Wolvercot. what's going on?

[ess1uk]

just been for a walk and was wondering what's with all the ballast and civils under Godstow Road bridge in Wolvercot?

 

[DavidB]

Network Rail is reinstating the old Down goods loop from Oxford to Wolvercote, to increase capacity and flexibility. The North Oxford locals have been up in arms about the loss of trees lining Port Meadow, but the views across towards Wytham from the line have been much enhanced, much to my pleasure when travelling to Brum (bringing back happy memories of misspent teenage years on Port Meadow with girls from Oxford High........).

 

David

[Rugd1022]

The old Down Goods Loop is being extended from Port Meadow (Oxford North Junction) to give more capacity.

 

Edit : simultaneous post..!

Edited July 3, 2013 by Rugd1022

[ess1uk]

thought it looked like it might be a reinstatement.

thanks

[Rugd1022]

I'll be wafting past later today with 6M40 heading north, if it's anything like Tuesday there'll be plenty of orange clad bods getting stuck in... will have a closer look today.

 

Why the loop was ever shortened in the first place baffles me...!

[Supaned]

If there is any common sense , they'll re-instate it as a passenger loop , that way if there are any issues on the Cotswold line , the outbound GW can be held in the loop waiting for the single line rather than stopping the job on the main line as is currently the case.

[The Stationmaster]

Oops, another vanished post.  Anyway great to see it reinstated in full and good to see some of the lineside jungle getting the long overdue treatment from chainsaws and digger buckets, especially in a good cause.  I think it went for the simple reason that it wasn't considered to be needed Nidge - saving a fair amount of money in the process - and i don't think we ever found teh lack of it to be problem in freight planning term back in the '90s.

 

It's interesting to see that the various changes around the Oxford area are now getting fairly close to not only reinstating the availability of running lines between Kennington Jcn and Wolvercot Jcn as they were immediately post WWII but are providing higher linespeeds on what at that time were just low speed goods loops - shows how the railway is changing and the availability of the money to do it.

[caradoc]

Frighteningly, I can remember when the Down Goods was lifted - Around 1973 in connection with the Oxford area MAS scheme, IIRC. I also recall one of the PWM shunters being used. Wonderful to see it being re-instated after all these years.

[BrushVeteran]

Electrification masts soon then!!!!

[The Stationmaster]

Electrification masts soon then!!!!

It will be part of the cross-country 'freight spine' scheme although it is supposed to be in place on that section by the end of Control Period 5, which is about 6 years away I believe.

[Southernman46]

Anyway - Oxford North Jn from Aristole Lane FB is pretty open shot now coming south

[ess1uk]

Electrification masts soon then!!!!

think the bridge may need some work first

[unravelled]

That section of down loop was odd because it diverged from the other 3 lines north of Aristotle lane bridge, and was separated from them by a ditch. In my spotting dats at Oxford north junction, I can't remrmber it being used much, unlike the up loop.

 

This 1965 pic is taken from the Aristotle lane crossing and shows the divergence

 

 

This one shows the separation of the down loop, running behind the telegraph poles.

 

 

Thanks

 

Dave

[big jim]

its always the same, i go and route learn somewhere and they change it, off over there later learning aynho to didcot

[The Stationmaster]

its always the same, i go and route learn somewhere and they change it, off over there later learning aynho to didcot

That's the whole reason for 'Working Over Norms'  Jim - every route a company works over should be assessed and a norm established based on the route's complexity and liability to changes etc and those norms should be regularly reassessed.  I do sometimes wonder just how many operators still follow that process? 

[big jim]

i did a few of the route risk assesments for fastline, crewe to liverpool amongst them, the gathered info is inputted into a computer and it gives an index of how complex/risky a route is, info included things like multi spad signals, signals with restricted views, areas of low adheasion etc, of course there is no substitute to actually getting out there and driving it with an instructor!

 

from a drivers point of view you do get a briefing and "yellow peril" for any signalling or p way changes to routes, the one for aynho to marylebone was pretty big!

[Rugd1022]

The 'ditch' between the Down Main and Down Goods extends for quite a way... anyway I'm glad it's all in hand and the view across to the west as you head north is rather nice throughout the seasons.

