Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

[Norb]

Many thanks to those two

 

[Trackman]

Many thanks to those two

yes, and many thanks from myself too.

 

[DJH1971]

Also expressing my thanks

 

[Karl]

Please accept my appreciation too, both to the anonymous donors and all the hard work from the contributors and compiler!

This thread I have followed for years and has been a really addictive and informative record of the project.

Thanks again.

 

[ironstone11]

Many thanks to LDECRexile, the photo contributors and the donors for keeping the thread running.

I have followed the threads from part way through the Manchester - Liverpool to the present. The Blackpool - Manchester is particularly interesting as it must the one of the most, if not the most, difficult electrification projects in the UK. Fingers crossed that opening is not too far away.

 

[deltic08]

Many thanks to LDECRexile, the photo contributors and the donors for keeping the thread running.

I have followed the threads from part way through the Manchester - Liverpool to the present. The Blackpool - Manchester is particularly interesting as it must the one of the most, if not the most, difficult electrification projects in the UK. Fingers crossed that opening is not too far away.

I echo these sentiments. Thank you all.

 

[Starmill]

The Combined Volume and other albums

Thanks to the generosity of two users I have paid the ransom for 12 months and have funds in place to pay the next year in 12 month's time.

I hope that will mean Business as Usual.

Excellent news - well done to all three of you. I often enjoy browsing the albums so thank you

 

[59CosG95]

Many thanks from myself as well!

 

[Ploughman]

Echoed from here in York as well.

 

[Bertie the bus]

Paths still in for tomorrow for the Preston - Manchester line but they have changed beyond all recognition. Much of the run is very early morning and no more shuttling about north of Bolton, so it looks like something probably is happening and not long to wait to see what.

 

[CJ]

Many thanks to LDECRexile and to everyone else who has contributed to The Combined Volume and other albums

 

[Bullfield WEst]

Paths still in for tomorrow for the Preston - Manchester line but they have changed beyond all recognition. Much of the run is very early morning and no more shuttling about north of Bolton, so it looks like something probably is happening and not long to wait to see what.

As of 04:30 Friday morning, "5Z83 0405½ Edge Hill Depot to Preston" seems not to be running.

Now showing.. This service was cancelled throughout due to a delay not investigated (OU).

 

[Muenchener]

As of 04:30 Friday morning, "5Z83 0405½ Edge Hill Depot to Preston" seems not to be running.

Now showing.. This service was cancelled throughout due to a delay not investigated (OU).

All three test paths now showing as canxd...

 

[Trackman]

Farnworth yesterday re: ATF ducting etc

 

[59CosG95]

Farnworth yesterday re: ATF ducting etc

Looks like that TGBU portal boom there is acting as an ATF "bridge" of sorts.

 

[LDECRexile]

I've added Mark's Farnworth photo, as submitted above by Trackman, to Mark's album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157669932299228

and to the Combined Volume here:

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

Thank you Mark and Trackman

 

[Chrisyd]

Trains running between Bolton and Manchester today - half hourly to Oxford road and Victoria until 6.30pm. Nothing seemingly leaving to go north.

Finish time is due to the strike timetable, but what is the reason for no trains heading North?

 

[AMD]

Finish time is due to the strike timetable, but what is the reason for no trains heading North?

Not enough managers to cover the service. Southport is without services today as the managers are covering Wigan to Manchester instead.

 

[LDECRexile]

I've recently started to read the late John Marshall's masterly history of the LYR.

Page 29 of Volume 1 contains this passage:

"...the 295 yard Farnworth tunnel ... was driven from both ends [with] a large shaft in the centre, the work being made exceedingly difficult by wet sand and expanding clay. Whishaw states that it was originally intended to make a cutting here.

On 29 June 1837 there were 2,667 men and 193 horses at work on the railway...it...cost over £600,000, more than double the original estimate."

 

[furnessvale]

I've recently started to read the late John Marshall's masterly history of the LYR.

Page 29 of Volume 1 contains this passage:

"...the 295 yard Farnworth tunnel ... was driven from both ends [with] a large shaft in the centre, the work being made exceedingly difficult by wet sand and expanding clay. Whishaw states that it was originally intended to make a cutting here.

On 29 June 1837 there were 2,667 men and 193 horses at work on the railway...it...cost over £600,000, more than double the original estimate."

