Recent content by 66C

The footbridge will be replaced at some point

Is this just a platform extension or is the start of a track lower for one of the bridges?

UTX sprayed on the sleepers probably an under track crossing going in across under the yellow line to a chamber under the troughing.

There's a shot of Flying Scotsman and it's footplate crew on Dulnain bridge at the head of steel and the crew standing in front of the loco shortly before it's return to Aviemore on that fateful day on the Strathspey Railway unofficial Facebook site.

Yes the vast majority of whom are still working. A handful left the meeting with a hail abuse and swearing and threatened to shut the railway down.

The company's reply to the attack by a few members is printed in the Strathspey Herald.

I was talking to one of the NR engineers recently and he was saying that the track under the Clarkson Road bridge was to be lowered by 200mm to gain clearance.

Also issues with wire gradients and drainage between the bridges and station platform.

Apparently Transport Scotland balked at the costs of redoubling, the platform extensions, bridge issues and signalling

East Kilbride electrification cut back. Double tracking from Busby to East Kilbride no longer happening and back to 6 car operation.

I understand the existing signalling is staying at Barrhead but control transferred to WSSC. Barrhead signal box will be demolished to allow for electrical clearances. The trap on the bay platform may be removed once the platform line is levelled

I understood the original purpose of the turnback facility at Stalybridge and also Rochdale was to allow all services to run through Victoria and not block its platforms. This seems to have been lost since the postponement of the Stalybridge electrification.

Has work started at Barrhead yet to level and extend the bay platform line. The migration of signalling from Barrhead to West of Scotland must be due to happen soon.

So from reading above the 318s and 320s will need replacing in the not to distant future plus the requirements for East Kilbride/Barrhead and a battery electric fleet for Leven to Tweedbank. I think TS may lease a substantial number of class 385 or similar variants.

My apologies my sources tell me it may be a couple of years before work on the ground starts on the Dunblane to Perth wiring and the current thoughts on the signalling is to retain most of the present signal boxes and install 3 aspect colour lights. Presently high up the agenda are the...