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Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

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59CosG95

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18 Aug 2013
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Between Peterborough & Bedlington
Down Bolton / Platform 4 line only also has C&C wire to the same approximate location.

The wire run terminated a few stanchions beyond the points to take you into Platform 5 (not yet wired).

Also noted at Lostock Jn lying in the downside cess are new Switch blades.
So, to clarify: both the UB (P4) and DB (P5) lines are wired as far as Lever St Footbridge, just north of the pointwork at Burnden Jct but not within the footprint of Bolton Station itself?
 
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TBSchenker

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No.

My train was on the Up Bolton P3 so I was going off previous reports for the Up bolton, I was looking at the Down Bolton

The C&C now terminates on the Down Bolton a few stanchions the station side of the pointwork (Lever St Footbridge vicinity) that takes you into Platform 4/5. The wires are then only on the Platform 4 track, not the platform 5 track.

If you are arriving into Platform 4 or 5 from Salford Crescent you have come off the Down Bolton.

No wires beyond Lever St footbridge vicinity towards the Station.
 

Joseph_Locke

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Within earshot of trains passing the one and half
We want you to count the missing masts as no-one has told us for over a week. Surely it must only be one or two now?
Network Rail proudly announced when all the bases were in but have heard nothing about completing mast erection.

Definitely not up: - SSA at the end of P2 at Bolton, back-to-back TTC gallows at Bolton West Junction, and possibly Reg's mysterious pylon at Lostock?
 

dggar

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16 Apr 2011
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469
What happens when further jacking is needed across the trackbed and blocks the line to Southport? Grayling's wonderful bimodes wont get him out of that fix.

He is now blaming Manchester Council for the cancellation of 4-tracking Piccadilly to Oxford Road live on television with no-one to contradict him. He is blaming them for the late opening of the Ordsall Chord which I think was caused by a court case beyond their control, Unbelievable front of the man. He should be sacked as he hasn't two brain cells to rub together.
See post 1049 on the platforfm 15/16 thread,
https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...hester-piccadilly.152254/page-35#post-3594857"]Platform 15 and 16 project at Manchester Piccadilly.[/URL]
 

deltic08

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Ripon
See post 1049 on the platforfm 15/16 thread,
https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...hester-piccadilly.152254/page-35#post-3594857"]Platform 15 and 16 project at Manchester Piccadilly.[/URL]
Thank you. I haven't been following this thread or breakfast television. I found out about the "man who speaks with forked tongue" Grayling from Campaign for Better Transport. He also claimed he hadn't cancelled anything. So what happened to Windermere electrification if he didn't cancel it?
 

TBSchenker

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15 Sep 2010
Messages
551
Down Bolton Contact and Catenary now continuous from just after Yarrow viaduct all the way to the WCML, including Chorley Tunnel and the Flying Arches.

Gap still exists over the viaduct.
 

Baz123

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Noted this afternoon (Tue) in between Beaumont Rd Bridge and Ladybridge a short section of catenary wire with two sets of insulators along it. Would this be (and I'm guessing here!) a neutral section?
 

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Baz123

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10 Jun 2018
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Question for the group re OLE power supply. I have visited several websites with regard to power and it appears an autotransformer system is utilised now. I understand the basic theory that this type of system reduces the requirement for points along the track where power is fed into the system and reduces voltage drop between these main feeds.

However websites appear to suggest there are two systems in operation as follows:-

a) +25Kv contact wire feed with -25Kv AT feed, giving a total PD of 50Kv

b) +25Kv contact wire feed with +25Kv AT feed 180 degrees out of phase with contact feed, again giving a PD of 50Kv

Is this correct or is there only one type of AT feed system but they are explained in a different way?

On a technical note (it’s 40+ years since I did any electrical engineering theory!) how does the -25Kv or the +25Kv 180 degrees out-of-phase autotransformer supply get converted to +25Kv through the AT for the contact wire?

Any help would be appreciated!
 

LDECRexile

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Southport, UK
Noted this afternoon (Tue) in between Beaumont Rd Bridge and Ladybridge a short section of catenary wire with two sets of insulators along it.

I've added these shots to Baz123's album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157697878194035

Bolton-stovepipes fixed to Trinity Street(station) road bridge,pic later.

