Great Western Electrification Progress

[59CosG95]

And here's my paltry offering.

 

[JonasB]

And here's my paltry offering.

Great map!

What is the plan for the branch lines to Windsor & Eton, Marlow and Henley on Thames? Are they to be electrified? Are there trains from those stations to Paddington today or do travellers have to change train in Slough/Maidenhead/Twyford?

 

[swt_passenger]

Great map!

What is the plan for the branch lines to Windsor & Eton, Marlow and Henley on Thames? Are they to be electrified? Are there trains from those stations to Paddington today or do travellers have to change train in Slough/Maidenhead/Twyford?

Windsor and Henley will be wired at some stage, but they were always a later 'sub-project'. Marlow was withdrawn a couple of years ago, and will almost certainly not be wired any time soon as it requires non standard short rolling stock to fit the track work at Bourne End.

For completeness Greenford has never been proposed or mentioned for wiring as part of the GW electrification.

There are limited numbers of through trains at the moment but as far as we know these will cease as soon as EMUs start running the main services.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Great effort, but what's the Severn Beach line doing there?
The branches to Windsor and Henley have drifted out to CP6, and so has Cardiff-Swansea (ie no work in progress).
Basingstoke is in a different (more uncertain) category, and Marlow has been dropped.

 

[steverailer]

Perhaps the penny has finally dropped that they're better off concentrating resources to complete the core routes, rather than the scatter-gun approach of old (i.e. wasting time on the B&H)?

Regards to 'wasting time on the B&H', it isn't wasting time when the possessions are not there on the MLN. Work has only been done on the B&H when the teams have not had possessions on the MLN, so rather than stand them down and possibly loose the men and machines to other jobs they fill in on the less priority routes

As for the speed, I think the management are finally coming up with the materials and work plan in a decent order not bit here and there as before.

 

[jyte]

I've finished a slightly higher resolution version of the line based map I uploaded yesterday.

If anyone is interested in me continuing then please let me know.

 

[59CosG95]

Great effort, but what's the Severn Beach line doing there?
The branches to Windsor and Henley have drifted out to CP6, and so has Cardiff-Swansea (ie no work in progress).
Basingstoke is in a different (more uncertain) category, and Marlow has been dropped.

Apologies for retaining Marlow, just thought I'd include it as a few yards of the branch are actually wired up.
For the sake of uncertainty, Basingstoke has also been retained, and, should the campaign by the user groups in Bristol to electrify the Severn Beach Line succeed, that'll be coloured in too; if the plan has been dropped I'll get rid of the branch.
Regarding Cardiff-Swansea, and the Windsor/Henley branches, I retained them as electrification has actually been announced for them; this isn't just a map of CP5 schemes.

 

[fflint]

Hi for the mapping/progress idea have a look at what LDECexile did for the Manchester Liverpool and Blackpool Manchester threads. It may be possible to email him and ask to "borrow" his system which, along with other contributors, was and is very useful.

 

[deltic08]

Apologies for retaining Marlow, just thought I'd include it as a few yards of the branch are actually wired up.
For the sake of uncertainty, Basingstoke has also been retained, and, should the campaign by the user groups in Bristol to electrify the Severn Beach Line succeed, that'll be coloured in too; if the plan has been dropped I'll get rid of the branch.
Regarding Cardiff-Swansea, and the Windsor/Henley branches, I retained them as electrification has actually been announced for them; this isn't just a map of CP5 schemes.

Well said.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I've finished a slightly higher resolution version of the line based map I uploaded yesterday.

If anyone is interested in me continuing then please let me know.

Well I certainly am - it is thrilling to see progress illustrated on a map like that. Thanks indeed

 

[Joe D]

It seems like this project has picked up some solidly impressive pace in the last few months. Why?

A big part of the hold-up so far had been the piling and the HOPS "factory train" being unable to meet its targets on piles.

Perhaps now that the piling is finally out of the way on these sections, the factory techniques are able to live up to their promise when erecting the steelwork and cables?

 

[D1009]

Do you know why?

My train got diverted via Bristol (understandably) coming back from the SW the other weekend - I guess that's why.