 

It looks like today could well be my last day working 6M40 from Oxford as we're losing the job in two weeks time, I've no idea why as nobody tells us anything 'at the sharp end'. Feels a bit like having the rug pulled out from under you but there are lots of changes happening at the moment. A great pity as it's by far the best job at the depot and a joy to work, even when it runs late, we've always looked on it as the 'the pride of the depot' and have always done our very best to keep it running. The signalmen in Oxford PSB and the two mechanical boxes at Banbury are the friendliest I've ever come across, no bother, no stress, no fuss, just get on with the job and there's always a cheery wave from the Bobbies at Banbury.... I just hope we get some more work down that way so I can keep it on my route card...!

[big jim]

as it happens i visited the 'box at oxford today while road learning, spoke to the signallers who said the loop is indeed being relaid however it will become the down fast (90mph) and if i understood it correctly, the up loop will become the up fast with the existing roads (current fast lines) that will be then running up the centre become freight loops, the junction at wolvercote will be doubled too

[unravelled]

I had to be in Oxford at the weekend, so detoured to Aristotle lane to see if anything was going on.

 

The old down loop trackbed looks as if it has been cleared used as an access route towards Wolvercote siding. I think the old alignment will need some modification before suitable for high speed running. I wonder if the stream/ditch will be relocated outside the track?

 

 

I presume the works tie in with Evergreen 3. The Oxford Bicester route is supposedly being closed in Feb 2014 for a couple of years, reopening with its own route into Oxford station, (mainly on the LNWR alignment?). This is the current arrangement.

 

 

For what it's worth here are a couple of photos from a badly damaged film taken on May 5 1964, on my only visit to Wolvercote siding, with the crane. The first is of 46251 on a special, (RCST East Midlander No.7), looking towards the bridge, and a Hall(?) looking towards Oxford.

 

Thanks

 

Dave

[Rugd1022]

Further north towards Wolvercot, the alignment is 'outside' of the ditch so that part of it is staying put 

[ess1uk]

When I went by on Saturday there seemed to be plenty of men in orange about. What's the timescale for this to be finished?

[unravelled]

A few pictures taken just after Christmas. The route of the down loop North of Aristotle lane seems to have been fenced, and a bit more clearance done. Access for road rail vehicles  has been created between Aristotle lane and Walton Well Road bridges. Materials are being stockpiled along the line.

 

Dave

 

[big jim]

noticed this week that the points leading from the new loop at wolvcote jn have been installed and track is laid back as far as the A34 overbridge so far

[Pacific231G]

Network Rail is reinstating the old Down goods loop from Oxford to Wolvercote, to increase capacity and flexibility. The North Oxford locals have been up in arms about the loss of trees lining Port Meadow, but the views across towards Wytham from the line have been much enhanced, much to my pleasure when travelling to Brum (bringing back happy memories of misspent teenage years on Port Meadow with girls from Oxford High........).

 

David

Since this is a reinstatement I take it the trees were planted after the down goods loop was removed. I've got teenage memories of a very arthritic pannier tank that regularly hauled the empty Witney blanket trains up that line. Though I used to waste (NOT) some of my pocket money on day returns from Oxford to Banbury or Kingham during the last breaths of steam at Oxford I can't actually remember how much of Port Meadow was directly visible from the track. 

The odd thing is that though I was brought up very close to it and visited it often I've absolutely no memory of a foot crossing of the main line north out of Oxford apart possibly from the old Wolvercote level crossing where we used to do some of our spotting- about where the small red generator (?) is in the OP photo from Godstow Road bridge. There's almost no trace of the crossing now and I can't remember whether it was even a legit. foot crossing then- probably not. 

 

Update: I've just checked with Google Earth's 1945 aerial picture and as I thought there were no trees between the line and Port Meadow. 

Edited January 31, 2014 by Pacific231G

[D1059]

 

Update: I've just checked with Google Earth's 1945 aerial picture and as I thought there were no trees between the line and Port Meadow. 

 

Memories of numerous trips south through Oxford in the early to mid 80s - ISTR there was little growth on the old good loop alignment even then. Most of what has now been removed I would imagine has mainly sprouted since privatisation (and RT/NR let things go completely to pot)