Tunnel Boring!

 Machines that make tunnel under the Ground?

Ninety years ago these same machines were created for up to sixteen men to work within the rolling drum digging out the soil, rock, sand by hand and many were killed, either falling forward or back!

But today these boring machines are much bigger and longer, being automated, still crewed by with more safety at hand and they can with lasers work more accurately to also lay the framework of these tunnels with reinforced sections?

Eventually it is expected with A.I. that all types of machines with be robotic and serviced when out of operations, while all controls will come from a control room than the need for human intervention!

Currently the largest borers are building a underwater canal across China and other transport links, with motorways through mountain tunnels and bridges cutting time on land distant travel on winding roads and rail?

Signal Complexities!

 There is more to Train Driving?

Understanding your road (Track) is only the beginning of a more complex observation and trust in the signal control centers is the start of being a driver, wither passenger, underground or freight!

The driver must be watching and have good eyesight to obstacles on the road, from engineering workers, to the public and criminal activity, while speeds must be kept to, there are changes at times that have to be heeded?

On the Tube, Metro, Underground there may be slightly different rules, but crossing tracks is out of the control of the drivers and today much of it is in the hands of automation and now A.I. and in the near future more driver less trains will be in service all over the place!

Automation came in because of human error, due to being slack, lazy, but more likely tiredness and the actions leading to serious accidents from the introduction of railways and the underground?

DART. Part-Two.

Japanese Dissapointments.

Business with Japan has been good with the purchase of the 'Arrow', but not so good on the Dublin Area Rapide Transit replacing and adding to the original West-German stock first generation trains.

Tokyu car Corperation Yokohama, Japan stock 8500. 8510 and 8520 have suffered from constant breakdown problems, but the two car Spanish 8200 stock continue to be fairly reliable?

It is not clear what the Irish government is planning in relation for ne stock for the future, but with the Luas lines and possible underground railway. it is not clear if the planned connection to Aer Lingus/Dublin Airport is still on the cards, but whatever happens new stock will have to be purchased.

Dublin (Balie Atha Cliath) has grown to nearly one million people from the 670.000 estimated in 1980. the whole transport infrustructure has changed dramatically over the years with the new South-Korean DMU stock replacing the American diesels of the 1960's and the new coaching stock with internet connections, Wi-Fi and a whole host of features over that of the older British Rail BREL Mark-III coaches which have all now been sold on.

The Coast Guards. Part-One.

Multi-Role.

Nearly every nation has a rescue service of one kind or another, from being embedded within their police or military. Some are a separate division dedicated to its own provisions of equipment and personnel.

We have mountain rescue, coastguards, Royal Life boat institutions (R.N.L.I.) and many others. Each one plays a specific role on water, in the air and underground. Some fire service units are equipped in this way. There is close cooperation between all the emergency services, during storms, earthquakes, major incidents-accidents and terrorists attacks.

The sea borne operators in the U.S. double up with their vessels to assist narcotics enforcement, apart from search and rescue. This is becoming more so now across the globe with more navies having to deal with people smuggling and ship hijacking.

The Snow Plough.

Roads and Rail.

Basically this is a shovel fitted to trucks and locomotives to push soft snow to one side, but these ploughs could also be employed for pushing sand after a storm. The need for this goes back at least two hundred years, with the onset of the the invention of the engine the design has not changed much!

Today the idea of blowing both snow and sand has been added to snow plough or for sand removal. Railways suffer greatly from such obstacles and from wet leaves that can be the cause of both slippage and derailment. Various forms of weed killer and spray trains have also been designed, along with the removal of dust and rubbish in Metro and underground systems world wide,

Switzerland and Italy have lead the way in these specialist type trains and the British in Metro cleaning systems.

London Overground. Part-Two.

Revitalising old rail lines.

This is the answer to helping to expand the overground network for London, it is much cheaper than expanding several other established surface lines such as the District and Metropolitan.

Development of overhead electrics is being persuade for west London and possibly for the east also. This is one of many proposals that are now coming to fruition and they are welcomes, because of the massive strain on the whole London Underground system.