I've added Reg's shot to his album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157671732263863

I've added all four to the Combined Volume here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157661069863633

Thank you Baz and Reg.
 

snowball

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4 Mar 2013
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Leeds
Question for the group re OLE power supply. I have visited several websites with regard to power and it appears an autotransformer system is utilised now. I understand the basic theory that this type of system reduces the requirement for points along the track where power is fed into the system and reduces voltage drop between these main feeds.

However websites appear to suggest there are two systems in operation as follows:-

a) +25Kv contact wire feed with -25Kv AT feed, giving a total PD of 50Kv

b) +25Kv contact wire feed with +25Kv AT feed 180 degrees out of phase with contact feed, again giving a PD of 50Kv

Is this correct or is there only one type of AT feed system but they are explained in a different way?

It's two different sets of words to describe the same thing. If you turn an arrow through 180 degrees then the effect is the same as if you had reversed its direction.

In terms of sine waves,

sin (180°+x) = - sin (x) for all x.

On a technical note (it’s 40+ years since I did any electrical engineering theory!) how does the -25Kv or the +25Kv 180 degrees out-of-phase autotransformer supply get converted to +25Kv through the AT for the contact wire?

I'm not sure I understand what you're asking here. A feeder station will have a transformer where the primary winding takes in power from the grid, and the secondary has a total output voltage of 50kV with one end connected to the contact wire, the other end connected to the AT wire and a centre tapping connected to the running rails and to earth.
 
Last edited:

notlob.divad

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19 Jan 2016
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1,609
Question for the group re OLE power supply. I have visited several websites with regard to power and it appears an autotransformer system is utilised now. I understand the basic theory that this type of system reduces the requirement for points along the track where power is fed into the system and reduces voltage drop between these main feeds.

However websites appear to suggest there are two systems in operation as follows:-

a) +25Kv contact wire feed with -25Kv AT feed, giving a total PD of 50Kv

b) +25Kv contact wire feed with +25Kv AT feed 180 degrees out of phase with contact feed, again giving a PD of 50Kv

Is this correct or is there only one type of AT feed system but they are explained in a different way?

On a technical note (it’s 40+ years since I did any electrical engineering theory!) how does the -25Kv or the +25Kv 180 degrees out-of-phase autotransformer supply get converted to +25Kv through the AT for the contact wire?

Any help would be appreciated!
Question for the group re OLE power supply. I have visited several websites with regard to power and it appears an autotransformer system is utilised now. I understand the basic theory that this type of system reduces the requirement for points along the track where power is fed into the system and reduces voltage drop between these main feeds.

However websites appear to suggest there are two systems in operation as follows:-

a) +25Kv contact wire feed with -25Kv AT feed, giving a total PD of 50Kv

b) +25Kv contact wire feed with +25Kv AT feed 180 degrees out of phase with contact feed, again giving a PD of 50Kv

Is this correct or is there only one type of AT feed system but they are explained in a different way?

On a technical note (it’s 40+ years since I did any electrical engineering theory!) how does the -25Kv or the +25Kv 180 degrees out-of-phase autotransformer supply get converted to +25Kv through the AT for the contact wire?

Any help would be appreciated!

a) and b) are the same.

Both contact and AT feed are AC therefore -25Kv is the same as 25kv, 180deg out of phase. Both will alternate between +25kv and -25kv with respect to nominal 0v aka Earth/Rails/return conductor.

My understanding is that Auto transformers are placed at intervals between the grid feeder points. When a large load is placed on one side of the transformer, the voltage drops proportionally to the distance and the current. The auto transformer(s) ensure that the voltage drops equally on both the +25kv contact wire side and the -25kv feed at the point where it is located. Thus approximately halving the drop at that point. It is more cost effective than just using a thick cable as resistance is proportional to the area so to achieve the same reduction in volt drop for the same current you would have to increase the x-section of the conductor by 4. Where as the autotransformer feed is nominally a x2 increase in x-section. When you are talking 100km that is a lot of copper* saved.

*other conductors are available.

If I have that horrifically wrong, I apologise.
 
