Great Western Electrification Progress

[Dren Ahmeti]

Reading West

Tilehurst Rd bridge parapet work - no progress.

Platform extension last week. Lights & fence to complete.
View attachment 55915 View attachment 55916
Today.
View attachment 55917 View attachment 55918

At some point, all these View attachment 55919 have been removed. View attachment 55920

You really must stop following me @3973EXL
New sign sitting on the platform extension this morning; GWR one:

 

[FGW_DID]

You really must stop following me @3973EXL
New sign sitting on the platform extension this morning; GWR one:

Whats that strange looking thing on the side of the platform for?


Helmet & Body Armour on....ducks for cover

 

[Dren Ahmeti]

Whats that strange looking thing on the side of the platform for?


Helmet & Body Armour on....ducks for cover

The local anoraks

 

[steverailer]

Down at Newbury earlier and took the attached, wondering what all these bits and pieces are on the OHLE just to the west of the platforms - something to do with tensioning for OHLE raising and lowering?
View attachment 55838 View attachment 55839

They are section insulators. They keep the different electrical sections seperate, mostly found on cross overs to keep the main lines on different feeds.

 

[Ploughman]

Just turning on the diesels isnt that easy. they re not designed to run at full tilt from cold. So you have to pre heat them somehow, by idle running or with heaters. So some time before you need the diesel, you need to run the start up procedure.
You at least need to give it time to get oil in the turbo. My garage man says people break their car engines by not allowing the engine to idle for 30 seconds before setting off.

Or when closing down.

 

[59CosG95]

GWML Electrification: State of Play, as of 26/11/18.
All mileages given from Paddington, except where noted.
Paddington to Wootton Bassett Jct - LIVE

• All main line tracks wired as far as Wootton Bassett Jct, and are to be considered "live" as such. The envelope of "live" wires continues along the South Wales Main Line to Filton Jct (inc. Bristol Parkway), and to the Limits of Wiring on the Berks & Hants line and Reading-Basingstoke Line; details are given below.
• TTCs have replaced/been replacing headspans at various locations within London - locations include Westway (beneath the A40), Acton Main Line, Ealing Broadway, and between Southall & H&H. These are part of the works for the Elizabeth Line.
• Everything wired at Reading (bar P4-6 which were never in the plan). Includes the TCD & the curves, down to Reading West (see B&H section).
• West of Didcot Parkway, all lines are wired & live heading towards Swindon.
• Everything wired at Swindon (bar the goods lines north of P1, where provision is provided).

Small Points

• ATF wires in operation from Maidenhead to Wootton Bassett; Kensal Green to Maidenhead currently only using return conductors but will be AT-ready in the near future. Some AT wires up along this stretch now; whether they are live remains to be seen.
  • In preparation for the Elizabeth Line running to Maidenhead, Hayes & Harlington to Maidenhead was closed off over the Early May Bank Holiday (5/5 to 7/5); this included renewals of S&C at West Drayton & Slough West Jct, alongside HOPS work at Langley. Paddington to H&H was also closed on May 6th, and encompassed final OLE works for Crossrail, alongside (presumably) ATF installation, finishing of Platform Extensions, lift shaft installation, passenger footbridge installation, and ticket hall foundation installation.
• At Ealing Broadway, the staircase to P2/3 has been demolished and replacement with a new structure as part of the Crossrail works is now underway. Access is via the footbridge at the London end from P4 - work started on 1/10 and should continue until late December.
• Parapet Work ongoing at Southbury Lane Bridge, Ruscombe; the wing walls remain unfinished. Original Coping stones have now been replaced.
• At Butts Hill Rd Bridge, Woodley, steelwork has now been added on the outside of the parapets. This suggest that metal screens are due to be affixed.
• Platforms are being extended at Cholsey (country end), Goring & Streatley (London end), Pangbourne (country end), & Tilehurst (1 & 4 country end; 2 & 3 London end).
• Few masts and cantilevers now up on the Didcot Avoiding Line, which finish at Appleford; Appleford LC being the limit of wires for the time being.
• Oxford Lines west of Didcot Pkwy wired as far as the loco fuelling sdg; Down Oxford as far as 53m 31ch, Up Oxford as far as 53m 42ch. Didcot avoiding lines have sprouted masts (4 portals, 2 TTCs), with a wire pair over the Down Didcot Avoider.
• A note on Steventon: Wires up under the High St Bridge (aka the "Brunel Bridge"); however, the bridge may well be demolished in CP6. "Temporary" parapet work to protect passers-by from stray currents now complete. Wires west of Causeway Crossing are onnowy authorised for passenger service on 80x trains in both directions; the discussion continues.
• Overruns through Swindon Jct (77m 36ch) onto the Golden Valley Line have also been wired.
• Another note on the OLE beyond Didcot: the wires west of Causeway Crossing were authorised for passenger service (as of Sunday 28th October) as far as Swindon for Down (westbound) trains, with the Up line following 2 weeks later on Remembrance Sunday. Trains may run on AC under test conditions (as ECS) beyond to Wootton Bassett & Bristol Parkway, but entry of IETs in AC passenger service beyond Swindon is unlikely before December.
• Swindon Cocklebury Sidings due to go live for EMUs at some point in December.

