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Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 ... 11
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16
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Journey by Journey / London to the West / Re: Class 802s
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on: August 28, 2018, 12:08:08
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The IET▸ 's certainly aren't a patch on the original MKIII's where the seats lined up with the windows. Nor are the seats as comfortable. They aren't terrible, they just don't feel the premium product they should be IMO▸ . I really wouldn't want to be on them for a long journey.
One of the complaints about the Mark 3s when originally introduced was that - in standard class at least - the seats didn't all line up with the windows. Unlike the Mark 1 and 2s, BR▸ used the same bodyshell for both first and standard class vehicles and aligned the windows for first. With the additional seats in standard, they didn't all line up. That's when the rot set in, and most if not all new trains since then have perpetuated the issue. Agree with your comments about the seats - they're OK for a Didcot to Padd run, but don't have an 'inter-city' train feel about them. |
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17
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Great Western Main Line electrification - ongoing discussion
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on: July 31, 2018, 13:56:53
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Yes, I should have said Parkway, not Temple Meads. Didcot was certainly not running electric trains mid April but that was some time ago, even allowing for the slow progress that the electrification is making.
Electric trains have been running from Didcot since the beginning of the year. I had my first run on a GW▸ class 387 on 1P20 Didcot to Padd on 5th January. IETs▸ were also running on AC from Didcot from the beginning of January - up trains stopping at Didcot usually switch from diesel to AC in platform 2, non-stoppers switch over on the move east of Moreton Cutting. All down IETs switch from AC to diesel east of Moreton Cutting. As previously mentioned the wiring from Milton Junction to Wootton Bassett was energised earlier this month. I've seen entry into service in September suggested in numerous places but no actual date mentioned. Presumably then the diesel/AC changeover point will move to Swindon as most services stop there. |
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18
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Journey by Journey / Transport for London / Re: Crossrail/Elizabeth Line. From construction to operation - ongoing discussion
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on: July 29, 2018, 13:05:30
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Look at the journey times
Tottenham Court Road 4 mins
Farringdon 7 mins
Liverpool St 9 Mins
Canary Wharf 16 mins
vs Tottenham Court Road 12 mins (with a change) vs Farringdon 15 mins vs Liverpool Street 20 mins vs Canary Wharf 23 mins (with a change) Yes, I've seen these figures quoted. I don't know where they get them from. I've never managed Tottenham Court Road from Padd in 12 mins using either the Bakerloo and changing at Oxford Circus or doing the 'Lancaster Gate Shuffle' and Central Line. OK I'm far from the first flush of youth though I can manage a brisk walk  Similarly I can't recall getting from Padd to Farringdon in 15 mins and Liv St in 20. Kings X/St Pancras is 15 on a good run, and more like 20 to Farringdon and 25 at least to Liv St. I think I've managed under 30 mins from Canary Wharf to Padd via Baker St but that was a noteable exception (and to be fair, the Jubilee Line is fast) |
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20
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Journey by Journey / London to Swindon and Bristol / Freight train failure near Uffington?
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on: June 07, 2018, 09:49:13
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The Tilbury - Wentloog Freightliner appears to have stopped just west of Uffington at 6:20 this morning blocking the down main. Down trains have been using the reversible signalling to run on the up line between the Uffington and Bourton crossovers. Freight on the move just under 3 hours later though, at the time of posting, down trains are still being routed over the up line between the crossovers. Needless to say, it's causing some delays!
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21
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Great Western Main Line electrification - ongoing discussion
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on: May 26, 2018, 11:40:18
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So what is happening between Didcot and Chippenham this weekend that they have closed the line for three days?
Network Rail ( NR» ) are supposed to be energising the Over-Head Line Equipmnet (OHLE) between Milton Junction (the present limit) and Wantage Road this weekend. There were lots of engineers all over the Over-Head Line Equipment (OHLE) at Challow when I went past on the A417 earlier this morning so they are clearly using the blockade to prepare this section to go live in a few weeks time. Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronyms |
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23
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Journey by Journey / London to South Wales / Re: 1L68 on 13 May 2018.
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on: May 14, 2018, 08:14:01
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Noted the errant train in platform 2 when I drove past yesterday.
Reported elsewhere that it was unable to take power when it switched from diesel to electric at the station. Driver then tried to revert to diesel but was again unable to take power hence the train was declared a failure. Sounds a bit similar to the incident which blocked the down main at Hayes a few months ago.
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24
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All across the Great Western territory / Media about railways, and other means of transport / Re: Paddington 24/7, channel 5, 21:00 tonight
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on: April 10, 2018, 18:28:13
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He said it was a neutral section, but I thought there weren't any neutral sections West of Hayes maybe Electric Train can help.
Maidenhead has an MPATS▸ , so it has to function as a section break. It doesn't matter if the power is being passed through the MPATS, connecting the wires on both sides together, neutral section is still there. I sat under the pantograph of a 387 on 1P20, the 7:30am 'commuterbuster' from Didcot to Padd some weeks ago and can vouch that the only neutral section between Didcot and Padd is at the Maidenhead MPATS, just west of the station. You don't miss the VCBs▸ opening and closing on the 387s, there's quite a bang! |
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25
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Journey by Journey / London to Didcot, Oxford and Banbury / Re: Demand that improving Oxford to Didcot line 'should be priority'
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on: March 19, 2018, 14:25:31
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If and when EWR comes to fruition the line between Didcot and Swindon should be four track. How difficult would this be to do now or in the future?
