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61
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Journey by Journey / South Western services / Re: Wokingham resignalling
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on: February 19, 2024, 12:36:25
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We already had new-fangled electric light signals! There must be some detailed changes to the signals layout, though I've not spotted any to check for in updated maps. Signalmaps does not show signal numbers, but it has changed the crossing from MCB▸ to MCB- CCTV▸ , following its up (or down, or sideways) -grade. OTT▸ does have the new BEFnnnn numbers - correctly, for the couple I know. |
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63
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Journey by Journey / South Western services / Re: Wokingham resignalling
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on: February 18, 2024, 00:23:48
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By yesterday (Friday) the orange crowds had mostly dispersed, apart from at the level crossing and some signalling work. The testing of the new signalling is not a very visible process.
During the week, as well as the track replacement at the junction, the level crossing was also removed and new equipment put in. This involved taking out the old concrete bases and pouring new ones in plywood boxes in very nearly the same place. Some more, slightly smaller, precast cubic bases were dropped in to hold the posts for new wigwags (p2).
A lot of new fencing has gone in all round the barrier machines, along the road and beside the track too. There it will close the side of the trespass guards (arris rails) - those were not removed until yesterday, which seems a bit odd. They have been put to one side, so presumably will be put back not renewed. And on that yellow-railed cabinet patio there is now a name board for the crossing. For some reason.
Today's main job was painting the crossing; more complicated than it sounds. That didn't finish until after the daylight had gone, so I'll show it when I've got a decent picture.
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64
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Journey by Journey / Transport for London / Re: Dudding Hill Loop
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on: February 16, 2024, 18:10:16
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Time Out must be short of material. It's not a new idea, and it doesn't seem to be referencing any new announcement. Still had at least one semaphore signal last time I saw it from the Met line. If it does happen it won't be any time soon.
There was a bit of business in Brent council. I don't think it was anything important in itself - some kind of report back on progress (or lack thereof), but it was enough to trigger some of the media. Brent of course includes the two important new stations, where new cross-connections would happen: Harleden and Neasden. Mind you, the same radial lines are already connected to the Overground (atbka Mildmay) at Willesden and West Hampstead, so the added journey possibilities are not so great in reality. |
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65
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Journey by Journey / London to the Cotswolds / Re: 2024 Delays and Cancellations - North Cotswold Line
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on: February 16, 2024, 17:53:06
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RTT» reports that 1P02 the 0523 Hereford to Paddington was cancelled this morning, because of "an excluded reason"
RTT gives the code itself too: PL. The wordy version for that is "Exclusion commercially agreed and documented between Network Rail and Train Operator", or AGREED EXC. But in fact all codes starting with P are excluded from the Track Access Performance Regime. Top of the list of P-codes are PA▸ and PB, for temporary speed restrictions. You may think they are all in some sense NR» 's fault, but these TSRs▸ are left out of the calculations. Also in the list is PG: "Planned cancellation where that cancellation is identified and agreed prior to 22.00 the day before the schedule runs", PLAND CAPE▸ . So that's the P-code for trains that are P-coded, if you like,. |
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66
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Journey by Journey / South Western services / Re: Wokingham resignalling
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on: February 15, 2024, 22:38:48
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Still a lot of work going on today, though most of the big bits are done. I was surprised to see signals being erected only now; it must be about time to start testing the new kit. A bloke who was labelled Atkins told me that the level crossing will not have object detection. I wonder whether the reliability of CCTV▸ alone has been reassessed as better than it was before.
The track has, I think, been welded and stressed through the junction, along the straight direction - all I can see. For one thing, I can't now see any adjustment switches on the station side. There was one on the left, alongside the crossover switch on the right. And the insulated joints are still in place, but bypassed by bonding.
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67
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Journey by Journey / Transport for London / Re: Giving each overground line a separate name and colour
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on: February 15, 2024, 11:38:21
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All new names sound and feel odd, because they lack the association with the thing they now name, which will build up later. I'm sure Bakerloo felt a bit silly too at first. It appears in a headline on the opening day; I'm sure sub-editors liked it as they had always struggled to get the full names of railways to fit in. It then appears as "Baker-loo" and then "Bakerloo" (with the quotes) within days. And people soon got used to it, partly because it just works as a name.
These new Overground names do seem to have an air of woke virtue-signalling about them. Of course elsewhere in Europe this kind of rather political naming of things has been more common. And remember that the last line named by TfL» was the Elizabeth Line - an example of a much older custom: deferential virtue-signalling.
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68
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Journey by Journey / Transport for London / Re: Giving each overground line a separate name and colour
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on: February 15, 2024, 09:15:57
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New names now announced. From TfL» : London Overground’s new look
We'll introduce new names and line colours across the London Overground network by the end of 2024.
