Nuneham viaduct problems - Oxford to Didcot line closed

[Compound2632]

4 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

But forget ye not that some of 'The Office' was filmed in an empty office block in Reading  (that was subsequently demolished - the office block that is, not Reading).  Although there is a certain building in the town I'd demolish tomorrow and put its inhabitants back into the more secure 'care' of one of His Majesty's penal establishments.

 

That prompts a better thought. Parliament to sit in Oxford (Christchurch chapel - the Cathedral - for the Lords and the dining hall for the Commons) with overnight accommodation in Reading Gaol.

[Wheatley]

41 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

I think the simple fact is that NR has estimated a date for reopening and has probably based that on what works are needed in addition to what was already underway and their estimate of how long those works will take.  I see that sometimes they get jobs finished before the estimated date so some of their estimates are undoubtedly on the cautious side - whether this one is we don't know.

Stationmaster probably knows the person involved here as he ended up as Something Very Senior in Railtrack/Network Rail. At the time of this story (told to a training course on What Not to Say To The Press) he was Area Manager Inverness. 

 

So before reliable pagers and mobile phones which worked in the Highlands he drove into his office one morning, and arrived to find it empty and his phone ringing.

 

"Hello, Area Manager Inverness, RR speaking"

"(Noise of rushing water) HELLO MR R. IT'S RADIO HIGHLAND HERE. CAN YOU TELL US HOW LONG THE LINE IS GOING TO BE CLOSED FOR ?"

 

RR has no idea what has happened at this point but, as he told us "I knew my team would be on it, whatever it was. I had a wild guess that it was probably flooding somewhere because it had been raining all night, and we were well used to dealing with that."

 

"I can assure your listeners that our people are working flat out to restore services, and we'll have the line back open as soon as possible".

"CAN YOU TELL OUR LISTENERS WHEN THAT IS LIKELY TO BE ?"

"Well I'm not sure of the full extent of the damage as we're still evaluating it but I'm sure it won't be too long."

"CAN YOU GIVE US A ROUGH ESTIMATE ?"

"Well not really, hopefully later today, possibly tea time at the latest"

"TEA TIME ??!!!"

"Hopefully..." (getting nervous now) 

"MR R, I'M AT THE NESS VIADUCT. IT'S FALLEN INTO THE RIVER". 

"It's what ?!"

"IT'S FALLEN INTO THE RIVER. ABOUT HALF AN HOUR AGO."

"Bl****y h*** !"

"MR R, YOU'RE LIVE ON RADIO HIGHLAND"

"Er... can you call back in a few minutes ?" 

[Rugd1022]

22 hours ago, big jim said:

I got stopped the week before last at harbury with an intermodal heading south, stuck in a line of trains waiting to pass between bishops itchington and fenny compton as a down train had reported bad lateral movement and trains could only pass through the effected area one at a time in either direction

 

It’s always been a bit rough just north of fenny but the last 6 months it’s got particularly bad

 

I agree Jim, the curve round to Bishops Itch after Fenny has always been below par, hence the 75mph restriction there, I always take it easy in both directions, even with a 75mph 'liner (we cover Intermodal work occasionally). I'm sure you're aware of the little red sign sticking out of the embankment there saying 'Caution Buried Structure'... I've often wondered exactly what it is beneath the trackbed!

 

(I haven't worked south of Hinksey for a while so didn't realise how bad the area around Nuneham Viaduct was)

Edited April 11, 2023 by Rugd1022

[Wickham Green too]

3 hours ago, Darius43 said:

BBC News Website article today. ...

Quite obvious from those pictures what's happened ....... the graffiti so-called-artists didn't check their paint on a small area first to ensure suitability.

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, Rugd1022 said:

 

I agree Jim, the curve round to Bishops Itch after Fenny has always been below par, hence the 75mph restriction there, I always take it easy in both directions, even with a 75mph 'liner (we cover Intermodal work occasionally). I'm sure you're aware of the little red sign sticking out of the embankment there saying 'Caution Buried Structure'... I've often wondered exactly what it is beneath the trackbed!

 

(I haven't worked south of Hinksey for a while so didn't realise how bad the area around Nuneham Viaduct was)

Nidge, is that just south of Greaves Siding (where the new housing estate is now)?

[Ron Ron Ron]

[Rugd1022]

1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

Nidge, is that just south of Greaves Siding (where the new housing estate is now)?

