Bletchley Flyover history

[Bill EWS]

They probably used the name Swanbourne simply to indcate which end of the route they were refering to!

 

[edwin_m]

Looking at a map after reading earlier posts, I was surprised how close Bletchley Park is to Bletchley station. Even without the Germans knowing about the Park the railway junction was an obvious target and a single stray bomb could have set back the Allied war effort hugely.

 

[Bald Rick]

sorry, but knowledge is limited. when you mentioned the gradient was to steep what does this mean. Before 2010 and after they realised the gradient was to steep how did NR rail load and unload the trains, did they use a different sidings

It was realised the gradient was too steep before anything was built, thus no trains were loaded / unloaded.

There is a standard which says that for new sidings the gradient has to be shallower than 1:500 (I think, it might be 1:300). This is to protect against the risk of runaways. The 'old' Swanbourne was steeper than this.

 

[DarloRich]

Looking at a map after reading earlier posts, I was surprised how close Bletchley Park is to Bletchley station. Even without the Germans knowing about the Park the railway junction was an obvious target and a single stray bomb could have set back the Allied war effort hugely.

I believe from my fairly cursory local history investigations ( I should do more as this is now my home!) the Germans had the odd pop at the station and junction without realizing a much bigger prize was 200 yds away!

 

[donald burke]

Would anyone happen to know where they would have transferred the track relaying and maintenance vehicles on and off the track for the work on this line. This would have been the vehicles that can run on a road and on a track. Would it have been forders

 

[Boodiggy]

Would anyone happen to know where they would have transferred the track relaying and maintenance vehicles on and off the track for the work on this line. This would have been the vehicles that can run on a road and on a track. Would it have been forders

No Forders is 12 miles away. There is an access of Water Eaton Road at Bletchley as well as Fenny Startforc Level Crossing and travel via the flyover or they may have made use of the old Brickworks land at the far end of the loop. Sorry it was installed before I started working in Bletchley.

 

[DarloRich]

I hope this isn't another nimby thread as there seems to have been a couple of those type of threads recently.

Would you be allowed on at Fenny and travel up the gradient and over the flyover?

The flyover is still used from time to time to stable engineering trains and i have seen the odd test train down there:

Bletchley by DarloRich2009, on Flickr

 

[Boodiggy]

I hope this isn't another nimby thread as there seems to have been a couple of those type of threads recently.

Would you be allowed on at Fenny and travel up the gradient and over the flyover?

The flyover is still used from time to time to stable engineering trains and i have seen the odd test train down there:

Bletchley by DarloRich2009, on Flickr

Yes you can access at Fenny with no issues and we have done it regularly and it was also done a lot during the Bletchley remodelling. The track recording train still has to record it and runs every three months, with the next run being at the start of Novemebr. Due to the new layout at Bletchley the recording train does the Bedford - Bletchley and the flyovers / relief lines over two days being stabled in the TMD over night. Trains are run round at Swanbourne, one was Saturday night for the renewal on the fast lines at Wolverton. I have never known them stabled there.

 

[DarloRich]

Yes you can access at Fenny with no issues and we have done it regularly and it was also done a lot during the Bletchley remodelling. The track recording train still has to record it and runs every three months, with the next run being at the start of Novemebr. Due to the new layout at Bletchley the recording train does the Bedford - Bletchley and the flyovers / relief lines over two days being stabled in the TMD over night. Trains are run round at Swanbourne, one was Saturday night for the renewal on the fast lines at Wolverton. I have never known them stabled there.

I meant running RRV on the flyover - wasnt sure if it was allowed.

I knew the 950 went along to Swanbourne

 

[Boodiggy]

Yes RRV is fine. Something we do regular.

 

[zn1]

the Starter signal - used to be a Single yellow for Bletchley, it only goes green for the Flyover...well used to...I seen it a couple of times..one was when I was learning track circuit block at fenny box, later did absolute at ridgmont etc...the flyover was in constant use until Marylebone depot shut and Aylesbury opened...that ended the BY maintenance of the 115 Chiltern liners, also the stoke Gifford wolverton stone train was a daily job...the stone depot now a memory..the line needs relaying asap...its use as a diversion was so important in the old days