What a pity that was not done that way. I would wager the 1976 electrification would not have been cancelled if the cost of Farnworth had not been in the equation.

 

[Francis]

Trains are running through Chorley today (Sunday). First time we've had a Sunday service for months, possibly over a year?

 

[LDECRexile]

I set out to do my customary Monday tour of Lostock southwards, but it ended up being a study of disruption management.

I did eventually travel northwards from Oxford Road through Salford Central to Bolton, then Bolton through Lostock. For what its worth, "our" line looked more "settled", with the trackside troughing NW of Bolton looking finished and much less going on at the ziggurat at Lostock. The switching control device north of Windsor Bridge North Jct was in place, but both it and its companion north of Squeeze Belly still have three ducting tubes sticking up from the concrete base next to them, suggesting there's more to do.

I suspect, however, there is a lot of signing off and snagging still to do, which might take as long as two or more pieces of string, especially now that weekend possessions have ended.

Touch and go whether an electric will run in 2018 I fear. I will be delighted to go into millinery mastication mode.

 

[59CosG95]

GSoP Post 28.0
Manchester Victoria - Preston; State of Play, week beginning 12th November 2018.
All wire runs up! LIVE (from Euxton Jct to Buckshaw Parkway; and from Windsor Bridge South Jct to Ordsall Lane Jct/Deal St Jct) as of 1st October.
As wiring is not completed between Windsor Bridge South Jct & Buckshaw Parkway, testing has been postponed. Speed changes have also been postponed until all wires are live - this is due to be on the 18th of November now.
All mileages from Manchester Victoria. Bridge mileages are approximated where noted.

1. Man Vic Station (Platforms 3-6) - Man Vic West Jct - Deal Street Jct; 0m 0ch to 0m 32ch
Fully wired and energised 2013-15.
(N.B. Platforms 1 & 2 at Man Vic have now been bedanglied; more masts may still need to be installed at the east side of Man Vic before wires can go up over all lines; however this is not considered as part of this programme.

2. Deal Street Jct - Windsor Bridge South Jct; 0m 32ch to 1m 46ch
Fully wired and LIVE as of 1/10/18. Wires overlap into the CEMEX sidings (Hope Street). At Salford Central, the westbound (Down) platform has had RSC ducting installed at shin height.
Protruding roof beams were also cut back to facilitate the addition of wires. With Salford Central now wired, all wires are up from Manchester Victoria & Manchester Piccadilly to Euxton Jct.

3. Windsor Bridge South Jct - Windsor Bridge North Jct (inc. Salford Crescent); 1m 46ch to 1m 70ch
Salford Crescent station is fully wired; all wires east and south of Windsor Bridge South Jct are LIVE (as of 1/10/18). P1 (and the avoider) now have Section Insulators.
Repairs to the wooden fence on the eastern side have/are taken/taking place.
The crossovers at Agecroft South Jct, and Windsor Bridge North Jct are also fully wired. Wires are also up on the overruns along the Atherton Line.

4. Windsor Bridge North Jct - Bolton (South End); 1m 70ch to 10m 50ch
The track sectioning cabinets (north of Windsor Bridge North Jct, and between Moses Gate/Squeeze Belly Entry footbridge) are now both in, but the concrete plinths on which they rest each have 3 ducting tubes sticking up, suggesting more work needs to be done.
Overhead, Salford Crescent to the Ladybridge looks juice-ready.
At Agecroft, there are a couple of masts (sans wires) in the bush alongside the sidings, leading to a terminal gantry with very odd attachments.
At Clifton, Drainage manhole modules are awaiting installation; temporary covers are over their future homes.
Bridge MVE1 27B (immediately NW of the M60 overbridge) is now open.

5. Bolton Station; 10m 50ch
Canopies look complete, and platforms now fully open. All wiring is complete.
Platform 1: Fully wired through the platform and onto the Blackburn overrun, parallel to their comrades on P3.
Platform 2: Line is fully wired (C&C) from the points at Weston St to the SSA (Self-Supporting Anchor - aka "the wicketkeeper"), which is now insulated. Buffers look finished.
Platform 3 (Up Bolton): Fully wired through P3 and onwards to Lostock & the WCML. One "overlap" mast (with 2 reg arms) has now had its "guy rope" (backstay) installed.
Platform 4 (Down Bolton): Fully wired through P4 and onwards to Lostock & the WCML.
Platform 5: UTXs wait to be installed in the works compound west of the track. Engineers also installing a gas pipe in the ducts, to (allegedly) heat the P4/5 waiting room.

