East Coast Mainline Blockade for Werrington Junction diveunder

[ess1uk]

Get rid of headspans?

make it n more reliable?

[jamie92208]

If they are installing Marholme junction there will have to be alterations to the overhead to accommodate it.

 

Jamie

[Donington Road]

1 hour ago, ess1uk said:

Get rid of headspans?

make it n more reliable?

 

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

If they are installing Marholme junction there will have to be alterations to the overhead to accommodate it.

 

Jamie

 

The OHE was renewed in 2019 with new posts and spans on the Down Stamford.  The only adjustment I can foresee is probably a slight lateral movement of the supporting arms in the area where the switch will go, certainly no movement of posts and spans.

Edited November 25, 2020 by Donington Road

[40F S & T]

Hi  I see the 9th & 10th of Jan is on the list for work.  When is the main line to close for 9 days?

[Donington Road]

19 minutes ago, 40F S & T said:

Hi  I see the 9th & 10th of Jan is on the list for work.  When is the main line to close for 9 days?

 

16th to 24th January 2021

[Donington Road]

Thursday part 1.

Thought I would pop up to Lincoln Road this afternoon and see what was going on, maybe get some video but things didn't turn out quite what I was expecting.  I got there to find a long length of blue welded pipe (it's all plastic, poly whatever material) stretching down the old Lincoln Road as far as I could see and poking through the barrier at the old bridge.  There was no one around so I carried on and decided to go to Hurn Road videoing trains.

 

 

 

When I came back to Lincoln Road later the Werrington Pensioners were all laughing at me for missing all the action with the water pipe, but at least they have helped out with a few pictures to compliment my own.

They were pushing the water pipe and dragging it with hydraulic clamp.

 

 

 

.....and this is where it was going.  Through the previously installed steel pipe.

 

 

This is the hydraulic clamp used to lift and drag the pipe.  When they reached the end of the pipe they could not remove the clamp from the pipe as there was a large flange fixed to the pipe.

So what they did was get a diamond cutter and cut off the hinge pins on the opposite side to the hydraulic rams so the whole thing could open up far enough to clear the flange.

 

Flange which is fixed to the end of the pipe.  This will connect to the sunken valve below the road surface near the old Lincoln Road bridge.

 

 

 

Edited November 26, 2020 by Donington Road

[Donington Road]

Thursday part 2.

With the hydraulic clamp removed the pipe was pushed further just using the excavator arm.

 

 

 

.........until another problem arose.  The flange was stuck under the excavator and the excavator couldn't get off the pipe!

 

 

So they brought in the other excavator and packed spoil under the yellow one to free it off.

 

 

 

Once free of the pipe it was possible to continue pushing with the front blade.

 

It was all a bit of a Keystone Cops moment and would have made a good video but never mind the boys from Anglia Water got there in the end to a round of applause from all us old farts watching (and offering advice!)

[Donington Road]

Thursday part 3.

At Hurn road Anglia Water have uncovered another section of old mains water pipe.  The direction that it points hardly makes sense.  With the section that was ruptured being ninety degrees to the pipe that crosses the Joint line and now this one there must be so many bends that it is a wonder they can actually find it.

 

Hurn Road before work began, note the dustbin as that is where the following photos are taken.

 

There is the dustbin as they dig and suck the spoil out of the hole.

 

 

 

 

[Donington Road]

Thursday part 4.

Spraying concrete on to the piers of the new Lincoln Road bridge.

 

 

 

Laying the trackbed to Glinton Junction still in progress.

 

 

The south retaining wall under the A15 bridge nearing completion.

Still no idea why it has a higher section for part of it.

 

 

 

Back filling with sand between the wall and existing road bridge.

 

[Donington Road]

This morning at Cock Lane.

Still pouring the concrete trackbed

 

Note the large ballast heap in the distance at Hurn Road.

 

 

Also fixing steel angle plate to the outer top edge of the sheet piling.

 

Using a Magdrill to drill through the angle plate and sheet piling for fixing bolts.

[Donington Road]

Looking south from Cock Lane the trackbed is going in, but a slightly different process this time.  Ballast is being laid first over steel mesh before the black plastic membrane and sand is laid down.  Before they just rolled the ground then laid the black plastic and sand on top before finally adding ballast.  This way it looks to be a ballast sandwich.  Perhaps they are using ballast instead of hardcore because it drains better.

