back into line, rimettersi in riga ( anche fig.); to fall out of line, rompere le righe; (mil.) to form a line, mettersi in riga

2 (trasp.) linea: bus line, linea d'autobus; railway line, linea ferroviaria; DIALOGO → - On the Tube- You need to take a Circle line train, devi prendere un treno della Circle line; (naut.) shipping line, linea (o compagnia) di navigazione

3 corda; fune; filo; (naut.) cima, gomena, sagola (= clothes-line); corda per stendere i panni: to hang the clothes on the line, stendere i panni (sulla corda); a plumb line, un filo a piombo

4 ruga: His face was covered with deep lines, aveva il viso solcato da profonde rughe

5 linea di confine; confine: the lines of one's estate, i confini dei propri possedimenti; ( USA) State line, confine di (uno) Stato

6 – (geogr.) the Line, l'equatore: to cross (o to pass) the Line, attraversare l'equatore

7 linea di condotta (o d'azione); metodo: hard (o tough) line, linea dura: to take a hard line, seguire la linea dura; non fare concessioni; He refuses to follow the party line, non vuole seguire la linea del suo partito

8 linea ( di parentela); discendenza; stirpe; famiglia; ( per estens.) serie: to descend from a noble line, essere di famiglia nobile; the Stuart line, la stirpe degli Stuart; a line of Democratic presidents, una serie di presidenti democratici

9 ( poesia) verso: We have fifty lines to learn by heart, abbiamo cinquanta versi da imparare a memoria

10 ( USA) coda ( di persone in attesa; cfr. ingl. queue)

11 (mil.) fila di tende; campo: to inspect the lines, fare un'ispezione al campo

12 (mil., = front line) prima linea; fronte: to be in the line, essere in prima linea; to go into the line, andare al fronte

13 (= phone line) linea (del telefono): We've lost the line!, è caduta la linea! ( telefonando)

14 area di attività (o d'interesse); settore (o ramo) d'affari; occupazione: What is his line ( of business)?, qual è il suo genere d'affari?; His line is leather goods, il suo ramo d'affari sono gli articoli di cuoio; That's completely out of my line, non è per nulla il mio genere d'affari; (fig.) non è cosa di cui io mi interessi (o m'intenda)

15 (market.) classe di merci; linea di prodotti; gamma; serie; articoli: a new line of accessories, una nuova gamma (o linea) d'accessori

16 [u] (org. az.) linea gerarchica; line; rapporto di gerarchia operativa

17 (comput.) riga ( di codice, di testo); linea ( elemento grafico): command line, riga di comando

18 (fam.) informazioni; notizie: I couldn't get a line on him, non sono riuscito ad avere informazioni sul suo conto

19 (= assembly line) linea (o catena) di montaggio

20 ( sport) linea: goal line, linea di porta; ( anche) linea di fondo; ( rugby) linea di meta; (= sideline, touchline) linea laterale: If the ball goes over the line, it's out of play, se il pallone supera la linea di fondo, è fuori gioco

21 (= finishing line; nelle corse) traguardo; arrivo: He was the first to cross the line, tagliò il traguardo per primo; fu il primo all'arrivo; My horse was third over the line, il mio cavallo è arrivato terzo (al traguardo)

22 (pl.) (equit.) briglie; redini

23 ( pesca; = fishing line) lenza

24 ( slang) balla; storia, storiella; fandonia: I've heard that line before, questa storiella l'ho già sentita

25 (pl.) (teatr.) battute, parte ( d'un attore): The young actress had forgotten her lines, la giovane attrice aveva dimenticato la parte; to fluff one's lines, sbagliare la battuta; impaperarsi

26 (pl.) linea; foggia; stile: This car has beautiful lines, quest'auto ha una bella linea

27 (pl.) (costr. navali) piano di costruzione; disegno; progetto

28 (pl.) (mecc.) tubi; tubazioni ( della lubrificazione, ecc.)

● (comput.) line break, interruzione di riga □ line cliché, cliché al tratto □ line counter, contarighe ( di macchina da scrivere) □ ( grafica) line cut, incisione al tratto □ line dancing, line dance ( ballo in cui si salta e ci si urta a vicenda) □ line drawing, disegno al tratto; tratteggio □ (elettr.) line driver, driver di linea □ (org. az.) line employee, impiegato d'ordine □ ( arte) line engraving, incisione al tratto □ (org. az.) line extension, ampliamento della gamma dei propri prodotti □ (mil.) line firing, fuoco di fila □ line fishing, pesca con la lenza □ (comput.) line feed, avanzamento di riga; carattere di controllo per l'avanzamento di riga □ (stat.) line graph, grafico lineare □ (polit., fig.) line in the sand, linea di demarcazione: to draw a line in the sand, decidere le condizioni definitive e inappellabili ( di un accordo, ecc.) □ ( tennis) line judge, giudice di linea □ (org. az.) line management, ‘line management’ □ (org. az.) line manager, dirigente che si occupa del prodotto principale dell'azienda; ( anche) superiore diretto □ line of action, linea d'azione; (mecc.) linea dei contatti ( di un ingranaggio) □ (mil.) line of battle, linea (o ordine, schieramento) di battaglia □ (naut., mil.) line-of-battle ship, nave da battaglia (o di linea) □ line of business, genere d'affari, settore d'attività □ ( banca) line of credit, castelletto, plafond □ (mil.) line of defences, linea fortificata □ line of fire, (mil.) linea del fuoco; ( anche) linea di mira ( dal mirino al bersaglio): to be in sb. 's line of fire, essere nel mirino di q. (o sotto tiro) □ (aeron.) line of flight, linea di volo □ ( anche fig.) the line of least resistance, la linea di minor resistenza □ ( chiromanzia) the line of life [of fortune], la linea della vita [della fortuna] □ (mat.) line of symmetry, asse di simmetria □ (comput.) line printer, stampante di linea □ (mil.) line regiment, reggimento di linea □ (mecc.) line shafting, trasmissione ad alberi □ line space, interlinea ( di macchina da scrivere) □ line spacer, leva dell'interlinea □ line spacing, spaziatura tra le righe □ (comput.) line speed, velocità della linea ( connessione Internet, ecc.) □ (elettr.) line trap, filtro della rete □ (rag., fin.) above-the-line, corrente, ordinario: above-the-line expenditure, spese correnti □ to bring sb. into line, mettere in riga q. (fig.) □ to bring (st.) into line with, rendere conforme (o adeguare) ( la propria condotta, le azioni, ecc.) a ( una linea politica, gli accordi presi, ecc.) □ to come (o to fall) into line with sb. [st.], allinearsi sulle posizioni di q. [allinearsi su ( una posizione); prendere la stessa posizione su qc.] □ down the line, ( sport) lungolinea; (fig.) in linea gerarchica, giù giù; in futuro, in seguito; fino in fondo: He slipped a pass down the line to a teammate, ha effettuato un passaggio a un compagno lungo la linea laterale; I'll support him down the line, lo appoggerò fino in fondo □ (fig.) to draw the line, segnare (o porre) un limite □ to drop sb. a line, scrivere due righe a q. □ to go as straight as a line, andare in linea retta; andare sempre diritto □ ( di donna) to go on the line, mettersi a battere; mettersi a fare la vita □ to hold the line, (telef.) restare in linea; (mil.) tenere la posizione; (fig.) restare invariato □ (mecc.: di motore, ecc.) in line, in linea; in fila; allineato: (autom.) four cylinders in line, quattro cilindri in linea □ (fig.) to be in line for st., essere in predicato per qc.; essere sulla buona strada per ottenere qc. □ (fig.) to be in line with, essere in linea (o in armonia, d'accordo) con □ to keep in line, restare allineati; (fig.) restare in linea ( con una direttiva politica, ecc.) □ to keep sb. in line, tenere ( bambini, soldati, ecc.) allineati; (fig.) tenere a freno q. □ (fig.) to lay it on the line, dirlo chiaro e tondo □ (fig.) to lay (o to put) on the line, mettere a repentaglio, rischiare ( la carriera, ecc.) □ ( Internet) on line ► online □ (fig.) on the line, al limite; né di qua né di là □ on the right lines, sulla buona strada (fig.): You haven't guessed yet, but you're on the right lines, non hai indovinato, ma sei sulla buona strada □ (fig.) on the same line, seguendo la stessa linea di condotta; nello stesso modo □ out of line, (mecc., ecc.) fuori asse, disassato; ( di una cosa, una frase, ecc.) fuori luogo, inaccettabile; ( di una persona) che si comporta male, che non sa stare al suo posto (fig.) □ to pay st. on the line, pagare qc. sull'unghia □ (fig.) to read between the lines, leggere fra le righe □ ( slang) to shoot a line, raccontare una balla (o una frottola) □ (fig.) to take up a line of one's own, seguire una linea di condotta personale; fare a modo proprio □ (polit.) to take a tough (o a strong) line with sb., seguire una linea dura con q. □ (mil.) to wheel into line, mettersi in riga □ (telef.) Line engaged ( USA Line busy), la linea è occupata! □ Debating was right in his line, i dibattiti erano proprio il suo cavallo di battaglia □ Rugby is not my line, il rugby non fa per me.

