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A documentary film which follows a mailman as he travels along the Birdsville Track in the Outback.

A celebration of Shell Petroleum, tracing its manufacture from discovery in oil fields to its eventual use as fuel for modern living across the globe.

Documentary about mankind's struggle with insects. English title: The Rival World.

In Search Of History documentary about the history of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. It won the 1975 BAFTA Award for Best Documentary.

A fascinating look at air travel in 1956. From international passenger journeys to the moving of goods and services with a few behind the scenes glimpses of technical aspects of flight, this short film is still enjoyable and surprisingly relevant today.

The Mille Miglia, a thousand mile motor race around Italy, starts and finishes at Brescia and passes through Rome, Florence and Bologna. This video documents the twentieth Mille Miglia of 1953. In Italy, where the design and construction of competition cars is a significant industry, the most famous names are Ferrari and Alpha Romeo. Enzo Ferrari was responsible for building the winning cars of the previous five Mille Miglia. Enthusiastic supporters travel to Maranello to see the Ferraris testing for this year's race. At Alpha Romeo, in Milan, designers consider racing as part of a process for developing cars for conventional motorists. Over five hundred cars have been entered for this year's race, with one thousand drivers and co drivers. The competitors are numbered and start one at a time, with the smallest cars first. All vehicles are divided between four touring classes for standard production cars, and four sports car classes. As well as the main race, there is close competition for each class prize. As tension mounts at the start, where cars set off every half minute, the police struggle to contain an enthusiastic crowd. As most of the leading drivers possess the skill and experience to win the race, greatest interest focuses on them. Each car is issued with a card, which the driver must ensure is stamped at control points along the route. After the first 180 miles, the Ferraris have broken every record, with an average speed of over 100 mph. From a control point at L'Aquila, the route descends through the mountains and down to Rome. Special flags are used to warn drivers of hazards, which include unexpected corners, narrow bridges and level crossings that may be closed. Around the circuit, many cars have run into difficulties and some are already out of the race. As the race continues, hundreds of different types and sizes of car compete around the circuit. French cars are leading in both classes on the stretch to Bologna, the last control point before the finish at Brescia. The remaining 140 miles forms the fastest section of the course. On the last leg, Ferrari takes the lead to win, with Alpha Romeo in second, and Lancia third.

A propaganda film from Shell Corporation, pretending to be environmentally friendly in this short.

Although absorbing waste is the river's natural role, discharging it has become an issue following the growth of industry and the modern city. This film explains the function of rivers and explores solutions to issues of river pollution. Water is a universal raw material required in high volumes for industries including steel production and oil refining. After use, it is discarded as waste and discharged to the nearest river to be diluted and absorbed. Transforming polluted water into a safe substance that is free from taste or smell is an elaborate and costly business. Towns and cities use millions of gallons of water a day, some of which travel from lakes and reservoirs that are often far from the centres of industry. Some water is distributed underground, although supplies are often extracted faster than rain can replenish them. Consequently, the same water must be used time and again in order to guarantee a consistent supply. It is essential to understand how a river absorbs waste and why it sometimes fails. In nature, water is never pure, since it collects traces of minerals and organic matter as it trickles over rocks and soil. The activity of micro-organisms, including fungi and bacteria, which feed on oxygen to multiply, keeps the water clean and healthy, providing rivers with the power to dispose of waste matter. As water use increases, more pollution is created, and when it becomes too much for the river to absorb, waste is simply passed on. The bacteria, which feed on waste, multiply at an excessive rate, and the level of oxygen falls dangerously low. If the load of pollution is too heavy, the growth of bacteria becomes overwhelming, exhausting the oxygen supply and devastating the river. Waste is unavoidable, but by treating it before disposing of it, the load on the river can be reduced. Chemical additives and natural methods can be utilised to make toxic waste harmless and remove organic matter, so that it can be safely discharged to the rivers. Although these processes do not provide pure water, they can reduce pollution so that the river can resume its natural role.

A product carrier is discharging two grades of motor gasoline. It is nearing midnight and Hamilton, the Chief Officer, is tired but coping. A pump room accident ensues with fatal consequences.

Documentary about the disease bilharzia.

In August 1628, a Swedish warship sank within minutes of setting sail on its maiden voyage. This film documents the technical challenges involved in preserving the Wasa, which had been lost in Stockholm harbour for over three hundred years. In 1956, the unearthing of pieces of blackened oak led to the discovery of the Wasa, held fast in a grave of silt and slime. In an elaborate salvage operation it took three years to raise the ship clear of the seabed and move her to shallow water. It took a further two years to shore up the damaged stern and make it water tight for floating into dry dock. Although its timbers held throughout the move, they became exposed and vulnerable once they started to dry out. A constant stream of water had to be pumped over the ship to prevent the hull from disintegrating. Archaeologists cleared seven hundred tonnes of mud, which was sifted for treasures that would provide clues to why the Wasa sank. Hundreds more pieces recovered from the harbour, many of them elaborate sculptures that decorated the ship, explain a whole period of Sweden's history. A laboratory was built nearby for the work of preservation where every artefact, from intricate carvings to insignificant slivers of timber, was marked, measured and preserved. Over the centuries the waters of the Baltic chemically changed the outer layer of the wood, which would flake, crack and shrink beyond repair if allowed to dry without treatment. A substance was required to diffuse through the wood cells, forcing out the water, and setting hard, leaving it free to breathe during the final stage of drying. Research revealed a widely used petroleum product that met these demands. Polyethylene glycol, also used as a lubricant in the forming of metals and a base for ointments, hands creams and lipsticks, reinforces the wood cells and preserves the original shape of the Wasa. Artefacts and the hull itself are housed in a working museum where visitors can see the process of restoration. As more relics move from the laboratory to the museum a picture emerges of life aboard a Swedish warship. Although it is now clear that ineffective design made it unstable, the Wasa remains an excellent example of 17th century craftsmanship.

