HSTFAN13 Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 One of my favorite pictures, although not a great scan. Little did I know at the time i took this I would end up involved in the operation of these trains. What year was that? Must of been 1990s as Didcot B is in the picture and Didcot B opened in 1997 , construction started 1994. HSTFAN13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted November 3, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 3, 2013 Not railway but Didcot related http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-24769429 One of the transformers is moving tomorrow. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon47603 Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Must be very careful I don't go on a political rant here. If the Power Station was supposedly obsolete, why the hell do Seimens want the Transformers? Nothing has replaced this or the other two Power Stations that have also closed down! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSTFAN13 Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Must be very careful I don't go on a political rant here. If the Power Station was supposedly obsolete, why the hell do Seimens want the Transformers? Nothing has replaced this or the other two Power Stations that have also closed down!The transformers are still operational so it's cheaper to use ones that can still work than buying/building new ones,At littlebrook D one of its steam turbines and generators went to South Africa, though there could be other reasons for them buying all 3 transformers At least there being reused instead of going for scrap HSTFAN13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
25901 Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Found this http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Mother-abnormal-loads-pass-Bristol-area/story-20022277-detail/story.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJS1977 Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 As a transformer has no moving parts, there's very little to wear out on it! Was strange watching the Castle come through Didcot a couple of weeks ago and realising that the steam from its safety valve was the only steam over Didcot that day (the Railway Centre was open but not running)... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev_Lewis Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Must be very careful I don't go on a political rant here. If the Power Station was supposedly obsolete, why the hell do Seimens want the Transformers? Nothing has replaced this or the other two Power Stations that have also closed down! It's my understanding form reading this thread that Didcot A is not obsolete, it was just uneconomical to bring it up to meet future emission regulations. Therefore, quite a lot of the equipment can be sold off for use elsewhere. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon47603 Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Again i'l try not to go on a political rant. The technology is out their. But HMG would rather pay subsidies to Prayer Wheel (Wind) Farms that rely on the right type of wind. Than a source of power that has never let us down. Sooner or later we will playing trains in the Dark!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium HillsideDepot Posted November 16, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 16, 2013 The second of Didcot's transformers is moving this weekend and is seen here on the M4 near Sutton Benger (just east of junction 17). There were 12 mile tailbacks behind this, apparently. There is 1 tractor unit on the front and two more behind pushing and maximum speed is about 10mph. It seems ironic that having moved thousands of tons of coal from Avonmouth to Didcot they are now moving the transformers from Didcot to Avonmouth! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSTFAN13 Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 The second of Didcot's transformers is moving this weekend and is seen here on the M4 near Sutton Benger (just east of junction 17). 20131116_Transformer Move_0023b.jpg There were 12 mile tailbacks behind this, apparently. There is 1 tractor unit on the front and two more behind pushing and maximum speed is about 10mph. It seems ironic that having moved thousands of tons of coal from Avonmouth to Didcot they are now moving the transformers from Didcot to Avonmouth! Great Photo HSTFAN13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Richard E Posted November 18, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 18, 2013 Yahoo have a report but that says that maximum speed is 4mph. Weighs 640 tonnes, is 100metres long and 5 metres wide making it the biggest ever load moved by road. Just slightly out of gauge .... http://uk.news.yahoo.com/biggest-ever-load-transported-on-uk-roads-makes-its-4mph-journey---with-cargo-weighing-640-tonnes-105641147.html#Zs8aABX Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSTFAN13 Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 Yahoo have a report but that says that maximum speed is 4mph. Weighs 640 tonnes, is 100metres long and 5 metres wide making it the biggest ever load moved by road. Just slightly out of gauge .... http://uk.news.yahoo.com/biggest-ever-load-transported-on-uk-roads-makes-its-4mph-journey---with-cargo-weighing-640-tonnes-105641147.html#Zs8aABX Those are the truck/trailer dimensions HSTFAN13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanders Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 The second of Didcot's transformers is moving this weekend and is seen here on the M4 near Sutton Benger (just east of junction 17). Yup, passed that one yesterday when it was parked up on the A4174. Which was slightly annoying as I'd gone that way to try and avoid the thing coming through Wick/Bridge Yate It's surprising how little (I.e. none!) information has been given to locals about the move, which is annoying as it essentially closes an incredibly useful (for me) section of the A420 every time one is moved. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 This is interesting. I thought it was off to China or similar. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24987657 A 13-mile tailback formed on the M4 in Wiltshire when a huge transporter carried a transformer from the decommissioned Didcot power station. The unusual load was limited to driving at a maximum of 10mph from Didcot to Avonmouth Docks. The generator transformer is the second of three being removed and shipped to Germany Now Didcot closed due to an EU directive aimed at reducing pollution. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19634089 The Germans are closing all their nuclear stations, building new coal fired ones. Three to open very soon http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-04/merkel-facing-power-dilemma-as-coal-plants-open-energy-markets.html They burn Lignite to, dirty stuff. WE are facing power outages this winter, unless we are lucky http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/oct/17/uk-faces-increased-risk-blackouts-energy All our energy bills are up, Government dithering re green tax, some companies will cut the green tax, some wont, if the gov cut green tax on bills it will be replaced by increases general taxation. Heads they win, tails you lose. Is it me or has the UK gone stark raving mad ? Brit15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Hey, wondered if you got any pics of didcot A power station to put on here? HSTFAN13 Sorry buddy,never got any photos,weather on the day was dredful.