I did a railtour Salford Central to Buckshaw Parkway and return today.
Heartening progress overhead.
Both lines have contact and catenary (C&C) wires up through Buckshaw Parkway to a point several hundred yards south of the crossover south of the station, which also has C&C up.
No wires visible through Chorley arches, but earth wires and/or AT wires though the tunnel and southern approach cutting.
C&C resume over both tracks just south of the Chor aquaduct and continue south to just north of Yarrow viaduct.
The more northerly mast on the viaduct is still missing.
C&C resume a few hundred yards south of the viaduct (just north of the former Gillets crossing) and continue to the golf course footbridge a few hundred yards north of Lostock station. This is a very encouraging long stretch. AT wires not always present, but C&C appear continuous.
No wires through Lostock station, but earth and in some cases AT wires south of the station to Mayor Street then south of there to Moor Lane/Bullfield tunnel.
No wires through the tunnel or the succession of bridges up to and including Newport St bridge. The mystery missing mast I that area is in the narrow gap between the first and second stone bridges west of Newport St bridge. I thought that mast had been up for a couple of weeks (see Photo A732m) but either 1. I had got the location wrong or 2. it was up but has been taken down pending erecting lighter-looking steelwork (see photos).
I could see no changes from Newport St bridge to a few hundred yards north of Green Lane bridge, where C&C resume in earnest. I reckon they run continuously over the Down (northbound) track from there to well south of Kearsley station, including under the pair of National Grid wires which cross the tracks near the site of the one-time Kearsley power station. This gives me some comfort that the oversail problem there is resolved or never existed.
C&C resume a few hundred yards south of Clifton station and run as far as Agecroft North Junction, then resume about Agecroft South Junction and continue almost to Salford Central, except Salford Crescent Platform 1 track is wireless. These last stretches lay the ghosts of difficult areas between Moses Gate and Farnworth and Agecroft through Pendleton Old to Windsor Bridge North Junction.
I realise some of this repeats what others have written.
There are two masts, with what look like TTC arms lying on the north side of the tracks just south of Lostock station. I can't see where they are for, maybe they are no longer needed. I couldn't see any bare bases around there or on the Wigan line.
The mastless base count stands at:
1. Yarrow viaduct
2. Between the "Morrisons bridges" NW of Bolton station
3. Wicketkeeper off the end of Bolton Platform 2
4. Off the Bolton end of the Bolton platform at Salford Central.
?5&6 two masts lying beside the track at Lostock
?7 one mast lying between the tracks between the "Morrisons bridges" NW of Bolton station.
A few photos added to the Combined Volume here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157661069863633
PS: trains were shown as heading for Bolton Platforms 4 and 5 again, but in the event people were moved by tannoy from 5 to 4.
PPS: I missed whether the crossover north of Blackrod station is wired.
