GWML Electification

[exet1095]

The way that BBC South Today dramatised it you may be right :-)

 

Descriptions of passengers leaving warm new trains to stand at didcot, suffering from hypothermia before completing the journey in clapped out diesels etc etc

My wife tells me Didcot Station is the coldest place in the known world. After waiting there on Tueday evening for the Banbury train I'm inclined to agree with her.

[Mike Storey]

...Us as lives down yer my handsome....!

 

It isn't a 'no news day' today. The sh1t has hit the fan with local MPs upset on television.

 

Oh no!! How I hate it when our MP's are upset. Surely they cannot be the same ones who were party to promising all this before the election, whilst knowing all the time it was deeply in the mire, which they didn't release until after the election???

[Mike Storey]

Anyway whatever your views of the latest update of this Report - which as Mike says coincides fairly exactly with what we already knew from the earlier version - there is some interesting news from Goring, the hotbed of Thames Valley protest movements.

 

A developer has announced its intention to build 140 houses on a site which happens to be just out of view to the right of the lady from the Conservation Board in the anti-ohle video.  Nimby forces are being assembled as I write and of course some of the houses will have an excellent view of the railway so no doubt the legal eagles doing searches will have some fun regarding masts and such like;  and no doubt the latest lot of incomers, if the houses are built, will also want the Tesco provided as well!

 I wonder which MP( 's) have shares in that developer?

[Zomboid]

My wife tells me Didcot Station is the coldest place in the known world. After waiting there on Tueday evening for the Banbury train I'm inclined to agree with her.

Stratford (London) is the coldest place I've ever waited for a train.

Didcot will no doubt actually have trains waiting for one another, it has the platform capacity and enough reversible signalling... Not as good as a through train (some of which wait there for quite a while in todays timetable), but not that awful.

I imagine the delay to Oxford is related to the forthcoming station redevelopment, no point rushing to have stuff installed just in time to be taken out again, really...

Edited January 22, 2016 by Zomboid

[Foulounoux]

Broxbourne or Finsbury Park when there's a north wind blowing pretty cold as well

(Although I've got a trip to a mining company on Finland next month so cold may take on a new meaning. -28C tonight there)

[SwissRailPassion]

I think these dates are slightly optimistic. They talk of reaching Bristol but that's not Temple Meads it's Parkway.

MTU will be hard at work building 200 new engines and for those with shares in Webasto it's looking good.

[The Stationmaster]

 I wonder which MP( 's) have shares in that developer?

It could well be the case that the local MP might be 'close' to them as prior to his election to Parliament he acted regularlya s soem sort of consultant and lobbyist on behalf of companies carrying out housing developments.  He got very shirty about it when the LIbDems started making a fuss about it during the by-election campaign and I even had one of his canvassers on our doorstep denying it (Mrs Theresa May, the canvasser concerned did quite well at that I have to say).

 

However clearly 'Govt circles' might be getting the message about considerable dissatisfaction with him in his constituency as he has now been appointed to some sort of special Parliamentary overseas trade representation role - to Nigeria so with a bit of luck he'll be spending a lot of time in the north of that country.

...Us as lives down yer my handsome....!

 

It isn't a 'no news day' today. The sh1t has hit the fan with local MPs upset on television.

 

Shows how much they know - not a lot.  Has there been any announcement of a delay to the new trains being built specially for the West of England workings? - I think not.  And how delayed is the switch on down to Newbury - not a lot.  and in reality was there much that was new in the latest announcement? - not a lot

[locoholic]

My wife tells me Didcot Station is the coldest place in the known world. After waiting there on Tueday evening for the Banbury train I'm inclined to agree with her.

Ely station can be very unwelcoming, when there's a north wind blowing.

 

I've found the solution to the Goring OHLE problem, by the way - why not use the Atmospheric system?! All the gubbins is at track level, so the residents can't be offended. Nice & quiet,too. What could possibly go wrong?

[jamie92208]

Ely station can be very unwelcoming, when there's a north wind blowing.

 

I've found the solution to the Goring OHLE problem, by the way - why not use the Atmospheric system?! All the gubbins is at track level, so the residents can't be offended. Nice & quiet,too. What could possibly go wrong?

Yes but where would you put the big coal consuming pump house but in the middle of the village complete with tall chimney.

By the way Carnforth is the coldest station. I had to wait there as a 13 year old connecting from the Cumbrian coast line to my train home to Gigglrswick.

 

Jamie

[locoholic]

Yes but where would you put the big coal consuming pump house but in the middle of the village complete with tall chimney.By the way Carnforth is the coldest station. I had to wait there as a 13 year old connecting from the Cumbrian coast line to my train home to Gigglrswick.Jamie

No need for an engine house these days - just build an array of wind turbines nearby!

