East London Line

[caradoc]

Fascinating photos iands, many thanks for posting. It's great to see how the East and North London Lines have been revitalised and have become vital transport arteries; I recall the 1970s when closure of the North London Line was seriously proposed.

[iands]

Fascinating photos iands, many thanks for posting. It's great to see how the East and North London Lines have been revitalised and have become vital transport arteries; I recall the 1970s when closure of the North London Line was seriously proposed.

You're welcome, glad you find them interesting. I often wonder how many stations and/or lines closed under Beeching (and before him) might have prospered if they had been allowed to continue in use given todays use/overcrowding issues - I guess we'll never know.

 

The ELL was a bit of a victim of its own success. The planners had all sorts of usage/growth predictions etc., which were used to secure budgets to finance the line in the first place. IIRC the "5 year" target for passenger uptake was achieved within the first 18 months of operation, so we had to embark on the expansion programme (5-car units, longer platforms etc.) a lot sooner than expected. A great advert for TfL and the regeneration of east London.

 

Regards, Ian.

[Southernman46]

The "egg box" has fairly recently been superseded by a more modern tester/indicator, but I've not yet come across one personally.

Not anywhere near as much fun to use ....................

 

https://www.tester.co.uk/seaward-llt-live-line-tester

[Mike Storey]

When I was given a very thorough grounding in third-rail isolation by a friendly SM back in the very-early 1960s (when I was still a schoolboy but that is another story), not only was I taught how to pull hook switches safely (and made to keep pulling them until my tutor was satisfied that I had the technique right - they were pulled live in those days which could give some interesting pyrotechnics if you didn't get it right) but I was also taught to always apply a short-circuiting bar to prove that the section had been isolated (and, yes, I was made to practice that on a live third rail too, with more pyrotechnics). Some decades later when it was decided that I should have personal track safety training (on the basis that it was considered desirable for all senior management to have it in case they had to take charge in an emergency), my then Ops Manager was astounded to find that I knew more about the realities of third rail isolation than he did!

 

Interesting. We were trained on the use of short-circuiting bars in my day, but were not allowed to keep them in our cabinets or in the lineside equipment boxes. They were only kept in unit and loco cabs and only train crew were trained to use them (as well as P/Way staff I presume).

 

I wonder if that is the case today for NR Ops first response staff?

Edited December 3, 2017 by Mike Storey

[iands]

Tonight's selection starting with another shot of the Thames Tunnel from Wapping towards Rotherhithe.

 

 

A "Thermite Weld" of the rails within the tunnel section. Although I'm not a P.Way/Track engineer, I understand that the preferred method these days is for "Flash Butt Welding" of rails. Can anyone out there confirm this?

 

 

In the tunnel section just to the south of Whitechapel (the station is in the background), just visible on the left (just to the left of the bright light) is the tunnel mouth of the former St. Mary's Curve (to Aldgate). The original intention was to use this as access for 378 stock moves to/from the ELL but was rejected fairly early on as impracticable. I understand that LU were then going to use the redundant tunnel as a siding from the Aldgate end (as a quick recess for failed stock, or to stable a unit ready for the "peak"), but I don't know if that ever came to fruition.

 

 

On to the New Cross branch and preparing the track bed for relaying. A bit of "deep ballasting."

 

 

I wonder if the plant driver obeyed the "Whistle" sign each time he passed it?

 

 

Heavy-duty "whacker plates" in action.

 

 

That's all for tonight, some more on Wednesday hopefully.

 

Regards, Ian.

[jim.snowdon]

Quote - A "Thermite Weld" of the rails within the tunnel section. Although I'm not a P.Way/Track engineer, I understand that the preferred method these days is for "Flash Butt Welding" of rails. Can anyone out there confirm this?

 

Correct - in that a factory made weld, which has inevitably been by flash butt welding for many decades, is made under controlled conditions and is thus free from the potential vagaries in regard to both the weld process and the rail alignment that are liable to occur with a site weld.

 

Jim

[iands]

Quote - A "Thermite Weld" of the rails within the tunnel section. Although I'm not a P.Way/Track engineer, I understand that the preferred method these days is for "Flash Butt Welding" of rails. Can anyone out there confirm this?

