Work on Okehampton Line: progress updates

[24Grange]

Being thick- is Belstone bridge the Crediton side of Okehampton, or the Meldon side?

 

[geoffk]

Okehampton Parkway is a much longer term project and certainly would not be part of any 2021 reopening. The situation was simplified with the Dartmoor Rly going into administration - it was planned at one stage to have an interchange there and the Exeter service not serving the original Okehampton station. Sampford Courtenay station is nowhere near said village (or anywhere else for that matter) and in my view not worth reopening if it causes timing problems.

Looking ahead, perhaps North Tawton might be a better bet as it's a small town and slightly nearer the line than Sampford Courtenay is to its station. North Tawton station is in private ownership though.

 

[Gloster]

I think that there is a problem at North Tawton in that the underbridge by the station has been raised. The rails now run through the station roughly at platform height and the station building is now a private house. This would mean that a completely new platform and, possibly, new access would be required.

 

[24Grange]

I think that there is a problem at North Tawton in that the underbridge by the station has been raised. The rails now run through the station roughly at platform height and the station building is now a private house. This would mean that a completely new platform and, possibly, new access would be required.

I think the track and the ballast are way above the former platforms - went through there on a railtour years ago and the family who owned the station house were sitting on the former up platform on picnic chairs and waving at us as we went past. Nothing odd about that - except they were looking up to wave at us. ( I guess the track must be a metre at least above former platform level).

 

[swt_passenger]

I think the track and the ballast are way above the former platforms - went through there on a railtour years ago and the family who owned the station house were sitting on the former up platform on picnic chairs and waving at us as we went past. Nothing odd about that - except they were looking up to wave at us. ( I guess the track must be a metre at least above former platform level).

I think that must be quite an unusual situation, I just checked and it’s actually quite noticeable on a Google streetview, you can see past what look like the former station buildings to a short length of the raised track. As @Gloster mentioned the altered bridge structure is quite noticeable too.

 

[geoffk]

Thanks. I've recently moved to Exeter and have only just started exploring the area west of Crediton. A couple of questions - has the second track (the former down line) between Crediton and Coleford Jn always remained in Network Rail ownership, with Aggregate Industries ownership west of Coleford? And will this section also be upgraded/relaid, since this would require temporary closure of the adjacent Barnstaple Line?

 

[nanstallon]

Thanks. I've recently moved to Exeter and have only just started exploring the area west of Crediton. A couple of questions - has the second track (the former down line) between Crediton and Coleford Jn always remained in Network Rail ownership, with Aggregate Industries ownership west of Coleford? And will this section also be upgraded/relaid, since this would require temporary closure of the adjacent Barnstaple Line?

NR/AI boundary was always at Coleford Junction, which has not been a physical junction for many years. Crediton to Coleford Jct will retain a 40 mph speed limit, so no need to have a possession which would disrupt Barnstaple line services. The May Modern Railways has a long article on this project.

 

[geoffk]

NR/AI boundary was always at Coleford Junction, which has not been a physical junction for many years. Crediton to Coleford Jct will retain a 40 mph speed limit, so no need to have a possession which would disrupt Barnstaple line services. The May Modern Railways has a long article on this project.

40 mph not too bad, but I thought it might be lower over this section.

 

[24Grange]

I think Coleford Junction stopped being a junction in about 1970? Probably when they singled the Okehampton line?

 

[Gloster]

I think Coleford Junction stopped being a junction in about 1970? Probably when they singled the Okehampton line?

The signal box was closed, the lines to Copplestone and Okehampton were singled, and Coleford to Crediton was converted to two single lines on 17 October 1971. (Source: Track Layout Diagrams of the GWR and BR (WR), Section 15, R.A.Cooke, 1979)

 

[24Grange]

Thanks ! Not long before the Okehampton service was withdrawn then?

 

[Gloster]

Thanks ! Not long before the Okehampton service was withdrawn then?

The official date for the withdrawal of the passenger service to Okehampton was 5 June 1972. (Source: Passengers No More, Second edition, Daniels and Dench, Ian Allan, 1973)

 

[nanstallon]

Thanks ! Not long before the Okehampton service was withdrawn then?

I had a last (well, it seemed at the time to be the last!) trip in May 1972, and noticed the line had been singled and Coleford jct box was closed, although still in place.

 

[Amlag]

NR/AI boundary was always at Coleford Junction, which has not been a physical junction for many years. Crediton to Coleford Jct will retain a 40 mph speed limit, so no need to have a possession which would disrupt Barnstaple line services. The May Modern Railways has a long article on this project.

Some relaying is planned on the Okehampton line (former Down main) between Crediton and Yeofod in Feb 2022 and this will enable the current 40 to be raised to ?60-70.

 

[red cuillen]

Some pictures at and just west of Okey station this morning

 

[24Grange]

Nice images . Thank you !

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

NR have released a media update saying track relaying has been completed. A video and plenty of other pictures.