1 segnare con linee (o con righe); rigare

2 segnare, solcare ( di rughe): His face was lined with pain, il suo viso era segnato (o solcato) dal dolore

3 fiancheggiare: Great cypresses line the road, grandi cipressi fiancheggiano la strada

4 disporsi (in fila) lungo (qc.); fare ala a: The crowds lined the streets of the town, la folla era disposta lungo le strade della città

5 (spec. al passivo) solcare di rughe; rendere rugoso.

1 foderare: to line a dress, foderare un abito

2 rivestire: to line a wall with tiles, rivestire una parete di mattonelle

3 (costr. navali) mettere il fasciame interno a ( una nave)

● (fig.) to line one's belly, riempirsi la pancia □ (fig.) to line one's pocket (o purse), riempirsi le tasche; arricchirsi (spec. in modo disonesto).

coprire, montare ( una cagna).

1) Feuer, das

2) (in grate) [offenes] Feuer; (electric or gas fire) Heizofen, der; (in the open air) Lagerfeuer, das

3) (destructive burning) Brand, der

4) (fervour) Feuer, das

5) (firing of guns) Schießen, das; Schießerei, die

1) (fill with enthusiasm) begeistern, in Begeisterung versetzen [Person]

2) (supply with fuel) befeuern [Ofen]; [be]heizen [Lokomotive]

3) (discharge) abschießen [Gewehr]; abfeuern [Kanone]

4) (propel from gun etc.) abgeben, abfeuern [Schuss]

5) (coll.): (dismiss) feuern (ugs.) [Angestellten]

6) brennen [Tonwaren, Ziegel]

1) (shoot) schießen; feuern

2) [Motor:] zünden

- academic.ru/87046/fire_away">fire away

* * *

1) (anything that is burning, whether accidentally or not: a warm fire in the kitchen; Several houses were destroyed in a fire.) das Feuer

2) (an apparatus for heating: a gas fire; an electric fire.) der Ofen

3) (the heat and light produced by burning: Fire is one of man's greatest benefits.) das Feuer

4) (enthusiasm: with fire in his heart.) das Feuer

5) (attack by gunfire: The soldiers were under fire.) das Feuer

1) ((of china, pottery etc) to heat in an oven, or kiln, in order to harden and strengthen: The ceramic pots must be fired.) brennen

2) (to make (someone) enthusiastic; to inspire: The story fired his imagination.) anfeuern

3) (to operate (a gun etc) by discharging a bullet etc from it: He fired his revolver three times.) abfeuern

4) (to send out or discharge (a bullet etc) from a gun etc: He fired three bullets at the target.) feuern

5) ((often with at or on) to aim and operate a gun at; to shoot at: They suddenly fired on us; She fired at the target.) feuern

6) (to send away someone from his/her job; to dismiss: He was fired from his last job for being late.) feuern

•

- fire alarm

* * *

[ˈfaɪəʳ, AM -ɚ]

I. n

1. no pl (flame) Feuer nt, Flamme f

don't play with \fire! spiel nicht mit dem Feuer!

open \fire Lagerfeuer nt

2. (on hearth) [Herd]feuer nt

open \fire Kaminfeuer nt, Cheminéefeuer nt SCHWEIZ

to light a \fire Feuer nt machen

3. (stove) Ofen m

to put [or switch] [or turn] the \fire on den Ofen anmachen [o ÖSTERR aufdrehen] [o SCHWEIZ anstellen]; BRIT (heating appliance) Heizgerät nt

electric \fire Elektroofen m

gas \fire Gasofen m

open \fire offener Kamin, Cheminée nt SCHWEIZ

4. no pl (destructive burning) Brand m

\fire! Feuer!

the library was destroyed by \fire die Bibliothek ist völlig abgebrannt

to be on \fire brennen, in Flammen stehen

to catch \fire Feuer fangen, in Brand geraten

to set sb/sth on \fire, to set \fire to sb/sth jdn/etw anzünden [o in Brand stecken

