Crossrail 2 Falls Victim To £1.8bn TfL Bailout
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Construction Enquirer.
It appears that one of the conditions of the bailout of Transport for London, is that ongoing consultancy on Crossrail 2, will be scrapped.
As someone, who lives in an area, that will benefit enormously from Crossrail 2, I still feel that this is a good idea, as for the last few years, the transport system in East London has coped well and other improvements already in the pipeline, will keep things going until the economy recovers from the covids and a rathional decision can be made about Crossrail 2.
Police Shut Down Illegal Halloween Parties And A Christening
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the Evening Standard.
This is the opening paragraph.
Police were called to break up 11 illegal lockdown parties in the capital over the Halloween weekend – including a 1,000 people rave in East London.
The police were also called to a Christening, where a £10,000 fixed-penalty notice was handed out.
When will people learn that Careless Meeting Costs Lives.
Perhaps we should avoid the two R-words; rave and religion to keep the all important R-number down.
Bristol Illegal Rave Attended By 700 People
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-title.
Police say they were attacked as they tried to break up an illegal rave at a warehouse near Bristol.
Let’s hope it gives lots of work for criminal defence solicitors.
Boost for Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle Area As A Further £1.5m Invested By Combined Authority In New Railway Station Scheme
The title of this post, is the same as that of this story on the Liverpool City Region web site.
These three opening paragraphs give most of the details of the story.
Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle area has been given a big boost as plans to build a new station have moved to the next stage thanks to a £1.5m investment by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram has pledged to build a new station on the site of the former St James station, which closed in 1917, which would be located in one of the fastest growing areas of the city, near to the former Cains Brewery.
Those proposals for the station on the Merseyrail network are a step closer thanks to two new developments – an agreement with Network Rail, worth £1.2m, to start the next stage of the design process, and the purchase of a plot of land adjacent to the railway cutting off Stanhope Street for £300k, protecting a potential future site for the new station ticket office building.
As Liverpool St. James station, closed over a hundred years ago, this must be one of the longest times to reopen a station, anywhere in the world.
This Google Map shows the location of the proposed station.
Note.
- The deep dark cutting going under the major road junction, where Upper Parliament Street and the A571 cross.
- The square of roads formed mainly by Ashwell Street, with Stanhope Street in the South, above the cutting.
- Contained in the cutting is Merseyrail’s Northern Line on which the station will be built.
- I also suspect, that the triangular plot of land on the East side of the tracks, is the one mentioned in the extract. It could easily be the place for a ticket office with lifts to the platforms.
Only Liverpudlians would choose to build a station at the bottom of a deep hole.
But then they don’t think like others!
I have a few thoughts and questions.
Will It Be Dark On The Platforms?
This was one of my first thoughts, as there’s nothing worse than a dark station. I also wonder, if one of the reasons the station closed was lack of passengers caused by the darkness.
This picture taken from the story, shows the cutting from the bottom.
Note.
- Aligning this picture with the map, Liverpool Central is behind us and Hunts Cross is through the tunnel.
- Perhaps on a good day more light gets into the cutting.
I suspect that modern lighting on the platforms could solve the problem.
It appears that the station opened in 1874 and closed in 1917, but the lines through the station were not electrified until 1983.
So as the station must have been served by steam-hauled trains, during its brief opening at the turn of the Nineteenth Century, it must have had a terrible atmosphere on the platforms.
Hopefully, the only smell, that will emanate from the new Class 777 trains, will be one of newness.
What Is On The Triangular Plot?
This Google Map shows the triangular plot of land, that could be used for the ticket office.
Note.
- It looks very much to be a builder’s yard or a store for building materials, as I can definitely make out packs of bricks and bags of aggregate.
- As there appears to be a steel staircase down to the tracks at the top of the image, it might even be something to do with Network Rail.
- The steel staircase is visible in the picture of the tracks.
- The plot certainly doesn’t contain any buildings of architectural merit.
- I also can’t see a pond, which might contain newts or other protected wildlife.
It would appear to be an ideal site for a station building, with all the necessary facilities.