They say

Now that the main elements of the track relay work have been completed, Network Rail will be turning its focus to other aspects of the project including upgrading several level crossings, installing new GSM-R masts (the railway’s mobile communications system), undertaking bridge repairs as well as running engineering test trains to check the quality of the newly laid track.

so well on target for reopening this autumn and hopefully this project will be beacon for what the industry can achieve in improving and upgrading more lines like this.

 

[REVUpminster]

Some photos this morning. Platforms in remarkably good condition. Better than some GWR stations. New track and ballast insitu but still needs tamping. They removed a lot of old concrete sleepers along with wooden . There are some metal sleepers in the bay. Limit of work is just over the road bridge. Lot of material to be removed.

 

[BrianW]

Some photos this morning. Platforms in remarkably good condition. Better than some GWR stations. New track and ballast insitu but still needs tamping. They removed a lot of old concrete sleepers along with wooden . There are some metal sleepers in the bay. Limit of work is just over the road bridge. Lot of material to be removed.

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Lovely pictures- thank you.
A couple of observations/ questions?
I guess it makes sense in terms of economy/ efficiency to relay track wholesale. What will happen with the 'old' concrete sleepers?
And can't quite make out the platform canopies? Material?
Thanks

 

[mcmad]

The old concretes will most likely be crushed for hardcore and the reinforcing steel sold as scrap. They look to have obsolete fastening so would need replaced anyway. The odd few pandrols would just get in the way if they tried to retain them.

 

[30907]

And can't quite make out the platform canopies? Material?

The Up side is a classic SR design (steel panels or just cladding - I suspect cladding), the Down looks to be timber, with both having corrugated roofs).

 

[fgwrich]

The old concretes will most likely be crushed for hardcore and the reinforcing steel sold as scrap. They look to have obsolete fastening so would need replaced anyway. The odd few pandrols would just get in the way if they tried to retain them.

They may also be sold on for use on heritage lines. For example, The Gloucestershire Warwickshire uses ex NR / BR concrete sleepers on it's Cheltenham and more recently Broadway extensions, with SHC fastenings and Continuous Welded Rail - only the in station area at Broadway is the more traditional bullhead / wooden sleeper combo.

Thank you for the photos, it's nice to see some progress pictures.

 

[Amlag]

The almost immaculate and weed & litter free current presentation of this former SR Main line station at Okehampton, which lost its regular passenger trains back in 1972 and has seen no passenger trains since end of Dec 2019 is entirely due to a small band of local volunteers from the Dartmoor Railway Supporters Association which has now been renamed the Dartmoor Railway Association - supporting the Dartmoor Line.

 

[REVUpminster]

The almost immaculate and weed & litter free current presentation of this former SR Main line station at Okehampton, which lost its regular passenger trains back in 1972 and has seen no passenger trains since end of Dec 2019 is entirely due to a small band of local volunteers from the Dartmoor Railway Supporters Association which has now been renamed the Dartmoor Railway Association - supporting the Dartmoor Line.

The association has done a terrific job. Speaking to them this morning they only just got permission to open their small museum, bookshop, and cafe counter all on platform 2. Did not open until 11am. You can go up on the footbridge but not down to platform 3. There is free parking on that side with a bicycle hire beyond the youth hostel.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

The old concretes will most likely be crushed for hardcore and the reinforcing steel sold as scrap. They look to have obsolete fastening so would need replaced anyway. The odd few pandrols would just get in the way if they tried to retain them.

NR does a great job of reprocessing spent ballast for reuse by construction industry and recycling old sleepers and rail its an integral part of the renewals process.

 

[BrianW]

NR does a great job of reprocessing spent ballast for reuse by construction industry and recycling old sleepers and rail its an integral part of the renewals process.

That's good to know. I have a memory of huge mountains of concrete (now covered in earth) on the south side of the M40 when it was widened (with gabions) from two lanes to three. Maybe my memory is imperfect. Maybe methods, and understandings, have changed. Chlorides, or something, leaching out from old, broken concrete?

 

[24Grange]

Great photos thanks !

 

[DJ_K666]

NR does a great job of reprocessing spent ballast for reuse by construction industry and recycling old sleepers and rail its an integral part of the renewals process.

wooden sleepers are great for garden walls too. You could nuild a track style flower bed if you can scrounge some rail offcuts and chairs too

 

[jazzy]

wooden sleepers are great for garden walls too. You could nuild a track style flower bed if you can scrounge some rail offcuts and chairs too

I thought the nasty wood preservatives that sleepers are impregnated with made them a problematic choice for use in gardens? I recall that they leach out into a soil and that ‘sleepers’ for garden use have generally never been near a railway…

 

[DJ_K666]

I thought the nasty wood preservatives that sleepers are impregnated with made them a problematic choice for use in gardens? I recall that they leach out into a soil and that ‘sleepers’ for garden use have generally never been near a railway…

More than likely, or you're using them for gravel terracing. I still wouldn't want to eat anything that's been planted there. But then I don't go round eating the contents of people's flower beds either.