6. Bolton (North End) - Lostock (South End); 10m 50ch to 13m 52ch
All lines heading north out of Bolton are now wired: P1 & P3 to the end of the Blackburn overrun, and P3-5 towards the Bullfield Tunnels and thence to Lostock & the WCML.
Cable ducting troughs laid in the Down Side Cess between Bolton Station, past Newport Street, under Soho Street, Black Horse St & New St, and through Bullfield Tunnel.
ATF cable now in the troughs in the immediate vicinity of Bolton Station. The troughing looks all finished NW of Bolton, so it is assumed the run is now complete to Lostock.

Autotransformer wires now all up between Moor Lane & Mayor St. Bridges, and between Lostock & Ladybridge (on both lines); they have now gone under Dean Clough Bridge & the Ladybridge on both sides.
A UTX has been installed in the "vee" in Lostock Jct; this now takes the ATF wires for both routes at Lostock Jct.
C&C wires also up on the overlap on both lines until the Limit of Wiring. Some dangly arms and half the termination insulators have not yet been installed; those on the Wigan-bound line are now installed.

7. Lostock Station; 13m 52ch
Switchgear box delivered 6th April '18. Over the August Bank Holiday Weekend, the two Autotransformers (AT1 & AT2) were delivered.
Orange activity by the "ziggurat" appears to have lessened - is it nearly ready?
One Tensorex drum is still missing a connection to its wres, which are on a temporary webbing strap.
Platform extension/resurfacing work complete on the Down platform and the Up platform.
1 of the 2 reg arms connected to the bridge are not yet registered, but otherwise all the OLE within Lostock is now complete. The registered wires have an insulating plastic shield over them.[/COLOR]
ATF wires are in through the ducting by the station car park; they have now been guided through the UTX to the switchgear.
The arrangements at Lostock were designed to support the electrification to Wigan, so the UTX should be sized to take four feeder cables to the proposed neutral section located towards Westhoughton. Two feeders for each track, one each side of the NS. Wigan-Lostock has no AF, classic boosterless only.

8. Lostock (North End) - Euxton Jct; 13m 52ch to 25m 31ch
Two more UTXs have been installed in the "vee" between the Preston & Wigan lines, to the north of Lostock station; one takes the feeder wires for the Wigan Line, the other does the same for the Preston Line.
Immediately north of Lostock, the closest TTCs to the platforms have now sprouted part of their switchgear kit.
ATF wires appear to be finished (at least on the Down side), from Salford Crescent up to Euxton Jct.
Orangemen at work on the footpath at the foot of the northern steps of Heath Charnock FB.

Do let me know if I've missed anything!

 

[Elecman]

Absolutely nothing done to the M61 overbridge, no barriers on the hard shoulder to stop access to leaning through the sides. I can’t see anyone livening up this section of the OLE until the HA carry out the closure of the hard shoulder and at least infilling the gap even if wood to a suitable height.

 

[Foggycorner]

Absolutely nothing done to the M61 overbridge, no barriers on the hard shoulder to stop access to leaning through the sides. I can’t see anyone livening up this section of the OLE until the HA carry out the closure of the hard shoulder and at least infilling the gap even if wood to a suitable height.

If someone was stupid enough to stop the car on the hard shoulder get out and then lean over the barrier and then poke something conductive through to touch the OLE they deserve to be deep fried

 

[Meerkat]

Unfortunately the HSE seems determined to block Darwinism

 

[Foggycorner]

But even the HSE understands that after you have taken precautions that are practical and affordable it is up to the individual to ensure their own safety

 

[Ken H]

If someone was stupid enough to stop the car on the hard shoulder get out and then lean over the barrier and then poke something conductive through to touch the OLE they deserve to be deep fried

probably more worried about someone doing a Gary Hart

 

[3973EXL]

Absolutely nothing done to the M61 overbridge, no barriers on the hard shoulder to stop access to leaning through the sides. I can’t see anyone livening up this section of the OLE until the HA carry out the closure of the hard shoulder and at least infilling the gap even if wood to a suitable height.

There are some oddities around!

GWML

 

[Elecman]

That is a lot higher over the OLE than the M61 bridge