East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line

[Tony Teague]

38 minutes ago, Rugd1022 said:

 

I'll be taking some of the locos from Bescot back to Basford Hall later tonight, eight in total so my diagram says.

 

Eight?

Presmably 6 of these must already be at Bescot?

Tony

[Covkid]

Belated thanks to  "surfsup" for posting the video of the TRTs.  Useful kit eh.

[Davexoc]

On 12/06/2022 at 09:22, Tony Teague said:

 

Having repeatedly missed the track laying train I have been keeping an eye on what arrives at Bletchley and this was last night's 656J from Crewe Basford Hall en route and passing DIRFT:

 

You might have a while to wait for that NTCT, as I swung by Swanbourne station last night, and the last rails to be delivered have still not moved. The train seems to appear within a week of the rails be placed onto the membrane. Whether that hasn't happened is due to the timing of the rail strikes, who knows. But it doesn't look to be imminent....

[Tony Teague]

57 minutes ago, Davexoc said:

 

You might have a while to wait for that NTCT, as I swung by Swanbourne station last night, and the last rails to be delivered have still not moved. The train seems to appear within a week of the rails be placed onto the membrane. Whether that hasn't happened is due to the timing of the rail strikes, who knows. But it doesn't look to be imminent....

Thanks, very helpful - actually I passed Swanbourne on Weds evening and could see nothing had happened - membrane yet to be laid and rails still over to the side; I'll keep watching!

[Davexoc]

14 hours ago, Tony Teague said:

Thanks, very helpful - actually I passed Swanbourne on Weds evening and could see nothing had happened - membrane yet to be laid and rails still over to the side; I'll keep watching!

 

Just looked o RTT and there are 2 arrivals at Bletchley this coming Monday, then 4 the following Monday, 3 from Crewe and 1 from Bescot. Monday 27th might just be the day to keep an eye on goings on.....

[surfsup]

On 17/06/2022 at 20:07, Davexoc said:

 

You might have a while to wait for that NTCT, as I swung by Swanbourne station last night, and the last rails to be delivered have still not moved. The train seems to appear within a week of the rails be placed onto the membrane. Whether that hasn't happened is due to the timing of the rail strikes, who knows. But it doesn't look to be imminent....

A few of the NTC Wagons were still in Eastleigh Works when I was down there last week. Whether or not they've left since I don't know I'm afraid.  

Edited June 18, 2022 by surfsup

[Welly]

Just watched this Youtube cabride video of a 150/153 ECS from Bletchley Depot to Milton Keynes on their way to Tyseley depot. It had to go over the (pre-rebuild) Flyover to access the WCML due to engineering works that day.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gclkMUPfztc

[62613]

3 hours ago, Welly said:

Just watched this Youtube cabride video of a 150/153 ECS from Bletchley Depot to Milton Keynes on their way to Tyseley depot. It had to go over the (pre-rebuild) Flyover to access the WCML due to engineering works that day.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gclkMUPfztc

Bet the signallers loved playing trains; also two suicidal cats!

[Ryde-on-time]

I don’t usually get the chance to take a look during the week but got in a bike ride this afternoon and got some photos. Firstly from Whaddon Road, near Newton Longville. Looking east a class 66 can be seen (not sure what it was doing as I didn’t get any closer)

And looking west with a track machine (tamper)

 

 

Moving to Swan’s way near Mursley looking west with track now in situ

 

 

Moving to Station Road Mursley, Looking east the membrane is laid down 

 

 

And looking West towards then new footbridge, rail and rolls of membrane are present

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ray H]

Are those apparently white blocks the bases for the OHLE?

[ess1uk]

2 minutes ago, Ray H said:

Are those apparently white blocks the bases for the OLE?

Nope

drains

not going to be electrified 

[Siberian Snooper]

Even if they're not electrifying it, I think they're missing a trick, by not putting basses in, a lot cheaper and easier to do that now than later when they will need possessions and miss any cabling that will shortly be installed.

 

 

[jamie92208]

IIRC cancellation of electrification was one of the bits of dumbi g down that took place when the EWR consortium was set up.  I'm not sure if they have put in passive  provision for it.  One more examp,e of short term treasury thinking.

 

Jamie

[Nearholmer]

I’m probably a million miles behind the curve here, but is the track to be double (which is what I expected), or single (which is what has materialised so far)?

[Pete the Elaner]

26 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

IIRC cancellation of electrification was one of the bits of dumbing down that took place when the EWR consortium was set up.  I'm not sure if they have put in passive  provision for it.  One more example of short term treasury thinking.

 

Jamie

 

A hypocritical decision in an age where people want to be seen to be caring about the environment.

Obviously it is done to cut costs. If it gets done later, it either gets shoved into a different budget or re-added once the project has passed the point of no return, but either way will usually be more expensive.

Surely a new railway should have OLE, especially one which links 3 which already have it. I know many don't like the masts but there is no denying that the area around remains cleaner & quieter.

