Tram-Trains for Sheffield to Rotherham

[Edwin_m]

The raised check rails will be needed on all new and existing points on Network Rail that the tram-train might use.  This is because tram back-to-backs are greater than those for trains because of the smaller flange, so the normal check rail wouldn't do its job of preventing the opposite wheel going the wrong way at the crossing. Effectively exactly the same problem as trying to run finescale wheels on coarse scale track!  The tram-train wheel gets thicker at the back above running rail level so can engage with the raised check rail. 

[eastwestdivide]

So we can expect to see the same raised check rails when they get round to installing the points for the Parkgate tram stop. I'll keep you posted when I spot anything new/

 

Meanwhile, what is it with a Class 33 that might foul these larger check rails? Mini snowplough brackets?

And how many 33s do you get normally (or ever!) on the freight line past Tinsley!

[Talltim]

So we can expect to see the same raised check rails when they get round to installing the points for the Parkgate tram stop. I'll keep you posted when I spot anything new/

 

Meanwhile, what is it with a Class 33 that might foul these larger check rails? Mini snowplough brackets?

And how many 33s do you get normally (or ever!) on the freight line past Tinsley!

It's only the Lima H0 ones that have the problem

[Edwin_m]

So we can expect to see the same raised check rails when they get round to installing the points for the Parkgate tram stop. I'll keep you posted when I spot anything new/

 

Meanwhile, what is it with a Class 33 that might foul these larger check rails? Mini snowplough brackets?

And how many 33s do you get normally (or ever!) on the freight line past Tinsley!

Yes, and the existing ones at the junction south of Rotherham Central too.   I didn't know there would be a restriction on class 33s, though it seems logical to have one on the independent snowploughs as they reach down so close to the rails.  Raise check rails are common on the Continent, but perhaps they don't get used in areas of heavy snowfall. 

[eastwestdivide]

Yes, and the existing ones at the junction south of Rotherham Central too.  .... 

 

Yes, for the avoidance of doubt, those are the ones I photographed in post 121 above (4th photo)

Edited September 23, 2016 by eastwestdivide

[Edwin_m]

Yes, for the avoidance of doubt, those are the ones I photographed in post 121 above (4th photo)

Thanks for the reminder.  I was thinking your photograph was the points for the new tram-train junction towards Sheffield, but on a quick check I don't see any of that area.  Not surprisingly that junction, if it isn't there yet, will be laid with raised check rails too.

 

I think there's a rule that points once laid in can't be left clipped, scotched but undetected for more than a certain number of months, so they may be delaying one or both of the new junctions until they are ready to change the signalling to provide detection. 

[eastwestdivide]

As far as I can work out, the new or replaced points required on Network Rail track will be:

1 connecting the single freight line to the new chord at Tinsley. This is already in, according to the Modern Railways article, but can't be seen from publicly-accessible areas by mere mortals like me, until they open the new link road bridge (separate project) to the public.

3 at Rotherham Central Junction. Already installed, as per that photo.

3 (presumably) at the new Parkgate tram terminus - one into the dead-end terminus line off the "from Sheffield" line of the double track there, and two to form a trailing crossover to allow trams out of the terminus (on the "from Sheffield" side of the line) onto the "towards Sheffield" line.

 

Plus on the tram-only side of the chord, 3 sets of points plus a diamond crossing, according to the map published by NR at http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/projects/tinsley%20chord/11%20-%20block%20drawing%20(tin-plg-002).pdf. (150k PDF)

 

Edit: what on earth happened with this post? I've got an undeletable edit box below. Oh well.

Edited September 23, 2016 by eastwestdivide

[Talltim]

There's also a point where the single line turns into a double track, just west of Magna, which will presumably need fancy check rails

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Rotherham/@53.4196924,-1.3945002,62m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x48790a41d8154027:0x5d4fabde0673d601!8m2!3d53.4326035!4d-1.3635009

Edited September 25, 2016 by Talltim

[eastwestdivide]

There's also a point where the single line turns into a double track, just west of Magna, which will presumably need fancy check rails

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Rotherham/@53.4196924,-1.3945002,62m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x48790a41d8154027:0x5d4fabde0673d601!8m2!3d53.4326035!4d-1.3635009

Is this now known as Tinsley East Jn? That location still appears on Real Time Trains etc, and was the only pointwork/junction in the vicinity until the new tram chord junction went in. The former Tinsley East Junction appears to have been the other side of the Don.

