UK Among Tri-Axle Zero-Emission Wrightbus StreetDeck Prospects
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on routeone.
This is the sub-heading.
Orders for new product ‘already lined up’ in Europe and the Far East, the manufacturer has said
These are the first two paragraphs.
Wrightbus sees UK sales opportunity for its new tri-axle zero-emission StreetDeck double-deck bus platform in addition to core Far Eastern markets for that class of vehicle, it says.
That was noted by CEO Jean-Marc Gales (pictured) when debuting prototype examples of the 6×2 bus that it says are “simultaneously” coming off production lines in Northern Ireland and Malaysia. The manufacturer adds that orders are “already lined up” for the product in Europe and the Far East.
I seem to remember that London’s electric trolleybuses used to have three axles.
So I asked Google AI if London’s trolleybuses did have three axles and got this reply.
Yes, London’s trolleybuses were predominantly three-axle vehicles. To accommodate their length and the power of their electric motors, most London trolleybuses, designed to replace trams, were built with three axles. This design allowed them to be larger and carry more passengers, similar to the trams they replaced.
So my memory was correct.
Where I live in De Beauvoir Town, the main North-South bus route is the 141 between London Bridge and Palmers Green.
- They are ten-year-old diesel hybrid buses.
- The route is busy and the buses are far too small.
- During my childhood, the route was the 641 trolleybus, which I used regularly.
- Southgate Road, where the trolleybuses ran is wider than most roads in London.
It would be ironic, if our inadequate 141 buses were to be replaced by new three-axle buses following some of the design rules of trolleybuses.
Is A Three-Axle Bus Better At Climbing Hills Than A Two-Axle?
In the UK, Bradford, Brighton and Sheffield are cities with hills.
If a three-axle bus is better at climbing hills, then this could be a big selling point.
The Chinese Won’t Be Pleased
This is said in the article.
The manufacturer adds that orders are “already lined up” for the product in Europe and the Far East
The Chinese won’t like Wrightbus stealing their markets.
Malaysian Fabrication Company Enters Offshore Wind Market With IJmuiden Ver Alpha Contract
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Holdings Berhad (MHB), through its wholly-owned subsidiary Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering (MMHE), has secured a subcontract for its first offshore substation high-voltage direct current (HVDC) platform required for TenneT’s 2 GW offshore wind project in the Netherlands
These two paragraphs outline the project.
The Malaysian contractor confirmed the award from Petrofac on 29 November and said the OSS HVDC platform consists of a topside and jacket for the IJmuiden Ver Alpha project.
The subcontract scope consists of construction engineering, fabrication, mechanical completion, load out and sea fastening, and architectual works on engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) basis.
A third paragraph, indicates, that this contract could be the first of a few.
In addition, the parties will also collaborate towards the possibility of fabrication works for two additional offshore substation units of similar size.
This story illustrates how wind farm developers are looking for more places to build their infrastructure.
In An Elegant Solution, I talked about an idea called a D-Floater. Five are shown being transported in this picture.
The idea is from a Swedish company; Bassoe Technology.
This would enable transport costs from faraway places to be reduced.
Nearer to Europe, the Black Sea ports of the Ukraine could be an ideal place to build infrastructure, as the country used to have the required skills, ports and steel-making capabilities.
But first Putin must be put back in his box!
The Canadian Family in Penang
Years ago, C & myself were waiting for the Penang Hill Railway to get on top of Penang Hill. I can’t remember exactly how we got talking, but it could have been a can of Coke in the hot weather and this Canadian family with three children helped clear up the mess. It turned out they were two teachers and had sold up all of their possessions and were going round the world. They were obviously educating their children as they travelled.
They had started in the UK and then crossed Europe by train to take a ferry to North Africa, where they crossed the Sahara in a truck. Gradually, they progressed through Africa to Dar Es Salaam, from where they took a dhow to India. When we met them, they were living in a two dollars a day flophouse in Penang. In a few days, they woukd be off and hoped to get to Darwin.
I asked if they had had any trouble. They said, only really the baboons. But then babons are the hooligans of Africa. Although, their son had broken his humerus, somewhere in Northern Nigeria. The local head man introduced them to the local bonesetter, who felt it all back into place. Later in Lagos, the Canadian High Commission, got them an appointment with the best orthopaedic surgeon in Nigeria. When he looked at the arm, he just gave a knowing look and said that the bonesetter was better than he was at puting broken bones back together. He’d not had any trouble since. I wish that bonesetter had put my gammy arm back together.
I always wonder what happened to that family. I assume all was well, but it would have made the travel book of the decade. I suspect, the authorities would have something to say, if a family tried it now.
Brian Redhead Was Right
I have been listening to the Malaysian Grand Prix today on BBC Radio 5 Live.
It has been a disaster for Sky, as for most of the race, it has been raining cats and dogs.
So as the late great Brian Redhead once said. “If television had been invented first, radio would be the dominant medium, as the pictures are better!”
The BBC commentators are proving him right, by bringing interesting guests to the microphone, explaining everything that is going on extremely well. But then, the BBC has had all that practice with cricket.
If I was paranoid, after reading Brian Redhead’s Wikipedia entry, I’d think I had a ruptured appendix, as he died of one, after complaining of pain in his left side and leg. But I’ve had my pain for years, so it’s probably nothing to worry about.
A Malaysian View on London Buses
I found this article on a Malaysian newspaper website.
It is of an interview of the Chief Executive of the Malaysian Land Public Transport Commission, where they talk about improving bus services over all of Malaysia.
What is interesting, is that they are talking about using a London model, where different private companies tender for specific routes. I won’t comment yet, but make sure you read the article.
Beware of Baboons
Baboons are the hooligans of Africa, and as this story from Cape Town shows they can do a lot of damage to get what they want.
I was first made aware of the habits of baboons in of all places, Penang in Malaysia. C and I were waiting for the cable car, when we met a friendly Canadian couple and their three early teenage children. The couple, who were both teachers, had sold everything and were taking a family trip round the world, staying generally in a couple of dollar a day guesthouses. They had crossed the Sahara in a truck, travelled overland to Kenya by a variety of means and then from Tanzania, they’d crossed to India in a dhow. I asked if they’d had any problems and they said no, except for the baboons. They told of how they could open the most secure of cases and would do anything to steal food. They had had another problem incidentally, when their son had broke his humerus in Nigeria, only for it to be set perfectly, by the local bonesetter.
Ever since that conversation I’ve always been wary of baboons.
I remember an incident at Cape Point, near Cape Town in South Africa. There is a tea bar there and the baboons were all on the roof, trying to steal food, as they always do. But they had found that if they put their backside over the edge of roof and defecated, they could get a lot of laughs and hopefully someone would drop a burger or a sandwich. I have seen some revolting behaviour in my time, but this ranks with the worst.
Their behaviour was little better in Gambia on one of my last holidays with C and in Kenya, they were always looking to create some trouble.
So keep clear of baboons.
I’ll always remember that charming Canadian family and wonder if they ever wrote a book about that adventure of a lifetine.
The Anonymous Widower 