Developments At Mill Hill East Station
This Google Map shows the area around the least-used station on the Northern Line; Mill Hill East station.
I’d never knowlingly been to the station, but I went yesterday and took these pictures.
Note.
- The short line with Dollis Brook Viaduct between Finchley Central and Mill Hill East stations.
- The Council Depot shown on the Google Map appears to be being developed as housing called MillBrook Park.
- Mill Hill station now has a lift, to the single platform.
It looks that there are major ongoing improvements.
Will The Station Be Able To Handle The Extra Passengers?
Wikipedia says this about train frequency at Hill Hill East station.
Train frequencies vary throughout the day, but are generally every 11–15 minutes between 05:44 and 00:56 to Finchley Central, Kennington or East Finchley. During peak times train services are extended to Morden.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr, shows the track layout of the track between Mill Hill East and Finchley Central stations.
Note.
- Although according to Wikipedia, the branch was built with space for a double-track, much of the route is only single-track.
- The track layout at Finchley Central station appears comprehensive.
- With the right track-layout, signalling and well-drilled drivers, there are places in the UK rail network, where six trains per hour (tph) can work from a single platform.
I am fairly sure, that with the right systems, if it were to be required, that six tph can be run all day on the branch.
Alstom’s Hydrogen-Powered Train Undergoes Tests On Dutch Tracks
The title of this post is the same as that on this article of Renewables Now.
Hydrogen trains are certainly coming to Europe.
Another Space To Be Filled
This Google Map shows the City of London North of Moorgate station.
Note the crossroads, where South Place goes East from the A501, which has LEON and Boots on the West side and Barclays Bank on the East.
The South-East corner of the crossroads has been redeveloped and now it the time for the North-West corner to be redeveloped.
The pictures show that the site has been cleared.
- At appears that the site will be a development called 20 Ropemaker Street.
- It will be up to 27 stories high.
- It will be 457,000 square feet of offices.
- There will be retail premises along Finsbury Pavement opposite Gap and Marks & Spencer.
- The building will be the new London headquarters for Linklakers LLP.
There are also hints on the Internet, that the main entrance will be opposite the entrance for Moorgate station, with all its connections to the following.
Circle Line
- Crossrail
- Hammersmith & City Line
- Metropolitan Line
- Northern Line
- Northern City Line
It looks to me that the developers are taking advantage of the transport developments.
Lightweight Trains And No Taboos In French Secondary Line Rescue Package
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette International.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Development of lightweight rolling stock is one of several proposals put forward by the government to try and ensure the survival of much of the remaining network of secondary lines, many of which carry very limited traffic.
This problem of secondary lines exists in other countries, like Germany, Italy and to a certain extent the UK.
I will argue that Vivarail, with their Class 230 train are following a similar plan to that proposed for France.
- Lightweight well-proven design.
- Battery-powered.
- Modern interior.
- Designed for short branch lines and secondary routes.
Will Vivarail be talking to the French? Probably not, as using old London Underground stock in rural France would see a large clash of national egos.
But the philosophy could be transplanted across the Channel.
Perhaps some smaller British designs like an Aventra could also be used on French rural routes, that are electrified?
Woo! There Are Now Brand New Overground Trains Running From Liverpool Street
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Londonist.
These are going to make a big difference and I”ll go and have a look for them later.
I got a glimpse of two two-car units working together at Hackney Downs station.
One guy told me that three trains were running.
Hydrogen Refuelling In East Lothian
This article on Daily Business is entitled Hydrogen Refuelling Station Boost For Emission-Free Cars.
Hydrogen is coming!
BRP-Rotax Reveals Hydrogen-Powered Snowmobile
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on H2-View.
This would appear to be s good example of the use of hydrogen-power, as it is both non-polluting and silent.
ÖBB To Test Hydrogen Multiple-Units
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the introductory paragraph.
The national operator’s passenger business ÖBB Personenverkehr has awarded sole bidder Alstom a contract to provide two hydrogen fuel cell multiple-units for trials.
