Tunnel boring machine starts today(13 may)

[whole diary]

[infoman]

part of the HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) project near Ricksmansworth for a distance of 16kms

[Red Squirrel]

To expand on that:

Historic moment as HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) 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^▸ (United Kingdom)’s new high speed railway

Published on 13 May 2021



[...]

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^▸ (Chief Executive Officer) 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

Source: HS2 Ltd

[johnneyw]

The TBMs weren't built by Hitachi were they? 

[stuving]

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^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) hide it away well down-page on their news article. 

[johnneyw]

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^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) 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.

[paul7575]

The TBMs weren't built by Hitachi were they? 

Not if they’re cracking on with the tunnelling now.   

Paul

[TonyK]

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^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) is going ahead. At least they shouldn't meet any protesters blocking the way down there.

[Bmblbzzz]

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?

[Electric train]

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^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) 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^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) London news all day.

[paul7575]

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^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) 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?   

[TonyK]

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.

[broadgage]

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^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) 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.

[johnneyw]

Did no one in all this take time consider the inferiority complex this must inflict on the earthworms?

[paul7575]

I heard they tried to arrange for a descendant of Mr Greathead to attend the opening ceremony, but he was shielding at home… 

Paul

[TonyK]

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.