HS2

[Edwin_m]

Toto, we aren't in Warwickshire any more...

[billbedford]

10 hours ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

West Ruislip portal....

 

 

 

Is that a secret HyperLoop portal?

 

 

[Ron Ron Ron]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[nightstar.train]

It's fascinating watching this huge engineering happening. I can't wait to see the enormous gantry that will be erecting those viaduct segments, that will be another engineering marvel. 

[Ron Ron Ron]

The lifting gear being used to handle the viaduct sections at the batching plant, is impressive in itself.

It's incredible to think that this heavy manufacturing infrastructure is all temporary and will have completely disappeared from the landscape in a few years time.

 

There are photos on PA Images & Alamy, showing the things like the cranes and lifting equipment being used.

 

 

 

 

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[Mike Storey]

2 hours ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

The lifting gear being used to handle the viaduct sections at the batching plant, is impressive in itself.

It's incredible to think that this heavy manufacturing infrastructure is all temporary and will have completely disappeared from the landscape in a few years time.

 

There are photos on PA Images & Alamy, showing the things like the cranes and lifting equipment being used.

 

 

 

 

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True, but there is absolutely nothing new about that. Amongst the many examples of brand new, but very temporary manufacturing plants for railway construction, you only have to look at such sites as were built for the Menai Bridge, the Saltash bridge and a number of other similar constructions, by Messrs Stephenson, Brunel and Telford in the mid-19th Century, where the transportation of completed fabrications, built further away, would have been a nightmare. The extent of these production plants were every bit as gargantuan and temporary as for HS2, but clearly not as extensive in number, as few new railways have ever had to contend with successive lengthy tunnelling and very long viaducts over such a vast distance, using batch production, in one go.

 

One struggles to see similar examples in French, German, Italian or even Chinese high speed line construction, but it was/is there, if you only look harder!

 

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, Mike Storey said:

 

 

One struggles to see similar examples in French, German, Italian or even Chinese high speed line construction, but it was/is there, if you only look harder!

 

When the LGV SEA was being built, there was a big Pre cast concrete plant not far north of Melle.  I went round it one Sunday morning when it was deserted. They were casting bridge and viaduct sections probably for the big Charente valley viaduct at Luxé.  The site even had it's resident class 211 shunting loco.  That would gave been 2013 I think.

 

Jamie

Edited February 11, 2022 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

More in hope than expectation, I checked the HS2 site this morning and Surprise, Surprise.  No it wasn't Cilla but Dorothy has returned from her trip to the North Sea and has managed to tunnel 124m. Only 1,376 to go on this the first bore.

 

Jamie

[Mike Storey]

18 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

When the LGV SEA was being built, there was a big Pre cast concrete plant not far north of Melle.  I went round it one Sunday morning when it was deserted. They were casting bridge and viaduct sections probably for the big Charente valley viaduct at Luxé.  The site even had it's resident class 211 shunting loco.  That would gave been 2013 I think.

 

Jamie

 

Yes, and there was one just outside Poitiers for the viaducts there (unless we are thinking of the same one?), but both sites have long disappeared now.

[jamie92208]

33 minutes ago, Mike Storey said:

 

Yes, and there was one just outside Poitiers for the viaducts there (unless we are thinking of the same one?), but both sites have long disappeared now.

I couldn't remember exactly where it was but knew it was between Poitiers and Melle. I presume it was where the classic line was near a main road. The Chatente  viaduct is an impressive structure.

 

Jamie

Edited February 12, 2022 by jamie92208

[Grovenor]

23 hours ago, Mike Storey said:

One struggles to see similar examples in French, German, Italian or even Chinese high speed line construction, but it was/is there, if you only look harder!

There are plenty of videos on Youtube showing very impressive machinery building viaducts in China. Viaducts that make the Colne Valley look very unimpressive.

Result of 2 seconds searching here.

Staff safe working does not look so great though.

This one shows a prestressed girder factory.

Edited February 12, 2022 by Grovenor

[unravelled]

I thought I'd go and see some of the works for myself today, and took a look at what was visible around Euston. There was quite a lot to see from Mornington Terrace, though I can only guess at the processes in use.  A few samples below, and many more at https://www.flickr.com/photos/unravelled/albums/72157699087675192/with/51877966313/

 

The Flickr album also includes some similar photos from two years ago

 

I hope these are of some interest

 

Dave

 

 

[jamie92208]

7 hours ago, unravelled said:

I thought I'd go and see some of the works for myself today, and took a look at what was visible around Euston. There was quite a lot to see from Mornington Terrace, though I can only guess at the processes in use.  A few samples below, and many more at https://www.flickr.com/photos/unravelled/albums/72157699087675192/with/51877966313/

 

The Flickr album also includes some similar photos from two years ago

 

I hope these are of some interest

 

Dave

 

 

Thanks for those Dave, keep them coming.