This travelogue tells the story of Turkey from 200BC, including the attack by the Greeks, Romans, the origination of the first seven religions, the Crusades, the creation of the Turkish State and the modern tourist industry.

"This Is Oil, No.1: Prospecting For Petroleum" is an all stop-motion puppet animated film that tells the story of how oil is formed through ages of geological change, how it is found, extracted and put to use by man © Arnold Leibovit

This documentary examines the evolution of gear technology and the uses of gears from their invention to modern day applications. The gear provides the best means for the efficient transfer of power from one direction to another. Today they are most widely used in the control of speed, which is determined by the respective number of teeth on each gear called the gear ratio. The earliest example was the Chain of Pots, first used 2000 years ago. The mechanism worked through crude spun gears raising a horizontal force of water vertically, resulting in the flowing water providing power. Then, from its beginnings in the first century, the vertical or Roman mill, became the major source of power for the next 1800 years. The gears used in the windmills and water mills that powered 13th century industry, were crudely constructed using wood. From the middle of the 14th century, mechanised clocks containing metal gear wheels appeared in Europe. It was established that continuous rolling contact could reduce friction between gear teeth increasing efficiency and reducing wear. Initially the cycloid shape was used, but the involute curve, first proposed in the 18th century, has since become universally accepted as the best profile for gear teeth. The Industrial Revolution brought the widespread use of steam engines. Belts, chains and gears were required to transfer their power. As more powerful engines were developed, gear wheels had to take greater loads. The use of cast iron, the correct tooth shape and adequate lubrication became vitally important. In many industrial machines spur, bevel and worm gears were used to transfer power, and the compact gear provided high gear ratios. Gear cutting machinery became more accurate and in the 1840s, the principle of gear generation was first applied in the USA. The differential gear appeared for the first time on the road in a tricycle and is now a standard feature of the motor car. Today, the internal combustion engine and steam turbines like the one used by Charles Parsons (1854-1931) in the first turbine powered ship in 1897, involve high gear ratios and use single or double helical gears. These are smoother, quieter running and suffer less wear. Motor vehicles and early industrial machines requiring a range of gears used the synchro mesh gearbox. Only the gear in use drives the shaft, while the rest rotate freely. James Watt (1736-1819) originally devised the sun and planet gear in 1871, in which gear wheels of varying size convert vertical piston movement into rotary motion. More recently, the principle has been used in the epicyclic gearbox, which can handle very high power loads.

In 1951, Professor Fell designed a novel express passenger diesel mechanical locomotive for British Railways to compare with the diesel electric locomotives which were to replace steam. The construction of the locomotive at Derbyshire Works is followed and the operation of the unique transmission system is explained. It is depicted as a great success, eliminating the inefficient generation of electricity to drive electric motors. The locomotive design was not perpetuated.

Filing is a way of smoothing and shaping material to exact dimensions. It is used in all branches of engineering, from the finishing of heavy castings to the precision work of the aircraft industry. This training film produced in 1941 demonstrates the basic filing techniques and some of the specialist files used for advanced jobs. It is essential to set up the job properly before starting to file. A vice should be used to hold in place the object to be filed, protecting the object from the jaws of the vice using soft metal clamps. To file correctly, the object must be set up square, with the marking line (showing the limits of filing) facing towards you. It is also important to stand properly before starting to file. Stand with the left foot forward and the right foot back, with the body balanced evenly on both feet. Press the handle of the file firmly into the palm of your right hand, with the thumb on top of the file. Like most other cutting tools, using a file with great force will not add to its cutting power. The teeth can cut away the metal only on the outward stroke, so there should be pressure from the left hand on the return stroke. Since pressure from the left hand clogs the teeth with scurf (surface irregularities or imperfections), the file will lose some of its cutting power. Even without applying pressure some scurf will be picked up, so the file should be cleaned using a wire brush after each job. Check the accuracy of the work frequently. A firm stroke in the direction opposite to the previous filing will reveal any high spots as shaded patches. At a more advanced stage of the job, you can test the surface with a straight edge. If the metal is rubbed in red lead or bluing on a surface plate, the high spots pick up the stain. A dead smooth file, for creating a fine cut made is used for the final stage, known as draw filing, which requires a different grip. When filing the rounded end of a metal fitting, known as a radius, you need to use a circular rolling action. For some jobs, a specially shaped file is needed. These include the thin tapered wearing file, the round rat tailed file, the safe-edge file, and the half round file. Prior to attempting advanced filing techniques individuals should master the three rules of basic filing: correct position, correct grip and correct stroke.