5. (conflagration) Feuersbrunst f, Großfeuer nt, Großbrand m

he lost his house in a \fire recently sein Haus ist vor Kurzem bei einem Großfeuer heruntergebrannt

forest \fire Waldbrand m

to put out the \fire das Feuer löschen

6. no pl (hail of bullets) Feuer nt, Beschuss m

▪ to be under \fire beschossen werden; MIL unter Feuer stehen

to come under \fire from sb von jdm unter Beschuss genommen werden, von jdm beschossen werden

to come under \fire for sth ( fig) wegen einer S. gen unter Beschuss geraten a. fig fam; (shooting) Schießen nt

in the line of \fire in der Schusslinie

covering \fire Feuerschutz m

killed by enemy/friendly \fire von feindlichem/eigenem Feuer getötet

to cease \fire das Feuer einstellen

to open \fire on sb das Feuer auf jdn eröffnen

to return \fire das Feuer erwidern

7. no pl (fervour) Feuer nt; LIT Glut f; (burning passion) Leidenschaft f; (enthusiasm) Begeisterung f

he is filled with the \fire of youth and his convictions er ist voller jugendlicher Leidenschaft und Begeisterung für seine Überzeugungen

▪ to be on \fire begeistert sein

my heart is on \fire for her mein Herz sehnt sich nach ihr

▶ to breathe \fire and brimstone Gift und Galle spucken [o speien]

▶ \fire and brimstone REL Hölle und Verdammnis; ( fig) Tod und Verderben

▶ to get on like a house on \fire hervorragend miteinander auskommen

▶ to go through \fire and water for sb ( dated) für jdn durchs Feuer gehen fig

▶ to hang \fire auf sich warten lassen

▶ to have \fire in one's [or the] belly (have ambition) Ehrgeiz haben; (have enthusiasm) begeisterungsfähig sein

▶ to jump out of the frying pan and into the \fire ( prov) vom Regen in die Traufe kommen

▶ to play with \fire mit dem Feuer spielen fig

▶ to pull the chestnuts [or fat] out of the \fire BRIT die Kastanien aus dem Feuer holen fig fam

▶ to set the world [or esp BRIT Thames] on \fire die Welt erschüttern

▶ there's no smoke without a \fire ( prov) wo Rauch ist, ist auch Feuer prov

II. n modifier Feuer-

\fire control Brandschutz m; MIL Feuerleitung f

\fire damage Brandschaden m, Feuerschaden m

\fire precautions Brandschutz m, Brandschutzmaßnahmen pl

\fire prevention Brandschutz m, Brandprävention f

\fire regulations Feuerschutzbestimmungen pl

\fire risk Brandrisiko nt, Feuergefahr f

III. vt

1. (bake in kiln)

▪ to \fire sth etw brennen

2. (shoot)

▪ to \fire sth etw abfeuern

to \fire a broadside eine Breitseite abgeben

to \fire a bullet [or shot] einen Schuss abgeben

he \fired a warning shot into the air er feuerte einen Warnschuss in die Luft ab

to \fire a gun at sb/sth auf jdn/etw schießen; ( fig)

to \fire questions at sb jdn mit Fragen bombardieren

to \fire a round [or volley] einen Schuss [o eine Salve] abgeben

to \fire a salute Salut schießen

3. (launch)

▪ to \fire sth etw abschießen [o abfeuern]

bazookas were \fired almost every day that month at Sarajevo in diesem Monat wurde Sarajevo fast jeden Tag mit Bazookas beschossen

to \fire a rocket eine Rakete zünden [o abfeuern

4. (dismiss)

▪ to \fire sb jdn feuern [o rausschmeißen] fam

this company uses a hire and \fire strategy diese Firma stellt ein und entlässt schnell

5. (excite, electrify)

▪ to \fire sb jdn begeistern [o in Begeisterung versetzen]; (inspire) jdn anregen [o geh inspirieren]

it \fired me with enthusiasm for literature es weckte die Begeisterung für Literatur in mir

to \fire sb's imagination jds Fantasie beflügeln

IV. vi

1. (shoot) feuern, schießen

without warning he started to \fire into the crowd er schoss ohne Vorwarnung in die Menge

▪ to \fire at sb/sth auf jdn/etw feuern [o schießen

2. (start up) zünden; (be operating) funktionieren

to \fire on all four cylinders auf allen vier Zylindern laufen; ( fig) voll funktionstüchtig sein

coffee might help — I'm not firing on all four cylinders today vielleicht hilft ja ein Kaffee — ich bin heute nicht so ganz da fam

* * *

1. n

1) Feuer nt

2) (= house fire, forest fire etc) Brand m

3) (in grate) (Kamin)feuer nt; (= electric fire, gas fire) Ofen m

4) (MIL) Feuer nt

5) (= passion) Feuer nt

2. vt

1) (= burn to destroy) in Brand stecken

2) pottery brennen

3) furnace befeuern → oil-fired, gas-fired

4) (fig) imagination beflügeln; passions entzünden, entfachen (geh); enthusiasm befeuern

5) gun, arrow abschießen; shot abfeuern, abgeben; rocket zünden, abfeuern

6) (inf: dismiss) feuern (inf)

3. vi

1) (= shoot) feuern, schießen (at auf +acc)

2) (engine) zünden

* * *

fire [ˈfaıə(r)]

A s

1. Feuer n, Flamme f:

(as) red as fire feuerrot (vor Verlegenheit);

a) BIBEL Feuer und Schwefel m,

b) REL Hölle f und Verdammnis f,

c) fig Tod m und Verderben n;

with fire and sword mit Feuer und Schwert;

a) in Flammen stehen, brennen,

b) fig Feuer und Flamme sein;

his cheeks were on fire seine Wangen glühten;

a) anbrennen,

b) Feuer fangen (a. fig), in Brand geraten;

go through fire and water for sb fig für jemanden durchs Feuer gehen;

play with fire fig mit dem Feuer spielen;

pull sth out of the fire fig etwas aus dem Feuer reißen;

a) auch set fire to anzünden, in Brand stecken

b) fig Furore machen in (dat);

strike fire Funken schlagen; → chestnut A 1, Thames, world Bes Redew

2. Feuer n (im Ofen etc):

on a slow fire bei langsamem Feuer (kochen);

a) ein Abend am Kamin,

b) ein Abend zu Hause

3. Brand m, (Groß)Feuer n:

fire! Feuer!, es brennt! ( → A 9);

die in the fire bei dem Brand ums Leben kommen;

where’s the fire? umg wo brennts?