[lmsforever]

Agree about Carnforth I waited there once and the wind went right through you ,changing at Didcot is going to be a pain for many people so the quicker the knitting goes up the better.

[Fenman]

Ely station can be very unwelcoming, when there's a north wind blowing. ...

 

Another vote for Ely. Though any Norfolk station can be pretty nippy: the north winds roll straight down from the Arctic over the North Sea: first stop - Norfolk. It used to be said that if you spent a couple of winters living in Norfolk you'd never be cold anywhere else.

 

Though the sunshine today is rather nice.

 

Paul

[JJGraphics]

Ely station can be very unwelcoming, when there's a north wind blowing.

 

I've found the solution to the Goring OHLE problem, by the way - why not use the Atmospheric system?! All the gubbins is at track level, so the residents can't be offended. Nice & quiet,too. What could possibly go wrong?

 

What could possibly go wrong? . . . plenty of "rats" around that area to chew things up!

[corneliuslundie]

"Although I've got a trip to a mining company on Finland next month so cold may take on a new meaning. -28C tonight there"

 

Finland in February and March didn't seem as cold as East Anglia - except for the island in the harbour at Helsinki. I've never been anywhere so cold in my life., not even Kosova with 2 metres of snow.

 

Jonathan

[Budgie]

I've found the solution to the Goring OHLE problem, by the way - why not use the Atmospheric system?! All the gubbins is at track level, so the residents can't be offended. Nice & quiet,too. What could possibly go wrong?

I think they should use a tried and tested technology which is much used south of the Thames -- third rail.

[The Stationmaster]

Cold stations - try Hellifield.

 

Anyway a progress report of the GWML for those who are interested.

 

1.  There is a further section of full catenary now added on both Relief Lines immediately east of the Pangbourne sewage farm section and terminating in the vicinity of the next overbridge to the east of Westbury Lane bridge.  Over the next section east of that there is a single catenary wire resting on the register arms but not properly attached (and probably for the Up Relief as best I could see).  And that is as far as they will get for some time as the next section east of that, past Purley marina. has at least 3 masts missing on the Up side (where the railway is supported on that side by a retaining wall).

 

Reading - Didcot;  what is missing on the Up side

 

Most masts are now in position between Reading and the west end of the flyover on all lines but at least one base pile is not fully sunk and a number of booms are not yet in place.  Various deficiencies between there and Scours Lane.

 

Scours - Lane - Tilehurst station (exclusive) ; 3 masts missing, one without booms, remainder in position.

 

Tilehurst stn(excl) - Pangbourne stn (excl) ; 3 masts missing (see above), remainder complete with booms and most have register arms etc.

 

Pangbourne stn (excl) - Goring stn (excl); 4 masts without booms, remainder complete with booms and some have register arms.  Pangbourne sub-station looks relatively complete.

 

Goring stn (excl) - Moulsford bridge (excl);  at least 5 masts without booms and there might still be a mast missing in the cutting at Goring - not sure on that, remainder complete with booms.

 

Moulsford bridge (excl) - Cholsey & M stn (excl); 2 masts missing, 8 masts without booms, remainder complete with booms

 

Cholsey & M stn (excl) - Moreton Cutting (excl); 22 (twenty two) masts without booms, remainder have booms.

 

Moreton Cutting; 1 mast missing, 4 masts without booms, remainder now have booms

 

Moreton Cutting (excl) - Didcot stn (excl); 17 masts missing (a few of which might just be bracing struts), 19 masts without booms  (n.b.counted right up to the platform ends at didcot and including masts within Didcot east Jcn.

 

Didcot stn appears to still be lacking one mast on the Up Main island, 3 masts without booms at the west end in the junction.

 

Didcot stn (excl) - Foxhall Jcn (excl); 2 masts missing, 5 masts without booms, remainder have booms 

 

Foxhall Jcn; 2 masts without booms

 

NB The above does not include stations although at Pangbourne the bases for the Main Lines are in but have no masts, and masts have crept to the end of Cholsey Down Main platform.  It also excludes the main river bridges although soem 'special masts are in position on the bridge at Lower Basildon (not sure if they're complete but I suspect not).

 

West of Foxhall Jcn - this is a note of what was seen to be in position/done rather than the other way about as progress is much further behind once you get west of Milton.  Again this is the Up side

 

Foxhall Jcn - Milton (approx site of Up Line crossovers); 10 masts missing, 8 masts with no booms, some complete structures exist near Foxhall.

 

Then a long gap with no masts and very few basses visible between the A34 bridge and Steventon, no sign of bridgeworks at Steventon but that has been badly delayed so I understand.

