US Offshore Wind Developer Sues Gov’t Over Stop-Work Order
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading
Dominion Energy has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s stop-work order issued on 22 December that directed all major US offshore wind projects under construction to pause while federal agencies review alleged national security risks, AP and US media report.
This paragraph adds more detail.
In its complaint filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on 23 December, Dominion argues the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) order is “arbitrary and capricious” and violates constitutional and statutory limits on executive action.
I’m no lawyer, but I did have some excellent executive active with my late lawyer wife, so I get the gist of what is hinted.
I would not be happy, if I was an American citizen, who had to pick u[ the costs of Trump’s misdemeanours.
The BYD Buses On Route 141 Appear To Be Dehydrating Me
I took these pictures on one of the new BYD electric buses on route 141 these morning, as it ran between the Moorfields Hospital and the Balls Pond Road stops.
Note.
- There appears to be something wrong with the display, which says “Bus Terminates Here. Please Take Your Belongings With You”
- But it didn’t terminate.
- I’ve noticed these displays have got stuck like this before on BYD buses.
- The display didn’t move during the whole journey.
- Although, the clock seemed to keep almost accurate time.
- I just wonder if the bus is running out of electricity, so the driver or the computer has switched off things like the air-conditioning and the display.
And then after I’d been home for about ten-fifteen minutes, I started to get terrible pins and needles in my right arm.
It was so bad, that I called 111. Luckily it looked like it was nothing serious.
I do have a very leaky skin and I felt I might be dehydrated.
So I asked Google AI if “dehydration causes pins and needles” and received this answer.
Yes, dehydration can cause pins and needles (tingling sensations) because it disrupts the body’s electrolyte balance (like sodium, potassium, calcium), which are crucial for proper nerve and muscle function, leading to impaired nerve signals and tingling, often in hands and feet, especially after weating or intense activity.
As a precaution, I drunk three bottles of low-alcohol Ghost Ship beer and felt a lot better.
I am certain in future, I will only go in a Chinese electric bus, if I’m sure is been fully charged.
South Yorkshire Now Has Better North-South Connections
The December 14th 2025 timetable change was a big day for South Yorkshire.
Three big changes will transform, public transport in South Yorkshire.
The Opening Of A New Tram-Stop At Magna Science Adventure Centre On The Tram-Train Route Between Sheffield And Rotherham
The Magna Science Adventure Centre is described like this in the first paragraph of its Wikipedia entry.
Magna Science Adventure Centre is an educational visitor attraction in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England.
This map shows the site and the tram-train track between Sheffield and Rotherham.
Note.
- The tram-train track runs East-West across the top of the map.
- Sheffield is to the West and Rotherham is to the East.
- At the Western end of the site, a label indicates the position of the Magna Platform.
- The position of the tram-train stop is already marked.
- There will be 29 extra Park-and-Ride spaces.
- The Magna Science Adventure Centre is indicated by the purple arrow in the middle of the map.
- Magna Way runs East-West through the site.
- There are four pavilions: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.
This article on the BBC is entitled Lifts And Bridge Added As Tram Stop Takes Shape.
This picture from the article shows the bridge with lifts.
Note.
It will be an impressive tram stop.
It doesn’t look like it will be long before it opens.
But as yet no information is available.
Google AI gave this answer.
The new Magna Tram Train stop is scheduled to open in early 2026.
Construction of the new £10 million station and Park & Ride facility in Rotherham, part of a wider investment in the South Yorkshire Supertram network, is currently on track.
The new stop will improve access to the Magna Science Adventure Centre, local businesses, and link up with existing walking and cycling routes, aiming to ease congestion in the Lower Don Valley.
I shall be going next week to take photographs of the tram stop.
The Increase In Frequency Of Express Trains Serving Doncaster On The East Coast Main Line
Since the December 14th 2025 timetable change, the Monday to Friday express trains, that stop at Doncaster on the East Coast Main Line have included.
- CrossCountry – 8 trains per day (tpd) in both directions.
- Grand Central – 4 tpd in both directions.
- Hull Trains – 7 tpd in both directions.
- LNER- 3.5 trains per hour (tph) in both directions.
- TransPennineExpress – 1 tph in both directions.
Note.
- This totals to 173 express trains per day stopping at Doncaster
- Or about 7 tph in both directions or a train every 8.5 minutes.
