Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

[Joseph_Locke]

You'd be right it was a trial, but it wasnt they!!

I thought you lot had gone?

Out of interest, which ones are they? MG30 something?

 

[Ploughman]

It's not just about them impinging on the OLE, they can be blown over or branches can fall/be blown into the OLE or pantographs, and more immediately, wheelslip in leaf-fall season at a station as a direct result of trees planed at that station during rebuilding is something only the railway in this country could manage.

It's tiny little things like this that add up to big bills and trip up the railway big style.

When I was involved with the Leeds NW Electrification we were responsible for tree clearance as part of the project.
If residents took exception to the tree clearance we offered to replace some trees if the residents view was seriously affected or blighted.
In some areas were space allowed, more than 8 metres away from the rails, we would provide trees to be planted by our staff within the railway boundary but only conifers would be allowed.
If the trees were to be planted outside the boundary then they could have a selection of Deciduous trees but only if they were sourced through the railway nursery at Poppleton.
I know that this was the case in some locations around Keighley and Menston.

 

[1978NWUK]

I thought you lot had gone?

Out of interest, which ones are they? MG30 something?

Start of the MG30s, You lot? I take it you're referring to the previous mob? It wasnt them or they that did the trial but another outfit

 

[Joseph_Locke]

Start of the MG30s, You lot? I take it you're referring to the previous mob? It wasnt them or they that did the trial but another outfit

I meant, which OLE structure numbers!

And if it wasn't ***f*** ***t* and it wasn't ********n, that means it can only be *o**** R***?

 

[Philip Phlopp]

I meant, which OLE structure numbers!

And if it wasn't ***f*** ***t* and it wasn't ********n, that means it can only be *o**** R***?

Surely only the first one is to be treated as a swear word around Northern parts ?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

And if it wasn't ***f*** ***t*

Do you mean Warren?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Do you mean Warren?

But it's good fun when even the Chief Engineer doesn't know which contractors are loose on his property.

 

[Joseph_Locke]

But it's good fun when even the Chief Engineer doesn't know which contractors are loose on his property.

You ***ch of **n*ers.

 

[LDECRexile]

I'm very pleased that Joe has felt well enough to venture out with his camera.

I've put his latest, taken today, into his album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157651953947345

and added them to the Combined Volume here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157648767927083

Thank you Joe.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Has anybody been for a nostalgic last ride through the mousehole (aka the Down Farnworth Tunnel) before it closes for ever tonight?
Given its shortcomings I think it deserves a decent farewell for performing above expectations for the last 7.5 months.
Hopefully it won't be needed for trains again. Operational 1880-2015.

 

[SodTheDrummer]

Has anybody been for a nostalgic last ride through the mousehole (aka the Down Farnworth Tunnel) before it closes for ever?
Given its shortcomings I think it deserves a decent farewell for performing above expectations for the last 7.5 months.
Hopefully it won't be needed for trains again. Operational 1880-2015.

I passed through there twice on Wednesday. There were that many people on the train in the morning, I felt I could have been in Japan...

 

[LDECRexile]

Good luck to all involved this weekend.

I hope someone can film the goings on.

I look forward to gliding through on Monday then putting a great big tick in the Bridgeoscope.

 

[LeylandLen]

There was a brief item on North West Tonight today; few shots of inside of completed tunnel and that its being used from next week . Will the first train through break a symbolic tape ? .Hope for positive media coverage next week !

 

[TBSchenker]

Has anybody been for a nostalgic last ride through the mousehole (aka the Down Farnworth Tunnel) before it closes for ever tonight?
Given its shortcomings I think it deserves a decent farewell for performing above expectations for the last 7.5 months.
Hopefully it won't be needed for trains again. Operational 1880-2015.

I have! Drove through it for the last time tonight. Next time i'm via Bolton *should* be the new one!

 

[Bullfield WEst]

Has anybody been for a nostalgic last ride through the mousehole (aka the Down Farnworth Tunnel) before it closes for ever tonight?
Given its shortcomings I think it deserves a decent farewell for performing above expectations for the last 7.5 months.
Hopefully it won't be needed for trains again. Operational 1880-2015.

Not been through for over a week but the tickets for Monday are waiting to be collected at Bolton. According to "Realtime Trains" first train through is (Hope (Earles Sidings) Dbs to New Cumnock U.R.S. Bolton time 0532). I will be on first passenger train (Blackpool North to Manchester Airport 0539 from Bolton to Salford Crec. Returning to Farnworth at 0645. The first stopper at the rebuilt Farnworth and Halshaw Moor! Video and Photo's to follow.

 

[Geeves]

The Cement train hasn't ran for years so youll most likely be the first real train!

 

[PDG1949]

I had to smile looking at one of the tweets on the Farnworth Tunnel twitter page
https://twitter.com/hashtag/farnworthtunnel
"Does the Farnworth Tunnel have Wi-Fi ?"
(Doubt it, but it's got a 900 MHz GSM-R Yagi Antenna pointed straight down it !)

 

[snowball]

The latest picture on the NP Twitter feed shows the down line connected, at least at the Farnworth end, and Joseph's signal in place:

https://twitter.com/networkrailnp

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailNP/status/675736133716832257

Their other new picture seems to be the Kearsley end:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CWCw6FVWwAAzAH7.jpg

 

[Joseph_Locke]

The latest picture on the NP Twitter feed shows the down line connected, at least at the Farnworth end, and Joseph's signal in place:

Wahey!

