Jump to content
 

Midland Main Line Electrification


Recommended Posts

  • 2 months later...
  • RMweb Gold

My permitted exercise during this lockdown allowed me to visit Kettering North Junction this week where I noticed evidence of work to extend the electrification towards Market Harborough.

 

Geoff

P1030618.jpeg.93777f8e1d8183a7f249fd4c36d4f607.jpeg

The tubes behind the machine look to be foundation tubes for OHLE masts and the machine looks to be the one to install them.

642473604_222016workingthe1B31NottinghamtoStPancras.jpeg.d102357d9d30c008c5eb8f296ddaf665.jpeg222016 working the 1B31 Nottingham to St Pancras service under the Glendon Road bridge. Right by the nose of the unit can be seen a pile footing for an OHLE mast. The train is on time.

1433881003_OHLEmastfoundation..jpeg.5095d5c93a2fcfbd8fa70ed5e2bb002b.jpegOHLE mast foundation tube on the down main between Kettering North Junction and the Glendon Road bridge.

  • Like 8
  • Informative/Useful 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
32 minutes ago, ess1uk said:

So where in Market Harborough will the OLE end?

guessing the station?

 

Who knows?

 

At present the OHLE is only being extended to Market Harborough where there is a connection into the national grid*.

 

There have been rumours that a further extension may be back on the Government agenda but nothing is confirmed as yet.

 

* The market Harborough feeder currently supplies Kettering through a lineside feeder cable to provide a back up HV supply in case the feeder south of Kettering fails. There is a similar setup been Stalybridge and Manchester Victoria.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Currently the wires will stop at Market Harborough station.

 

You'd hope that in the future that won't be the end of it. The feeder station is a little way south of there and is designed to supply the line towards Leicester in due course. When/ if that happens is another matter.

 

I'm not sure that there's a cable feeder though. The last I heard it was a decision about either putting a cable in or using OLE, and OLE was the decision. It might have changed since then of course.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I read somewhere the plan would be to continue a bit beyond the station so that electric trains could reverse via the crossovers at the north end of the platforms.  That way, if there were engineering works further north EMR could run a London-MH shuttle using the 360s while the bi-mode units served points north via Corby.  

  • Agree 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, phil-b259 said:

 

Who knows?

 

At present the OLE is only being extended to Market Harborough where there is a connection into the national grid*.

 

There have been rumours that a further extension may be back on the Government agenda but nothing is confirmed as yet.

 

* The market Harborough feeder currently supplies Kettering through a lineside feeder cable to provide a back up HV supply in case the feeder south of Kettering fails. There is a similar setup been Stalybridge and Manchester Victoria.

The grid connection is at Braybrooke in Northamptonshire.

so no definitive answer yet in the public domain?

11 hours ago, Zomboid said:

Currently the wires will stop at Market Harborough station.

 

You'd hope that in the future that won't be the end of it. The feeder station is a little way south of there and is designed to supply the line towards Leicester in due course. When/ if that happens is another matter.

 

I'm not sure that there's a cable feeder though. The last I heard it was a decision about either putting a cable in or using OLE, and OLE was the decision. It might have changed since then of course.

 

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Some notes from my local internet group.

 

Geoff

 

You may be interested in the following :-

 

Corby electrics proposed to be fully energised next tues 24 nov.

 

EMR first class 360 to Kettering sidings on Thurs 26 nov

 

Driver training to start 7 dec Kettering Kentish Town with 2 different training sets eventually.

 

There are at least 3 360 units at Cricklewood now.

 

  • Like 2
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
13 hours ago, Edwin_m said:

I read somewhere the plan would be to continue a bit beyond the station so that electric trains could reverse via the crossovers at the north end of the platforms.  That way, if there were engineering works further north EMR could run a London-MH shuttle using the 360s while the bi-mode units served points north via Corby.  

That's the normal way that schemes are done so that trains can do reversing moves. The only reason that I can see for not doing it would be a problem overbridge with a high price tag.  ISTR that when Leeds was wired they only wentva train length or so beyond the end of the platforms. Wiring to Neville Hill came later. They even wired up a short section of the ex LNWR viaduct line as a place to stable Mk 4 sets with an old brake van as the buffer stop.

 

Jamie

  • Informative/Useful 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

That's the normal way that schemes are done so that trains can do reversing moves. The only reason that I can see for not doing it would be a problem overbridge with a high price tag.  ISTR that when Leeds was wired they only wentva train length or so beyond the end of the platforms. Wiring to Neville Hill came later. They even wired up a short section of the ex LNWR viaduct line as a place to stable Mk 4 sets with an old brake van as the buffer stop.

