British electrification OHL dates (mainly 25kV plus the most significant 1.5KV DC)

[Justin Smith]

It was definitely 2015. It was phase 2c of the NW electrification.

Phase 1 was at the end of 2013 and was Castlefield to Newton-le-W. Phase 2 was divided into 2a Edge Hill to N-leW, 2b Huyton to Wigan, and 2c Ordsall to Victoria, all of which were completed in the early months of 2015.

"Berwick" without further qualification normally means Berwick upon Tweed, not North Berwick.

Thanks for those.
I had forgotten I had originally shortened N Berwick to Berwick

 

[etr221]

Phil Deaves Railway Codes Site has a section on mast codes here, which includes a diagramatic map

 

[mcmad]

1989 Carstairs to Edinburgh ECML branch
<snip>
1991 Newcastle to Edinburgh (incl Berwick line) ECML

Don't recall Edinburgh - Carstairs opening before the main ECML route, if anything I thought it was a follow on project?

Also agree with the others that it needs to be North Berwick Branch rather than Berwick line which is ambiguous. The Millerhill loop needs adding too.

 

[Justin Smith]

Don't recall Edinburgh - Carstairs opening before the main ECML route, if anything I thought it was a follow on project?

Also agree with the others that it needs to be North Berwick Branch rather than Berwick line which is ambiguous. The Millerhill loop needs adding too.

I think you're right about the E/B to Carstairs, not sure where I got 1989 from.....

 

[MadMac]

Thanks for that, the problem, as with much of this, I am trying to keep it simple, to print out of 2 sides of A4 !

The updated (so far) colour version, it will print out on two sheets of A4 (landscape). The original is on a Microsoft Works Spreadsheet XLR file :

View attachment 98420


View attachment 98421

Terrific! You’re right, the voltage changeovers would only complicate matters. Few observations:

1960 - Airdrie-Helensburgh should also include the Bridgeton Central branch, which closed to passengers in 1979 and completely in 1987 when Yoker depot opened. ‘Bellgrove’ has two ‘l’s.
1981 - Hazel Grove spelling
1989 - Drumgelloch has two ‘l’s
1990 - Is the spelling Stansted?

Didn't Gospel Oak to Barking get wired relatively recently?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The 1960s WCML dates/sections are still wrong.
Lichfield was never a limit of electric working, and Crewe-Nuneaton came before anything further south.
Crewe-Liverpool was 1962, not 1960.

 

[Springs Branch]

Couple of points:-

• 1949 Liverpool St to Shenfield GE 1.5KV DC to 6.25KV AC in 1960 to 25KV in 1976/80 - should strictly be Liverpool St/Fenchurch St - Shenfield 1.5kV......
  Fenchurch St was wired on the DC system as far as the GE main line at Bow Rd Jn.
  However no regular DC electric trains ran into Fenchurch St before full LT&S electrification and conversion to AC in 1962.
  1962 Fenchurch St to Tilbury & Shoeburyness LT&S then becomes: Gas Factory Jn to Tilbury & Shoeburyness LT&S
  
  
• 2015 Newton le Willows to Edge Hill should read 2015 Earlestown to Edge Hill.
  Winwick Jn - Earlestown - Newton-le-Willows - Golborne was wired as part of the 1973 Weaver Jn - Preston scheme.
  
  
• The LB&SCR electrified a number of its South London suburban lines from Victoria and London Bridge in stages from 1909 onwards at 6.7kV 25Hz AC overhead.
  The Southern Railway converted these routes to its new standard 750V DC by about 1930 (IIRC).
  The LB&SCR overhead electrics covered quite a bit of territory at its peak before being 3rd-rail-ified, so it'll be a challenging balancing act getting a 2-page summary which is both concise and covers all the historically important systems.

 

[nw1]

I only discovered originally that the Braintree branch was electrified as early as 1977. I have a false memory of it being electrified around 1985/1986 but obviously got that wrong; it came about as I saw regular through trains in the 1981 timetable to London and was thinking - were they running heritage DMUs over a lengthy stretch of electrified line? A bit of investigation revealed otherwise.

I think I was obviously getting that branch confused with some of the other lines in the area, and maybe in one of the mid-80s timetables they (re)introduced through services to London (after a gap of some years as it turned out) and made the assumption it was due to electrification...

 

[StephenHunter]

Great work. Now for someone to do one for DC electrification!

 

[Ken H]

been dredging in my head.

Old Dalby test track
And there was the T&W* test track
and was there not some OHLE at Rail Technical Centre or did I make that up?

