Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

[Ianno87]

Travelled from Bolton to Manchester Victoria this morning. Most of the Down Slow/Loop north of Moses Gate has now been lifted (as has the signal at its north end). Not sure about the Up Loop.

Quite a few OLE portal structures now in place along the now former 4 track section.

 

[LDECRexile]

Wrinkley went into Bolton on Wednesday and sent a couple of shots. I've added them to his album here:

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

Paul and I were also out and about Bolton to Agecroft. I've added Paul's photos to his album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157649792560381

I've added all our efforts to the Combined Volume here:

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

Thank you Wrinkley and Paul.

The material shows clear progress on several fronts.

 

[Sox]

Thanks Reg, are they close together or is it just the angle of the shot?

When I first read this comment I assumed it was about thyristor power control and thought blimey this is getting deep hock:

 

[Elecman]

I have an NR document on the WCPSU ATF project, and it has a map with two "NGC"s which I take to be National Grid Connections.
One is at Frodsham (feeding NR at Weaver Jn), and the other is at Hutton which feeds NR at Oxenholme.
I would post a link but can't find it on the current NR site.

If that's do they missed the existing NGCs at Parkside or it's replacement at Willow Park, Catterall and Penrith never mind Harker

 

[LDECRexile]

Rejigged grandadding commitments gave me an unplanned opportunity to travel Southport to Salford Crescent and back today.

Photos in the Combined Volume here:

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

The rejigging means I won't be able to go a-jaunting until Monday 24th April, but I will be able to publish photos and films anyone sends me in the meantime.

I'll update the Progressometer this evening.

Impressionistically, the two types of area with the longest gaps are:

1. stations, and
2. stretches of track with retaining walls

Nevertheless, we can now tick Salford Crescent off as having at least one base.

No bases at all between Squeeze Belly Entry and Kearsley station.

 

[LDECRexile]

Progressometer updated below.

New data only for Salford Crescent to Lostock.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

No bases at all between Squeeze Belly Entry and Kearsley station.

What/where the eff you sea kay is squeeze belly entry?

 

[snowball]

What/where the eff you sea kay is squeeze belly entry?

A narrow bridge over the line between Farnworth and Moses Gate, discussed a year or so ago in this thread and mentioned again recently.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

A narrow bridge over the line between Farnworth and Moses Gate, discussed a year or so ago in this thread and mentioned again recently.

Wow - I claim to have read every single entry on this thread and it is news to me. Thanks.

 

[LDECRexile]

What/where the eff you sea kay is squeeze belly entry?

Please see this:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157682554864076

D

 

[absolutelymilk]

Progressometer updated below.

New data only for Salford Crescent to Lostock.

I presume the newest date shouldn't be 30th March again?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Please see this:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157682554864076

D

Brilliant Dave thanks. Showing such great progress too.

 

[LDECRexile]

I presume the newest date shouldn't be 30th March again?

Data updated, column heading not, my error.

Thank you for pointing it out.

 

[PDG1949]

What/where the eff you sea kay is squeeze belly entry?

A narrow bridge over the line between Farnworth and Moses Gate, discussed a year or so ago in this thread and mentioned again recently.

In fact it's so narrow in the centre, it does what it says on the tin !

 

[SodTheDrummer]

A narrow bridge over the line between Farnworth and Moses Gate, discussed a year or so ago in this thread and mentioned again recently.

Is it a listed building/structure does anyone know?

 

[Joseph_Locke]

Is it a listed building/structure does anyone know?

Not listed.

 

[snowball]

The adjacent Bentley's bridge (the balustraded one) is listed.

 

[SodTheDrummer]

Not listed.

Ah, thanks. Just wondering why it wasn't removed if not listed? Also, whilst I think of it, of the three bridges next to Morrisons in Bolton, https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.5756326,-2.4295413,66m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en why was only 1 removed? There's 1 left which seems to serve no purpose (gated off at both ends - the middle one I think on this image)
Is it purely down to cost of removal?

 

[snowball]

What would be the reason for removing Squeeze Belly Entry? It connects areas where people live. It doesn't seem to be incurring any great expense or doing anyone any harm.

Edit: Google Maps shows a primary school near one end of it.

 

[SodTheDrummer]

What would be the reason for removing Squeeze Belly Entry? It connects areas where people live. It doesn't seem to be incurring any great expense or doing anyone any harm.

Edit: Google Maps shows a primary school near one end of it.

Don't know the area or the bridge so apologies if I've offended the locals , but it looks fairly old, so would have thought NR would want to replace it with a low maintenance option if not listed.? Just a query..

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Not a lot of new activity to report in the last 2 weeks.
30-ish masts between Bolton and Farnworth, mostly full portals.
About 40 masts Lostock-Blackrod, but still only 1 north of the M61 bridge.
Main activity north of Blackrod is resignalling, with many new posts going up.
More bases around Kearsley and Clifton, with a couple now next to the avoiding line at Salford Crescent.

 

[Joseph_Locke]

Don't know the area or the bridge so apologies if I've offended the locals , but it looks fairly old, so would have thought NR would want to replace it with a low maintenance option if not listed.? Just a query..

Masonry arches are the lowest maintenance option anyway, and the track was lowered as part of the Tunnel widening to provide electrical clearances. Why do you want NR to spend your taxes unnecessarily?

 

[Greybeard33]

Just noticed on WN Sparks website a closure/blockade Man Victoria - Stalybridge July 8th - July 30th - I assume it would be to a certain degree electrification related though other stuff would one assumes get done too.

http://nw-sparks.co.uk/works.php?id=443

Does anyone yet know what route the Great Extension Lead will follow to get from Heyrod to Ordsall Lane, i.e. via Ashton and Victoria or via Guide Bridge and Piccadilly?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Does anyone yet know what route the Great Extension Lead will follow to get from Heyrod to Ordsall Lane, i.e. via Ashton and Victoria or via Guide Bridge and Piccadilly?

Isn't there switchgear at Guide Bridge which could be used to bridge a connection on to the 25kV network?
3 miles of cabling would seem to be a lot cheaper than the 10 to Victoria.
Or maybe I just don't understand power transmission.

 

[Elecman]

I would think the great extension lead would be just that, a couple of 25 KV cables to provide the ATF 25/0/25 KV supply run in troughing

 

[Greybeard33]

I would think the great extension lead would be just that, a couple of 25 KV cables to provide the ATF 25/0/25 KV supply run in troughing

But I imagine it would be cheaper and quicker to suspend bare wires from the existing OLE masts along the Guide Bridge line (like normal ATF feeders) rather than to lay insulated cables in troughing all the way from Stalybridge to Victoria?

 

[edwin_m]

Was it always planned to run it all the way to Ordsall Lane or is the bit west of Stalybridge an extra cost attributable to delays in other work?

 

[Greybeard33]

Was it always planned to run it all the way to Ordsall Lane or is the bit west of Stalybridge an extra cost attributable to delays in other work?

As discussed a few pages back, the March 2017 update to Network Rail's CP5 Enhancements Delivery Plan still has, as a "regulated output", entry into service of Victoria to Stalybridge electrification in December 2017, concurrent with Manchester to Preston. But clearly that is no longer achievable, hence the need to extend the "extension lead".

 

[snowball]

Was it always planned to run it all the way to Ordsall Lane or is the bit west of Stalybridge an extra cost attributable to delays in other work?

This post by JL on SSC (which is the one I was thinking of in #4258) seems to be the best info we've got:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=137605625&highlight=#post137605625

 

[Mugby]

Sorry if this has been asked already but is Preston to Blackpool closed every Sunday from now on, throughout the Summer?