 

Correct - in that a factory made weld, which has inevitably been by flash butt welding for many decades, is made under controlled conditions and is thus free from the potential vagaries in regard to both the weld process and the rail alignment that are liable to occur with a site weld.

 

Jim

Hi Jim,

 

Thanks for your reply, much appreciated. So is flash butt welding only carried out in "controlled conditions" (e.g. in a factory), or have they developed the techniques to allow flash butt welding to be carried out "on site".

 

Regards, Ian.

[Grovenor]

There are machines available to do flash butt welding on site.

Regards

[iands]

Some more ELL photos. When the Phase 1 "core route" (Dalston to New Cross/New Cross Gate) was completed we moved on to Phase 1A which was to extend from Dalston to Canonbury and Highbury & Islington. The major civil engineering element was reinstating the Western Curve whilst keeping road traffic moving on Kingsland Road and Boleyn Road above.

 

 

 

 

 

These days the installation of some of the infrastructure is speeded up somewhat by building various items off-site (Signalling REBs, Telecoms REBs, Traction Sub Stations etc.) then craning the modules into position from the back of a lorry. Here the TSS at Dalston is being craned into position. In the background is Dalston Western Junction Signal Box which was soon to disappear.

 

 

 

 

 

Finally for tonight a quick trip back to New Cross Gate depot and a couple of shots of the wheel lathe.

 

 

 

Regards, Ian.

[iands]

Today's photos are just a couple from Canonbury on Phase 1A of the ELL project, then a few more shots from the cab heading south. Unfortunately I didn't get much chance to take many photos on Phase 1A and virtually none at H&I (well only a few boring ones of blank walls etc. where we proposed to position Passenger Help Points, CCTV cameras and the like), as IIRC we had one or two issues with interference on the GSMR in the Surrey Quays area that took up quit a bit of my time.

 

The first is from Canonbury Platform 1 looking towards H&I.

 

 

A GPL signal is provided between H&I and Canonbury (on the Down line) to enable shunt moves from one platform to the other if required, and if needs be (the original intention) to shunt from Platform 1 at H&I to the Transfer Line and on to the North London Line. This photo is of the said GPL complete with GSMR Alias Plate (again looking towards H&I).

 

 

The next photo is from a little after the completion of Phase 1A and Phase 2 when we went through a programme of lengthening platforms (where it was physically possible) to accommodate 5-car stock from the original 4-car stock. In some cases it wasn't economically viable, or physically possible, to extend a platform so Selective Door Opening (SDO) was required instead. This is an SDO beacon attached to the sleeper via the rail clips, a fairly quick and simple installation. On-board equipment "reads" the beacon as the unit passes over it and by comparing the beacon data and the on-board data, certain doors are "disabled" on the unit at that platform. 

 

 

Back along the core route again. When looking at maps, and in particular drawings of the route, it wasn't always obvious that there are some sweeping curves between Hoxton and Shoreditch High Street. The following three shots give some indication of these curves. 

 

 

Finally for today, a quick look at one of the signals in the NXG depot area. I mentioned previously that space in the NXG area was at a premium. In order to squeeze everything in, and to make the depot and the running lines work to the "best possible advantage", the Up ELL actually cuts the depot in two via a flyover which originates just to the north of New Cross Gate station and crosses over the London-Brighton lines. This required a viaduct to be built to bring the Up ELL back down to "grade" at the Canal Junction. As I say, space is at a premium and there wasn't enough space available to create a cess on this viaduct, so signal EL268 and the access ladder had to be mounted on the side of the viaduct.

 

 

Hope this topic is still of interest.

 

Regards, Ian.

[andyman7]

Thanks for posting. By comparison here are two shots taken by me from the cab of the very last departure from Broad Street in June 1986 - one shows us passing over the Shoreditch High Street bridge. You'll see that in the latter years the double track formation used only the left hand span in the down direction (so would be the right hand span in the present day picture above), the other span having been out of use since 1969. By contrast the ELR reopening routes one track through each span.

 

The second shot shows the train on departure from Dalston Junction, with the Western signal box in view. Again, this was originally a four track section, reduced to two after the ER services via the Canonbury curve were withdrawn in 1976.

