Swindon - Kemble re-doubling

[Dunsignalling]

I'm quite surprised that newer cable runs would have to be moved, there must have been an assumption that singled lines would never be redoubled.

That seems to have been the general practice. Railway industry projects seem to generally be 'stand alone' affairs unless they form part of a larger overall scheme.

 

To be fair, planners aren't issued with crystal balls but it also seems that nobody will take anyone else's word as to what already exists, however up-to-date the information.

 

I don't know how many different surveys were carried out of the circuitry at my old box in the final year before it was "recontrolled", but there were four when I was on duty!

 

It did amuse me, though, to be informed that the new footbridge at Honiton had to be high enough to clear 25kv OHLE, thereby giving everyone using it several extra steps to climb.

 

I presume this is a standard which applies everywhere rather than the result of somebody being proactive!

 

John

[Captain Kernow]

The line will be re-doubled through the tunnel at Kemble as well, it will be double track throughout from Swindon Loco Yard, where it is already double, through to Standish Jct.

 

At Kemble, IIRC, a new facing crossover will be installed, which will be the sole crossover between Swindon and Standish Jct. The old Cirencester branch platform will also remain as a tamper stabling location.

 

Stationmaster is also correct regarding the moving of certain signals, troughing routes, location cabinets etc. etc.

[rob D2]

One of my relatives is working on it today at Kemble, he wondered if I wanted to drive up at there at 6 am , err, no I'm not that keen...

[Andy Kirkham]

So many of those photos show a continuous barrier of foliage on both sides of the line. The sight of it makes me utterly sick at heart -  to me there can scarcely be any pleasure left in train travel if you can't watch the scenery. I don't suppose there's any intention of clearing any of it as part of the scheme, is there?

[Trog]

Is "bottom" ballast different to "top" ballast?

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

 

Sometimes up until about the end of BR smaller 28mm top stone (AKA Tunnel Ballast) would be used in places where tampers were unlikely to be used.

[Richard E]

In my experience of travelling the same route for 6 1/2 years now lineside foliage is not regularly cut back, travelling in winter allows one to see a lot more at times. On my route the lineside has been cleared once in that time.

[The Stationmaster]

In my experience of travelling the same route for 6 1/2 years now lineside foliage is not regularly cut back, travelling in winter allows one to see a lot more at times. On my route the lineside has been cleared once in that time.

That frequently???

 

I really am amazed that the verdant linesides we see nowadays are a potential source of various problems?  Apart from trees and shrubs brushing against passing rolling stock there must surely be a question of the 'green tunnel' effect on Drivers trying to correctly judge braking distances, the total lack of cess paths in many areas because they are so badly overgrown, root damage to embankments & cuttings, and of course the added hazard of ever more 'leaves on the line'.  Strikes me in fact that overall the heavily overgrown linesides present a number of potential safety hazards although no doubt we will only see them receiving attention after 'something' has happened.  (Rant mode disengaged, sorry for pinching part of this thread but even where the railway is being upgraded the lineside still doesn't seem to be receiving the proper attention it needs.)  

 

And yes I know it costs money - the chap who does the trees in my garden regularly carries out railway lineside work but the contracts are very hit & miss and are poorly spec'd so the trees and shrubs simply grow back if the job is done as specified with no long term attention being given after initial clearance.

[Richard E]

Ah - Mike it's the ECML so it will be done more frequently than elsewhere

[Oldddudders]

It may be significant that in the original RT1 contract between Railtrack and the BRIS Companies (all just subsidiaries of BR) which came into effect 1.4.1994, there was no provision for control of vegetation. Given the many months of work that had gone into devising and agreeing that contract, it has obviously not been high on the list of engineering priorities for many years.

[The Stationmaster]

It may be significant that in the original RT1 contract between Railtrack and the BRIS Companies (all just subsidiaries of BR) which came into effect 1.4.1994, there was no provision for control of vegetation. Given the many months of work that had gone into devising and agreeing that contract, it has obviously not been high on the list of engineering priorities for many years.

I understood that it had simply been forgotten Ian but on the other hand we were starting to suffer ever more leaf fall 'troubles' on the Western by c1984/85 which was just about the time that trees which had gained a start after the demise of steam were reaching maturity and producing loads more leaves.  The practice of twice yearly 'bank burning' on the Western was discontinued after the Region ceased using steam locos but some growth control did continue subsequently and that big change does show in some of the pics in this thread I think.

[ZiderHead]

Could this be a factor for the apparently common lineside fires from steam specials?

[phil-b259]

That frequently???

 

I really am amazed that the verdant linesides we see nowadays are a potential source of various problems?  Apart from trees and shrubs brushing against passing rolling stock there must surely be a question of the 'green tunnel' effect on Drivers trying to correctly judge braking distances, the total lack of cess paths in many areas because they are so badly overgrown, root damage to embankments & cuttings, and of course the added hazard of ever more 'leaves on the line'.  Strikes me in fact that overall the heavily overgrown linesides present a number of potential safety hazards although no doubt we will only see them receiving attention after 'something' has happened.  (Rant mode disengaged, sorry for pinching part of this thread but even where the railway is being upgraded the lineside still doesn't seem to be receiving the proper attention it needs.)  

