MML Electrification: progress updates

[59CosG95]

Again, Napsbury will only be a sectioning site for OLE isolation purposes (like most of the MML locations where switchgear is visible). In normal operation the Midland Main Line is only fed at Borehamwood and Chalton (Grahame Park still has its 132kV DNO connection as a backup, I assume).

My understanding is that KO1a modification works on the original "BedPan"* stretch are split into three distinct groups - resectioning (which includes a northward shift of the neutral section between the Borehamwood / Chalton feeds), conversion of feeding system (replacing return conductors / booster transformers with return screening conductors / aerial earth wires means reduced power transmission losses) and mechanical OLE mods (regrading of fast line OLE and registration arm adjustments). It's the third group that'll remove the 100mph limit on electric rolling stock south of Bedford.

[* Whoever came up with that way back when must have had quite the dry sense of humour]

All of the above is quite correct.
Additionally, the "OLE Cubed" programme is replacing structures at risk of failure; STCs with STCs, and headspans with portals. These are mainly at the southern and northern ends.

 

[matacaster]

Or more realistically, it doesn't have the traffic that even most of the quietest smallest London stations do i.e courses for horses.


The GWR OLE is run at 125mph now and I believe that the possibility of 140mph (which would require a higher tension, especially for multiple pantograph operation) has been catered for should the trains have full in-cab signalling. That's called planning for the future.


Next few generations? The rate of change needs successful decarbonisation to proceed now if we aren't going to make life intolerable for the next generation.

I keep reading in newspapers that there is going to be a heatwave. Not where I live in yorkshire there isn't. We could do with a bit of global warming.
I note that significant population control across the globe gets scant mention yet it would make a big difference, but it seems that's too difficult to tackle in the woke world?

 

[WiredUp]

Or more realistically, it doesn't have the traffic that even most of the quietest smallest London stations do i.e courses for horses.


The GWR OLE is run at 125mph now and I believe that the possibility of 140mph (which would require a higher tension, especially for multiple pantograph operation) has been catered for should the trains have full in-cab signalling. That's called planning for the future.


Next few generations? The rate of change needs successful decarbonisation to proceed now if we aren't going to make life intolerable for the next generation.

The Series 1 tensions from Stockley Junction westwards are fine for 140mph, and for multiple pantograph operation. The configuration of it at numerous overline structures is an outstanding barrier to 140mph.....

 

[59CosG95]

The Series 1 tensions from Stockley Junction westwards are fine for 140mph, and for multiple pantograph operation. The configuration of it at numerous overline structures is an outstanding barrier to 140mph.....

Am I right in saying that the approach spans of said structures would require re-grading to a shallower contact wire gradient in order to get the OLE 140mph compatible?

 

[WiredUp]

Am I right in saying that the approach spans of said structures would require re-grading to a shallower contact wire gradient in order to get the OLE 140mph compatible?

Partly, but the clearances at a lot of overbridges meant that fitted bridge arms had to be used - which cap Series 1 at 125mph. In some areas not a problem, but in others not the smartest of moves.

 

[59CosG95]

Potential Works for June:
12/6/22: "Some lines" (assuming one pair) closed all day between St Pancras & Luton.
13-17/6/22: Late night/early morning services (inc. first & last Corby trains) will be retimed by up to 30 minutes (assuming this means either a line pair closure south of Bedford)
20-24/6/22: Late night/early morning services (inc. first & last Corby trains) will be retimed by up to 30 minutes (line pair closure south of Bedford)
20-24/6/22: Line blocked for engineering works between Kettering & Leicester
25-26/6/22: NO TRAINS south of Luton.
27/6-1/7/22: Various closures; I've inferred that St Pancras - Luton and Kettering- Leicester are the main ones.

For July:
2-3/7/22: NO TRAINS south of Luton.
10/7/22: Handful of early morning IC trains terminate at Bedford instead of St Pancras.

 

[InTheEastMids]

Potential Works for June:
12/6/22: "Some lines" (assuming one pair) closed all day between St Pancras & Luton.
13-17/6/22: Late night/early morning services (inc. first & last Corby trains) will be retimed by up to 30 minutes (assuming this means either a line pair closure south of Bedford)
20-24/6/22: Late night/early morning services (inc. first & last Corby trains) will be retimed by up to 30 minutes (line pair closure south of Bedford)
20-24/6/22: Line blocked for engineering works between Kettering & Leicester
25-26/6/22: NO TRAINS south of Luton.
27/6-1/7/22: Various closures; I've inferred that St Pancras - Luton and Kettering- Leicester are the main ones.

For July:
2-3/7/22: NO TRAINS south of Luton.
10/7/22: Handful of early morning IC trains terminate at Bedford instead of St Pancras.

There's overnight works to install steel parts in Market Harborough - I think - w/c 13/06. A letter was sent to residents, and not clear if it means the last few bits of large steel, or starting installation of all the dangly bits, or both.

