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East Coast Mainline Blockade for Werrington Junction diveunder


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Not a lot to see today, OHLE masts are up for both ends of the slew but I cannot see anything being completed this weekend as seems to have been intimated in the letter a few posts earlier in  this thread. Lots of work going on on both up and down Stamford lines with an orange 'platoon' in place. The crew bent over on the down line appeared to be using cutting gear on the rails. It's very wet everywhere after yesterdays rain. The start of the roadbed can be seen on the right where there are a couple of piles of ballast. The existing OHLE looked 'wrong' to me, as if the wires weren't properly tensioned but it is difficult to tell if that really was the case.

 

IMG_1284.JPG.0e856984e6836ffb7832923c4658b43b.JPG

 

This second view is from the same location  (Hurn Road footbridge) but zoomed in on the site. The new footbridge is clearly visible as is the rather interesting gradient profile on the ECML lines which seem to dip under the footbridge.

 

IMG_1283

 

Finally a view from the southern end of the site. This wasn't an easy shot to get, I had the camera held above my head due to the height of the footbridge sides. It is also shot through a coarse mesh! Once again the new OHLE masts can be seen curving away to the left of the existing formation although they only do so for a short distance along the new alignment just as they do at the northern end. I cannot see a cherry picker being in use with the OHLE live on this section so I suspect my thought of it looking odd seems to be justified in some ways.

 

IMG_1287

 

Whilst I was in the area I didn't see any traffic at all.

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2 hours ago, Richard E said:

Not a lot to see today, OHLE masts are up for both ends of the slew but I cannot see anything being completed this weekend as seems to have been intimated in the letter a few posts earlier in  this thread. Lots of work going on on both up and down Stamford lines with an orange 'platoon' in place. The crew bent over on the down line appeared to be using cutting gear on the rails. It's very wet everywhere after yesterdays rain. The start of the roadbed can be seen on the right where there are a couple of piles of ballast. The existing OHLE looked 'wrong' to me, as if the wires weren't properly tensioned but it is difficult to tell if that really was the case.

 

IMG_1284.JPG.0e856984e6836ffb7832923c4658b43b.JPG

 

This second view is from the same location  (Hurn Road footbridge) but zoomed in on the site. The new footbridge is clearly visible as is the rather interesting gradient profile on the ECML lines which seem to dip under the footbridge.

 

IMG_1283

 

Finally a view from the southern end of the site. This wasn't an easy shot to get, I had the camera held above my head due to the height of the footbridge sides. It is also shot through a coarse mesh! Once again the new OHLE masts can be seen curving away to the left of the existing formation although they only do so for a short distance along the new alignment just as they do at the northern end. I cannot see a cherry picker being in use with the OHLE live on this section so I suspect my thought of it looking odd seems to be justified in some ways.

 

IMG_1287

 

Whilst I was in the area I didn't see any traffic at all.

 

I expected a hive of activity with heavy gear, but nothing as per the PR letter sent the other day.
I think those people on the ground know better but then again they tend to give out misleading info at times, so from now on it will be better to turn up and see before making statements about what is about to happen.

 

The dip in the ECML is exaggerated by the telephoto lens.  It is the curvature of the track from left to right that makes it look as though there is quite a dip.
As to the OHLE on the Stamford line (down slow), it was switched off.

 

All the services were using the Joint up to midday then normal service was resumed on the down fast, up fast and up slow, and no speed restrictions either.

Nice photo from Walton footbridge, thanks.

 

I'm mystified as to the work I could see on the Stamford lines which have had pieces of rail cut out and replaced (peco flexitrack?).  I don't understand what they are doing there.  The new pieces look to be welded in, not bolted with fishplates which would have made sense to me.  I guess they can easily be taken out when the slew takes place IN DECEMBER.
Another job that should have been done today is a gap cutting in the middle of the south side of Hurn Road footbridge to put steps down for worker access between the ECML and the Stamford lines.  Some digging had taken place on the ground probably ready to erect a scaffolding like structure.

 

IMG_0813b.jpg.590a3fe13ed52c7d7f425bdf3eff0641.jpg

 

IMG_0831a.jpg.d04bca49fb16f96a65581b7609862101.jpg

 

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Yes, they were on site at Hurn Road footbridge digging away whilst I was there - didn't seem to have much enthusiasm for it though. As a total aside the main language of the guys doing the digging work was Eastern European of some sort. One of them had come out through the access gates there just as I turned up and I got a cheery good morning from him.

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1 hour ago, Richard E said:

Yes, they were on site at Hurn Road footbridge digging away whilst I was there - didn't seem to have much enthusiasm for it though. As a total aside the main language of the guys doing the digging work was Eastern European of some sort. One of them had come out through the access gates there just as I turned up and I got a cheery good morning from him.