The "Main Line"; Wootton Bassett Jct - Chippenham (Cocklebury Lane Bridge)
Until further notice, the 25kV transmission wires will run in a trough from Cocklebury Lane Bridge (just east of Chippenham) to Thingley Jct. Large steelwork is expected to remain in situ until wiring is authorised west of Thingley, but some specific items may be poached if required elsewhere (and duplicates aren't stored at RAF Wroughton). Details given in the "Postponements" section.

• All masts and earth wires are now up between Wootton Bassett Jct & Cocklebury Lane Overbridge.
• The Up Line is wired throughout from Cocklebury Lane to Wootton Bassett.
• The Down Line is fully wired apart for a half-mile gap in both catenary & contact wires from Dauntsey to Christian Malford.

Chippenham (Cocklebury Lane Bridge) - Thingley Jct

• No piles in Chippenham station, nor any masts affixed to the viaduct.
• All piles in and majority of masts (and cantilevers) up from the western end of the viaduct to Thingley Junction (where the feeder station will be). Most TTCs have booms from beyond the viaduct to Thingley East Junction. About 14 masts are up in the vicinity of Thingley Feeder Stn, 2 of which have TTC booms affixed. Another has an STC boom.
• Piles continue westwards to the next bridge.

Thingley Jct - Keynsham

• No wiring for the foreseeable future, but overbridges between Thingley Jct & Box Tunnel have all been rebuilt. Corsham Main Road Bridge needs its parapets raising. New aqueduct & footbridge at Corsham complete.
• Both Box & Middle Hill Tunnels have had track lowered.
• A new footbridge has been built at Ashley Box.
• Piles also in (and have been for over a year) at Ashley (beyond Box Tunnel) - these might well be trial piles.
• Bathampton Jct to beyond Sydney Gardens has had track lowered. A new signal gantry at Bathampton Jct was installed over Xmas 2017 but is not yet in use.
• Bath Spa platforms realigned & raised, with track also slewed.
• Track through Oldfield Park & Keynsham now lowered.
• A lot of piles are in along the embankment around Saltford and Keynsham in readiness for future wiring.