[lmsforever]

D FT has been trying to stop the Aylesbury service for a long time but councils and our mp are fighting hardcome up with another cut. when ever the powers that be 

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, Nearholmer said:

I’m probably a million miles behind the curve here, but is the track to be double (which is what I expected), or single (which is what has materialised so far)?

Yes it is to be double track.  IIRC they use the expensive trackyang train to lay the first track, them use a variety of machines to lay the 2nd track alongside,  the rails will have been dropped from the first track. That's exactly what they did on the Werrington junction line.

 

As an aside, watching the videos of the new track laying train is sort of hypnotic.  The carriage that bri gs the new sleepers forward is a strange looking machine. It reminds me of so ethi g from Thunderbirds or War of the Worlds.

 

Jamie

Edited June 22, 2022 by jamie92208

[Nearholmer]

I thought that was probably the case, but wondered whether cheese-paring had set in.

[Mike Storey]

5 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

IIRC cancellation of electrification was one of the bits of dumbi g down that took place when the EWR consortium was set up.  I'm not sure if they have put in passive  provision for it.  One more examp,e of short term treasury thinking.

 

Jamie

 

Extract from the Sponsor's (DfT's) Technical Specs to EWR Ltd, dated 9 June 2021, referred to as The Consultation Technical Report:

 

5.19. Electrification

5.19.1. The Railway shall not at this point in time be electrified.
5.19.2. EWR Co shall develop proposals to place before DfT on the options for electrification.
5.19.3. All new or renewed infrastructure shall be made compatible with positive passive
provision of future electrification at 25kV (overhead) unless specified otherwise.
5.19.4. As per the European Union 2004/30/EU all electrical apparatus within the vicinity of
EWR route shall not emit electro-magnetic radiation that would prevent other
equipment from functioning as intended.
5.19.5. Neutral Passive provision shall be provided for CS1 taking into account Section 5.18.3;
5.19.6. Pending a decision by DfT all configuration states except CS 1 will be designed for an
electrified railway.

 

 

The CS1 reference is from:

 

3.1.1. The programme is split into three core, and two optional, Configuration States (CS).
The service capability enabled by these states are:
3.1.1.1. Configuration State 1 (CS1): Oxford to Milton Keynes
3.1.1.2. Configuration State 2 (CS2): Oxford to Bedford
3.1.1.3. Configuration State 3 (CS3): Oxford to Cambridge, and Bletchley to
Cambridge

 

A response from Network Rail (dated March 2022) has recommended full electrification, but this depends on the electrification of a few other lines, both east and west of the EWR, to give full benefit.

 

https://sacuksprodnrdigital0001.blob.core.windows.net/regional-long-term-planning/North, West and Central/East West Main Line Strategic Statement 2022.pdf

 

Edited June 22, 2022 by Mike Storey

[KingEdwardII]

3 hours ago, Mike Storey said:

this depends on the electrification of a few other lines

e.g. electrifying from Didcot to Oxford, one of items shorn from the debacle of the GWML electrification.  But I suppose this will be well behind the electrification through Bath to Bristol, where the need is clearly greater.

 

Frankly the whole electrification story makes the government look like a prize set of mutts. NetZero? More like NetMess.

 

Yours, Mike.

[Davexoc]

Swung by ex-Swanbourne Station earlier, and rails are in position on membrane as far as the old platform. So when will we see the NTC train?

There are paths, taken from RTT, for the following

1 in Saturday, out Sunday

2 each way on Monday

3 each way on Tuesday and Wednesday

1 Thursday and Saturday, with 2 on Friday

 

Won't be long before the residents of Winslow are moaning about the noise of trains running by their homes...

[melmerby]

On 22/06/2022 at 17:41, KingEdwardII said:

e.g. electrifying from Didcot to Oxford, one of items shorn from the debacle of the GWML electrification.

 

 

Yours, Mike.

Also part of the much vaunted "Electric Spine", which would have carried it forward towards Brum.

Paraphrasing HG Wells alas also now a distant memory of "The Shape Of Things To Come"

[Davexoc]

Well the NTC train hasn't made it to Swanbourne as yet, but the TRTs have been shifting more LWR that was on site. I guess it makes it more worthwhile laying sleepers under longer sections in one go.

Got me thinking, what is used to temporarily join two lengths of LWR while laying the sleepers?

Because I can't imagine the weld is done first, and I'm sure they don't get drilled and fishplated....

 

Quick phone through the fence shot...

[Ryde-on-time]

A couple of shots taken from the Whaddon Road Bridge near Newton Longville on Saturday morning approx 11am. The train was approaching slowly from the Winslow direction, by the time I had parked up it had stopped. I returned on the bike an hour later in case they were just having a short break but there were no staff around and presumably had been bussed away

 

 

[Rugd1022]

I'm working 6Y62 top 'n' tail from Bescot in the early hours of tomorrow, I'll bag some photos if I get the chance.