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1936
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Journey by Journey / Bristol (WECA) Commuters / Re: Extinction Rebellion (XR) protests - August 2020
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on: September 02, 2020, 11:40:01
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Hope that helps. Not difficult to find similar.
Fine, we just need to evidence such statements about the national mood. I still think the national mood as evidenced by this and XR▸ are wrong on this one. If we are to decarbonise the economy and reduce air pollution we need to reduce domestic air travel and car travel and provide capacity for more freight on the classic rail lines to the midlands and the north that will be made available by HS2▸ . We will also need more capacity elsewhere, but that is another matter. Even if Covid reduces the demand for people to move around as much it will not go away and the need for freight transport will not diminish. Local delivery vans can be made electric but I see no carbon free long distance HGV soon. If we were to have a proper informed debate about HS2 the capacity need for it and the fact that the money to pay for it cannot be just converted into revenue expenditure then I think the national mood might change. I very largely agree. There is considerable opposition to HS2, much of it very ill informed. Whilst I have considerable sympathy with XR, they are not in my experience very well informed. Many XR supporters are opposed to HS2 on the grounds that it will be a very expensive way "of allowing a few rich business people to travel a bit faster" whilst completely missing the very valid points about increased capacity for low carbon transport of both passengers and freight. And yes, as above, LOCAL transport of goods is achievable by electric road vehicles, or even by horses in rural areas, but an electric HGV seems unlikely. |
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1940
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / Campaigns for new and improved services / Re: Minehead Rail Link Group
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on: August 29, 2020, 21:47:29
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I see relatively little risk in national network services running to/from the present Minehead station.
Whilst there might a slight increase in vandalism and theft risk, I doubt that this would be significant.
The existing station is far from secure at present, the gate can be locked but the low fence is easy to climb. Access is also easy by walking along the track for a short distance from the adjacent level crossing.
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1941
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Journey by Journey / Bristol (WECA) Commuters / Re: Extinction Rebellion (XR) protests - August 2020
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on: August 29, 2020, 20:52:42
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Getting back to XR▸ . There is an injustice coming in that millions of people are going to be killed or forced out of the place they live in because of sea level rise and flooding; many more millions will starve as crops fail. And some of us are worried that we will not be able to fly somewhere nice for a holiday and we might have to change our lifestyle to mitigate this. An injustice is brewing and our leaders (many of whom will be dead before the worst comes) ignore it or pay it lip service. A generation who will have to live through those consequences much more than us have pointed out the injustice and want action and influential people are too worried that our fossil fuel investments might lose value or wind turbines might ruin the view they have from their country mansion, or they might have to travel on a train rather than their gas guzzling luxury car. The super rich are still building luxury yachts and buying into a future of space tourism. They don't care, so people have no other way to express their views.
Covid has made many of us (employees and employers alike) seriously consider that the sometimes long daily commute, which no matter how we do it is part of an unsustainable way of living, is not necessary and that there may be another way. This will disrupt our economy just as, a few years ago, the start of commuting has took the heart out of many of the local economies of the places we commute from. Yet our leaders want everyone back to their commute to preserve this unsustainable economy.
The longer our leaders ignore peaceful protests against real injustices, the more likely we are to get violent ones.
I agree. The loss of life and destruction of property due to climate change has started, and will get a great deal worse, without drastic cuts in carbon emissions. If we are serious about climate change, we need to fly, and drive a lot less, and use a LOT less fossil fuel for other purposes. |
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1942
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Journey by Journey / Bristol (WECA) Commuters / Re: Extinction Rebellion (XR) protests - August 2020
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on: August 28, 2020, 18:49:32
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I have considerable sympathy with the concerns and aims of ER, but feel that some of their protests are ill advised.
One of the worst IMHO▸ was the action against a LUL▸ train, in which they were forcibly removed by passengers.
They should be encouraging electric public transport, not disrupting it.
Hopefully this latest round of protests will be a bit better thought through.
I have met a number of ER supporters, and their fervour and determination was undeniable. Less impressive was a general lack of basic scientific knowledge, especially with regards to fuel, energy, and electric or other power.
I refer here not to differing views over political, religious, or moral issues, but a lack of basic science.
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1944
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Journey by Journey / Wales local journeys / Re: Train fire near Llanelli - late on 26th August 2020
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on: August 28, 2020, 13:50:52
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Diesel oil does not burn readily, its flash point is over 100 degrees Celsius. There must have been some source of heat to ignite it, not just a spark.