South Wales Main Line (Wootton Bassett Jct-Bristol Parkway-Severn Tunnel-Newport-Cardiff)

Wootton Bassett Jct to Filton Jct (inc. Bristol Parkway) - LIVE

• All catenary & contact wires up from Wootton Bassett Jct, past Westerleigh Jct (107m 14ch) through Bristol Parkway and thence to Filton Jct & Stoke Gifford IEP Depot; Chipping Sodbury Goods Loop and the Cheltenham Curve overrun (as far as the limit of wiring) are also fully wired and live.
• BPW Platforms now fully wired; includes the Down Goods Loop & Up Passenger Loop.
  • A number of masts & booms (now all wired up) are up on the line towards Filton Abbey Wood, between Stoke Gifford Jct No.1 (111m 79ch) and Filton Jct No.1 (113m 01ch); these end just short of Filton Jct 1 and will presumably act as an overrun until electrification continues into Temple Meads.
  • Section Isolator Masts now installed immediately before Stoke Gifford Jct No. 1, for the proposed neutral section just west of Bristol Parkway; these now have their feeder wires.
• Filton Bank bridge works (mileages all from Temple Meads):
  • Easton Rd Overbridge (1m 18ch) completely rebuilt.
  • Narroways Footbridge (2m 12ch) replaced.
  • Ashley Hill Footbridge (3m 11ch) replaced.
  • Bonnington Walk Overbridge (3m 62ch) - parapets raised.
  • Footbridge south of Filton Abbey Wood (4m 18ch) will need work if wiring is to occur.

Filton Jct - Severn Tunnel

• The Patchway/Severn Tunnel Blockade is now complete.
• The 3-week Bristol Parkway Blockade and subsequent weekend blockade are also now complete.
• Stoke Gifford IEP Depot all wired.
• Patchway Tunnels conductor rail installed.
• Masts, booms and SPS up through Patchway. No wires yet.
  • Cattybrook Brickworks Bridge closed as of 18/3/18.
• At Pilning, during the Summer Tunnels blockade, all portals and masts have now been erected, and wires have gone up (west of the station). Earth wires are now up eastwards from this wired section, through the station, to the split-level section before the Patchway Tunnels.

Severn Tunnel - Newport
Due to have IETs in AC service by 2020!

• Severn Tunnel Conductor rail in place. A number of masts on both sides of the line are now up at Caldicot, just before the Western tunnel mouth; these now extend westwards towards the eastern end of the platforms at STJ.
• Part of the central island platform at Severn Tunnel Junction has been fenced off - a possible mast location?
• All bridge rebuilding complete from Severn Tunnel Jct (149m 14ch) to Bishton Flyover (152m 30ch).
• Masts beginning to go up between Severn Tunnel Jct & Bishton Flyover, as of 3/4/18. These include:
  • At least 11 between Undy (Church Rd Bridge) and the M4 viaduct over the mains; one just east of the "white house" has a TTC boom. It can be assumed that its 8 comrades will be similarly adorned. Another mast over the Reliefs west of the "white house" has now gained a TTC boom with 1 SPS assembly; it has a twin over the Mains.
  • Two opposing pairs of TTC masts have gone up between Church Rd Bridge & the Playing Fields Footbridge.
  • Two large uprights have gone up between Undy Playing Fields footbridge & "the ramp" bridge at Magor on opposite sides of the line; these may well take a portal boom.
  • Another 3 masts (two for a portal boom, one a TTC with boom up) have appeared east of "the ramp" bridge at Magor; these join the sole TTC on the Up side by the bridge.
  • 3 of the 4 TTCs west of "the ramp" bridge (2 on the Down side, 1 on the Up side) bear SPS; a 4th TTC has been boomed on the up, opposite the more western boom on the Down side.
  • The signal gantry at Magor (west of the West End Footbridge) has been replaced by 4 signals on posts; this should mean its removal prior to electrification is imminent. A TTC with SPS is up over the Mains there too.
  • 1 mast is up to the west of Redwick Rd Bridge (by the Down Relief), and a mast due to bear a portal is up to the east of Whitewall Footbridge (by the Up Main). OTP is in place for a piling/masting operation by Redwick Rd compound.
  • Masts (with SPS fitted) up between Bishton Flyover (including over it) and Llanwern West Jct (156m 20ch). 5 masts are currently up on the curve down from the flyover at its eastern end.
  • Plenty single masts (with SPS fitted & folded) up along the Mains between the Flyover and Bishton LC. A run of Earth wire is now up on the Up side at Bishton.
• West of Bishton LC (153m 01ch), masts are around 90-95% up (all bar a few have booms and SPS), with the main gap at Llanwern Works East Connection (153m 05ch). This continues west towards Llanwern Works West Connection/Llanwern West Junction (156m 03ch to 156m 20ch). 4 masts (3 over the Mains, 1 over the Reliefs) also have booms & SPS immediately west of the LC.
• A run of Earth Wires & ATF wires have been strung up on the Relief side (adjacent to the DR) between Llanwern Works East Connection & Llanwern West Jct.
• In this stretch also, wires are now up on the Mains:
  • 2 runs on the Down Main (one with catenary & droppers only, and a full run of C&C to the west);
  • 1 run of Catenary & contact wires on the Up Main.
• Some masts have sprouted near Lliswerry pond.
• 6-track portals, probably TGBUs (aka Thumpin' Great Big-Uns) going up aroung East Usk Yard (approx. MP157 1/2).
• Between the Maindee Jcts (157m 74ch to 158m 16ch), a cluster of piles is in beside the Down Relief; these are complemented by masted piles on the Main side (adjacent to the Up Main).
• Caerleon Rd Overbridge to be refurbished in 2 phases - 20/7 to 30/11, and then January ‘19 to March ‘19. Not sure what impact on wiring this will have.
• Some SPS has now gone up between Maindee West & Maindee East; between Maindee West Maindee North Jct (41m 03ch from the former Rotherwas Jct, just south of Hereford; the ELR for the southern part of the Marches Line), masts with TTCs on are also going up (as overruns) over the Marches Line; the termination mast & associated TTC are just north of signal "NT 1559".
• Fixings for masts have now been installed on the Usk Bridge.