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steverailer

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15 Feb 2013
Messages
169
Noted this afternoon (Tue) in between Beaumont Rd Bridge and Ladybridge a short section of catenary wire with two sets of insulators along it. Would this be (and I'm guessing here!) a neutral section?

That's a midpoint anchor. The insulators are at the sleeper edges not in the 4ft. Its to stop the 2 tensioning units ate each end of the wire run fighting against each other
 

gordonjahn

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Joined
23 Oct 2010
Messages
144
a) and b) are the same.

Both contact and AT feed are AC therefore -25Kv is the same as 25kv, 180deg out of phase. Both will alternate between +25kv and -25kv with respect to nominal 0v aka Earth/Rails/return conductor.

My understanding is that Auto transformers are placed at intervals between the grid feeder points. When a large load is placed on one side of the transformer, the voltage drops proportionally to the distance and the current. The auto transformer(s) ensure that the voltage drops equally on both the +25kv contact wire side and the -25kv feed at the point where it is located. Thus approximately halving the drop at that point. It is more cost effective than just using a thick cable as resistance is proportional to the area so to achieve the same reduction in volt drop for the same current you would have to increase the x-section of the conductor by 4. Where as the autotransformer feed is nominally a x2 increase in x-section. When you are talking 100km that is a lot of copper* saved.

*other conductors are available.

If I have that horrifically wrong, I apologise.

Sounds about right; the voltage drop is part of the issue, but increasing power demands from more stock/faster trains is another, as is the (inevitable) aim to reduce the number of feeder stations along a line to save cost. A good reference for the AT feed system is Overhead Line Electrification for Railways by Garry Keenor ( http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/oc...-Electrification-for-Railways-4th-edition.pdf ) - pages 46 and 47. Also worth following @25Kv on Twitter!
 

haddock1000

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Joined
9 Jan 2016
Messages
13
If I understand it correctly an Autotransformer is simply a 1:1 transformer with the "top" of the primary and the "bottom" of the secondary* both connected to the same earth (which in the railway's case is also the traction earth for the whole system). The remaining two connections are then connected to the overhead line (OHL) and the autotransformer feeder (ATF) wire (either way, it doesn't matter). This means that if the voltage on the OHL is lower than the ATF voltage, then there is power transfer from the ATF wire. This causes the ATF wire voltage to drop and the OHL to rise until they are the same (or whatever the ratio of the transformer is). The converse is also true. If the ATF wire voltage is below the OHL voltage then there will be power transfer from the OHL to the ATF voltage, with the OHL voltage lowering and the ATF voltage rising until they are the same. This is not a theoretical possibility, it will happen when a train regeneratively brakes.

* when I refer to "top" and "bottom" I'm referring to the phase of the AC waveforms across the transformer. For example if you were to ground the "bottoms" of both the primary and secondary, and fed the "top" of the primary with an AC waveform, then the "top" of the secondary would have an AC waveform proportional to the voltage by the turns ratio, and the voltages coming out of the primary and secondary would both be in phase. If you swapped the connections on one of the sides of the transformer then the voltages would be the same, but would be 180 deg out of phase. What I said doesn't mean that the physical (as in 3D space) top of the primary and the physical bottom of the secondary are connected. To swap the "top" and the "bottom" round on a winding can simply be done by changing which way the wire coils round the magnetic core. I.e. if it was going round in a clockwise fashion wind it to round in an anti-clockwise fashion or vice versa. Where which way round you connect a winding matters it is sometimes marked with a dot next to all of the "tops" of the windings on the transformer on a circuit diagram. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Additive-Polarity-of-Auto-transformer_fig1_280301392 Has an example of this. (b) is an autotransformer (assuming the turns ratio is 1:1), as the "bottom" of one winding is connected to the "top" of the other. That would be the earth connection. The circuit drawer could have just as easily drawn the dot on the right hand winding on the bottom of the symbol and removed the crossover on the wires.

I believe what I have said is true but if someone spots an error please feel free to point it out. I hope this clears up exactly how the autotransformer works.
 

59CosG95

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Between Peterborough & Bedlington
GSoP Post 16.0
Manchester Victoria - Preston; State of Play, as of 22nd August 2018.

Less than 5 masts still missing.
All mileages from Manchester Victoria. Bridge mileages are approximated where noted.