4. Br Heizgerät n

5. Feuersglut f

6. Feuer n, Glanz m (eines Edelsteins)

7. fig Feuer n, Glut f, Leidenschaft f, Begeisterung f

8. MED Fieber n, Hitze f

9. MIL Feuer n, Beschuss m:

fire! Feuer! ( → A 3);

between two fires zwischen zwei Feuern (a. fig);

be under fire unter Beschuss stehen;

come under fire unter Beschuss geraten, fig a. ins Kreuzfeuer der Kritik geraten;

come under fire from sb in jemandes Schusslinie geraten;

a) schwer losgehen (Schusswaffe),

b) fig auf sich warten lassen (Sache);

hold one’s fire fig sich zurückhalten;

a) versagen (Schusswaffe),

b) fig fehlschlagen

B v/t

1. anzünden, in Brand stecken

2. einen Kessel heizen, einen Ofen (be)feuern, beheizen

3. Ziegel brennen:

fired lime gebrannter Kalk

4. Tee feuern

5. jemanden, jemandes Gefühle entflammen:

fire sb with enthusiasm jemanden in Begeisterung versetzen;

fire sb’s imagination jemandes Fantasie beflügeln;

fire up inflation die Inflation anheizen

6. auch fire off

a) eine Schusswaffe abfeuern, abschießen,

b) einen Schuss (ab)feuern, abgeben ( beide:

at, on auf akk): → salute C 2, shot¹ A 1,

c) Fragen abschießen:

fire questions at sb jemanden mit Fragen bombardieren

7. a) eine Sprengladung, eine Rakete zünden

b) einen Motor anlassen

8. umg feuern, rausschmeißen (entlassen)

9. umg feuern, schmeißen (werfen)

C v/i

1. a) Feuer fangen

b) anbrennen

2. oft fire up fig wütend werden

3. feuern, schießen ( beide:

at auf akk):

fire away! umg schieß los!, fang an!

4. AGR brandig werden (Getreide)

5. zünden (Motor)

* * *

1) Feuer, das

2) (in grate) [offenes] Feuer; (electric or gas fire) Heizofen, der; (in the open air) Lagerfeuer, das

3) (destructive burning) Brand, der

4) (fervour) Feuer, das

5) (firing of guns) Schießen, das; Schießerei, die

1) (fill with enthusiasm) begeistern, in Begeisterung versetzen [Person]

2) (supply with fuel) befeuern [Ofen]; [be]heizen [Lokomotive]

3) (discharge) abschießen [Gewehr]; abfeuern [Kanone]

4) (propel from gun etc.) abgeben, abfeuern [Schuss]

5) (coll.): (dismiss) feuern (ugs.) [Angestellten]

6) brennen [Tonwaren, Ziegel]

1) (shoot) schießen; feuern

2) [Motor:] zünden

- fire away

* * *

Brand ¨-e m.

Feuer -- n. (Pottery, Ceramics) v.

brennen (Ziegel, Keramik) v. v.

anfeuern v.

feuern v.

hinauswerfen v.

schießen v.

zünden v.

[ʼfaɪəʳ, Am -ɚ] n

1) no pl ( flame) Feuer nt, Flamme f;

don't play with \fire! spiel nicht mit dem Feuer!;

open \fire Lagerfeuer nt

2) ( on hearth) [Herd]feuer nt;

open \fire Kaminfeuer nt;

to light a \fire Feuer nt machen

3) ( stove) Ofen m;

to put [or switch] [or turn] the \fire on den Ofen anmachen;

( Brit) ( heating appliance) Heizgerät nt;

electric \fire Elektroofen m;

gas \fire Gasofen m;

open \fire offener Kamin

4) no pl ( destructive burning) Brand m;

\fire! Feuer!;

the library was destroyed by \fire die Bibliothek ist völlig abgebrannt;

to be on \fire brennen, in Flammen stehen;

to catch \fire Feuer fangen, in Brand geraten;

to set sb/sth on \fire, to set \fire to sb/ sth jdn/etw anzünden [o in Brand stecken];

5) ( conflagration) Feuersbrunst f, Großfeuer nt, Großbrand m;

he lost his house in a \fire recently sein Haus ist vor kurzem bei einem Großfeuer heruntergebrannt;

forest \fire Waldbrand m;

to put out the \fire das Feuer löschen

6) no pl ( hail of bullets) Feuer nt, Beschuss m;

to be under \fire beschossen werden; mil unter Feuer stehen;

to come under \fire from sb von jdm unter Beschuss genommen werden, von jdm beschossen werden;

to come under \fire for sth ( fig) wegen einer S. gen unter Beschuss geraten (a. fig) ( fam) ( shooting) Schießen nt;

in the line of \fire in der Schusslinie;

covering \fire Feuerschutz m;

killed by enemy/friendly \fire von feindlichem/eigenem Feuer getötet;

to cease \fire das Feuer einstellen;

to open \fire on sb das Feuer auf jdn eröffnen;

to return \fire das Feuer erwidern

7) no pl ( fervour) Feuer nt; lit Glut f; ( burning passion) Leidenschaft f; ( enthusiasm) Begeisterung f;

he is filled with the \fire of youth and his convictions er ist voller jugendlicher Leidenschaft und Begeisterung für seine Überzeugungen;

to be on \fire begeistert sein;

my heart is on \fire for her mein Herz sehnt sich nach ihr

to have \fire in one's [or the] belly ( have ambition) Ehrgeiz haben;

( have enthusiasm) begeisterungsfähig sein;

\fire and brimstone rel Hölle und Verdammnis; ( fig) Tod und Verderben;

to breathe \fire and brimstone Gift und Galle spucken [o speien];

to pull the chestnuts [or fat] out of the \fire ( Brit) die Kastanien aus dem Feuer holen ( fig) ( fam)

to jump out of the frying pan and into the \fire (pan and into the \fire) vom Regen in die Traufe kommen;

to get on like a house on \fire hervorragend miteinander auskommen;

there's no smoke without a \fire (without a \fire) wo Rauch ist, ist auch Feuer ( prov)

to go through \fire and water for sb (dated) für jdn durchs Feuer gehen ( fig)

to set the world [or ( esp Brit) Thames] on \fire die Welt erschüttern;

to hang \fire auf sich warten lassen;

to play with \fire mit dem Feuer spielen ( fig) n

modifier Feuer-;

\fire control Brandschutz m; mil Feuerleitung f;

\fire damage Brandschaden m, Feuerschaden m;

\fire precautions Brandschutz m, Brandschutzmaßnahmen fpl;

\fire prevention Brandschutz m, Brandprävention f;

\fire risk Brandrisiko nt, Feuergefahr f vt

1) ( bake in kiln)

to \fire sth etw brennen

2) ( shoot)

to \fire sth etw abfeuern;

to \fire a broadside eine Breitseite abgeben;

to \fire a bullet [or shot] einen Schuss abgeben;

he \fired a warning shot into the air er feuerte einen Warnschuss in die Luft ab;

to \fire a gun at sb/ sth auf jdn/etw schießen; ( fig)

to \fire questions at sb jdn mit Fragen bombardieren;

to \fire a round [or volley] einen Schuss [o eine Salve] abgeben;

to \fire a salute Salut schießen

3) ( launch)

to \fire sth etw abschießen [o abfeuern];

bazookas were \fired almost every day that month at Sarajevo in diesem Monat wurde Sarajevo fast jeden Tag mit Bazookas beschossen;

to \fire a rocket eine Rakete zünden [o abfeuern];

