OLE Catenary Mast Components

[Arun Sharma]

I am designing some 7mm scale OLE in the absence of any suitable UK outline commercially available stuff.  My question is, what is the diameter of the metal tubes that are dug into the ground as supports for the masts? Additionally, these tubes are most prominent on the GWML - were they used on other OLE projects?

 

Many thanks in advance.

[Fat Controller]

There may be something in here:- https://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/full/10.1680/jgeen.18.00242 

The tubes are called piles; their use depends on ground conditions. I've not seen any other electrification projects that have employed them so widely; others seemed to simply dig a hole, put the mast in it, and fill with concrete.

[Dagworth]

Southminster I believe was done with tube piles. 
 

Andi

[Bucoops]

@Clive Mortimore may be able to advise?

[96701]

From the above link to a study into pile depths, this little nugget turned up among loads of equations:

 

"0·762 m dia. CHS piles". Also various sizes in Unipart's catalogue, see attached document

overhead-line-catalogue-listings.pdf

 

The piles have fixings to allow the fitting of the mast in various configurations, one being the Flexi-Pile Cap by FLI, see attached document

fli_flexi-pile_cap.pdf

[Arun Sharma]

Thanks Phil - That  flexi-pile cap is just the thing I'd need to produce an accurate column base

[96701]

7 minutes ago, Arun Sharma said:

Thanks Phil - That  flexi-pile cap is just the thing I'd need to produce an accurate column base

There seem to be some useful dimensions in there, so glad to be of help. I simply put "ole mast to pile connection" into a well known search engine.

[Grovenor]

5 hours ago, Fat Controller said:

 I've not seen any other electrification projects that have employed them so widely; others seemed to simply dig a hole, put the mast in it, and fill with concrete.

Not really, you would struggle to find any electrification in the UK where the masts are concreted into the holes. They are bolted to the top of the foundation. Most foundations are reinforged concrete poured on site. You can probably find videos on youtube showing the older electrification trains with wagon mounted augurs and concrete mixers.

[96701]

Whilst this is not about cast concrete foundations, it does show how the masts are mounted on studs embedded into the foundation, not cast into the footings themselves. As a minimum, it is possible to renew a mast without harming the foundation.

 

 

Edited March 19, 2021 by 96701
Forgot to copy the YouTube video.

[Dagworth]

11 minutes ago, Grovenor said:

Not really, you would struggle to find any electrification in the UK where the masts are concreted into the holes. They are bolted to the top of the foundation. Most foundations are reinforged concrete poured on site. You can probably find videos on youtube showing the older electrification trains with wagon mounted augurs and concrete mixers.

Not always so, the mark3 stuff in Anglia north of Colchester has a concrete block poured with a polystyrene centre that is removed once the base has set, then the mast is cemented into the hole left behind by the polystyrene. 
 

Andi
 

 

[96701]

1 hour ago, Dagworth said:

Not always so, the mark3 stuff in Anglia north of Colchester has a concrete block poured with a polystyrene centre that is removed once the base has set, then the mast is cemented into the hole left behind by the polystyrene. 
 

Andi
 

 

I seem to recall that they used petrol to melt the polystyrene. Thank goodness that method is no longer used. Probably a very expensive lesson in how not to plant an OLE Mast.

[Clive Mortimore]

3 hours ago, Bucoops said:

@Clive Mortimore may be able to advise?

Hi Rich

 

Thanks for the shout, but interest is the historic types like Mk1 and Mk3 so my knowledge on the modern image stuff is very limited. 

[Fat Controller]

16 hours ago, Grovenor said:

Not really, you would struggle to find any electrification in the UK where the masts are concreted into the holes. They are bolted to the top of the foundation. Most foundations are reinforged concrete poured on site. You can probably find videos on youtube showing the older electrification trains with wagon mounted augurs and concrete mixers.

Sorry; that's what I meant to say.

The piled supports were meant to speed mast erection up, as there'd be no waiting for concrete to harden, but I understand that the lineside conditions were not as uniform as had been expected, and things like cabling were not where they were shown to be.

[96701]

1 hour ago, Fat Controller said:

Sorry; that's what I meant to say.

The piled supports were meant to speed mast erection up, as there'd be no waiting for concrete to harden, but I understand that the lineside conditions were not as uniform as had been expected, and things like cabling were not where they were shown to be.

Nor were trackside drains. Forgot to add that of course whether you bore a hole or shove a pile in the ground, you will still hit the underground service.

Edited March 20, 2021 by 96701
Missed a bit.

[seraphim]

The vast majority of East Coast and Edinboro' - Carstairs was done by inserting masts into holes in the concrete. The construction was dead easy. Make a hole, using typically an auger, although hand-dug was used in difficult areas or where cables could be in the area. Fill hole with concrete, placing a polystyrene former in it. When set, melt the polystyrene using Xylene - as alluded to, this was nasty stuff, and special precautions were taken when transporting and handling it. Roll up with a crane and mast, stick mast in hole, hammer wooden wedges in to get it square and vertical. Grout to complete.

 

There were masts with welded bases, and these bolted onto bolts set into the concrete. I cannot recall the exact cirumstances which led to these being used, but they were not popular; the welded bases were very expensive.

 

East Coast had a piling rig, and this was tried for a while before being abandoned. The problems were that the piles kept hitting things, and the piles themselves were very expensive.

 

NR came to electrify the GW main line and fell for the piling line. They found that the piles kept hitting things and the piles themselves were very expensive. This is known as "progress" and is why the GW mainline is littered with unused piles cut-off at ground level.

 

I always say that my spell working in OLE construction was probably the best period in my career on the railway!

[Grovenor]

I stand corrected, seems it was always the bolted on ones I saw.

[dmu 156]

A free to download book is available on the internet all about OLE in the UK called 'Overhead Line Electrification for Railways' by Garry Keenor, its pretty much up to date , 5th edition 2018 

[Dagworth]

7 minutes ago, dmu 156 said:

A free to download book is available on the internet all about OLE in the UK called 'Overhead Line Electrification for Railways' by Garry Keenor, its pretty much up to date , 5th edition 2018 

There is a new version in production at the moment.

Here is a link to the site for the current edition though http://www.ocs4rail.com/

 

Andi

Edited May 25, 2021 by Dagworth
Add link

[dmu 156]

Tube masts were used on Cheadle Hulme to Macclesfield line, part of the Manchester to Stoke route, they look about 12" in diameter.