Swindon to Kemble re-doubling - ongoing discussion and updates

[whole diary]

[Sapperton Tunnel]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have now put some photos on Pinterest:

http://pinterest.com/firstgw/swindon-to-kemble-redoubling-project-august-2013/


ST

[Railfriend]

Anyone have photos or information on the realignment work started 10 August?  Are they working from the Kemble end and Swindon end simultaneously, or from one end toward the other?  Closed for about 4 weeks, so must be completing about 1/2 mile of double track a day.  Has anyone seen a plan of the work, showing where new points are to be located?

[Railfriend]

For some reason the recent posts from ST and others weren't showing on my machine when I put up the preceding post.  Thanks for all the great photos that have been placed on this site in recent days!  I'd still be interested in knowing if they are working from both ends simultaneously, also if anyone knows where points are to be positioned.  Thanks!

[patch38]

The track slewing machines are on the section at Black Dog Bridge (B4696) this morning. So far, there has been little activity on this section during the closure; so little that, when I used one of the local farm crossings the other evening, there was significant rust on the rail faces. It doesn't take long!

[Sapperton Tunnel]

The track slewing machines are on the section at Black Dog Bridge (B4696) this morning. So far, there has been little activity on this section during the closure; so little that, when I used one of the local farm crossings the other evening, there was significant rust on the rail faces. It doesn't take long!

Black Dog Bridge is about half way along the single line from where it begins at Swindon Loco Yard (78m 20ch) to the north end of Kemble Tunnel (90m 65ch)where it ends. It is said that about half of the 12 1/2 miles of single track (ie about 6 miles) requires slewing, so having reached half way from one end or the other must be good progress, considering they are 6 days into a 23 day blockade. 

They have been working from both ends - the track slewing at Oaksey as in my photos taken on Sunday 11th is the first stretch from Kemble that had to be slewed and that at Bremhill is the first from the Swindon end. After Oaksey, they were going to move up the line to Minety on the Sunday evening for the next stretch.   

It will be interesting to see which bits of track get used when the line re-opens.

Looking at this First Great Western picture from Pinterest which is looking towards Swindon from Bremhill Bridge:

 
http://pinterest.com/pin/452330356294979192/

On the left is the slewed track, which becomes the Up line and the new track on the right is the Down line. Now, at Swindon Loco Yard, it is the Down Line that becomes the single track, effectively allowing trains from Swindon to go 'straight on' and accelerate, whilst those from Kemble have to slow down and use the turnout bit. It would appear, therefore that the newly laid down line will be in use here as it looks nice and straight, whilst the slewed track remains 'wiggly'.

As noted by quedgeley2002 there are a set of crossovers constructed on the waste land just after Loco Yard on the single section and they seem to be for installation on a straight length as opposed to a curve, so I would guess that they will be installed somewhere near Loco Yard and replace the crossovers just outside the station at the start of the Kemble Branch (Swindon Junction) which do look a bit ropey, but undoubtedly safe.

As also noted by S&T^▸ (Signalling and Telegraph) Engineer in his post, there will be a signalled single facing crossover between Kemble Tunnel and Kemble, so that trains arriving on the down line from Swindon can cross to the up platform at Kemble and trains from Stroud can also reverse to go back again. Otherwise there would be no crossover between Swindon and Standish Junction - a distance of about 28 miles.

I would also be interested in the signalling arrangements and whether the 'famous' cantilever signal gantry on the Up platform at Kemble will stay or go. To clarify, the reason why it is such a large structure with an unused position for a second signal head is that in the original rationalisation proposal it was intended also to have two separate single lines between Kemble and Stroud. Passenger trains would use the 'Up' line in both directions, reducing the station to the one platform and London/Swindon - Cheltenham trains would cross at Stroud. The 'Down' line would become a reversible freight line and would be downgraded requiring less maintenance. Hence the need for a signal at Kemble for Up freight trains arriving on the former Down line and wanting the single line to Swindon. The then Area Manager at Gloucester was not involved with the planning and did not find out about it until shortly before implementation was due to start. He pointed out to the authorities at Paddington / BRB^‡(resolve) HQ^▸ (Headquarters) the effect this would have on diverted South Wales trains and as a result only the singling between Swindon and Kemble was carried out in the end, allegedly because it had gone too far to stop, otherwise even that may not have happened.   

