River Boats!

 River Ferries?

The role of the ferryman is not yet in demise, as many people in London, U.K. want to travel the river Thames for work, cutting out the car and all the costs that now go with it, as well as fines!

There are many places were the building of a bridge is not suitable, but there is a demand for traffic to go from A to B/Z and thus not much has changed over the years with the craft, except the introduction of GPS and more comforts for the passengers?

Journeys will vary from fifteen to forty-five minutes and the weather can play havoc, but despite all this there remains a demand across many parts of the world, were safety standards are not kept, ranging from Greece to W-Africa, and the far-east with occasional great loss!

London Underground after twenty Years!

 Very little has changed with the Emergency Services?

Fifty two people died on the 7/7 2005 and four suicide bombers with 800 injured and over 1000 with psychological problems and in this period, even after Grenfell tower block fire the emergency services have not changed their policy and despite some coordination in communications another disaster would be the same!

The failure to improve is hard to understand and the lack of special equipment is sad, because its probably the Lord Mayors and the Government who refuses to finance this type of gear and vehicles?

It would seem in some cases life is of less value than others and tradition and routines refuses to modernize with the times and this is seen across many professions as people bury their heads in the sand to refuse taking responsibility!

Newer Types?

 Up to LHR, London Heathrow!

One had the opportunity in the last few weeks to get up to a very changed capitol for me, but one wanted to seen some of these big birds up closely and we were not disappointed! 

But almost shocked by the real size of the Airbus A380-900, followed by the A350-1000 and the Boeing 777-300 and 787-8,9.10 Dreamliner's as well as the A330'!

These are the main types that have replaced the good old Boeing 747, Jumbo and the Airbus A340-600?

Meanwhile the shorter haul Airbus A319-100, A320-200 are now being replaced by the A321 Neo's and Boeing has moved up to introduce the MAX version of the 737, after delays in it updated computer software!

The Airbus A220-200 and 300 series look cool as well as the many business jet conversions for smaller operators and it was nice to see Flybe back in operation with a very reduced fleet.

Battery and Electrics?

New Technology not for Everyone!

The British capital London is introducing charges to cars entering the city that are over fifteen years old or are powered by diesel! But nothing has been mentioned as yet about rail freight that daily passes through the capital power by mighty fuel guzzling locomotives?

Much work is being done to introduce more battery powered trains and improve the electrification of the capital, but this will not be for everywhere and outside London some areas will remain as they are!

Electric power 3rd rail is extensive in urban areas of the U.K., while 4th rail is part of the underground systems in London and Glasgow! Cost was originally the problem, but since the electrification of the Channel Tunnel work is continuing to improve a smoother cleaner train travel!

But most freight locomotion remains operated by diesel, rather than electric and one does not know what or when this will be changed or if it will ever be changed?

Railways Infrustructure!

Investment well overdue?

Britain is seeing a revolution in its railways from newlines to stations and ticketing, but the older stock is still a problem to shift on as new trains are being introduced? Line re-building and repair is taking up valuable time and cutting in to shedual but it is hoped that there will be enough equipment purchased to cover the long term investments being now in place?

London despite much new ideas, Cross rail and extensions, new stock and planning, still is suffering from lack of investment! Brexit is not helping the economic climate and there is a lack of initiative by the London Mayors to ask for the money!

The other cities in the U.K. are pressing on with trams as the future, we can be critical that they should not have stopped but the new lines are far more versatile than what was in place before? The introduction of electric vehicles will be an ever needed factor in our future transport needs, cutting carbon emissions from fossil fuels now in the advent of the end of the Diesel engine!

The Elizabeth Line. Part-One,

Cross Rail.

This ambitious railway project is near completion, but it is already out of date due to the even higher demands on the rail, under and over ground for London! It is estimated that by 2040, even with all the planned extensions of existing lines this will still not meet the requirements for travel?

What is needed is business with vision as was the case in the 19thCentury, but perhaps if Brexit happens we will not get the proper allocation of E.U funding that is being combined now?

The Elizabeth line facilitates east to west travel, but the idea of a north to south is also being considered?

It is only with time that we will see all the pitfalls and good points of this new project, London has so much to offer with existing out of service lines that could be brought back into service and it has much potential if only the greedy could see a way forward instead of bickering?

Electric Vehicles. Part-One.

A new Generation!

Currently Royal Mail, the British postal delivery has taken delivery of six new Polish built electric vans to work the streets of London the capital of the U.K. This is one of many who are trialing these new battery powered vehicles along with UPS, FexEx and Tesco's!

There are many ideas and possibilities on the table for Transport for London (TFL) along with many other European cities in the hope to decrease the ever rising problem of pollution! TFL is also looking at a new generation of electric buses that could have terminals for re-charging at their final destination points?

