Manchester - Liverpool Electrification

[LNW-GW Joint]

Was your quality of track photo taken at Roby?

If you mean #337 I reckon it's at the far western end of track 4, where it will eventually merge with track 3.
Maybe the quote had a touch of irony...

 

[8A Rail]

Was your quality of track photo taken at Roby?

Well given the image taken was with long telephoto lens (from west end of Roby Station I suspect, platform 3?) then it does exaggerate the perspective to say the least. As the line wont be used for at least two years then plenty of time to "get it right" too - probably be tampered etc when the junctions are eventually done.

 

[LDECRexile]

Was your quality of track photo taken at Roby?

Er, yes, as it says in the caption. It is Track 4, between Roby Junction and Roby Station taken at 20x magnification which exaggerates the impression of unevenness. The track lengths are held together with temporary joints and the whole is untamped, as it says in the caption. There is no irony, nor is the photo in any way intended as a sneer or criticism. The track was just wanged down as time permitted. It will be permanently joined up, levelled out and straightened in due course. The track east of Huyton looked like that when first done, now look at it.

Today (Tues 16th) I had an unexpected opportunity to spend 20 minutes at Rainhill Station where the new length of OHLE wiring to the East was in full view in slightly hazy sunshine.

By pure chance, as I arrived an Orange Platoon arrived and started looking busy on the eastern end of the westbound platform. I asked one of them if they were starting work, as I thought planning permission hadn't yet been granted. He said they were "marking up". One of their number duly marked a rectangle in blue spray paint, whereupon the rest of the group busied themselves erecting safety barriers (the sort put up when a worksite is unattended but the public have access, eg see one of yesterday's Earlestown photos) and getting out all their tools such as spades, portable cutting wheels, drills and the like. They then all stopped whilst a phone call was made, then they took the barriers and all their kit away and were getting into their vans as I left.

It all seemed very odd, but on reflection I reckon they were testing that the site would be safely workable for themselves and the public when it comes to it; unless anyone can give a better logic.

I've added four new photos here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/110155...rification20134?authkey=Gv1sRgCNmM9tLBtNTlgAE
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

There's still a lot of station reconstruction work to be done at Victoria.
Weren't they going to replace the footbridge?
It may be something as simple as not wanting 25kV in the basement while they do things like that.
If there aren't enough EMUs to go round until May it wouldn't matter much.

If you mean the thundering great footbridge roughly in line with the ticket barrier I can't see how they could possibly replace it then put wiring up before Christmas, even before May looks a tough call.

Could the footbridge be the solution, however? Could wires be attached to it to get them across the eastern section of the station?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I have now read the substantial article in the current RAIL on "Brunel", the wiring factory train in use on the GW Main Line (RAIL 757 pp64-9).

In it reference is made to an engineer using a "GPS Locator" to identify the position of a structure (eg base for a mast) to within a few millimetres. I took a photo of one being used at Earlestown yesterday, but didn't include it because I didn't know what it was. I've added it at the end here, out of sequence by a day, but hey...

https://picasaweb.google.com/110155...rification20134?authkey=Gv1sRgCNmM9tLBtNTlgAE

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Er, yes, as it says in the caption. It is Track 4, between Roby Junction and Roby Station taken at 20x magnification which exaggerates the impression of unevenness. The track lengths are held together with temporary joints and the whole is untamped, as it says in the caption. There is no irony,

Sorry I meant post #2547 might have been ironic, not your photo...

 

[edwin_m]

If they only plan to run 4-car units in the short term then electrifying the western end of the Victoria through platforms is probably enough for the time being. If the footbridge needs raising it could then be postponed to a later phase.

Artists impressions show the bridge being extended over the concourse to land nearer the city centre. If this hasn't been done yet it would make sense to do all the bridge work at the same time, especially as the Arena would probably be unusable while it was happening.

 

[Class377/5]

Driver training on the 319s started today.

 

[Ploughman]

Sorry I meant post #2547 might have been ironic, not your photo...

Not being ironic at all.
Just commenting on, what to me looks like an example of track laying that is an example of how it should not look.
If laying track down on a prepared bed the vertical alignment should be smooth and not up and down like this.

 

[DJH1971]

Driver training on the 319s started today.

Looks like they will have a bit longer on training now, but still no confirmation as how longer the delay in phase 2 completion will be.

 

[Geeves]

Edwin, the only bridge that needed raising at Victoria was the East end road bridge, the footbridges at the east and west end are already high enough to have the wires run under thankfully

The bridge you speak of running to the arena from the concourse is now built and open

You can see it running along here under the new roof. Has a temporary cover over it at the mo.

 

[edwin_m]

Edwin, the only bridge that needed raising at Victoria was the East end road bridge, the footbridges at the east and west end are already high enough to have the wires run under thankfully

Thanks for the clarification. Makes sense really that the bridges built in around 1990 should have electrification clearances.

If it hasn't been already, will the east end road bridge be raised before December? The wire runs at the eastern end of the platforms probably continue under this bridge, in which case they couldn't be done until the bridge was raised.

 

[Viscount702]

Thanks for the clarification. Makes sense really that the bridges built in around 1990 should have electrification clearances.

If it hasn't been already, will the east end road bridge be raised before December? The wire runs at the eastern end of the platforms probably continue under this bridge, in which case they couldn't be done until the bridge was raised.

