kryten65

On 16/01/2024 at 12:35, Ruston said:

This looks like it's going to be a bit of a challenge to say the least!

It's a cast resin kit, from Milicast, for a Caterpillar D7 dozer. It is to go on the waste tip. It's probably a bit too old as a prototype for the later period of the site but it's suitable for the 1950s and perhaps even the 60s. Ideally I wanted a D8, as I have driven one of those, but this seems to be as near and as large a dozer as I can find. There does seem to be a lack of earth moving plant in 4mm.

 

Langley do a Drott B125, which is certainly suitable for the 70s and 80s, so I will also get one of those at some point.

This is sold as as 1 :72 D8 https://sandsmodels.com/product/d8-bulldozer-open-rear-ripper-blade/ haven't seen one in the flesh but it certainly has the air of a 70's D8 about it!

13 hours ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

As Jamie says, at Burton Green they are building the tunnel underneath what was the base of the pre-existing disused cutting.

The overall width of land available, would almost certainly meant very expensive and difficult measures would have been needed to simply dig out the cutting to a much lower level.

Hence the top down construction technique.

 

The tunnel structure at Copthall, will be covered with a deep layer of, goodness knows how many gazillions of tons of earth infill.

No doubt why it looks like a massive fortification.

 

The Chipping Warden tunnel looks to be at a relatively shallow depth in comparison to Copthall.

Is Greatworth similar in construction method?

 

I’ve no idea about Wendover.

 

 

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Chipping Warden, Greatworth and Wendover were going to be the same design, modularity an all that... 

But due to the ongoing issues and delays at the first two.. HS2 have taken Wendover away from EKFB and given it to Align the southern sub contractor as it was supposed to be starting soonish.. so it'll be interesting to see what happens with that.

20 hours ago, jonhinds said:

I’m trying to work out the parking arrangement based on very limited images of the car park in the mid/late 80s.

 

 

Colour photos show that the solid bays on the right were yellow lined, possibly indicating that they were allocated for specific vehicles. There are also two double yellow bays further up in the above pic.

 

I’m not sure what the right-hand dashed bays closer to camera indicate, although I suspect it’s limited stay parking. The bays to the left are possibly white lined so standard parking?

 

There also seem to be markings closer to the Red Star building but it’s impossible to make them out. Maybe loading/unloading of vehicles?

 

The parking bays are different nowadays so current photos don’t help.

 

IIRC... and it is seriously dredging the memories, those right hand side bays were used for various maintenance vans, the station cleaning team vans liveired in wypte red and cream are ones i remember being there, the space right in front of the skip was usually kept clear to let the biffa wagon in, next to the three cabinets next to the catch point for the loop was the station managers spot.

then the rest of the spaces down either side were used by the station staff, I think Red star had a marked space next to the stairs on the left but I cant remember any other specific markings for offloading as the remainder of the space was usually used either by the post office at various times through the day or bus/coach replacements

and the ramp at the side of the redstar was used for supplying the bakers and the bar downstairs

Hope this helps 

Apologies for the tardiness of this update, work has recommenced on the green tunnel at Chipping Warden very slowly..... 

But as you can see from the picture it's not quite the same procedure as before, the eagle eyed amongst you may notice the right hand bore is somewhat lacking in movement. The stumbling block is the gap you can just make out on centre line. This is the first of the emergency door opening between tunnels that seems to be causing a bit of an issue! 

Evening all, 

While wandering around the Internet I found this site https://rayrimesdesigns.com/ the prints on the site look interesting

On 18/08/2022 at 09:22, Ron Ron Ron said:

The story is also carried here …….

 

https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2022/08/17/faults-found-on-giant-hs2-green-tunnel-segments/

 

 

If they have to demolish what’s already been built, at least the issue was caught early on and not after something like quarter of a mile has been built.

 

 

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Morning All, 

thought i'd add a bit to this on account of being in the thick of it, now waiting for others that get paid far more than me to make a few decisions

• They had only got about 125m put up, before a few issues have caused it to be put on hold
• There was talk of a few units needing to be swapped out back down the tunnel, but this may be a challenge to get them out there isnt enough space to just reach in and get the particular ones, also there was talk of a fix being designed to address some of the issues in place. 
• the bulk of the issues are purely quality paperwork and nothing more exciting but thats usually a larger pain to fix than physical ones!
• Deliveries have been on hold for nearly 3 weeks while this gets bottomed out, which as we were delivering faster than the factory was producing has given them a chance to catch up! and more importantly i got a week off!

8 hours ago, SamThomas said:

Please excuse what is almost certainly a stupid question.

 

Are thees concrete sections fixed to the concrete base or will the sheer weight of the infil keep them in place ?

Currently they are standing there, just through self weight, later on they will pour a concrete slab in the bottom to tie the arch walls to the central pier, and that will be where the track will sit. Then a membrane goes over the tunnel and backfilled to cover, but that's a few years off yet! 

Progress continues at Chipping Warden, albeit slightly slower than planned but it's a long way from somewhere like done, this is a good example of how the construction goes, first the team put a number of central piers in place, then the same number of arch wall units, then roof sections

Then the crane moves back across to do the arch walls and roof units and repeat ad infinitum.. 