 

[59CosG95]

Paid a visit to the North Orbital Trading Estate to see progress at Napsbury TSC today, while en route to visit family. (Images are large, so clicking them will bring them up)

Six new masts, as previously reported, are now in on the Down side; all are for spanwire switching structures.
They are numbered, in order, as follows:

• F/30/05E (will feed traction power);
• F/30/05F (will feed traction power);
• F/30/06A (will switch the insulated overlap);
• F/30/06B (will switch the insulated overlap);
• F/30/07A (will feed traction power); and
• F/30/07B (will feed traction power).

Along with the SPS that will hold the cross-track feeder cables, all 6 structures have their earth wire clamps down near the base of the masts, ready to replace the Return Conductors when the Sandridge - Borehamwood stretch of route gets deboostered. All the legacy structures have EW clamps in waiting too.

On the Up side, 5 of the 6 piles are in (it looks like F/30/06A is the missing link). A hole appears to be dug for the 6th pile but no bolts could be seen on my visit.

Finally, the 4 'switch farm' masts in the compound have the following numbers:

• F/30/05A;
• F/30/05B;
• F/30/05C; and
• F/30/05D.

All are fitted with anti-climb guards (read: downward facing spikes) except 30/05A. Further north of them, the concrete base for the ASG building looks finished, but no duct installation work to the 4 masts feeding traction power.

I'll attempt to return north via East Hyde MPTSC, and document the works there too.

 

[londonmidland]

Just passed Loughborough Brush to see steel work for twin-track cantilevers having been delivered by a lorry and placed outside in a storage area..?

Can see it from the train for anyone interested.

 

[59CosG95]

Just passed Loughborough Brush to see steel work for twin-track cantilevers having been delivered by a lorry and placed outside in a storage area..?

Can see it from the train for anyone interested.

One of the main manufacturers for masts, Adey Steel, have their HQ there.
Chances are if you look at a new mast on the MML in a station it'll have an Adey sticker on it.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Paid a visit to the North Orbital Trading Estate to see progress at Napsbury TSC today, while en route to visit family. (Images are large, so clicking them will bring them up)

Six new masts, as previously reported, are now in on the Down side; all are for spanwire switching structures.
They are numbered, in order, as follows:

• F/30/05E (will feed traction power);
• F/30/05F (will feed traction power);
• F/30/06A (will switch the insulated overlap);
• F/30/06B (will switch the insulated overlap);
• F/30/07A (will feed traction power); and
• F/30/07B (will feed traction power).

Along with the SPS that will hold the cross-track feeder cables, all 6 structures have their earth wire clamps down near the base of the masts, ready to replace the Return Conductors when the Sandridge - Borehamwood stretch of route gets deboostered. All the legacy structures have EW clamps in waiting too.

On the Up side, 5 of the 6 piles are in (it looks like F/30/06A is the missing link). A hole appears to be dug for the 6th pile but no bolts could be seen on my visit.

Finally, the 4 'switch farm' masts in the compound have the following numbers:

• F/30/05A;
• F/30/05B;
• F/30/05C; and
• F/30/05D.

All are fitted with anti-climb guards (read: downward facing spikes) except 30/05A. Further north of them, the concrete base for the ASG building looks finished, but no duct installation work to the 4 masts feeding traction power.

I'll attempt to return north via East Hyde MPTSC, and document the works there too.

Nice to the steelwork comparable to the 40 year old installation

 

[John Webb]

Paid a visit to the North Orbital Trading Estate to see progress at Napsbury TSC today, while en route to visit family......

Must have missed you by an hour or two - stopped off there on the way home from St Albans South (Box 130th birthday party for Trust members!) Will add my wider angle views later today.

 

[WiredUp]

Paid a visit to the North Orbital Trading Estate to see progress at Napsbury TSC today, while en route to visit family. (Images are large, so clicking them will bring them up)

Six new masts, as previously reported, are now in on the Down side; all are for spanwire switching structures.
They are numbered, in order, as follows:

• F/30/05E (will feed traction power);
• F/30/05F (will feed traction power);
• F/30/06A (will switch the insulated overlap);
• F/30/06B (will switch the insulated overlap);
• F/30/07A (will feed traction power); and
• F/30/07B (will feed traction power).

Along with the SPS that will hold the cross-track feeder cables, all 6 structures have their earth wire clamps down near the base of the masts, ready to replace the Return Conductors when the Sandridge - Borehamwood stretch of route gets deboostered. All the legacy structures have EW clamps in waiting too.

On the Up side, 5 of the 6 piles are in (it looks like F/30/06A is the missing link). A hole appears to be dug for the 6th pile but no bolts could be seen on my visit.

Finally, the 4 'switch farm' masts in the compound have the following numbers:

• F/30/05A;
• F/30/05B;
• F/30/05C; and
• F/30/05D.

All are fitted with anti-climb guards (read: downward facing spikes) except 30/05A. Further north of them, the concrete base for the ASG building looks finished, but no duct installation work to the 4 masts feeding traction power.