 

No Mike, a bit further south, there's a longish straight just south of Greaves then a right hander leading to a gentle S-bend past the farm and brick arched overbridge at B.Itch and down to Fenny where the line straightens out again, it's under this s-band that lies the buried structure. Incidentally, opposite the spot where Greaves Sdgs 'box once stood is the mortal remains of a grounded GW Toad brake van, which was used as a shunter's cabin / store many years ago.

 

Also, the above mentioned bridge is where the track bad of the Oxford & Rugby Railway headed off towards Southam and Rugby, it peters out a few hundred yards in the middle of a field and went no further. You should be able to see it on google maps / google earth.

Edited April 11, 2023 by Rugd1022

[Steadfast]

2 hours ago, Rugd1022 said:

I haven't worked south of Hinksey for a while so didn't realise how bad the area around Nuneham Viaduct was

I went over it with some light locos ex Hinksey while it had the 5mph TSR on, and there was a definite kick going up onto the southern bank with the T board just after. A couple of months later and it was a lot smoother, can't remember what TSR was on but it had been eased, maybe a 20? Presume a ballast lift and pack type job to smooth the running lines temporarily but obviously not a repair on the parapet.

Twice now I've arrived at Didcot just as Nuneham has shut, and glad I was heading west away from Didcot, once heading home pass and once working back west. I won't be back that way for a while, so hopefully the absence of my jinx will let them carry out a speedy repair with no unforseen events!

 

Jo

[Compound2632]

https://culhamticketoffice.co.uk/bits/hidden-pages/nuneham-bridge.html

 

Passenger report to follow, when she eventually gets home.

[Michael Hodgson]

4 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

 Although there is a certain building in the town I'd demolish tomorrow and put its inhabitants back into the more secure 'care' of one of His Majesty's penal establishments.

Does it have a blue plaque "Oscar Wilde lived here"?😳

[Compound2632]

3 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Does it have a blue plaque "Oscar Wilde lived here"?😳

 

He was but one of several major literary figures to have had a miserable time in Reading.

[rogerzilla]

On the subject of the Botley Road bridge, many people ask why more clearance is needed, since double-decker buses go under it quite happily.

 

Anyone who's been upstairs on a park and ride bus from Seacourt will have noticed headroom is a bit lacking.  Only special shorter buses can use that route.

 

Edit: this video might make you clench a bit!

 

Edited April 11, 2023 by rogerzilla

[2251]

42 minutes ago, Rugd1022 said:

 

No Mike, a bit further south, there's a longish straight just south of Greaves then a right hander leading to a gentle S-bend past the farm and brick arched overbridge at B.Itch and down to Fenny where the line straightens out again, it's under this s-band that lies the buried structure. Incidentally, opposite the spot where Greaves Sdgs 'box once stood is the mortal remains of a grounded GW Toad brake van, which was used as a shunter's cabin / store many years ago.

 

Also, the above mentioned bridge is where the track bad of the Oxford & Rugby Railway headed off towards Southam and Rugby, it peters out a few hundred yards in the middle of a field and went no further. You should be able to see it on google maps / google earth.

 

Is that the section where experimental cement grouting was tried shortly after the war?

[phil_sutters]

5 hours ago, rogerzilla said:

On the subject of the Botley Road bridge, many people ask why more clearance is needed, since double-decker buses go under it quite happily.

 

Anyone who's been upstairs on a park and ride bus from Seacourt will have noticed headroom is a bit lacking.  Only special shorter buses can use that route.

You knew I'd have a photo or two didn't you?

Edited April 11, 2023 by phil_sutters
Additional photo

[Compound2632]

32 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

Passenger report to follow, when she eventually gets home.

 

Initial indications are that total journey time for the round trip cat-on-lap - Earley - Reading - Didcot - Oxford - (day's work in the office that could equally well or better have been done from home) - Oxford - Didcot - Reading - Earley - cat-on-lap is around 90 minutes greater than usual. (Not that the usual was reliable, what with late running and frequent cancellations.) The cat is already showing signs of discontent.

[Jonboy]

Discussions on one of the Didcot community Facebook groups over the weekend were that the Thames Travel service from Didcot parkway was faster than the rail replacement service (and cheaper due to the government £2 subsidies) .

