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Cambridge South new station construction progress.
- Thread starter whittlesfordok
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mr_moo
Member
Indeed!Glulam from “glued laminated“, ie it’s not a newly discovered variety of hardwood…
mr_moo
Member
Awesome pics. Thanks neill. Despite working in the site office all of a few hundrend metres away from the building, most of the time all I see is the walls of my office, so it's actually great to see what's going on outside while I sit inside and talk about it!!
a good off
Member
Some photos from Shepreth Branch Jn showing the unmodernised pre 1983 layout.
flic.kr
flic.kr
flic.kr
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45045 at Shepreth Br Jn,Foxton trip.22.01.79.
Explore freightfrog (Gordon Fuller)'s 9389 photos on Flickr!
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45047 on a Whitemoor-Foxton special at Shepreth Branch Jnc,1220,15.05.79
Explore freightfrog (Gordon Fuller)'s 9389 photos on Flickr!
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47312 on 6M72,Royston-Stanlow at Shepreth Br Jn.06.02.80
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55015 at Shepreth Branch Junction with a Kings Cross - Lowestoft charter. 03.09.78.
Explore freightfrog (Gordon Fuller)'s 9389 photos on Flickr!
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J-2739
Established Member
The same architects who worked on Abbey Wood Crossrail station are also on this project. One can definitely see the similarities.
mr_moo
Member
Another possession this weekend.
We have another crane on site, this time on the East side.
Interesting point - note the red light on top. This is because we're close to the airport and also the helicopter landing pad at Addenbrookes.
We've also deleted a section of the Down Main in preparation for the first set of points to go in. The S&C isn't going in this weekend - this is just preparation of the ground and formation and renwal of the rtrack nearby to make the S&C install easier and better.
We have another crane on site, this time on the East side.
Interesting point - note the red light on top. This is because we're close to the airport and also the helicopter landing pad at Addenbrookes.
We've also deleted a section of the Down Main in preparation for the first set of points to go in. The S&C isn't going in this weekend - this is just preparation of the ground and formation and renwal of the rtrack nearby to make the S&C install easier and better.
All go today as @mr_moo posted earlier. There has been quite a crowd watching at times!
Edit: Photos show a large crane and the island platform lift shafts being constructed.
Edit: Photos show a large crane and the island platform lift shafts being constructed.
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Thanks to both for the updates.
The hospital helipad, which serves Addenbrookes and Papworth, is close to the London end of the new station, just the other side of Francis Crick Avenue.
Neill's challenge is to get a picture that includes a helicopter!
I'll see what I can do; there was one landing just after my earlier photos but I was avoiding it. They are more frequent than you would expect, the two times I've had the drone up I've had to bring it down again due to helicopter movements.
On that note, here is a drone shot of the site late this afternoon.
Thanks, I've not seen that view before!
The trees bottom right: are they going to survive unscathed?
The helicopters are frequent, though many emergencies involve 2 landings and 2 take offs as the helicopter comes back to collect the paramedics after they have done the patient handover.
I believe that is the plan and hope they do. They were planted when the park was created a few years ago to screen the railway and hospital from the park and housing. The trees you mention in the bottom right are outside the construction compound at the moment so hopefully will stay that way. From what I remember of the published plans the western access will be a cycle/pedestrian path running across the park roughly where the northern gap in the treeline (within the compound) is at the moment. There will be a vehicular maintenance/access track running parallel to the railway between the treeline and the railway and under the Addenbrookes road bridge to connect with Addenbrookes road from the south.
Update: I've uploaded some drone footage from yesterday afternoon to YouTube. Let's see if this works...
Update 2: I've added a couple of photo's taken today (14th April). The roof is on!
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mr_moo
Member
You've clearly been doing your research well! Spot on.
Yes, the compound will not get any bigger than it already is in Hobsons park. Those trees are completely unaffected by our works.
Helicopters are indeed quite frequent. They often stay on the ground whilst waiting for crews but sometimes do go away and come back again.
Great drone footage BTW.
Thanks! It was less windy today so I managed to take some video south of Addenbrookes road. I should be able to share a bit later on today.
Update: here is a video from today, south of Addenbrookes bridge.
