East Coast Mainline Blockade for Werrington Junction diveunder

[Donington Road]

It appears to be quite a big job that Anglian Water are doing in connecting the mains water pipe to run over the Lincoln Road bridges.

A hydraulic shutoff valve run by a large diesel compressor has been installed on to the flanage in the hole near the dustbin.

 

 

 

In the next hole along towards the bridge a section of pipe has been removed and this elbow installed.  The pipe coming in from the left is towards Glinton and the pipe to the right goes to that which crosses over the Joint line.  The elbow points to the valve which is sunken in the road surface above (near the wheel of the van)

 

As this is drinking water I wasn't too impressed with the state of the piece of pipe that had been removed.  What looked like rust in the bore was infact crustaceans, yuk!

 

Later on another valve was being fitted to the elbow which inturn will be connected to the valve above the embankment.  Once it is all connected the pipe on the right of the elbow will be blanked off.  I was told that a simular thing is happening to the south of the old Lincoln Road bridge.  As they are working about five metres deep down the side of the embankment it is impossible to see what they are doing.  Once the pipe over the Joint line is blanked off at both ends it can then be removed.

 

 

 

 

[Donington Road]

Couple of other things to report today is that the embankment to the west of the new bridge at Lincoln Road is slowly being removed.  I expect that once the water main is blanked off then this embankment will disappear rather quickly.

 

 

Some permanent steps have been installed down to track bed level at the end of the retaining wall under the Hurn Road bridge.  I guess these will be to access the signal that is due to be placed there.

 

 

[Donington Road]

My good friend has been out with the camera as I unintentionally left mine at home.

 

 

[Crun]

6 minutes ago, Donington Road said:

My good friend has been out with the camera as I unintentionally left mine at home.

 

 

Not again Mick!  

 

[Donington Road]

26 minutes ago, Crun said:

Not again Mick!  

 

 

Not today, but as he was doing video I just took the photos instead, saves at lot of time editing

[Crun]

12 hours ago, Donington Road said:

 

Not today, but as he was doing video I just took the photos instead, saves at lot of time editing

I was planning to get out on the bike today but will stay indoors with the cat and watch the mud and machines instead...

Edited December 12, 2020 by Crun

[62613]

12 hours ago, Donington Road said:

It appears to be quite a big job that Anglian Water are doing in connecting the mains water pipe to run over the Lincoln Road bridges.

A hydraulic shutoff valve run by a large diesel compressor has been installed on to the flanage in the hole near the dustbin.

 

 

 

In the next hole along towards the bridge a section of pipe has been removed and this elbow installed.  The pipe coming in from the left is towards Glinton and the pipe to the right goes to that which crosses over the Joint line.  The elbow points to the valve which is sunken in the road surface above (near the wheel of the van)

 

As this is drinking water I wasn't too impressed with the state of the piece of pipe that had been removed.  What looked like rust in the bore was infact crustaceans, yuk!

 

Later on another valve was being fitted to the elbow which inturn will be connected to the valve above the embankment.  Once it is all connected the pipe on the right of the elbow will be blanked off.  I was told that a simular thing is happening to the south of the old Lincoln Road bridge.  As they are working about five metres deep down the side of the embankment it is impossible to see what they are doing.  Once the pipe over the Joint line is blanked off at both ends it can then be removed.

 

 

 

 

Just to be utterly pedantic, the "Elbow" is, in fact, a "Swept Tee"; "Elbow" is piping talk for a "Bend", which in water pipework design can be at angles of 90, 45 or 22 1/2 degrees. Judging by the couplings fitted at either end of the tee, they may well be expecting a bit of movement; given where they are, it seems a wise precaution!

 

[Richard E]

Very little going on today.

 

The new switch components just north of Marholm Road footbridge.

 

 

The main across the joint line has been severed. This is on the south (Werrington) side of the bridges.

 

 

The bridge abutments for the new line under Lincoln Road are going to be brick faced it seems.

 

 

The only work going on whilst I was there was an excavator doing some very 'gentle' work around the area where the water main disappears into the embankment to the north of the joint line.

[Donington Road]

9 minutes ago, Richard E said:

Very little going on today.

 

The new switch components just north of Marholm Road footbridge.

 

 

I am beginning to think that both switches are there and that both will be put in at the same time given the five day time span.