Anyway, "that" junction is now visible from the newly-opened link road bridge:

You can see the fancy check rails on the single-double line junction, but not and also on the disused points into the former Templeborough steel plant, now Magna.

 

Here is the Don rail bridge on the single track section, taken from the new road bridge:

 

And looking the other way, towards Sheffield, the new Tinsley North Junction, also with big check rails, but not complete (Meadowhall shopping is the dome in the background):

 

Plus a couple of the Meadowhall end of the link road, with a tram passing, running parallel to the M1, roughly at the former Tinsley West Junction:

 

The link road opened a month ago, 4th September apparently: http://www.rotherham.gov.uk/news/article/928/298m_bus_rapid_transit_scheme_set_for_launch

 

[Edited after looking closely at that pointwork!]

Edited October 2, 2016 by eastwestdivide

[eastwestdivide]

Pedalling round to the lower deck of the viaduct, we have some views of the chord linking the Network Rail and Supertram systems.

 

In sequence from the Network Rail end, Rotherham side of the viaduct, freight line in the shadows:

 

Pointwork ready for later positioning:

 

And the Meadowhall side of the viaduct:

 

In the last one, you can see a manhole and exposed brick arch, which might be causing them some problems. Close-up:

[eastwestdivide]

Meanwhile, back at the Parkgate end today, there was relaying going on.

 

At about 0900, a crane, ballast train and a bulldozer in action:

 

And later, around 1300, the ballast train had moved off toward Sheffield and was now on the other line.

 

Meanwhile a set of points had been positioned and a bunch of sleepers laid down. It looks to me like they will be back on another occasion to do the other line. The crane spreader beam was taken carefully through the footbridge, with someone holding it to prevent it swinging round.

 

And by about 1430, the roadrailers had flipped the new rails (which had been lying between the tracks of the Doncaster-bound line) up and over onto the newly-laid sleepers, and were about to shunt them into a more accurate position:

[eastwestdivide]

Two days after the engineering work, and we have the newly-installed point at Rotherham Parkgate:

 

waiting for its companions which are piled beside the track a little way along (max zoom, couldn't get any higher up):

[eastwestdivide]

As expected, the orange army are back again this Sunday, installing the remaining pointwork into the Parkgate tram stop.

Looking towards Sheffield:

Arrowed is a pile for an electrification mast, which has been in the ground since early this year.

 

Looking towards Swinton:

 

[eastwestdivide]

That last post was this morning about 11ish. By 4ish, the points and track were in:

 

And by 5-ish, the ballast train had moved up, and they were laying something like geotextile fabric in the gaps, presumably to protect the moving parts from tons of ballast:

 

And, as an aside, between 4-ish and 5-ish, on the parallel Midland line, was this test train for the Penistone line (on a roundabout route via both Wakefields):

 

[eastwestdivide]

With very little advance notice, they've removed the top section of the footbridge at Parkgate. I was told that the steps are remaining, but there will be a raised or new top section. Certainly the nearer supports are now surrounded by the new concrete crash barrier.

The notice on the post says closed for 3 weeks from 14th October. Will be interesting to see how it looks.

The black bridge on the left is the newish one over the canal.

 

 

[eastwestdivide]

Well that was quick. A week later, overnight Sat 29-Sun 30, the bridge at Parkgate got its new top section, with a nice high parapet. The new bit is very gently arched, but is no more of a step up from the top step than the old section was.

The remaining old bits could do with a lick of paint at the very least.