ST

 

[IndustryInsider]

On the left is the slewed track, which becomes the Up line and the new track on the right is the Down line. Now, at Swindon Loco Yard, it is the Down Line that becomes the single track, effectively allowing trains from Swindon to go 'straight on' and accelerate, whilst those from Kemble have to slow down and use the turnout bit. It would appear, therefore that the newly laid down line will be in use here as it looks nice and straight, whilst the slewed track remains 'wiggly'.

I'm sure they'll set a tamper onto that slewed track to make it a little less 'wiggly'!

[Sapperton Tunnel]

Was out and about again on Sunday (18th August) and took a set of photos for progress as of Day 9 of the 23 day closure. The lot can be seen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/99295362@N07/sets

I couldn't really find so much 'action' as last week, so the photo's are more of a 'for the record' type of thing and the ones showing the most changes are here.......

At the Kemble end, there is no real visible progress, as I suppose it is still a proper working railway. The DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) shuttle from Gloucester goes about a couple of hundred yards beyond the tunnel to a signal where the driver changes ends to go back again. There are some location cabinets and other gubbins to move before the new down line can be installed as well as the signal itself (SN 156 I think) which will be either fouling or actually in the 4 foot of the new Down line. 

South end Kemble Tunnel where the Shuttle DMU's reverse:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/99295362@N07/9547871208





The first real progress is to the north of Oaksey, about a mile and half from Kemble and here is a photo of the new up line, firstly looking towards Kemble:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/99295362@N07/9543615075/

and then towards Swindon:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/99295362@N07/9543610117/in/photostream/



At Minety Crossing the track has been slewed to the Down formation and the bed excavated for the new Up line:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/99295362@N07/9543603509/

The locomotive is 66012 and just happened to be parked there awaiting to go further up the line. Apparently there had been a very minor derailment with a wagon on another train and it was all hands to the pump to get it back on the track again, but I couldn't find where it was.


Minety Crossing looking towards Swindon:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/99295362@N07/9543597581/in/photostream/


Next, Minety Askew Bridge, which is a railway underbridge between Minety Crossing and Minety Station. Here, embankment stabilisation is in progress, with anchors being installed. Also apologies to Quedgeley 2002 - there are Armco (Motorway) type barriers awaiting installation on the up side to some 'H' beam piles already driven in. There has been some sheet piling on site as well in the past so Red Squirrel and myself are also correct!!

The next two photos are the grouting unit. The locomotive is 66200 and is nothing to do with the embankment works - they just happened to be excavating spoil for the second track. In front of the loco's bogie you can see the H piles and Armco to the right awaiting installation:

 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99295362@N07/9543591561/



http://www.flickr.com/photos/99295362@N07/9543580655/

Drilling by the abutment on the Up side:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/99295362@N07/9543586347/


and it looks completed on the Down side:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/99295362@N07/9546364650/


Track Slewing has taken place at Minety, looking towards Kemble:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/99295362@N07/9546358640/

and towards Swindon:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/99295362@N07/9546352486/


and, as Patch 38 noted, at Black Dog Bridge. Firstly, looking towards Kemble:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/99295362@N07/9543549951/

and then towards Swindon:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/99295362@N07/9546346284/


At Purton Common Crossing, Excavation has taken place; looking toward Swindon:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/99295362@N07/9546327086/





At Purton Collins Lane Crossing, the only thing that seems to have happened is diversion of the cabling and removal of the barriers. The track still has to be slewed and the area for a mile or so around the crossing seems to be the only bit left to slew:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/99295362@N07/9416239314/




At Bremhill Bridge track has now been laid and the new down line is in use. Looking North to Kemble:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/99295362@N07/9546286322/



In the background is a ubiquitous DBS^» (Deutsch Bahn Schenker - UK^▸ (United Kingdom) website) Class 66 loco. About 2/3rds half way down on the right hand side is a scaffolding platform, possibly with a time lapse camera attached. If it is, hopefully something will appear on You tube or Network Rail website one day.