More Information And Pictures Of The Former Station
This page on the Disused Stations web site, gives extra information to Wikipedia about the station and has some interesting pictures.
How Will The Platforms Be Accessed?
It is a long way for steps, as especially as new stations are generally built step-free.
Merseyrail already have a pair of almost identical stations; Kirkdale and Wavertree Technology Park, which both opened in 2000.
These pictures show Kirkdale station.
I suspect, platform access at Liverpool St. James station of a similar design could be devised.
- The simplest design would surely be to put a bridge across the tracks from the ticket office, which had a large lift on both sides of the tracks direct to the platforms.
- Stairs from such a bridge could probably be added, but they would be long and complicated.
- It might need a two-stage process with lifts taking passengers down to a bridge over the trains and then stairs and more lifts or ramps to the platforms.
At least, as the line is electrified for third-rail, I doubt clearance will be needed for overhead wires.
Could The Station Have An Island Platform?
One of the comments suggested this. In addition, one picture on the Disused Stations web site appears to show three tracks through the station site.
So this could be an interesting possibility.
Conclusion
I think that we might see a very innovative design here, given Merseyrail’s past record.
Mitsubishi Power Receives Order For First Solid Oxide Fuel Cell In Europe
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Fuel Cells Works.
A fuel cell converts a fuel like hydrogen or natural gas directly into heat and electricity, so what is a solid state fuel cell?
Wikipedia has an entry for solid state fuel cell, that appears to be professionally written.
The entry sums up their advantages and disadvantages in this sentence.
Advantages of this class of fuel cells include high combined heat and power efficiency, long-term stability, fuel flexibility, low emissions, and relatively low cost. The largest disadvantage is the high operating temperature which results in longer start-up times and mechanical and chemical compatibility issues.
They sound to be a tricky engineering challenge.
Dereliction On Teesside – 28th October 2020
The Tees Valley Line between Middlesbrough and Redcar is lined with derelict steel works.
I don’t think there’s an area of such industrial dereliction, in the UK.
Saltburn Station – 28th October 2020
I paid a quick visit to Saltburn station.
I would have had a bigger look round, but time was tight.
The reason the time was tight, was a classic example of what you get with a rail route, with only one train per hour (tph). The next train would have meant, I’d missed my train to London and would have had to buy another ticket.
This Google Map shows the station.
Note.
- There are two platforms.
- The station appears to be close to the Town Centre.
- There is a branch leading South to the Boulby Mine. This branch is used to handle the output of the mine, which is polyhalite and rock salt.
These are my thoughts.
Four tph Between Darlington And Saltburn
Four tph is planned between Darlington and Saltburn.
- Two platforms at Saltburn will surely help.
- All intermediate stations have two platforms.
- The route is double track all the way, except for the approach to Darlington station.
I discussed the approach from the East to Darlington station in Darlington Station – 28th October 2020 and suggested that a dive-under is needed to allow the following.
- High speed trains can make a fast approach and departure from the new high speed platforms at Darlington.
- Saltburn to Bishop Auckland services to avoid crossing the East Coast Main Line on the flat to access Platform 4 at Darlington.
- Darlington and Saltburn services to sneak under the East Coast Main Line and access Platform 2 at Darlington.
There may also need to be some track modifications to the North of Darlington station, but as there are two tph between Bishop Auckland and Darlington to accommodate, the modifications would probably be less extensive.
Charging Battery Electric Trains At Saltburn
I doubt that this would be essential, as Middlesbrough is only thirteen miles away, but there is surely space to fit in one of Vivarail’s Fast Charge systems in the station.
Passenger Services On The Boulby Mine Branch
If housing is developed around Saltburn, this could be a possibility at some time in the future.
This was the route of the Whitby, Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway, which was closed in 1958 and then reopened to Boulby Mine in the 1970s.
There were originally two stations between Saltburn and Boulby; Loftus and Grinkle.
In a section of the Wikipedia entry for the railway called The Railway Today, this is said.