Each of the 6 routes that make up the London Overground will be given its own colour.
Lioness (currently known as Watford Junction to Euston) - yellow
Mildmay (currently known as Richmond and Clapham Junction to Stratford) - blue
Windrush (currently known as Highbury & Islington to New Cross, Clapham Junction, Crystal Palace and West Croydon) - red
Weaver (currently known as Liverpool Street to Enfield Town, Cheshunt and Chingford) - maroon
Suffragette (currently known as Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside) - green
Liberty (currently known as Romford to Upminster) - grey
And there's a map of just the Overground lines:  The full tube map's a bit too big to show in a post. |
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69
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Journey by Journey / South Western services / Re: Wokingham resignalling
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on: February 14, 2024, 20:20:28
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It's hard to see how true the track is now, there are so many people working on it, but it certainly looks better. A tamper did turn up late last night - or something bigger; I could only see a part of it sitting on the level crossing. My guess is it was an on-track finishing machine; that can straighten rails laterally (lining) too.
Exactly what all these small machines are doing I can't work out, but I'd expect cutting ends to leave the right gap, drilling holes for various reasons, and eventually stressing for when the final welds go in. After that comes grinding and other finishing, but no doubt there's more to it than I can think of. Track clips were being undone within the station this afternoon, which presumably relates to re-stressing. However, I'd expect that unclipping to be done after stress is applied.
On the other hand, the old junction was protected from rail stress by adjustment switches on all six tracks. I can't make out if the same is true now - partly because of all the bodies in the way. I did wonder if the insulated joints close to the level crossing would be replaced or removed now, as the down-side one at least is worn (i.e. loud ker-thump noises as a train runs in). With axle counters being used, IRJs are not needed, unless perhaps a few track circuits are retained for static detection.
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70
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Journey by Journey / South Western services / Re: Wokingham resignalling
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on: February 13, 2024, 23:52:37
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Over Sunday/Monday night that remaining track (the Up Main) has been torn up and replaced by new ballast (and the last rodding has gone too). By yesterday morning, that Kirow crane was back and already a lot of the temporary track has been taken out (p1). By the time I got back it was well after dark, but in the fuzzy pictures I got did suggest all the new track was in place. So I missed all the fun! Though this gang of RRVS having a rest may have found it more like hard work (p2).
By midday today most of the debris had been cleared up (p3), and by late afternoon it was all remarkably clean (p4). The junction is in obvious need of a visit from the tamper, and not just because the view exaggerates the wiggliness. The wiggles in the vertical direction are exactly what tampers are meant for, but is there enough spring force in the rails to straighten them in the horizontal plane as well, when lifted and shaken?
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71
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Journey by Journey / South Western services / Re: Wokingham resignalling
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on: February 11, 2024, 23:54:19
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By late afternoon, a section of new track has been put in, with two new motorised switches. But perhaps that should be called plain line, since the left-hand rail is continuous through places there should be a rail crossing. Less than twenty minutes later (photo 2), a slab of that new track has been hoicked out and now plain line is being laid round to the left, towards Bracknell, via a new track crossing on the other track.
Looking at how much track is still stacked up waiting to be used, it does seem that much of the track so far laid is temporary. So it seems the current method is to bring in an engineering train on one track, and rip out the rest, and replace the ballast with fresh. The final track panels are laid where possible, i.e. where remaining the old track is not in the way. In the gaps, temporary track panels are put down. to allow the remaining old track to be removed with a train alongside. Once all the new ballast is in place, even full-width track panels can be swapped in or out by crane from either end.
Close examination of the two big track panels in the foreground shows that the wider one, on top, fits just after the farther incomplete switch, and the one underneath comes after that. So there is a lot of temporary plain line where those panels will eventually be. The view from the footbridge at the station is of course highly foreshortened, disguising how long those panels are.
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72
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Journey by Journey / Bristol (WECA) Commuters / Re: New station at Ashley Down, Bristol
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on: February 11, 2024, 18:19:48
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Still, cheaper than the traditional and hopefully durable. Few will notice, other than enraged bricklayers. I would much prefer proper brick, but I'll wager it was that or graffiti-ready rendering.
Not quite - from the planning decision: Initial concerns were raised in relation to the design and appearance of the footbridge and lift shafts, which were sought to be constructed/faced entirely of grey metal cladding. The footbridge and lift shafts will be highly visible pieces of infrastructure not just within the station itself but, due to the height, within the wider townscape. As such, following Case Officer advice the design and appearance of the footbridge and lift shafts were amended.
