Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

[Ken H]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/44201407210/in/album-72157661069863633/

Baby Change ?

but what is the purpose of the structure on the left of this pic?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/31883744668/in/album-72157661069863633/

 

[59CosG95]

but what is the purpose of the structure on the left of this pic?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/31883744668/in/album-72157661069863633/

That is a skeletal parasol that has clearly seen better days.

 

[SodTheDrummer]

Found this document http://www.banekonference.dk/sites/default/files/slides/9/DenDanskeBanekonference2014-1-1-1.pdf which explains some of the odd looking (to me anyway!) contenary equipment seen on some of the low bridges along the line.

 

[wrinkley]

That is a skeletal parasol that has clearly seen better days.

No, it's actually Network Rail' s first attempt at foldaway OHLE.

 

[LDECRexile]

but what is the purpose of the structure on the left of this pic?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/31883744668/in/album-72157661069863633/

Florence, Zebedee and Dougal know.

 

[td97]

Wrinkley has kindly sent another batch of shots from Lostock.

I've added them to his album here:

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

25th November, 0600 hours has passed. Has the big switch on occurred?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

25th November, 0600 hours has passed. Has the big switch on occurred?

I read the notice as: —- that work as was being done and no energization would take place before then. I think with the extra Saturdays blockades they must be finishing up snagging. My bet is still just before Dec 31st New Year.

 

[Muenchener]

I read the notice as: —- that work as was being done and no energization would take place before then. I think with the extra Saturdays blockades they must be finishing up snagging. My bet is still just before Dec 31st New Year.

National Rail web page for future engineering work confirms more closures for next Sat.
between Manchester Victoria and Wigan Wallgate via Atherton / Bolton.
Engineering work is taking place between Salford Crescent and Daisy Hill / Bolton closing all lines...

 

[david l]

Am advised a 319 in the first or second week of December to test, followed by a 390 the following day if all OK

 

[LDECRexile]

Wrinkley has kindly sent a batch of shots he took at Lostock today, with the heading "Lostock Looks Complete"

I've added the photos to his album here:

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

and to the Combined Volume here:

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

Thank you Wrinkley.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Am advised a 319 in the first or second week of December to test, followed by a 390 the following day if all OK

Encouraging

 

[td97]

I read the notice as: —- that work as was being done and no energisation would take place before then. I think with the extra Saturdays blockades they must be finishing up snagging. My bet is still just before Dec 31st New Year.

Aah, that's a shame

Wrinkley has kindly sent a batch of shots he took at Lostock today, with the heading "Lostock Looks Complete"

Still looks like the TSRs are in place, but that fencing around the electrical kit looks good now

Am advised a 319 in the first or second week of December to test, followed by a 390 the following day if all OK

So the test paths this coming Friday are a) going to be cancelled or b) for a diesel service

 

[PDG1949]

Traksy is this morning showing no overnight working parties over the whole Buckshaw Parkway to Man Vic route

https://traksy.uk/live/M+48+BOLTON

 

[59CosG95]

GSoP Post 30.0
Manchester Victoria - Preston; State of Play, week beginning 26th 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 any date beyond the 25th November. A 319 may be due in the 1st/2nd week of December to tes the wires, followed by a 390 if all goes well.
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/Overbridge 47 "Squeeze Belly Entry") 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 have also installed 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 wires, which are on a temporary webbing strap.
One "guyrope" (backstay) is missing on the Up side just south of the Up platform, and ducting troughs look unfinished; other than that, most of Lostock looks complete above track level.
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!

 

[1179_Clee2]

Reported in the 195 introduction thread
Northern management have said that the 195 and 331 trains will not be in traffic until at least Spring 2019
This is because ASLEF have not agreed a training program for the trains
With the 319 to 769 conversion taking place at Brush and training needed when they return
Have Northern got enough electric trains to start running Manchester to Preston

 

[jonesy3001]

Reported in the 195 introduction thread
Northern management have said that the 195 and 331 trains will not be in traffic until at least Spring 2019
This is because ASLEF have not agreed a training program for the trains
With the 319 to 769 conversion taking place at Brush and training needed when they return
Have Northern got enough electric trains to start running Manchester to Preston

depends if rumours are true about the 323s staying with northern and the batch at west midlands joining them but this discussion is for in the 323 thread;

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/rumours-of-all-323s-to-now-go-to-northern.161365/

 

[td97]

Have Northern got enough electric trains to start running Manchester to Preston

Northern have a few additional 319s on short-term lease (the ones with no exterior branding and blue Thameslink doors)
The electrification was supposed to be completed 2 years ago, so Northern's rolling stock plan from the franchise agreement should have ensured sufficient EMUs for Bolton from Dec 16.
The full electric timetable is meant to commence in May 2019 anyway. It's only optimism/rumours on the forum that electric trains could be introduced before then.

 

[Whistler40145]

Even if Northern have sufficient EMUs and Network Rail have completed and energised the OHLE, can services start earlier than planned or would this be too short notice?

