Manchester - Liverpool Electrification

[QueensCurve]

I am delighted that John Evans has sent two sets of photos for publication.

The first set are eight shots of Pendolinos diverted along the eastern half of the Chat Moss route at Easter 2014.

The second set are three he took at Earlestown Platform 5 in the early hours of Tuesday morning when th etest runs were aborted and 390 104 had to make its way back to Edge Hill via Warrington BQ and Crewe.

As usual I have created an album for John's material, it is here:

www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157651706566841/

I have also added them to the Combined Volume, along with a few I took this afternoon on a detour after family commitments, here:

www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157648494725811/

Thank you John and welcome aboard.

I'm amazed by the shear ugliness of the NR Series 1 electrification compared to BR Mk3. This is starkly apparent in the picture at:-

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/16822945878/in/set-72157651706566841

I can understand why the good people of Bath might be worried about this appearing in Sydney Gardens.

I understand that there may be issues about the resilience of BR Mk 3 and its compatibility with high speed, but "HS1" seems to combine elegance with function? Surely NR can do better?

http://www.traintesting.com/images/Up service - Boardley Farm 8-3-04s.jpg

 

[LDECRexile]

Paul and I went exploring yesterday.

I've put his photos in his album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157649792560381/

and all our Liverpool-Manchester photos in the Combined Volume here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157648494725811/

Thank you Paul (especially for the Rolos.)

 

[HSTEd]

God that equipment looks awful.

 

[swt_passenger]

I'm amazed by the shear ugliness of the NR Series 1 electrification compared to BR Mk3. This is starkly apparent in the picture...

I can understand why the good people of Bath might be worried about this appearing in Sydney Gardens.

The picture is not of a normal run of the mill gantry, it is one that is carrying a load of catenary tensioners, some sort of anti climb devices, and on the left hand upright a power connection cable.

I think it has been repeatedly stated by NR that Sydney Gardens will be getting some sort of specially designed or bespoke fittings, so your selected image shouldn't really be used to illustrate the scale of the problem.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I'm amazed by the shear ugliness of the NR Series 1 electrification compared to BR Mk3. I can understand why the good people of Bath might be worried about this appearing in Sydney Gardens.

That's actually Series 2 (100mph) kit.
The GW wiring is Series 1 (140mph), but none of it is yet fully erected to observe.
The regular gantries on the 4-track Thames Valley route look quite elegant - before they get any "gubbins" and wires. [off topic, sorry]
Series 2 past the heritage sites (Earlestown, Sankey Viaduct, Rainhill) is visually much less intrusive than that picture.

I noticed,today, that the AT cable is up, eastwards from Huyton Station to H Junc

That's not the whole picture. Only the Up from Roby to before Huyton Jn has an AT wire.
It is still missing above the Down line from Huyton Quarry to Roby, and on the Up from Huyton Jn to Huyton Quarry.

This is about whether the train went through St Helens Down Goods Loop AT ALL.
Whizzing past on trains at speed the trailing crossover immediately north of the northern end of the DGL looked shiny.
We reckon the tests were about that trailing crossover and possibly about the 'wrong direction' signal at Huyton. They may be to ensure all is are dotted and ts crossed before or whilst asking ORR's blessing to run electric trains along the Wigan Branch.

The rogue mast near St Helens signal box now sports a set of wires on its auto-tensioner.
There must have been a missing length until last weekend.

Manchester Victoria's wires look finished, elegant and tidy.
The usable length ends abruptly before the east end of the platforms.
I can't work out what the 5 bare masts east of the Cheetham Hill road bridge are for.

Victoria itself continues to emerge from its rebuild, and the platform access is a lot more open now around the gate line.
There's a lot to admire, but much also to ponder.
Is the Arena access bridge staying like that? It doesn't look right to me.
The plastic roof looks, well, plastic. The blue sky above doesn't look blue.
Still a lot of work going on, so probably too early to judge.

 

[Class 170101]

I can't work out what the 5 bare masts east of the Cheetham Hill road bridge are for.

Not the start of the next stage towards Stalybridge?

 

[Geeves]

I noticed the signs saying "No electric trains on the Salford Lines" afixed to the gantries today, already looking forward to seeing them taken down

The plastic over the link bridge to the arena is to come down shortly I believe, nice glass and metal banisters to come.

