Monday, September 26, 2011

Ivanpah Basin and PROPOSED McCarran Airport Expansion page.

All,


If you ever wanted to know about all the SOLAR projects happening in both the Ivanpah and San Bernadino areas we have found the site for you!


IVANPAH SOLAR PROJECT:
There are some great photos INCLUDING AERIAL of the project area and some updates...
We first linked to this Solar project back in December 2010.  There is no mention and we dont have any updates if either DX or MAGLEV will tap into these power-plants for additional needed power.  Also there is still no word if DX will follow I-15 or have to go around the solar project.  They also cover the areas for solar near Boulder City, Nv.


IVANPAH (McCARRAN Expansion) AIRPORT (proposed)
There are a few links from this page that cover the proposed... (now on hold) the McCarran Airport that would follow the I-15 freeway.  The Blue Area is airport area.  You can follow this (If ever re-started) here:  http://www.snvairporteis.com/

You can also find a layout of the proposed airport here:





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Ca/Nv Maglev News

Updates from ARTIC (3)!

All,
As ARTIC keeps on moving forward with Artists being selected to provide the final prototypes for the area and construction teams are in the final selections as well... ARTIC is anticipating ground breaking to still take place sometime Spring/Summer of 2012 for a 2014 opening with a proposed ARC route via ARTIC to the Disneyland Resort / and Anaheim Convention Center Areas opening in 2018.


PRESENTATION SLIDES:
ARTIC has updated their powerpoint presentation slides!  You can check them out here!  Very classy and updated photos and side elevations!
ARTIC Main Page Presentation slides


ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS:
From the home page from ARTICINFO.com they have posted some information regarding the relocation of the Metrolink/Amtrack station.  ARTIC has also released their Environmental Assessment papers for the project here:
http://www.anaheim.net/article.asp?id=4105


Something interesting to view if you click on the Aesthetics section there are questions that are asked if "would the project create a new source of substantial light or glare, which would adversely affect day or nighttime views in the area.
(heres a photo that we posted back in December)





The interesting response is the following...



"ARTIC will create an additional source of light to the nighttime sky. The covering used for the Intermodal Terminal will be translucent, which will diffuse light emitted from the facility. The overall appearance of the Intermodal Terminal at night will be of a glowing half-globe, instead of a glaring dome with direct light shining out in all directions. Nighttime lights are necessary for the safety and security of employees and passengers on site and along the pedestrian bridge and trail easement, but outdoor light fixtures will be shielded so that lighting is focused downward to restrict any light spillover. Nighttime construction activities will occur. These instances will be temporary and will adhere to local regulations."


ARTIC attending conference
ARTIC has also posted on Facebook today that they will be attending the following conference this OCTOBER!

"ARTIC will be exhibiting at the ULI Fall conference at the Los Angeles Convention Center October 26-28. ARTIC is pleased to be a part of the Parsons Brinkerhoff (PB) booth #315. The PB/HOK team is responsible for design and engineering for ARTIC. If you are at ULI, be sure to check us out. http://ulifall.org/"






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Ca/Nv Maglev News

Waiting for future Maglev News....

All,


Well it is obvious that the news postings for MAGLEV have died down a bit while the US is looking into how to reduce the fiscal budget and how to move forward on transportation projects.  We have some smaller bits and pieces of news that hopes to tide you, the readers and supporters until we get more news.


Keep Flying On The Ground!
Ca/Nv Maglev News

Thursday, September 22, 2011

The end of Lathen = The end of Transrapid?

