essexexpress

Hi ES2035 is for the wrong direction signalled move to Halesworth ES2047, in the days of RETB everything was bi di, you could send trains in any direction on any line! To offer flexibility the UP line was signalled for bi di working between Saxmundham and Halesworth. You'll note there's also a random Stop board at Woodbridge, ES2013, this was to allow wrong road working from Westerfield, not quite sure how how this was going to be signalled as the 2 routes from Westerfield (signal number escapes me CO6XX) are for the DN ESK and the DN FLS only. I will get some photos uploaded at some stage. Mike

Hi guys amazed I hadn't read this string before, East Suffolk was my project! As for VMS, there have been comments that they are too bright, we installed a couple as points indicators at Beccles pending the final commissioning, came back during that work early in the morning from lodging at Lowestoft, went across Beccles bypass and thought there was a second sun rising! As for lightness, yes very light. Holes in the front, well apparently they are all "self cleaning" if you read the blurb from the manufacturer, as for snow, we had lots recently including the "wrong type of snow" and I haven't heard anything bad (yet). Changeover is via plug couplers. As for leaks, I haven't come across this one yet ~ welds that foul the hinge mechanism and stripped threads on the stainless bolts that connect the aluminium post to the steel base are the ones that I have witnessed. So why did we install them? At the time the decision was made there was a big push to have lightweight signals from Network Rail, and at that moment in time VMS were the only approved product, the GRP Dorman versions only had trial certification. The Hydro Kinetic points operating equipment, this all went to Scotland and the existing points on East Suffolk were changed to HW operation (Beccles is IBCL) The project as a whole was heavily reliant on the Fixed Telecoms fibre Network (FTN) being in place, there are basically small islands of signalling equipment along the line of route. It's ironic that these islands nearly replicate the areas controlled by the local signalboxes prior to RETB! This project might also be one of the last to roll out conventional SSI instead of more modern signalling systems such as "Smartlock", again at the time this type equipment was not available to us, and because of the ridiculously tight timescales we were working to we needed something with a proven track record that was readily available. I do love the fact that I was part of the project that installed 500m of new railway in East Anglia at Beccles and doubled the train service to that end of the world (shouldn't have taken it all out in the 1980's if you ask me!) The whole project was less than £12M (contractors price - last time I looked) which isn't bad for the resignalling of 45 miles of railway, a new passing loop and a new control centre, not to mention it's been relatively reliable (I won't mention Ely - Thetford - Norwich as a comparison ~ ooops, I just did) I'll get some photos uploaded when I get a chance. Mike

Theres a couple of photos of D61XX's from East Suffolk, one is on the Framlingham branch and the other is shunting at Saxmundham, can't remember what books they are in though! I'm certain they would have got to Lowestoft, the above would give a good enough reason. Mike

Hi the last surviving 306 now resides at the East Anglian railway museum, took me by suprise seeing it there at the weekend. Although they were hacked about a bit in the early 1960's to make them into 25kv EMU's, I think the basic 1500v original 306 is still recognisable. As far as I understand the 306's and 506's had many similarities. Mike

Yes, OS shows dismantled railway but I could not find whilst walking through to Bradfield, and indeed the place where the junction "would" have been doesn't seem a particularly good area to put one (cutting) The bridge however is definately on the road between Mistley and Bradfield Mike

Gents I've been doing some official work up there recently, and I too was supplied an old map that showed the line that went under. The line indeed went past the large house with swimming pool. but the bridge has been filled in and there is only an embankment now, this bit can bee seen from the train as it's had subsidence and there has been remedial works including a safe cess walkway. I have some photos of the points that go down to the quay, the clamplocks are still there but the switches and crossing nose are gone. The one bit I didn't find on my walkout was the start of the railway to Tendring and Walton, the evidence of this can be found on the back road to Bradfield where the road goes over a unfinished bridge. Mike

The original GE OHLE up to Shenfield was built to the same 1500v LNER standard as Woodhead, later converted to 6.25/25kV Yes there may be some local variations but much of it is the same. There are some great photos kicking about of EM1's at Shenfield! Mike

To go one further in the randomness catagory, please take a look at http://colinpbrooks.fotopic.net/p51676213.html Never knew this happened but by all accounts it did! Mike

Just to add a little more to this, legend has it (well my dad told me, he used to work for Regulators Europa which was sort of part of Paxmans) that the first was re engined at Britania Works which was next to St Botolphs (now Colchester Town) station, this was rail linked unlike Paxmans main Hythe Hill site. It would be interseting to know however if more 29's were converted at Colchester or if the remainder were all done in Glasgow. There used to be a rail link directly into the factory, and if you go to the site of the works (which is now a car park) you can actually see the evidence of where the track used to be. Mike

Hi saw this little link with regards to the 31's, I appreciate its OT but here we go. If anyone has BR fleet survey No4 by Brian Haresnape it's in there, this as far as I remember references 31's being trialled in Scotland, and also there was one or two super charged and additionally cooled versions which were in effect type 3 & type 4 class 31's (up to 2000hp AFAIR). Next time I get the chance I'll see if I can dig the book out when I'm next at my parents, someone who may have the book to hand may be able to confirm my understanding. I'll now disappear as I've thrown in the bomb about type 4 class 31's in Scotland.............and come back later and see the results! cheers Mike

Well......the thing was leaping about all over the place at 125mph, only did Euston to Crewe, the driver just gave his "opinion" that he wouldn't like to take it to 140mph, and as the previous poster has said likely to do with the state of the P'way on the WCML, if they (Pendos) were allowed on the CTRL it would probabbly be a different matter I'm sure cheers Mike

It's interesting to note that the MK3 DVT's have a max speed of 125mph, which is doubly perplexing as the MK3 stock and locomotives only generally have a top speed of 110mph (67's excluded) Also on the topic of MKIV and 91's being able to do 140mph, there were tests done in the late 80's / early 90's on this - again interestingly no one has mentioned that a Pendolino has a top speed of 140mph, although the driver I went out with said he wouldn't like to take one up to the limit! cheers Mike