Why I’m Not Sorry About Kentucky Fried Chicken
The troubles of Kentucky Fried Chicken don’t bother me one smallest of an iota.
In fact as a coeliac, I think it is huge laugh.
This page on their web site is the allergy and nutrition list of their menu.
It is probably the most coeliac-unfriendly list, I’ve ever seen from a restaurant chain and treats our gluten-free dietary needs with contempt.
It says to me that KFC believe, that anybody who doesn’t eat gluten is a Grade A Pain-In-The-Arse, and deserves to be poisoned.
The people I feel sorry for are kids, who are coeliac, who probably miss out on a few parties.
I’ve never knowingly eaten any Kenchucky Fried Chicken products in the past and never will in the future, unless the chicken-free problems brought about by DHL, result in a menu that doesn’t try to kill me!
Enlightening Facts On Battery Trains
This article In Rail Magazine is entitled Vivarail Targets Summer Running For New Battery Unit.
The article says some enlightening things about the battery version of the Class 230 train.
- Four batteries are provided on the two-car train.
- The total battery capacity is 106 kWh. (Note: It has since been disclosed that the total battery capacity is 424 kWh!)
- An eight minute recharge is needed at the end of each run.
- A ten minute recharge gives a range of fifty miles.
Nothing is said of the speed and acceleration of the train on battery power.
How would these figures fit Vivarail’s order for three trains from West Midlands Trains to serve the Marston Vale Line?
- The route is approximately twenty-five miles long.
- Trains currently take forty-three minutes with ten stops.
- Overhead electrification could be available at both ends of the line, as both Bedford and Bletchley station are on 25 KVAC main lines.
Do the sums!
Alstom Seem To Be Stepping Up The Pressure To Get Hydrogen-Powered Trains Into The UK
This article on Rail Technology Magazine is entitled Alstom: Industry must start work bringing hydrogen trains to UK immediately.
This is said.
In an exclusive interview with RTM, Mike Muldoon, who leads on hydrogen for Alstom in the UK, also warned that if the British rail industry did not start trying to bring in hydrogen trains as quickly as possible, the country’s market could become less attractive.
Could it be that Alstom see the opportunity for hydrogen-powered trains closing and want to make sure that the UK Government comes on-side?
Would The Coradia iLint Be Able To Run In The UK?
This document on the Alstom web site is a data sheet for the Coradia iLint.
Unfortunately, the data sheet doesn’t give the height and width of the iLint, but I suspect that these and other dimensions are not much different to typical UK values.
Even if the current iLint is wider and taller, I suspect that on a lot of routes a Coradia iLint would be able to run.
Development Of A UK Hydrogen-Powered Train
The Alstom Coradia iLint was developed from an existing train in a few months, in much the same way that Bombardier’s Class 379 BEMU prototype was created.
There would be the following differences between a UK and a German version.
- Adjusted height, with and platform height.
- Would a different pantograph reach be required?
- 25 KVAC instead of 15 KVAC.
- Would a third-rail 750 VDC version be needed?
Notes.
- Point 1 is probably covered by the way modern trains are built.
- Point 2 is down to the pantograph manufacturer.
- Point 3 is covered by developing an electrical system that handles both voltages. After all 25 KVAC will be needed for France.
- Point 4 just needs the appropriate third-rail shoe and electrical system.
I think that all this could mean that a UK version of the iLint could be developed within a reasonable time and budget.
Have Alstom Said Anything Else About For The UK?
This article on the Engineer web site is entitled Alstom Eyes Liverpool Hydrogen Train Trials.
It would appear to be a good choice for the following reasons.
Location
Alstom’s UK base is at Widnes, which is in the South-East of the Liverpool City Region.
Test Partner
Merseyrail have shown in recent years, that they can think out of the box, about using trains and would be a very able partner.
Test Route
The article suggests that Liverpool to Chester via the Halton Curve could be the test route.
- The route is partly electrified from Runcorn to Liverpool.
- The route passes close to Alstom’s base.
- The section without electrification from Runcorn to Chester is probably about twenty miles long, which is a good test, but not a very difficult one.
- I don’t think that there are too many low over-bridges that would need to be raised.
There would also be good opportunities for publicity and photographs.
Availability Of Hydrogen
Hydrogen is available locally from the various petro-chemical industries along the Mersey.
Incidentally, I used to work in a chlorine plant at Runcorn, where brine was split into hydrogen and chlorine by electrolysis. There were hydrogen tankers going everywhere! Does the industry still exist?
Further Routes
If you look at a map of the railways in the area, there are several other possibilities of other services.
- Liverpool to Manchester via Warrington
- Chester to Manchester
- Serving new stations like Middlewich
The trains might be a possibility for the Borderlands Line.
Conclusion
Hydrogen trains would seem to be a possibility for running services in the Liverpool area and especially over the Halton Curve.
- Liverpool to Crewe via Runcorn is electrified.
- Hydrogen-powered trains could easily handle the routes without electrification.
- There is a plentiful local supply of hydrogen.
- There will be no great difficulty in updating the track and signalling.
Services could be run by existing diesel trains, until the new trains are available.
I also feel that Stadler’s new Class 777 trains for Merseyrail, when fitted with the ability to run on 25 KVAC overhead electrification and batteries could be able to handle Halton Curve routes.
Although, it is obviously very feasble to run hydrogen-powered trains, I have a feeling that the finances might not be as simple. Especially if Stadler make sure that their new Merseyrail trains can extend the Merseyrail network to town along routess without electrification.
Are Alstom stepping up the pressure, as they can see other trains arriving?
The Anonymous Widower 