*Tyne and Wear

 

[stuu]

Also missing Watford-St Albans Abbey in 1989

 

[StephenHunter]

1992 - closure of Tilbury Riverside branch on LTS.

 

[Gloster]

Some pedantic comments:

1930 Was it Manchester Piccadilly or London Road?
1952 Penistone (correct spelling) in note.
1960 Was it Balloch Pier, not just Balloch?
1981 Hazel Grove (correct spelling), and was it an MSJ&AR extension?
1989 Drumgelloch (correct spelling).

EDIT: Just noticed that some have already been mentioned: why does the system confuse me by having two pages?

 

[Justin Smith]

Couple of points:-

• 1949 Liverpool St to Shenfield GE 1.5KV DC to 6.25KV AC in 1960 to 25KV in 1976/80 - should strictly be Liverpool St/Fenchurch St - Shenfield 1.5kV......
  Fenchurch St was wired on the DC system as far as the GE main line at Bow Rd Jn.
  However no regular DC electric trains ran into Fenchurch St before full LT&S electrification and conversion to AC in 1962.
  1962 Fenchurch St to Tilbury & Shoeburyness LT&S then becomes: Gas Factory Jn to Tilbury & Shoeburyness LT&S
  
  
• 2015 Newton le Willows to Edge Hill should read 2015 Earlestown to Edge Hill.
  Winwick Jn - Earlestown - Newton-le-Willows - Golborne was wired as part of the 1973 Weaver Jn - Preston scheme.
  
  
• The LB&SCR electrified a number of its South London suburban lines from Victoria and London Bridge in stages from 1909 onwards at 6.7kV 25Hz AC overhead.
  The Southern Railway converted these routes to its new standard 750V DC by about 1930 (IIRC).
  The LB&SCR overhead electrics covered quite a bit of territory at its peak before being 3rd-rail-ified, so it'll be a challenging balancing act getting a 2-page summary which is both concise and covers all the historically important systems.

2015 Newton le Willows to Edge Hill should read 2015 Earlestown to Edge Hill.
Winwick Jn - Earlestown - Newton-le-Willows - Golborne was wired as part of the 1973 Weaver Jn - Preston scheme

That's an interesting one though isn't it ? Some of the Earlestown platforms were electrified, but not the Liverpool to Manchester ones, is that right ? Thus, if we're talking about the electrification of the Liverpool to Manchester line it must then be from either Earlestown East Jct or, the more well known Newton le Willows ?
This source (p40) calls it Newton le Willows so I am tempted to do the same.

https://www.ocs4rail.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Overhead-Line-Electrification-for-Railways-5th-edition.pdf

Your other points may be historically accurate but I am trying to keep the list within manageable limits, tow sides of A4 at reasonable size font !

Great work. Now for someone to do one for DC electrification!

Yes, I was thinking of doing that next but would appreciate someone else doing it ! Same format and colour coded that would fit on one sheet, or at the most two sheets, of A4 ?

The 1960s WCML dates/sections are still wrong.
Lichfield was never a limit of electric working, and Crewe-Nuneaton came before anything further south.
Crewe-Liverpool was 1962, not 1960.

Both my own source ( I think it was a BTF film) and https://www.ocs4rail.com/wp-content...-Electrification-for-Railways-5th-edition.pdf (p240) appear to agree on this :

1960 Crewe to Manchester WCML
1962 Crewe to Liverpool WCML
1963 Crewe to Lichfield WCML
1964 Lichfield to Rugby WCML
1965 Euston to Rugby (incl Northampton) + Cheadle Hulme to Macclesfield WCML
1966 Rugby > B/ham > Wolverhampton > Stafford (incl Bescot, Walsall) WCML
1966 Colwich > Stoke > Macclesfield WCML

I have updated the opener and the database colour printout to reflect all the info kindly posted (bearing in mind I want to keep it within the aforementioned limits).

 

[vidal]

Bury to Holcombe Moor? Overhead electric, then third rail then back to steam.

Think it was 1.2 kv overhead.

James

 

[Springs Branch]

Bury to Holcombe Moor? Overhead electric, then third rail then back to steam.

Think it was 1.2 kv overhead.

James

Good shout - it was Bury to Holcombe Brook. 3.5 kV DC overhead, opened in 1913, then converted to 1.2 kV DC third rail in 1918

 

[AM9]

Terrific! You’re right, the voltage changeovers would only complicate matters.

Didn't Gospel Oak to Barking get wired relatively recently?

I think the GE to LT&S link from Forest Gate junction to Barking via the flyover was done as part of the main LT&S 25Kv works in the '60s. That complemented the Gas Factory junction to Bow junction link.