 

[Billyblue]

That's actually Series 2 (100mph) kit.
The GW wiring is Series 1 (140mph), but none of it is yet fully erected to observe.
The regular gantries on the 4-track Thames Valley route look quite elegant - before they get any "gubbins" and wires. [off topic, sorry]
Series 2 past the heritage sites (Earlestown, Sankey Viaduct, Rainhill) is visually much less intrusive than that picture.



That's not the whole picture. Only the Up from Roby to before Huyton Jn has an AT wire.
It is still missing above the Down line from Huyton Quarry to Roby, and on the Up from Huyton Jn to Huyton Quarry.



The rogue mast near St Helens signal box now sports a set of wires on its auto-tensioner.
There must have been a missing length until last weekend.

Manchester Victoria's wires look finished, elegant and tidy.
The usable length ends abruptly before the east end of the platforms.
I can't work out what the 5 bare masts east of the Cheetham Hill road bridge are for.

Victoria itself continues to emerge from its rebuild, and the platform access is a lot more open now around the gate line.
There's a lot to admire, but much also to ponder.
Is the Arena access bridge staying like that? It doesn't look right to me.
The plastic roof looks, well, plastic. The blue sky above doesn't look blue.
Still a lot of work going on, so probably too early to judge.

Re the AT cable at Huyton. Isn't that what I said?

 

[snowball]

It's frustrating that there's no information on whether Vic is now ready for electrics. I'm tempted to suspect that the silence implies it isn't.

Or is there any possibility an electric test train could have been slipped in towards the end of the closure?

 

[Llama]

The 'flash' notices for the section of OHLE between 'Ordsall Lane and the eastern end of Manchester Victoria' are only published for the first time in next week's WON. These flash notices always convey a certain date and time from when the OHLE must be considered live. Obviously the date and time of energisation shown on these notices is classed as 'private and not for publication'.

No test trains have run into Victoria yet, the blockade over last weekend was for more than just the electrification work, there was no operational signalling at Manchester Vic until Tuesday morning for a start.

 

[Chris125]

That's actually Series 2 (100mph) kit.
The GW wiring is Series 1 (140mph), but none of it is yet fully erected to observe.

For anyone interested you can get a good idea of Series 1 from when it was erected on the High Marnham test track, I think Old Dalby also has some for IEP testing.

https://flic.kr/p/pmU4qD

 

[QueensCurve]

The 'flash' notices for the section of OHLE between 'Ordsall Lane and the eastern end of Manchester Victoria' are only published for the first time in next week's WON.

Can we get WON online?

 

[Llama]

It can be emailed if you need it as part of your duties and your employer and/or Network Rail agree.

 

[QueensCurve]

It can be emailed if you need it as part of your duties and your employer and/or Network Rail agree.

That's a no, then.

 

[Llama]

Correct, as much as it would be interesting for people to have access to (although descriptions of work are often quite vague) as ever there are people with less than honourable intentions who might take advantage of the information contained within it.

 

[Class377/5]

It's frustrating that there's no information on whether Vic is now ready for electrics. I'm tempted to suspect that the silence implies it isn't.

Or is there any possibility an electric test train could have been slipped in towards the end of the closure?

Word is Vic and Wigan services going over in May timetable change.

 

[snowball]

Word is Vic and Wigan services going over in May timetable change.

I hope that isn't in doubt! I was more wondering about the first electric test train.

 

[Class377/5]

I hope that isn't in doubt! I was more wondering about the first electric test train.

Ah, I was referring to the first eletric passenger services. Would guess soon for the first test trip.

 

[LeylandLen]

Word is Vic and Wigan services going over in May timetable change.

I assume you mean Wigan Wallgate as Wigan NW is now on electrified route from Manchester Airport to Scotland.

 

[snowball]

I assume you mean Wigan Wallgate as Wigan NW is now on electrified route from Manchester Airport to Scotland.

I think by Wigan he meant Liverpool to Wigan NW via Huyton and St Helens Central.

There are no current plans to electrify Wigan Wallgate station. This is assumed to be because of the low bridge carrying Wallgate (the A49 road after which the station is named). Bolton to Wigan will be electrified within 2 or 3 years but the wires will only connect to Wigan NW.

 

[LDECRexile]

I've added 4 photos to the Combined Volume here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157648494725811/

 

[PDG1949]

I think by Wigan he meant Liverpool to Wigan NW via Huyton and St Helens Central.

There are no current plans to electrify Wigan Wallgate station. This is assumed to be because of the low bridge carrying Wallgate (the A49 road after which the station is named). Bolton to Wigan will be electrified within 2 or 3 years but the wires will only connect to Wigan NW.

