Tesco credits use of rail freight for keeping shelves stocked in supply crisis

[Beeyar Wunby]

Tesco is to increase its use of trains to distribute products by almost 40% as its boss credited investment in rail freight for helping to keep its shelves stocked during the lorry driver crisis.

Link here...Tesco trains

[aussiesteve]

G'day BW,
Good to see the wheels turning on the metals to keep the supamarkets stocked.
Unfortunately, unless rail sidings go into Tescos, road trucks hafta perform some of that delivery duty.
Double handling has always been a hindrance.
Big rigs do the supamarket delivery here.
And, while we don't have your Euro trucker dilemma here, some things on supamarket shelves here are dwindling.
Notably again dunny rolls.
I was amused to learn that Aurizon mob (ex QR National) have chosen to diversify.
Aurizon basically being coal orientated has apparently seen the global warming light.
And, have acquired One Rail mob who performed intermodal services.
But, I doubt that anyone really believes that the digging of black diamonds will drastically reduce any time soon here.
We would need something nuclear to replace such.
And, even our sudden opt for glow in the dark subs with you Poms and the Yankees seems to have hit some submerged snags.
There have been a couple of minor rail prangs here recently.
But, otherwise nothing much to get excited about.
The plague continues to rampage on.
Steve.

[Beeyar Wunby]

Hi Steve.

I guess that with all those Black Diamonds there's no need to invest $billions into solar panels.

You'd think that Oz would be a great place for Solar, or maybe it's not that simple?

And there's mumblings that we may be heading for another lockdown. The scientists want it, but as always the politicians know better - until it goes horribly wrong.

Cheers, John

[pre65]

Speaking of Tesco, I read they are insisting that electric traction is still used on their consists during the current electricity price rise problem.

Also I believe that a single class 66 may not be able to keep to the electric schedule.

[aussiesteve]

G'day BW and Philip,
Yes, the land down-under has heaps of black diamonds, and our capitalists are desperate to dig em up.
There is NO power generation system that is completely pollution free.
Nuclear is touted, but what the heck do you do with all the glow in the dark waste.
Pump it out to sea as they plan to do at Fukushima.
Aluminium, utilized in most things including solar panels requires the most energy to create.
Solar and Wind do provide alleged green energy to our power grids, but ONLY during daylight or when the wind blows.
Storage of power still remains the big dilemma.
Batteries are still inefficient, EXTREMELY eggspensive, and only have a brief longevity.
Pollution from our current eWaste is a problem, and various eCar mobs have recalled numerous faulty batteries.
Similar to the problem with modern mobile phones creating mega pollution when dumped.
Yes, the land down-under now has a goodly quarter of hovels with solar panels plonked on rooves.
BUT, the initial BIG bonus of being paid by power mobs for unused power shoved into the grid is now OVER.
Capitalistic power mobs don't enjoy paying customers.
PLUS, with all of this daylight energy being suddenly shoved into the grids, overload problems occur.
Our domestic grids were not designed to have excess energy shoved back in.
SO, customers are NO longer getting pay checks for unused solar produced power.
The capitalists are actually mooting charging customers for pumping power back into the grid.
To cover the costs of power grid revamp to resolve the overload dramas.
The NSWR initially created it's own electons for the woeful 1500 vDC junk dangling in the atmosphere.
The network isolated from the domestic supply system, having it's own power generation and supply network..
But, capitalists ultimately decided that it was cheaper to swap to domestic power supply.
Even worse in our Bananaland where the 25 kVA system sourced domestic supply from the get go.
Hence the inability to utilize regenerative brake in Qld due to the potential blowing up of the domestic subbies.
Bananaland buzz boxes could only utilize dynamic brake which does not shove it back into the overhead.
Shove too much back into the overhead with regen brake and you trip the substations.
Going down hill, that ain't fun, NO electrons and NO compressor, NO brakes.
Been there, dun that, HA!
It takes a long time for them electrons to return once the subbies reboot, so it seems when things go silent.
Then you cop nasty comments from Electrouble, YOU blew up my overhead, what do you think you are doing !
I was viewing a programme on late nite tv about level crossing prangs down-under.
Whinging motorists now demanding that all trains have visibility lights along the sides of all wagons.
Plus, the locos must possess strobe lights.
E GADs, locos already have VERY BRIGHT headlights and mandatory visibility lights (aka ditch lights).
Plus, most wagons have reflective tabs along the sides of wagons.
This basically like the whinge that all passenger trains must have seat belts.
YES, big rigs have illuminations all along the sides of trailers.
FOUR trailers being the max on our big rigs outback, not a drama to provide side illumination.
What, you want lights along a 100 hopper coal train, or 2 km long intermodal ?
Ok YES, long distance omnibusses have seat belts.
But, imagine the infrastructure required to provide such on trains.
The train hogger cannot espy all cattle in their seats where as the coach captain can squiz em.
AH, you want CCTV in all cattle wagons, and seat sensors.
WHAT about the potential dramas when infrastructure failures occur.
This train is a failure due to the sensor in seat 42 of car B having failed, ALL OUT, catch the next one.
Far simpler if whinging motorists just obeyed the road rules.
Most level crossings here not provided with lights and bells have a STOP sign.
As to hurtling through the windows of derailed Amtrak pas jobs due to not wearing a seat belt, FLY instead.
Yes, the globe seems to be ramping up with the plague again.
Us Bathurstians cannot go nowhere just yet.
Freedom day in NSW for the fully vaxed occurred the week-end before last.
But, due to the laxity of jab rate in our regions, smog hollow unwashed masses are still banned from the regions.
And, us in the regions cannot go to smog hollow, too many plaguers down there.
Plus, the Bathurst region possessing some plaguers, we cannot go west where there is no plague.
But, we are told that from Nov 1st, we will be free (the fully vaxed only) to trek around the entire state.
We ain't going interstate for some time due to border restrictions.
The fully vaxed can now go to non-essential venues, providing having proof of vaccination.
I continue to restrict my hunter gatherer for groceries to once per fortnite.
I ain't gone to a pub in yonks, and have no urge to do so now.
Us over 65s are told that we will need booster jabs by early next year.
The BIG challenge will begin when we fully reopen our international border.
Our current nightmare occurred back in may due to ONE international flight crew mistake.
So, it don't take much to cause panic and pandemonium.
Plus, we continue to have numerous Anti-Vaxers.
The plague definitely AIN'T over yet.
Time to don a mask and sneak down town to do me hunter gather at the supamarket.
Steve.