The track was lowered last Christmas to give the necessary clearance

 

[snowball]

The track was lowered last Christmas to give the necessary clearance

By 172mm, according to a post on Skyscrapercity.

 

[PDG1949]

Northern sheds new light on Rainhill station - but not on its electrification progress !

http://www.northernrail.org/news/7523

 

[LDECRexile]

I wish to attach a spreadsheet concerning progress, which I will update as we move forward.

Please can anyone tell me how to do so?

Thanks in anticipation.

 

[nw-sparks]

Today (Tues 16th) I had an unexpected opportunity to spend 20 minutes at Rainhill Station where the new length of OHLE wiring to the East was in full view in slightly hazy sunshine.

By pure chance, as I arrived an Orange Platoon arrived and started looking busy on the eastern end of the westbound platform. I asked one of them if they were starting work, as I thought planning permission hadn't yet been granted. He said they were "marking up". One of their number duly marked a rectangle in blue spray paint, whereupon the rest of the group busied themselves erecting safety barriers (the sort put up when a worksite is unattended but the public have access, eg see one of yesterday's Earlestown photos) and getting out all their tools such as spades, portable cutting wheels, drills and the like. They then all stopped whilst a phone call was made, then they took the barriers and all their kit away and were getting into their vans as I left.

It all seemed very odd, but on reflection I reckon they were testing that the site would be safely workable for themselves and the public when it comes to it; unless anyone can give a better logic.

When I passed through on Wednesday, they were digging holes in the up platform at Rainhill, a pneumatic drill was in use.

Phil

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I wish to attach a spreadsheet concerning progress, which I will update as we move forward.
Please can anyone tell me how to do so?
Thanks in anticipation.

It's the same as adding a photo.
Set up your reply as usual, then scroll down to Manage Attachments and browse for your .xls file, Upload and then back to Preview Post etc.
There's a size limit of 2mb.

 

[LDECRexile]

It's the same as adding a photo.
Set up your reply as usual, then scroll down to Manage Attachments and browse for your .xls file, Upload and then back to Preview Post etc.
There's a size limit of 2mb.

Thank you. Please see the attached prototype which seeks to give a visual representation of where things have got to.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Thank you. Please see the attached prototype which seeks to give a visual representation of where things have got to.

Looks good. Might usefully have a scale added (or mileposts/chainage).
Dates for the "many years" might help: 1961 at Lime St/Allerton, 1974 at Earlestown/Springs Branch.

 

[LDECRexile]

Looks good. Might usefully have a scale added (or mileposts/chainage).
Dates for the "many years" might help: 1961 at Lime St/Allerton, 1974 at Earlestown/Springs Branch.

I've had a stab at what you suggest on the first two sections - Chat Moss and Earlestown Platform 3.

I've taken the miles and chains from the superb http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/ELRs/_mileages/D/DSE.txt

The m.ch which I have preceded with "c" are my amateur guesses.

The m.ch field is Text, lest someone try maths on them as decimals!

Please comment before I proceed with the others.

 

[LDECRexile]

I've cracked on anyway, correcting earlier errors around Earlestown as I go.

 

[DJH1971]

I've cracked on anyway, correcting earlier errors around Earlestown as I go.

This is brilliant work.

Nice one!

 

[LDECRexile]

This is brilliant work.

Nice one!

Thank you.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I've cracked on anyway, correcting earlier errors around Earlestown as I go.

Yes that's fine.

 

[DJH1971]

Going into Liverpool this morning, I can now confirm that there is now return wiring now in place between St Helens Junction and Lea Green on the Liverpool-bound side.

Also some some OHLE steelwork lying by the track side near Lea Green.

 

[LDECRexile]

Going into Liverpool this morning, I can now confirm that there is now return wiring now in place between St Helens Junction and Lea Green on the Liverpool-bound side.

Also some some OHLE steelwork lying by the track side near Lea Green.

I have incorporated this in the attached spreadsheet. Please note the tabs at the foot of each display which will enable me to retain and display a "history".

The attached replaces all previous versions.

 

[DJH1971]

I have incorporated this in the attached spreadsheet. Please note the tabs at the foot of each display which will enable me to retain and display a "history".

The attached replaces all previous versions.

Glad to be of service!

 

[mr_jrt]

Would a public google doc not be more useful here? https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/

 

[deltic08]

I've cracked on anyway, correcting earlier errors around Earlestown as I go.

Vey useful as a record both present and historical. Thank you.

 

[DJH1971]

Vey useful as a record both present and historical. Thank you.

So good, it's even featured on a link on the NW Sparks website.

 

[Billyblue]

It doesn't look as if the access to the public subway from platforms 2 and 3, at Huyton Station, is being re-instated. This leaves the steps/lift down into the station subway as the only entrance/exit point and even now the steps and subway can get congested if trains are in at both platforms 2&3. When platform 4 comes on flow it will get worse.
As can see from the photos (circa 1970) that there was an access point to the public subway at the eastern end of platforms 2 and 3. The recently closed pathway from platform 2 was a replacement for this.
http://s0.geograph.org.uk/photos/36/27/362788_54e450bb.jpg
http://s0.geograph.org.uk/photos/36/30/363080_1ee3e156.jpg