 

 

 

 

Looks as though they are clearing the undergrowth in the distance.  Some lengths of rail have also appeared on the Up Stamford trackbed to the left on the excavator.

 

[Donington Road]

And finally for today I forgot this one.

Whats looks to be the excavation of the Up Stamford line north of the dive under.  Spoil was being taken out and dumped near the small excavator just seen under the blue excavators arm probably only 50yards away at the most.

 

Edited November 26, 2020 by Donington Road

[nigel newling]

Once the Up Stamford has been established to the east of the dive under entrance, is it likely that they will slew the Down to ease out the current excessive curve?

[Donington Road]

7 minutes ago, nigel newling said:

Once the Up Stamford has been established to the east of the dive under entrance, is it likely that they will slew the Down to ease out the current excessive curve?

 

No.  The down slow will stay where it is Nigel. The curves are quite gentle, the telephoto lens tends to exaggerate them as being sharp curves.

[Richard E]

The current speed restriction on the down Stamford is 75mph so easing it isn't going to achieve anything and would require relocation of all the OHLE. It isn't in the plans that have been published either so it is very unlikely.

[Crun]

On 25/11/2020 at 22:11, Donington Road said:

 

 

The OHE was renewed in 2019 with new posts and spans on the Down Stamford.  The only adjustment I can foresee is probably a slight lateral movement of the supporting arms in the area where the switch will go, certainly no movement of posts and spans.

Can I ask a question I have been keeping to myself? Why does the OHE exist on the Down Stamford only to cease west of the ECML? I may be mis-remembering my journeys by rail out that way to Birmingham via Leicester.  

[eastwestdivide]

10 minutes ago, Crun said:

Can I ask a question I have been keeping to myself? Why does the OHE exist on the Down Stamford only to cease west of the ECML? I may be mis-remembering my journeys by rail out that way to Birmingham via Leicester.  

The down Stamford also serves as the down ECML slow, hence the electrification. The up ECML slow is on the east side of the fast lines, so therefore the up Stamford doesn't need wires.

[Richard E]

The Down Stamford is also the Down Slow ECML through Werrington, there is a crossing at Helpston for traffic using the Down slow to cross the Midland lines to continue north on the 4 road ECML through Tallington.

[Crun]

1 minute ago, Richard E said:

The Down Stamford is also the Down Slow ECML through Werrington, there is a crossing at Helpston for traffic using the Down slow to cross the Midland lines to continue north on the 4 road ECML through Tallington.

Thanks to both you and Mick. I must pay more attention when I next head north out of Peterborough, whenever I am allowed out.

[40F S & T]

I think the line is also the ECML down slow 

[Donington Road]

2 hours ago, Crun said:

Thanks to both you and Mick. I must pay more attention when I next head north out of Peterborough, whenever I am allowed out.

 

Your post realy needs, a Like, a Thanks, a Funny, a Friendly/supportive and a Like, so I will give you a Round of Applause

Don't forget the last  of the ECML diversions on the Joint this weekend.

Edited November 27, 2020 by Donington Road

[melmerby]

6 hours ago, Crun said:

Can I ask a question I have been keeping to myself? Why does the OHE exist on the Down Stamford only to cease west of the ECML? I may be mis-remembering my journeys by rail out that way to Birmingham via Leicester.  

Looking at a 1930s map of the track north of Peterborough the ECML was 4 tracks all the way from the station throat to Stoke tunnel.

There's also a long up running loop from Werrington Jn. southwards as well, so 5 tracks in all.

Later maps only show a down goods/slow line from Werrington Junction northwards, otherwise just 3 tracks.

Anyone know when the change(s) took place?

 

EDIT

Of course in more recent times the up down goods/slow uses the Stamford line to Helpston.

Edited November 27, 2020 by melmerby

[Richard E]

2 hours ago, melmerby said:

Looking at a 1930s map of the track north of Peterborough the ECML was 4 tracks all the way from the station throat to Stoke tunnel.

There's also a long up running loop from Werrington Jn. southwards as well, so 5 tracks in all.

Later maps only show a down goods/slow line from Werrington Junction northwards, otherwise just 3 tracks.

Anyone know when the change(s) took place?