 

At 11.45am their boss came up the bridge looking none too pleased, he couldn't find them anywhere.  I left soon afterwards and went to Foxcovert Road as all the services were on the Joint, only to get there and find out they had re-opened the main line again.  Back to Hurn Road, the tools that they had been digging with had gone, no more work had been done below and no sign of anyone around.

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3 hours ago, Donington Road said:

 

I expected a hive of activity with heavy gear, but nothing as per the PR letter sent the other day.
I think those people on the ground know better but then again they tend to give out misleading info at times, so from now on it will be better to turn up and see before making statements about what is about to happen.

 

The dip in the ECML is exaggerated by the telephoto lens.  It is the curvature of the track from left to right that makes it look as though there is quite a dip.
As to the OHLE on the Stamford line (down slow), it was switched off.

 

All the services were using the Joint up to midday then normal service was resumed on the down fast, up fast and up slow, and no speed restrictions either.

Nice photo from Walton footbridge, thanks.

 

I'm mystified as to the work I could see on the Stamford lines which have had pieces of rail cut out and replaced (peco flexitrack?).  I don't understand what they are doing there.  The new pieces look to be welded in, not bolted with fishplates which would have made sense to me.  I guess they can easily be taken out when the slew takes place IN DECEMBER.
Another job that should have been done today is a gap cutting in the middle of the south side of Hurn Road footbridge to put steps down for worker access between the ECML and the Stamford lines.  Some digging had taken place on the ground probably ready to erect a scaffolding like structure.

 

IMG_0813b.jpg.590a3fe13ed52c7d7f425bdf3eff0641.jpg

 

IMG_0831a.jpg.d04bca49fb16f96a65581b7609862101.jpg

 

 Are they new prefabricated insulated railjoints to create a new signalli g section. The length looks about right.

 

Jamie

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13 hours ago, Donington Road said:

 

At 11.45am their boss came up the bridge looking none too pleased, he couldn't find them anywhere.  I left soon afterwards and went to Foxcovert Road as all the services were on the Joint, only to get there and find out they had re-opened the main line again.  Back to Hurn Road, the tools that they had been digging with had gone, no more work had been done below and no sign of anyone around.

Hmmm - we weren't that far apart in time, I was there at 10:00.

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On 27/10/2019 at 16:11, Donington Road said:

 

I expected a hive of activity with heavy gear, but nothing as per the PR letter sent the other day.
I think those people on the ground know better but then again they tend to give out misleading info at times, so from now on it will be better to turn up and see before making statements about what is about to happen.

 

The dip in the ECML is exaggerated by the telephoto lens.  It is the curvature of the track from left to right that makes it look as though there is quite a dip.
As to the OHLE on the Stamford line (down slow), it was switched off.

 

All the services were using the Joint up to midday then normal service was resumed on the down fast, up fast and up slow, and no speed restrictions either.

Nice photo from Walton footbridge, thanks.

 

I'm mystified as to the work I could see on the Stamford lines which have had pieces of rail cut out and replaced (peco flexitrack?).  I don't understand what they are doing there.  The new pieces look to be welded in, not bolted with fishplates which would have made sense to me.  I guess they can easily be taken out when the slew takes place IN DECEMBER.
Another job that should have been done today is a gap cutting in the middle of the south side of Hurn Road footbridge to put steps down for worker access between the ECML and the Stamford lines.  Some digging had taken place on the ground probably ready to erect a scaffolding like structure.

 

IMG_0813b.jpg.590a3fe13ed52c7d7f425bdf3eff0641.jpg

 

IMG_0831a.jpg.d04bca49fb16f96a65581b7609862101.jpg

 

"  I'm mystified as to the work I could see on the Stamford lines which have had pieces of rail cut out and replaced (peco flexitrack?). "

 

I think they are performing a rail stressing job, and are not dealing with insulating track circuit block joints,  CW rail expands longitudinally in heat of summer, contracts longitudinally in the cold of winter, P-Way have to manage this expansion/contraction stress and strain by cutting and shutting the rail, often it is a single gap weld, the rail is cut and portable hydraulic machines pull the gap closed for a thermic weld to take place,  but in other circumstances where the gap is too big ,,   a short section of new rail has to be inserted and made good by welding ,  ( there is a minimum separation for the spacing of two  thermic welds, which dictates the minimum length of the  fresh insert )     The presence of the  new S&C in the road probably throws out the stressing numbers of the old  from when it was just plain-line track ,  there is quite a bit of mathematics involved in the process for each job.

Edited by Pandora
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31st October 2019 update.

Temporary footpath has been created to the left side of Hurn Road, marked by the red and white barriers.

The road surface is being broken up ready to dig out.

 

IMG_0850.jpg.847b016e84690802c5687c49b74cf6fd.jpg

 

The new road bed - to the right of the trains - for the Stamford lines has started to take shape ready for their temporary move around December.