 

[Justin Smith]

The 1960s WCML dates/sections are still wrong.
Lichfield was never a limit of electric working, and Crewe-Nuneaton came before anything further south.
Crewe-Liverpool was 1962, not 1960.

That depends on the definition of electrification I suppose. The RM Sept 1963 (p659) reports "Electrification reaches Lichfield" : the OHL between Milford & Brocton, south of Stafford, and a point 2 3/4 miles south of Lichfield was to be energised on August the 31".

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

That depends on the definition of electrification I suppose. The RM Sept 1963 (p659) reports "Electrification reaches Lichfield" : the OHL between Milford & Brocton, south of Stafford, and a point 2 3/4 miles south of Lichfield was to be energised on August the 31".

I'm talking about electric services (passenger trains).
There were several energisation extensions south from Crewe, but the only operational changeover point was at Nuneaton, where there was plenty of room for it.
That then lasted until the whole route was operational in 1966.
The changeover point was at Nuneaton South Jn.
I was there!

 

[StephenHunter]

I think the GE to LT&S link from Forest Gate junction to Barking via the flyover was done as part of the main LT&S 25Kv works in the '60s. That complemented the Gas Factory junction to Bow junction link.

And has pretty much replaced it; the latter link is only used for ECS moves.

 

[Beebman]

I've got a collection of notices from the original WCML electrification showing *scheduled* energisation dates of different sections. I don't have a complete set but hopefully the following info from the ones I have is useful:

Crewe North - Ditton: 22/07/61
Wavertree Jct - Lime Street Station: 30/09/61
Basford Hall Jct - Stafford: 26/11/62
Stafford - Lichfield: 31/08/63
Lichfield - Nuneaton: 04/01/64
Nuneaton - Kilsby Tunnel GF / Kilsby & Crick GF: 30/09/64
Kilsby Tunnel GF - Queens Park Station / Kilsby & Crick GF - Roade Jct (Northampton Loop): 19/07/65
Queens Park Station - Euston Station: 25/10/65
Macclesfield - Colwich Jct / Stone Jct - Norton Bridge Jct: 03/10/66

 

[Taunton]

Progressively through the late 1980s the North London line services, which had been 3rd rail through from Richmond to North Woolwich, changed to 25kV over the main part, with 3rd rail at the extremities. There was a period when 313s ran on the 25Kv in two separate sections, interspersed with a middle section of 3rd rail, which eventually went onto 25kV as well. The overhead was provided for freight services, but electrical interference between the two systems caused the later changeover for passenger services and discontinuing the DC. Anyone have the dates?

 

[Cricketer8for9]

It’s been said before but is worth saying again: what about the LBSC overhead? If Holcombe Brook can be included fourteen miles of the Brighton Main Line to Coulsdon North, plus Sutton and Crystal Palace need to be included. They probably carried more passengers in a week than Holcombe Brook in a year.

 

[tbwbear]

I've got a collection of notices from the original WCML electrification showing *scheduled* energisation dates of different sections. I don't have a complete set but hopefully the following info from the ones I have is useful:

Crewe North - Ditton: 22/07/61
Wavertree Jct - Lime Street Station: 30/09/61
Basford Hall Jct - Stafford: 26/11/62
Stafford - Lichfield: 31/08/63
Lichfield - Nuneaton: 04/01/64
Nuneaton - Kilsby Tunnel GF / Kilsby & Crick GF: 30/09/64
Kilsby Tunnel GF - Queens Park Station / Kilsby & Crick GF - Roade Jct (Northampton Loop): 19/07/65
Queens Park Station - Euston Station: 25/10/65
Macclesfield - Colwich Jct / Stone Jct - Norton Bridge Jct: 03/10/66

If we are talking about energisation dates, (rather date open to services) wasn't the Weaver J-Motherwell project also done in more stages.

I might be getting mixed up, but wasn't Warrington energised before Preston, and Carlisle to Motherwell before the rest. Perhaps they were all done in 73/74 but on different dates ?

 

[jfollows]

I'm talking about electric services (passenger trains).
There were several energisation extensions south from Crewe, but the only operational changeover point was at Nuneaton, where there was plenty of room for it.
That then lasted until the whole route was operational in 1966.
The changeover point was at Nuneaton South Jn.
I was there!

I have watched on more than one occasion the re-run of the 1966 general election coverage, and one memory from this is of (victorious) Harold Wilson travelling to London by train after attending his election count in Huyton, and there was some kind of outside broadcast from his train journey, which I remember especially because of the extended locomotive change in Nuneaton, followed by its arrival into London an hour or so later.