In January 2019, Campaign for Better Transport released a report identifying the line between Saltburn and Loftus which was listed as Priority 2 for reopening. Priority 2 is for those lines which require further development or a change in circumstances (such as housing developments)
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a passenger service on this route.
This Google Map shows the Boulby Mine and the Coast.
Note.
- The Boulby Mine is at the Western side of the map.
- The village of Staithes has strong connections to Captain Cook.
- The original railway. that ran South of the site of the mine through Staithes and on to Whitby is now a walking route.
I wonder if there should be a station close to the mine.
Conclusion
There is a lot of potential to improve the railway between Middlesbrough and Saltburn.
Could A Gravitricity Energy Storage System Be Built Into A Wind Turbine?
On Thursday, I watched the first programme in a BBC series called Powering Britain. This programme was about wind power.
The program had close-up views of the inside of a turbine tower in the Hornsea Wind Farm in the North Sea. The spacious tower enclosed a lift for engineers to access the gubbins on the top.
In the Wikipedia entry for wind turbine, there is a section, with is entitled Most Powerful, Tallest, Largest And With Highest 24-Hour Production, where this is said.
GE Wind Energy’s Haliade-X is the most powerful wind turbine in the world, at 12MW. It also is the tallest, with a hub height of 150 m and a tip height of 260m. It also has the largest rotor of 220 m and largest swept area at 38000 m2. It also holds the record for the highest production in 24 hours.
Two certainties about wind turbines are that they will get larger and more powerful, if the progress over the last few years is continued.
So could a Gravitricity energy storage system be built into the tower of the turbine?
A lot would depend on the structural engineering of the combination and the strength of the tower to support a heavy weight suspended from the top, either inside or even outside like a collar.
To obtain a MWh of storage, with a height of 150 metres, would need a weight of 2,500 tonnes, which would be over three hundred cubic metres of wrought iron.
Gravitricity are talking of 2,500 tonnes in their systems, but I suspect the idea of a wind turbine, with a practical level of storage inside the tower, is not yet an engineering possibility.
Horden Station – 28th October 2020
I took these pictures at the new Horden station, as I passed through.
Probably, the most significant fact about this station, is that it was built quickly.
Megawatt Charging System Set To Rapidly Reduce Fuelling Time For Commercial EVs
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Electric Autonomy Canada.
This is the sub-title.
An international task force says their recent high power “charge-in” event has yielded promising results with successful testing of novel connector prototypes that could overhaul the long-haul industry.
The problem of charging heavy freight trucks is a big market in North America and it seems that the event attracted some big players, like ABB, Daimler and Tesla.
- In the trucking industry, speed and range count for a lot.
- Trucks need to be charged during a driver’s rest break of about thirty minutes.
- In the U.S., transport made up 28 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.
- Charging lots of trucks on typical state-of-the-art car chargers would probably crash the system.
The Megawatt Charging System aims to solve the problems.
How Would It Work?
This paragraph from the article, outlines the problems.
But how, one may ask, could such a massive electrical draw — as much as 4.5 megawatts — be supported by a grid, especially when the usage scale is not just one truck charging up, once a day, but thousands of 18-wheelers rolling and charging across the country.
The MCS Task Force seem to be suggesting that these systems will work as follows.
- A large battery or energy storage system will be trickle charged.
- The truck will be connected and the electricity will flow into the truck.
- It could all be automated.
It sounds very much like Vivarail’s Fast Charge system, which uses batteries as the intermediate store.
As an Electrical and Control Engineer, I would use a battery with a fast response.
I think I would use a Gravitricity battery. This page on their web site describes their technology.
Gravitricity™ technology has a unique combination of characteristics:
- 50-year design life – with no cycle limit or degradation
- Response time – zero to full power in less than one second
- Efficiency – between 80 and 90 percent
- Versatile – can run slowly at low power or fast at high power
- Simple – easy to construct near networks
- Cost effective – levelised costs well below lithium batteries.
Each unit can be configured to produce between 1 and 20MW peak power, with output duration from 15 minutes to 8 hours.
The Anonymous Widower 