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Journey by Journey => Chiltern Railways services => Topic started by: infoman on May 13, 2021, 05:15:24



Title: Tunnel boring machine starts today(13 may)
Post by: infoman on May 13, 2021, 05:15:24
part of the HS2 project near Ricksmansworth for a distance of 16kms


Title: Re: Tunnel boring machine starts today(13 may)
Post by: Red Squirrel on May 13, 2021, 10:10:04
To expand on that:

Quote
Historic moment as HS2 launches first giant tunnelling machine

HS2 launches ‘Florence’ – the first of 10 HS2 Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) that will dig 64 miles of tunnel on Phase One of the UK’s new high speed railway

Published on 13 May 2021

(https://cdn.prgloo.com/media/217e54d6cd4540538e43430baf0d13a7.jpg?width=1170&height=1755)

[...]

HS2 Ltd will today [Thursday 13 May] announce the launch of the enormous 2,000 tonne tunnel boring machine (TBM) ‘Florence’ from HS2’s South Portal site next to the M25 in Buckinghamshire, at an event attended by HS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson and HS2 Ltd CEO Mark Thurston among others.

The launch of the first of ten giant tunnelling machines that will dig 64 miles of tunnels between London and the West Midlands, is just the latest example of how HS2 is securing jobs and helping the UK to build back better from the pandemic.

See Full article (https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/news/embargoed-historic-moment-as-hs2-launches-first-giant-tunnelling-machine)
Source: HS2 Ltd






Title: Re: Tunnel boring machine starts today(13 may)
Post by: johnneyw on May 13, 2021, 13:02:22
The TBMs weren't built by Hitachi were they? 


Title: Re: Tunnel boring machine starts today(13 may)
Post by: stuving on May 13, 2021, 13:37:17
The TBMs weren't built by Hitachi were they? 

Actually Herrenknecht, the same as Crossrail, which is who I thought made them. They are, at least in Europe, where you go if you need a drill bit that big.

But the information is not exactly prominent, not on their own website, nor of the TV news piece I just saw (just lots of on-site signage saying "Align"), and HS2 hide it away well down-page on their news article. 


Title: Re: Tunnel boring machine starts today(13 may)
Post by: johnneyw on May 13, 2021, 13:57:59

But the information is not exactly prominent, not on their own website, nor of the TV news piece I just saw (just lots of on-site signage saying "Align"), and HS2 hide it away well down-page on their news article. 

I had a look at their website too and was surprised at the conspicuous lack of mention of this milestone.


Title: Re: Tunnel boring machine starts today(13 may)
Post by: paul7575 on May 13, 2021, 15:32:46
The TBMs weren't built by Hitachi were they? 
Not if they’re cracking on with the tunnelling now.   ;D

Paul


Title: Re: Tunnel boring machine starts today(13 may)
Post by: TonyK on May 13, 2021, 16:14:58
So three years before we see the front of the interesting boring machine again. There were a few people on TV worried that the rivers will drain, but it looks as though HS2 is going ahead. At least they shouldn't meet any protesters blocking the way down there.


Title: Re: Tunnel boring machine starts today(13 may)
Post by: Bmblbzzz on May 13, 2021, 17:44:23
Nobody knows who's down there. Goblins? Dwarves with pickaxes? Angry dragon sitting on a pile of gold stones? Or an absolutely top secret clandestine mission mining deep-earth coal for the really secret secret steam reserve, with an engineering centre supervised by a clone of I.K. Brunel?


Title: Re: Tunnel boring machine starts today(13 may)
Post by: Electric train on May 13, 2021, 18:49:58

But the information is not exactly prominent, not on their own website, nor of the TV news piece I just saw (just lots of on-site signage saying "Align"), and HS2 hide it away well down-page on their news article. 

I had a look at their website too and was surprised at the conspicuous lack of mention of this milestone.

It has been on the BBC London news all day.



Title: Re: Tunnel boring machine starts today(13 may)
Post by: paul7575 on May 14, 2021, 13:55:09
So three years before we see the front of the interesting boring machine again. There were a few people on TV worried that the rivers will drain, but it looks as though HS2 is going ahead. At least they shouldn't meet any protesters blocking the way down there.
Well they’ll clutch at any straws won’t they.  Where’s the precedent for a modern tunnelling project draining a river?   


Title: Re: Tunnel boring machine starts today(13 may)
Post by: TonyK on May 14, 2021, 17:34:07
Well they’ll clutch at any straws won’t they.  Where’s the precedent for a modern tunnelling project draining a river?   

Brunel tried it with the Thames in 1828, to little avail. Further attempts by the Severn Tunnel proved equally futile.


Title: Re: Tunnel boring machine starts today(13 may)
Post by: broadgage on May 15, 2021, 10:57:15
So three years before we see the front of the interesting boring machine again. There were a few people on TV worried that the rivers will drain, but it looks as though HS2 is going ahead. At least they shouldn't meet any protesters blocking the way down there.

Surface dwelling "smoke breathing, fire spitting iron monsters roaming the countryside at will" are bad enough, but now we have subterranean monsters burrowing at will and making underground lairs.

House prices will fall, healing crystals be drained of their magic, children thrown from their beds, historic churches will collapse, Ley lines disrupted, and misery will crowd the land.
Large rivers seem unlikely to be fully drained, but floods and droughts will worsen and newt ponds be drained.
The false energy fields of the burrowing iron monsters will entice whales and other marine mammals to their deaths, as happened last week.


Title: Re: Tunnel boring machine starts today(13 may)
Post by: johnneyw on May 15, 2021, 11:10:44
Did no one in all this take time consider the inferiority complex this must inflict on the earthworms?


Title: Re: Tunnel boring machine starts today(13 may)
Post by: paul7575 on May 15, 2021, 11:39:51
I heard they tried to arrange for a descendant of Mr Greathead to attend the opening ceremony, but he was shielding at home…  ;D

Paul



Title: Re: Tunnel boring machine starts today(13 may)
Post by: TonyK on May 15, 2021, 15:35:18
Surface dwelling "smoke breathing, fire spitting iron monsters roaming the countryside at will" are bad enough, but now we have subterranean monsters burrowing at will and making underground lairs.

House prices will fall, healing crystals be drained of their magic, children thrown from their beds, historic churches will collapse, Ley lines disrupted, and misery will crowd the land.
Large rivers seem unlikely to be fully drained, but floods and droughts will worsen and newt ponds be drained.
The false energy fields of the burrowing iron monsters will entice whales and other marine mammals to their deaths, as happened last week.

The afternoon will be sunny with occasional showers and a sufficiency of port.


Title: Re: Tunnel boring machine starts today(13 may)
Post by: broadgage on May 16, 2021, 15:28:02
Surface dwelling "smoke breathing, fire spitting iron monsters roaming the countryside at will" are bad enough, but now we have subterranean monsters burrowing at will and making underground lairs.

House prices will fall, healing crystals be drained of their magic, children thrown from their beds, historic churches will collapse, Ley lines disrupted, and misery will crowd the land.
Large rivers seem unlikely to be fully drained, but floods and droughts will worsen and newt ponds be drained.
The false energy fields of the burrowing iron monsters will entice whales and other marine mammals to their deaths, as happened last week.

The afternoon will be sunny with occasional showers and a sufficiency of port.

Yesterday afternoon WAS sunny and with the odd shower. A sufficiency of port was available, but none was consumed, beer only.




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