6061
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Reading Station improvements
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on: October 14, 2014, 10:44:01
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For you stat fans out there it's interesting that the viaduct slope at the eastern end is slightly steeper at 1/85 than the western end at 1/93. The top of the viaduct isn't quite level either, sloping upwards gently towards London at 1/730!
Are you sure it's that way round? We had some numbers about gradients provided earlier on, during a rather long discussion about the difficulties of starting goods trains. That said the mains from west to east had 85R/730F/93F. Yes, my mistake - I was looking at the chart the wrong way round!
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6066
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Reading Station improvements
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on: October 13, 2014, 11:04:47
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Many thanks I have downloaded a copy of Signalling Group Standards here but I can still not work out what the crossed-feathers on T.1717/19/21 mean. No problem. The crossed feathers simply mean that the junction indicators are installed, but not in use until April. For you stat fans out there it's interesting that the viaduct slope at the western end is slightly steeper at 1/85 than the eastern end at 1/93. The top of the viaduct isn't quite level either, sloping downwards gently towards London at 1/730!
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6068
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Journey by Journey / London to Kennet Valley / Re: Thatcham station - some work imminent (red/yellow lines on platform)
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on: October 13, 2014, 09:55:46
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In which case, yes, a ramp or lifts is a requirement. The former is cheaper. Lifts have to be monitored....are staff present all day?
There's no requirement to provide a ramp/lifts when a footbridge is being replaced, only if it is a new facility. The extra space might well be because the new structure will be much higher than the existing one - the clearance needed at each side of the track might mean the current two stages of steps has to be made into one, therefore needing much more space. I'd have thought a footbridge with ramps is unlikely, unless the design of the station and location of the station buildings make it the only sensible solution, given there is level access to all areas of the station using the level crossing.
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6069
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Reading Station improvements
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on: October 13, 2014, 00:22:35
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Sorry the posts around then refer to three diagrams only two of which are the same. Is the layout after January going to be the temporary one in the 2008 Stage 6 and Phase 70 drawing or the final Phase 76?
None of the above. The discussion then was about the new phasing, which is not as shown on any of the plans done beforehand. It's roughly as phase 76 between P8/9 and the viaduct, but otherwise as phase 70. Probably. Hopefully these will help:
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6070
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Journey by Journey / South Western services / Re: South Hampshire Rail Users (SHRUG)
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on: October 11, 2014, 15:23:01
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The SHRUG website has now reappeared after an unexplained absence for several days. The new 'Hogrider' is available for view. No apology that the website was AXED for several days, though it does mention a DUFF Internet Service Provider, and the fact the newsletter is SHORT FORMED only including data up to 25th September. Perhaps the server was SEVERELY OVERCROWDED?
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6073
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption elsewhere - ongoing, since Oct 2014
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on: October 09, 2014, 12:57:15
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The whole thing reeks of carelessness, shoddiness and incompetence.........there can be no other explanation for one of the busiest rail thoroughfares in Europe being brought to a grinding halt for the second time in 4 days..............the noise you can hear is not trains moving to and fro, it's Brunel spinning in his grave.
FGW▸ should grow a pair and insist that all digging/piling work should cease until they are satisifed that those undertaking it are competent enough to undertake this work without this happening.
I note the message on the FGW website is "There is currently no estimate for a normal train service to resume"..........how apt!
Refreshing to see that you can actually post a message which doesn't accuse those of us on here that try and explain why things may be happening in more detail as 'Railway enthusiast fundamentalists' or some similarly stupid label. I dread to think what it was before you modified it. Speaking personally, I am pretty passionate about the railways and hate it when passengers have their journey disrupted. Part of my reason for being on here is to try and explain why things have gone wrong to those that might not have the technical knowledge or ability to find out. I don't have to do it and I sure as hell don't get paid for doing it. It also gives me a platform to anonymously criticise (and indeed praise) the railway industry when I deem it suitable. Many staff feel the same way I do and your constant sniping at us really makes me wonder why I bother. Sure, there are some bad members of staff out there and things don't always go to plan, but I'm sure the same applies in whatever industry you are involved in but perhaps not under quite the glare of public scrutiny. I strongly suspect that today will be discussed at a very senior level within Network Rail (doubtless with input from FGW) and it might indeed be sensible to stop the work whilst a review in undertaken. It's interesting that it's (presumably) the Crossrail electrification team that have once again caused this disruption rather than the GWML▸ electrification team who have been doing similar piling work for over a year with very few problems.
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6074
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption elsewhere - ongoing, since Oct 2014
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on: October 09, 2014, 11:28:32
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Reliability certainly seems to be getting worse, and subjectively seems to be much worse than back in the "good old days" Breakdowns certainly occurred back in the old days, but I don't recall major failures resulting in DOZENS of cancellations, occurring on a near weekly basis.
Quite agree that it's been another very disappointing week, but there was never the sheer amount of infrastructure work going on, or anywhere near the number of trains/passengers, in these alleged 'good old days'. The amount of work going on is phenomenal - Reading, electrification, resignalling, Crossrail and so on with hundreds of staff on the trackside both day and night.
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