 

Jamie

[Edwin_m]

At a guess, the bottom of the retaining wall is being secured to the earth behind it, as excavation near its foot would otherwise risk undermining it.  The tracks will descend immediately alongside this wall and ultimately tunnel beneath it.  Residents of houses just above tried to stop the project on grounds of subsidence risk.  

 

There is also some piling going on, but it's not possible to see exactly what this is for.   Another retaining wall is needed between the HS2 tracks and the WCML to form the other side of the ramp.  This will probably be done by building a wall of piles then excavating one side of it.  

Edited February 13, 2022 by Edwin_m

[Ron Ron Ron]

Another photo of one of the Colne Valley Viaduct segments.....

 

 

 

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[unravelled]

Curious about what was to come of what I had photographed , I did some investigation on the Camden planning portal. It seems that they will be constructing a berm along the bottom of the Park  Village East retaining wall. This will come out about 5 metres, and stand about 3 metres above the main line rail level. It will have a parapet at the railway side and butresses against  the existing retaining wall.  One cross section shows HS2 in a box, partially open, about another 5 metres from the berm.

All subject to change I guess.

 

Lots of pdfs to download on the Camden site.

 

Dave

[lmsforever]

Today I had to take my other half to Quainton for her ukerlelie meeting  and I had a traffic free drive past the rail works for a change.The main compound has grown in size with piles of  earth maybe for ground cover by the look of its quality. Overflow ponds are being created all over the site and the actual line of the railway is very obvious  you can see how it will be climbing past Waddesdon . The haul road is in full operation  and seems to have been a very good idea I must admit I could not see as much as I wanted due to the rain etc but work is progressing fast.Cant wait to see next stages  but the site alongside the A41 is vast.

[Ron Ron Ron]

I posted a video on 2nd Jan on page 172 of this thread, showing HS2  site work taking place alongside the M42, just to the north of junction 9, north of Water Orton.

"First drone video of 2022"

 

I ended that post with the following sentence....

 

Quote

.....Note: Looking south east (into the sun), Junction 9 is visible in the near distance and the M42 is closed for what appears to be resurfacing, over the Christmas and New Year holiday period....

 

Well, it turns out, the resurfacing of that section of the M42, followed work to dig the motorway up and lay strengthened foundations for the "sliding" of the 10,000-tonne Marston Box HS2 rail bridge into position, later this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited February 17, 2022 by Ron Ron Ron

[Ron Ron Ron]

A few glimpses of work going on at the Old Oak Common station site, in this short PR fluff video from HS2 Ltd.

 

Between 1min 17sec and 1min 26sec, you can freeze frame to see the aerial view the whole site, looking west

GWML and the Hitachi IET depot on the left, the Crossrail depot on the right.

Also visible, at the top left of the site, is part of the conveyor system being constructed, to take the tunnel spoil away to Willesden, for onward removal by rail.

 

There are now, no remains or any evidence of the former OOC depot buildings left.

 

 

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by Ron Ron Ron

[Ron Ron Ron]

Inside the first bore of the Long Itchington Wood tunnel.

The tail end of Dorothy can be seen ahead.

The dude in the orange overalls is walking on the wall mounted walkway platform, approximately (at a guess) about 1.8 to 2.0 metres above the base of the tunnel.

 

 

 

 

 

A view from outside the tunnel portal, showing the pipes delivering water to the cutter head of the TBM and bringing away the excavated slurry for treatment.

The big yellow pipe will be for ventilation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited February 17, 2022 by Ron Ron Ron

[Trog]

I thought that a lot of the drag-line cranes used years ago for ironstone open cast mining used to be electrically powered?

 

Is this just Network rail reinventing the caterpillar track?

[Fat Controller]

24 minutes ago, Trog said:

I thought that a lot of the drag-line cranes used years ago for ironstone open cast mining used to be electrically powered?

 

Is this just Network rail reinventing the caterpillar track?

Many were powered electrically, fed by high-power 'extension leads' they dragged behind. This machine appears to run on batteries; a lot more practical on a busy construction site.

 

[jamie92208]

9 hours ago, Fat Controller said:

Many were powered electrically, fed by high-power 'extension leads' they dragged behind. This machine appears to run on batteries; a lot more practical on a busy construction site.

 

Yes they were on long leads. The preserved one at St Aidans near where I am at the moment has it's own substation that it can pick up and move.  It dates from the 1940's I think.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Yesterday ax we drove north after a rather rough channel crossing there was a lot more evidence on the A43 just east of the last Brackley roundabout.  Activity on both sides of the road with more on the north side.  

 

Jamie

[Fat Controller]

On 12/02/2022 at 16:21, Mike Storey said:

 

Yes, and there was one just outside Poitiers for the viaducts there (unless we are thinking of the same one?), but both sites have long disappeared now.

You'd be pushed to work out where the Beechbrook Farm railhead on CTRL Section 2 had been, whilst the site at Shakespeare Cliff gives little indication of its original purpose as a railhead for the Channel Tunnel.