I guess normal relaying work which you will find at many places on the network at weekends, nothing to do with electrfication or this thread, come to think of it.

 

[swt_passenger]

Just a thought, but I'd suggest removing the GWR logo from the map, as it makes it look suspiciously official. GWR may not be too impressed...

 

[TheDavibob]

Well I certainly am - it is thrilling to see progress illustrated on a map like that. Thanks indeed

Same for me - really useful.

 

[spark001uk]

I've finished a slightly higher resolution version of the line based map I uploaded yesterday.

If anyone is interested in me continuing then please let me know.

Yes from me, good stuff! Thanks.

 

[jyte]

Yes from me, good stuff! Thanks.

Same for me - really useful.

Well I certainly am - it is thrilling to see progress illustrated on a map like that. Thanks indeed

Well then I'll keep working on it!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

And here's my paltry offering.

That's exactly the sort of thing I was suggesting.

Just one comment - could the box around the "legend" be removed? The green stripes are a bit confusing and make it harder to see what colours you have used for which stage of the works.

 

[leomartin125]

Just a thought, but I'd suggest removing the GWR logo from the map, as it makes it look suspiciously official. GWR may not be too impressed...

GWR may or may not be impressed, I don't think we would bother worrying about something like this. It's a great map and I'm grateful for the effort put into making it. Very clear and concise, thank you.

 

[jyte]

This is the higher resolution version, but it needs a lot of work in terms of status. I've travelled through the past 20-30 pages on this thread but am unsure of the status of many sections (such as reading to maidenhead).

If people can PM things that are wrong with it, I'll do a couple of hours on it tonight.

Also you're going to want open the image in a new tab and zoom around a bit....it's huge.

 

[themiller]

This is the higher resolution version, but it needs a lot of work in terms of status. I've travelled through the past 20-30 pages on this thread but am unsure of the status of many sections (such as reading to maidenhead).

If people can PM things that are wrong with it, I'll do a couple of hours on it tonight.

Also you're going to want open the image in a new tab and zoom around a bit....it's huge.

This is a great project that you've started. Alptransit had a similar system on the internet to show the public the progress of the Gotthard and Ceneri tunnels. I wonder how Network Rail keep tabs on what the status of the work is - especially when carrying out audio-visual briefings to civil servants etc.

 

[spark001uk]

This is the higher resolution version, but it needs a lot of work in terms of status. I've travelled through the past 20-30 pages on this thread but am unsure of the status of many sections (such as reading to maidenhead).

If people can PM things that are wrong with it, I'll do a couple of hours on it tonight.

Also you're going to want open the image in a new tab and zoom around a bit....it's huge.

Great work so far mate, very clear. Easily updateable as well, just a matter of colouring the lines in.
(if I was being really pedantic I'd say there's a typo in 'piled' but it's no matter!)

 

[jyte]

Great work so far mate, very clear. Easily updateable as well, just a matter of colouring the lines in.
(if I was being really pedantic I'd say there's a typo in 'piled' but it's no matter!)

Piled has already been fixed and will be updated in version 1.3, which will be released (along with a slightly altered colour scheme) whenever I can get better details about what's up and what isn't.

 

[spark001uk]

Piled has already been fixed and will be updated in version 1.3, which will be released (along with a slightly altered colour scheme) whenever I can get better details about what's up and what isn't.

OK well I should be doing a thames rover either tues or thurs this week, so I can keep an eye out for anything that may need clarifying visually if you want? (between Reading and Pad)

 

[jyte]

OK well I should be doing a thames rover either tues or thurs this week, so I can keep an eye out for anything that may need clarifying visually if you want? (between Reading and Pad)

That would be fantastic.

Edit: expect 1.3 about 3pm GMT, I need to eat lunch .

 

[jyte]

Here it is, 1.3.

Still needs a lot of work, but I've filled in what I've been told.

edit: see next post.

 

[jyte]

I'm going to try that again.

 

[DidcotDickie]

What a great piece of work. After lurking for a while I've registered to try and help out with this.