1. Man Vic Station (West End) - Man Vic West Jct - Deal Street Jct; 0m 0ch to 0m 32ch
Fully wired 2013-15. Platforms 1 & 2 at Man Vic have now been bedanglied.

2. Deal Street Jct - Salford Central (East End); 0m 32ch to 0m 59ch
Fully masted. Limit of electrification is currently at 0m 46ch; SPS is up along the unwired stretch.

3. Salford Central; 0m 59ch
Fully masted, most SPS (Small Part Steelwork e.g. dangly bits) up. No wires. One mast still missing at western end.

4. Salford Central (West End) - Windsor Bridge South Jct; 0m 59ch to 1m 46ch
Two runs of Earth wire are up. Catenary & contact wires are now also up from west of Salford Central to Agecroft; details below.

5. Windsor Bridge South Jct - Windsor Bridge North Jct (inc. Salford Crescent); 1m 46ch to 1m 70ch
Windsor Bridge South Jct now wired (catenary/contact) from the Deal St direction on both the Up & Down Salford Lines; however, the Up Bolton line is fully wired through Salford Crescent, and terminated just north of Windsor Bridge North Jct. Earth wires (+ AT wires) are also in situ here.
All lines through Salford Crescent are wired with the exception of P1 (which is wireless).
Further wiring details:
Up Bolton is wired from Agecroft South Jn, to Windsor Bridge South Jn (via the avoiding line at Crescent), where the wires continue onto the Up Salford, ending just south of Salford Central.
The same length is wired on the Down Salford/Down Bolton, through P2 (Down platform) at Crescent.
In addition, the crossover from the Down Bolton to the Up/Dn Bolton (Crescent P1) is wired, but only this section - the wires do not continue to meet the Up Bolton.
The crossover between the Up and Down Salford at Windsor Bridge South Jn is also wired.
No wires between Windsor Bridge South Jn and the existing limit of electrification at Ordsall Lane, no wires on Platform 1 and nothing on the overrun towards Atherton.


6. Windsor Bridge North Jct - Clifton (South End); 1m 70ch to 4m 57ch
Catenary & contact wires are up from west of Salford Central to Agecroft (Sth Jct, by the bin terminal) over both lines.
Between Frederick Rd & Broughton Rd (2m 26ch) bridges, the Up side earth wire extends south from Broughton Rd as far as the line is visible.
Between Broughton Rd Bridge & Cockrobin Bridge, the Up side earth wire is up (for about 4 masts northwards, thru Pendleton Old).
North of Cockrobin Bridge, an Earth wire and an AT wire have gone up on the Down (northbound) side.
Both lines are wired (C&C) between Agecroft North Jn and a point roughly level with the north end of HMP Forest Bank (aka Strangeways); C&C wires on the Down are now confirmed to start a few hundred yards south of Clifton.
At Park House Rd Bridge, the first earth wire is now up on the Up side.
Lot of masts with SPS up on the southern approach to Clifton.

7. Clifton Station; 4m 57ch
2 boomed TTCs (with SPS); fully masted. No wires. Drainage manhole modules awaiting installation; temporary covers are over their future homes.

8. Clifton (North End) - Kearsley (South End); 4m 57ch to 7m 57ch
Brackets are fitted to the underside of the M60 overbridge. Bridge MVE1 27B (immediately NW of this) is fully erected, but unopened, and work the walkway is not yet finished.
Earth wires now up between Clifton & Kearsley; the Down side is continuous but it is unknown if the Up side is identically so.
The Down line is fully wired from well south of Kearsley, through Farnworth Tunnel to a few hundred yards north of Green Lane Bridge (1st bridge north of Moses Gate). The Up line is so far unwired.

9. Kearsley Station; 7m 57ch
Fully masted. Earth wires and AT wires (on both sides) now run south from Farnworth Tunnel (8m 25ch) through the station as far as the eye can see.
The Down line is fully wired from well south of Kearsley, through Farnworth Tunnel to a few hundred yards north of Green Lane Bridge (1st bridge north of Moses Gate). The Up line is so far unwired.


