Dawlish - permanent resilience work - ongoing discussions

[whole diary]

[broadgage]

Wouldn't some old pacer units have worked just as well ??

No they are too flimsy, the first good wave would detach the bus body from the goods wagon frame.

[southwest]

More delays..
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-54538258

It is not that difficult to engineer a gentle slope into the sea in front of the wall to ensure a sandy beach is still present. Sadly few people in the general public have much understanding of soft sediment coastal engineering!

That's not the entire issue, people don't want to lose the beach entirely(as was proposed), the old walkway and spray point would also be lost.  Local people have the right to speak up, they have to live there day in & day out and their opinions should be respected.

[paul7575]

I notice from the Dawlish beach cam video that the inner wall opposite Marine Parade now has most of its artificial stone cladding fitted (on the railway side).  I do think it looks a lot better now, according to the planning application it was supposed to try and match the low wall on the pavement, as seen from Marine Parade. 

https://youtu.be/xsD21zBb73o

Paul

[Thatcham Crossing]

That stone cladding appears to have been added in sections overnight during the course of the last week or so, from my observations (only via the webcam, I am in West Berks but have been to Dawlish a few times during the course of this year so know the layout of the new sea wall).

Would be nice if the other webcam (east of the Station) was online so that we could see the Waverider in action.

[paul7575]

I reckon the other camera you?re thinking of is too far along, so it doesn?t *see* any of the work area. I think it?s the north side of Coastguards bridge, which is the limit of the phase 2 work area.

Paul

[plymothian]

That's right, the original camera (now known as San Remo) is further north from Dawlish station and faces towards Exeter, very close to where the line was washed away.

The newer cam (known as the Blenheim, as it's fixed on the Blenheim Hotel) is south of the station and faces towards Teignmouth.

The even newer cam (Brunel Holiday Park) overlooks Dawlish Warren station.

All are essentially fixed closed circuit television cameras and therefore cannot be moved unless they were unmounted and remounted in a new position.

[Thatcham Crossing]

Thanks for the responses.

Yes, it was the San Remo camera I was thinking of, but didn't realise that looks beyond where the next stage of the work is to be carried out.

[REVUpminster]

Dawlish, Marine parade 179  trackside cladding by Robert, on Flickr

179 panels on the trackside at Marine Parade to provide the finishing touch.

[Thatcham Crossing]

Was briefly in the area today so took a quick pic of the Wavewalker in it's current location right next to the down platform. As with lots of feats of engineering it's impressive to see close up, and big!

[TonyN]

Wow I hope they have a good anchor. That thing being thrown against the station in a storm would result in the same sort of effect seen when one of the Lymington - Yarmouth ferries hit the pier at Lyminghton. The platform was pushed out of gauge at a train hit it.

[paul7575]

Wow I hope they have a good anchor. That thing being thrown against the station in a storm would result in the same sort of effect seen when one of the Lymington - Yarmouth ferries hit the pier at Lyminghton. The platform was pushed out of gauge at a train hit it.

I?d be quite surprised if it used conventional anchors as well as having 8 legs extended into the beach. Once it?s raised up above the highest water level (and expected wave height) it shouldn?t be easily moved.

Paul

[old original]

..and yet at the slightest hint of a bit of a blow, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), are now taking  the same position of XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)), and get scared of running a service.
Nothing running 05.30 - 08.30 Wednesday 16/12

[Timmer]

..and yet at the slightest hint of a bit of a blow, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), are now taking  the same position of XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)), and get scared of running a service.
Nothing running 05.30 - 08.30 Wednesday 16/12

For more information on this:
https://www.gwr.com/travel-updates/live-network-updates/disruption-information

[broadgage]

..and yet at the slightest hint of a bit of a blow, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), are now taking  the same position of XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)), and get scared of running a service.
Nothing running 05.30 - 08.30 Wednesday 16/12

Did not my famous crystal ball predict that the new trains would fail to cope with the extreme, but well known conditions at Dawlish ? I based this prediction not on any detailed technical analysis, but on observation of Voyagers, and more generally that new trains often cope less well than older types in adverse conditions.
IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) advocates pointed out that coping with these conditions was "an essential requirement" of the new trains and suggested that I was being unduly negative.
Later, IET advocates, stated that the "essential requirement" WRT^▸ ('with regard to' ) to Dawlish conditions reffered only to not suffering cosmetic damage to finishes, and without any requirement that the trains actualy work in such conditions.

Progress !

[grahame]

Did not my famous crystal ball predict ....

I suspect your Crystal Ball may have a rosy tinted view to help reflect your views.  All trains are stopped, including the castle class and 150s  which have been around since the last millenium.

Now - were you to suggest that the rules change under an ERMA from a franchise - so that there's now an emphasis on not damaging the trains with salt water in preference to not cancelling trains, I might think you had hit the nail on the head.