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Posted by Paul of Covington on Sunday, July 10, 2022 12:34 AM

blue streak 1

Rotterdam lift bridge may not be dismanteled for Bezos super yacht.  Since the yacht is too tall why not just fillet it and put it back together later?

Rotterdam Won't Dismantle Historic Bridge to Let Jeff Bezos' $500 Million Superyacht Pass (msn.com)

 

   I don't get it.  The article gives very little information about the yacht, but they did mention that it has sails on three masts.  I can't imagine any solid superstructure on the yacht would be over 150 feet high, so they must be talking about the masts.  If so, unstepping the masts should be a fairly routine operation.  Crews on the old square-riggers would remove upper parts of the masts at sea in stormy weather.   Anyway, it's a variation on the old story about building a boat in your basement.

_____________ 

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Sunday, July 24, 2022 9:41 PM

UK's  HS2 may be in danger according a UK minister.  Of course we may need to take his statements with a grain of salt.

HS2 is a ‘killer whale’ for next PM, says cabinet minister (msn.com)

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Posted by BaltACD on Sunday, July 24, 2022 10:17 PM

blue streak 1
UK's  HS2 may be in danger according a UK minister.  Of course we may need to take his statements with a grain of salt.

HS2 is a ‘killer whale’ for next PM, says cabinet minister (msn.com)

If Bean Counters had ruled civilization we would still be in caves as hunter gathers.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Thursday, July 28, 2022 12:28 PM

UK's  HS2 makes 1st tunnel breakthrough.  Several points in article.  1st bore took 7+ months however, the work proceeded around the clock.    Almost 1 mile in length.  About 400 workers so that probably means no more the 150 workers at high activity time?   TBM 125 meters is about 410 feet long.

The question is why will the boring for the NYP Gateway tunneling project be planned to take so much more time for each bore.  Of course boring uner the Hudson will take more time.  Looking at the EIS for the B&P replacement still has a much longer schedule for each bore.  Just makes no sense IMO. 

Britain's HS2 rail project makes first tunnel boring breakthrough (msn.com)

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Posted by Gramp on Thursday, July 28, 2022 1:39 PM

Love the place names in the British Isles. Long Itchington Wood in Warwickshire. 

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Posted by MidlandMike on Thursday, July 28, 2022 7:12 PM

blue streak 1
The question is why will the boring for the NYP Gateway tunneling project be planned to take so much more time for each bore.  Of course boring uner the Hudson will take more time.

The UK tunnel may have been bored in competent rock without water problems.  I believe the Hudson bores will encounter waterlogged unconsolidated sediments under deep hydrostatic pressure.  I would imagine it will be a nightmare to keep the bore relativly water tight.  IIRC they sometimes freeze waterlogged soils to control water entry.

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Posted by BaltACD on Saturday, August 20, 2022 8:18 AM

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Tuesday, August 23, 2022 10:20 PM

Euro tunnel passemgers stuck.  No indication how close to one end they were.  Sounds like some emergency rations might need placing every kM or so ???

Passengers stuck for hours inside Eurotunnel (msn.com)

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Posted by Overmod on Saturday, August 27, 2022 12:07 PM

For some reason, the massive tie replacement efforts on DB, and the fatal accident a couple of months ago that caused them, were unknown to me until a few minutes ago.

https://www.railjournal.com/infrastructure/db-estimates-faulty-sleeper-replacement-to-cost-several-hundred-million-euros/?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=34682

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Wednesday, October 5, 2022 3:26 PM

The 2013 spanish talgo wreck is finally coming to trial.  Here in the US we thought out court system was slow.

Trial begins in Spain over 2013 train crash that killed 80 (msn.com)

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Sunday, November 13, 2022 4:33 PM

New HrSR train [160 KMPH (100 MPH )] starts in India with many differences.

Vande Bharat Express: What makes it different from India's other high-speed trains (msn.com)

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Posted by BaltACD on Sunday, November 13, 2022 6:12 PM

blue streak 1
New HrSR train [160 KMPH (100 MPH )] starts in India with many differences.

Vande Bharat Express: What makes it different from India's other high-speed trains (msn.com)

Looks like the train pictured is missing a nose cone to cover the coupler.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Monday, November 14, 2022 1:37 AM

London UK - Lyon France 458 airmiles .  Which is faster ?  Plane or train?

Is a flight really quicker than a train? I put it to the test from London to Lyon | Watch (msn.com)

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Posted by JayBee on Monday, November 14, 2022 2:56 AM

Passenger trains have restarted between Kyiv in Ukraine and Chisnau in Moldova after being closed for 24 years.

Kyiv - Chisnau

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Tuesday, November 29, 2022 2:50 AM

Article on the new tunnel from Denmark - Germany scheduled to complete in 2029.