The GWR▸ (the original one) had a programme to do this in the 1930's. The sections from Didcot to Milton, Wantage to Challow and from Shrivenham to Bourton were quadrified (to borrow a term from FTN) then. Land was purchased for much of the rest in the 1930's (all the way to Wootton Bassett Jn). The pinch points will be the A34 underbridge at Milton, Steventon (where the line goes through the village); A420 overbridge (Acorn Bridge) nr Bourton, and the A419 underbridge at Stratton. There are some significant embankments between Steventon and Wantage that will need widening and quite a deep cutting at Uffington. The cutting at Grange Drive in Swindon is quite deep, but the proximity to the houses might be an issue here. There are also a few listed bridges on the route. This is all from memory so other please correct if my memory is not correct That's interesting, thanks. I was unaware of the (original) GWR widening programme. They did get as far as quadrupling Wantage Road to Challow (which was removed in the 1960s MAS resignalling scheme, then reinstated in 1990!) as well as adding/lengthening other loops on the section. I wonder if NR» still own the land that was purchased? As you say the pinch points to widening the line will be Steventon (it's already four-track under the A34 bridge) and NR is making no provision for more than two tracks with its replacement design for the Steventon High St overbridge. From Causeway crossing to Wantage Road should be fairly strightforward. Further west, in addition to the cutting you mention, there are houses in close proximity to the line at Baulking and Uffington. Also widening the track on the approach to Swindon would be very expensive. Don't see it happening anytime soon unfortunately. |
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27
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Great Western Main Line electrification - ongoing discussion
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on: February 22, 2018, 13:51:46
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Pretty much all knitting in place from just east of Swindon Station to Didcot only a few incomplete sections.
Yes, from what I can see driving around locally there is only the Steventon gap to wire, as cantilevers and small part steelwork ( SPS▸ - aka 'dangly bits'  ) are complete from the A34 bridge to west of Causeway crossing, plus there is one wire run missing on the up line between Uffington station and Baulking. Wires appear to be complete from Uffington to South Marston now and the autotransformer stations ( ATS▸ ) at Wantage Road, Uffington and Shrivenham are complete and look like they've been wired in. I've not been to Swindon station but driving into town last week it appears that main steelwork is in place from South Marston to the station with some SPS in place too. Someone mentioned on RMWeb that they'd been briefed that the wires between Didcot and Swindon were to be treated as live from next May and to Bristol Parkway from June. Can't comment on progress west of Swindon but the implied energisation to Swindon by May would appear be easily achievable from the apparent progress to date. This does not, of course, mean that trains will be running on AC from that date as the earliest commitment for that has been December 2018. |
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28
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Journey by Journey / Transport for London / Re: Crossrail/Elizabeth Line. From construction to operation - ongoing discussion
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on: January 31, 2018, 17:37:26
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Looks like there are major problems at Crossrail which may delay the launch of services in the central section http://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/Rail-News/elizabeth-line-hit-with-major-challenges-after-electrical-explosion-pushes-back-testinghttps://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/crossrail-chiefs-warn-that-14bn-elizabeth-line-could-blow-its-budget-and-open-late-a3754356.htmlThere appear to be software issues with the class 345s and an explosion at the national grid feeder station at Pudding Mill Lane by the GE tunnel portal has delayed train testing. It looks like they might also blow their budget. The energisation of eastern sections of the Elizabeth Line was pushed back in November after a transformer meant to connect separate electrical appliances exploded, causing testing to be delayed.
The problems, coupled with the complex nature of the project and the scale on which it is being built, have prompted bosses to warn about the costing and timescale of the Elizabeth Line.
In a meeting with mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Crossrail chairman Sir Terry Morgan admitted that the work was “very close” to exceeding its budget after explaining the issues with testing.
Morgan said energisation of the line in the east of London, to be later used for testing, was on course to be completed before electrical issues hampered progress.
“We opened up the energisation of the east side of our railway, which was always going to be our platform for testing this train, in November,” he explained.
“It’s relatively standard but it had to interface between our own power needs and Network Rail’s, it got switched on – and exploded.”
The chairman appeared at the meeting alongside Mark Wild, London Underground managing director who oversees the Elizabeth Line, as the two have been jointly overseeing sections of the project.
But he admitted that neither of the parties could fix the problem any faster, adding: “I can’t think of anything more that we can do together to resolve the issue.”
Other issues had also pinned back some progress of the project, although both Wild and Morgan were confident that the planned timelines were possible.
However, the London Underground MD added: “We can still do it, but it’s very, very hard and complex and it brings with it cost pressures as well.”
The continuation of energisation processes was expected to be underway within days of the meeting, which took place yesterday, possibly as soon as last night – although Crossrail has not released any details of the operations.
Khan called an end to further discussion of the specific problems but said it was for “commercially sensitive reasons” rather than to hide details.
Energisation is a key part of the next phase of the Elizabeth Line, and official testing of the track is expected to begin soon after the electrical work has been completed.
For other parts of the project, Wild said things were going to plan. He confirmed that ongoing efforts alongside Bombardier to improve the stability of trains was proving extremely difficult but was progressing well.] Rail Technology Magazine 31/01/18 |
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Easter 2018 Engineering Work Bristol area
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on: December 30, 2017, 16:46:41
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All the way down to Brizzle? That's a long way for Swindon (?). Is that as far as is planned, or are they empire building and going 'way down West'?
Curious as to how many centres are planned, or just the TVSC» for the whole network.
TVSC is at Didcot (located behind the Foxhall car park). Someone more knowledgeable than me will correct me, but I think that TVSC is ultimately intended to cover from Paddington to the Severn Tunnel (English side) and down to Exeter, if not beyond. The South Wales Signalling Centre will cover west of the Severn Tunnel and I'm not sure what's planned for Devon and Cornwall. |
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