When teaching I used to dip a lighted match into a bowl of diesel and it would go out. Whereas if you brought a flame close to alcohol it would ignite before reaching the liquid as it was the vapour above the liquid which burns.
Indeed, diesel fuel wont normally ignite from a spark, unless heated as well. The most likely source of ignition in this accident would be a derailed vehicle scraping along the rails or on the ballast, this would produce frictional heating and sparks. A small amount of spilled fuel could be heated above the flashpoint and ignited by sparks. Other sources of ignition could include damaged electric cables near the track, or the brakes on a wagon. Diesel fuel is hard to ignite, but once ignited it burns fiercely like petrol. After accidents of this nature, a risk is intact tanks being heated by fire and then bursting or leaking and making the fire worse. The fire brigade are well aware of this, and give a high priority to directing water onto undamaged tanks to cool them. This may be seen in views of the scene. |
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1945
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All across the Great Western territory / Buses and other ways to travel / Re: End of Trolley buses in Moscow
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on: August 27, 2020, 17:38:06
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A backward step in my view.
Trolleybuses produce no pollution at the point of use, and reduced total pollution if compared to diesel power.
And whilst some of the trolleybuses are to be replaced by battery buses, the great majority are diesel.
I can see the merits of fitting batteries to trolley buses so as to allow limited operation away from the overhead, but to close an existing trolleybus network seems a very poor choice.
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1946
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / Campaigns for new and improved services / Re: Minehead Rail Link Group
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on: August 26, 2020, 17:48:49
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Re post # 132, This I find rather depressing. This is NOT to be taken as a personal attack on the O/P who is clearly very knowledgeable.
I am well aware that running an all round service from Minehead to Taunton or beyond is a non trivial undertaking.
It does look as though the problems are even greater than I and others anticipated. Even meeting the PRESENT regulatory challenges might not work as such requirements tend to become steadily more onerous.
It is becoming to sound comparable to building a new railway, and nearly as costly.
I say again that this is not a criticism of the poster, who is obviously well informed.
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1948
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / Campaigns for new and improved services / Re: Minehead Rail Link Group
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on: August 23, 2020, 16:48:08
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For the Butlins traffic, I feel that the longer term aim should be to build a Butlins station within the holiday camp site. The walk from train to holiday accommodation would then be no longer than from a car.
IMHO▸ , this should be partly funded by Butlins, and partly funded from the public purse in order to encourage sustainable transport choices.
This new station could be either on a loop from the existing line in order that trains could still run to/from Minehead via Butlins, or a single ended branch terminating within the camp.
This would require portion working to still serve Minehead.
"This train is for Butlins and Minehead town. This train divides en route. Join the front 8 coaches for Butlins. Join the rear 4 coaches for Minehead town"
In the reverse direction, that portion of the train starting from Butlins could be at the new station in plenty of time without delaying anything else. Ample time for boarding with luggage, children, cycles, dogs etc.
Portion working is easy with DMUs▸ or new battery trains, and entirely achievable with steam locomotives, though more trouble.
Steam haulage right into the holiday camp could be an attraction in its own right.
A modern battery train could be attractive for environmental reasons.
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1949
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / Campaigns for new and improved services / Re: Minehead Rail Link Group
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on: August 23, 2020, 16:24:51
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As regards fares, one possible solution might be to charger higher fares (similar to the present fares) for peak season heritage trains, and lower fares (similar to those elsewhere on network rail) for the of season trains.
To avoid disadvantaging local residents who travel regularly including during the heritage season, offer monthly season tickets all year around but based on the off season fares.
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1950
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / Campaigns for new and improved services / Re: Minehead Rail Link Group
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on: August 22, 2020, 14:11:07
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This is IMHO▸ another example of the regrettably fragmented nature of the West Somerset Railway.
Getting all the groups that make up the WSR to agree is bad enough, without considering the challenges presented by network rail and GWR▸ .
I can think of various possibilities as to what type of train to use, but in my view the important factor is to get an ALL YEAR round service operating at least between Taunton and Minehead.
Steam would be expected in the holiday season, but at other times almost anything that is safe, reliable, comfortable and of sufficient capacity would serve.
Most passengers would be satisfied by any of the following.
Class 159 or similar.
Preserved HST▸ .
Heritage DMU▸ .
Preserved diesel loco and coaches.
A new battery loco hauling heritage coaches.
A newly built battery train.
A battery train converted from existing stock.
Steam, too expensive for regular use in the off season, but a possibility if needed.
More important than rolling stock is persuading TPTB▸ to allow 40/45 MPH running on the WSR, and to permit heritage stock on the short bit of network rail track to Taunton.
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