The Insane Scale of Europe’s New Mega-Tunnel - YouTube

 

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Posted by Overmod on Tuesday, November 29, 2022 8:52 AM

Delicate ecosystem, disrupted by bridge construction, but enormous preparation work for the tunnel staging?

Given the financing, this was something that could have been built at the time of the North River Tunnels.  If I recall correctly, the Transbay Tunnel was designed this way.  This ain't a feat of mega-engineering or even necessary mega-logistics.

I was chuckling at the "explanation" why a bored tunnel at 140' peak depth was infeasible for rail traffic.  Oh dear, no adhesion over 2.5% grade?  No deep approach cuts...like the ones on the Oresund Bridge 'island'... to get to approach depth?

On the other hand, they say they're building this for the equivalent of 7.5B.  How much is the childish revised version of Gateway costing?

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Posted by 54light15 on Tuesday, November 29, 2022 5:17 PM

Before covid, I would be in London twice a year and look forward to it again. I am sure as hell not going to fly within Europe, that's what trains are for. But I'm not against flying in a propellor plane. A Spitfire will do nicely. 

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Wednesday, November 30, 2022 9:55 AM

54light15

Before covid, I would be in London twice a year and look forward to it again. I am sure as hell not going to fly within Europe, that's what trains are for. But I'm not against flying in a propellor plane. A Spitfire will do nicely. 

 
Would you be satisfied with a Viscount?
The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by 54light15 on Wednesday, November 30, 2022 11:04 AM

Hmm...no! I would settle for a Tiger Moth or a Dehavilland Rapide. I saw several of both the last time I was in the U.K. At Goodwood Revival about 4 years ago there was a P-40, 2 P-51s, 2 Staggerwing Beechcrafts, 2 Spits, a Beech Travelair, a Stearman and the Bristol Blenheim that was used in the film, "Dunkirk." And the best one of all, a P-38 polished so much you could use the fuselage as a shaving mirror. I love those old warbirds! 

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Wednesday, November 30, 2022 1:39 PM

A great show.

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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, December 15, 2022 8:05 AM

Steve Sattler

11:15 AM (4 hours ago)
 
 
to bcc: me
 
 
 
The new modern network of trains in Singapore has now a new addition.
Every time the train passes close to a residential area or building - the windows on the train automatically cloud-over, and stop you from looking at the neighbors.
This is for privacy issues.
Steve

 

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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, December 15, 2022 10:26 AM

54light15
I love those old warbirds!

Perhaps it is time to dust off Eric's old thread about 'warbirds attacking trains'? MischiefDevil

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Posted by Lithonia Operator on Thursday, December 15, 2022 4:43 PM

Still in training.


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Posted by MidlandMike on Thursday, December 15, 2022 7:30 PM

daveklepper

Steve Sattler

11:15 AM (4 hours ago)
 
 
to bcc: me
 
 
 
The new modern network of trains in Singapore has now a new addition.
Every time the train passes close to a residential area or building - the windows on the train automatically cloud-over, and stop you from looking at the neighbors.
This is for privacy issues.
Steve

 

 

Can't the locals close their shades.  Where is this headed.  Perhaps autos will be required to have this.  Your car windows will cloud over so you can't gawk thru neighborhoods.

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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, December 15, 2022 7:58 PM

Lithonia Operator

The gauge change itself isn't the spectacular part -- as they n ote in the article, the Spanish have been doing this automatic gauge exchange for decades with Talgos -- it's those double independent truck frames.  But the REALLY interesting thing that train does is pop up to high-level platform height on those special trucks when it happens to be in such a station, but retain low-floor boarding at other times.  If the trains weren't so eye-wateringly expensive, that would by itself solve one of the most irritating problems with this type of railcar service...

Now we can watch for the hydrogen/battery version!

 

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Posted by Lithonia Operator on Thursday, December 15, 2022 8:39 PM

I just sorta skimmed the article, but they apparently eliminated only one of the train-changes. But there was also a tone of "they got this done." So I'm confused. Are they going to eliminate the other change with this technology?

Still in training.


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Posted by Overmod on Friday, December 16, 2022 8:56 AM

Lithonia Operator
they apparently eliminated only one of the train-changes. But there was also a tone of "they got this done." So I'm confused. Are they going to eliminate the other change with this technology?

As I understand it, there is no technological reason why the GPX equipment could not continue over the Zentralbahn route to Luzern; in fact I see very little reason why it could not be modified to operate over the BLS 'international route' it crosses.  I think only the economic participation of the Zentralbahn to operate this equipment rather than its own 'panoramic' equipment is the reason for the train change at Interlaken.  I would suspect this is related to the very substantial unit cost of the GPX equipment, with none of the expensive bits being necessary for the ZB portion of travel.

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Posted by Lithonia Operator on Friday, December 16, 2022 9:53 PM

Thanks, OM.

Still in training.


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Posted by 54light15 on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 2:07 PM
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Posted by Ulrich on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 2:19 PM

Opps wrong thread.. 

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