 

 

 

 

Edit: for comparison, here's the "before" shot, from September this year:

Edited October 30, 2016 by eastwestdivide

[eastwestdivide]

More delays, possibly now a summer 2018 start date, according to the BBC/Sheffield Chamber of Commerce. See:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-38103252

 

 

In a statement, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) said: "Network Rail, in discussion with the Department for Transport, is in the process of completing a thorough review of the current programme of works needed to adapt infrastructure to operate tram-train vehicles between Meadowhall South and Rotherham Parkgate.

"SYPTE hopes to receive confirmation on the rescheduled programme and an expected passenger service start date from Network Rail before the end of the year."

Network Rail said that the "next steps will be announced in due course".

[eastwestdivide]

Not a lot to report lately.

Saw 6 out of 7 of the new tram-trains when I passed by the depot this week on a Retford train. Guess the 7th was behind or in the shed.

 

And there seems to be a relatively new access point where the Midland "old road" crosses over the freight-only section just the Sheffield side of Booths scrapyard in Rotherham:

 

Visible through the fence, warnings about Japanese Knotweed and Himalayan Balsam:

 

From the same point, the Dewsbury-Hope cement empties passing under as-yet unwired masts and gantries, and new hard standing going in on the left:

This is leaning over the fence, looking towards Rotherham with the "old road" directly behind me, and some of Booths visible above the roller and dumper.

[Edwin_m]

Is the Japanese Knotweed really going to "keep out" just because of that sign? 

[eastwestdivide]

New activity on two fronts noticed this week. Photos roughly south to north, i.e. from the Sheffield end of Rotherham towards Parkgate...

 

Last chance for unobstructed photos of the passenger section of line between Rotherham Central Junction (Booths scrapyard) and Parkgate, as the masts have begun to go up. Here, a single one by the Main Street bridge the Sheffield side of the station:

 

A mast base directly in the area for the platform extension at Rotherham Central (RMC):

 

Many of the piles which had been in the ground for months, covered by plywood, have now got steel mast bases attached. Here, one of each just N of RMC:

 

A stockpile of masts in the work compound off Field Way:

 

And what appears to be the foundations of the new platform at Parkgate, further on than I had understood from earlier plans. Here, taken from the canal footbridge, Aldwarke steelworks in the background:

 

Here, over the fence, looking back towards Sheffield:

Edited December 19, 2016 by eastwestdivide

[eastwestdivide]

Just found the Parkgate tram stop plans (downloaded from the local council website), dated November 2015.

One, an outline plan, shows the tram stop hard by the footbridge...

 

...contradicting the other, more detailed plan, which shows the tram stop where they're actually building now. An extract:

 

There are two "alleyways" between the Parkgate shops. The one in the first plan above (where the red lines converge) is a public footpath, effectively the continuation of the route across the canal from the Eastwood area to the Parkgate area. The other alleyway (in blue with dots down  it - lighting bollards according to the plan), runs down the side of Boots, and currently has a lockable gate at one end.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Trundling forward, a few more "over the fence" shots.

 

A few masts have been put up in the cutting just the Parkgate side of Rotherham Central (compare the shot of bridge 21A in post 147 above).

 

There's something being built here on the left, just by where the "Old Road" crosses the freight-only GC line (Booths scrapyard is under the arrow). I thought this was going to be hard standing in post 145 above):

 

And they've laid a few more bricks at the Parkgate platform (no pic).

Edited January 23, 2017 by eastwestdivide

[eastwestdivide]

If anyone wants to view progress so far from the window of a train, services north from Sheffield are being diverted via Woodburn Junction, the freight line past Tinsley and through Rotherham Central this Sunday (5 Feb), e.g. http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/BRGLJN/2017/02/05/1105?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

Photos to follow, I hope.

 

Edited for date mix-up

Edited February 2, 2017 by eastwestdivide

[Talltim]

I noticed that a section of the (newish) wall at the south end of the up platform at Rotherham Central has been removed. Wonder if this is for signal sighting purposes?

[eastwestdivide]

Mmm, I'm wondering what else they're going to have to "adjust" on the newish station to accommodate the wires there.