4) ( dismiss)

to \fire sb jdn feuern [o rausschmeißen] ( fam)

this company uses a hire and \fire strategy diese Firma stellt ein und entlässt schnell

5) (excite, electrify)

to \fire sb jdn begeistern [o in Begeisterung versetzen]; ( inspire) jdn anregen [o ( geh) inspirieren];

it \fired me with enthusiasm for literature es weckte die Begeisterung für Literatur in mir;

to \fire sb's imagination jds Fantasie beflügeln vi

1) ( shoot) feuern, schießen;

without warning he started to \fire into the crowd er schoss ohne Vorwarnung in die Menge;

to \fire at sb/ sth auf jdn/etw feuern [o schießen];

2) ( start up) zünden;

( be operating) funktionieren;

to \fire on all four cylinders auf allen vier Zylindern laufen; ( fig) voll funktionstüchtig sein;

coffee might help - I'm not firing on all four cylinders today vielleicht hilft ja ein Kaffee - ich bin heute nicht so ganz da ( fam)

SUBJECT AREA: Land transport, Railways and locomotives

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Chapelon's technical education at the Ecole Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, Paris, was interrupted by extended military service during the First World War. From experience of observing artillery from the basket of a captive balloon, he developed a method of artillery fire control which was more accurate than that in use and which was adopted by the French army.

In 1925 he joined the motive-power and rolling-stock department of the Paris-Orléans Railway under Chief Mechanical Engineer Maurice Lacoin and was given the task of improving the performance of its main-line 4–6–2 locomotives, most of them compounds. He had already made an intensive study of steam locomotive design and in 1926 introduced his Kylchap exhaust system, based in part on the earlier work of the Finnish engineer Kyläla. Chapelon improved the entrainment of the hot gases in the smokebox by the exhaust steam and so minimized back pressure in the cylinders, increasing the power of a locomotive substantially. He also greatly increased the cross-sectional area of steam passages, used poppet valves instead of piston valves and increased superheating of steam. PO (Paris-Orléans) 4–6–2s rebuilt on these principles from 1929 onwards proved able to haul 800-ton trains, in place of the previous 500-ton trains, and to do so to accelerated schedules with reduced coal consumption. Commencing in 1932, some were converted, at the time of rebuilding, into 4–8–0s to increase adhesive weight for hauling heavy trains over the steeply graded Paris-Toulouse line.

Chapelon's principles were quickly adopted on other French railways and elsewhere.

H.N. Gresley was particularly influenced by them. After formation of the French National Railways (SNCF) in 1938, Chapelon produced in 1941 a prototype rebuilt PO 2–10–0 freight locomotive as a six-cylinder compound, with four low-pressure cylinders to maximize expansive use of steam and with all cylinders steam-jacketed to minimize heat loss by condensation and radiation. War conditions delayed extended testing until 1948–52. Meanwhile Chapelon had, by rebuilding, produced in 1946 a high-powered, three-cylinder, compound 4–8–4 intended as a stage in development of a proposed range of powerful and thermally efficient steam locomotives for the postwar SNCF: a high-speed 4–6–4 in this range was to run at sustained speeds of 125 mph (200 km/h). However, plans for improved steam locomotives were then overtaken in France by electriflcation and dieselization, though the performance of the 4–8–4, which produced 4,000 hp (3,000 kW) at the drawbar for the first time in Europe, prompted modification of electric locomotives, already on order, to increase their power.

Chapelon retired from the SNCF in 1953, but continued to act as a consultant. His principles were incorporated into steam locomotives built in France for export to South America, and even after the energy crisis of 1973 he was consulted on projects to build improved, high-powered steam locomotives for countries with reserves of cheap coal. The eventual fall in oil prices brought these to an end.

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- engine accessories

- engine balance

- engine base

- engine bay

- engine bearer

- engine bed

- engine behavior

- engine block

- engine block heater

- engine bracket

- engine brake

- engine braking

- engine braking effect

- engine case

- engine casing

- engine clutch

- engine clutch housing

- engine compartment

- engine compartment lamp

- engine controls

- engine cooler

- engine cowling

- engine cradle

- engine cranking

- engine cross-drive

- engine displacement

- engine drive

- engine-driven

- engine-driven compressor

- engine-driven industrial truck

- engine is dead

- engine is running rough

- engine mount damper

- engine mount system

- engine support cushion

- engine suspension

- engine test bed

- engine test rig

- adiabatic engine

- agricultural engine

- agricultural traction engine

- air engine

- air-cell diesel engine

- air chamber diesel engine

- air-cooled engine

- air-cooled flat twin engine

- aircraft engine

- air injection engine

- airless-injection Diesel engine

- alcohol engine

- aluminium engine

- antechamber compression ignition engine

- Armstrong-Whitworth variable compression knocktesting engine

- arrow engine

- aspitare engine

- automobile engine

- automomotive engine

- axial engine

- B-type engine

- balance shaft engine

- bare engine

- barrel engine

- barring engine

- basic engine

- beam engine

- binary vapour engine

- blast engine

- blast furnace gas engine

- blowing engine

- blown engine

- broad-arrow engine

- build up an engine

- bus engine

- capstane engine

- carburetor engine

- charcoal-burning engine

- coal-dust engine

- coke-oven gas engine

- cold engine

- cold-starting engine

- cold-starting heavy-oil engine

- combustion engine

- compound engine

- compression ignition engine

- condensating engine

- constant-duty engine

- counterbalanced engine

- coupled engines

- cowled engine

- crosshead engine

- crosswise engine

- dead engine

- derated engine

- differential engine

- direct-drive engine

- donkey engine

- door engine

- double-acting engine

- double-acting rotary engine

- double-acting steam engine

- double-bank radial engine

- double-cylinder engine

- double-expansion engine

- double-piston engine

- double-pistontype engine

- double-row engine

- double-V engine

- dredge engine

- dry sump engine

- dual-fuel engine

- eight-cylinder engine

- experimental engine

- hot

- start up the engine in gear

- swirl-chamber diesel engine

- switch engine

SUBJECT AREA: Land transport, Mining and extraction technology, Railways and locomotives