I live near the GWML on a section that is currently being wired and travel up to London fairly regularly. If I can add to what has been done so far:

Starting at Maidenhead, the wires extend west of the station along the main and relief lines to roughly below where you have "Future" in Future stabling sidings. I'm not sure if the Crossrail turnback siding immediately west of the station has been wired yet but it certainly has masts and cantilevers up.

I'll have a look at the wiring at Reading next weekend but I think it runs a bit further west than shown. Pretty much all the cantilevers and portals are up between Reading station and Tilehurst as well as down to Reading West. Most of the small part steelwork is in place too.

East of Tilehurst the up relief is energised right into Reading Traincare Depot which is accessed from the two lies you have branching off the Up Passenger Loop (UPL) so you can colour that bit in red.

At Didcot all five platforms are energised and the wiring continues round the Oxford lines west of the station as far as the points to the loco fuelling point (shown as 1-IN). The mains and reliefs are then energised as far west as Milton Junction, just before the ladder crossovers.

West of Milton Junction there are cantilevers and portals in place as far as the A34 road bridge with masts up from there to the end of the four-track section at Steventon. At Steventon there is a gap with only piling in place under the B4017 High Street Bridge and up to Stocks Lane Crossing. There are now masts up between Stocks Lane and The Causeway crossings.

West of Steventon there are cantilevers and portals up all the way to Uffington. Most of this (aroung 90%) also has small part steelwork in place. Recently both tracks were wired for about 1km west of Steventon towards Wantage Road and this weekend some wires have also appeared on the four track section immediately east of Challow. I'll check this out later.

West of Uffington most of the masts are in place to east of the junction for South Marston Euroterminal. I'm not sure of the situation at Swindon station though I know that piling has taken place there.

Hope this helps - I'll provide further updates when on my travels over the next couple of weeks.

 

[jyte]

What a great piece of work. After lurking for a while I've registered to try and help out with this.

I live near the GWML on a section that is currently being wired and travel up to London fairly regularly. If I can add to what has been done so far:

Starting at Maidenhead, the wires extend west of the station along the main and relief lines to roughly below where you have "Future" in Future stabling sidings. I'm not sure if the Crossrail turnback siding immediately west of the station has been wired yet but it certainly has masts and cantilevers up.

I'll have a look at the wiring at Reading next weekend but I think it runs a bit further west than shown. Pretty much all the cantilevers and portals are up between Reading station and Tilehurst as well as down to Reading West. Most of the small part steelwork is in place too.

East of Tilehurst the up relief is energised right into Reading Traincare Depot which is accessed from the two lies you have branching off the Up Passenger Loop (UPL) so you can colour that bit in red.

At Didcot all five platforms are energised and the wiring continues round the Oxford lines west of the station as far as the points to the loco fuelling point (shown as 1-IN). The mains and reliefs are then energised as far west as Milton Junction, just before the ladder crossovers.

West of Milton Junction there are cantilevers and portals in place as far as the A34 road bridge with masts up from there to the end of the four-track section at Steventon. At Steventon there is a gap with only piling in place under the B4017 High Street Bridge and up to Stocks Lane Crossing. There are now masts up between Stocks Lane and The Causeway crossings.

West of Steventon there are cantilevers and portals up all the way to Uffington. Most of this (aroung 90%) also has small part steelwork in place. Recently both tracks were wired for about 1km west of Steventon towards Wantage Road and this weekend some wires have also appeared on the four track section immediately east of Challow. I'll check this out later.

West of Uffington most of the masts are in place to east of the junction for South Marston Euroterminal. I'm not sure of the situation at Swindon station though I know that piling has taken place there.

Hope this helps - I'll provide further updates when on my travels over the next couple of weeks.

Fantastic, thank you so much.

I'll update the map later (probably tomorrow evening, I'm busy tonight).

 

[DidcotDickie]

You're welcome. Scratch what I said about wiring at Challow. Just been down for a look. There's just the earth return wire in place, no catenary.

 

[Dixie]

Here it is, 1.3.

Still needs a lot of work, but I've filled in what I've been told.

edit: see next post.

Fantastic bit of work. Makes the whole thing come alive. Should have done this for the North West Threads!