East Coast Mainline Blockade for Werrington Junction diveunder

[Richard E]

13 hours ago, Donington Road said:

Nice photos from today Richard.  I was surprised you didn't comment on the alterations to the sides of the bridge span at Cock Lane since you took some photos from there over the new Up Stamford.  Perhaps it is so insignificant you didn't see it.  They have added an extra piece of plate raising the height.  It doesn't look much, perhaps 100mm.  That is all that was done at the weekend closure.

 

 

 

 

 

It didn't register. The Mick I was chatting to (yes, it was another one) said a friend of his had mentioned it. I guess it is to do with minimum parapet heights over electrified lines and someone cocked up somewhere.

 

4 minutes ago, Crun said:

Looks like people might need steps to take photographs...

 

As for steps I've used them ever since the new bridge went in, I don't have the height advantage of some since I'm pretty much at the UK male average height according to the ONS.

[Donington Road]

46 minutes ago, Richard E said:

As for steps I've used them ever since the new bridge went in, I don't have the height advantage of some since I'm pretty much at the UK male average height according to the ONS.

 

I've had a pair like these years ago, perhaps they would be quite useful now.

 

[melmerby]

How about these for seeing over the parapet?

 

[John Wass]

Brown boots, I ask you, brown boots! 

[Donington Road]

The end is nigh, starting to dismantle the main site today.

 

 

 

[Donington Road]

My good friend Trackside ECML has been out and about this morning and sent these photos.

The concrete slab access at Walton which stretches nearly as far as the first pylon.

 

 

Still working on the fence near Cock Lane footbridge.

 

 

The main site offices continue to be dismantled.

 

 

 

 

[Donington Road]

 

 Had an afternoon out with Trackside ECML and another friend this afternoon around Lincoln Road.

Far more talking than taken photos but I did manage to get these.

 

The clay base to the trackbed, from Lincoln Road to the ballasted part towards Glinton Junction is nearly done.  The embankment sides have been topsoiled covering the drainage channels that were put in place either side of the new bridge.

 

 

The brickwork is still not finished on the new bridge, there doesn't appear to have been much progress on this for quite awhile.

The embankment has been topsoiled but looks very loose and not compacted down.

 

 

There was a continual stream of lorries taking spoil away from the Hurn Road.

John, in the orange attire has been a never ending source of information about the project and is soon to be employed on the HS2 project.  Thank you John and I wish you well in your new job.

 

 

 

Back at Lincoln Road and there is a lot of kerb laying going on.

On the left it looks rather excessive, the top layer is covering the bend in the blue water pipe.  On the right it looks to be finished and just waiting for tarmac on the higher pedestrian path.

 

 

 

Finally a view looking south from the old Lincoln Road bridge, the original road went through where the fence is in the centre to what is now Davids Close.  A temporary road once swung away to the right of the fence to join up with the large roundabout on Werrington Parkway (A15) before the Parkway bridges were built.

 

[Crun]

Courtesy of Trackside ECML. Film from around Werrington Junction of activity in last few days:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnkpMAz8tL4&t=6s

Edited April 16, 2021 by Crun

[JeffP]

I wonder if the halt to bricklaying might be due to the return of some quite hard frosts?

One did for our magnolia overnight about ten days back!

[Donington Road]

23 minutes ago, JeffP said:

I wonder if the halt to bricklaying might be due to the return of some quite hard frosts?

One did for our magnolia overnight about ten days back!

 

The lowest temperature in the last couple of weeks was one night at -4°C and a sporadic nights at 0 to -1°C so not hard frosts here.

[melmerby]

1 hour ago, Donington Road said:

 

The lowest temperature in the last couple of weeks was one night at -4°C and a sporadic nights at 0 to -1°C so not hard frosts here.

Can mess up the mortar if the moisture level is still high.

[chris p bacon]

Bricklaying has to stop when the temp gets down to +3, if ice/water crystals start to form in wet mortar it will blow it apart and crumble away when dry.

[Crun]

Saturday 17th April. Views west from A15 bridge:

 

 

 

Edited April 17, 2021 by Crun

[Crun]

Views South from Cock Lane bridge:

 

 

Edited April 17, 2021 by Crun

[Crun]

Views north from Cock Lane bridge:

 

 

 

Edited April 17, 2021 by Crun

[melmerby]

14 hours ago, chris p bacon said:

Bricklaying has to stop when the temp gets down to +3, if ice/water crystals start to form in wet mortar it will blow it apart and crumble away when dry.

It ends up a bit like cinder toffee where you can crunch it up in your hands, no strength at all.

[Donington Road]

18 minutes ago, Crun said:

Saturday 17th April. Views west from A15 bridge:

 

 

 

 

Still doing work down the left side of the dive under.  An artic laden with large flat square sheets of rebar and a lot of pre-formed rebar went down there on Thursday.

[jamie92208]

5 minutes ago, melmerby said:

It ends up a bit like cinder toffee where you can crunch it up in your hands, no strength at all.

I've noticed the same with PVA,  a baseboard I built one winter had to be reinforced.

 

Jamie

[Donington Road]

29 minutes ago, Crun said:

Views South from Cock Lane bridge:

 

 

The base for the Up dive under signal with the red markings on it.

Near the pallisade fencing the black base which we think is an access to Werrington Brook has had a short pice of rail and mesh fencing added between rails and base.

The base for the Up Stamford signal has been cast just forward of the access cover.

Edited April 17, 2021 by Donington Road

[40F S & T]

It all looks very nice and neat. When is the up Stamford going to move over?

[Richard E]

11 hours ago, 40F S & T said:

It all looks very nice and neat. When is the up Stamford going to move over?

 

If all remains on schedule 3rd to 7th June with the dive under being connected over 16th to 19th July.

[melmerby]

1 hour ago, Richard E said:

 

If all remains on schedule 3rd to 7th June

 

Does that include installing the turnout for the Down dive-under track in the Down Stamford?

Some of  the present Up Stamford at the southern connection will need removing to do so.

[Richard E]

8 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Does that include installing the turnout for the Down dive-under track in the Down Stamford?

Some of  the present Up Stamford at the southern connection will need removing to do so.

 

No, as I said the dive under connections are going in over 16th to 19th July.

 

[melmerby]

1 minute ago, Richard E said:

 

No, as I said the dive under connections are going in over 16th to 19th July.

 

 

I wouldn't have thought they would move the Up Stamford without putting in the turnout for the dive under.

The track will need cutting at both ends and and some slewing to get it connected to the new formation.

While you are doing that at the southern end surely the turnout would also be installed?

 

[Richard E]

9 minutes ago, melmerby said:

I wouldn't have thought they would move the Up Stamford without putting in the turnout for the dive under.

The track will need cutting at both ends and and some slewing to get it connected to the new formation.

While you are doing that at the southern end surely the turnout would also be installed?

 

I can see the logic but the notice seems to indicate it isn't happening that way. Once laid to the new alignment it would then merely be a case of cut and shut. And laying the new switch in June would mean clipping it out of use and possibly a TSR which would disrupt timetabling. As for the track circuiting and signalling needed with a switch clipped out of use there may be issues there as well.

 

We shall see in 7 weeks time won't we ...

Edited April 18, 2021 by Richard E