Looking South towards Swindon:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/99295362@N07/9546293300/




Finally, I made a trip well into Dragon Country (Dragon Country is somewhere where I don't go) to behind the big B & Q in Swindon where the new Crossover has just been installed:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/99295362@N07/9546260872/

I couldn't get any higher or nearer the line without trespassing on the railway for a better shot I'm afraid. I would think that this end of the crossover is just slightly nearer Kemble than the previous single to double connection. There was also a scaffolding tower with a camera on, so again hopefully there will be some time lapse video of the installation to see eventually.


Depending on the weather and any other last minute commitments will do another set on the Bank Holiday weekend (25 / 26 Aug) and then again on 6 / 7 September.


ST

 

[patch38]

Some more fantastic photos ST - keep up the good work! To save you trespassing, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have helpfully put some shots of the Rodbourne Road crossover on the Pinterest site:

http://pinterest.com/firstgw/swindon-to-kemble-redoubling-project-august-2013/

[Chris from Nailsea]

Indeed - many thanks for posting those pictures, Sapperton Tunnel! 

[TonyK]

Those are indeed brilliant pictures, ST, and I add my thanks to the others. This is railway history in the making, and your archive is valuable.

[Sapperton Tunnel]

Many thanks for your encouragement, Patch, Chris and FTN!

I guess that I am having my 15 minutes of fame! I have 'lurked' on this site for several years and thought it would be nice to take some photos and keep folk up to date with progress as it is reasonably local and as a way of contributing and saying thank you to the website for all the knowledge and information that it has given me over the years.

The only camera that I had before was a Kodak Instamatic about 40 years ago but last autumn my wife had a ^25 off voucher for Tesco's Electrical and what with other coupons I took the plunge and bought a modern electronic camera.

It takes about an hour and a half to go from Kemble to Moredon, as it is all either 'B' roads or narrow country lanes with passing places.  I normally only go as far as Moredon as it is the first overbridge from the Swindon end and about 2 1/2 miles from the station, so a round trip out is really the best part of an afternoon.

Most of the bridges are either the original ones or still narrow; they are not the safest places to be, so I don't hang about. I park where I safely can and get to the bridge quickly and just point and click, taking about  4 or 5 shots, then over the other side of the road for the other view and back to the car as soon as possible. 

I don't wait for the sun or have any appreciation of photography and I have been quite amazed at some of the photos for a complete and utter novice. The idea is just to provide a technical record of the work.

The plan is to do a further set at the Bank Holiday weekend and one after that a fortnight later on the 6th /7th / 8th September, when the line has reopened.

I will keep an eye out for work going on over the winter and will do the last sets next Easter (2014) when the double track is commissioned.

ST

[grumpysocks]

A great effort ST. Very important to record these details. I don't think much is planned at the Kemble end during this block, mainly slewing the operational track to enable the second track to be fully laid prior to the final 'chop and shut' blockade next year.

Best of luck to the team carrying out the works, let's hope they have their summer holidays booked for September to relax after such an effort.

[Red Squirrel]

I'll add my thanks too, ST - all exciting stuff!

Can't wait to watch them doing Filton Bank! Maybe I'll dust off my Box Brownie when they do.

[chuffed]

Oooh... that sounds painful RS. I'll leave the (in)decent exposure jokes to others !

[TonyK]

I'll add my thanks too, ST - all exciting stuff!

Can't wait to watch them doing Filton Bank! Maybe I'll dust off my Box Brownie when they do.

I'll be up there with you, RS. Can't wait to see Four Track, Now!

Has work started on the rail depot that way yet? I haven't been through on the train for ma while, and can't gett close enough by road. And now Filton Airfield is closed, I don't even fly over it.