Wednesday 14 October 2009

Statistical treasure chest...

A very useful site:

http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/statistics/themes

Sunday 11 October 2009

Norfolk Southern Unveils Zero Emission Plug-in Electric Train



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Hey guys, found this artical and found it interesting so thought i'd share.
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We’ve covered plenty of plug-in hybrid electric cars, and now Norfolk Southern Corp. is extending the same technology to locomotives with its prototype battery-powered train, the NS 999. The 1,500 horsepower switching train is powered exclusively by a series of 1,080 lead-acid 12-volt batteries. The best part – since the NS 999 doesn’t have a diesel engine, it releases zero emissions.
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The train, developed in conjunction with the US Department of Energy, the Federal Railroad Administration, and Penn State, recharges its batteries during braking. When fully juiced up, the locomotive can operate three shifts before recharging.
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The $1.3 million NS 999 may just be a prototype now, but it could radically cut down on the railroad system’s carbon footprint if widely deployed. The transportation sector in the US accounts for nearly a third of greenhouse gas emissions. Let’s hope the NS 999’s plug-in technology is commercialized before the US expands the national railroad system.
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RHDR GETS ANGRY!


After the lil trip on the RHDR (Romney, Hythe, Dymchurch Railway), just thought it might interest people to see what the climate of Dungeness/RHDR can create. Let me introduce NOVEMBER COMING FIRE. I know for a fact that the band grew up in the area, road the RHDR to school (one of the members had the railway passing through his street), and used/went on trips on the railway for inspiration during the album writting process.


It may not help everyone but i think it helps give RHDR some richer (or maybe slightly stranger) context.


Great live video which captures the 'point' of the music. Performed in our very own Canterbury Scouts Hut (one of the first and possibly most famous newwave/underground uk hardcore venues)




Video and artwork of the band with a studio version of their song blackest blood




In addition i think this review of the album raises some fun points of the world of dungeness, both land and album.



"Dungeness, is both a seaside town in Kent known as "The End of the World" (it's the most South East point of Britain) and a stunning record. The town, is a rather depressing one. It's key landmarks are; its beach, its lighthouses, its two (at the time) nuclear powerstations, and, a little black house (Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeness). It is a virtually deserted place of human population and proved the perfect setting for NCF's full-length opus (many of the song names takes references from key landmarks), as the place is both as dark, atmospheric and mysterious as is this album. Take songs like 'Powerstation' or 'HMS Blackwater' (or the 3 minute comedown after 'Closure' which is just waves crashing) both songs that make references to technical, riff-based hardcore (Inspired by the likes of Converge and Old Man Gloom) but spliced in with genuine atmosphere. I remember the first time I saw 'Powerstation' live, (supporting The Hope Conspiracy, December 2005) and I remember being absolutely blown away by it. It starts with a stop-start rhythm section, and a relentless guitar riff that practically manages to menacingly rip throughout this song. It progresses, into a fantastic battling ground for the shifting, explosive rhythm section, and the counter balancing guitars, whom, eventually win when this track's outro takes over of a haunting, repeated guitar riff, being played to the sounds of waves crashing and a mystic speaking in a archaic language; it is a truly stunning piece of songwriting, full of rage and atmosphere, a hard thing to get right, and something I think even the mighty Converge would be enviable of"


Dungeness

Tracklist:1. Blue Reigns2. Powerstation3. Devil on the Shore4. The Jackal5. HMS Blackwater6. That Black house Made Of Rubber7. Argonaut8. Instrumental No.29. Providence10. Mascot11. Queenliest Dead12. Closure


Enjoy!

MH

Monday 5 October 2009

An oblique connection, but worth thinking about.


From cleantechnica.com - tangentially related to our agenda.

Coal power is not base-load electricity by itself. To enable coal to reliably deliver electric power, it took the creation of an entire other national infrastructure; the trans-continental railroad system.

Without the unceasing rail-car-load delivery, every 12 hours, on the hour, hour after hour, day after day, week after week, year after year, of every next 12-hour-supply of fuel for the fire; the fire would go out, the water wouldn’t boil, the steam wouldn’t rise, the turbine wouldn’t turn; the next 12 hours of electricity wouldn’t be made. The fire must never go out.
Coal plus railroad = base-load power.
Even today, a century later, every 12 hours in this nation a trainload of coal from Wyoming or Pennsylvania or Ohio, must arrive at an electric power station near your city, to make your coal power for the next 12 hours. No trainload of coal; no coal power.

Thursday 1 October 2009

Internet rules!

Team JB: Keep up with your world railway news at Railway Gazette!