The changing face of Bristol

[royaloak]

One of the significant differences as I understand is the removal of the "St Andrews crosses" in the middle of the platforms in Temple Meads. From what I understand and feel free to correct me - the speed of approaching trains into the platforms will be slower. Something like 10mph in, but 25mph out. Not sure whether this will impact the operations.

It was supposed to be 25 in and out but then somebody noticed the lack of overlap on the mid platform signal so they decided to make it 10, if they put a board up saying it's 10 then it's 10 until we pass another board giving us a different speed,if that board is at the end of the platform then it is 10 until the whole train has passed it and no 'local instructions can change that fact.

 

Welcome to the new, (not) improved but much slower solution to a problem that never existed in the first place.

Edited March 31, 2018 by royaloak

[The Stationmaster]

Yes, they kept the railway running in 1970, "The principle Inter-City services are, in the main, unaltered" although local services and those to Cardiff were altered. 

Bristol1970-3.jpg

So, ten weeks of minor alterations or a long weekend total shutdown? Don't ask me, I'm not travelling!

 

Don't forget that the scheme back then involved the complete relaying of the layout at both ends of the station including major alterations to it.  What's going on now appears to be no more than a transfer of control, a few signal alterations and speed revisions and replacing track circuits with axle counters.  If that can be done in stages, say two, across the layout then there's something a bit adrift which may well come to eb regretted in the event of a systems failure as well.

 

The interesting thing then would be to compare the costs of that with the alternative costs of the way this possession will be done and you might get an interesting answer.  Don't get me wrong as I have long been a firm adherent of the idea of what we used to call 'big bang' possessions but they always have a cost to measure against the alternatives and the cost base has changed enormously since privatisation.

[Great Western]

Bristol Panel will remain in service for a very long time yet, only Temple Meads area will move to TVSC next week.

The Western end out towards Bath and Bathampton Junction will stay until March 19 I think it is, the last section out to Weston and Bridgwater will remain at Bristol Panel until someone can find a few quid to either move it into TVSC or a mini Panel at Exeter.

I think the Midland trainshed plan has been quietly dropped.

Is/was that housed in the stone double story building in the PWay yard ?

If it was I very much doubt it's still there, or if it is...operational or cheaper than setting up a cabin with a mini westcad Panel in.

[Andrew Young]

It was supposed to be 25 in and out but then somebody noticed the lack of overlap on the mid platform signal so they decided to make it 10, if they put a board up saying it's 10 then it's 10 until we pass another board giving us a different speed,if that board is at the end of the platform then it is 10 until the whole train has passed it and no 'local instructions can change that fact.

Welcome to the new, (not) improved but much slower solution to a problem that never existed in the first place.

Yes, last minute change to what we’d been briefed, will be 10mph entering all platforms because Network Rail finally woke up and listened to what the TOC’s have been telling them for years in that the overhang of modern units IEP’s Voyagers etc is greater than the overlap that’s been allowed. Therefore, if you ran in on one yellow to a middle signal, you could meet a train before you reached a red signal! Just like at New St, but then that was resignalled in the sixties, not 2018! Railtrack got mid-platform signals right with Leeds in 2002, yet this knowledge appears to have been forgotten.

 

Add to that the fact that pl 4 when arriving from the west can now only take a four car set rather than the current five cars. Plus the intention of the designers to restrict permissive working to just attaching/detaching moves displays an ignorance to how the Station is worked. Thankfully, once the operators were listened to, this has now been relaxed to permissive for all passenger moves.

 

Utter farce! I’m not surprised though, so far on this project, NR have put the wrong indicators up on Pl 3 & Pl 5, then didn’t change them for a month and put a different banner repeater up at Filton Jn to the one they’d published. Add to that the fact NR western refused to listen to the TOC’s when replacing the signals at Abbotswood Jn putting in a completely unnecessary route indicator, then promptly undid their twisted logic and put different indicators in the following year when Norton Jn signals were replaced round the corner and I’m not surprised at this.

 

Oh, and don’t get me started on Derby resignalling!

 

Off this week, will look forward to my trip back to the sixties when I first go...

 

Andrew

[The Stationmaster]

Is/was that housed in the stone double story building in the PWay yard ?

If it was I very much doubt it's still there, or if it is...operational or cheaper than setting up a cabin with a mini westcad Panel in.

 

No, it's in the main Upside station building (or at least it was back in the days when it was part of my area).  It was, I think, the only emergency panel on the entire WR.

[JZ]

Taken earlier today by a colleague of mine and posted with permission.

At the site of Horfield Station

[Steadfast]

So that's what the train load of sleepers we sent looks like once it's off the Salmon! Saw the same train of sleepers (6C21) stabled in Abbey Wood on Saturday too, prior to offload

 

Jo

Edited April 2, 2018 by Steadfast

[Great Western]

No, it's in the main Upside station building (or at least it was back in the days when it was part of my area).  It was, I think, the only emergency panel on the entire WR.