I didn't watch the election coverage at the time because I was four and a half years old at the time, but I like watching election coverage re-runs which appear from time to time.

The television coverage was from Friday 1 April 1966

EDIT: My memory let me down, the service was electrically hauled throughout but with extended stops en route because of the generous timetable. Here's the train arriving into Euston, it was the 08:15 from Liverpool with stops at (probably Runcorn) Crewe (09:00-09:05), Rugby (10L10-10L12) and Bletchley (10:54-10:59). Interviews were conducted live on the train during the Bletchley stop - the station name boards can be seen out of the window. Train was booked into Euston at 12:01 but advertised arrival 12:05 which was mentioned during the programme, but arrived around 11:49 because of 15 minutes' recovery time between Bletchley and Euston which were not required.

EDIT: Here's my timetable extract (I only got hold of the relevant timetable yesterday , Section A, Euston & Crewe, 3/1/66 to 17/4/66)

 

[Ken H]

Progressively through the late 1980s the North London line services, which had been 3rd rail through from Richmond to North Woolwich, changed to 25kV over the main part, with 3rd rail at the extremities. There was a period when 313s ran on the 25Kv in two separate sections, interspersed with a middle section of 3rd rail, which eventually went onto 25kV as well. The overhead was provided for freight services, but electrical interference between the two systems caused the later changeover for passenger services and discontinuing the DC. Anyone have the dates?

I thought drivers started to use the overhead for better performance of the 313's.

 

[tbwbear]

I have watched on more than one occasion the re-run of the 1966 general election coverage, and one memory from this is of (victorious) Harold Wilson travelling to London by train after attending his election count in Huyton, and there was some kind of outside broadcast from his train journey, which I remember especially because of the extended locomotive change in Nuneaton, followed by its arrival into London an hour or so later.

I didn't watch the election coverage at the time because I was four and a half years old at the time, but I like watching election coverage re-runs which appear from time to time.

The dates would make sense. The election was on 31st March and the electric services were not started until April 18th.

Having said that, as mentioned above, the line was already energised by then and they were certainly running some electrically hauled trains into Euston. Persumably the timetable still had a long allowance for loco change at Nuneaton.

I seem to recall from reading Modern Railways from the time that there were lots of early arrivals on the electrics - and the drivers had to be told to slow down until the full schedule was launched in April.

 

[jfollows]

I also have a working timetable 9/9/63 to 14/6/64 which reflects electrification to Stafford, eg 1G06 in the attached extract. Well, electrification to Lichfield by this date I'm sure but that wasn't used as a place to change locomotives.

 

[Justin Smith]

I have just printed a couple of copies (albeit from the original XLR file) and the colours come out even better than on screen. I'll put one copy in each section of my Cobbs Atlas. That is without doubt my favourite book, it is so well used I have had to have it strengthened and rebound. It does have loads of addenda on it (incl all the motorways and main dualled roads that interest me - A1 & A55 etc - with their sectional opening dates) but it's all in pencil !

It is done in a Microsoft Works Spreadsheet but the system does not seems to allow me to upload the XLR file. So if anyone wants a copy of the original I can E mail them one, they can then add any of the extra info on this thread (or where ever) as they may require.

If we are talking about energisation dates, (rather date open to services) wasn't the Weaver J-Motherwell project also done in more stages.

I might be getting mixed up, but wasn't Warrington energised before Preston, and Carlisle to Motherwell before the rest. Perhaps they were all done in 73/74 but on different dates ?

In order to keep the list within limits I tried to put all electrification carried out within the same year (on any particular line, or set of related lines) in one entry for that year. Since it is meant as an addition to my Cobbs that is appropriate because Cobbs "only" lists openings and closings by year.

 

[Ken H]

I have just printed a couple of copies (albeit from the original XLR file) and the colours come out even better than on screen. I'll put one copy in each section of my Cobbs Atlas. That is without doubt my favourite book, it is so well used I have had to have it strengthened and rebound. It does have loads of addenda on it (incl all the motorways and main dualled roads that interest me - A1 & A55 etc - with their sectional opening dates) but it's all in pencil !

It is done in a Microsoft Works Spreadsheet but the system does not seems to allow me to upload the XLR file. So if anyone wants a copy of the original I can E mail them one, they can then add any of the extra info on this thread (or where ever) as they may require.

Could you bung it in a cloud location like Microsoft OneDrive or Google Drive, and just post a link? No need to upload it to the forum then.