10. Kearsley (North End) - Farnworth (South End); 7m 57ch to 8m 31ch
Earth wire certainly in through the tunnel too.
The Down line is fully wired from well south of Kearsley, through Farnworth Tunnel to a few hundred yards north of Green Lane Bridge (1st bridge north of Moses Gate). The Up line is so far unwired.

11. Farnworth Station; 8m 31ch
Fully masted. Earth wire now in on the Down side through the station.
The Down line is fully wired from well south of Kearsley, through Farnworth Tunnel to a few hundred yards north of Green Lane Bridge (1st bridge north of Moses Gate). The Up line is so far unwired.

12. Farnworth (North End) - Moses Gate (South End); 8m 31ch to 9m 06ch
The Down Bolton line is fully wired from Farnworth Station, through Moses Gate and terminating approx. a few hundred yards north of Green Lane Bridge (1st bridge north of Moses Gate). The Up line is so far unwired.
North of the Squeeze Belly Entry bridge, the earth wire resumes (on the Down side) from a portal boom, fitted with Tensorex drums.

13. Moses Gate Station; 9m 06ch
The Down Bolton line is fully wired from well south of Kearsley, through Moses Gate and terminating approx. a few hundred yards north of Green Lane Bridge (1st bridge north of Moses Gate). The Up line is so far unwired.

14. Moses Gate (North End) - Bolton (South End); 9m 06ch to 10m 50ch
The Down Bolton line is fully wired from Farnworth Station, through Moses Gate and terminating approx. a few hundred yards north of Green Lane Bridge (1st bridge north of Moses Gate). The Up line is so far unwired
SPS and Tensorex drums appearing on some masts/cantilevers around Burnden Jct (10m 09ch).
All uprights appear to be up on both sides of Lever St footbridge; a multi-track portal is up immediately to the south of the bridge. To the north (on the east side), a TTC with reduced-height registration arms is up.
Stretching south from Bolton, long stretches of earth wire are now up. Another portal has been erected in 2 replacement bases. South of Lever Street footbridge, the Up Line now has ATF wires installed.
Orlando St Bridge appears to be fully "stovepiped".

15. Bolton Station; 10m 50ch
All masts in the station area are now in place, with the addition of the P2 "wicketkeeper".
Platforms 98% open to public; the 2% not open is a fenced-off section of canopy support to the right of signal "MP9239". P2 buffers look finished. Canopies look complete.

Earth wires now in; the first one runs parallel to P3, from the southern end almost up to the road bridge at the northern end. A second one (parallel to P5) is up, and it extends south through Burnden as far as the eye can see.
The bridge deck of Trinity St over P3/4 has now been stovepiped. Additionally, bolts & brackets are now drilled into the glazed brick retaining wall opposite P1.


16. Bolton (North End) - Lostock (South End); 10m 50ch to 13m 52ch
Newport St bridge has now had studs/brackets of some kind drilled in. The run of masts between Newport St & the NW end of P5 now have their earth wire affixed. Just east of Newport St Bridge, a TTC (unbedanglied) has now gone up on the southbound side.
Both of the wall-bracketed portals have now been erected, and both have now gained their dangly bits.
Between the 2nd & 3rd bridges NW of Newport St (the unknown bridge & Dawes St), the mast in photo A732m has been dismantled.
Immediately NW of Dawes St (3rd bridge west of Newport St), a bracketed mast has gone up, with a registration arm attached (see photo A852m).

Between Newport Street Bridge & Moor Lane (the Bullfield Tunnels area), the tunnels are bedanglied throughout, with Aerial Earth Wire (AEW) brackets up over both tracks' respective tunnels/bridges.


Gt. Moor St. bridge now has a stovepipe in on the Down side. The most recently cured base has had a mast & two dangly assemblies put up (see pic. A300k; between Great Moor St. & Dawes St. bridges).
Of the "3 amigos" (the three closest masts to Great Moor St. Bridge), 2 now have Tensorex Drums fitted and the other has its dangly bits cabled-tied down(see pic. A320k).
Cable ducting troughs laid between Black Horse St & New St on the Down side, in the cess.
The overrun along the line to Blackburn (as far as Bradshawgate Tunnel) looks nearly ready for SPS & wires.
Earth wire up on the Down side west of Moor St Tunnel.

