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Tunnel boring machine

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Waddon

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They are assembling the first tunnel boring machine for Crossrail just outside Paddington, you can see it clearly from the train, it's massive! But it's also quite a few hundred yards from the launch box or whatever it is called, the concrete ramp down to tunnel level, so I suppose at some point it will crawl forward into the box, I imagine that would be quite an impressive sight, seeing something that big moving on it's own, anyone know when this is scheduled to happen?

Also on a side note they seem to be beginning to stockpile tunnel wall sections at Old Oak, I imagine the tunneling must be beginning soon, are they manufacturing these on site or are they coming in by train or barge, do we know?
 
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HSTEd

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They haven't started actually tunnelling yet? :\

Just shows how fast these machines can actually dig.

Will the TBMs be recovered and sold second-hand (or stripped for parts to be sold on?) after they are finished with Crossrail or will they be leaving them inside a spur from the tunnel (as was done for two of the machines on the Chunnel)?.
 
Nym

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The're immerging in pre-cut boxes so there is a chance they could be recovered. But I don't think they will be, unless NR has a project come up that needs TBMs.
 
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Mr Spock

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I was under the impression that TBM's were each built for a specific job and were rarely used again although presumably some parts could be reused.
 
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pendolino

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Nym said:
The're immerging in pre-cut boxes so there is a chance they could be recovered. But I don't think they will be, unless NR has a project come up that needs TBMs.
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The TBM manufacturer (Herrenknecht) has an option to buy them back at the end of the project, but Crossrail have also considered reconditioning and reuse if Crossrail 2 goes ahead.
 
transmanche

transmanche

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Ploughman said:
Will only be recovered if it can reemerge at the far end as it cannot reverse the way it came. Otherwise scrap or abandon.
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According to the Crossrail website, it looks like all TBMs can be recovered. In fact they'll need one of the TBMs from Drive Y (Limmo to Farringdon) to do Drive G (Limmo to Victoria Dock).

Nym said:
But I don't think they will be, unless NR has a project come up that needs TBMs.
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I didn't think NR was involved in the central tunnelled section?
 
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Bald Rick

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The deal to buy them includes a clause for the manufacturer to have first refusal to buy them back. Many of the components can be reused on tunnels of different diameter bore.

Otherwise expect an advert in Autotrader 2014. Hegenscheidt TBM, low mileage, one careful owner, kept in secure underground location...
 
Nym

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transmanche said:
According to the Crossrail website, it looks like all TBMs can be recovered. In fact they'll need one of the TBMs from Drive Y (Limmo to Farringdon) to do Drive G (Limmo to Victoria Dock).

I didn't think NR was involved in the central tunnelled section?
Click to expand...

Only company interested in such a gauge of TBM...

And with working into boxes, they can cross over in the box and carry on to the far end portals for recovery.
 
LE Greys

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Nym said:
Only company interested in such a gauge of TBM...

And with working into boxes, they can cross over in the box and carry on to the far end portals for recovery.
Click to expand...

I think they turned one of the French ones round when they did the Chunnel. Sank it into a shaft at Sangatte, then started diggind eastwards, surfaced, turned round and went straight back to Sangatte. Not sure where it ended up.
 
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For the channel tunnel ones at least, I seem to remember hearing that they just took the boring machines off course and encased them in a nice concrete coffin and thats where they stay to this day.

I dont think they can go back the way they came either, as once the tunnel segments are in place the tunnel becomes too narrow!
 
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OliverS

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Geeves said:
For the channel tunnel ones at least, I seem to remember hearing that they just took the boring machines off course and encased them in a nice concrete coffin and thats where they stay to this day.

I dont think they can go back the way they came either, as once the tunnel segments are in place the tunnel becomes too narrow!
Click to expand...

I had a feeling that two (the ones that came from the British side) were driven off course, but the French ones could be disassembled.

However the two driven off the side are now earthing points so are actually quite useful.
 
andylloyd

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LE Greys said:
I think they turned one of the French ones round when they did the Chunnel. Sank it into a shaft at Sangatte, then started diggind eastwards, surfaced, turned round and went straight back to Sangatte. Not sure where it ended up.
Click to expand...
There is one on the roundabout in Sangatte :) Complete with all the comemrotive plaques...
 
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blanco

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aylesbury

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At the end of March I was on my way to Penzance and as we left Paddington I saw the tunnel machine and it looked very impressive ,it was most impressive the overall length was fantastic.Evidently their is even a canteen fitted in to the thing,overall it looked good.
 
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WatcherZero

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Ive said it before, the boring machine may be worth recycling but the vast majority of the cost of TBM's is the drill heads themselves which proportionally are only a tiny quantity of the huge machines.
 
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