Kenya's new railway - BBC

[Noel]

Kenya's new railway line will be diesel hauled. BBC piece.

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-40171095

 

Looking at the pics the track is jointed rather than continuous welded rail. Could that be because it's a hot country and CWR is outside heat expansion limits, or cost factor?

[DiveController]

Directly on the equator, 55C on my watch in the shade of the Turkana desert last time I was there, maybe a little cooler in the south where the line heads to Mombasa. That said, I thought only the ends of CPW were subject to expansion.... needs to look at the physics of that or maybe someone will comment on CPW. Anyway, I can tell you it beats the bus or anything else on wheels given the infrastructure

[DiveController]

For those who like physics, I suppose, but basically when the track is long enough or placed on tension during construction only the ends are subject to expansion, subsequent compression and buckling

https://pwayblog.com/2016/11/06/cwr-track-definition-when-the-track-is-not-jointed-anymore/

 

More succinct explanation of how the thermal limits would be exceeded when exposed to the sun in equatorial regions

http://vinchad.blogspot.com/2014/06/ever-wondered-why-continuously-welded.html

 

I suppose it might be possible to tension CWR to a higher stress free temperature to accommodate these regions?

[murrayec]

Hi DC

 

I'd say its to do with cost, far cheaper to employ a few guys to bolt up 400 something miles than to import the welding equipment, tensioning equipment and pay the franchise cost- wages are incredibly low in Kenya & Ethiopia, and those poor people are getting into serious hock.....

 

Eoin

[Garfield]

Hi DC

 

I'd say its to do with cost, far cheaper to employ a few guys to bolt up 400 something miles than to import the welding equipment, tensioning equipment and pay the franchise cost- wages are incredibly low in Kenya & Ethiopia, and those poor people are getting into serious hock.....

 

Eoin

 

Far simpler to remove a section of jointed track if it needs replacing, too...

[DiveController]

True, Eoin. It would be cheaper to have less maintenance and more reliable running in Europe but you're right about the labor costs there. I would have thought that would have allowed the entire project to come in under budget, although maybe the road was laid by a specialist company rather than local labor.

 

Good point garfield

[jhb171achill]

Fifty plus degrees!!!!!

 

I'm struggling to cope with 28-30 in Portugal. Guess I won't be visiting Kenya!

[Broithe]

Fifty plus degrees!!!!!

 

I'm struggling to cope with 28-30 in Portugal. Guess I won't be visiting Kenya!

Where I worked, we had an Environmental Chamber, if you timed it right with the weather and ran it flat out for a few days, you could get it down to -55C and up to +55C, both of which were fairly entertaining, even for short periods.

 

In Cyprus, I (stupidly) put my hand on the wing of a matt grey Austin 1800 and managed to peel it off just before big damage was done, but it still blistered the whole palm and fingers. The blister popped at the the wrist and for a couple of days, I had the ability to inflate and deflate my hand at will, by blowing and sucking at the vent of the blister.

 

Solar cigarette lighters were a popular and quite reliable gadget.

[jhb171achill]

I almost burned my hand on the steering wheel of a hired car in Spain once, and the internal temperature was "only" forty something.....

 

I had made the mistake of NOT parking it in the shade!!!!

[murrayec]

Hi DC

 

Unfortunately & unofficially the bribe system is a daily part of business there, one agrees the cost of the item, when that's done you then negotiate the bribe before its handed over. My sis worked in Ethiopia, I visited her there and experienced this first hand in the bank of all places- after the 46 forms and documents were signed by me, the teller, and the counter sign, the teller then started to negotiate with me as to how much she was getting out of the transaction!!

 

It's a fantastic place, fantastic people, but everything we know and do cannot be applied there- it's completely different!

 

Eoin

[jhb171achill]

I found the same in rural Indonesia in 1980.... had to pay a policeman and an airport official to find my missing luggage, and had to bribe a ticket clerk to sell me a ticket for the overnight Surabaya - Jakarta train......

 

....and a shed foreman to let me into a steam shed which I had already a full pass for, signed by HIM and others! (It was worth the 17p bribe to see a 1879-built wood burning 2.4.0 tender engine shunting....)

[DiveController]

In cyprus, i (stupidly) put my hand on the wing of a matt grey austin 1800 and managed to peel it off just before big damage was done, but it still blistered the whole palm and fingers. The blister popped at the the wrist and for a couple of days, i had the ability to inflate and deflate my hand at will, by blowing and sucking at the vent of the blister.[attach=config]28163[/attach]

=))

 

Yes, Eoin. I was there for a while so you got used to that in the end. I remember it well. I also underestimated the sun one day while climbing and made the mistake of taking off my shirt while still carrying gear with a diagonal strap. I looked like the diver down flag within twenty minutes and not a drop of water in sight

Edited June 8, 2017 by DiveController