A different look at transport

Image source: Wikimedia

I happened to come across the subject of brown coal, its mining and finally its transport ... quite interesting:

"The lines of the works railway of the company RWE Power (former Rheinbraun) in the Rhenish brown coal area are electrified with single-phase AC current of 50 Hz at a nominal voltage of 6 kV which is different from the railway current/voltage common in Germany (15 kV at 16 2/3 Hz). In view of the large quantities transported the locomotives need high pull force, therefore the electric locomotives have all been specially designed. So, the locomotives of the EL 1 series were the first electric locomotives with thyristor controller worldwide and thus a milestone in the development of rail vehicles."

»»» Further information see Wikipedia

Swimming buses

Image Source: DATBV

An amphibious bus just started its regular service in Glasgow, Scotland. It connects the districts of Clydebank and Yoker via the river Clyde. The ferry was no longer profitable due to the decreasing number of passengers. Like something from a James Bond film, a space-age vehicle emerges from the River Clyde in Glasgow. But this bus is not set for the big screen. The 45-seater is part of the city's transport vision for the future.

»»» http://www.station.lu/

Driverless and flexible

New train for airports

A new train from Siemens makes transport at airports more quickly and flexibly. Airval - that's the name of the fully automated rubber-tired train - reaches a maximum speed of 80 km per hour. The transport capacity can be increased from 1,000 to 30,000 passengers per hour and direction. If more passengers are waiting at the platform, longer trains are provided or the trains run more frequently.



»»» Further information: www.siemens.com/press

Elektor’s DIY self-balancing vehicle

I found an interesting magazine: ELEKTOR



Everyone agrees; the internal combustion engine is coming to the end of its life cycle. However you don’t need to go to the expense of a Prius or Tesla to experience the future of transportation devices. If you would prefer something more personal (and don’t mind turning a few heads) why not build the astonishing ElektorWheelie? First take two electric motors, two rechargeable batteries and two sensors, now add two microcontrollers and the ElektorWheelie is ready to transport you in style to your destination.

»»» www.elektor.com/projects