 

Steventon (excl) - Wantage Rd (excl) ; no masts and it doesn't look as if all the base piles are done but suspect very few missing.

 

Wantage Road - appears to now be getting a completely new bridge on a different alignment instead of the original proposal.  No base plies at Wantage Road but there are a few between there and the next overbridge to the west (used to be known locally as 'black bridge' presumably the rebuild will be green so another of my childhood memories is destroyed.

 

Then a bit of a mixture of base piles done/not done to Challow plus a gap through the site of hallow station (which is going to be an awkward one due to lack of space/access).

 

Some bases (?most) then in position as far as Uffington but then none from there to Kinghton Crossing (site of), then none until a few appear near the site of Ashbury Crossing then another gap and they restart about Shrivenham stn site and are then fairly complete to Marston Crossing East where they stop but there are soem signs of trial digs from there in various places to Highworth Branch Jcn.

 

Train then diverted via Gloucester,.  Noted it appears to be the intention to wire at least one line as far as the site (approx) of Swindon Loco Yard signalbox - a handy place to get something out of the way to reverse I think - seems like a good idea.

 

South Wales - Up Side.

 

Some bases in position and signs of trial digs west of Bishton Crossing and lots of trial dig activity and undergrowth clearance in hand west of Ebbw jJcn - Marshfield area.

 

No work yet done on the virtually new signal gantry and bracket structures around Newport but new signal structures in use/erected from west of Ebbw Jcn to west end of Cardiff General Central.

 

Now the return working so we are looking at the Down side

 

Cardiff - Newport various sites market off for trial digs and some clearly already done plus the lineside has been cleared throughout from Pengam to Ebbw Jcn - looks very nice.

Major bridge renewal going on immediately east of Ebbw Jcn and iInoticed the bridge over Waterloo Loop had already been done - presumably as part of the same scheme?

 

Newport (excl) - Severn Tunnel Jcn; again,  beyond East Usk, signs of digs and a number of base piles already sunk around the Bishton area.

 

Swindon (excl) - Foxhall Jcn;  the Down side looked to be more advanced than the Up side.  Signs of trial digs eastwards from Highworth Branch Jcn/Stratton Park Halt (site of) then no signs of activity but base piles in position start from in the vicinity of Marston Crossing West (site of) and,  with occasional quite large gaps, go all the way yo Knighton Crossing (site of) followed by another gap then a few approaching uffington followed by another gap then fairly complete from Baulking right the way through to just short of the old Down platform at Wantage Road with a gap at Challow as on the Up side (although the Down side will be an easier task).

 

The bases restart east of wantage Road and appear to be more or less complete almost as far as Causeway Crossing at Steventon with some more east of Steventon as far as the A34 bridge

 

At this point some masts appear and from the A34 bridge to Foxhall Jcn (excl) there are c.8 bases without masts and 2 masts without booms with the remainder appearing to be structurally complete.

 

Foxhall Jcn (incl) - Didcot stn (excl); c.5 bases without masts, c.3 masts without booms, possibly 3 bases not oiled (the light was going)

 

Didcot stn (excl) -Moreton Cutting (incl); c.12 bases without masts, c.20 masts without booms.

 

Moreton Cutting (excl) - Cholsey stn (excl); 1 base without a masts, 21 masts without booms, remiander are structurally complete.

 

Cholsey stn; 2 masts without booms - some bases not done (probably)

 

Cholsey stn (excl) - Goring stn (excl); all masts in position, c. 18 masts without booms.

 

Goring stn (excl) - Pangbourne stn (excl); 1 base without a mast, 4 masts without booms, remainder structurally complete and some with register arms etc.

 

Same remarks as above re stations and the river bridges.  No count carried out east of Pangbourne but I believe all structures on the Down side are in place and many have various fittings.  the only question mark is what the situation is east of Purley marina where the mast as missing on the Up side but quite a number of structures are only double line so the Mains might be ok.

 

Obviously there are far more structurally complete masts & booms east of Cholsey than there are incomplete ones but with gaps at all the stations plus the gap at Purley on the Up side progress with wiring is bound to be rather 'bitty' instead of being a simple 'start at one end and work through' way of doing the job and this will potentially result in wasted possession time - it doesn't come over as carefully thought through - especially where in most cases sections of overhead go through stations instead of conveniently terminating either side of them.  

 

Incidentally part of the HO train was standing at its base loaded with copper wire for some job but another vehicle from the train appeared to be 'up on bricks' (jacks actually I presume) receiving some repairs.  Anyway there you are - a hopefully interesting summary of the state of play as it was today between Reading and swindon plus a bit of South Wales.

