Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

[edwin_m]

No doubt it has changed now, but for some years the line from Blackburn to Preston changed from Up to Down and back again several times in its 10 or so miles, despite most of the junctions causing such changes having been lifted.

As I happen to have a Quail on my desk (2006 but unlikely to have changed since):

A train from Preston changes from Up to Down at Farington Curve Junction (also if going to Ormskirk). Confusingly the Farington Old Curve from is elsewhere, from Farington Junction to Lostock Hall Junction, and trains using this do not change their direction designation. Trains reaching Lostock Hall Junction by either route remain as Down trains all the way to Hellifield (and beyond), Colne or Stansfield Hall. From Stansfield Hall trains via Hebden Bridge continue to be Down direction but anything via the Todmorden Curve becomes an Up train.

It's usually at re-signalling that this sort of thing is tidied up (in this case the Preston scheme in the early 70s), as most of the drawings that would need changing are binned and operating staff need to make themselves familiar with all the changes so a reversal of Up and Down is just one more thing.

 

[furnessvale]

As I happen to have a Quail on my desk (2006 but unlikely to have changed since):

A train from Preston changes from Up to Down at Farington Curve Junction (also if going to Ormskirk). Confusingly the Farington Old Curve from is elsewhere, from Farington Junction to Lostock Hall Junction, and trains using this do not change their direction designation. Trains reaching Lostock Hall Junction by either route remain as Down trains all the way to Hellifield (and beyond), Colne or Stansfield Hall. From Stansfield Hall trains via Hebden Bridge continue to be Down direction but anything via the Todmorden Curve becomes an Up train.

It's usually at re-signalling that this sort of thing is tidied up (in this case the Preston scheme in the early 70s), as most of the drawings that would need changing are binned and operating staff need to make themselves familiar with all the changes so a reversal of Up and Down is just one more thing.

The Quail to which you refer post dates my knowledge of the area.

IIRC trains from Blackburn to Preston were up line a few hundred yards until the divergence of the Bolton line when the Preston line became the down.

This lasted to Cherry Tree Jcn when it changed to the Up line again. Further changes occurred at Lostock Hall and again at the divergence of the direct line to Liverpool Exchange. Again things changed at Farington Curve Jcn.

Closure of Chorley to Cherry Tree, the East Lancs side of Preston Station and the direct line to Liverpool Exchange negated many of those changes but it was a number of years before the designations of up and down were tidied up.

My memory of exactly which was up and down may well have faded but the number of changes was certainly confusing!

 

[snowball]

As I happen to have a Quail on my desk (2006 but unlikely to have changed since):

Same in the 2013 Quail.
Edit: and the 1990 one. Furnessvale's experience must be before that.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I wonder how the Ordsall Chord will be designated: Up to Piccadilly (Euston, LNWR), or Up to Victoria (L&Y)?

 

[Codville]

Blackpool & Fylde Rail Users Association has some fairly good shots of the recent work around Poulton and Salwick.

 

[LDECRexile]

Went on a railtour today: Southport-Bolton-Buckshaw Parkway and back, with break at Horwich.

My aim was to gain impressions rather than counts.

First, a few hard facts:

1. Men working on the being-reinstated buffet on Bolton Platform1-3 says his firm are due to hand the premises over on 18th April. Presumably the owners will need to stock up then open up.
2. Buffet on Chorley station open for business.
3. Three yellow-tipped pegs on each side of the track south of Anderton Hall Lane foot crossing. These look the same as those immediately north of Charnock Richard foot crossing and appear to indicate where footbridge foundations will go.
4. No SBT sections in place at Bolton.
5. Lots of signalling activity in view Euxton to south of Chorley.
6. New signal by trackside near Heath Charnock foot crossing.
7. Resurfacing taking place on northbound platform at Adlington
8. Worksite immediately north of Lostock Lane bridge full of steel
9. Non-railway (but could affect railway) work afoot on river immediately south of Beaumont Road bridge.

Now some impressions:

a. Close to full set of bases from Dean Clough to Mayor Street, Bolton
b. Close to full set of scrapes from Bolton station to Newport Street, Bolton
c. Close to full set of masts Euxton Jct to Buckshaw Parkway north end (Buckshaw station itself will be discussed when I publish photos later tonight)
d. Close to full set of masts or bases (ie few if any scrapes) Horwich to Blackrod
e. Lots of gaps filled with bases here and there.

Overall: very encouraging. If this momentum can be maintained then Dec 2017 looks "on". The chief threat appears to be a lone gremlin, as there's no such thing as "nearly done".