Newport

• All canopies now cut back.
• Masts and portals now appearing at the western end of the station, some with SPS attached. More started to appear in mid-April; additionally, two at the Cardiff end & two through the P1 canopy on the weekend of April 28th/29th.
• 4-track portal now up over the southern 4 tracks, just east of the new station footbridge.
• Two six-track portals have now gone up over the western throat of the station, just short of a 4-track portal (uprights of) & a TTC (with SPS) adjacent to Clytha Park Rd.
• Old stn footbridge now removed; 4-track portal of the "TGBU" (Thumpin' Great Big 'Un) variety has been installed in its place.
• A new portal has gone up at the east end of Newport, with all the fixings for switchgear affixed at the top. Droptubes for registration arms are also on.

Newport - Cardiff

• Plenty masts up around Gaer Jct (159m 32ch) north of Cardiff Rd Bridge (the B4237):
  • one by the Down Relief;
  • two by the Up Main (one of which is a boomed TTC with SPS);
  • three by the Gaer Jct - Park Jct Chord.
• Around 6 piles are in adjacent to the Up Main between Gaer Jct and Ebbw Jct (160m 07ch); these will probably take masts for portal booms. One such boom appears to have gone in! Currently unknown if Alexandra Dock Jct Yard will be electrified.
• Lots of steelwork up immediately behind the signal gantry adjacent to the Up Main at Ebbw Jct; this includes a full portal boom and a TTC acting as an overrun mast on the Ebbw Vale branch.
• Over 100 masts from Ebbw Jct to Marshfield (163m 60ch). Booms & SPS starting to appear in the area too.
• Green Lane Bridge, nr Marshfield (164m 57ch) reopened to traffic after reconstruction. Masts (with SPS) up around here too.
• Lots of masts (with booms, SPS & ATF brackets) now up near Mardy Rd Bridge, Rumney.
• Two TTCs, one on each side of the tracks, have been erected by the bridge at Rhymney River Bridge Jct (167m 61ch).
• About 4 or 5 portals have been erected just west of Pengam Jct (168m 40ch); 5 masts are up on the Up side east of Rover Lane bridge, complemented by 2 on the Down side. Some of the portals now have booms, and bear SPS; one of these has all its registration arms up.
• First Welsh Wire Run: 1 run of C&C has gone up between Moorland Road Jct (168m 65ch) and Long Dyke Jct (169m 35ch) over the Reliefs on the 15-16th September 2018; this is assumed to be a crossover as it crosses from one Relief line to the other.
• A handful of masts are also up around Long Dyke Jct; some have now gained TTC booms and SPS as well.
• Substantial mast foundations have appeared at each corner of the bridge over St. Mary's Street in Cardiff, along with work behind the nearby OU building. Masts may be imminent.
• Splott Rd Bridge upgrade work now complete.