All,
5 years ago today, September 22 is known as the Transrapid disaster where 23 people died when dispatchers released the Transrapid Train that morning for additional tour and train testing; while forgetting that there was still a maintenance vehicle (a truck type vehicle that uses an engine and rolls along the top of the track checking the long stator motor wiring) on the track.  German investigators determined that there were human errors that allowed the train to go out onto the track.  


maglev_crash_lift.jpg





Karl-Heinz Weber (CDU) says the following about the future of the Lathen track in Germany.


http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.welt.de%2Fprint%2Fdie_welt%2Fhamburg%2Farticle13615220%2FTransrapid-Teststrecke-ist-ohne-Zukunft.html
[...]
Municipality mayor, Karl-Heinz Weber (CDU) are themselves sober. "Like everything in life is also the test facility is limited in time," he says. As it stands, probably at the end of the year is finally closing on the test track. Weber tries to see the positives: after all, there is an operable vehicle, and he hoped that it succeed, to build on the Canary island of Tenerife a distance. "Personally, I think it's a shame," he says, and he means not only does it in his community, an era comes to an end - but also that there are no users track in Germany.One should not be surprised that it was never able to market the Magnetzug international if it does not even give the country a regular use.
[...] 


So, can it be true?  


With the possibility of future projects still on the drawing boards (and no current movement)... Tenerife (SPAIN), Rio (for the Olympics), Ca-Nv; Chattanooga - Atlanta; Pittsburgh; Baltimore-Washington (USA), Ultraspeed (UK), Swiss Rapide (Switzerland) is the Transrapid in its final stages and marketing up to its partners Siemens/ThyssenKrup? 


Questions that only Siemens/ThyssenKrup can answer.  Which everyone is hoping for.


Keep Flying On The Ground! 
Ca/Nv Maglev News

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Transrapid Lathen Testing Site gets money?

All,
There have been some articles the past few days about the Transrapid testing site in Lathen Germany.  First an article that said "some money for Transrapid, but within the money had to propose how to shut down the site." Then a second article that said, "no money for Transrapid, period." Then a third article that said, "yes, there is money for Transrapid and the site will continue to operate for the promotion of the product."


However, due to all these articles (some coming from political one sided views) and all being in German.  It has been difficult to understand exactly what is being said within the translations and hearing directly from the location.  We are trying to get more information as to the exact status of the project and will post it here when we get it.


But, we will post the last article with it's google translation with promise of monies to the facility because it has a kinda current photo of the TR09 train on the track from 2010.


http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oz-online.de%2F%3Fid%3D542%26did%3D48075



Connemann "Transrapid floats on"

The CDU Bundestag member contradicts a report by "Business Week".The statement of the magazine, which was imminent from the test section was wrong. Lathen'm ready for money, says the Leeranerin








Keep Flying On The Ground! 
Ca/Nv Maglev News

Transrapid Lathen Germany site gets money (we think)

All,
There have been some articles the past few days about the Transrapid testing site in Lathen Germany.  First an article that said "some money for Transrapid, but within the money had to propose how to shut down the site." Then a second article that said, "no money for Transrapid, period." Then a third article that said, "yes, there is money for Transrapid and the site will continue to operate for the promotion of the product."

However, due to all these articles (some coming from political one sided views) and all being in German.  It has been difficult to understand exactly what is being said within the translations and hearing directly from the location.  We are trying to get more information as to the exact status of the project and will post it here when we get it.

But, we will post the last article with it's google translation with promise of monies to the facility because it has a current photo of the TR09 train on the track.

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oz-online.de%2F%3Fid%3D542%26did%3D48075


Connemann "Transrapid floats on"

The CDU Bundestag member contradicts a report by "Business Week".The statement of the magazine, which was imminent from the test section was wrong. Lathen'm ready for money, says the Leeranerin








Keep Flying On The Ground!
Ca/Nv Maglev News

The cutting edge article about "boondoggle Desertxpress"

All,
While this article does play a political game with all proposed HSR projects, and the issues with trying to keep AMTRAK afloat,  and might appear to be politically one sided.  It does ask the questions that are about the proposed DesertXpress project.


You can find and read entire story here: (about 1/2 way down)
http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com/index.php?article=52688&pageid=21&pagename=Energy


Ronald D. Utt  (September 7, 2011)
Stealthy Federal Budget Plans Keep High-Speed Rail Plans alive.
[...]
"To put this project-whose financial prospects are worse than Amtrak's-into perspective, its failure could require a federal loss of a magnitude equal to two years of federal funding for the National Park Service.
In a normal world, this project would not pass the laugh test with DOT staff assigned to review this request."
[...]


Keep Flying On The Ground!
Ca/Nv Maglev News