Another picture of trackslab! Nice to see inside of the tunnel as well - it looks very clean 
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Kings Cross ‘uncrossed’ Layout/Remodelling - Information and Updates
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nlogax
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Any idea what sort of OLE will be placed in the tunnel? Is this going to be a conductor bar or standard contact wire?
Fairly sure it’s standard. Why use conductor bar which is much more expensive?
Philip Phlopp
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Another picture of trackslab! Nice to see inside of the tunnel as well - it looks very clean
I'd wonder if they've had the soot scabbler out.
I'd expect so - the tunnels are pretty bloody huge (presumably to aid draughting in the days of steam). The existing OLE is on fairly lengthy drop tubes as a result.
No
nlogax
Established Member
Ta. To be honest I don't know what the specific use case for conductor bar is.
Given the location, traffic density etc - I'd have thought reliability of conductor bar compared with pans bringing wires down was worth consideration
Low maintenance. Not a problem in Gasworks with two other tunnels to divert through.
Philip Phlopp
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Rigid overhead conductor is a solution for specific limited clearance and special application areas such as those Bald Rick mentions, where maintenance is a problem (it's used at St Pancras Thameslink for a complicated mix of geometry related wear and maintenance reasons). It's not specifically a magic bullet for "high risk areas" - it's quite a complicated transition from wire to conductor, the whole system is massively heavy, and it only protects against a couple of OLE related failure modes whilst bringing about its own failure modes which would not be quick to fix, unlike a conventional OLE dewirement in the tunnel.
It's also a pretty low risk area - low line speed and pretty much perfect (and consistent/stable) track geometry thanks to the slab track, and there's a significant number of support structures available to mount electrification components onto.
malc-c
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Thanks guys.... that means a lot to me.Granted Stevenage had better access or vantage points than Kings-X, but looking on Google maps there are some locations which could be used (assuming they are still in place, like the temporary footbridge in goods way, which would give views if the throat into the platforms). Views from Randell's Road show track bed and construction work taking place, but other than that access would be limited unless you could get permission from any corporate sites off York Road...
We receive London regional news on ITV and BBC and other than a small interview with someone from Network Rail when the project had just been started with the first major possession of the line between Stevenage and London last year, there has been little media interest since. No doubt that mich change when the work is completed
Just guessing but they might not want to publicise the work too much in case all the press coverage is “railway CLOSED!” - the project will cause a lot of disruption. And of course putting it on journalist/public agenda raises the stakes if it becomes “weren’t you supposed to finish that last month??.”
Better to wait til you have (working) shiny new stuff ready to show off.......
malc-c
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True...
You can get pretty good views traveling backwards out of the correct side of a train leaving kings cross. I don't know what's been cleared out of the way but I had a better view of the old farringdon tunnel entrance than I ever remember before, and a good view of the slab track emerging from the north end of the tunnel
Granted Stevenage had better access or vantage points than Kings-X, but looking on Google maps there are some locations which could be used (assuming they are still in place, like the temporary footbridge in goods way, which would give views if the throat into the platforms). Views from Randell's Road show track bed and construction work taking place, but other than that access would be limited unless you could get permission from any corporate sites off York Road...
We receive London regional news on ITV and BBC and other than a small interview with someone from Network Rail when the project had just been started with the first major possession of the line between Stevenage and London last year, there has been little media interest since. No doubt that mich change when the work is completed
Looks like Hull Trains will be running down to St Pancras like last year on both days. I think this will be the first class 80x (800/801/802) on the MML?
Big closures this weekend. Some photos here: https://twitter.com/ECMLupgrade/status/1317414336869158912
Some extensive OHLE work around the North end of Gasworks Tunnel (so no St Pancras services either)
Some extensive OHLE work around the North end of Gasworks Tunnel (so no St Pancras services either)
Speed43125
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It's quite nice to see some slab track on a classic line. Is it actually going to be in situ in the photo and continue beyond the tunnel mouth?
Some pictures of groundwork at the south portal: https://twitter.com/ECMLupgrade/status/1317472455460556802
I'd assume it will do a similar thing to Thameslink, in which case: yes.
I'd assume it will do a similar thing to Thameslink, in which case: yes.
59CosG95
Established Member
Post on LinkedIn that the 2 Anchor Portals in Belle Isle (between Gasworks & Copenhagen Tunnels) were installed by KXR's principal contractor, Morgan Sindall, over the weekend just gone.
www.linkedin.com
Terry Haywood on LinkedIn: #project #engineering #construction | 25 comments
We successfully landed the (x2) Anchor Portals as part of the OLE enabling works at Belle Isle for the Kings Cross Remodelling Project on Saturday. Big thanks… | 25 comments on LinkedIn
nlogax
Established Member
Feels like slab track in tunnels has almost become standard in the last few years - definitely a good thing if I understand its benefits correctly.
Philip Phlopp
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If you think it's a good thing, then you're definitely understanding its benefits correctly.
Hull Trains' website says they will be running a reduced service of just two trains in each direction on Christmas Eve but it doesn't say what if anything they will be running during the 27th-30th December closure. The Grand Central site says no services between 27th and 30th December. IIRC during some of the previous closures Hull Trains has diverted its services into St Pancras.
Given the complete closure of KX this weekend and the almost nightly works in the Moorgate tunnel, has anyone any updates please?
In another thread I believe it was intended that all signalling in the tunnel would be updated by the end of December - does this mean the end of LU tripcocks?
In another thread I believe it was intended that all signalling in the tunnel would be updated by the end of December - does this mean the end of LU tripcocks?
59CosG95
Established Member
Yes, in KGX the work has, along with track work, included removing old signalling LOCs (Location Cabinets for those not in the know) and installing foundations (piled and concrete) for new signals and OLE.
Thanks both - every little (piece of information) helps - especially on a project of this scale.
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