Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[SandTEngineer]

Finally, was the trailing slip between DM and UM just east of old P4 put in from November 1979 as well?  And did the shunt signal R653 allow ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) wrong line on the DM UM down to New Junction?

R563 read four ways:  Up Relief; Down Relief Limit of Shunt; Up Main to R575 (facing shunt); Down Main to R577 shunt (reading to the Down Spur).

Not quite sure what you mean by the 'slip point'.  The connection to the east of Platform No.7 has always been a standard trailing crossover between the Up and Down Mains (since the 1965 resignalling anyway).

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

Finally, was the trailing slip between DM and UM just east of old P4 put in from November 1979 as well?  And did the shunt signal R653 allow ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) wrong line on the DM UM down to New Junction?

R563 read four ways:  Up Relief; Down Relief Limit of Shunt; Up Main to R575 (facing shunt); Down Main to R577 shunt (reading to the Down Spur).

Not quite sure what you mean by the 'slip point'.  The connection to the east of Platform No.7 has always been a standard trailing crossover between the Up and Down Mains (since the 1965 resignalling anyway).

Thanks again S&TE, I meant "trailing crossover" when said "trailing slip" (i didn't mention "slip point", else we could be in a whole new discussion about slip coaches!).

[EBrown]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Berkshire have put some photos up on their section of the BBC website. Most of them will look familiar as pictures from LobsterVision cameras. There are however a couple of internal ones.

Inside the new passenger footbridge looking down the 33m (108ft) long escalator to the new northern end entrance and ticket hall. New entrances are being built to the north and south of the station.

[IndustryInsider]

Seen this morning:

Tilehust East junction is being relaid. Up and down relief lines being relaid to connect to new lines/freight line with what looked like connection for fast line - although these were not being connected.

Just for accuracy's sake, Tilehurst East Junction wasn't being relaid, but continuing work to install the crossovers required for the new Whitehouse Junction next to it, was - in readiness for the post-Easter blockade track layout.  Whitehouse Junction is basically at the location of the current Scours Lane Junction, so quite why it was deemed necessary to rename it is beyond me?  Perhaps a Mr. Whitehouse is involved in the project and fancied a bit of glory?

[swrural]

Seen this morning:

Tilehust East junction is being relaid. Up and down relief lines being relaid to connect to new lines/freight line with what looked like connection for fast line - although these were not being connected.

Just for accuracy's sake, Tilehurst East Junction wasn't being relaid, but continuing work to install the crossovers required for the new Whitehouse Junction next to it, was - in readiness for the post-Easter blockade track layout.  Whitehouse Junction is basically at the location of the current Scours Lane Junction, so quite why it was deemed necessary to rename it is beyond me?  Perhaps a Mr. Whitehouse is involved in the project and fancied a bit of glory?

Treading carefully here II, I had a look with GE and it appears there is actually no junction at Scours Lane; the one to Reading West would be perhaps better named Loverock Road?  Using SV, I could not see any white house there either though, just industrial buildings,  - but please put me right on Scours Lane.  Is that was where the signal box was possibly, I have a few old GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) photos (can we mention the old company here?) and the photographer Maurice Earley took many photos there. 

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

I'd thought the same as you initially, swrural, but if you look at page 119 of the excellent Platform 5 Track Atlas you will see that Scours Lane is marked where the Goods lines join the UR line between Tilehurst East Junction and Reading West Junction.

OK it doesn't say "Jn" after "Scours Lane", but then it doesn't after "Tilehurst East" on page 18 either. 

I'm just trying to recall if there is a name sign by the Scours Lane junction - maybe someone is passing by later?

[bobm]

There certainly used to be sign as there is for Tilehurst East but I think it has faded somewhat in recent years.

[IndustryInsider]

Treading carefully here II, I had a look with GE and it appears there is actually no junction at Scours Lane; the one to Reading West would be perhaps better named Loverock Road?  Using SV, I could not see any white house there either though, just industrial buildings,  - but please put me right on Scours Lane.  Is that was where the signal box was possibly, I have a few old GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) photos (can we mention the old company here?) and the photographer Maurice Earley took many photos there. 

Not sure of signal boxes but Scours Lane does (at least did) have a name plate identifying it.  There is no white house that I know of either, hence my suggestion that a Mr. Whitehouse might be involved in the project (it is marked as Whitehouse rather than White House).

Anyway, it looks as if the wiring teams are about to get going as two gangs were busy installing brackets where the wires will attach onto the gantry posts installed in the east end sidings of the new depot today.

[bobm]

According to http://www.greatwestern.org.uk/sig1.htm there was a 'box at Scours Lane Junction with 57 levers.

It closed on 25 April 1965 according to another reference I have in a book.

[paul7575]

This is just thinking aloud, but the first schematic drawing back on page 55 highlights that Scours Lane Jn is being 'clipped and padlocked in reverse'.  So is it possible that the Whitehouse Jn (described as temporary) has to have a different name just to avoid confusion with anything to do with the existing junction, which presumably remains present and complete in the signalling system even if fully out of use?

As I say, just thinking aloud though...

Paul

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

Does anyone know at what time on Friday 1st March the link between the footbridge and the car park is closing?  Common sense would dictate (as Friday is a working day and car park will be busy) it will be late ie after the last train, but the friendly chap at FGW^▸ (First Great Western) customer services (after a referral to someone else) told me it wil be closed all day.  Mrs GTBE asked some of the station staff at Rdg this evening at what time on Friday it will close, but got conflicting answers.  Someone said it will be after the last train.

We're meeting someone at Rdg in our car on Friday and need to know.

[paul7575]

Looks like later today will see a sort of major milestone in that the final roof sections will almost certainly be connected up above the west side escalator/stair on P14/15.  The relevant sections are currently sitting on a trailer below, ready to go...

Allowing for there still presumably being quite a gap on P12/13 where the tower crane is (that can't be seen from the webcam views), if today's work proceeds OK it ought to give a 'nearly finished' look to the overall roof...

Paul

[Jason]

Camera 1, tab 1 went offline @ 03:00 today. A precursor to the bridge removal ? [ I'd assumed the camera was on it ? ]

[paul7575]

Camera 1, tab 1 went offline @ 03:00 today. A precursor to the bridge removal ? [ I'd assumed the camera was on it ? ]

That's quite possible, although they do sometimes go off for periods of a few hours or days anyway. 

That camera is (was) normally plainly visible when crossing the bridge, it's mounted high up on the inside of the window glass with a suction cup device.

Paul

[Chris from Nailsea]

... it's mounted high up on the inside of the window glass with a suction cup device.

State of the art technology, then.