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Stupid green .... So we ship transformer to Germany, because we shut our coal powered power station, ....as they shut their nuclear ones and start on coal. How do they get away with it and not us ? Military coup now ! Last chance for UK .... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Rob, I've recently retired after nearly 45 (mostly happy) years at the sharp end in the Gas Industry. Things have been going slowly adrift since the privatisations of Thatcher, but this last few years energy wise we have really gone close to the edge. I'm afraid just a small push is all we need. I was in WH Smiths earlier today, buying Dec Railway Modeller (cracking issue) and The best of the Railway Magazine Vol 2 (again a cracking bookmag) and happened to see "The Spectator" mag front page, Blackout Britain — why our energy crisis is only just beginning http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/9078561/the-real-energy-scandal/ Didn't buy it, as I already know most of the story and I don't want to weep in public (!!!!!), but the silliness of our masters is becoming more and more mainstream news. Brit15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southernman46 Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 I've given up worrying - turned it into something positive and started learning to speak Mandarin, Farsi and pidgin Russian just in case Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D1059 Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 This is interesting. I thought it was off to China or similar. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24987657 A 13-mile tailback formed on the M4 in Wiltshire when a huge transporter carried a transformer from the decommissioned Didcot power station. The unusual load was limited to driving at a maximum of 10mph from Didcot to Avonmouth Docks. The generator transformer is the second of three being removed and shipped to Germany Now Didcot closed due to an EU directive aimed at reducing pollution. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19634089 The Germans are closing all their nuclear stations, building new coal fired ones. Three to open very soon http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-04/merkel-facing-power-dilemma-as-coal-plants-open-energy-markets.html They burn Lignite to, dirty stuff. WE are facing power outages this winter, unless we are lucky http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/oct/17/uk-faces-increased-risk-blackouts-energy All our energy bills are up, Government dithering re green tax, some companies will cut the green tax, some wont, if the gov cut green tax on bills it will be replaced by increases general taxation. Heads they win, tails you lose. Is it me or has the UK gone stark raving mad ? Brit15 Yup - if the coal fired stations HAD to close (and we know they didn't, it was a political choice because we signed up for the emissions regulations), then we HAD to take the decision to build new nuclear stations (and ensure they actually were built) 10 years ago, pre financial crisis - but we didn't, so now we reap the consequences of the fudges made in 2000-2005. It absolutely beggers belief that we have ended up in this position. Government should place all future closures on hold until such time as replacement capacity has been built and is online. The emissions cuts are pointless in any case as China/India/USA aren't taking any notice of them and even if we switched off every carbon dioxide producing device in the country tonight (and took ourselves back to the stone age in the process) the cut in emissions would be taken up by increases in China alone within a couple of years The only thing that might potentially save us is if we quickly build new gas powered stations and start fracking in a big way.............NOW Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiderHead Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 If the gas comes from domestic fracking I would agree - a good thing both in terms of price and security. Relying on only Russia to provide our supply is expensive and very risky. Nook also give us long term price stability and security (45% of the worlds uranium is mined in commonwealth countries ...) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 D1059, I wholeheartedly agree. Sad,silly brave (not) new world. I just cannot imagine life for the average Brit in 10 years time. Time to dig out the old 0 gauge clockwork trains !. Brit 15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southernman46 Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 If the gas comes from domestic fracking Unfortunately we'd then have to buy all our water from the French.................. Sorry they already own it - buy more water and import it from the French but hey, at least we could then put the domestic water in our cars as fuel............................... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan452 Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 In today.s City AM. Firms paid to clock off early to keep lights on - http://www.cityam.com/article/1387503110/firms-paid-clock-early-keep-lights She added that new measures could add an extra 1.5 per cent to the reserve supply and would be “cheaper than building a new power station.”In addition, National Grid will have the power to hand out contracts to power stations that are decommissioned to boost energy reserves, adding around £1 to every energy bill in 2014 if plans go ahead. Both Ofgem and the National Grid These old power stations would be required to act as reserve generators are referring to the plans as an “insurance policy”. A bit bloody late when decommisioned stations such as Didcot A are now 'past the point of no return'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSTFAN13 Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 In today.s City AM. Firms paid to clock off early to keep lights on - http://www.cityam.com/article/1387503110/firms-paid-clock-early-keep-lights A bit bloody late when decommisioned stations such as Didcot A are now 'past the point of no return'. But it wouldn't of made a difference if Didcot A was able to be returned to service as mothballed gas plants will be used for peak demand HSTFAN13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 4630 Posted December 20, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 20, 2013 And it looks like the large coal fired power station at Eggborough is now likely to close too; http://m.yorkpress.co.uk/news/10889339.Power_station_set_to_close/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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