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.
Trump’s View On Gluten-Free-Food
Out of Curiosity, I asked Google AI, their view on this.
This is the answer, that I received.
Donald Trump’s view on gluten-free food, as indicated in his “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda, focuses primarily on mandatory labeling of gluten on all packaged foods in the U.S. to protect those with celiac disease and other health conditions. This approach is presented as a public health initiative to address chronic diet-related diseases.
Key aspects of this view and related issues include:
Mandatory Labeling: The central proposal is to require food packaging to disclose the presence of gluten, similar to current requirements for other major allergens. This would align the U.S. with the regulations of many other countries.
Public Health Rationale: The initiative is framed within a broader strategy to improve public health and address rising rates of chronic disease and obesity in the U.S..
Potential for Increased Costs: Critics and advocates have expressed concern that other Trump administration policies, such as proposed tariffs on imported specialty ingredients like tapioca starch and sorghum flour (common in gluten-free products), could lead to higher prices for people who require these foods for medical reasons.
Political Reception: The proposal has received support from celiac advocates, who see it as a necessary step for consumer protection. However, the approach has also sparked debate within the food industry and political sphere, with some viewing it as a rare regulatory move in an otherwise deregulatory agenda.
Academics have also noted an interesting social dynamic, with some studies suggesting that Trump supporters are, perhaps surprisingly, more likely to identify as avoiding gluten than non-supporters.
I would have thought from my own experiences, that Trump supporters would avoid gluten.
Life-Saving Baby Incubators Uused In Ukraine Pass The NHS Test
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article from The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
The devices made by Mom Incubators weigh a fraction of existing models, making them highly mobile and perfect to use on maternity wards.
The incubator was developed as a final year student project.
- James Roberts founded Mom Incubators in 2014.
- Backers include Sir James Dyson and Holly Branson.
- The incubators have been used in England, Haiti, India, Kenya, the Philippines, Scotland, Uganda, Ukraine, US and Tanzania.
- This is a really wonderful story, which shows the value of good design and keeping the weight down.
James Roberts intends to repeat the excercise with other medical devices.
Did This Get Lost In The Covids?
In October 2019, I wrote Asthma Carbon Footprint ‘As Big As Eating Meat’ and it made me think, when I just read it.
I would normally follow up a post like this, but I don’t remember doing anything like that.
The Wikipedia entry for the COVID-19 pandemic in England, starts with this paragraph.
The COVID-19 pandemic was first confirmed to have spread to England with two cases among Chinese nationals staying in a hotel in York on 31 January 2020.
It looks to me, that like everybody else in England, I had the Covids on my mind.
Is Respimat A Zero-Carbon Inhaler?
Just to be sure, I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this reply.
The Respimat soft mist inhaler is considered to have virtually no associated carbon emissions from its operation because it does not contain the high global warming potential (GWP) hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) propellants found in metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs).
While it has a substantially lower carbon footprint than traditional pMDIs, it is not strictly “zero-carbon” when considering its entire life cycle, which includes manufacturing, materials (stainless steel, aluminium, polymers), and end-of-life disposal. These factors contribute a small product carbon footprint (PCF).
According to Google AI, a reusable version is available.
A reusable Respimat device has been introduced, which further reduces the carbon footprint by up to 71% over six months compared to the disposable version because the device itself is kept longer, reducing manufacturing impacts.
Google AI says this about NHS guidance.
Health bodies like the NHS encourage the use of lower-carbon inhalers like the Respimat or dry powder inhalers (DPIs) as part of their net-zero targets, provided they are clinically appropriate for the patient.
But it does seem that Respimat devices are helping to cut global warming.
What Is The Patient Experience Of Respimat?
Google AI gave this answer to my question.
Patient experience with the Respimat inhaler is generally very positive, with high satisfaction for its ease of use, handling, and the “soft mist” it produces, leading to high continuation rates in studies; patients find it easier than many older devices and report good effectiveness, though common side effects like dry mouth, cough, and sore throat can occur.
Key Aspects of Patient Experience
- High Satisfaction: Over 85-90% of patients report being satisfied or very satisfied with the Respimat’s handling and the ease of inhaling the mist.
- Preference Over Other Devices: Many patients prefer Respimat over traditional metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) or dry powder inhalers (DPIs), finding it easier to use and more effective.
- Soft Mist Technology: Patients appreciate the gentle, slow-moving mist, which helps deliver medication effectively and feels different from a typical puff.
- Good Adherence: High satisfaction often translates to continued use, with physicians reporting high patient adherence and continuation rates after studies end.
