LNWR lives on Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 HI A bit of a random one this, but through work I am working near the East Coast Main Line and require a little bit of background information on it, and being a West Coast Man I have not got a clue about ECML formations etc, so can you help me with the below please 1. At what Date did the East Coast Main Line around Biggleswade Area get laid? 2. What was the original Company/Line called i.e. Manchester and Liverpool Railway 3. How many tracks were laid initially? 4. Does anyone know when the track bed was extended in the area? The area in question is by the A1 Overbridge where there are currently 6 tracks, leading me to suspect that it may have been extended from 2 to 4 and then up to 6? 5. When was it electrified? 6. Does a railway substation require a source of water, natural or man made? Thinking in terms of coolant possibly. Thank you in advance David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
will5210 Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 According to Wikipedia: 1. At what Date did the East Coast Main Line around Biggleswade Area get laid? 1850 2. What was the original Company/Line called i.e. Manchester and Liverpool Railway Great Northern Railway 3. How many tracks were laid initially? 2 4. Does anyone know when the track bed was extended in the area? The area in question is by the A1 Overbridge where there are currently 6 tracks, leading me to suspect that it may have been extended from 2 to 4 and then up to 6? Went to 4 in 1901 5. When was it electrified? 80's I also remember that a fantastic late 50's era model of the station featured in the first Railway Modelling Magazine i ever bought (BRM sometime in 1994 I think), though I've never seen it in person unfortunately. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNWR lives on Posted October 4, 2012 Author Share Posted October 4, 2012 So as it stands the question is when did they extend it out to 6? (One of which appears to be a siding as there are wagons stood in it) I would guess as the electrification extends over all 6 lines pre the 80's, or at the time of electrification? So that leaves me with question 6, do the substations/booster stations require some form of water source for coolant purposes or not? Thank you for your response will5210 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 I have some pics of the Biggleswade layout referred to by Will. Happy to post them if they are of interest. I seem to recall it was sold a few years back to a private modeller... It was a classic layout some 50' x 20' from memory. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNWR lives on Posted October 4, 2012 Author Share Posted October 4, 2012 Please post the pics, would be nice to see out of interest and never knwo I may learn something from them as well Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Here are the pics taken in 2002 at a show. Can't recall where, but it would have been fairly local. Farnborough, Woking or possibly Tolworth. There is also a 43 minute VHS video that was made by BRM in their Classic Model Railway Layouts series. I have a copy here if you are unable to track one down. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbeagleowner Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Biggleswade looks very different now! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
S500-W9 Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Further to Mr OPs questions 4 and 5, as the controller of my companys electrification diagrams, a quick check shows that as of "today", only the main through lines (Down Slow, Down Fast, Up Fast and Up Slow) are electrified; the 2 sidings on the town (west) side of the ECML are not electrified. Regarding the mast-mounted booster transformers and the circuit breakers inside the track-side feeder cabins, these are oil cooled. Any water supply present in the cabins feed a sink for hand-washing purposes. HTH Regards, Rob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNERGE Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 This is what Biggleswade looks like on the panel.. and from my recent exploits in the air.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNWR lives on Posted October 4, 2012 Author Share Posted October 4, 2012 Further to Mr OPs questions 4 and 5, as the controller of my companys electrification diagrams, a quick check shows that as of "today", only the main through lines (Down Slow, Down Fast, Up Fast and Up Slow) are electrified; the 2 sidings on the town (west) side of the ECML are not electrified. Regarding the mast-mounted booster transformers and the circuit breakers inside the track-side feeder cabins, these are oil cooled. Any water supply present in the cabins feed a sink for hand-washing purposes. HTH Regards, Rob So in that regard any water supply going into the supply cabin is drawn fresh water and not collected groundwater. In that case my next question is were the supply cabins ever water cooled or has it always been oil cooled? Only reason I ask is that there appears to be a 'pit' next to the cabin with old rails deliberatley placed to cover it, and the cabin is raised/on stilts, I will get a photo of this at some point to illustrate better what I am going on about I apologise i cannot be more candid with what I reveal but information to date has been most helpful thankyou Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Mark Lloyd, one of the builders of that layout, has just stepped down as Middlesbrough Exhibition Manager. A couple of other familiar faces on there as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 96701 Posted October 4, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 4, 2012 Further to Mr OPs questions 4 and 5, as the controller of my companys electrification diagrams, a quick check shows that as of "today", only the main through lines (Down Slow, Down Fast, Up Fast and Up Slow) are electrified; the 2 sidings on the town (west) side of the ECML are not electrified. Regarding the mast-mounted booster transformers and the circuit breakers inside the track-side feeder cabins, these are oil cooled. Any water supply present in the cabins feed a sink for hand-washing purposes. HTH Regards, Rob I hate to do the corrections bit, but the boosters are oil insulated. The original building that contained circuit breakers had vacuum circuit breakers, but was replaced with circuit breakers that are vacuum bottles inside SF6 switchboards. The circuit breakers are Siemens 8DA VAC/GIS. As far as I'm aware, none of the switching stations have running water (at least they didn't have when I looked after some of them in the noughties). Relay rooms have running water, but 25kV buildings didn't, and probably still don't due to the lack of running water and drains. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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