 

EDIT

Of course in more recent times the up goods/slow uses the Stamford line to Helpston.

Between Werrington Jn and Helpston the current track layout West to East is Down Stamford (also used as ECML Down Slow), Up Stamford, ECML Down Main, ECML Up Main, ECML Up Slow.

 

I think that there have been posts earlier in this thread of some remodelling of the area in the late 1950's iirc. Whether the down slow was removed at that time I am not sure.

[Donington Road]

4 hours ago, melmerby said:

Looking at a 1930s map of the track north of Peterborough the ECML was 4 tracks all the way from the station throat to Stoke tunnel.

There's also a long up running loop from Werrington Jn. southwards as well, so 5 tracks in all.

Later maps only show a down goods/slow line from Werrington Junction northwards, otherwise just 3 tracks.

Anyone know when the change(s) took place?

 

EDIT

Of course in more recent times the up down goods/slow uses the Stamford line to Helpston.

 

As far as I can remember the Up Coal was taken out first in the early 70's followed shortly by the Up Goods.  Then the Down Goods which originally crossed diagonally over Werrington Junction to form the Down Slow was altered.  It became a continuation of the Up Slow of the ECML towards Peterborough.  The Down Slow was removed as far as Helpston with the ex Midland line then acting as the Down Slow (ECML) from Peterborough station as far as Helpston.

 

1 hour ago, Richard E said:

Between Werrington Jn and Helpston the current track layout West to East is Down Stamford (also used as ECML Down Slow), Up Stamford, ECML Down Main, ECML Up Main, ECML Up Slow.

 

I think that there have been posts earlier in this thread of some remodelling of the area in the late 1950's iirc. Whether the down slow was removed at that time I am not sure.

 

From Peterborough (North) station there was, going northwards, only the down and up fast ECML and the down and up Midland (Stamford).  All other lines on the east side of the ECML went into the maze of New England and Spital sidings, and New England loco shed which had its own dedicated line to and from the station area.

At Werrington Junction going towards Peterborough was the up and down ECML, to the east of the UP ECML were the DOWN GOODS from New England yards, the UP COAL and the UP GOODS both going into New England yards.  Passenger services up to the 1970's using the UP SLOW were very rare and were routed onto the UP FAST a few yards north of Werrington Junction.  Both the Up and Down Great Northern lines to and from Spalding connected with the Up and Down ECML for passenger traffic. 

It has to be remembered that in the steam era goods and coal traffic far out numbered passenger services in this area hence the three dedicated freight lines getting the non-stop procession of trains into the New England yards.  Trains on the DOWN GOODS south of Werrington Junction mainly went via the GN to Spalding, those that went north on the ECML had to cross the complex junction to a now dedicated DOWN SLOW that started just beyond Werrington Junction Signal Box.  By the time all the tracks reached Hurn Road, you had the Down and Up Midland (Stamford Lines), a wide-ish strip of land then the lines of the ECML, Down Slow, Down Fast, Up Fast and Up Slow.  The footbridge at Hurn Road only spanned the ECML, you had to walk over the Midland from the wide bit.  Don't forget to add in the water troughs for a bit more complexity.

A bit more in the mix of things was the M&GN which came in at Wisbech Junction on the Midland lines just north of Westwood Bridge with an immediate double junction to the ECML.  M&GN passenger services in both directions used the ECML as far as Wisbech Junction.

[Three Cocks Junction]

Werrington Junction was remodelled in 1959. The resulting version held until:

 

(WON 39N/1968)

WEDNESDAY 2 OCTOBER 1968 - BETWEEN SPITAL JUNCTION AND WERRINGTON JUNCTION

New England East, New England North and New England South Signal boxes and New England “B” Shunt Cabin will be abolished, together with all associated points and signals other than as mentioned below.

The following lines and Sidings will be abolished:-

The Up Coal line between Werrington Junction and a point opposite New England South Signal box.

The Departure Sidings between Walton and New England North Signal boxes, together with the associated signals.

All lines between New England North and New England East signal boxes, together with the North Down Yard, Loco Shed, Angle Sidings, Wagon Repair Sidings and the Old Coal Yard.

 

That was the first major cut of New England Yards and MPD. This is only the first couple of paragraphs. The rest is too long to post here. PM me if you want the rest. The remodelling came later.