 

In that case I don't know I'm afraid.

Although going on what has been said about the project so far I doubt such logic would win out.....

[Great Western]

Taken earlier today by a colleague of mine and posted with permission.

filton 4 track.jpg

At the site of Horfield Station

 

My first controlled signal on Stoke Gifford Workstation, I hope they move it before the new roads are opened ! lol

Smashing work on the four tracking, sadly I wont be here to play with it come December.....

[Rivercider]

Yesterday trains were running west from Weston, with road replacements toward Bristol.

There were buses at Weston for the local work, and at Taunton replacement coaches for the long distance cover to Bristol,

At Taunton at 13.00 including platform staff, a bus co-ordinator, and help staff from GWR and C/C there were fourteen members of staff in uniform on platform 2!

 

cheers

[Northroader]

Do they still get “double bubble” for bank holidays?

[TEDDYBEAR D9521]

Taken earlier today by a colleague of mine and posted with permission.

filton 4 track.jpg

At the site of Horfield Station

I remember it being 4 track before and when they took 2 out and now it goes back to 4 track.

 

How long will it last this time?

[JZ]

Do they still get “double bubble” for bank holidays?

Bank holidays are normal working days on the railway.

[royaloak]

Bank holidays are normal working days on the railway.

Something conveniently forgotten by those who go on about our wages.

[Great Western]

Bank holidays are normal working days on the railway.

We (Signallers) get a choice of “High Rate” or “Low Rate” - High being 250% pay, or Low being 150% pay plus a Comp Leave day if rostered to work, if your rest day you just get a Comp Day.

 

If you lucky enough to be booked RDW it’s a better deal again with high and low options.

[Great Western]

Tonight is the night, all appears to be progressing towards the programmed switch on time tomorrow morning.

If you don’t hear anything tomorrow it’s gone as planned, if you do then.....

[Andrew Young]

We (Signallers) get a choice of “High Rate” or “Low Rate” - High being 250% pay, or Low being 150% pay plus a Comp Leave day if rostered to work, if your rest day you just get a Comp Day.

 

If you lucky enough to be booked RDW it’s a better deal again with high and low options.

Make the most of those conditions whilst you can! Bank Holidays and Saturdays are just normal days for us and whilst Sundays are outside the working week, the hourly rate for a Sunday is our normal hourly rate.

 

Andrew

[Steadfast]

And for us boys putting the trains together it's just another working day. As is every Saturday and Sunday. Flip side though, it is nice having days off in the weeks when the shops are quiet

 

Jo

[Great Western]

And for us boys putting the trains together it's just another working day. As is every Saturday and Sunday. Flip side though, it is nice having days off in the weeks when the shops are quiet

 

Jo

 

We're lucky at my place as we're on 12hr rosters, usually only work three days a week - four maximum with a booked Sunday. But the locations on 8hr rosters have some very nasty rosters!.

[Great Western]

There will be a route proving train running around the area prior to opening to traffic, Colas Class 70 from Westbury.

Out to Clifton, Temple Meads various shunts and down to the Western end - Parson Street.

[Steadfast]

Although a busy day of clattering buffers together can leave you shattered and having walked well over 10 miles, there's definite benefits to the 12 hour shifts. The money saved in petrol soon adds up as well as the improved work life balance.

The Filton 4 track has been one of the biggest jobs in ages, most weekends there's multiple trains there, as well as midweek ones too

 

Jo

[Great Western]

My pack for the possession item has six trains at work over the period of the block all in connection with the Filton Four Tracking works.

There does seem to be a move from OHL related T3s on the Badmintion lines, to more Filton works over the last month or two.

 

Any idea if there will be a blockade to realign Filton Junction, no small task - with diversions via Avonmouth (again).

[Great Western]

Its looking like 5L01, 1L01 will be the first train off Temple Meads later.

[Great Western]

Temple Meads workstation signed in at 0359hrs.

 

First train 5C36 Cardiff to Bristol Temple Meads.

First passenger train 1L01 Temple Meads to Paddington formed of two 800 units.

[blackpete]

I was told by a NR signalling man last week that the Power Box will remain in use for the foreseeable future because it will still be needed for a bit of line out towards Taunton. And the plan to re-open the Old Station has been shelved.

I was discussing BTM & the Old Station on Twitter last night and Nigel Harris (Rail Magazine) got involved. He hadn't heard about the plans being shelved. I receeived this reply from him this morning: "Someone said on here yesterday that the plan to put trains back into the disused Brunel terminus at Bristol TM had been quietly shelved. I checked. It hasn’t. Work due to start in CP6 once resignalling complete and PSB is demolished"