Cardiff Central - Platforms 0-4 to be wired

• Re-signalling completed. Platform 0 now open. 3 masts now up over P0/1 with TTC booms.
• Piling underway at the extreme ends of P1/2 & P3/4 for future masts. One can assume portals will bridge the gap between P2 & P3, over the Through lines.
• Canopy cut-back work now underway on P2.
• Brackets appear to be in place on the coping stones on the Taff Viaduct (at the western end of the station).
• Plenty piles up adjacent to Cardiff Canton.
• Brickwork Sidings to be increased in length (and electrified) to accommodate GWR Class 387s.
• Proposed Limit of Wiring: Leckwith Loop North Jct (171m 55ch) at a guess.

Swansea IEP Depot

• New IEP Depot at Maliphant Sidings, Swansea now complete; all steelwork up but no wires.

GWML/SWML Blockades:

• 6/7 to 3/12: Reduced capacity between Newport & Cardiff Central while electrification progresses; assume only 1 pair of lines open at a time.
• 15/9 to 6/10, and 13/10 to 14/10: Bristol Parkway blockaded to allow OLE to be installed within the station; done.
• 27/10 to 18/11: Filton Bank blockaded for 4-tracking; done.
• 11/11: Bristol TM to Bath Spa blockaded until 13:00 while the resignalling work is completed on this stretch; done.
• 24/11 to 25/11: Filton Bank blockaded for further work to the 4-tracking; done.
• 1/12 to 2/12: Filton Bank blockaded for further work to the 4-tracking.
• 9/12: Bristol Parkway blockaded.
• 16/12: Didcot Parkway blockaded.
• 25/12/18 to 1/1/19: Bristol Parkway - Newport will be blockaded again, due to electrification work at Severn Tunnel Junction.
• More Blockades will follow; details as they become available.

Berks & Hants Line (Reading-Newbury) - LIVE
Electric trains are set to be in squadron service from January 2019 - ORR sign-off due around Christmas.

• Wires from Oxford Rd Jct are now LIVE to the limits of electrification (53m 42ch on the Newbury Lines, 38m 07ch on the Basingstoke Lines) as of 0650 on 21/10/18.
• EMUs to Newbury on test have begun! 800002 left Newbury on the AC over the weekend - 387s will begin test runs on weeknights from 3/12. Platforms will need to be gauged for other EMU classes.
• Within Reading West, piles for the new footbridge (under Murphy's remit) are in, but have been "decapitated" (i.e. shortened) and capped until a new footbridge solution is found.
• Extension to Reading West Up platform nearly complete. A new camera of sorts has appeared, and new station signs (GWR-style) are waiting to be erected.
• Parapet work now complete on the A4 (Bath Rd) overbridge. Similar works for Tilehurst Rd overbridge are now underway; the bridge has now been reduced to single-lane working for road traffic.
• Platform extension works complete (and now opened) at Theale, Aldermaston and Thatcham.
• Newbury's new footbridge is now open - are the lifts now working?

Limit of Wiring: 53m 42ch.

• Gives Ample room to reverse a 12-car 387 formation.
• Immunised signalling continues to about MP55 1/2. Bedwyn Turnback Siding now extended to accommodate 5-car IETs.

