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East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line


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10 hours ago, cctransuk said:

 

Bletchley in ExpoEM days was best described as Post-apocalyptic!!

 

CJI.

 

I always thought that Bletchley high street looked not so much run down as run over.

 

It was perhaps telling that the smartest and most prosperous looking shop fronts were the Bookie's and the one with the large sign seemingly designed to attract passing trade marked Criminal Defence Lawyers. 

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3 hours ago, Trog said:

 

It was perhaps telling that the smartest and most prosperous looking shop fronts were the Bookie's and the one with the large sign seemingly designed to attract passing trade marked Criminal Defence Lawyers. 

I thoughtbthat Criminal Defence lawyers were in abundant supply.

 

Jamie

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Who remembers Rayzell's nightclub upstairs in the Brunel Centre? Probably best forgotten TBH...

And didn't the wrestler Johnny Kincaid run a pub or two in the town?

 

Back on topic, I stopped by Swanbourne station and Whaddon Road (Mursley) to see what is going on. Lots of rolls of membrane in the Swanbourne compound, being laid out heading west for the down line, view looking through the gates on the closed bridleway, taken with full zoom on the phone, so a bit blurry.

 

IMG_20220518_191354.jpg.467ee5bedcfc6299e9794bced1b2ae03.jpg

 

View from the Mursley bridge looking west, membrane with rails, but no sleepers as yet. The compound here is virtually empty.

 

IMG_20220518_191929.jpg.4e5df77cf0656188f214ffb73d118cbf.jpg

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14 minutes ago, Davexoc said:

Who remembers Rayzell's nightclub upstairs in the Brunel Centre? Probably best forgotten TBH...

And didn't the wrestler Johnny Kincaid run a pub or two in the town?

 

Back on topic, I stopped by Swanbourne station and Whaddon Road (Mursley) to see what is going on. Lots of rolls of membrane in the Swanbourne compound, being laid out heading west for the down line, view looking through the gates on the closed bridleway, taken with full zoom on the phone, so a bit blurry.

 

IMG_20220518_191354.jpg.467ee5bedcfc6299e9794bced1b2ae03.jpg

 

View from the Mursley bridge looking west, membrane with rails, but no sleepers as yet. The compound here is virtually empty.

 

IMG_20220518_191929.jpg.4e5df77cf0656188f214ffb73d118cbf.jpg

Yes I remember Rayzells and the banana club 

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16 hours ago, Davexoc said:

Who remembers Rayzell's nightclub upstairs in the Brunel Centre? Probably best forgotten TBH...

And didn't the wrestler Johnny Kincaid run a pub or two in the town?

 

 

Spent a few dodgy nights frequenting the place in my youf........

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The following image shows track laying at a double arched bridge.

 

https://twitter.com/Marshrail/status/1524494908060585984/photo/2

 

It looks very much like its the bridge carrying the Whaddon Road to/from Newton Longville which was the former eastern entrance to Swanbourne Sidings. The Track looks to diverge at this point with East Bound (former Up) Line using the former Archway  access to Swanbourne Sidings and the Oxford bound line using the former through line Archway. 

 

Edited by Pannier Tank
Speeling mistook
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7 hours ago, Pannier Tank said:

It looks very much like its the bridge carrying the Whaddon Road to/from Newton Longville which was the former eastern entrance to Swanbourne Sidings. The Track looks to diverge at this point with East Bound (former Up) Line using the former Archway  access to Swanbourne Sidings and the Oxford bound line using the former through line Archway. 

 

 

The mast visible through the murk indicates that is the location. So if Nidge of this parish delivered the next length of LWR to that location after that section had been laid, will we see the new track construction train again this coming week taking track further towards Swanbourne?

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10 hours ago, Pannier Tank said:

 

The following image shows track laying at a double arched bridge.

 

https://twitter.com/Marshrail/status/1524494908060585984/photo/2

 

It looks very much like its the bridge carrying the Whaddon Road to/from Newton Longville which was the former eastern entrance to Swanbourne Sidings. The Track looks to diverge at this point with East Bound (former Up) Line using the former Archway  access to Swanbourne Sidings and the Oxford bound line using the former through line Archway. 

 

Looks like the same machine as the one used at Werrington.

Must save an awful lot of time and manpower, it even inserts the rail clips!