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The Wylam wagonway passed Newburn, and Hedley, who went to school at Wylam, must have been familiar with this wagonway from childhood. It had been built c.1748 to carry coal from Wylam Colliery to the navigable limit of the Tyne at Lemington. In 1805 Hedley was appointed viewer, or manager, of Wylam Colliery by Christopher Blackett, who had inherited the colliery and wagonway in 1800. Unlike most Tyneside wagonways, the gradient of the Wylam line was insufficient for loaded wagons to run down by gravity and they had to be hauled by horses. Blackett had a locomotive, of the type designed by Richard Trevithick, built at Gateshead as early as 1804 but did not take delivery, probably because his wooden track was not strong enough. In 1808 Blackett and Hedley relaid the wagonway with plate rails of the type promoted by Benjamin Outram, and in 1812, following successful introduction of locomotives at Middleton by John Blenkinsop, Blackett asked Hedley to investigate the feasibility of locomotives at Wylam. The expense of re-laying with rack rails was unwelcome, and Hedley experimented to find out the relationship between the weight of a locomotive and the load it could move relying on its adhesion weight alone. He used first a model test carriage, which survives at the Science Museum, London, and then used a full-sized test carriage laden with weights in varying quantities and propelled by men turning handles. Having apparently satisfied himself on this point, he had a locomotive incorporating the frames and wheels of the test carriage built. The work was done at Wylam by Thomas Waters, who was familiar with the 1804 locomotive, Timothy Hackworth, foreman smith, and Jonathan Forster, enginewright. This locomotive, with cast-iron boiler and single cylinder, was unsatisfactory: Hackworth and Forster then built another locomotive to Hedley's design, with a wrought-iron return-tube boiler, two vertical external cylinders and drive via overhead beams through pinions to the two axles. This locomotive probably came into use in the spring of 1814: it performed well and further examples of the type were built. Their axle loading, however, was too great for the track and from about 1815 each locomotive was mounted on two four-wheeled bogies, the bogie having recently been invented by William Chapman. Hedley eventually left Wylam in 1827 to devote himself to other colliery interests. He supported the construction of the Clarence Railway, opened in 1833, and sent his coal over it in trains hauled by his own locomotives. Two of his Wylam locomotives survive— Puffing Billy at the Science Museum, London, and Wylam Dilly at the Royal Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh—though how much of these is original and how much dates from the period 1827–32, when the Wylam line was re-laid with edge rails and the locomotives reverted to four wheels (with flanges), is a matter of mild controversy.

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See also: Stephenson, George

straight [streɪt]

ligne droite ⇒ 1 (a) droit ⇒ 2 (a)-(c), 2 (g), 3 (a)-(c) raide ⇒ 2 (a) honnête ⇒ 2 (c) franc ⇒ 2 (c) clair ⇒ 2 (d) en ordre ⇒ 2 (e) quitte ⇒ 2 (f) pur ⇒ 2 (h) consécutif ⇒ 2 (i) directement ⇒ 3 (c), 3 (d) franchement ⇒ 3 (e)

1 noun

(a) (on racetrack, railway track) ligne f droite;

∎ the final or home straight la dernière ligne droite;

∎ figurative we're on the home straight now nous sommes dans la dernière ligne droite;

∎ to keep to the straight and narrow rester dans le droit chemin

(b) (level)

∎ to be out of straight être de biais ou de travers;

∎ to cut a material on the straight couper une étoffe de droit fil

(c) (in poker) quinte f

(d) familiar (heterosexual) hétéro mf

(e) familiar (conventional person) personne f conventionnelle ou sérieuse^□ ;

∎ don't be such a straight! sois pas si sérieux!

(f) familiar drugs slang (cigarette) clope f (par opposition à une cigarette de haschisch)

2 adjective

(a) (not curved → line, road, nose) droit; (→ hair) raide;

∎ Mathematics a straight line une (ligne) droite;

∎ in a straight line en ligne droite;

∎ to have a straight back avoir le dos bien droit, se tenir bien droit;

∎ keep your back straight tiens-toi droit, redresse-toi;

∎ figurative to play with or to keep a straight bat se conduire honorablement

(b) (level, upright) droit;

∎ the picture isn't straight le tableau n'est pas droit ou est de travers;

∎ is my tie straight? est-ce que ma cravate est droite?;

∎ to put or to set straight (picture) remettre d'aplomb, redresser; (hat, tie) ajuster;

∎ hold or keep the tray straight tenez le plateau bien droit

(c) (honest → person) honnête, droit; (frank → person, answer) franc (franche);

∎ straight as a die d'une droiture ou honnêteté absolue;

∎ he's always been straight in his dealings with me il a toujours été honnête avec moi;

∎ to be straight with sb être franc avec qn;

∎ are you being straight with me? est-ce que tu joues franc jeu avec moi?;

∎ to play a straight game jouer franc jeu;

∎ to give sb a straight answer répondre franchement à qn;

∎ to have a straight talk about sth parler franchement de qch;

∎ to do some straight talking parler franchement;

∎ at the meeting he did some straight talking il n'a pas mâché ses mots à la réunion;

∎ it's time we did some straight talking il faut qu'on parle, tous les deux;

∎ American familiar a straight shooter une personne franche^□ ;

∎ American familiar a straight arrow (man) un brave type; (woman) une brave femme;

∎ he's a straight arrow (person of integrity) on peut compter sur lui^□ ; (too conventional) il est un peu coincé

(d) (correct, clear) clair;

∎ to put or to set the record straight mettre les choses au clair;

∎ just to set the record straight pour que ce soit bien clair;

∎ I'd like to get things straight before I leave je voudrais mettre les choses au clair avant de partir;

∎ let's get this straight entendons-nous bien là-dessus;

∎ let's get this straight, he left at two o'clock? mettons les choses au clair, il est parti à deux heures?;

∎ have you put her straight? as-tu mis les choses au point avec elle?;

∎ you ought to put her straight about what he's (really) like tu devrais lui dire comment il est vraiment;

∎ now just you get this straight! mets-toi bien ceci dans la tête!, qu'on se mette bien d'accord sur ce point!

(e) (tidy, in order → room, desk, accounts) en ordre;

∎ to put or to set straight (room, house) mettre en ordre, mettre de l'ordre dans; (affairs, accounts) mettre de l'ordre dans;

∎ put your desk straight rangez votre bureau;

∎ put your things straight on the desk mettez un peu d'ordre sur le bureau

(f) (quits) quitte;

∎ here's the £5 I owe you, now we're straight voilà les 5 livres que je te dois, maintenant nous sommes quittes;

∎ I need five hundred pounds to get myself straight il me faut cinq cents livres pour me remettre d'aplomb ou me refaire

(g) (direct) droit, direct;

∎ Boxing he hit him a straight left/right il lui a porté un direct du gauche/du droit;

∎ American to vote a straight ticket voter pour une liste sans panachage

(h) (pure, utter) pur;

∎ it's just straight prejudice ce sont des préjugés, tout simplement;

∎ it's just straight propaganda c'est de la propagande pure et simple

(i) (consecutive) consécutif, de suite;

∎ to have three straight wins gagner trois fois de suite ou d'affilée;

∎ Sport to win in three straight sets (in tennis) gagner en trois sets;

