Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

[Elecman]

I didn’t think Lostock Wigan has been cancelled ?

 

[Joseph_Locke]

I didn’t think Lostock Wigan has been cancelled ?

I'm pretty sure it isn't. Yet.

 

[thealexweb]

I didn’t think Lostock Wigan has been cancelled ?

I'm pretty sure it isn't. Yet.

Hohohohoho that would be a small April's Fools.

 

[DJH1971]

New member, I've been reading this thread with interest in recent weeks. Took a few photos around Poulton station / Tithebarn street on my walk this morning. Didn't expect to see anyone working on Easter Sunday but caught a slightly blurry bit of activity by chance! Poulton station looks much more complete than it did a few weeks ago, platforms seem re-laid etc. Please do add these to your shared albums if they are useful.
View attachment 44606 View attachment 44607 View attachment 44608

Great pics and great progress.

Welcome aboard.

 

[LDECRexile]

New member, I've been reading this thread with interest in recent weeks. Took a few photos around Poulton station / Tithebarn street on my walk this morning. Didn't expect to see anyone working on Easter Sunday but caught a slightly blurry bit of activity by chance! Poulton station looks much more complete than it did a few weeks ago, platforms seem re-laid etc. Please do add these to your shared albums if they are useful.

Great stuff, thank you.

I'll wang 'em on this evening.

Warm welcome.

Dave

 

[superkev]

New Blackpool north video from Adam on YouTube

.
Looks about finished although it's often the finishing off that takes a lot of time.
Anyone know when the switch on is.
K

 

[Ploughman]

Must be complete.
The DATUM Plates are fitted.

 

[Grumpy]

They've forgotten to install the platform canopies

 

[WatcherZero]

I'm pretty sure it isn't. Yet.

Someone told me theres a rumour Angel have offered to sponsor the electrification as they want to get in to infrastructure financing.

 

[LDECRexile]

I'm very pleased that three people have sent photos, Wrinkley, PR1Berske and new contributor seaside14.

Wrinkley's shots came with this note:
"More activity today than the last six months put together.

Two OHLE vehicles working on the Wigan line, they came in from Bolton and passed me at Dean Clough.

The base at Dean Clough is a gravity base to replace the pile standing next to it which could not de driven further in. The other two adjacent part driven piles are also being replaced by gravity bases. Its also likely that the track between these bases and the flats nearer Bolton (about 300 metres) which has no bases in place yet will also be done with gravity bases (orangeman info.).

Murphys are doing this work, they have finished at Blackpool. they also have the work for the bases at Lostock station, but have subbed it to Van Elle Rail as the they have the equipment to install the piles and bore out the soil inside the piles. Murphys had unpaid invoices for about 1.5 million when Carillion went bust (orangeman info.)."

I've added Wrinkly's shots to his album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157654034635234

I've added PR1Berske's shots of the first wires at Poulton to his album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157689367931770

and I've created an album for seaside14's shots, also of new wires at Poulton, here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157667331377788

I've added all three contributions to the Combined Volume here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157661069863633

Thank you all.

 

[50032]

I notice Northern are advertising that the line through Bolton will be open on the weekends of 7/8 and 21/22 April. You'd think work was ahead of the game or something.

 

[InOban]

We'll, if as the previous post says, there are several huge gravity bases to be poured and cured before their masts etc can be erected, that fixes the critical path to completion. There's no point in rushing to complete the rest.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

We'll, if as the previous post says, there are several huge gravity bases to be poured and cured before their masts etc can be erected, that fixes the critical path to completion. There's no point in rushing to complete the rest.

Agreed. As previously stated I like 28 days for concrete to cure but 21 days should be perfectly fine but then you are still looking at basically the end of April before masts can go in. I reckon wiring will be happening like crazy in May on the Euxton to Salford section.

Oh and btw absolutely incredible set of photos and wrinkley is correct - amazing progress this last two or 3 days.

 

[absolutelymilk]

We'll, if as the previous post says, there are several huge gravity bases to be poured and cured before their masts etc can be erected, that fixes the critical path to completion. There's no point in rushing to complete the rest.

Does this imply all the other bases and masts are in already, or at least will be by the time the gravity bases have been cured? Why wouldn't they rush to get the other ones finished in case there are further issues with them?

 

[Trackman]

I notice Northern are advertising that the line through Bolton will be open on the weekends of 7/8 and 21/22 April. You'd think work was ahead of the game or something.

RTT is showing trains to Blackpool North, and it's in the booking systems too.

 

[CdBrux]

for the layman what exactly is a gravity base?

 

[jyte]

for the layman what exactly is a gravity base?

A big lump of (usually) concrete that stays there through its mass alone.

 

[59CosG95]

A big lump of (usually) concrete that stays there through its mass alone.