There are units with additional purposes, there will be central piers with ducts to allow airflow to move between the bores and emergency escape doors to allow evacuation for a stopped trains passengers to be taken away from any potential situation. 

The excavation progresses along 150m to the right of the picture, where they need to break out a thick strata of rock, before getting down to the required level, I'll try and get a pic of this work if anyone is interested 

The tunnel will extend south of the A361, the large muck heap to the right of the end of the excavation next to the road is where the temporary overbridge will be to allow access to that side. 

That was a new reason for my driver to get delayed while waiting to be offloaded "I can't move because the press are here" 

Well, here's the official Hs2 video from the start of the green tunnel

https://youtu.be/7tu0J7PeDNQ

Just a brief update from a biggish hole in Northamptonshire, the earlier issues now seem to been mostly resolved for now and erection has sort of got going, here's the outline of the two bores

The key is that central pier, the 2 x bores are built from it, either side and longitudinally, the design of the pieces has very little deviation from where it should be, it's actually free standing there such is the close tolerance. After a few rings have been erected they will pour a slab covering both rebar loops And making a pad for fixing the track too. This ring is I think number 36, the tunnel will extend back toward the photographer and away up the excavation. 

Well it's only taken a week, but they've managed to put half of one arch together. Apparently the goal is 150m of completely erected twin bores by the end of July. Meanwhile I'm off to see if I can find an industrial size bucket of patience. I'm going to need it

Good evening all, 

I bring news from the front... Finally after lots of "discussions" with a lot of people, early starts and road closures, we've finally started delivering the sections to the Chipping warden Green tunnel site, and today after a very hefty dose of "hurry up and wait" we finally managed to take the first piece down in to the excavation, so here's a brief recap of the last few days of "fun"

So the first pic is 5 central piers going up to site on full road closure for safety reasons, at daft o clock on Sunday morning.

Next pic is a passengers pov driving down the ramp in to the excavation looking down to the end where the A361 crosses the site. 

Then down to the pad, and looking back up in the direction the tunnel will run

And finally the first piece of is clear of the trailer, tomorrow it'll be upended and positioned and the build starts in earnest, this is one of those odd moments where I'm genuinely witnessing and playing apart in something that will be around long after I'm not

Right that fits on there.. A morning of test loadings, to enable me to put together a briefing package for the delivery team, so everyone is singing off the same hymn sheet.. Getting closer still a few miracles to get lined up before we get going

Found a green tunnel kit, anyone seen the instructions? 

From the nearest to the furthest, 

Central piers, Wall sections, roof sections 

Apologies for the not great picture, but it's the current state of the cut for the 1st green tunnel at Chipping Warden, actually taken from the A361. 1st "ring" is to be erected the 19th of May.. Providing I can perform a few logistic miracles with some very large lumps of concrete 

21 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

Did you get a feel for how it was constructed? Was it RC in the sense of re-bar reinforcement, or was the load taken mainly by steel beams, and the concrete non-reinforced? If it was steel beams, were they encased, or ‘naked’?

 

(Why the dickens I come up with all these questions only after it’s gone, when I could have looked at it in detail on any one of the hundreds of times I cycled over it, is best not asked!)

i don't remember there being any exposed steel at all under there, also I don't remember any mould markings standing out 

On 31/03/2022 at 12:04, Ryde-on-time said:

The new bridge for Salden Lane near Mursley is now open so last weekend from it I took a couple of photos of the more characterful old bridge which will soon be demolished I imagine?

 

 

 I've seen pictures of this dating from 1915, but after standing underneath it when we were delivering the beams for the new bridge and seeing the rather alarming cracks in the concrete span and supporting walls, it's served its time and then some

9 hours ago, melmerby said:

I thought the Curzon Street build was already using electrically powered machinery.

Well... The electric crawler crane that was all over the Curzon street photo was taken there just for that, it is the same one that's all over the press at Old Oak Common in the last few weeks and is actually working (in between breakdowns) with another of the the three in the fleet, at OOC

That's what the cut looked like at the Chipping warden tunnel site looked like at the end of August, another 15m to go down and a few crane pads to go in before deliveries start in ernest. 

and i'm just writing up the route survey for Greatworth. 

I've got a busy few years once these all get up and running.. that being the important bit!

14 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Which one is you?

the left hand side of the orange blob at the point of the arrow.. i remember standing there and watching the plane thinking, "well thats an odd place to be flying!!

18 hours ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

The south portal work site itself. 

November 2021.

 

 

 

 

 

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Picture actually taken 15th November about 11:30am... cos ive just realised i'm in it on a site visit there!

Apologies for the slightly shonky drawing, but the orange line shows the location (roughly),  i did think it was odd as the approaches to either side have required some serious earthworks! you can stand at Sandhill road, and look down the trace to the new structure.

Afternoon all, 

Just another infrequent update from a field in Buckinghamshire, 

Firstly the finished and re-opened to traffic Bridge on Sandhill Road, and the other reason I'm back here, delivering and installing the beams for the new bridge at Verney Junction