- Improved Technique: While initial use might need guidance, pharmacist-led interventions show significant improvements in patients’ inhalation technique over time.
That doesn’t look bad to me!
Could Immunotherapy Drugs Be Delivered By An Inhaler?
We always felt the device could deliver other drugs.
Google AI gave this answer to my question.
Yes, immunotherapy drugs could potentially be delivered by an inhaler, and this approach is a promising area of active research and development, particularly for treating lung cancer and respiratory diseases like asthma.
Rationale and Research
- Targeted Treatment: Inhaled delivery allows for high concentrations of the drug to be delivered directly to the lungs, which is particularly beneficial for treating lung-specific conditions like lung cancer or severe asthma. This localized approach aims to maximize the therapeutic effect where needed.
- Reduced Side Effects: By concentrating the medication in the lungs and minimizing its systemic absorption into the bloodstream, researchers hope to significantly reduce the severe side effects (e.g., systemic toxicity, autoimmune reactions) commonly associated with traditional intravenous or oral administration of some immunotherapies and chemotherapies.
- Patient Convenience: Inhalation is a non-invasive administration route, which is more convenient and comfortable for patients compared to injections or intravenous infusions, potentially allowing for self-administration and improving patient compliance.
The Soft Mist Technology could surely be a help!
Was Osborne Reynolds The Greatest Fluid Dynamicist?
I have to ask Google AI this question, as some of the discussions that led to creation of Respimat, took place in my house at Debach, where Osborne Reynolds had lived.
Google AI gave this answer to my question.
Osborne Reynolds is considered one of the most influential and foundational contributors to the field of fluid dynamics, though naming a single person the “greatest” is subjective. His work fundamentally shaped modern engineering and physics and remains central to the study of fluid flow today.
Key Contributions to Fluid Dynamics
Reynolds’ most significant achievements include:
- The Reynolds Number: He identified a crucial dimensionless parameter (now named the Reynolds number) that determines whether fluid flow is laminar (smooth and orderly) or turbulent (chaotic and eddying). This number is a foundational concept used across all engineering and physical sciences.
- The Theory of Turbulence: In an 1895 paper, he established the standard mathematical framework used in the study of turbulence, introducing what is known as the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations.
- Experimental Validation: His elegant, yet simple, dye experiments visually demonstrated the transition between flow regimes, providing clear empirical evidence for his theories.
- Theory of Lubrication: He developed the Reynolds equation in 1886, which still underpins the analysis of hydrodynamic lubrication in modern bearings.
- Heat Transfer and Similitude: His research into heat transfer between solids and fluids led to significant improvements in boiler and condenser designs, and his work on hydraulic similitude enables engineers to use scaled-down models (e.g., in wind tunnels for aircraft design) to predict the performance of full-scale machines.
How Many Good Ideas Did The Covids Delay?
It could be that the roll-out of Respimat for was delayed by the Covids!
But it wouldn’t have been the only idea to have been delayed in that way!
The 73 Group
The 73 Group was a finance company, that I owed jointly with a guy named David Mann, who was an experienced provider of finance for cars, trucks and other vehicles and equipment.
- The company had been the idea of an accountant, I shared with David, named Graham Manning.
- David put in his expertise and I put in some of the money, I received from the sale of my share of the Artemis software.
- It operated mainly in the area around Ipswich in Suffolk.
- Many of the customers were owner/drivers, who ferried containers to and from the docks at Felixstowe, who had known David for some years.
- The company certainly gave a better return, than putting money on deposit.
- One of the things, I did was extensively model a book of loans for vehicles and this gave me an insight into the dynamics of money.
Sadly in the end, David became ill and we wound the company up.
It gave me an interesting insight into local finance and I believe, that local finance companies with good connections and the right systems and people can be profitable.
It also gave me a few good tales.
Coaches Are Good Business
A good top-of-the range coach is good business for operators, coach dealers and finance companies.
I remember spending one evening with David and a coach operator in a pub, when the operator had had a fabulous day stitching together coaches as Rail Replacement Buses for British Rail after a train derailment, between Ipswich and Colchester.
I learned a lot about operating coaches that night and it’s why I’m so keen on hydrogen-powered coaches, with their expected long range, quietness and smoothness.
Fairground Rides Are Good Business
Surprisingly, if you don’t mind being paid in fifty pence pieces on the Ipswich bypass at ten o’clock at night.
You Need A Good Collections Guy
Our’s was excellent.
The Anonymous Widower 