Currently bio-fuel and dual engine vehicles from Italy and Germany are being put through their paces, but the development of new Lithium batteries with a capacity of up to 130 miles without a charge looks much more viable than ever!

Rail and Tram options. Two.

London Overloaded?

Currently the capital of the United Kingdom is overloaded in relation to pressure on transport needs? Millions is being spent on Cross rail, planned extension's to the Bakerloo Line and the DLR, but this still will not stop the problems of overloading?

Plans are a foot to replace the diesel bus fleet with new Italian Electric buses, some are already in service. But what they lack is capacity and this short term ploy will not really help the situation that worsens daily?

Thames link  has purchased a fleet of plug trains that are walk through, and these are much longer than previous stock, thus much work is underway to make station platforms longer!

The opportunity of extending the tram network in London would help, even if it was based on the original layout?

Cost is not a problem for the capital, but lack of vision is and until some really good city Mayor comes to the fore, things will only get slower and tempers frayed??

All new British Trains?

The Price Hike!

It is claimed by the various private companies, that it is their hope by 2020 to have a modern fleet of all new trains across the mainland U.K? Meanwhile they also say that the last batch of Class 66 locomotives with many newer types will mean the mass selling off of all other existing classes either to preservation or overseas buyers?

This perhaps explains the price hike in fairs for 2018, but it also means that regional governments such as Scotland and Wales may have their last opportunity to expand or re-build lines before Brexit?

London and the south-east will benefit from Cross-rail and the extension of the Bakerloo line from Elephant and Castle to Lewisham, which in long overdue.

The government wants to build a high speed line from London to Pembroke dock, by passing Swansea, this will be via Carmarthen for freight? Meanwhile the proposed electrification may reach Cardiff, after it was cancelled?

All of this could just be another clever way of covering up raising the prices each year?

Construction. One.

Building Cross Rail-Elizabeth Line.

One must say that the use of the crane with telescopic or static has come to its fore, working in the tight spaces of bustling London! Most of the work being done in the capital was underground rather than later structures being build over tube stations to prove the value of land and property.

The crane has been around since man discovered we needed it to build, wither it was structures such as stone Henge to the ancient cities of the Middle-east and the great wall of China. The crane is the best was to lift heavy items, were as the pulley is more for the moving of local smaller weights.

Cross Rail and many other new underground ventures will be dominated by the crane, while the mobile telescopic has taken advantage of those 8x8 ICBM carriers for the odd and quick jobs?

Boris Bus.

London Transport Withdrawals.

The concept of the so called Boris bus/Wrightbus New Route Master (2013) was a good idea at the time, but it was soon found to have two serious flaws? Planned as a reintroduction of the famous RM RML series in modern service it promised London charm and the Mayor of London Boris Johnson believed it would impact on a rise in tourism?

The first flaw was the open deck-stairwell at the rear, allowing Oyster card holders to jump the fares to the rear and upper deck. The second was that the back of the bus upstairs having no rear window made it very dark, the problem was the expense to rectify and thus it was decided that it was cheaper to replace them from this year.

London transport has opted for an Italian Electric bus instead which is more environmentally friendly, after the initial trials of ten this is now to be massed introduced!

New trains for the U.K.

Class 700/707 and the Virgin Azuma.

A new fleet is underway for delivery in the Class 700 for Thames-Link and the 707 for South-West trains from their initial first batch trials from 2015.

Both of these classes belong to the German Seimans Desiro City mobility design. Thames-Link has received fifty-five, 12 car and 60, eight car units, while SW-Trains has 30, five car units. It is estimated that these trains in peak hour traffic will move 18,000 people.

The trains have some of the London Underground features such as walk-through. This new concept has proved to be very effective in cutting down crime, the train is also level for wheel chair access.

Meanwhile Virgin Trains have invested 140 million pounds in their new Japanese Hitachi Azuma high-speed stock, for east-coast operations. Azuma is Japanese for east, in 1964 Hitachi built the first Bullet train.

Virgin claims that the Azuma has a top speed of 140 mph, but o-to 60 is much faster than it current fleet, meaning that Kings Cross London to Scotland will knock off 30-minutes on the existing times?

Stagecoach to Automobile.

The design of the Car.

The origins of the motorcar began with a steam version of the stagecoach minus horses, but it was not popular at least 60 years before the car was conceived? The public in London were scared of this way ahead concept, because it sometimes ran out of control.

Today the car has not changed in its layout since 1890, various chassis and body shells expanded it from a four seats to seven, anything after that is considered to be a mini-bus. Fast cars have come and gone, engines, materials have changed and improved? While fuels have moved from steam to petrol, diesel to LPG and now we are entering the age of electric, bio and hydrogen?