∎ he won in straight sets (best of three sets) il a gagné en deux sets; (best of five sets) il a gagné en trois sets;

∎ we worked for three straight days nous avons travaillé trois jours d'affilée;

∎ he got straight As all term il n'a eu que de très bonnes notes tout le semestre;

∎ a straight A student un étudiant brillant;

∎ a straight flush (in poker) une quinte flush

(j) (neat → whisky, vodka) sec (sèche)

(k) (serious) sérieux;

∎ to keep a straight face garder son sérieux;

∎ it's the first straight role she's played in years c'est son premier rôle sérieux depuis des années

(l) familiar (conventional) conventionnel^□, sérieux^□

(m) familiar (heterosexual) hétéro

(n) familiar

∎ to be straight (not criminal) être rangé des voitures; (not on drugs) être clean

(o) Cars (cylinders) en ligne;

∎ a straight eight engine un moteur huit cylindres en ligne

(p) Geometry (angle) plat

(q) American familiar (true) vrai^□ ;

∎ this is the straight story of what happened voici comment ça s'est vraiment passé

3 adverb

(a) (in a straight line) droit, en ligne droite;

∎ try and walk straight! essaie de marcher droit!;

∎ the rocket shot straight up la fusée est montée à la verticale ou en ligne droite;

∎ to shoot straight viser juste;

∎ familiar to go straight (criminal) se ranger des voitures

(b) (upright → walk, sit, stand) (bien) droit;

∎ sit up straight! tiens-toi droit ou redresse-toi (sur ta chaise)!

(c) (directly) (tout) droit, directement;

∎ he looked me straight in the face/in the eye il me regarda bien en face/droit dans les yeux;

∎ to drink straight from the bottle boire à (même) la bouteille;

∎ it's straight across the road c'est juste en face;

∎ the car came straight at me la voiture a foncé droit sur moi;

∎ the ball went straight through the window la balle est passée par la fenêtre;

∎ the knife went straight through my arm le couteau m'a transpercé le bras;

∎ we drove straight through Nantes nous avons traversé Nantes sans nous arrêter;

∎ to read a book straight through (from beginning to end) lire un livre d'un bout à l'autre; (without stopping) lire un livre d'une traite;

∎ he looked straight through me il m'a regardé sans me voir;

∎ it went straight to his heart cela lui est allé droit au cœur;

∎ straight ahead tout droit;

∎ where's the crossroads? - it's straight ahead où se trouve le carrefour? - c'est tout droit devant vous;

∎ he looked straight ahead il regarda droit devant lui;

∎ straight on tout droit;

∎ go straight on till you come to a roundabout continuez tout droit jusqu'à ce que vous arriviez à un rond-point;

∎ at the roundabout go straight over au rond-point allez tout droit;

∎ familiar to let sb have it straight dire son fait à qn^□ ;

∎ to come straight out with sth dire qch tout net;

∎ she gave it me straight from the shoulder elle me l'a dit sans ambages ou sans prendre de gants

(d) (without delay) directement;

∎ come straight home after the concert! rentre à la maison tout de suite après le concert!;

∎ go straight to bed! va tout de suite te coucher!;

∎ I'll be straight back je reviens directement;

∎ they mostly go straight from school to university pour la plupart, ils passent directement du lycée à l'université;

∎ to come straight to the point aller droit au fait;

∎ to get straight on with one's work se mettre directement au travail;

∎ straight away immédiatement, aussitôt, tout de suite;

∎ familiar straight off tout de suite^□

(e) (frankly, honestly) franchement, carrément;

∎ I told him straight (out) what I thought of him je lui ai dit franchement ce que je pensais de lui;

∎ to play straight jouer franc jeu;

∎ familiar I'm giving it to you straight je vous le dis tout net^□ ;

∎ British familiar straight up? sans blague?;

∎ straight up! sans blague!, je t'assure!

(f) (clearly)

∎ I can't see straight je ne vois pas bien;

∎ I can't think straight je n'ai pas les idées claires

(g) (neat, unmixed)

∎ to drink whisky straight boire son whisky sec

(h) (conventionally)

∎ to play (it) straight Theatre jouer de façon classique; Music suivre la partition

►► Theatre straight actor acteur(trice) m,f sérieux-(euse);

straight four (in rowing) quatre m de pointe sans barreur;

Theatre straight man (of comedian) faire-valoir m inv;

Theatre straight part rôle m sérieux;

American straight razor rasoir m à main;

straight theatre le théâtre traditionnel;

American Politics straight ticket liste f non panachée

SUBJECT AREA: Aerospace

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Flying kites as a boy aroused Ellehammer's interest in aeronautics, and he developed a kite that could lift him off the ground. After completing an apprenticeship, he started his own manufacturing business, whose products included motor cycles. He experimented with model aircraft as a sideline and used his mo tor-cycle experience to build an aero engine during 1903–4. It had three cylinders radiating from the crankshaft, making it, in all probability, the world's first air-cooled radial engine. Ellehammer built his first full-size aircraft in 1905 and tested it in January 1906. It ran round a circular track, was tethered to a central mast and was unmanned. A more powerful engine was needed, and by September Ellehammer had improved his engine so that it was capable of lifting him for a tethered flight. In 1907 Ellehammer produced a new five-cylinder radial engine and installed it in the first manned tri-plane, which made a number of free-flight hops. Various wing designs were tested and during 1908–9 Ellehammer developed yet another radial engine, which had six cylinders arranged in two rows of three. Ellehammer's engines had a very good power-to-weight ratio, but his aircraft designs lacked an understanding of control; consequently, he never progressed beyond short hops in a straight line. In 1912 he built a helicopter with contra-rotating rotors that was a limited success. Ellehammer turned his attention to his other interests, but if he had concentrated on his excellent engines he might have become a major aero engine manufacturer.