 

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10 hours ago, melmerby said:

AFAIK Those yellow thingies are the earthbound drones that carry the rail to site.

Indeed! TRTs are their official name (Trac Rail Transposer) and predominately used by McCulloch Rail. More info on them can be found here: 

 

https://www.mccullochrail.com/trt/

 

 

 

As a side note - that Harsco / Balfour Beatty NTC really is an impressive piece of kit. I once ended up spending about an hour watching them lay the track through Caldercruix on the A to B (Airdrie to Bathgate) project a few years ago, absolutely fascinating! 

 

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1 hour ago, Nearholmer said:

What “destination” in RTT finds trains going onto this line? I’ve had a hunt and can’t work out.

 

 

I don't know about RTT but you may find this useful?

 

Bletchley Summit of Flyover

 

https://trackit.uppyjc.co.uk/TrackIT/Forms/Location.aspx?LocationID=9211&Previous=1440&Next=60&HideCompleted=False&HideCancelled=False&AutoRefresh=False&DisplayMode=TM&Reverse=True&Estimate=False&Headcode=&TOC=&Orig=&Dest=

 

Click on the RED 632M and 633M for full path of train.

 

https://trackit.uppyjc.co.uk/TrackIT/Forms/Location.aspx?LocationID=9211

Edited by Pannier Tank
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Do we know if the NTC is still down the "branch" at the moment or if it's elsewhere - I ask as there's a few of the NTC wagons currently sat in Eastleigh Works, which makes we wonder if it's temporarily stopped - which if so is a bit of a shame as... 

 

... This tweet from Phil Marsh this week shows that rail's have started to arrive at Swanbourne. 

 

 

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7 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

What “destination” in RTT finds trains going onto this line? I’ve had a hunt and can’t work out.

 

Cycled by this morning, and it’s very odd to see a formation with track on it after all these years.

 

It is 'Bletchley Smt Of Flyover'; as per this screen grab for 27th:

 

1735362774_RTT27May.JPG.84f4aa06d5455eb7d1fea507ba3597e8.JPG

 

Tony

 

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Section under the Mursley - Whaddon road road is now sleepered, heading towards Swanbourne station. Shouldn't be much longer before they reach Winslow, although there is no membrane just east of there as yet...

 

RTT shows todays train was cancelled, but there are paths in for tomorrow and Thursday

Edited by Davexoc
RTT addition
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A couple of phone shots at Swanbourne station, or at least what is left of it....

 

IMG_20220608_192558.thumb.jpg.706a7fb93dc5e9af737fe7e1bb0a1161.jpg

 

IMG_20220608_192617.thumb.jpg.09bba1e83bdafe2ffde3a02de76eb5f9.jpg

 

Looks like tomorrow the rails may get moved over and placed on membrane on the down side?

This mornings train ran, there is another in RTT for tomorrow, then another arriving Saturday evening, departing Sunday. Strangely, it is booked outbound as heavier than it arrived....

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12 hours ago, Davexoc said:

No change by yesterday evening at Swanbourne station. RTT shows an on time arrival at the flyover summit an hour ago of something....

 

Having repeatedly missed the track laying train I have been keeping an eye on what arrives at Bletchley and this was last night's 656J from Crewe Basford Hall en route and passing DIRFT:

 

SJP_T3A320702220611.jpg.b5a83943efb8efbd434acf5d5916c10e.jpg

 

It was headed by 66 508 with 66 517 bringing up the rear and comprised just 5 loaded bottom-discharge ballast hoppers plus 8 other empty wagons - so I doubt much excitement will have been created overnight. It is due to return to Basford Hall, leaving Bletchley at noon.

 

Tony

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1 hour ago, Tony Teague said:

 

Having repeatedly missed the track laying train I have been keeping an eye on what arrives at Bletchley and this was last night's 656J from Crewe Basford Hall en route and passing DIRFT:

 

SJP_T3A320702220611.jpg.b5a83943efb8efbd434acf5d5916c10e.jpg

 

It was headed by 66 508 with 66 517 bringing up the rear and comprised just 5 loaded bottom-discharge ballast hoppers plus 8 other empty wagons - so I doubt much excitement will have been created overnight. It is due to return to Basford Hall, leaving Bletchley at noon.

 

Tony

 

I'll be taking some of the locos from Bescot back to Basford Hall later tonight, eight in total so my diagram says.

Edited by Rugd1022
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