 

Some typos corrected, no numbers/factual reports changed.

Edited January 24, 2016 by The Stationmaster

[talisman56]

There was a time when if you wanted to do some work from A to B you started at one end (e.g. A) and worked your way to the other end (in this case, B ), methodically.

 

I presume there is some modern thinking that makes the piecemeal approach that seems to be being applied to the GWML Electrification Project more efficient?

Edited January 23, 2016 by talisman56

[Geoff Endacott]

Agree about Carnforth I waited there once and the wind went right through you

 

Fortunately it was only a Brief Encounter.

 

Geoff Endacott

[APOLLO]

Finsbury Park had the common nickname of Pneumonia Junction (according to Backtrack mag a while ago) !!

 

And Wigan North Western is a bit of a bug*er on a cold day when your train is late due to it's elevated position in town.

 

Long time since we went live, Bamfurlong (south of Wigan) to Preston went live in June 1973 (on my 21st birthday I remember). All seemed to go to plan back then, but them days wuz different !!.

 

Brit15

[HillsideDepot]

The line between Swindon and Bathampton is closed this weekend, I believe in connection with re-signalling works. I'm not sure what work is being done, but the gantry protecting Thingley East Junction in the Down direction (SN72 and SN672) has now gone and is replaced by a pair of line side signals. The Down appears to have a banner repeater now (visible side on from the A4 Bath Road). The Up gantry (SN27 & SN627) at Thingley East Junction was still in position mid afternoon today, with no sign of activity. I'm not sure when the Down gantry went as its a few weeks since I've been that way.

 

I remember those two gantries going in, with their 45 degree feathers pointing towards each other, ready for the bi-directional running (although the signal for running Down the Up was covered for many years). In some ways that style of WR gantry is as typical as the classic WR lower quadrant, and now its gone, replaced by something that could have come out of a Lego set. 

 

I plan to have a look east of Chippenham tomorrow to see if anything has changed there.  

[olivegreen]

Cold stations - try Hellifield.

 

Anyway a progress report of teh GWML for those who are interested.

;

;

 

Incidentally part of the HO train was standing at its base loaded with copper wire for some job but another vehicle from the train appeared to be 'up on bricks' (jacks actually I presume) receiving some repairs.  Anyway there you are - a hopefully interesting summary of the state of play as it was today between Reading and swindon plus a bit of South Wales.

Good heavens, if that's the size of train they are using, no wonder it is taking so long to get the wires in place.

 

 

(Sorry for the excessive flippancy - returning to hole in the ground…. but many thanks for such a comprehensive report)

[Re6/6]

Shows how much they know - not a lot.  Has there been any announcement of a delay to the new trains being built specially for the West of England workings? - I think not.  And how delayed is the switch on down to Newbury - not a lot.  and in reality was there much that was new in the latest announcement? - not a lot

T'was ever thus Mike!

 

Where would we be today without 'media' hyperbole!  

[The Stationmaster]

The line between Swindon and Bathampton is closed this weekend, I believe in connection with re-signalling works. I'm not sure what work is being done, but the gantry protecting Thingley East Junction in the Down direction (SN72 and SN672) has now gone and is replaced by a pair of line side signals. The Down appears to have a banner repeater now (visible side on from the A4 Bath Road). The Up gantry (SN27 & SN627) at Thingley East Junction was still in position mid afternoon today, with no sign of activity. I'm not sure when the Down gantry went as its a few weeks since I've been that way.

 

I remember those two gantries going in, with their 45 degree feathers pointing towards each other, ready for the bi-directional running (although the signal for running Down the Up was covered for many years). In some ways that style of WR gantry is as typical as the classic WR lower quadrant, and now its gone, replaced by something that could have come out of a Lego set. 

 

I plan to have a look east of Chippenham tomorrow to see if anything has changed there.  

Reading design signal gantries and bracket structures are now disappearing quite rapidly from the 'to be electrified' areas although I do have quite a good photographic record of some and how they have changed over the years.  Some will remain elsewhere until they, eventually, suffer sufficient metalworm to merit replacement but the bracket structures in particular are made from quite substantial steel sections which seem to have managed their first 50 years with no problems in most cases.

 

However standard early 1960s Reading design straight post signals are surviving the changeover in many places  - albeit acquiring Dorman heads and new ID plates etc.

[brian daniels]

As a matter of interest does anyone know where all this steelwork is made? I know this overhead is to a Swiss design but is the steel Britain's finest or is it all imported?

[HillsideDepot]

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I came home from church the long way round, to do a quick survey of signals visible from the roads between Dauntsey station and Chippenham. Although the old cantilever structures are still in place, the signals now have black bags over them, with the new lineside versions ready for use.