 

[snowball]

Picture of a 66 in the tunnel.

This is the second weekend running that somebody who posts to the NP Twitter feed has been operating at the weekend.

https://twitter.com/networkrailnp

 

[deltic08]

Picture of a 66 in the tunnel.

This is the second weekend running that somebody who posts to the NP Twitter feed has been operating at the weekend.

https://twitter.com/networkrailnp

From this distance, there doesn't appear to much clearance between cantrail level and the tunnel side and the end of a pan on an electric. Has it been finally tamped inside the tunnel or has cant yet to be done?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

From this distance, there doesn't appear to much clearance between cantrail level and the tunnel side and the end of a pan on an electric. Has it been finally tamped inside the tunnel or has cant yet to be done?

Wow that is exactly what I was thinking. It does not even bear thinking about the amount of egg on face if it were true. It would make the GWML electrification look like a vicars tea party in comparison.

 

[Philip Phlopp]

Wow that is exactly what I was thinking. It does not even bear thinking about the amount of egg on face if it were true. It would make the GWML electrification look like a vicars tea party in comparison.

Trick of the camera and the Class 66s odd roof shape.

Class 66s are a little unusual in their roof shape and height, which is sort of why we've got the isolation requirements for the Paisley Canal electrification.

There, a Class 66 is 40mm away from the contact wire, but the EMU fleet is 167mm, essentially a Class 380's pantograph can be just 40mm higher than a Class 66's roof.

Anyway, the new tunnel is W12 cleared without electrical isolation needed, so it's nothing to worry about. The designers do, in fact, know how much space a train + pantograph needs, including electrical and mechanical clearances.

 

[Moonshot]

How come Moses Gate station hasnt been re built to accomadate a 2 x 156 unit? Seems a bit odd to me unless I m missing something.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Trick of the camera and the Class 66s odd roof shape.

Class 66s are a little unusual in their roof shape and height, which is sort of why we've got the isolation requirements for the Paisley Canal electrification.

There, a Class 66 is 40mm away from the contact wire, but the EMU fleet is 167mm, essentially a Class 380's pantograph can be just 40mm higher than a Class 66's roof.

Anyway, the new tunnel is W12 cleared without electrical isolation needed, so it's nothing to worry about. The designers do, in fact, know how much space a train + pantograph needs, including electrical and mechanical clearances.

Reassuring thank you very much. W12 is excellent

 

[LDECRexile]

I've come back from London to find thirteen fab shots from Joe Callaghan, one of which goes in my Top Ten.

I've added them to Joe's album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157651953947345

and to the Combined Volume here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157648767927083

Thank you Joe, I'm especially glad you're close to fighting fit again.

 

[deltic08]

Trick of the camera and the Class 66s odd roof shape.

Class 66s are a little unusual in their roof shape and height, which is sort of why we've got the isolation requirements for the Paisley Canal electrification.

There, a Class 66 is 40mm away from the contact wire, but the EMU fleet is 167mm, essentially a Class 380's pantograph can be just 40mm higher than a Class 66's roof.

Anyway, the new tunnel is W12 cleared without electrical isolation needed, so it's nothing to worry about. The designers do, in fact, know how much space a train + pantograph needs, including electrical and mechanical clearances.

Yes, I wasn't questioning the professionalism of designers but didn't know if tamping was complete. 40mm is no distance at all for tolerance. Less than the length of a pencil. I watched Borders rail being tamped and the track was being lifted or slewed by much more than 40mm in one grab.

I can't believe electrical clearance can be as little as 40mm without flashover. I remember seeing a flashover to the chimney of a steam loco in Crewe about 1960 at a far greater distance of maybe a metre.

 

[Philip Phlopp]

Yes, I wasn't questioning the professionalism of designers but didn't know if tamping was complete. 40mm is no distance at all for tolerance. Less than the length of a pencil. I watched Borders rail being tamped and the track was being lifted or slewed by much more than 40mm in one grab.

I can't believe electrical clearance can be as little as 40mm without flashover. I remember seeing a flashover to the chimney of a steam loco in Crewe about 1960 at a far greater distance of maybe a metre.

Mechanical clearance on the Paisley Canal line is 40mm from the contact wire to the roof of a Class 66 - it will flashover at 40mm. The lack of electrical clearance is why the route has to be electrically isolated - it's the only way W7 gauge trains can reach the oil terminal at Hawkhead.

That 40mm is an excellent illustration of how tall and pointy a Class 66 is, given that a Class 380 has both electrical clearance and have a pantograph raised within that 40mm window.

 

[Elecman]

Is the OLE isolated or earthed when the oil trains run?

 

[Philip Phlopp]

Is the OLE isolated or earthed when the oil trains run?

Oil trains don't run, but we can't remove W7 clearance, so a remote isolation system has been provided, avoiding the need to manually earth the route.

Freightliner have been talking about re-using Hawkhead, but with more electrification, gut instinct is we'll just clear the rest of the route for W7 with electrification in-situ, it's a handful of bridges and three platforms to alter, it could probably be slotted in at some point to keep contractors busy in between bigger schemes.