frobisher Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 P.S. I wonder how soon an 800 will appear in model form...! I'd put reasonable money on a Hornby announcement for 2017 seeing as they have the 395 CAD work as a starting point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 guess it depends on what livery they decide on, but reckon they will be out before they are running under the wires to Wales Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornish Triang Paul Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Should be the new DfT GW spec...... . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 96701 Posted March 12, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 12, 2015 Interesting link about the Ecoplugs - do we know if they are being used ? - or will we just get the usual clearances and 5 years down the line it will be as bad (or worse) than it is now Yes to the question, that's why I posted the link. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 12, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 12, 2015 Yes to the question, that's why I posted the link. Thanks - I do hope the contractors have a very large supply of them Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D1059 Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Yes to the question, that's why I posted the link. Thats good news - thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DY444 Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 I think that I read somewhere that the seating positions on the Cl 800s are improved, providing an aligned window for each row of seats. Hopefully that will be the case. I just hate the claustrophobic 'windowless' environment on some stock. HSTs used to be excellent, with most seats having a view until Ms Forster of FGW created the notorious 'cattle class'. ... I fear you may be disappointed. The mockup showed seating positions worse than hitherto with more seats ( typically 2 to 4 per car iirc) having no window at all due to the 26m body length, the doors having to be inboard a bit from the coach ends and Hitachi being allergic to plug doors. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium HillsideDepot Posted March 21, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 21, 2015 I've just got back from Corsham (between Chippenham & Bath) where this weekend there is a possession to replace a footbridge. The bridge in question is next to the old goods shed (which still stands), and whilst important to the locals is pretty insignificant in the whole project. But there is a two-day road closure in place so that they can use an enormous crane to lift the bridge out. The stabiliser legs of the crane reach across the width of the road, and the plates it's feet stand on filled an extra-long artic truck. Several more over-size artics carry the crane's counter balance weights to and from site. The road closure is in a residential area, and about a dozen houses are now within the work site, access to and from being controlled by NR's contractors and 8 foot high fencing. The residents in the two houses nearest the footbridge have been moved out for the weekend to a hotel as the bridge will be lifted right over the building! As the chap on the gate said, "everything has been meticulously planned and checked, but if we do drop it we won't just be the cracking the plaster on the ceiling". The road closure has been applied for this weekend and next, so I had assumed that it was old bridge out this weekend, new one in next, but the gateman said they take possession of the line at 0100 and plan to lift the bridge out overnight. The new bridge, which is coming from Ireland and isn't yet on site, is then going in tomorrow evening/night leaving the day light hours to prepare the site at accept the new structure. Trains tomorrow are being diverted via a reversal at Bradford Junction, as they are next Sunday (on Real-Time Trains), so I'm wondering if next weekend (road closure and train diversion) is a contingency plan. I'll go back in day light tomorrow (fitting it around church, which is in the opposite direction) and see if I can get any photos; none were possible tonight as parts of the crane were against a background of flood lights, while the top half was in darkness against the night sky and all behind the 8 foot high mesh fences. In many ways this is "just a footbridge", but to see the amount and size of the equipment on site (not forgetting the visit from a pizza delivery van!) for this one job really brings the size of the whole GWML project into sharp focus. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
synthnut Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 ...and I chose last week to visit my folks who happen to live a hundred yards from that bridge, damn! We walked the dog past the blocked of footpath where the bridge is. Apparently there was a mysterious electric cable crossing the bridges that nobody seemed to own up to being responsible for which complicated matters. Footbridges like this one are really important to communities, it would mean much longer detours for quite a few people. I'm sure if it were just down to pounds and pence then this would have just been removed as a hindereance so it's credit to those that saw the local impact. The bridge was pretty rusty, I gather it had come from somewhere else on the network way back, I forget where. Will try to get them to take a few snaps on the dog's next stroll... TTFN, Ben Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium HillsideDepot Posted March 22, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 22, 2015 Managed to get out early and take a few pictures. The crane, resting between lifts. Half of the bridge, looking rather rusty and showing the cables mentioned by Ben. Out with the old... ...in with the new. I'll have another look at lunch time, but I suspect they might be dismantling the crane by then. There was a TV camera on site, and I had heard that the BBC were recording it. I also saw several people with Lobster Pictures on their Hi-Viz, so it seems the work was recorded. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted March 22, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 22, 2015 From your picture Adrian, the new bridge appears to be quite elegant. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
synthnut Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 ...from my local sources who spoke to a member of the Orange army, the old bridge was lifed out at 4am! Must have been fairly quiet as they were blissfully unaware of all the goings on. Will be interesting if perhaps some pro footage was taking and maybe a timelapse...? TTFN, Ben Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Banger Blue Posted March 23, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 23, 2015 The footbridge from the big Foxhall car park to Didcot station has started to be dismantled, when I picked my car up on Sunday morning, the main span was still in place but both sets of steps had been removed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