Increased areas of glazing and void were included to the footbridge to give it a more lightweight appearance, with the use of part glazing of the parapets and open space above helping to reduce the bulk and increase transparency/visual permeability. This will also maximise safety, views and daylight for users of the bridge. A roof cover was also included to the bridge and staircases which will provide greater shelter for passengers using the bridge and station. Large scale detailed drawings of the roof covering are secured via condition to ensure it takes a slim-line appearance. Large scale detailed drawings of the staircase and glazed elements are also secured via condition. The framework of the bridge will be powder coated steel, with the roof covering to match. This is acceptable in principle; however the overall colour and finish will be finalised and determined at a later stage, secured via condition.
The lift shafts have been amended in design, with the material amended so they will be faced in red brick slips to reflect and appear in keeping with nearby development. Additional detailing in the form of darker brick banding, a ground floor canopy and grey flashing/capping to match the footbridge roof cover are also proposed. It is considered that the design and appearance of the lift shafts will now appear acceptable in principle given the context. Large scale detailed drawings of detailed design elements however are secured via condition to ensure they are of a good quality, and material sample panels of the brickwork are also secured. |
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73
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Journey by Journey / South Western services / Re: Wokingham resignalling
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on: February 10, 2024, 23:59:48
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As expected, Team Orange got really stuck in last night, tearing up the track. First to go was the point rodding, or at least part of it (photo 1). Next we see the junction being taken out and dug up, one piece at a time so as to allow trains and the rail crane to be used. In the background, track panels are being unloaded from the tilting transporter wagons.
To get a better view I had to find another vantage point to replace the demolished footbridge: on top of the car park, through a fine steel mesh. From there you can see Colas's Kirow crane, and a whole IKEA kit of track panels (I hope someone's got the instruction leaflet!). Tilting transporters can manage panels 3.7 m wide, but those in the foreground are a lot wider than that; how did they get here? Finally (photo 4), a little later, it's time to put in the new ballast and fit the first panel.
There's a lot of bits of rail to be joined there. If it's all done by thermit welding, those living on the houses by the line will enjoy a big firework display (though its timing may be a bit antisocial).
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74
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Journey by Journey / London to Kennet Valley / Re: Improvements at three Berkshire stations
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on: February 10, 2024, 18:22:05
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I'm sure there were more recent posts about Reading West's new building, but can't find any. So here it is - RBC‡ are now saying that this new station will open real soon now, just as soon as they can finish waterproofing the paperwork. That's on top of the Tilehurst lifts, also announced at the start of this thread. From the Reading Chronicle: Meanwhile, we are waiting for Network Rail to receive official approval to go ahead and open the new station building at Reading West.
The smart new building on Oxford Road contains a ticket office, toilets, and retail space. The project has also delivered new ticket gates, improved lighting, and CCTV▸ cameras to significantly improve safety and security.
Unfortunately, the project has not included the installation of passenger lifts, which has been a long-term ambition of the Council.
Network Rail tells us that the installation of lifts at Reading West would involve rebuilding the train platforms which currently makes the work prohibitively costly for them.
However, the latest station upgrade has been ‘future proofed’ for the installation of lifts in the future, and we will continue to lobby government, our local MPs▸ , and Network Rail for funding to deliver new platforms and lifts to make Reading West station accessible to all as soon as possible. |
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75
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Journey by Journey / Bristol (WECA) Commuters / Re: New station at Ashley Down, Bristol
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on: February 10, 2024, 15:05:00
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Network Rail have come up with a not very informative update, but it does have a picture: First reveal – Mayor sees new station footbridge, hails “critical milestone” Work to build the first station in Ashley Down in 60 years has hit a “critical milestone”, according to regional Mayor Dan Norris. Funded by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, ‘Ashley Down Station’ is being built on the site of the previous Ashley Hill station which closed in 1964 due to the Beeching Cuts. Mr Norris was track-side along with Cllr Don Alexander and other project partners to see for himself the brand-new footbridge installed over Christmas by Network Rail engineers. It is scheduled to open later this year. Installation of the station footbridge completes the structural elements of the station. Dan Norris, Metro Mayor, said: “We are at a critical milestone in getting this brand-new station built and open to Ashley Down residents to use and enjoy. I know how hard the team worked over the festive period to get this footbridge installed. It really is brilliant to see Ashley Down Station beginning to take shape. Remember the last time there was a station here – 60 years ago this year – Top of the Pops first aired, and man hadn’t yet stepped on the moon! I’m proud of my West of England Mayoral Combined Authority’s radical ‘reverse Beeching’ programme to give residents the new stations and train services they need and deserve.” ...
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