GWML Electification

[Richard E]

OK, not sure what this is about but there are reports of delays due to OHLE damage between Reading and Didcot this morning. Is that part of the new knitting?

[m0rris]

Yes, I can't particularly make head nor tail of the information that's come out about it so I can't say what has happened but it is indeed a stretch of the new wiring.

[Northroader]

The people at Goring threw a supermarket trolley off the bridge?

[The Stationmaster]

Yes, I can't particularly make head nor tail of the information that's come out about it so I can't say what has happened but it is indeed a stretch of the new wiring.

 

'Get Reading' quotes a GWR tweet (I think that's what they're called) referring to 'damage to overhead wiring between Reading and Didcot'.  That could mean anything from delay in a possession for installation work to wires damaged during a possession to ??????  I wonder if they've tried to run a pantograph along some of it - unless things have changed there'd be a fair chance of it bringing some down in the vicinity of Purley.

[Banger Blue]

A length of the OLE was reported as deemed to be fouling the Up Main between Tilehurst East Junction and Scours Lane. I don't know exactly what part of the OLE it was or what caused it but the Up Main had a block on it for most of yesterday.

 

I believe that the time required for the emergency possession to repair it and the number of lines that required to be blocked led them to decide to run "as is" and the repairs would be carried out during the normal possession scheduled for that evening.

[The Stationmaster]

A length of the OLE was reported as deemed to be fouling the Up Main between Tilehurst East Junction and Scours Lane. I don't know exactly what part of the OLE it was or what caused it but the Up Main had a block on it for most of yesterday.

 

I believe that the time required for the emergency possession to repair it and the number of lines that required to be blocked led them to decide to run "as is" and the repairs would be carried out during the normal possession scheduled for that evening.

 

That sounds quite logical as some of the catenary in that vicinity was not terminated on the proper tensioning units but was simply tied secured to the gantry booms.

[HillsideDepot]

Day two of my Rail Rover (after 'rain stopped play' yesterday) and a few observations west of Chippenham.

 

One of the main feeder stations is located at Thingley Sidings, but I was on the wrong side of the train to see it clearly, so need another trip past before commenting. The compound at Farleigh Down Sidings which was used as the access point during the Box Tunnel works last summer is still active, although with nothing more specific than a collection of Transits and Portacabins. A similar compound has been set up at Westmoreland Goods in Bath, while Saltford Station holds a stock of piles. Bristol East Depot was busy with various electrification related items in store, including some signal gantry parts. It was also playing host to a rail grinding train. There has also been piling along the embankment across the meadows between Twerton Tunnels and Saltford (I want to call it Kelston Meadows, but aren't sure that's correct). Apparently these were done when the line was shut for other engineering work.

I then set off for Kernow, travelling on the Down Cornish Riviera Express and the Up Royal Duchy (thanks to the later running half an hour late).

 

My return was via 'Glastonbury Festival Parkway' (Castle Cary) - "please remember to take all your luggage, wellies and tents with you" as the Guard said over the PA - meaning I did the Melksham line to get home. The Up side view from Beanacre to Thingley reveals the scar left by the earthworks where the main power feed cables are buried, although it won't be long before it all grows back. On the approach to the Junction there are a number of pile locations marked with yellow pegs (the result of test pits?) so it appears that it will be possible to stable an electric train on the branch clear of the mainline (although with the increased Melksham service it would soon find itself causing an obstruction). Interestingly though the parapet on the branch bridge hasn't been raised, despite the road being closed for months while the adjoining mainline bridge was rebuilt.

 

While I was changing trains at North Road I managed to photograph power car 43002, looking great wearing its original livery again - some memories there for me, but it started me wondering, what will we think of SETs and indeed the electrification infrastructure in 40 years time?

[The Stationmaster]

The test pits are usually marked out with 4 yellow pegs nowadays from what I've seen although that wasn't always the case with the early ones where it looked as if anything to hand was used.

[lmsforever]

I would recommend that folks read the July issue of Modern Railways as the article on GW electrification explains in detail the why,s and wherefores of the process and surprisingly an agreement that portals are to heavy and need redesigning .Work is ongoing to reduce costs and get back on budget and time ,overall the design was overenginered working to a standard that said two pantographs at 125mph  needed heavy wire and portals was proved wrong as there was no drop in voltage collection at all but they still went ahead with what we see now.The good thing is that as the wires go westwards the design will be modified but with so many cables etc in the cess its not going to be easy ,reading the article gives me confidence that the right people are in charge and working hard to produce a project that will deliver an excellent rail service

[RJS1977]

Disruption on the Reading-Didcot line today owing to 'over-running engineering work' on the Reliefs. Not much sign of anything going on apart from one bloke in an orange suit at Pangbourne and a few wagons carrying rail at Goring. Lines re-opened around lunchtime. But no apparent progress on wiring from when I was last up that way.

[Zomboid]

To my untrained eye, there looks to be continuous OLE from Didcot Parkway to somewhere between Tilehurst and Reading, just short of the depot.