Project Postponements

• Thames Valley Branches: Windsor & Henley deferred to CP6. Marlow removed from scope of current programme. The first few yards of each branch (bar the Henley Branch) have been wired as an overrun.
• Southcote Jct to Basingstoke has also been deferred to CP6.
• Appleford LC to Oxford paused; if CP6 accounts allow for wiring to be extended to Oxford, it would be very likely to happen now that Oxford has been remodelled.
• Catenary & Contact wires between Chippenham (Cocklebury Lane Overbridge) & Thingley Jct have been deferred until (presumably) CP6; presumably this will wait until Bath-Bristol resignalling is complete. All Large steelwork to remain, unless required elsewhere.
• Bristol Temple Meads to Bath & Bristol Parkway paused, dependent on Bristol resignalling (Taunton-Parkway over Easter 2018, Temple Meads to Bath in November 2018 - both done), track remodelling and Filton Bank 4-tracking (underway - to be completed by December 2018).
• Bristol Temple Meads' "Midland Shed" to be reopened in CP6, after Bristol resignalling is complete and the PSB is demolished.

As always, do let me know if I've missed anything!
(apologies to anyone who saw it in a state of source code chaos too).

 

[fflint]

Well done 69CosG95 especially and all others who have contributed to updating this thread on the progress of the wiring etc.

 

[Right Away]

I had another trip up to Swindon today. The gap in the wiring on the Down Main between Dauntsey and Christian Malford has been considerably reduced. There appears now to be a gap of no more than 200 metres in both the catenary and contact wires adjacent to the site of the former Dauntsey station.

As stated above, many thanks to 59cosG95 for keeping track of the progress of the scheme.

 

[oglord]

There is now a continuous run of three separate sections of contact wire on the up main between Llanwern Golf Course and the Bishton crossing. The down main also has three runs but the easternmost only has catenary at the moment. Also the wiring has been extended at Pilning such that the up line is nearly completely wired from the Severn Road bridge to the split-level section. The down line is similarly extended, but all the way to the current limit at the Severn Road bridge/tunnel.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Just turning on the diesels isnt that easy. they re not designed to run at full tilt from cold. So you have to pre heat them somehow, by idle running or with heaters. So some time before you need the diesel, you need to run the start up procedure.
You at least need to give it time to get oil in the turbo. My garage man says people break their car engines by not allowing the engine to idle for 30 seconds before setting off.

All seems a lot of bother changing back and forth from electric to diesel and back again. Why not run on electric through Steventon at 60 mph with both class 800’s and 387’s ? With their superior acceleration there cannot be much time difference ?

 

[Grumbler]

All seems a lot of bother changing back and forth from electric to diesel and back again. Why not run on electric through Steventon at 60 mph with both class 800’s and 387’s ? With their superior acceleration there cannot be much time difference ?

Or just coast under the bridge?

 

[JN114]

All seems a lot of bother changing back and forth from electric to diesel and back again. Why not run on electric through Steventon at 60 mph with both class 800’s and 387’s ? With their superior acceleration there cannot be much time difference ?

Or just coast under the bridge?

One word - risk.

On the 80x there’s a lovely Diesel engine that negates the need for coasting.

The 387s don’t need to go to Swindon yet - Cocklebury isn’t finished.

 

[Unclepete]

WO: (8 car 387) 23.24 Reading TCD - Newbury - Reading TCD 04.30 5Z26/5Z27/5Z28/5Z29
ThO: (8 car 387) 23.24 Reading TCD - Newbury - Reading TCD 04.30 5Z36/5Z37/5Z38/5Z39

Looks like they are starting next Thursday if this is correct?
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/NBY/2018/12/06/0000-2359?stp=S&show=all&order=wtt

 

[swt_passenger]

Looks like they are starting next Thursday if this is correct?
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/NBY/2018/12/06/0000-2359?stp=S&show=all&order=wtt

I think that’s basically the same info, just that the first move starts late Wednesday evening and continues into Thursday.