 

Jamie

The realignment for the platform remodeling went quite a long way north of the platforms, and as electrification was envisaged when this was designed it would have taken that into account.  In particular the Great Bowdon Road overbridge, with two arches that used to span the Midland to the east and the Joint line to the west, now has one track through the centre of each arch and the parapets look to have been raised.  The next bridge is a footbridge which I don't think has been replaced so may not have enough clearance.  I can't see the Up directions signals protecting the crossovers on aerial mapping so I'm not sure where a train length beyond them would end.  

  • Thanks 1
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Edwin_m said:

The realignment for the platform remodeling went quite a long way north of the platforms, and as electrification was envisaged when this was designed it would have taken that into account.  In particular the Great Bowdon Road overbridge, with two arches that used to span the Midland to the east and the Joint line to the west, now has one track through the centre of each arch and the parapets look to have been raised.  The next bridge is a footbridge which I don't think has been replaced so may not have enough clearance.  I can't see the Up directions signals protecting the crossovers on aerial mapping so I'm not sure where a train length beyond them would end.  

 

North of the crossovers, there is just enough room to hold a train for turn around purposes between there and the signal on the up, and the footbridge you mention has not been raised or replaced.

 

 ;)

 

Edit : the signal is just north of Great Bowdon Road bridge.

Edited by Rugd1022
  • Informative/Useful 1
  • Round of applause 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Rugd1022 said:

 

North of the crossovers, there is just enough room to hold a train for turn around purposes between there and the signal on the up, and the footbridge you mention has not been raised or replaced.

 

 ;)

 

Edit : the signal is just north of Great Bowdon Road bridge.

I make it about 580m from Great Bowdon road to the footbridge, so a passenger train could reverse there without the wires having to continue under the footbridge.  Or are there shunt signals at the crossovers that would allow the reversal without going behind the main signal?  

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

As I posted on Sunday today did in fact see the first three 360 units make their way to Kettering Stabling Sidings this morning.

360113 in the lead with 104 and 116.

 

Geoff

 

IMG_8036.jpeg.d7e8c936ce7855700f4e40b8d3cef8a0.jpeg

360113 working the 5Y60 09:25 CRICKLEWOOD DEPOT - 11:09 KETTERING STABLING SIDINGS running on 26/11/2020 cruises almost silently along the Ise Valley past Isham on its maiden journey to Kettering stabling sidings.

1505367844_360113atIsham..jpeg.b2d1673aa5ad1fd2768f728b0add771e.jpeg

  • Like 14
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
On 20/12/2020 at 20:43, Shed said:

About time too

Still some way to go with this, the canopy works at Kettering are ongoing and it doesn't look like these will be finished for a few weeks yet.

 

No idea when the Corby branch will be powered up but presumably not until the canopy works are complete.

  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Crew training on the 360s from Corby started last week, from what’s been posted on various forums, there’s paths allocated for two return trips each day from London with further paths as far as Kettering. It doesn’t appear that many of the allocated paths are being used at the moment.

 

Not heard anything different so assume that they’ll be in service as planned from the May timetable change.

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

IMG_8524.jpg.fae7d73db73093c07f7fd1c759afd2c5.jpg

360114 leads a 12 coach set through Kettering North Junction on its way to Corby  as 3Y15 1033 Luton to Corby running 6 minutes late having been held at Kettering South junction waiting for the late running 5M17 HST to clear Kettering on its way to Leicester via Corby.

Here a couple of pictures from Monday of one of the return workings to Corby. The have been others today.

 

Geoff

 

 

IMG_8534.jpg.91f936cf809fe597cea69192ff2ac874.jpg

360119 with 360114 at the rear returns from Corby en route to Bedford with 3Y16 1128 Corby to Bedford 1208 running just 1 minute early.

  • Like 7
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

A couple of pictures from this morning showing the recently erected masts on the main line to Leicester behind the trains on the Manton line.

 

Geoff

 

 

IMG_8562.jpeg.3af52a091c8743af737d185fb1eafda2.jpeg

66787 accelerates through Kettering North Junction with 6G66 08:11 WELLINGBOROUGH UP TC GBRF - 11:08 BURTON OT W YD MAURICE H running on 25/03/2021 having started from platform 1 at Kettering and crossing over to the down slow at KNJ while 66606 waits at the signal just behind the photographer for the road to be cleared to continue through to Kettering with the late running 6M39 01:21 MORETON-ON-LUGG FHH - 10:30 RADLETT REDLAND ROADSTONE running on 25/03/2021 A new electrification mast on the main line can be seen above the first wagon.

IMG_8564.jpeg.d8651104d55b51f9cfb192ba187dfd1b.jpeg

66606 restarts the 49 minute late running 6M39 01:21 MORETON-ON-LUGG FHH - 10:30 RADLETT REDLAND ROADSTONE after being held at the signal while the 6G66 08:11 WELLINGBOROUGH UP TC GBRF - 11:08 BURTON OT W YD MAURICE H crossed over from the up slow to the down slow. The tops of new masts on the main line can be seen above the first and second wagons.

  • Like 8
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...