Definitely both fast lines, not sure about the slows as I don't have x-ray vision to see through the roof of the train...

[St. Simon]

Hi,

 

Passed through Maidenhead today and just happened to glance down towards Bourne End to my surprise, there's masts up leading down the Branch, although I'm not sure about how far down they extend.

 

Simon

[The Stationmaster]

Hi,

 

Passed through Maidenhead today and just happened to glance down towards Bourne End to my surprise, there's masts up leading down the Branch, although I'm not sure about how far down they extend.

 

Simon

 

Not very far Simon - I presume they are just there to either provide a run-off or allow room for a set to pull onto the branch to clear the Reliefs before reversing.  There have long been some digging sites marked out at Twyford which would allow a run-off but nothing else - no work has been done on them since the initial top only dig and marking and most of the marking pegs are long gone.

[Clay Country]

To my untrained eye, there looks to be continuous OLE from Didcot Parkway to somewhere between Tilehurst and Reading, just short of the depot.

Definitely both fast lines, not sure about the slows as I don't have x-ray vision to see through the roof of the train...

Wires on this section (just the fast lines) are due to be energised tonight.

[The Stationmaster]

Wires on this section (just the fast lines) are due to be energised tonight.

 

Interesting - so isolations will have to be taken for all the outstanding work (although maybe they've been doing that already as the overhead has been 'treated as live' for some weeks).

[Zomboid]

I would imagine isolations will be easy to book for a while, though, given the level of electric train service presently running on the route.

[APOLLO]

Not a GWR fan, but I found this film very interesting. A hint of electrification to come with a new tall gantry just outside Paddington.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU79Nawa4Rk#t=538.579438

 

Brit15

Edited July 3, 2016 by APOLLO

[The Stationmaster]

Not a GWR fan, but I found this film very interesting. A hint of electrification to come with a new tall gantry just outside Paddington.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU79Nawa4Rk#t=538.579438

 

Brit15

 

I think that's one of the ones that bent when the various bits were added to it - very different from what finished up there in the end.

[Southernman46]

Wires on this section (just the fast lines) are due to be energised tonight.

 

Interesting - so isolations will have to be taken for all the outstanding work (although maybe they've been doing that already as the overhead has been 'treated as live' for some weeks).

 

I quote from the official standing instruction ............................ [scours Lane (37m 63ch) and Milton Jcn (54m 51ch)]. = MAIN lines only - the reliefs are still under construction ................

 

"From the 2nd 9th, 16th and 23rd July the system will be live for the purposes of testing and commissioning on Saturday nights only. The system will then be isolated and earthed after testing on a Saturday is completed, so in effect there will be a blanket isolation from 2nd July (energisation date) for 12 weeks; until 24th September. There will be other times when the system will be energised and these will be managed in the same way."

 

"all work inside NR boundaries (including lineside work), within the mileages stated, will be subject to issue of a Form C permit" - (gets everybody used to the process)

 

"A Form C (isolation permit) will be issued to every COSS from 2nd July, [scours Lane (37m 63ch) and Milton Jcn (54m 51ch)]. Form C covers the main lines. When working on the reliefs, a Form C will be issued for the main lines and an explanation that the relief lines are under construction will be provided at the start of each shift in a briefing that will be signed for."

[cheesysmith]

I have just been reading the july issue of modern railways, and in it there is a very good piece on the GW electrification, but what specifically caught my attention was the comments on the F&F equiptment, and questons have been asked about the designs. Things like if the traditional H section uprights have done so well after X number of years, why change to box sections? Why the larger diameter and deeper piles when the older sizes and depth have worked? And the fact the reliability of the headspan used on the ECML is nowhere near as bad as has been made out in the past, it just required proper maintenace.

 

Well worth a read if you are into any of the technical stuff involved in this.

[Reorte]

 And the fact the reliability of the headspan used on the ECML is nowhere near as bad as has been made out in the past, it just required proper maintenace.

Even then I'm sure NR would rather a system that didn't require that maintenance. It's more an argument for not replacing it urgently than for considering a repeat.

[cheesysmith]

 the comment about the headspan used is more along the fact that they have ignored what went before and started from scratch. A development of the designs before, but using a beam instead of the wires, with the new design of arms to make individually insulated lines, would have been better. The comments from the article imply that they assumed the headspan was worse than it was, so ignored previous designs.

[Northroader]

Looking out of the HST window this afternoon, the overhead wires are still missing on both the relief lines from just south of Moreton cutting to Didcot. There are also stretches of the cable which links back to the auto transformers to go in, although this is not used on every stretch, some bits are in, and some are missing. Generally this is supported on full size insulators on dangly bits off extensions fitted to the top of the mast, (rather than the earth cable supported at the side of the mast on small insulators, which is continuous) Funnily enough there are a line of masts on the upside just west of Wantage Road which have the dangly bits fitted, but nothing else.

[Zomboid]

Dangly bits? Could you refrain from using technical jargon without explaining it to those of us who aren't OLE engineers?

[Northroader]

Sorry, they just sort of, like, dangle, kind of thing..