[tonyharker]

Its not a consist its a f*****g train!!! I HATE this americanism when there are equivalent better English words .

[pre65]

Originally Posted by tonyharker

Its not a consist its a f*****g train!!! I HATE this americanism when there are equivalent better English words .

Tony, take a few deep breaths and relax a little.

What word would you suggest as an alternative to "consist" ?

To me it is a good word, "train" is a rather general term for anything on the railway.

[pre65]

Originally Posted by tonyharker

Its not a consist its a f*****g train!!! I HATE this americanism when there are equivalent better English words .

In some ways I share your dislike of words from other languages becoming part of our language, but it's been happening since time began, and it's unlikely to stop .

The important thing is that we use words to make others understand what we wish to convey.

So, whether (as an example) a station on a railway line is a "train station" or a "railway station" we all know what both phrases mean.

The way young people communicate seems to have a large influence on how our language is changing, and there is not a lot us "old farts" can do about it except to bemoan that things were better in our day.

*

[aussiesteve]

G'day Philip,
Don't despair, I had to deal with the Train CONSIST Form for most of my footplate career.
Being printed at the top of form X2010 which detailed the wagon specifics including consignee.
I was originally designated as a Fireman, after completing all of the various qualifications, and accrued hours.
And, even though I did swing the banjo on a soot belcher, the term was a tad redundant.
Plus, today we cannot have any designation which includes the word MAN.
When we were privatized, we were no longer designated as Train Drivers.
We became Locomotive Operators.
The term Driver inferring Old School Seniority and Prestige.
When I transferred down to Tassiemania, amusingly I again became a Train Driver.
Though, I then had to deal with the Train MANIFEST Form when the system was digitized.
Anyhoo, where did the word Train originate, me thinks it be French.
Most Countries adopted words throughout history.
Probably simpler to adopt rather than attempt to create a new word from scratch.
Today, we all speak Binary, when is the last time that people put pen to paper and purchased a postage stamp ?
Steve.

[DSY011]

The day before yesterday Steve. I still tend to use letters to people I don't know personally. I refuse to do any correspondence with a local or national Gov. office, or give them my e-mail address. I want a hard copy from them, not a e-mail. There is no augment if I have it in writing from their office. I know that I could print a copy off, but why should I waste my time when they could send me a hard copy on their headed paper.