Between Moor Lane & Lostock, Earth wires have already been strung.
Autotransformer wires now largely up between Moor Lane & Mayor St. Bridges, and between Lostock & Ladybridge (on both lines), but registration arms are still largely folded out of place.
Between Beaumont Rd Bridge & Ladybridge, the catenary wires for a neutral section have been installed.
South of Lostock, what was once a pair of portal uprights awaiting a boom has now been replaced by a pair of TTCs.
More masts around the switchgear box are sprouting dangly bits, switchgear kit etc.
A UTX has been installed in the "vee" in Lostock Jct, for buried service access.
Work currently going on with stacks of cable ducting on the Wigan Line - possibly from the substation?
All masts now up on the Wigan overlap.

17. Lostock Station; 13m 52ch
Switchgear box delivered 6th April '18.
All TTCs now in behind the Down platform; one of them is not like the others (additional bracing member).
Platform extension/resurfacing work still underway.

18. Lostock (North End) - Chorley (South End); 13m 52ch to 22m 20ch
Two more UTXs have been installed in the "vee" between the Preston & Wigan lines, to the north of Lostock station.
Immediately north of Lostock, the closest TTCs to the platforms have now sprouted part of their switchgear kit.
All C&C wires up from the "Golf Course" Footbridge (approx. 14m 04ch) to just north of the former "Gillets Crossing", just south of Yarrow Viaduct. AT & earth wires not always present, but the C&C appears continuous.
The gap over both lines between Bradshaw Fields Footbridge and the "Skew Bridge" (the A673/Chorley Rd) has now been wired.

On Yarrow Viaduct, the portal at the south end is now complete, with both uprights having gained their boom and all necessary dangly bits. Still looks set to be a TTC at the north end.
Both lines fully wired from just north of Yarrow Viaduct, through Chorley station and past Stump Lane bridge to the River Chor aqueduct.

19. Chorley Station; 22m 20ch
C&C wires up on both lines through Chorley; the Earth wire is also in place. AT wires are as of yet uninstalled.

20. Chorley (North End) - Euxton Jct; 22m 20ch to 25m 31ch
Both lines fully wired from just north of Yarrow Viaduct, through Chorley station and past Stump Lane bridge to the River Chor aqueduct; the Down line is fully wired north of there to the WCML.
No wires are up in the Flying Arches cutting on the Up side, but earth/AT wires are now up in Chorley Tunnel (23m 20ch to 23m 25ch) and the southern approach cutting.
Alker Lane fully wired up.

Wires are now up on the Up line from just half a mile south of Buckshaw Parkway Jct, through the station, to the neutral section at Euxton Jct, where they connect with the existing wires on the WCML. (The Down Line is fully wired from north of Yarrow Viaduct).
The Buckshaw Parkway crossover is also wired. Within Buckshaw Pkwy, the registration arms on the footbridge are not yet in position.


Do let me know if I've missed anything!
 

reg

Member
Joined
15 Mar 2015
Messages
70
Location
Bolton
Bolton-platform 5 now wired(contact and catenary)from the points at Weston St to Orlando St bridge.Pics to follow.
 

Baz123

Member
Joined
10 Jun 2018
Messages
15
Thanks to all for the information re power systems for rail, especially the link to OLE for Railways 4th Edition - comprehensive & very informative!
 

TBSchenker

Member
Joined
15 Sep 2010
Messages
551
Quick trip report today. Both up and down lines through Chorley Tunnel and Flying Arches are now wired with C&C, which I believe now links the WCML to the existing wiring through Buckshaw & Chorley (didn’t see any gaps).

Big news is the Down bolton is now wired completely over Yarrow Viaduct, which is now complete with C&C from just after Lostock to the WCML.

The wiring still looks very temporary with several temporary fixings and alignment issues, but that is jobs for Road/Rail machines. The wiring train is clearly doing its job.

Agecroft South crossover is wired, the North still not.
 

59CosG95

Established Member
Joined
18 Aug 2013
Messages
6,476
Location
Between Peterborough & Bedlington
Quick trip report today. Both up and down lines through Chorley Tunnel and Flying Arches are now wired with C&C, which I believe now links the WCML to the existing wiring through Buckshaw & Chorley (didn’t see any gaps).