 

 

[Donington Road]

2 hours ago, 62613 said:

Just to be utterly pedantic, the "Elbow" is, in fact, a "Swept Tee"; "Elbow" is piping talk for a "Bend", which in water pipework design can be at angles of 90, 45 or 22 1/2 degrees. Judging by the couplings fitted at either end of the tee, they may well be expecting a bit of movement; given where they are, it seems a wise precaution!

 

 

It's all very well using the 'correct'? term for an item so we don't confuse those further afield but us yokels ear know what we'er ona bowt

[melmerby]

52 minutes ago, Donington Road said:

 

I am beginning to think that both switches are there and that both will be put in at the same time given the five day time span.

 

 

Won't there be a problem fitting the down line switch whilst the up line is still in situ?

[Donington Road]

3 hours ago, melmerby said:

Won't there be a problem fitting the down line switch whilst the up line is still in situ?

 

Probably, but then nothing surprises me anymore.  The Up line could possibly be slewed slightly just to accomondate just the switch on the down.

 

[Phil Himsworth]

7 hours ago, Richard E said:

The new switch components just north of Marholm Road footbridge.

Is that wooden crate just next to the new track like the little bag of bits you get in flat-pack furniture? Does it all go together with a little allen key, and there will be a few bits left over that nobody really knows if they were meant to be used somewhere?

[iands]

14 minutes ago, Phil Himsworth said:

Is that wooden crate just next to the new track like the little bag of bits you get in flat-pack furniture? Does it all go together with a little allen key, and there will be a few bits left over that nobody really knows if they were meant to be used somewhere?

The box possibly contains the hydraulic pump(s) for the clamp lock points - but I get what you mean.

[melmerby]

2 hours ago, Phil Himsworth said:

Is that wooden crate just next to the new track like the little bag of bits you get in flat-pack furniture? Does it all go together with a little allen key, and there will be a few bits left over that nobody really knows if they were meant to be used somewhere?

Dont forget the Peco rail joiners and track pins.

 

It's in the Ikea catalogue as a spårbrytare

Edited December 12, 2020 by melmerby

[Crun]

On 11/12/2020 at 20:43, Donington Road said:

 

Yes, this is to link the two siphons together.

Yesterday the box was jacked up and successfully moved 15 metres.  I was shown some photos on a phone by one of the workers which unfortunately will probably never be seen publically.

There were also photos of the western dive under looking from under the steel girders that go across the top to the two bored tunnels.  It is so cavernous, photos that we take with a long lens cannot even see in there.  It is huge, like the eastern side but without the box.

 

[Donington Road]

10 hours ago, Crun said:

 

 

The link to the photos you posted seems to have gone funny so I have saved them and reposted here.

 

 

[Donington Road]

Trawling around the internet this wet afternoon I came across some photos not seen here before.  There is also a pdf file to download.

 

werrington-grade-separation-case-study.pdf

 

Tunnel boring machine.

 

Casting the box earlier in the year.  The curve of the box is noticeable in these photos.

 

 

 

 

The south ramp looking towards Cock Lane footbridge.  I think this must be quite recent.

 

[Crun]

On 11/12/2020 at 20:43, Donington Road said:

 

Yes, this is to link the two siphons together.

Yesterday the box was jacked up and successfully moved 15 metres.  I was shown some photos on a phone by one of the workers which unfortunately will probably never be seen publically.

There were also photos of the western dive under looking from under the steel girders that go across the top to the two bored tunnels.  It is so cavernous, photos that we take with a long lens cannot even see in there.  It is huge, like the eastern side but without the box.

 

[40F S & T]

Hi  What does the jacks push up to? Is it movable? as stated they have to go over 100 metres.  

[Phil Himsworth]

16 hours ago, 40F S & T said:

Hi  What does the jacks push up to? Is it movable? as stated they have to go over 100 metres.  

 

From the interesting Twitter thread linked above:

 

 

[Donington Road]

My friend informs me that another set of switch panels were delivered to Marholm Junction during the early hours of Sunday morning.

 

[melmerby]

Definitely looks like a lot of work coming up over the Christmas break.

[Richard E]

I've been wondering if they'll do some of the Marholm Junction work during the blockade but, on second thoughts, they are using the Stamford lines for the reduced service during that period as I understand things. So that comes back to work over the Christmas break and some temporary 'tweaks' to track alignment being possible.

[Crun]

LNER East Coast Upgrade Project:

 

 

Edited December 14, 2020 by Crun