Stevenage platform 5

adamedwards · 16 Sep 2019

Many thanks for this. So a big job is removing the redundant catenary posts. Hope you catch them doing it.

RailUK Forums

malc-c · 16 Sep 2019

adamedwards said:
Many thanks for this. So a big job is removing the redundant catenary posts. Hope you catch them doing it.

I can't promise... but will try and do my best.

adamedwards · 20 Sep 2019

Anyone know when the first track is due? Point first and then laid northwards?

malc-c · 20 Sep 2019

From what I've been able to find out the turnout will go in after the trackwork... All I've been told is "before Christmas"

malc-c · 22 Sep 2019

I heard on the grapevine that removal of the old OHL mast were to be removed during a possession tonight. I've just popped down there and there is no activity at all. so guess it's not going to happen, unless it's going to be in the small hours. I'll pop down there tomorrow to see if anything has happened, but would have thought that the sire would have been rigged with lights, etc in readiness to remove the masts as soon as they had possession in place. One thing I did notice was a lot of lengths of rail laying between DS and DF and UF lines. Not sure if this was old rail that has been renewed, or new rail placed in readiness for fitting... I'll have to wait until tomorrow so I can take a look in daylight.

Hadders · 22 Sep 2019

Something’s going on this afternoon. I can see flashing orange lights and hi-viz as I wait on the platform for a train.

malc-c · 22 Sep 2019

I stopped of on the way home from having lunch with out daughter and the masts appear to still be in place, but there was activity. Quite a few seems to be loading up flat bed transits with plastic barriers, and odds and ends as if having a tidy up rather than setting something out. Maybe the line possession is for tonight rather than last night and the masts will be taken down over night ? I'll try and get down there tomorrow with the camera and upload a further update

malc-c · 25 Sep 2019

Well seems I missed it when I last looked. A mast has been removed - just the one.

Latest update

I would be interested to hear what all that metal work is that the guys were carrying under the bridge, most deposited on the bank on the other side.

plugwash · 25 Sep 2019

It kind of looks like the rods used for mechanical control of points, would seem strange for points to be mechanically controlled in such an environment though.

edwin_m · 25 Sep 2019

Is it a set of small part steelwork for another new portal?

malc-c · 25 Sep 2019

plugwash said:
It kind of looks like the rods used for mechanical control of points, would seem strange for points to be mechanically controlled in such an environment though.

Even the connection to the sidings and head shunt are remote controlled, and that's a lot of metal work for a couple of points... my original thought was some form of barrier / fence.... but the line has been without an such thing for years....

swt_passenger · 25 Sep 2019

malc-c said:
Even the connection to the sidings and head shunt are remote controlled, and that's a lot of metal work for a couple of points... my original thought was some form of barrier / fence.... but the line has been without an such thing for years....

What about temporary supports for the blue tubular fencing of working zones, that clips to the rails?

malc-c · 25 Sep 2019

Might be... but given its on the opposite side of the turnback, and I've had verification that the only turnout that is being installed is just the one that will be adjacent to the existing turnout, so no track work will be change on the up side of the line.

swt_passenger · 25 Sep 2019

malc-c said:
Might be... but given its on the opposite side of the turnback, and I've had verification that the only turnout that is being installed is just the one that will be adjacent to the existing turnout, so no track work will be change on the up side of the line.

Won’t they be removing portal uprights on the up side? Of course it might also be for other routine work that’s not directly connected to the turnback?

malc-c · 25 Sep 2019

swt_passenger said:
What about temporary supports for the blue tubular fencing of working zones, that clips to the rails?

First prize goes to that person.....

I sent out a request for info over the grapevine and received confirmation that is indeed Vortok fence arms (safety fencing to keep personnel 1.2m away from the track)

Interesting that it wasn't erected the same time as the other fencing on the opposite side....

I'll have to keep an eye on this

edwin_m · 25 Sep 2019

malc-c said:
First prize goes to that person.....

I sent out a request for info over the grapevine and received confirmation that is indeed Vortok fence arms (safety fencing to keep personnel 1.2m away from the track)

Interesting that it wasn't erected the same time as the other fencing on the opposite side....

I'll have to keep an eye on this

Good thinking.

You probably need a block of the relevant track to install these, which might not have been possible on both sides at the same time.

swt_passenger said:
Won’t they be removing portal uprights on the up side? Of course it might also be for other routine work that’s not directly connected to the turnback?

