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Market Harborough Station Upgrade

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whhistle

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Presumably if they do wire to Harborough there will be pressure for the wires to be extended to Leicester in CP7?
I wonder if this would include LEI - NUN.
While a bit out of the way, it would allow a connection to be made with the West Coast.

But then I'm sure I read that a lot of freight companies use diesels anyway, even if the whole route is under wires.
 

Flying Phil

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Thanks for that map "In the East Mids"...I hadn't realised how extensive the railway was in the station area, Now of course we just have two straight tracks and four points!
 

Flying Phil

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Despite the rain, they are pouring concrete for the foundations of the South part of the Southbound platform.
DSCF6760.JPG
 

70014IronDuke

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It was 40 in Midland Railway days, but by Peak days it had already become 50 — indeed, it was 50 by the time the first full set of BR Appendixes were issued in 1960. I suspect that change actually came in LMS days. The rise to 60 was in the 1980s and I think came at the same time as Wigston from 70 to 80, Great Bowden from 70 to 85 and so on when the enhanced curving rules were applied to the Midland line.

Thanks. Gosh, only 40 mph in Midland days? What a stinker to try to pick up from that with Johnson 4-4-0 on an up express!
When was Wigston raised to 70 mph? Did they remove the platforms in the 70s or summat? I thought it was still 50 (or 55?) until 1975. That was last time I went round it with a Cl 45.
 

70014IronDuke

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I'm glad you pointed out that this was facing south. I mean, I guessed it was, but it's so, so different from the old layout that I wasn't sure.
So the original station building is there in your piccie, half hidden behind trees, right?
 

Flying Phil

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I'm glad you pointed out that this was facing south. I mean, I guessed it was, but it's so, so different from the old layout that I wasn't sure.
So the original station building is there in your piccie, half hidden behind trees, right?
Hi 70014
Yes ....that is the old station building, still the ticket office and with a good cafe. It is a listed building.
 

70014IronDuke

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Hi 70014
Yes ....that is the old station building, still the ticket office and with a good cafe. It is a listed building.

"good cafe" - still? It never had one such with 1 TPH semi-fast to London, I'm pretty sure. (In truth, I don't think I've ever alighted at M Harboro, even though I went through it often enough in days of yore.)

Well, it's lost an awful lot of trackwork, a goods yard, engine shed and services to Northampton, Rugby and Peterborough - but gained one fast per hour to London and a cafe! I suppose it's the story of British railways in a nutshell since 1960 :)
 

Andrew1395

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"good cafe" - still? It never had one such with 1 TPH semi-fast to London, I'm pretty sure. (In truth, I don't think I've ever alighted at M Harboro, even though I went through it often enough in days of yore.)

Well, it's lost an awful lot of trackwork, a goods yard, engine shed and services to Northampton, Rugby and Peterborough - but gained one fast per hour to London and a cafe! I suppose it's the story of British railways in a nutshell since 1960 :)
I think that would today be said to be a "doubling" of the Inter city services...
 

38Cto15E

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As I remember it, the up home signal also had two Little Bowden distants on the same post,for both up main line and up goods line, this signal was positioned on the down side of the tracks on the bend somewhere near the underbridge brickwork in the photo. This would have meant a better sighting of the signal for up line drivers.
 

Flying Phil

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To the South the platform outer wall sections are being installed, but there is still some more concrete to be poured to complete the foundation at the end. To the North the extra car park area is being cleared and levelled.DSCF6784.JPG DSCF6785.JPG
 

Flying Phil

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And the trains were running on time - a nice contrast between the "dainty" 222 departing Northbound and the "chunky" HST about to depart to STP.DSCF6787.JPG
 

swt_passenger

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Really gives an appreciation of the length still to go on the southbound platform. Im presuming the current platform is only around half its full length?
Yes, the planning drawings show that the footbridge is almost in the middle of the up platform.
 

Roast Veg

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I wonder if this would include LEI - NUN.
While a bit out of the way, it would allow a connection to be made with the West Coast.

But then I'm sure I read that a lot of freight companies use diesels anyway, even if the whole route is under wires.
Passenger services to Birmingham wouldn't be able to change over to electric as there is no electrification past Nuneaton, and the services interwork with the Stansted services. All freight from the north and east of Leicester would also need to remain on diesel, and any south-approaching freight would need yards fitting. All in all, not particularly worth it without lots of other work.
 

Flying Phil

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Work is continuing on the car park extension - obviously needed as the "Full" sign is by the present car park barrier! The Southbound platform is having the remaining concrete poured for the platform base and in-filling has started at the North end.DSCF6807.JPG
 

swt_passenger

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Zooming in on above pic it does now look like they have taken a small bite out of the roof of the subway steps. I wrote in post #364 that I thought it might need addressing...

Shouldn’t be too long before they’re surfacing this length now, I expect there were a couple of days delay caused by the rain. I think you can get away with a bit of light rain on ready mix, but not the recent heavy rain.
 

Flying Phil

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Yes swt that subway building roof is being changed - I wonder if they will be able to "disguise" the fact that it is now slightly "on the skew" to the new platform?
 

swt_passenger

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Yes swt that subway building roof is being changed - I wonder if they will be able to "disguise" the fact that it is now slightly "on the skew" to the new platform?
Good question, but I expect they won’t have thought of that. A bit of a framework with a brick effect cladding might do it though?
 

edwin_m

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I don't think they will worry too much. The Down platform building has been "on the skew" by a much larger angle for several decades, anticipating the new alignment.
 

Flying Phil

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"In filling" of the final platform section is continuing as they put the drainage and service ducts in place. There is still a short section of foundation work to be done by the subway entrance.
 

swt_passenger

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Are there any progress reports please? I would have thought that now the weather has improved much of the concrete pouring for the platform will be finished?
 

InTheEastMids

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Are there any progress reports please? I would have thought that now the weather has improved much of the concrete pouring for the platform will be finished?

Not sure on the civils side but non stop trains seem to be traveling at the full line speed now. Signs at the station indicate the underpass will reopen in December
 

Flying Phil

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Are there any progress reports please? I would have thought that now the weather has improved much of the concrete pouring for the platform will be finished?

Sorry for the delay but now back from holiday!
Popped along and the platform in filling has continued and most of the length has the drainage system in place so just awaiting the platform edging slabs to be laid, then the top tarmac surface layers. There are now foundations and vertical edgings, right up to the subway steps.
The 50 mph TSRs are still in place at the South and North curves.DSCF6825.JPG
 
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swt_passenger

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Sorry for the delay but now back from holiday!
Popped along and the platform in filling has continued and most of the length has the drainage system in place so just awaiting the platform edging slabs to be laid, then the top tarmac surface layers. There are now foundations and vertical edgings, right up to the subway steps.
Thanks for the latest sitrep. Looking good now.
 

Flying Phil

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This is the view to the North showing the work done on extending the car park. There is now a zig-zag ramp being finished, to access the far end of the Southbound platform.
DSCF6826.JPG
 

sharpley

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I wonder if the lamp post pictured below will be left as a reminder of the old station. Survived the demolition so far and looks quite cool.

Photo taken by https://twitter.com/lordbonkers?lang=en
D9R1KKfXUAARJrz.jpg:large
 

deltic08

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This is the view to the North showing the work done on extending the car park. There is now a zig-zag ramp being finished, to access the far end of the Southbound platform.
View attachment 65041
Couldn't they have reduced the costs by making the platforms narrower? I don't think I have seen such narrow platforms at a station with high speed trains passing.
 
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