 

[Steve Tasker]

One word - risk.

On the 80x there’s a lovely Diesel engine that negates the need for coasting.

The 387s don’t need to go to Swindon yet - Cocklebury isn’t finished.

What is the risk at 60 mph? If that speed is OK for the 387’s then should be OK for the 800’s?
Have you read Roger Ford’s article on Steventon in Modern Railways December edition ?
All those unnecessary signs ;- pan up pan down, no electrics beyond this point,etc.etc.
The drivers need a PhD in sign language ! No wonder the GW electrification is well over budget.

 

[JN114]

What is the risk at 60 mph? If that speed is OK for the 387’s then should be OK for the 800’s?
Have you read Roger Ford’s article on Steventon in Modern Railways December edition ?
All those unnecessary signs ;- pan up pan down, no electrics beyond this point,etc.etc.
The drivers need a PhD in sign language ! No wonder the GW electrification is well over budget.

The risk is that the speed doesn’t apply to 80x on diesel mode. So one day a driver forgets they’re not on Diesel and runs through the restriction pan up at 125.

That risk is mitigated by installing balises to initiate a changeover prior to the bridge; hence why they always go under on diesel.

That risk doesn’t exist with 387s. They’re restricted to 60 under the bridge regardless...

 

[Jurassicjewel]

Well, that brings it all back to the issue of bridge demolition and hopefully Network Rail will win their appeal if/when it is submitted to the planning inspectorate. I must admit having read voluminous correspondence and comment in the Oxford Mail a couple of months ago there was a voice of reason from some advocating demolition as the only option in the national interest and to take full advantage of electrification.

 

[Steve Tasker]

The risk is that the speed doesn’t apply to 80x on diesel mode. So one day a driver forgets they’re not on Diesel and runs through the restriction pan up at 125.

That risk is mitigated by installing balises to initiate a changeover prior to the bridge; hence why they always go under on diesel.

That risk doesn’t exist with 387s. They’re restricted to 60 under the bridge regardless...

Still cannot reconcile changing over from electric to diesel to electric in such a short distance with all the potential problems of starting up Diesel engines from cold . Roger Ford says the drivers are having to change over manually (BOTTOMS) as the balises cannot be trusted ? Also, drivers of the 387’s could forget just the same and go through Steventon above 60 mph . Best interim solution would be to place a 60 mph blanket speed limit on all traction until the issue of the bridge was resolved ?

 

[GazK]

They are section insulators. They keep the different electrical sections seperate, mostly found on cross overs to keep the main lines on different feeds.

They are not section insulators. That is a neutral section. The OLE west of that point is earthed because the bridge is too low to have live wires.

 

[Thatcham Xing]

The OLE west of that point is earthed because the bridge is too low to have live wires.

So the last approx 500m of wiring west of the point I photographed is a waste of infrastructure then? - aside from the fact it may be a pan-up/down area for through trains?

 

[jimm]

Still cannot reconcile changing over from electric to diesel to electric in such a short distance with all the potential problems of starting up Diesel engines from cold . Roger Ford says the drivers are having to change over manually (BOTTOMS) as the balises cannot be trusted ? Also, drivers of the 387’s could forget just the same and go through Steventon above 60 mph . Best interim solution would be to place a 60 mph blanket speed limit on all traction until the issue of the bridge was resolved ?

The engines are not being 'started up from cold' - they are pre-heated.

What on earth do you think has been going on for 13 months, multiple times each day, just east of Didcot? Can anyone come up with examples of the diesel to electric or electric to diesel transition on IETs failing?

Why should an express that is not booked to call at Didcot have to trundle through Steventon at half the line speed when it has traction equipment on board that allows it to pass through flat out?

 

[JN114]

Still cannot reconcile changing over from electric to diesel to electric in such a short distance with all the potential problems of starting up Diesel engines from cold

No different to the current AC - Diesel moving changeovers.