I'll attempt to return north via East Hyde MPTSC, and document the works there too.

What are they going for - boosterless classic?

 

[59CosG95]

What are they going for - boosterless classic?

Yep - the new TSCs will have passive provision for ATF too.

 

[John Webb]

Taken on late afternoon of Sat 11th June; a general view to complement 59CosG95's closeups in post#5,348 above:


A view from as close as I could get to the new masts:

The ducts mentioned in post#5,348 seem to be stacked up for installation.

By the way if anyone wanders too close to the compound fence they may find themselves being shouted at by an automatic security system!

 

[59CosG95]

Taken on late afternoon of Sat 11th June; a general view to complement 59CosG95's closeups in post#5,348 above:
View attachment 116093

A view from as close as I could get to the new masts:
View attachment 116094
The ducts mentioned in post#5,348 seem to be stacked up for installation.

By the way if anyone wanders too close to the compound fence they may find themselves being shouted at by an automatic security system!

I think I know which security system you're on about - alarms and an angry Ulster accent!

One thing I did notice after a closer look was that the droppers in the overlap (and spans either side) have been replaced with the flexible ones that carry current, as seen on Mk3d parts of the ECML and other modernised or new OLE.

As for East Hyde, the contractors have hung new droppers in their expected positions on the Dn Fast only (for now). I'll get photos up later...

 

[WiredUp]

Yep - the new TSCs will have passive provision for ATF too.

Thanks.

Nice to the steelwork comparable to the 40 year old installation

Yes none of the excesses of modern OLE.

 

[59CosG95]

Thanks.


Yes none of the excesses of modern OLE.

The work here and East Hyde as part of KO1a is literally installing masts to hold cross-track feeders, so there won't be any socking great portals going up any time soon.

 

[QSK19]

Isn't the Station at Leicester the big blocker on wires to Leicester. Can't lift the bridge, too big and I'm sure a Network Rail friend of mine said the track cannot be lowered.

Could options be to make the electrification discontinuous (or to run the wires tight to the arch, which itself is lined in ordering to prevent arcing) and then the train either switches to diesel briefly or coasts under the bridge with pan down before going up again? Guessing the latter as it approaches the station when travelling northbound and the former when setting off towards STP?

NB: the OP’s message has been taken from the EMR livery & station branding thread in order to post my reply in a more OT thread.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Polyurea spray elastomer on the bridge with additional surge arrestors.

 

[InTheEastMids]

Could options be to make the electrification discontinuous (or to run the wires tight to the arch, which itself is lined in ordering to prevent arcing) and then the train either switches to diesel briefly or coasts under the bridge with pan down before going up again? Guessing the latter as it approaches the station when travelling northbound and the former when setting off towards STP?

NB: the OP’s message has been taken from the EMR livery & station branding thread in order to post my reply in a more OT thread.

We haven't discussed Leicester London Road bridge clearance since... errr.. April 2022!
Start at post #5195, with posts further down from a couple of people who do know their stuff.

Also post #2964 from 2019

 

[45076]

We haven't discussed Leicester London Road bridge clearance since... errr.. April 2022!
Start at post #5195, with posts further down from a couple of people who do know their stuff.

Also post #2964 from 2019

thanks I'll have a read

 

[59CosG95]

East Hyde Photos from Sunday...
All 4 of the main switch farm masts are now in; these are F/42/08A, /08B, /09A & /09B. As can be seen, none of the 4 masts have any anti-climb spikes fitted yet.


There's also this rather intriguing 5th pile north of F/42/09B - my best bet is that this pile will be for an AT feeder switch mast. Ducts are in around it too.

 

[grumpyoldman01]

Tweet from Roger Ford at 1.08pm on 15 June 2022:

"Unambiguous message from this morning's Midland Mainline electrification contractors' event. Implication of the Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy depends on us getting the cost right"

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Tweet from Roger Ford at 1.08pm on 15 June 2022:

"Unambiguous message from this morning's Midland Mainline electrification contractors' event. Implication of the Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy depends on us getting the cost right"

Just asking a quick question. Did you mean implication or implementation?

 

[grumpyoldman01]

Just asking a quick question. Did you mean implication or implementation?

Sorry - should be implementation

 

[QSK19]

Coded message that MML electrification beyond what has already been committed to will not go ahead because those with the purse strings don’t want to dip into their pockets to install infrastructure that is fit for purpose?

If the above is true, I knew the promise to electrify the whole MML was too good to be true. Mind you, us East Midlands rail users have been let down with false promises so many times that we should be used to it

 

[snowball]

I don't think the message is specific to the MML.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I don't think the message is specific to the MML.

True I agree- but it was at MML contractor specific meeting.

 

[Brissle Girl]

I don't think it's an unreasonable statement to make. It's effectively saying "no blank cheque". I've been reading for several years of ways to make electrification cheaper, which seem to take a painfully long time to materialise, if they ever do.

Having said that I recognise that the problem may equally lie with the customer in terms of agreeing alternative/cheaper methods of installation.