TUNNEL BORING MACHINE HS2 TBM

[Martyn_n]

For me I suppose I have to ask WHY wasn't a UK company product selected to do that project?
Tuercas viejas

The real question is why wasn't a Chinese company selected to build Hs2? If you look back at the bids they came up with we'd have been quids in!!

 

[Darrell]

The real question is why wasn't a Chinese company selected to build Hs2? If you look back at the bids they came up with we'd have been quids in!!

Because they don’t care about safety or workers rights.

 

[Petrol Pete]

For me I suppose I have to ask WHY wasn't a UK company product selected to do that project?
Tuercas viejas

TV , you have been away for a long time !

 

[Martyn_n]

Because they don’t care about safety or workers rights.

It was a kind of tongue in cheek rhetorical question really, though I'm sure any contractors they engaged would have had to abide by out H&S and employment laws.

 

[Martyn_n]

For me I suppose I have to ask WHY wasn't a UK company product selected to do that project?
Tuercas viejas

Because this is what British industry can produce when it comes to tunnelling equipment.

 

[Petrol Pete]

The real question is why wasn't a Chinese company selected to build Hs2? If you look back at the bids they came up with we'd have been quids in!!

The Chinese government have no interest in a piffling little project like this . Their targets for acquisitions in the UK are set much higher.

 

[markjay]

I find boring fascinating.

 

[markjay]

The real question is why wasn't a Chinese company selected to build Hs2?

They know the drill.

 

[SpikyMikey]

I find boring fascinating.

They know the drill.

I'll get your coat........

 

[grober]

For me I suppose I have to ask WHY wasn't a UK company product selected to do that project?
Tuercas viejas

When it comes to tunneling they seem to be the GO TO people- some history-I am always curious how these companies come about-maybe close proximity to the ALPS???

Herrenknecht - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[SpikyMikey]

These are the guys who supplied the Channel Tunnel TBMs apparently:
Robbins
Fascinating stuff if you like big engineering

 

[grober]

THEY APPEAR TO HAVE GONE THRO SOME ROUGH TIMES IN RECENT YEARS UNCLEAR WHO OWNS THEM NOW.
IRRC AFTER THE CHANNEL TUNNEL WAS COMPLETED THEY CUT A SIDE TUNNEL=DEAD END AND LEFT THE TUNNEL BORING RIG IN SITU?

Robbins starts new chapter as Lok Home steers the TBM major on a new stable ownership path - International Mining

Global TBM Company, newly established by industry veteran Lok Home, has proudly announced the recent purchase of substantially all the assets of The Robbins Company. The company will now operate as Robbins and with Home as the President and CEO. The acquisition the statement said will result in...

im-mining.com

 

[KennyN]

IRRC AFTER THE CHANNEL TUNNEL WAS COMPLETED THEY CUT A SIDE TUNNEL=DEAD END AND LEFT THE TUNNEL BORING RIG IN SITU?

They did , the one from the UK side was buried and the one from the French side was dismantled and moved onto something else.

Dad worked down there for around 10 years , we have a box of "Tunnel" stuff in a cupboard , it contains all his bronze breakthrough medals , chalk from the seabed , loads of other bits and bobs including one of the cutting tips from the drill heads.

K

 

[Petrol Pete]

IIRC the TBM for the channel tunnel service bore sat next to the motorway for a while , or was that a spare ? I remember seeing it , but then again in my youth I remember seeing pink elephants ...flying.

 

[SpikyMikey]

IIRC the TBM for the channel tunnel service bore sat next to the motorway for a while , or was that a spare ? I remember seeing it , but then again in my youth I remember seeing pink elephants ...flying.

No you're right. At one point there was one on a plinth at Folkestone (and a similar one in France I believe also).
Dunno if either are still there. AFAIK there were 11 TBMs in total - one was auctioned on eBay for charity

 

[Petrol Pete]

No you're right. At one point there was one on a plinth at Folkestone (and a similar one in France I believe also).
Dunno if either are still there. AFAIK there were 11 TBMs in total - one was auctioned on eBay for charity

Yup , that's right I remember now , I was commuting to Belgium every second weekend at the time , phew , thank fruck , I thought the Pink Elephants I saw had come back . Having said that I had my fair share of Belgium lager over the years . This one springs to mind = Pink Elephant .

 

[SpikyMikey]

Mmmmmmmmmm Delerium

 

[flying haggis]

I am always amazed at how close the get when they meet. I mean a couple of inches up/down and right/ left when you have dug a 20 mile tunnel !!!

 

[SpikyMikey]

I am always amazed at how close the get when they meet. I mean a couple of inches up/down and right/ left when you have dug a 20 mile tunnel !!!

Obviously fitted with GPS better than the Becker in my S204

 

[Petrol Pete]

I started watching a documentary on it once .

But I got bored and turned it off ....I will get my coat