 

IMG_0865.jpg.57b84be732209af1bfc3d49e2166259f.jpg

 

IMG_0888.jpg.5965d799e9528b89f70467c67e564323.jpg

 

Official notice at Cock Lane footbridge declares that it will re-open on the 11th November.  Hmmm :unsure:

Edited by Donington Road
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13 hours ago, Donington Road said:

The new road bed - to the right of the trains - for the Stamford lines has started to take shape ready for their temporary move around December.

 

Official notice at Cock Lane footbridge declares that it will re-open on the 11th November.  Hmmm :unsure:

 

I was up there on Wednesday, no sign of any notice about the bridge reopening date then, I was looking for one. A lot of ballast was being moved to build the road bed for the slewed Stamford lines. Little else to be seen at that time. It all looked pretty wet too.

 

Mind you the spoil heap on the eastern side had grown somewhat ...

 

IMG_0328.JPG.308b2f9e5cda094b5949f58b9e64e6b8.JPG

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7 minutes ago, Richard E said:

I was up there on Wednesday, no sign of any notice about the bridge reopening date then, I was looking for one.

 

It was a laminated sheet pinned to the barrier which is closing the short piece of path near the entrance to Dukesmead.

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19 hours ago, Donington Road said:

31st October 2019 update.

The new road bed - to the right of the trains - for the Stamford lines has started to take shape ready for their temporary move around December.

Those new OHLE structures look overkill for temporary use compared to the originals

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27 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Those new OHLE structures look overkill for temporary use compared to the originals

 

That's because they are not temporary. They are designed so that they can support the OLE in it's temporary position, and still have sufficient reach to support the OLE when the track is slued to it's final position, thus avoiding the use of temporary structures.

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That OHLE kit is what is being used generally when masts need replacing. Portals are also replacing headspans in many places, that will be the case here. All the OHLE kit will be replaced within the worksite ultimately according to the presentation I attended.

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The dive under will go under where there are some existing OLE masts.  This will mean that their foundations will be in the way.  New structures will be put in either side of the dive under, but in order to have compliant span lengths structures will also need to be re-positioned either side until it can be tied in to the existing structure spacing.

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10 minutes ago, ess1uk said:

Is the new A14 already that advanced?

i heard it was due to open early but didn’t expect it that soon

 

Well, I don't tend to get down that way now*, but heard this from someone who was told by someone who lives in the area.

 

* note, see my location  :)

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2 hours ago, Ken.W said:

Hopefully not too far off topic as not far away on the ECML;

 

I've heard that, during the Christmas shut-down, the A14 fly-over over Huntingdon station's due to be removed.

 

Not so

 

What will actually happen at Christmas is the construction of a temporary 'crash deck' to protect the ECML while demolition takes place during the following 6 months.

 

Even with this in place the actual removal of the bridge sections over the railway will be done during possessions.

 

The details can be found here:- (page 14 onwards) https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/wp-content/ipc/uploads/projects/TR010018/TR010018-002142-Highways England - HE-A14-EX-93 Response to ExAs Second Written Questions Huntingdon Viaduct Response Collated.pdf

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31 minutes ago, ess1uk said:

Is the new A14 already that advanced?

i heard it was due to open early but didn’t expect it that soon

 

Yup the offline bit south / west of Huntingdon is pretty much ready to be opened. All its waiting for is some legal paperwork to be sorted.... by which hangs a tale...

 

You see, the road was originally designed as a bog standard 3 lane dual carriageway 'A' Road - but just as construction was starting the men from the ministry proudly announced that it would actually open as a 'Smart Motorway' complete with variable limits and mandatory matrix signage. To do this however certain additional legislation would need to be passed......

 

All fine and dandy you might think, BUT as with a lot of other things in this country (including some far more important issues than the status of the A14)  B****t has so gummed up the normal function of Government that there hasn't been time to complete the necessary legislative processes.

 

Faced with a brand new road sitting idle for the best part of a year while Whitehall tries to find time to do its normal duties as well as all the extra work B****t has created, Highways England have given up on making it a motorway and have instead signed it as an ordinary 'A' road.

 

The problem with this move is that all their fancy new electronic signs are rather pointless as the current laws relating to mandatory variable speed limits and matrix sign instructions expressly forbids them from being legally enforceable on anything other than motorways (or 'special roads as they are officially known). Other things which would be banned by default were the road a motorway include HGVs using lane 3, tractors using it, cyclists using it , etc, etc

 

It is understood therefore that some last minute Traffic Regulation Orders are being applied for to try and address some of these issues - none of which would have occurred had the necessary legislation to make it a motorway been able to be passed in the usual manor.

 

Of course once it opens as an ordinary road, it becomes an official 'right of way' (motorways are not 'rights of way due to the specific legislation that creates them) and trying to extinguish a right of way is not particularly straightforward....

 

 

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