Cars without drivers in the idea of the Android is being developed, but the design of these new types are still based on the original layout? Perhaps some bright spark might come up with a round car in this new field, so people can relax and rest in the open planned vehicle?

Fire Engines. Part-Three.

Aviation and at Sea.

Every airport across the world has employed specialist fire engines to deal with burning aviation fuel. We generally see this as foam being sprayed from powerful jets, it from years of gathered experience that this method has become a standard. 

Meanwhile fires at sea are extremely dangerous and can be fatal on most types of shipping, if they are not brought under control very quickly. It is the good old faithful Tugboat that has become the mainstay of the sea fire man. These vessels handle much more than towing and assisting shipping, they are fitted with extremely powerful jets and carry large tanks of sea water, than can be continually refilled.

Both in aviation and sea fire, much was learned from the Battle of Britain and the bombing by Nazi-Germany's Luftwaffe of the Port of London docks during World-War-II (1939-45). Tugboat on the river Thames were the most vital piece of sophisticated equipment at the time in fire fighting.

Cranes. Part-One.

Ancient to Present.

The crane has been around as long as man has been on the Earth, Stone Henge in the United Kingdom, the Pyramids of Egypt and the Great wall of China could not have been constructed without some form of crane or pulling device.

Slaves and animals too played an essential part, because the people who designed and built these monuments where part of high society and part of powerful empires. Today we take the crane and various lifters for granted, not high rise can be built without them being built into the structure of the towers in New York, Dubai and London.

Today there are a variety of types available to do different types of lifting, some of this being the recovery of heavy loads or the moving over structures into confined spaces. This is were the telescopic cranes have come into their own right.

Alstom Pendolino.

Class 390 West coast tilting line units.

This class of DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) has become well known with Virgin trains on the English west coast runs from London, through Carlisle. Initially built between 2001-05, most have now gone upgrading and coach extensions. There are now eleven different types of rolling stock within the Pendolino system.

Initially the Pendolino units operated as eight cars, but since 2004-5 they run as nine cars. Between 2010-12 a further 62 vehicles were built creating 35 sets eleven car sets and 21 9-car sets.

Speeds are tops 125mph, bogie's are Italian Fiat-SIG and all are air conditioned. In the event of breakdown the Class 57/3 locomotives can take control. Most of the train coaches were built at Alstom, Birmingham, but two types by Alstom Savigliano.

There has been only one accident with the class since it was introduced and that was at Lambrigg in 2007.

Light Rail.

Metro to Docklands.

If you ever pop up or are on a visit to London, please make to effort to ride the DLR from Bank to Greenwich. It will be worth your while and an interesting experience.

Light rail is that sort of in between railway, it is neither a tram or a train, but it fills a needed gap in urban transportation requirements. The movement of people, especially in rush hours is a vital aset to ones transport system and is a alternative. 

The Dublin DART, Liverpool and Newcastle METRO perhaps are the best examples of this system along with the east-London DLR.

I hope to cover this subject in closer detail in the next few months.

Sail Ships. Part-One.

Knowing the basics.

Living by the sea one see's loads of yachts and boats, including the odd sail ship. Over the years I have missed quite a few of them either in Swansea Bay, and the Bristol Channel and many other parts of the UK and Ireland.

There are a few films on classic yachts and some of them may be original trawlers, since the trawler started life in this part of the world anyway. Sail ship deign is strange enough still improving, but it was in the early 19th Century, that the Clipper came to its fore. Ships like the 'Cutty Sark, which has now been restored and is at Greenwich in London by the River Thames.

She was built in Dumbarton Scotland in 1869, weighing 921 tons and was 212 feet long. Her hey day was in carrying tea from China to the Port of London in 100 days and at a speed of about average 16 knots. 

The basic sail layout of these ships had developed from one main sail and a few smaller one to the three-four mast tall riggers. Ships like the Cutty Sark ended their days in the wool industry from Australia and the introduction of steam power and the opening of the Suez canal in Egypt.

London Transport.

The Route Master Replacement.

They have called it the Boris bus, after the Mayor of Greater London Boris Johnson. Some have called  it 'the toy town bus, apart from other things. London Transport did replace 'Old Faithful' with the Mercedez bendy bus, but over time it has had teething problems in traffic and taking corners.

Every city, wither in the UK or in any country needs a iconic symbol for their respective transport networks. We had the famous red bus, the route master, now we may have just a longer version of it.

The glass stairwell was designed in such a way as any assaults on passengers by others would be seen from the outside. This part of the bus was always a problematic area.