 

 

Edited December 10, 2017 by andyman7

[iands]

Thanks for posting. By comparison here are two shots taken by me from the cab of the very last departure from Broad Street in June 1986 - one shows us passing over the Shoreditch High Street bridge. You'll see that in the latter years the double track formation used only the left hand span in the down direction (so would be the right hand span in the present day picture above), the other span having been out of use since 1969. By contrast the ELR reopening routes one track through each span.

 

The second shot shows the train on departure from Dalston Junction, with the Western signal box in view. Again, this was originally a four track section, reduced to two after the ER services via the Canonbury curve were withdrawn in 1976.

 

IMAG8356.jpg

 

IMAG8355.jpg

Many thanks Andyman7, particularly like the shot over Shoreditch High Street bridge. A fantastic historical record, even if by then the railway was somewhat negelected.

 

Regards, Ian.

[Southernman46]

Hi Jim,

 

Thanks for your reply, much appreciated. So is flash butt welding only carried out in "controlled conditions" (e.g. in a factory), or have they developed the techniques to allow flash butt welding to be carried out "on site".

 

Regards, Ian.

Yes - there's a mobile FB welder either in trail or now in use on NR .......... I am now a few years out of date

 

Edit - already confirmed above

Edited December 11, 2017 by Southernman46

[iands]

Today's selection of photos relate to Silwood Junction and ELL Phase 2 (for the extension of ELL services to Clapham Junction).

 

During the construction of Phase 1, "passive provision" of a junction at Silwood was provided for the future Phase 2. The points were provided but "plain lined" until required. 

 

Before the track for Phase 2 could be laid, there was quite a bit of Civils works required, not least raising the level of the ground by quite a bit as indicated by this shot at the Old Kent Road Junction end. The level of the ELL line had to be built up to match that of the London Bridge to Queens Road Peckham line.

 

Although masses of data is available for the production of Signalling Scheme Plans, it is some times difficult to visualize on paper or indeed a computer screen (even with 3D graphics) if the positioning of a signal is correct. So a sighting device is used that replicates the height of the 'red' aspect (or yellow aspect if the signal is a distant signal) and positioned at the correct point at where the proposed signal will be. The one thing that this will definitely check (which is extremely difficult to replicate on a drawing or screen) is the "background" of the signal. Could there be a street light, set of traffic lights, lights from blocks of flats etc., that would distract the drivers view or effectively mask the aspect shown by the signal. In this case everything was good.

 

As well as a new "rail-over-road bridge" along the section of line, the "passive provision" of a new station (Surrey Canal Road) also had to be provided. This view is looking towards Old Kent Road Junction.

 

And this one is looking towards Silwood Junction. For positional reference, the structure in the left background with the blue steel work is Millwall football ground.

 

What isn't particularly evident in the previous photo above is the down gradient after the bridge. This next photo demonstrates it a bit better; note the quite appreciable angle between the 2nd and 3rd coach.

 

Hope these are still interesting.

 

Regards, Ian.

 

 

[johnb]

Indeed they are still very interesting Ian. Keep them coming

 

Good sets of photos

 

 

John

[unravelled]

Coincidentally, I've been working on my ELL albums, and have just updated the Trundley's Terrace pictures,

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/unravelled/albums/72157667185207309.

 

 

Thanks

 

Dave

[iands]

Coincidentally, I've been working on my ELL albums, and have just updated the Trundley's Terrace pictures,

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/unravelled/albums/72157667185207309.

 

 

Thanks

 

Dave

Thanks for sharing the Flickr photos Dave, interesting shots of the very early stages of the project. I see you also managed to get a couple of shots of the water-filled underpass - well done!

 

Regards, Ian.

[bécasse]

I am intrigued by the picture of the plain-lined "passive" point. Thinking back several decades when the Southern looked seriously at the cost of its existing crossover provision in the post local freight train situation, quite a lot ended up being taken out altogether, but some others were plain lined in a similar way but with the important difference that the point blades were retained but the crossing was removed and an equivalent length of plain rail substituted. I remember being told that the crossing, even in a trailing situation, wore much more quickly than the blades and was therefore the most significant maintenance cost item. It may have been the case also, although it wasn't actually said at the time, that reinstating a crossing that had been plain lined was much simpler than reinstating blades and stock rails, making it practical to reinstate the crossing temporarily for operating purposes during engineering works if required.