Roger Ford says the drivers are having to change over manually (BOTTOMS) as the balises cannot be trusted ?

Roger Ford says a lot of things - most of it is insightful informed comment. Some of it however is uninformed wibble. Aside from a brief issue earlier in the year with auto changeovers at Moreton Cutting - discussed at length at the time in this very thread - there are no issues with the balises at present; nor are they untrustworthy in any way.

Also, drivers of the 387’s could forget just the same and go through Steventon above 60 mph

The difference being 387s can never go under the bridge at 110 - from introduction their maximum permitted speed at that point will be 60. IETs have routinely been running under bridge at up to 125mph for better part of 18 months now - you have to mitigate against that engrained memory.

Best interim solution would be to place a 60 mph blanket speed limit on all traction until the issue of the bridge was resolved ?

Well that may be the best option in your opinion; but the best solution in the eyes of the people responsible for making and risk assessing these decisions is 60mph speed for EMUs only; IETs allowed full speed with Pans Down on Diesel, with changeover enforced by balises. The IETs are more than capable of switching between Electric and Diesel on the fly - why shouldn't that capability be exploited if it benefits journey times.

 

[dougofakkad]

Hello all,

I'm still a little unclear on the exact date of changeover on the Thames Valley line. Will 387s replace Turbo trains on Reading-Newbury from Jan onwards, or does that come later?

 

[JN114]

Hello all,

I'm still a little unclear on the exact date of changeover on the Thames Valley line. Will 387s replace Turbo trains on Reading-Newbury from Jan onwards, or does that come later?

Should be EMUs from January.

 

[dougofakkad]

Should be EMUs from January.

Thank you. As I understand that's just to Newbury, correct? How will Bedwyn services work? Does that mean there will be diesels still running from Reading-Bedwyn in parallel with EMUs going Reading-Newbury, or just Newbury-Bedwyn?
Is there somewhere I can look all this up? Google is failing me here.

 

[59CosG95]

Thank you. As I understand that's just to Newbury, correct? How will Bedwyn services work? Does that mean there will be diesels still running from Reading-Bedwyn in parallel with EMUs going Reading-Newbury, or just Newbury-Bedwyn?
Is there somewhere I can look all this up? Google is failing me here.

Bedwyn services run from London Paddington only AFAIK; so diesels would run London-Reading-Newbury-Bedwyn, in parallel with EMUs running Reading-Newbury.

 

[ATW158Xpress]

Thank you. As I understand that's just to Newbury, correct? How will Bedwyn services work? Does that mean there will be diesels still running from Reading-Bedwyn in parallel with EMUs going Reading-Newbury, or just Newbury-Bedwyn?
Is there somewhere I can look all this up? Google is failing me here.

Bedwyn’s are due to go over to 5 car IET with one Turbo diagram working peak time shuttles but in GWR 800 trend this might be slightly delayed due to issues with passenger door camera.

 

[dougofakkad]

So to summarise, from January (in theory at least)...

Paddington - Bedwyn will be 5 car IETs (presumably these run electric to Newbury then switch to diesel)
Reading - Newbury (all stations) will be 387s

Do I have this right? Sorry to labour on it, it just seems very difficult to find definite information about this anywhere else.

 

[JN114]

So to summarise, from January (in theory at least)...

Paddington - Bedwyn will be 5 car IETs (presumably these run electric to Newbury then switch to diesel)
Reading - Newbury (all stations) will be 387s

Do I have this right? Sorry to labour on it, it just seems very difficult to find definite information about this anywhere else.

All being well, Padd to/from Bedwyns will be IETs, changeover from AC to diesel at Newbury.

Reading to/from Newburys will be EMUs.

PM Peak Newbury - Bedwyn shuttle will be a Turbo.

 

[Phil from Mon]

A few looking down on the Penarth Road bridge at the east end of Cardiff Central yesterday. Good to see preparation for more bases going in steadily