talisman56 Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 The footbridge from the big Foxhall car park to Didcot station has started to be dismantled, when I picked my car up on Sunday morning, the main span was still in place but both sets of steps had been removed. I suppose that's one way of stopping people from using it... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 From your picture Adrian, the new bridge appears to be quite elegant. Coming from Ireland.....and and it's elegant....and it's green. So that's what happened to 60534. Coat on and leaving. Bernard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 The footbridge from the big Foxhall car park to Didcot station has started to be dismantled, when I picked my car up on Sunday morning, the main span was still in place but both sets of steps had been removed. i was working in Didcot yesterday and saw scaffold near the bridge but didnt see what they had done. now i know, thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium HillsideDepot Posted March 23, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 23, 2015 (edited) Here is Network Rail's video of the Corsham work: https://youtu.be/UANlslRRqvs I have a few more photos to add, but haven't yet had time to select the best. Edited March 23, 2015 by HillsideDepot 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post HillsideDepot Posted March 23, 2015 RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted March 23, 2015 As promised a few more photos from Corsham, although the NR video shows things very well. First a close up of the 500 ton crane, working on the foundations on the far side of the line. The Project Engineer said that the calculations suggested that a 250 ton crane would do the job, but the reach needed put it close to the limits, so the decided to use "the next size up". Incidentally the bridge weighs in at 20 tons. Roughly 12 hours after the old bridge had been lifted out the new structure takes to the air in front of a large crowd. Nearly there, the bridge is lowered into its home for the forthcoming decades. Whilst the old bridge was certainly showing its age, it was the fact that it was 90mm too low to provide clearance for the OHLE which sealed its fate. And a view along the Main Line The operation brought out a good number of interested people of all ages, finding it an unusual way to spend a glorious spring afternoon. Of course many of the audience had questions for members of the Orange Army as they entered and left the site. Many of these people were contractors rather than NR employees and most were specialists in specific tasks, yet without fail all of them engaged with the public and answered what questions they could, even if all they could do was explain their particular part of the job. The Project Engineer said that the most common question was "when is Corsham getting its station" as there has been a long running campaign for the reopening. The answer from the engineer was, "if my bosses give me the plans, I'll build it for you" as its not his decision. But it was a great answer. The negativity we sometimes hear about the GWML project was certainly nowhere to be heard yesterday, the crew actually out there delivering the infrastructure are a real credit to the both the rail and construction industries. 21 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
black and decker boy Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Here is Network Rail's video of the Corsham work: https://youtu.be/UANlslRRqvs I have a few more photos to add, but haven't yet had time to select the best. Good to see my colleagues flying the flag and doing a sterling job Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 You were just round the corner from my house Adrian, you could have popped in for a coffee! A friend who lives round the corner is building Corsham station in OO and has modelled the bridge on his layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJS1977 Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 A friend who lives round the corner is building Corsham station in OO and has modelled the bridge on his layout. That was quick! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 29, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 29, 2015 A trip to Ally Pally yesterday gave me an opportunity to observe progress east of Reading - my first such chance for some months. Once again - and some is no doubt part of Crossrail works, there is the peculiar looking patchwork of foundation tubes either missing or only part sunk not far from those which are not only in position but in some cases even have uprights or more complete structures mounted on them. Did leave me wondering to what extent the project engineers have consulted any long serving engineering civil engineering folk (if there are any?) or past records to establish why the tubes won't go down to full depth. As they're the experts and I'm merely an operating sort I'm sure they won't be asking me - even if I happen to have a pretty fair idea of the answer knowing one past WR method of stabilising embankments in the London Division; no doubt they'll get there in the end. More immediately worrying is the signalling situation east of Ruscombe where I understood commissioning to be taking place in the next couple of weeks. I noticed that very few new signal structures to electrification clearances have been erected (roughly) east of Shottesbrook to Maidenhead West. While the work can no doubt be done later it yet again means abortive work (new connections to existing signals that will then be replaced by new signals and transferring the connections from one to the other) plus, perhaps more seriously, a possible need for additional four line possessions in order to recover signal gantries will which not be immediately becoming redundant. Not very impressive to be honest although it looks as if most of the other preparatory work for signal commissioning is up to scratch. I also wonder about what will happen with the footbridge at Taplow - it is one of the oldest overbridges on the route and is a pleasant looking design dating from 1884 and probably installed at the time of quadrupling; clearly not to electrification clearances I hope it might suffer a more positive fate than the platform canopies at Maidenhead which are being replaced by a fairly ugly and ineffective (for keeping rain at bay) looking concoction - presumably under a Crossrail contract. In fact Crossrail work seems to be a triumph of the peculiar - at both Taplow and Burnham we counted over 40 (forty) new loudspeakers on the platforms at each station plus numerous cctv cameras, all to what purpose seemed not entirely clear. I believe in good quality information systems as they can be very helpful to passengers but quite what purpose 40 loudspeakers can serve is far from clear to me. Incidentally Crossrail trackworks at Maidenhead seem to be in the doldrums and I'm not entirely sure why as I doubt there is capacity to extend all the originally planned Maidenhead terminators through to Reading. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Ask U2, Or perhaps better, Pete Waterman Or, if you don't have their contact details, our very own Pete (trisonic of this parish), what he can do with 40 loud speakers Are they anticipating a visit by 'Grand Funk Railroad'..? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJS1977 Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 (edited) Are they anticipating a visit by 'Grand Funk Railroad'..? No, that would be Darlington - home of the "Locomotion"! Edited March 29, 2015 by RJS1977 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Just floating a guess, regards the platform speakers. Could it be to reduce the overall volume and noise nuisance to the neighbours? More speakers, but broadcasting at a lower volume, to cover the platform length, meaning people close by would hear the announcements, but the sound won't be loud enough to travel far. Just a complete guess, so I might be completely wrong. Second wild guess. The people of Burnham and Taplow are hard of hearing ? . 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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