The trial should start in April.
Next Stop, Hydrogen-Powered Trains
The title of this post is the same as that as this article on the BBC’s Future Platet web site.
This is the introductory paragraph.
As old diesel trains are phased out of rail networks around the world, the UK is about to test a new type of engine that could help to decarbonise railways – hydrogen-powered trains.
The article then goes on to summarise the current developments in hydrogen grains.
Northern’s Battery Plans
The title of this post, is half of the title of an article in the March 2020 Edition of Modern Railways.
It appears that CAF will convert some three-car Class 331 trains into four-car battery-electric trains.
- A three-car Class 331 train has a formation of DMSOL+PTS+DMSO.
- A fourth car with batteries will be inserted into the train.
- Batteries will also be added to the PTS car.
- The battery-electric trains would be used between Manchester and Windermere.
It looks like a round trip would take three hours including turnarounds, thus meaning three trains would be needed to run the service.
The article says this.
The branch was due to be electrified, but this was cancelled in 2017, and as a result 3×3-car Class 195 trains were ordered. As well as the environmental benefits, introduction of the battery ‘331s’ on Windermere services would free-up ‘195s’ for cascade elsewhere on the Northern network.
Note that the total length or the route is 98 miles of which only the ten miles of the Windermere Branch Line are not electrified.
What Battery Capacity Would Be Needed?
I reckon it will be fine to use a figure of 3 kWh per vehicle-mile to give a rough estimate of the power needed for a return trip from Oxenholme to indermere.
- Two x Ten Miles x Four Cars x 3 kWh would give 240 kWh.
- There would also be losses due to the seven stops, although the trains have regenerative braking, to limit losses.
Remember though that CAF have been running battery trams for several years, so I suspect that they have the experience to size the batteries appropriately.
In Thoughts On The Actual Battery Size In Class 756 Trains And Class 398 Tram-Trains, I say that four-car Class 756 trains will have 600 kWh of batteries and a range of 40 miles. I wouldn’t be surprised to find that a four-car Class 331 train had similar battery size and range on batteries, as the two trains are competing in the same market, with similar weights and passenger capacities.
Charging The Batteries
The Modern Railways article says this about charging the train’s batteries.
Northern believes battery power would be sufficient for one return trip along the branch without recharging, but as most diagrams currently involve two trips, provision of a recharge facility is likely, with the possibility that this could be located at Windermere or that recharging could take place while the units are in the platform at Oxenholme.
The bay platform 3 at Oxenholme station is already electrified, as this picture shows.
I particularly like Vivarail’s Fast Charge system based on third-rail technology.
A battery bank is connected to the third-rail and switched on, when the train is in contact, so that battery-to-battery transfer can take place.
It’s just like jump-starting a car, but with more power.
This form of charging would be ideal in a terminal station like Windermere.
- The driver would stop the train in Windermere station in the correct place, for passengers to exit and enter the train.
- In this position, the contact shoe on the train makes contact with the third-rail, which is not energised..
- The Fast Charge system detects a train is connected and connects the battery bank to the third-rail.
- Energy flows between the Fast Charge system’s battery bank and the train’s batteries.
- When the train’s batteries are full, the Fast Charge system switches itself off and disconnects the third-rail.
- The third-rail is made electrically dead, when the train has left, so that there is no electrical risk, if someone should fall from the platform.
Note that the only time, the third-rail used to transfer energy is live, there is a four-car train parked on top of it.
When I was eighteen, I was designing and building electronic systems using similar principles to control heavy rolling mills, used to process non-ferrous metals.
Changing Between Overhead Electrification And Battery Power
All trains running between Manchester Airport and Windermere, stop in Platform 3 at Oxenholme station to pick up and put down passengers.
- Trains going towards Windermere would lower the pantograph and switch to battery power.
- Trains going towards Mabchester Airport would raise the pantograph and switch to overhead electrification power.
Both changes would take place, whilst the train is stopped in Platform 3 at Oxenholme station.
The Anonymous Widower 