- This is about a thirty percent increase in frequency.
- Doncaster has become the Crewe of South Yorkshire.
I can see this large number of express trains to Doncaster bringing large numbers of visitors to go to the Magna Science Adventure Centre or its tram stop for onward connection to other destinations on the Sheffield Supertram network.
The trouble is, that at present the Magna tram stop is not connected to Doncaster station.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the rail lines between Doncaster and Sheffield stations.
Note.
- The short length of red track in the North-East corner of the map is the East Coast Main Line.
- Doncaster station can be picked out.
- The short length of red track in the South-West corner of the map is the Midland Main Line, which connects Sheffield to London.
- Sheffield station is at the Northern end of the electrification, which will be installed soon.
- The pink tracks are the 750 VDC electrified tracks of the Sheffield Supertram.
- The blue arrow marks Rotherham Parkgate station, which is the limit of the current tram-train route.
The tram-train route needs to be extended so that the tram-trains can go between Rotherham Parkgate tram stop and Doncaster station.
The route seems to have these characteristics.
- It is about 11.8 miles long.
- Stops are Rotherham Central, Swinton (South Yorkshire), Mexborough and Conisborough.
- Diesel trains take about thirty minutes between Rotherham Central and Doncaster.
- All platforms at Doncaster are electrified with 25 KVAC.
- Platform 5 is a convenient bay platform at Doncaster, that could be used by the tram-trains.
- Sheffield’s Class 399 tram-trains can use 25 KVAC for traction.
- South Wales have similar Stadler tram-trains, that are to be fitted with batteries.
I am fairly sure, that a solution can be found so that Sheffield’s tram-trains can be extended to Doncaster station.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the route between Rotherham Parkgate tram stop and Doncaster station.
Note.
- The short length of red track in the North-East corner of the map is the East Coast Main Line.
- Doncaster station can be picked out.
- The short length of pink tracks are the 750 VDC electrified tracks of the Sheffield Supertram.
- The blue arrow marks Rotherham Parkgate station, which is the limit of the current tram-train route.
- Most of the route is not electrified.
As there is electrification at both ends, I suspect the easiest way of powering the trams would be to use batteries, as has been done in South Wales.
The New Class 810 trains between London St. Pancras And Sheffield On The Midland Main Line
These new Class 810 trains have started running this month and I suspect soe travellers will use these trains to go to Magna or its tram stop.
his OpenRailwayMap shows the tram routes in Sheffield city centre.
Note.
- The pink tracks are tram-tracks.
- The black tracks are unelectrified train tracks.
- The short lengths of red-and-black tracks are tracks to be electrified with 25 KVAC overhead, for the Class 810 trains.
- The blue error indicated the Cathedral tram-stop, where tram-trains will be caught to Magna.
- The mass of black tracks in the middle of the map is Sheffield station.
- There is a tram stop on the East side of the train station for the trams.
- Trams going South go to Halfway and Herdings Park.
- Trams going North-East go to Rotherham Parkgate and Meadowhall Interchange, and will go to Magna, when it opens.
- Trams going North-West go to Malin Bridge and Middlewood.
It is a difficult interchange between Cathedral and Sheffield station, if you are catching the tram-train, as it is a hard walk up hill, so it might be better if you are goinging between Sheffield station and the tram-train to change trams at Meadowhall South.
Are Sprouts Good For Uncomplicated Pancolonic Diverticular Disease?
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this post and got this answer.
Yes, sprouts are considered beneficial for managing uncomplicated pancolonic diverticular disease as part of a high-fiber diet. They are a good source of dietary fiber, which is recommended to help prevent constipation and reduce pressure in the colon, thereby lowering the risk of symptom flare-ups.
That sounds that they are.
This lunchtime, I seemed to avoid the dreaded fartrigen, despite eating a lot of brussels sprouts.
Electric Freight: A Solution To The WCML Capacity Conundrum
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Rail Engineer.
These two paragraphs introduce the article.
Network Rail considers the West Coast Main Line (WCML) to be the busiest mixed traffic railway in Europe. It carries 125mph passenger trains from London to the West Midlands, North West, and Scotland and is used by 90% of intermodal UK rail freight which has a maximum speed of 75mph. Traffic on the line has been steadily increasing. In 1994 there were seven daily passenger trains from Glasgow to London. Now there are 26.