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SUBJECT AREA: Electricity, Land transport, Railways and locomotives

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Davidson, son of an Aberdeen merchant, attended Marischal College, Aberdeen, between 1819 and 1822: his studies included mathematics, mechanics and chemistry. He subsequently joined his father's grocery business, which from time to time received enquiries for yeast: to meet these, Davidson began to manufacture yeast for sale and from that start built up a successful chemical manufacturing business with the emphasis on yeast and dyes. About 1837 he started to experiment first with electric batteries and then with motors. He invented a form of electromagnetic engine in which soft iron bars arranged on the periphery of a wooden cylinder, parallel to its axis, around which the cylinder could rotate, were attracted by fixed electromagnets. These were energized in turn by current controlled by a simple commutaring device. Electric current was produced by his batteries. His activities were brought to the attention of Michael Faraday and to the scientific world in general by a letter from Professor Forbes of King's College, Aberdeen. Davidson declined to patent his inventions, believing that all should be able freely to draw advantage from them, and in order to afford an opportunity for all interested parties to inspect them an exhibition was held at 36 Union Street, Aberdeen, in October 1840 to demonstrate his "apparatus actuated by electro-magnetic power". It included: a model locomotive carriage, large enough to carry two people, that ran on a railway; a turning lathe with tools for visitors to use; and a small printing machine. In the spring of 1842 he put on a similar exhibition in Edinburgh, this time including a sawmill. Davidson sought support from railway companies for further experiments and the construction of an electromagnetic locomotive; the Edinburgh exhibition successfully attracted the attention of the proprietors of the Edinburgh 585\& Glasgow Railway (E \& GR), whose line had been opened in February 1842. Davidson built a full-size locomotive incorporating his principle, apparently at the expense of the railway company. The locomotive weighed 7 tons: each of its two axles carried a cylinder upon which were fastened three iron bars, and four electromagnets were arranged in pairs on each side of the cylinders. The motors he used were reluctance motors, the power source being zinc-iron batteries. It was named Galvani and was demonstrated on the E \& GR that autumn, when it achieved a speed of 4 mph (6.4 km/h) while hauling a load of 6 tons over a distance of 1 1/2 miles (2.4 km); it was the first electric locomotive. Nevertheless, further support from the railway company was not forthcoming, although to some railway workers the locomotive seems to have appeared promising enough: they destroyed it in Luddite reaction. Davidson staged a further exhibition in London in 1843 without result and then, the cost of battery chemicals being high, ceased further experiments of this type. He survived long enough to see the electric railway become truly practicable in the 1880s.

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SUBJECT AREA: Land transport, Railways and locomotives

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Robert Stephenson's father was George Stephenson, who ensured that his son was educated to obtain the theoretical knowledge he lacked himself. In 1821 Robert Stephenson assisted his father in his survey of the Stockton \& Darlington Railway and in 1822 he assisted William James in the first survey of the Liverpool \& Manchester Railway. He then went to Edinburgh University for six months, and the following year Robert Stephenson \& Co. was named after him as Managing Partner when it was formed by himself, his father and others. The firm was to build stationary engines, locomotives and railway rolling stock; in its early years it also built paper-making machinery and did general engineering.

In 1824, however, Robert Stephenson accepted, perhaps in reaction to an excess of parental control, an invitation by a group of London speculators called the Colombian Mining Association to lead an expedition to South America to use steam power to reopen gold and silver mines. He subsequently visited North America before returning to England in 1827 to rejoin his father as an equal and again take charge of Robert Stephenson \& Co. There he set about altering the design of steam locomotives to improve both their riding and their steam-generating capacity. Lancashire Witch, completed in July 1828, was the first locomotive mounted on steel springs and had twin furnace tubes through the boiler to produce a large heating surface. Later that year Robert Stephenson \& Co. supplied the Stockton \& Darlington Railway with a wagon, mounted for the first time on springs and with outside bearings. It was to be the prototype of the standard British railway wagon. Between April and September 1829 Robert Stephenson built, not without difficulty, a multi-tubular boiler, as suggested by Henry Booth to George Stephenson, and incorporated it into the locomotive Rocket which the three men entered in the Liverpool \& Manchester Railway's Rainhill Trials in October. Rocket, was outstandingly successful and demonstrated that the long-distance steam railway was practicable.

Robert Stephenson continued to develop the locomotive. Northumbrian, built in 1830, had for the first time, a smokebox at the front of the boiler and also the firebox built integrally with the rear of the boiler. Then in Planet, built later the same year, he adopted a layout for the working parts used earlier by steam road-coach pioneer Goldsworthy Gurney, placing the cylinders, for the first time, in a nearly horizontal position beneath the smokebox, with the connecting rods driving a cranked axle. He had evolved the definitive form for the steam locomotive.

Also in 1830, Robert Stephenson surveyed the London \& Birmingham Railway, which was authorized by Act of Parliament in 1833. Stephenson became Engineer for construction of the 112-mile (180 km) railway, probably at that date the greatest task ever undertaken in of civil engineering. In this he was greatly assisted by G.P.Bidder, who as a child prodigy had been known as "The Calculating Boy", and the two men were to be associated in many subsequent projects. On the London \& Birmingham Railway there were long and deep cuttings to be excavated and difficult tunnels to be bored, notoriously at Kilsby. The line was opened in 1838.

In 1837 Stephenson provided facilities for W.F. Cooke to make an experimental electrictelegraph installation at London Euston. The directors of the London \& Birmingham Railway company, however, did not accept his recommendation that they should adopt the electric telegraph and it was left to I.K. Brunel to instigate the first permanent installation, alongside the Great Western Railway. After Cooke formed the Electric Telegraph Company, Stephenson became a shareholder and was Chairman during 1857–8.

Earlier, in the 1830s, Robert Stephenson assisted his father in advising on railways in Belgium and came to be increasingly in demand as a consultant. In 1840, however, he was almost ruined financially as a result of the collapse of the Stanhope \& Tyne Rail Road; in return for acting as Engineer-in-Chief he had unwisely accepted shares, with unlimited liability, instead of a fee.

During the late 1840s Stephenson's greatest achievements were the design and construction of four great bridges, as part of railways for which he was responsible. The High Level Bridge over the Tyne at Newcastle and the Royal Border Bridge over the Tweed at Berwick were the links needed to complete the East Coast Route from London to Scotland. For the Chester \& Holyhead Railway to cross the Menai Strait, a bridge with spans as long-as 460 ft (140 m) was needed: Stephenson designed them as wrought-iron tubes of rectangular cross-section, through which the trains would pass, and eventually joined the spans together into a tube 1,511 ft (460 m) long from shore to shore. Extensive testing was done beforehand by shipbuilder William Fairbairn to prove the method, and as a preliminary it was first used for a 400 ft (122 m) span bridge at Conway.

In 1847 Robert Stephenson was elected MP for Whitby, a position he held until his death, and he was one of the exhibition commissioners for the Great Exhibition of 1851. In the early 1850s he was Engineer-in-Chief for the Norwegian Trunk Railway, the first railway in Norway, and he also built the Alexandria \& Cairo Railway, the first railway in Africa. This included two tubular bridges with the railway running on top of the tubes. The railway was extended to Suez in 1858 and for several years provided a link in the route from Britain to India, until superseded by the Suez Canal, which Stephenson had opposed in Parliament. The greatest of all his tubular bridges was the Victoria Bridge across the River St Lawrence at Montreal: after inspecting the site in 1852 he was appointed Engineer-in-Chief for the bridge, which was 1 1/2 miles (2 km) long and was designed in his London offices. Sadly he, like Brunel, died young from self-imposed overwork, before the bridge was completed in 1859.

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See also: Pihl, Carl Abraham; Seguin, Marc