Big news is the Down bolton is now wired completely over Yarrow Viaduct, which is now complete with C&C from just after Lostock to the WCML.

The wiring still looks very temporary with several temporary fixings and alignment issues, but that is jobs for Road/Rail machines. The wiring train is clearly doing its job.

Agecroft South crossover is wired, the North still not.
Wonderful news indeed! Has the outstanding mast on Yarrow Viaduct gone up then?
 

snowball

Established Member
Joined
4 Mar 2013
Messages
7,672
Location
Leeds
If I understand it correctly an Autotransformer is simply a 1:1 transformer with the "top" of the primary and the "bottom" of the secondary* both connected to the same earth (which in the railway's case is also the traction earth for the whole system).

I believe what I have said is true but if someone spots an error please feel free to point it out. I hope this clears up exactly how the autotransformer works.
In general (non-railway) terms I don't think an autotransformer necessarily has to be 1:1 or be earthed at its centre, though that's the way it's done in railway traction.

From a slightly different point of view you could say that there's only one winding (with one or more taps). That's why it's called an autotransformer (auto comes from a Greek word for "self"). In other (non-railway) applications the primary and secondary could each be any part (or the whole) of this winding.
 

LDECRexile

Established Member
Joined
30 Jan 2014
Messages
2,149
Location
Southport, UK
Bolton-platform 5 now wired(contact and catenary)from the points at Weston St to Orlando St bridge.Pics to follow.

I've added these shots (and a bonus one of the wicketkeeper at the end of Platform 2) to Reg's album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157671732263863

Wrinkley has also kindly sent shots of the Platform 5 line, which I've added to his album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157654034635234

I've added both sets to the Combined Volume here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157654034635234

Thank you Reg and Wrinkley.
 

TBSchenker

Member
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15 Sep 2010
Messages
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Wonderful news indeed! Has the outstanding mast on Yarrow Viaduct gone up then?

I’m guessing so. I’m that way again tomorrow so will try to double-check, but given the wires are up I’d be highly surprised if it wasn’t up.
 

reg

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15 Mar 2015
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Location
Bolton
Bolton-no time lost in utilising the new anchor point on platform 2,wires up from the station to at least Weston St bridge.Temporary fixings at present.Will forward pic.
 

LDECRexile

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30 Jan 2014
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2,149
Location
Southport, UK
I did a Salford Central-Buckshaw Parkway and return trip today.

1. To answer the question above, the more northerly portal (as it turns out) has been attached to Yarrow Viaduct to carry contact and catenary (C&C) wires over both tracks.
2. There appears to me to be complete C&C runs over both tracks from north of Buckshaw Parkway to north of the Golf Course footbridge a few hundred yards north of Lostock. Lots of places with either or both of AT and earth wires missing and several places where temporary fixing are in place (eg Adlington station and Buckshaw Parkway stations.) That said, my impression is that work has been done along the line towards making temp fixings permanent.
3. As Reg says, Bolton Platform 2 is the first to receive C&C. The end fixings must surely be temporary, as they (layman alert) appear to join C&C direct to the metal wicketkeeper post. Photos to follow.
4. An earth wire now runs along the north side of the tracks from just north of the junction just north of Bolton station under the succession of bridges and through Bullfield Tunnel to join that already in place as far as Lostock station. Fingers crossed this might suggest the steelwork through that complicated area opposite Morrisons is near to done.
5. There are now stovepipes over P4 and P5 lines under Trinity St bridge, Bolton and an earth wire attached to the ones over the P4 line.
6. Platforms 4 and 5 at Bolton were both in use (one of my trains used 5, most used 4.)
7. Substantial Orange squad working on Blackrod Up (southbound) platform.
8. Several sets of Orangemen here and there, some looking inspectorial, others getting stuck in, eg to the footpath at the foot of the northern steps of Heath Charnock footbridge.

9. I couldn't see any changes south of Lever St footbridge beyond what has been reported by others. The base at Salford Central remains mastless. The skyscrapers climbing immediately north of S Central appear to use a 12":1ft scale version of my c1957 Bayko set.
 
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