Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[stuving]

Here's a long shot view of that signal gantry, with three tracks up onto the viaduct - and a crossover too.

[SandTEngineer]

Thanks for that photograph STUVING.  I bet there will be lots of telephoto lens photographs in the January 2015 railway press of trains coming over the top of that 'ski jump'

[ellendune]

Is there a diagram available anywhere of the proposed track layout west of Reading Station after January?

[SandTEngineer]

Is there a diagram available anywhere of the proposed track layout west of Reading Station after January?

....err its in post 2850 above...

[ellendune]

Is there a diagram available anywhere of the proposed track layout west of Reading Station after January?

....err its in post 2850 above...

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?

[stuving]

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.

[IndustryInsider]

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:

[Oxonhutch]

Many thanks for those - very interesting.

I can see now that a down fast (Main) will be able to cross to the down slow (Relief) grade separated via the Festival Line and Platforms 7 or 8. Didn't spot that before.  Could be useful for the Oxford/Didcot semi-fasts in the evening peak

There are also hints in the layout that the Westbury lines will become bidirectional all the way to Southcote Junction - it lacks some signals at the moment but there are some indications from others that are present.  This would allow parallel moves to/from Basinstoke and Newbury and could be quite useful for accommodating the stone trains, etc.

I am still trying to work out the final topology of the Relief Lines and their connections at the country end of Reading Traincare Depot.

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.

[IndustryInsider]

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!

[ChrisB]

To help drainage perhaps?

[stuving]

  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.

The reliefs had 361F/420R/730R from a different start point, so the viaduct isn't matching the ground form. I think the main point is that the West Curve is almost at the level of the reliefs as the viaduct goes over it, while the feeder Lines are 3-4 m lower in their box. So the viaduct can fall towards the station, allowing the ramp up out of the station to be less steep. Almost every train attacks that from a standing start, and every little helps...

 

[IndustryInsider]

  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!   

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

I note from II's (very helpful) track diagrams that the Feeder Lines are now referred to as Main and Relief, with no reference to Up and Down, thus avoiding the confusion (well to me at least) of the Up and Down Feeder Lines appearing to be the wrong way round.

[paul7575]

I was having a play with realtimetrains earlier, it now includes dates after the New Year break, so I did a quick check of the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) platforming, because they are one of the significant conflicting factors for the spring timetable period.

As I'd expect at this stage the terminating trains do still use P13 or P14, with a couple shunting via Kennet Bridge loop as now.

Otherwise they generally use P3 and P8, with only a handful of trains in P7 over the course of the whole day. 

As it stands timings seem incredibly tight - there's quite a few instances over the day where the public timings have trains in opposite directions to or from the festival line at the same time or within a minute or two.  Will require excellent time keeping if that stays the same...

(resolve)/2015/01/05/0600-2000?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=xc" target="_blank">http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/RDG/2015/01/05/0600-2000?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=XC

Paul

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

Thanks Paul.  1O84 0725 Newcastle - Soton has an interesting routeing through Reading, it's shown as approaching Reading on the UR, passing through P15 without stopping, reversing in Kennet Loop, and then finally stopping in P7 at 1218.  Now that's going to give passengers alighting at Reading a bit of a surprise.