Particularly if you look at the state of supporting shoreing under both Wallgate tunnels.

We've had quite a few 319 test runs on Liverpool-Wigan which appear to have been OK, so it should now be down to proving Ordsall Lane - ManVic

 

[LDECRexile]

Particularly if you look at the state of supporting shoreing under both Wallgate tunnels.

We've had quite a few 319 test runs on Liverpool-Wigan which appear to have been OK, so it should now be down to proving Ordsall Lane - ManVic

....and getting ORR's blessing and enough crew trained

 

[geoffk]

Came past Allerton depot today and seven class 319 units could be seen - two unidentified, the others being 319362/63/65/68/82; 68 and 82 have recently arrived. The others are likely to have been two of 361, 364 and 380.

Anyone know more? Presumably there are no Saturday diagrams yet.

 

[LDECRexile]

I was delighted to spend Thursday afternoon accompanying AM9 on a whistle-stop tour of Lime St-Chat Moss-Man Air and back.

He has kindly sent a photo for publication, which is a considerable improvement on my 3764m.

I have created an album for AM9 here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157651885501412/

and added the photo to the Combined Volume in the usual way here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157648494725811/

Thank you AM9

 

[DJH1971]

I hope that isn't in doubt! I was more wondering about the first electric test train.

But there was a post on the 319 cascade to Northern thread a couple of days ago that a member of staff at at Earlestown station told someone that electric stopping services calling at Earlestown wont be happending until at least December.

This clearly doesn't sound right to me.

 

[Llama]

No, doesn't sound right to me either. Next month looks likely, and is what crew training and resource planning are being geared up for.

 

[Northern Pacer]

But there was a post on the 319 cascade to Northern thread a couple of days ago that a member of staff at at Earlestown station told someone that electric stopping services calling at Earlestown wont be happending until at least December.

This clearly doesn't sound right to me.

319s on the MIA-LIV via ERL service call at NLW but not ERL, similar issue with WAV and HUY. I can't seem to figure out why though.

 

[156441]

LIV-MCV services will not go electric till later in the year. Not sure it will be as long as December though.

Remember some of the many 319s at Allerton are unfinished internally and are not ready for service.

 

[LDECRexile]

319s on the MIA-LIV via ERL service call at NLW but not ERL, similar issue with WAV and HUY. I can't seem to figure out why though.

This is too cryptic for my brain cell, I can't even figure out what you can't figure out or what the 'similar issue' is.

Northern run three services through Earlestown:

Lime St to Manchester Airport, currently partially operated by 319s Monday to Friday. This is an 'express' service calling at Wavertree Technology Park, St Helens Junction, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport. (Yes, certain rush hour trains call additionally at Huyton, but they are very much the exception.)

Lime St to Manchester Victoria, calling at all stations including Earlestown

Lime St to Warrington Bank Quay, calling at all stations including Earlestown

To be technically complete there is a 'three and a halfth' service, ie Mon-Sat the 06:44 Wigan North Western to Lime St runs south down the WCML and round the N-to-W curve at the Lowton triangle then calls at all stations to Lime St, including Earlestown. As there is no balancing northbound service I reckon it only counts half, if that.

This train is shown here:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y50751/2015/04/13/advanced

If any reader is into travelling on unusual lines, here's a chance for you.

Back to electrics stopping at Earlestown.

This will only happen under normal circumstances when either of the Man Vic and Warrington BQ services is operated by electric trains.

It is possible that the roll-out of electric services could prioritise giving 100% coverage to the Lime St to Manchester Airport services ahead of stoppers, and/or giving priority to the Wigan Branch ahead of Chat Moss stoppers, in either case EMUs calling at Earlestown will be pushed back.

It is also possible that the railwayman talking of electrics at Earlestown in December just meant WBQ trains or that he was misunderstood or that he was right or that he was plain wrong.

In essence, there are a several unknowns here, notably:

1. when will ORR give the OK into Man Vic?
2. when will ORR give the OK along the Wigan Branch?
3. when will the right number of crew on the right lines be trained?
4. when will the right number of EMUs be available?
5. of the services which could use EMUs, which are getting priority?

For what it's worth, the commonest theme I've heard is that step changes to electric services will take place in May 2015. What, where, why, who, how etc seem to be speculation tinged with optimism or pessimism according to taste.