Wrinkley was also out and about, so we co-ordinated, I'll publish our photos later.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

c. Close to full set of masts Euxton Jct to Buckshaw Parkway north end

New since Monday, then?

 

[42626]

At the Adlington NR meeting I asked about the dates for the Anderton Hall LC replacement bridge work and have received a reply today stating:

After liaising with our Project team, I have been informed that Anderton Hall footbridge starts construction at the end of April and finishes in November.

which seems a long time, so I'm guessing groundworks and bridge erection may be two separate work packages.

 

[42626]

The tree clearance towards Clifton is huge too, much more than is needed to keep foliage off the OHLE.

Yes, it looks more like de-forestation rather than de-vegegation

 

[Trackman]

Sorry, but this is too cryptic for me, please explain. Please bear in mind that most readers, including me, aren't local.

Apologies, a section of the SBT (skywalk bridge thingy) is being assembled near the entrance of Bolton station, it's being used as a link to the new bus station.
When I received the text, I thought a section was in place on the bridge itself, this was not the case, it was on the taxi rank outside the station!

 

[furnessvale]

Same in the 2013 Quail.
Edit: and the 1990 one. Furnessvale's experience must be before that.

Indeed it was. I started at Blackburn District Engineer's in 1964 and spent my first few years implementing Beeching cuts in what was euphemistically called the Redundant Assets section. :cry:

 

[LDECRexile]

Went on a railtour today: Southport-Bolton-Buckshaw Parkway and back, with break at Horwich.

My aim was to gain impressions rather than counts.

First, a few hard facts:

1. Men working on the being-reinstated buffet on Bolton Platform1-3 says his firm are due to hand the premises over on 18th April. Presumably the owners will need to stock up then open up.
2. Buffet on Chorley station open for business.
3. Three yellow-tipped pegs on each side of the track south of Anderton Hall Lane foot crossing. These look the same as those immediately north of Charnock Richard foot crossing and appear to indicate where footbridge foundations will go.
4. No SBT sections in place at Bolton.
5. Lots of signalling activity in view Euxton to south of Chorley.
6. New signal by trackside near Heath Charnock foot crossing.
7. Resurfacing taking place on northbound platform at Adlington
8. Worksite immediately north of Lostock Lane bridge full of steel
9. Non-railway (but could affect railway) work afoot on river immediately south of Beaumont Road bridge.

Now some impressions:

a. Close to full set of bases from Dean Clough to Mayor Street, Bolton
b. Close to full set of scrapes from Bolton station to Newport Street, Bolton
c. Close to full set of bases Euxton Jct to Buckshaw Parkway north end (Buckshaw station itself will be discussed when I publish photos later tonight)
d. Close to full set of masts or bases (ie few if any scrapes) Horwich to Blackrod
e. Lots of gaps filled with bases here and there.

Overall: very encouraging. If this momentum can be maintained then Dec 2017 looks "on". The chief threat appears to be a lone gremlin, as there's no such thing as "nearly done".

Wrinkley was also out and about, so we co-ordinated, I'll publish our photos later.

Oops, sorry. Well spotted.

 

[snowball]

Is the SBT a TGBU?

 

[LDECRexile]

Apologies, a section of the SBT (skywalk bridge thingy) is being assembled near the entrance of Bolton station, it's being used as a link to the new bus station.
When I received the text, I thought a section was in place on the bridge itself, this was not the case, it was on the taxi rank outside the station!

Clear as a bell, thank you.

 

[LDECRexile]

Is the SBT a TGBU?

Not in this instance, in my opinion, though it would be perfectly possible to have a TGSBT. One over the Grand Canyon would qualify, I'm sure.

 

[PDG1949]

New since Monday, then?

Spotted on the Northern Programme twitter feed - in darkest Bolton on Tuesday (or even Monday !) night......

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailNP/status/849287935283343363

 

[edwin_m]

Not in this instance, in my opinion, though it would be perfectly possible to have a TGSBT. One over the Grand Canyon would qualify, I'm sure.

Or if you watched Auf Wiedersehen Pet, a Thundering Great Transporter Skywalk Bridge Thingy?

 

[driver9000]

Indeed it was. I started at Blackburn District Engineer's in 1964 and spent my first few years implementing Beeching cuts in what was euphemistically called the Redundant Assets section. :cry:

They must have ironed it all out when the PSB opened as I have a copy of the original signalling and pway diagrams from the box opening which has the lines as Up/Down East Lancs throughout.

 

[LDECRexile]

Wrinkley has kindly sent shots he took today.