 

I think that, in practice, the latter never (or rarely) happened because it wasn't long before all the retained plain-lined crossovers of that era were taken out altogether.

[iands]

Hi, can anyone help please?

 

I thought I might add a short video from the ELL (just a couple of 378s passing at Silwood Junction) but when I try to add the video file I get the message "You aren't permitted to upload this kind of file". I'm not sure if I'm not permitted to upload videos 'full stop', or just the type of video file I'm trying to upload - it has a ".AVI" file extension.

 

Any advice on how I can overcome this please?

 

Many thanks in anticipation.

 

Regards, Ian.

[iands]

By the time that Phase 1A and Phase 2 had been completed the ELL had been operating for the best part of two years and it was necessary to immediately start the LOCIP (London Overground Capacity Improvement Programme) which involved increasing the units to 5 cars. This had implications for the infrastructure, which required platforms to be extended (where possible) and significant changes at New Cross Gate depot. The Maintenance Facility Building had to be extended, alterations to the lines serving the Wheel Lathe and Heavy Clean buildings, as well as the stabling sidings themselves which could no longer support all the units in 5-car formation. This required an additional stabling area to be built just to the north of the depot (and Canal Junction) in a triangle of land bordered by the ELL, the Phase 2 line (to Clapham Junction) and the London-Brighton lines. This stabling area is called Silwood Sidings. There are 10 sidings in all. The following photos were taken during the construction phase of the sidings.

 

Around the perimeter of the sidings area runs Surface Concrete Troughing for the cables. It was probably the straightest and most level troughing I had witnessed, just about perfect - with one exception - the corners. Whilst 90 degree mitred corners look good, they are bad news for cables. All cables have a minimum bending radius and these corners exceeded that radius. So the corners had to be smashed out and re-laid with preformed curved troughing. Ironically in the second photo is a curved troughing lid propped up against the troughing - but obviously the "penny didn't drop" with those installing the troughing!

 

The level of lighting required these days for stabling sidings might surprise some of you, the following photos give an impression of what is provided at Silwood (I should add that a similar level of lighting is also provided at New Cross Gate depot). 

 

The next two photos are high level shots looking down on to the sidings area. The first during daylight, and the second at night with a few units (only 4-car at this stage).

 

The final photo is of a unit heading out of the sidings at night giving another impression of the lighting.

 

That's all for now. A few more in a couple of days (hopefully).

 

Regards, Ian.

 

 

[Horsetan]

....

Silwood (Completion shot from SELCHP).jpg

 

The final photo is of a unit heading out of the sidings at night giving another impression of the lighting.

DSC00109.JPG...

Not much light pollution, then!

[iands]

Not much light pollution, then!

Apparently, the light pollution is less than you would perhaps imagine!

 

Regards, Ian.

[jim.snowdon]

Apparently, the light pollution is less than you would perhaps imagine!

 

Regards, Ian.

But the lighting level is positively generous, if not excessive in practical terms. Doubtless it is to specification, and being TfL that is possibly a bit gold-plated, but I wonder if whoever drafted it fully appreciated what was actually required in order to provide an adequate degree of illumination. It's considerably brighter than that which is considered adequate even for highways.

 

Jim

[Fat Controller]

Yes - there's a mobile FB welder either in trail or now in use on NR .......... I am now a few years out of date

 

Edit - already confirmed above

There was at least one in use on Section 1 of CTRL, based at Beechbrook Farm, Ashford. It was a road-rail version of a three-axle lorry chassis, either Mercedes or Volvo, and for some reason had a large Breton flag on it.

[iands]

But the lighting level is positively generous, if not excessive in practical terms. Doubtless it is to specification, and being TfL that is possibly a bit gold-plated, but I wonder if whoever drafted it fully appreciated what was actually required in order to provide an adequate degree of illumination. It's considerably brighter than that which is considered adequate even for highways.

 

Jim

IIRC the lighting level was to assist rolling stock maintenance staff working on the units various bits of kit accessed from the sides of the units underside frames at track level, and not just to aid walking around the sidings, but I agree, the levels do seem to be on the generous side.

 

Regards, Ian.