In 2006 Network Rail commissioned an in-depth study to find the best way of providing additional capacity as, with increasing traffic, the WCML between London and the North West was forecast to be full by 2020. The study found that the provision of a new high-speed line was the best solution and was the basis for the development of the HS2 project. The 2006 study correctly forecast that the WCML will by now be at full capacity south of Crewe, yet following the curtailment of HS2 two years ago there are no proposals to address the capacity issue between Rugby and Crewe that was identified 20 years ago.
David Shirres, puts forward a solution that involves electric freight locomotives and faster freight wagons.
I can add some knowledge of what British Rail were doing in the 1970s to solve the problem of freight on the West Coast Main Line all those years ago.
This picture shows a PACE 231R.
In the early 1970s, I was lucky enough to work with one of these amazing machines. They were probably one of the most powerful analogue computers ever built, that could solve a hundred simultaneous differential equations at once using thermionic valve circuitry. Their most famous application was at NASA, where two of these machines formed the analogue half of the moon-landing simulator.
There were a handful of these powerful beasts in the UK at ICI Plastics, where I worked, British Motor Corporation, Cambridge University and British Rail Research at Derby.
At the time, British Rail were trying to run freight trains faster and the four-wheel freight wagons of the time were derailing with an unwanted regularity. So the problem was given to British Rail Research and the problem was put on the PACE 231R. The problem was solved and the lessons learned were applied to the Mark 3 Coach and the InterCity 125.
After privatisation, the research went to the National Railway Museum and out of curiosity a few years ago, I tried to look at it, but was told it was commercially sensitive to Bombardier. It is my belief, that if this research were to be continued at one of our best universities, that faster freight bogies could be developed, that would help to create the extra freight paths needed on the WCML.
Google AI Is Using This Blog
This is a screen-shot from Google.
I had asked Google AI this question “Are Centrica going to provide bunkering services for low carbon shipping?”
Google AI gave me this answer.
Yes, Centrica is actively exploring and planning to provide bunkering services for low-carbon fuels, particularly LNG, with future potential for hydrogen and ammonia at its Isle of Grain terminal, positioning itself as a key player in the energy transition for shipping.
Key Developments & Plans:
- Isle of Grain Terminal: Centrica’s acquisition and development of the Grain LNG terminal is central to this strategy, with plans to expand its capabilities for bunkering various low-carbon fuels.
- Low-Carbon Fuels Focus: While currently handling LNG, Centrica sees future opportunities for hydrogen and ammonia bunkering at the terminal, aligning with the maritime sector’s shift away from heavy fuel oil.
- Strategic Investment: Centrica views LNG as a crucial transition fuel and is investing in infrastructure to support its role in energy security and decarbonization, including for shipping.
- Bio-LNG Involvement: Through its stake in Gasrec, Centrica is also supporting renewable LNG for road transport, indicating broader interest in sustainable gas fuels.
US Government Sends Stop Work Order To All Offshore Wind Projects Under Construction
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The US Department of Interior has paused the leases and suspended construction at all large-scale offshore wind projects currently under construction in the United States, citing ”national security risks identified by the Department of War in recently completed classified reports.”
The wind farms named are.
- Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind-Commercial – 2,600 GW
- Empire Wind 1 – 810 MW
- Revolution Wind – 704 MW
- Sunrise Wind – 924 MW
- Vineyard Wind 1 – 806 MW
Note.
- These five wind farms total 5,844 MW or 5.8 GW.
- The Empire Wind development is being led by Equinor, who are Norwegian.
- The Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind developments are being led by Ørsted, who are Danish.
- The Vineyard Wind development is being led by Iberdrola, who are Spanish and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, who are Danish.
- Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project uses 176 Siemens Gamesa SG 14-222 DD (Direct Drive) offshore wind turbines.
- Empire 1 Wind is using Vestas V236-15MW offshore wind turbines.
- Revolution Wind is using 65 Siemens Gamesa SG 11.0-200 DD offshore wind turbines.
- Sunrise Wind is using Siemens Gamesa wind turbines, specifically their 8.0 MW models (SG 8.0-167).
- Vineyard 1 Wind is using General Electric (GE) Haliade-X 13 MW offshore wind turbines.
- Some of the components for the Siemens wind turbines will be manufactured in Virginia.
- Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind has a budget of $11.2-3 billion.
- Empire 1 Wind has a budget of $5 billion.
- Resolution Wind has a budget of $4 billion.
- Sunrise Wind has a budget of $5.3 billion.
- Vineyard 1 Wind has a budget of $4 billion.
There will only be one winner in this new round of the ongoing spat between Trump and the wind industry, that he hates so much – the 1.3 million active lawyers in the United States,which is a figure from according to Google AI.
Can Toddlers Get Uncomplicated Pancolonic Diverticular Disease?
I am asking this question, as I do wonder, if I’ve had the disease for many years, as I don’t feel any different now, to how I felt at 18, 30 or 50.
In my first couple of years of life, I was also a bad bed-wetter.
My mother cured me of this, by putting me in a small bed next to her’s and then getting me out of bed every time I woke. In the end her persistence paid off.
Since I’ve been diagnosed with uncomplicated pancolonic diverticular disease, I am certainly drinking a lot of fluids and gooing to the toilet a lot.
Although thankfully, I am not wetting the bed.
But, I do always sleep close to a toilet.
So I asked Google AI the question in the title of this post and received this answer in the form of this peer-reviewed paper, which was entitled Congenital Cecal Diverticulitis In A Pediatric Patient.
This is the abstract.
Diverticulitis in the pediatric population is a very rare cause of abdominal pain. When present in the cecum or ascending colon, it is often incorrectly diagnosed preoperatively as acute appendicitis. This is especially true in Western countries where right-sided diverticulitis is less common. Here we detail a case of a pediatric patient with complicated congenital cecal diverticulitis and review the literature on pertinent management. An extensive work up with imaging and endoscopy was completed and definitive surgical treatment with diverticulectomy an appendectomy was performed. As the incidence of diverticular disease in younger individuals increases, right sided diverticulitis is worthy of consideration on the differential diagnosis.
Note.
- I don’t remember being in any pain, but I was less than three, as this happened before my sister was born, when I was only 21 months old.
- I remember picking my sister up from hospital in my father’s Y-Type MG.
- My eldest son had appendicitis diagnosed at ten, but they didn’t operate. So was it diverticulitis?
- He wasn’t X-rayed or scanned.
- Doctors always believed I had a disease, they couldn’t identify.
- When I was identified as a coeliac at 50, I thought that was the problem.
But then as my now-retired GP said. “Whatever, I’ve got, doesn’t seem serious!”
Back To The Future With BYD Double-Deck Buses
Arriva run the 141 bus route for transport for London and today they must have been short of buses, as this older Wrightbus on a heritage number plate had been pressed into service.
The four pictures of an older Wrightbus hybrid bus, were taken on Moorgate this morning, when it was substituting for a newly-delivered BYD battery-electric bus on route 141.
As I tapped in, I made a remark to the driver about reliability of the Chinese buses and he smiled a knowing smile.
As an engineer and designer, I would list the design faults on the BYD double-deck buses as follows.
- The batteries don’t give the buses a long enough range.
- The buses don’t handle cold weather very well.
- The step into and out of the bus is too high for elderly people and is not the same as other London buses.
- The seating is more comfortable in AlexanderDennis, Evo-Seti and Wrightbus buses.
- The seats are also too narrow.
- The seats at the back downstairs are pokey, because of the position of the batteries.
- There is no rear view downstairs, which makes using the Mayor’s promoted Hopper Fare, which lets you take unlimited bus and tram journeys for £1.75 within one hour of your first tap-in, more difficult.
- The stop displays are unreliable.
- The buses don’t have enough seats for the 141 route.
But perhaps most importantly, few passengers have a good word for the buses.
John Baxendale’s Thermometer
Over the years, I’ve been involved with lots of innovative ideas.
When I worked at ICI Mond Division in Runcorn, one of the guys, that I worked with was John Baxendale, who was a fairly local lad, with unusually for the late 1960s, a very keen interest in surfing. John would often drive up to the North of Scotland in his green Morris Minor Traveller for a few day’s surfing.
Workwise, I remember John most for an electronic thermometer he built, that measured the temperature of a body by its black-body radiation, which is described in this Wikipedia entry.
He developed the thermometer to measure the temperature of remote objects and used to calibrate it on a handy ear, which is a very convenient black-body at 36.9 degrees C.
The Anonymous Widower 