 

[Mollman]

Even if Northern have sufficient EMUs and Network Rail have completed and energised the OHLE, can services start earlier than planned or would this be too short notice?

As long as the ORR has signed it off and Northern have sufficient drivers trained on the 319s there is nothing to prevent the phased introduction. All that would happen is that the 319s would sit at locations such as Chorley for longer to wait time, as happened with Preston - Liverpool services for a while.

 

[Whistler40145]

As long as the ORR has signed it off and Northern have sufficient drivers trained on the 319s there is nothing to prevent the phased introduction. All that would happen is that the 319s would sit at locations such as Chorley for longer to wait time, as happened with Preston - Liverpool services for a while.

Obviously if there's still any diagrams where Blackpool North/Barrow in Furness services join/split at Preston, these will still have to be formed of DMUs

 

[Greybeard33]

Obviously if there's still any diagrams where Blackpool North/Barrow in Furness services join/split at Preston, these will still have to be formed of DMUs

The Manchester Airport - Preston services worked by Class 185s (2 diagrams) cannot be switched to EMUs because the diagrams include Barrow workings. It has been reported on other threads that Northern will continue to sub-lease 185s from TPE until the May 2019 timetable change.

In addition, there are a few Piccadilly - Blackpool North 15x workings that attach/detach a Windermere portion at Preston. Those diagrams will also still have to be formed of DMUs, unless Windermere passengers are instead required to make a same platform change at Preston.

 

[Whistler40145]

The Manchester Airport - Preston services worked by Class 185s (2 diagrams) cannot be switched to EMUs because the diagrams include Barrow workings. It has been reported on other threads that Northern will continue to sub-lease 185s from TPE until the May 2019 timetable change.

In addition, there are a few Piccadilly - Blackpool North 15x workings that attach/detach a Windermere portion at Preston. Those diagrams will also still have to be formed of DMUs, unless Windermere passengers are instead required to make a same platform change at Preston.

Thanks for your reply

 

[Bullfield WEst]

Realtimes Trains (29/11/18) http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/S50050/2018/11/29/advanced show a "Class 319" from Edge Hill to Victoria. Followed by trips along the Bolton Line.
We will see??

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Realtimes Trains (29/11/18) http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/S50050/2018/11/29/advanced show a "Class 319" from Edge Hill to Victoria. Followed by trips along the Bolton Line.
We will see??

Odd that the diagram starts/ends at Edge Hill Depot when 319s live at Allerton.
I see there was also a 5Z62 Preston-Edge Hill Depot earlier today, in the sort of path used for Class 331/195 tests.
The first Bolton trip stops at the local stations.
Might this be a platform clearance test for a 195, and not anything to do with the OHLE?
Delighted to be wrong... ​

 

[Magicake]

Realtimes Trains (29/11/18) http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/S50050/2018/11/29/advanced show a "Class 319" from Edge Hill to Victoria. Followed by trips along the Bolton Line.
We will see??

Following your link that seems to be going Ordsall Lane Jnc -> Salford Central -> Deal Street Jnc which is the already electrified Chat Mosses. Can't see any part of it on the new electrification?

 

[td97]

Odd that the diagram starts/ends at Edge Hill Depot when 319s live at Allerton.
I see there was also a 5Z62 Preston-Edge Hill Depot earlier today, in the sort of path used for Class 331/195 tests.
The first Bolton trip stops at the local stations.
Might this be a platform clearance test for a 195, and not anything to do with the OHLE?
Delighted to be wrong... ​

The full schedule is

• 5Z60 http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/S50050/2018/11/29/advanced
• 5Z61 http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/S50051/2018/11/29/advanced
• 5Z62 http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/S50052/2018/11/30/advanced

5Z60 and 5Z61 have now been activated.
I'd place my bets on it being a 195 test.

 

[Bullfield WEst]

Currently 00:20 and Realtime trains are showing no progress of any of the predicted trains. Off to bed.

 

[DJH1971]

Currently 00:20 and Realtime trains are showing no progress of any of the predicted trains. Off to bed.

Turns out they were cancelled.

 

[LDECRexile]

I've been given to understand that the current test trains plan is:

Overnight Wed 12th / Thu 13th Dec – Class 390 running between Manchester Piccadilly and Preston via Bolton multiple times. Timings TBC.

Overnight Thu 13th / Fri 14th Dec – Class 390 running between Manchester Piccadilly and Preston via Bolton multiple times. Timings TBC.

Daytime Sat 15th Dec – Class 319 running Manchester Victoria to Salford Crescent and return multiple times. Timings TBC.

All subject to change.

Fingers crossed!

 

[PN27]

Has the formal 'Treat as Live' notice been published yet? There are currently RRVs sat on the line at Adlington, so I assume the wires haven't been energised yet. Seem to recall Blackpool had a week of 'static' testing before the 390s were let loose?