The future holds Cross-Rail and how that will help relive the existing pressures, in time like the Docklands light railway this too will have to expand with several off-shoots.

The problems originated with the failure of the old London County Council and its fore runner the GLC to plan ahead, or even ask big business to make a serious investment.

London Overground. Part-One.

'A Vision fulfilled.

Now that London Underground has expanded with its new Overground service it has just been able to cope, but despite the success with the new types of trains both third rail and overhead electrics it has to expand to succeed.

A surface EMU (Electrical multiple units) Class 378 Capital Star, built by Bombardier Derby was a wise choice for the stock fleet. Fifty-seven trains were purchased bran new, between 2009-10. They are designated /1 and /2, The first batch of /1 are 750V Dc third rail only and the second batch are /2 25kV AC overhead and some are 750 Dc third rail. North of the river Thames is mostly overhead, while south is third rail, there are a few exceptions in west-London. 

But more trains and link lines will need to be added to cope with the capacity that London demands. Many new projects are under construction for London. But despite all of them the Underground really needs some serious financial investments, as it once had in the past.

Fire Engines. Part-Two.

Tenders and Engines today.

Our world today is very advanced since the days of 1900. The fire services have developed to many other areas than just dealing with fire. Chemical, biological and Nuclear units now exist, along with specialist cutting equipment used in accidents and similar crash incidents.

The fire service has not to just deal with the cat up the tree, but also work on water, deal with aviation fuel, foam spray and underground concealment. ''Fire man Sam', will even fly into douse the flames of the forest fire with water and chemicals. Have to be the nurse and Doctor in some situations and also be on hand in riot situations too and this is world wide.

Specialist tenders such as the Panther have been built for London's Heathrow airport. Basically they have a wide roles of use all in one vehicle and similar units operate in other countries.

Metro Systems.

Introduction.

Whatever you call them, underground, subway or metro systems, railways, nearly every major capital city now has one or more. We will look at four of them over the next few months in Moscow, Russia, Paris, France, New York, U.S.A. and London UK. 

These are probably the four most well known, because of 'Hollywood and the film industry.' They are really 'the daddy systems of underworld urban transportation and are unique in their history and construction.' Today they are old, in need of some 'Tender loving care.'

The other feature that mark them out for further study are there use of new and old stock trains, while also a mixture of wiring and signalling. They also have secret tunnels and stations no longer used.

Docklands Light Railway. Part-One.

DLR.

The development of the East-London (UK) Docklands light railway was to open up the old docks for new building regeneration and expansion. Light rail was chosen as a easier means than say an Underground extension or a tram way. The DLR was to be an automated train, no driver. but the guard could over ride the system in an emergency. 

Initially the train ran from a new station at Tower Gateway, near to the Tower of London castle to Island Gardens on the southern end of the Isle of Dogs. Not really an island, but becoming one because several of the older docks cut up the area.

Town Planning. Part-Two.

In the planning of new towns or multiple population centres, most are laid out for the automobile and buses. The problems with cars is that you also need to plan for parking and you do not want the centres to be conjested.

Towns are usually built or expanded near to an existing freeway/motorway and or railroad/metro. But which of these is the best and what modern additions or re-introductions could be added? 

The tram, sometimes now known as a metro link is a viable asset combing the bus and the rail feature. Big cities go for underground/subway extension's or complete new lines.

Really what you need to do is move loads of people from A to B in a fast, clean, efficient and safe way.

IOW Railways.

Isle of wight railways.

Over the years the Isle of Wight  has become the retirement home for London Underground (LUL) ex-tube cars, as they are re-classified. 

Currently they have had a repaint job to fit the Jurassic Park theme, but are they really pulling in the tourist crowds? 

Many people believe that perhaps the re-introduction of steam trains would be a big money spinner, as they are on the Isle of Man, Welsh Mountain's and many other places across the UK. 

Or is it a fitting re-use for these underground cars to be kept going here as they are?