I've added them to his album here:

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

and I've added both of our efforts to the Combined Volume here:

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

Thank you Wrinkley

 

[LDECRexile]

Could anyone please take on the task of collating and publishing info on dates of work on "our" line over Easter in particular, and continuing into the Summer if possible.

The aim is to give us the best chance of getting eyes (and lenses) on things happening in a flurry.

 

[snowball]

Remember there's also a lot of work for the Chord over Easter, including replacing the middle (arched) bit of the bridge over Chapel Street.

 

[snowball]

and I've added both of our efforts to the Combined Volume here:

Surely the right phrase for the "to be reinstated" Platform 5 is "once and future", as in king.

 

[LDECRexile]

Replaced below

 

[Starmill]

I am very pleased with the number of masts that can be seen. I'm hopeful... As am aside, Adlington is one of five trial locations for Northern's 'station improvements'. The others are Moston, Ravensthorpe, Cattal and Cramlington. It will be very interesting to see what results from these.

 

[LDECRexile]

Surely the right phrase for the "to be reinstated" Platform 5 is "once and future", as in king.

Agree the sentiment, but....

All Hail The Oaf, All Hail!

 

[Joseph_Locke]

Indeed it was. I started at Blackburn District Engineer's in 1964 and spent my first few years implementing Beeching cuts in what was euphemistically called the Redundant Assets section. :cry:

Strange - I was at ACE Preston in the early 90s ...

... recovering redundant assets (Rowrah, Long Meg, Dock Street, etc.)

 

[Joseph_Locke]

re: 7160t in t' CV: there is no permanent canopy extension on P3 at Bolton, but there may be a temporary one erected while the north end of the canopy is "trimmed". The platform is 300m long but needs to accommodate the 6-car TP 185 (so 140m) - only 40m of this would have a canopy over it if it were parked up to MP634.

As to twin track cantilevers (TTC), the three main reasons for installing them (rather than STC, single track cantilevers) are:

• There is nowhere to land a leg on the other side
• The other side's leg would obscure an existing or proposed signal
• There is a structure in the way on the other side

Portals are deployed when the STC cantilever lengths would go above 4.5m (for instance where the legs are behind platforms) and where the ATF cable is being left aloft and run above the catenary (again, common in stations, vide Chorley). Complex multitrack areas subject to alteration (e.g. south of Bolton) are also portals as the SPS* can just be "slid along" the boom when the track layout changes.

* Small part steel - cantilever arms, registration arms, tensioners, ATF gallows, etc.

 

[PDG1949]

As to twin track cantilevers (TTC), the three main reasons for installing them (rather than STC, single track cantilevers) are:

• There is nowhere to land a leg on the other side
• The other side's leg would obscure an existing or proposed signal
• There is a structure in the way on the other side

Portals are deployed when the STC cantilever lengths would go above 4.5m (for instance where the legs are behind platforms) and where the ATF cable is being left aloft and run above the catenary (again, common in stations, vide Chorley). Complex multitrack areas subject to alteration (e.g. south of Bolton) are also portals as the SPS* can just be "slid along" the boom when the track layout changes.

* Small part steel - cantilever arms, registration arms, tensioners, ATF gallows, etc.

Many thanks, Joseph - as always, very enlightening. Is there a technical term for Dave's TGBUs (Thunderin' Great Big 'Uns) ?

I also notice that beneath the ATF standoffs there are long horizontal pieces of metal rod with a number of thin spikes spaced along them; are they to keep the birds away or to discourage coronal discharge or something like that ?

 

[Joseph_Locke]

Many thanks, Joseph - as always, very enlightening. Is there a technical term for Dave's TGBUs (Thunderin' Great Big 'Uns) ?

I also notice that beneath the ATF standoffs there are long horizontal pieces of metal rod with a number of thin spikes spaced along them; are they to keep the birds away or to discourage coronal discharge or something like that ?

Sorry, have you got a link for an example of a TGBU?

The combs are there for lighting discharge, I think, but I'm sure an electrical expert will happen along soon ...

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I also notice that beneath the ATF standoffs there are long horizontal pieces of metal rod with a number of thin spikes spaced along them; are they to keep the birds away or to discourage coronal discharge or something like that ?

When these first appeared on the Chat Moss line, I thought they were TV aerials!
It seems they are physical baffles to catch the ATF wire if it falls, to prevent high voltages reaching the public.
You can also see them all along the WCML now, for its ATF installation.
I see ATF combs and gallows (the mast extensions to hold the wire high up) have now entered the OHLE lexicon!