Exactly, most piled foundations have to rely on friction with the surrounding soil acting on the shaft to hold their position.
The pile at Dean Clough couldn't go further down, so a substantial shallow foundation had to be used to get the same fixity in the soil as the pile would have given, provided the soil wasn't as problematic as it has been.

 

[LDECRexile]

I haven't updated the Salford-Euxton worry list for a while, so here goes:

1. Missing bases Salford Crescent Platform 2
2. Missing bases Pendleton Old to Cockrobin Bridge
3. Missing bases North of Agecroft Road bridge
4. Staff access walkway south of Clifton station. Work has started on this next to Bridge MVE1/16 off Lumns Lane.
5. Power lines oversailing between M60 and Kearsley? Reported to be done, informed confirmation would be welcome.
6. Foot crossings either side of M60 Work has started on diverting the footpaths to meet at a new footbridge which has ben erected, expected completion late April 2018.
7. Sorted
8. Missing bases Farnworth station footbridge to Rawson St bridge.
9. Lever Street footbridge, demolish, replace, leave as is? New electric wires warning signs suggest the bridge is expected to survive past electrification.
10. Missing base Bolton Platform 5. Some have definitely been put in, but have they all been put in?
11.Sorted
12. Missing base(s) between Bullfield Tunnel and Newport Street, Bolton.
13. Big electric kit at Lostock Junction Due to be installed weekend 6-8 April 2018.
14. Incomplete footbridge Anderton Hall Lane Bridge complete but not signed off by NR, therefore not yet open.
15. Red Moss foot crossing between Horwich and M61 Work has started on a replacement footbridge, but has been stopped supposedly because of a land dispute.
16. Missing bases on Yarrow viaduct south of Chorley? Work well advanced on fixings ("bases") on the outside of the structure
17. Stalactites in Chorley Tunnel? I'm losing the plot, did someone kindly report these as in place?
18. Major problem base south of Lever Street footbridge?

Updates, clarifications etc invited.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

for the layman what exactly is a gravity base?

A big lump of (usually) concrete that stays there through its mass alone.

Exactly, most piled foundations have to rely on friction with the surrounding soil acting on the shaft to hold their position.
The pile at Dean Clough couldn't go further down, so a substantial shallow foundation had to be used to get the same fixity in the soil as the pile would have given, provided the soil wasn't as problematic as it has been.

You need a force to hold something in place.

Physics etc says F=ma where F = Force, m = mass and a = acceleration. In this case acceleration is gravity and is 9.81 ms-2 so the larger the mass the larger the force. The density of concrete is about 2400 kg.m-3 so 5 cubic meters of concrete would give you a gravity pad of 12000 kg approximately.

 

[absolutelymilk]

Why aren't gravity pads used more often? How expensive is the concrete they use? From Google, its under £100 per cubic metre, so surely it would be cheaper to lay down a gravity pad in one shift than to spend two shifts messing around with a normal base (not to mention the fact that it's much quieter!)

 

[Ploughman]

Does the Gravity slab concrete need to key into bedrock or something else?

 

[Domh245]

5 cubic metres of concrete would require a fairly large footprint at the side of the tracks, which isn't always available.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Why aren't gravity pads used more often? How expensive is the concrete they use? From Google, its under £100 per cubic metre, so surely it would be cheaper to lay down a gravity pad in one shift than to spend two shifts messing around with a normal base (not to mention the fact that it's much quieter!)

Well - as said by Domh245 the footprint is not always available. You still have to set out all the shuttering, put the rebar in place (often a cage) then pour the concrete then allow to cure (more labour intensive). If favourable, much easier to drive a pile. In theory a mast can be attached very soon after -not so with concrete.

 

[absolutelymilk]

Well - as said by Domh245 the footprint is not always available. You still have to set out all the shuttering, put the rebar in place (often a cage) then pour the concrete then allow to cure (more labour intensive). If favourable, much easier to drive a pile. In theory a mast can be attached very soon after -not so with concrete.

Ah I didn't realise it was so labour intensive!

 

[Joseph_Locke]

Ah I didn't realise it was so labour intensive!

Even the sectional precast gravity bases used on Phase 1 and 2 near Victoria need a compacted, levelled area on which to sit.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

5 cubic metres of concrete would require a fairly large footprint at the side of the tracks, which isn't always available.

There are some really massive ones on the Chat Moss route, sited well below track level down the embankments.
I think the biggest visible ones are in the remote section between the M62 and M60 bridges.

 

[CdBrux]

thankyou all, I had guessed the answer but good to have the experts confirm!

 

[LOL The Irony]

Blackpool opens on the 16th right?

 

[snowball]

Preston-Blackpool pictures from the Twitter feed:

https://twitter.com/networkrail/status/980868884004851714

Video clip of Northern's Sumpter:

https://twitter.com/TheGNRP/status/981185876809211905