 

And yes I know it costs money - the chap who does the trees in my garden regularly carries out railway lineside work but the contracts are very hit & miss and are poorly spec'd so the trees and shrubs simply grow back if the job is done as specified with no long term attention being given after initial clearance.

 

Sounds about right. Basically vegetation clearance (and it is literally that - no killing the roots, etc) is only done where it becomes a safety hazard - For example (obscuring signals, making line side access points unusable, walking routes for train crew (and occasionally infrastructure staff if they are really persistant in reporting it)). Leaves and light branches brushing against passing trains don't seem to be an issue unless they damage windscreens or obscure signals - as evidenced by the FCC train that failed last week with a load of buddleja branches wrapped round its pantograph (source was an overbridge at Tooting apparently).

 

After Network Rail took over from Railtrack there was a period when serious effort was put into tacking all the excess tree growth that BR followed by Railtrack had let happen but in many cases this prompted howls of protests from residents living alongside the line at the loss of screening the trees had come to provide. Since then however things have been allowed to drift and things are now heading back to the days of BR where lineside vegetation is concerned

[ess1uk]

Had to get veg cleared the other week on ecml as we couldn't find a site we wanted to work at! Couldn't even find the access steps, did a good job though after we reported it and was ok when we went back. Bet it's overgrown again by now though.

 

Great thread and excellent pictures btw.

[Ian Smeeton]

Perhaps steam specials should be encouraged?

 

Regards

 

Ian

[Oldddudders]

Perhaps steam specials should be encouraged?

 

They should be encouraged for all sorts of reasons! Let's not forget it wasn't only the demise of steam that halted the systematic destruction of bushes and saplings. Continuous welded rail, with all the advantages of a smoother ride and mechanised track maintenance, led to a dramatic change in the nature of the p-way gang, with numbers decimated at considerable advantage to the wage-bill. Thus the casual observation of a sapling becoming a tree, which required very little removal at that stage by the gang in passing, simply stopped.

[Captain Kernow]

This is now the final weekend of the blockade, prior to planned hand back to normal operations at 0450 hrs on Monday morning next week (2nd September). There have been 'ups and downs' with this job, as highlighted by some of the comments on this thread, but in overall terms, the lads have done very well and it is currently all on target for a right time hand back. The four new signals (two stop signals in each direction, plus repeaters) between Standish Jct and Kemble are also now due for commissioning (ie. 'turning on') this weekend, following mandatory testing.

 

Here are some photos from The Captain's Travels yesterday:

 

First of all, a unit shunt with the Pilotman at Kemble:

 

 

Scenes from the Oaksey worksite, about 3 miles or so south of Kemble:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More photos to come!

 

[Captain Kernow]

Some views taken yesterday at Minety level crossing. Tamping of the new Up line (which will reopen initially as the Single Line on Monday) was taking place, plus building new retaining walls (in concrete) for the road approach to the level crossing:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Captain Kernow]

Now we move a bit further down to Minety bridge, and in one of the shots we can look back in 'telephoto mode' at the tamper seen working in the previous posting:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moving further down still, we come to the overbridge adjacent to the site of the former Minety station:

 

 

 

[Captain Kernow]

Finally, for now, we come to Purton, starting just to the north of the station and walking in a northwards direction, to a work site where 'McCulloch/Barclay' rail moving machines are at work:

 

 

 

 

I think they've changed their mind about relaying this bit in OO gauge....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ullypug]

Fascinating insight into the construction processes Cap'n. Thanks for posting!

[Fat Controller]

Can those little yellow things really lift 20 tonnes?

[Southernman46]

Can those little yellow things really lift 20 tonnes?

2000kg = 2 tonnes   

 

Still more useful than 6 blokes with pinch bars and a track jack though..................

[The Stationmaster]

Excellent stuff Cap'n, really shows how the job is being tackled and that a proper long term job is being done.

[Trog]

2000kg = 2 tonnes   

 

Still more useful than 6 blokes with pinch bars and a track jack though..................

 

But not so character building.

 

I once soon after privatisation had to move and install a 600' rail using a rail scooters. The contract gang who were all painters (white splodges all over their boots and clothes) of limited PW experience thought I was kidding when I told them it weighed 10 tons and we were moving it 200 yards by hand. I won't say we were tight for manpower but every time I crossed a low point in the ballast shoulder my feet left the ground, and I was left dangling from the end of the scooter handle. For some strange reason I never saw that gang again.

[Fat Controller]

2000kg = 2 tonnes   

 

Still more useful than 6 blokes with pinch bars and a track jack though..................

Sorry- my eyesight must be going; I thought there were four zeroes..