The actual removal of the uprights would be under a possession so there would be no need for separation fencing. But there are probably associated works that need to be done with the line open.

adamedwards · 12 Oct 2019

Any track yet? Assuming still digging and ballast laying.

malc-c · 12 Oct 2019

No track yet. A good section has had ballast laid and graded as a foundation, but given restrictions in access under six hill road bridge I'm doubtful that track will be laid for another few months, unless they do it in sections and start laying track in that middle part which can be seen in my 313 drag video

malc-c · 19 Oct 2019

Due to a bereavement in the family I've not been able to pop down and check on things until today.

I went to Langley junction to video 66419 and whilst waiting for it noticed something tucked away in the unloading siding of the aggregate plant.

Not sure if they arrived by road or rail (notice the red and white markers on the ends of the sleepers which may suggest by road), but there is a row of protective fencing installed between the slow and fast up lines (bottom right of the image).

InOban · 19 Oct 2019

The announcement of the closure of KX for two weekends (end Jan and end Feb) made particular reference to work on this project.

malc-c · 19 Oct 2019

That's interesting, but then as most of these projects tend to be a Just In Time basis, why have the point work made and delivered to site three / four months ahead of the install date.

swt_passenger · 19 Oct 2019

malc-c said:
That's interesting, but then as most of these projects tend to be a Just In Time basis, why have the point work made and delivered to site three / four months ahead of the install date.

It’s possibly been manufactured to meet an earlier plan, and the S&C manufacturer may have wanted to keep to that plan, and it was getting in his way?

hwl · 19 Oct 2019

swt_passenger said:
It’s possibly been manufactured to meet an earlier plan, and the S&C manufacturer may have wanted to keep to that plan, and it was getting in his way?

That will be part of the issue the other half is that the there are very fewer of the special tilted S&C carrier wagons hence some S&C is transported to site upto 6 months early if there is space to store them and there is a mid-week unloading opportunity.

A huge number of the special wagons will be needed wagons for the Kings Cross throat works so everything else at the same time will have to be pre-delivered. Ditto anything for Xmas works this is the ideal delivery window.

malc-c · 19 Oct 2019

hwl said:
That will be part of the issue the other half is that the there are very fewer of the special tilted S&C carrier wagons hence some S&C is transported to site upto 6 months early if there is space to store them and there is a mid-week unloading opportunity.

A huge number of the special wagons will be needed wagons for the Kings Cross throat works so everything else at the same time will have to be pre-delivered. Ditto anything for Xmas works this is the ideal delivery window.

That makes sense...

Bald Rick · 19 Oct 2019

Almost certainly be rail delivery, if only because each of those panels will weigh 7-15 tonnes, and would have been maximum 2 per lorry, and then craning them into position from the other side of the fence would have been very tricky. They are also the right size for using the tilters.

malc-c · 20 Oct 2019

The bit that puzzles me is that if they came via rail would it not have made more sense to have brought the panels on the Hertford loop near to where they will be installed. There is plenty of space they could have been placed on the line near the junction.

I'm wondering how they are going to move each panel from that yard area, across four tracks and under the wires.

Fred26 · 20 Oct 2019

Could they be reloaded onto a waggon and taken by train towards Watton, across the points and back down to the worksite?

malc-c · 20 Oct 2019

Fred26 said:
Could they be reloaded onto a waggon and taken by train towards Watton, across the points and back down to the worksite?

But why not do that in the first place, saves having to load and unload another train with all that logistics. If the panels had been dropped on land between the down slow and stevenage bound side of the hertford loop then having one of those rail based cranes would make short work of moving each panel the 100m or so to where the point will be installed.

hwl · 20 Oct 2019

Fred26 said:
Could they be reloaded onto a waggon and taken by train towards Watton, across the points and back down to the worksite?

malc-c said:
But why not do that in the first place, saves having to load and unload another train with all that logistics. If the panels had been dropped on land between the down slow and stevenage bound side of the hertford loop then having one of those rail based cranes would make short work of moving each panel the 100m or so to where the point will be installed.

A simple job with a Kirow Crane

malc-c · 20 Oct 2019

Just googled that - wow what a beast !

Stevenage platform 5

Member

RailUK Forums

Member

Member

Member

Member

Veteran Member

Member

Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Member

Veteran Member

Member

Veteran Member

Member

Veteran Member

Member

Member

Member

Established Member

Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Member

Veteran Member

Member

Member

Member

Established Member

Member