 

Whether that changes as they move from “emergency” replacement to something more scheduled remains to be seen.

[Rugd1022]

1 hour ago, 2251 said:

 

Is that the section where experimental cement grouting was tried shortly after the war?

 

Sorry, I've no idea.

 

 

[Michael Hodgson]

duplicated posting

 

Edited April 11, 2023 by Michael Hodgson

[Michael Hodgson]

3 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

 

That sign says 4.0m or 13' 0".  We've got one here that's also 4.0m but ours is 13' 3" in English.   

Or rather, ECML 102 is actually five separate single track bridges carrying the 4 running tracks (fast lines 125 mph) and the Up Siding over the main A505.  It was listed as number 20 in the league table of most bashed bridges.

So what's 3" between friends?  OK, perhaps it's the air you have to let out of the tyres when your lorry gets wedged.

I make the conversion of 4m as about 13' 1½", so they're both slightly misleading.  No doubt the bus drivers in that video are confident from their experience that they clear it.  But an artic that clears it today might be hauling a different trailer tomorrow.  How high does a lorry bounce on its suspension when it hits a pothole?  How much higher does it ride when empty?  Perhaps I'm a little paranoid about bridge 102 because I used to have walk under it twice daily for 30 years as part of my commuting and I've seen a lot of near misses and the aftermath of a few bridge strikes in that time.

 

 

 

[Compound2632]

River traffic also affected:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nuneham-railway-viaduct-repairs-2023-river-restriction-notice/nuneham-railway-viaduct-repairs-2023-river-restriction-notice

 

[BrushVeteran]

2 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

 

The current maximum height height of double deck buses able to pass under Oxford Station bridge is 13ft 10ins  (4.25m), despite what the warning signs say. The last new bridge was installed in 1979 and the height adjustment allowed  13ft 8in (4.2m) NBC standard instead of ultra low-height 13ft 3in (4.03m) buses  which City of Oxford had been specifying as new build since 1960, prior to that low bridge buses had a side gangway upstairs with the seating arranged in groups of four on the raised area with a reduced headroom. The warning signs were never altered.

When the new bridge is installed later this year or early next, the height will be raised to allow 14ft 6in (4.46m) maximum height double decker's, of which there are a few around Oxford and the local operators.

[62613]

On 10/04/2023 at 14:24, melmerby said:

One of the comments from "Swansea02" amused me

"it's proposal to spend £100 billion on HS2 seems rather mad . Better to use the £100 billion to renew the existing railways. "

 

Someone needs to tell them it's not a proposal, construction is well under way!

And that the cash for renewals comes from a different pot to that for investment; indeed, he might like to learn exactly how capitalism actually works

[melmerby]

20 hours ago, rogerzilla said:

On the subject of the Botley Road bridge, many people ask why more clearance is needed, since double-decker buses go under it quite happily.

 

Anyone who's been upstairs on a park and ride bus from Seacourt will have noticed headroom is a bit lacking.  Only special shorter buses can use that route.

Stagecoach have some lower height versions of the ADL Enviro 400, presumably Oxford Bus do as well.

A standard 400 is too tall for a 4.0m clearance, being 4.2 - 4.3m

 

Must be confusing as both also have normal height versions.

[eastglosmog]

Don't think I will be going to visit Didcot Railway center until the bridge is open again.

[Supaned]

23 hours ago, Rugd1022 said:

 

No Mike, a bit further south, there's a longish straight just south of Greaves then a right hander leading to a gentle S-bend past the farm and brick arched overbridge at B.Itch and down to Fenny where the line straightens out again, it's under this s-band that lies the buried structure. Incidentally, opposite the spot where Greaves Sdgs 'box once stood is the mortal remains of a grounded GW Toad brake van, which was used as a shunter's cabin / store many years ago.

 

Also, the above mentioned bridge is where the track bad of the Oxford & Rugby Railway headed off towards Southam and Rugby, it peters out a few hundred yards in the middle of a field and went no further. You should be able to see it on google maps / google earth.

 

Knightcote isn't it where the Oxford & Rugby bit goes off?

 

I was always told that the embankment at Fenny Compton was constructed from ash/cinder and as such that was why it was unstable. I recall a few years back they were pumping concrete into the voids to try to stabilise it, evidently there's a new issue , the dip that has developed recently is quite a nasty one.