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Thanks for the confirmation. Another good feature of this project is that the "collateral damage" from construction is much reduced compared to what was threatened in the planning stages. These trees are a good example. Two others are the survival (at least so far) of the zigzag path down into the park from Addenbrookes Bridge, and the shorter cycle path diversion near the Abcam Building that eliminated the need for a temporary bridge over the Nine Wells stream.
mr_moo
Member
We have tried to keep our impact down - thanks. Yep, the zigzag path will be unaffected.
Note that the zigzag path will be a good connection back down to the parkland under the bridge - that will all be opened up again when we remove the site offices at the end. It will be one of the routes through to the new park land on the South side we're creating.
I'll put some photos up later but you can clearly see the track works we did. This is in preparation for the first set of new S&C which will be installed fairly soon. You can see the new formation for the new Down Royston clearly in your video now and the difference in location between the new and old OLE masts, showing how much wider the railway will be getteing to facilitate the third track.
You can also see that Dukes LC has now had its panels removed - it's fully closed. Websters, the one near the footbridge, remains in use for now though. You can see the start of the bridge over hobsons conduit that provides the alternative access into the farmland (and into the parkland) in the top left of your video from about 7:30.
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Class 170101
Established Member
- Joined
- 1 Mar 2014
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- 7,954
I hope solar panels will go on the roof but I'm not holding my breath.
mr_moo
Member
There will indeed be a lot of solar panels going up!
Here's a film that shows you the designs based on our models: Cambridge South station flythrough visualisation film
This is from the NR general info page re the station: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/runni...he-railway-in-anglia/cambridge-south-station/
Thank you for pointing that out! I completely missed that out when previously viewing pictures and watching the visualisation. I really hope that solar panels become standard on platform canopies in the future. Do you know if the solar panels will be the semi-transparent as the visualisation seems to show? I would have thought the better efficiency of a standard panel would more than offset any increased energy consumption from having lights under the platform during daylight hours.
It seems at least the central platform will have 364 panels (91? Rows x 4) which is a modest size installation.
mr_moo
Member
No probs. 
Panel type is not something I can comment on publically at this stage though, sorry!
Panel type is not something I can comment on publically at this stage though, sorry!
Strat-tastic
Established Member
What is/are S&C?
swt_passenger
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 7 Apr 2010
- Messages
- 31,465
Switches and Crossings. What many probably refer to as “points”.
Strat-tastic
Established Member
Thanks
Class 170101
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Cheers for these, see next comment below
I agree they should become standard too where possible, especially as platform canopies encourage people to spread out along the platform when it is both hot and dry as well as cold and wet.
Whilst @mr_moo can't tell us what panels will be installed at Cambridge South Station perhaps he can give us some ideas of the standards of Panels that NR are accepting as it has also been announced that Whittlesford Parkway just up the West Anglia Main Line is also to have panels fitted.
First East Anglia station to receive solar panels in net zero step | Rail Technology Magazine
Whittlesford Parkway station is to become greener with a new energy upgrade. Tra
Rail Technology Magazine said:
mr_moo
Member
There is currenly at least, no network rail standard for PV panels. Each project assesses panels based on ite issues. Fire risk, maintenance, cost, accesibility, ownership, battery storage and/or back-feed to grid options, requirements for space, meters, BREAM/sustainability, planning requirements, ability of structure to take additional load - lots to discuss. Type of panel is just one element of those discussions.
Indeed. Part of the works in the weekend just gone was switching over of cables from old to new. Not all off yet but good progress.
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windjabbers
New Member
- Joined
- 5 Jan 2014
- Messages
- 4
mr_moo
Member
We recently issued a second time lapse video. Which made me check whether I'd ever posted the first timelapse video - not sure I did.
Here's both of them. Enjoy!
Recent one showing crane lifts:
drive.google.com
Earlier one showing works between September and November last year:
drive.google.com
Here's both of them. Enjoy!
Recent one showing crane lifts:
2024-04-16 Recent timelapse and crane lifts.mp4
drive.google.com
Earlier one showing works between September and November last year:
2023-12-28 time-lapse_-_sept_-_nov (1080p).mp4
drive.google.com