Brockley Whins-Tyne Dock Reinstatement

[swt_passenger]

Apparently the Boldon East Curve has now been reopened, according to the Sunderland Echo:

http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/local/1_6m_track_restoration_is_a_winner_1_3408007

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Yes, and not just welcome news for the operators of the Port but also assisting the overall availability of capacity on the ECML between Northallerton-Durham-Newcastle-South Shields.

 

[142094]

Quite suprising it has cost £1.6m for such a short piece of track.

 

[spoony]

Quite suprising it has cost £1.6m for such a short piece of track.

Indeed, track looks like its being run over now.

 

[turbo mick]

plus south of sunderland from ryhope grange SB to billingham has been re signalled so there is plenty of room for extra traffic along the durham coast

 

[HST Power]

Quite suprising it has cost £1.6m for such a short piece of track.

Then they'd better make sure it's idiot proof because railway theft is on the rise (apparently).

If they want to do something useful to the T&W Metro, they can introduce non-stopping services.

 

[142094]

Might have the new fibre optic type cables which are worthless for scrap. Then again might not be.

 

[HST Power]

Might have the new fibre optic type cables which are worthless for scrap. Then again might not be.

If they're looking to make savings (which I'm sure they will be) they might do that.

 

[142094]

Wonder how they have installed them - would have been better to bury them straight away, but probably used concrete trunking. So that means even if the cables are worthless, some sod will still cause disruption to get at them.

 

[PinzaC55]

On the Durham Coast line they've buried the cables VERY deep.

 

[HST Power]

On the Durham Coast line they've buried the cables VERY deep.

I can understand why. The deeper the better.

 

[142094]

On the Durham Coast line they've buried the cables VERY deep.

Seaton Carew area was notorious for cable thefts a few years back. Seems like it has shifted the problem tomwards Middlesbrough, been delayed a few times in Eaglescliffe area due to cable thefts in recent months.

 

[HST Power]

Anyone found to be stealing cables should be shot on the spot!

Bit of a more extreme opinion, but oh well, it's almost Friday!

 

[Sir_Clagalot]

it's all very well banging on about fibre optic cabling, but the signals have to get their power from somewhere, and for the time being it's good old copper cable that supplies it.

With new signal heads being of the LED type then surely a solar panel and small wind turbine charging some hi-tech batteries inside the pole, with a system that on lightly used lines the signal heads can be switched off at night to save power.

 

[PinzaC55]

it's all very well banging on about fibre optic cabling, but the signals have to get their power from somewhere, and for the time being it's good old copper cable that supplies it.

With new signal heads being of the LED type then surely a solar panel and small wind turbine charging some hi-tech batteries inside the pole, with a system that on lightly used lines the signal heads can be switched off at night to save power.

They'd nick the hi-tech batteries and the wind turbine and solar panel. We're not talking here about people with scruples.

 

[cawky22]

Hi , just
been searching google for "East Boldon curve " and came across this , it has some very interesting items in it :- http://www.tyneandwearfreight.info/reports_meetings/reports/pdf/Rail Freight Review 2010.pdf

 

[PinzaC55]

That's interesting stuff. I couldn't help noticing that they say reopening the Leamside Line would bring significant benefits but that it's infrastructure has "deteriorated".....and their reaction is to put off thinking about it till 2015! When, of course, it will have deteriorated even more.

 

[cawky22]

yes it is very interesting report.
Does anyone know how often the new east curve is being used ?

 

[Buttsy]

That's one of the serious disbenefits of the Metro. While it had the advantage (for me) of reopening part of my local line (Sunderland to Penshaw) it limits the possibilities of "proper" train services at Sunderland and blocks any possibility of the Durham Coast line being electrified.

Would it not be possible to have dual voltage overhead stock for the different currents used as the Eurostar has. Switchovers could take place in Heworth & Sunderland stations or be done automatically by computer in a netural section prior to the stations? I appreciate that this would push up the cost of the stock, but the technology must be available...

 

[PinzaC55]

It would be technically possible I suppose but it would mean that all electric stock would need to be fitted with dual voltage and since the Metro is 1500 DC as opposed to 25000 AC the cost would be mind boggling.
Although it would be possible to run diesel services over the Hylton line it would still cause problems of congestion at Sunderland station which the chumps who run the railways have rebuilt with only two platforms.

 

[jonty14]

Hi ReverendFozz.

Of topic I know but I have just seen you are from Murton. I live in Germany but I was raised up in Dalton-le-Dale. Out of interest when did the Durham coast line loose all its signalboxes? I was shocked that they all had gone when I was last home.

Jon

 

[PinzaC55]

Blackhall Rocks went in about 1984, Easington and Horden in the 1990's. The rest (except for Seaham) went last October, thought Cemetery North had been destroyed by arson about a year before.

 

[142094]

yes it is very interesting report.
Does anyone know how often the new east curve is being used ?

A few times daily I'd expect - hardly seeing anything go via Gateshead these days.

 

[turbo mick]

Hi ReverendFozz.

Of topic I know but I have just seen you are from Murton. I live in Germany but I was raised up in Dalton-le-Dale. Out of interest when did the Durham coast line loose all its signalboxes? I was shocked that they all had gone when I was last home.

Jon

Ryhope grange box controls most of the durham coast route now i think

mick

safc for ever

 

[swt_passenger]

Rail Engineer Jan 2011 here: http://www.therailengineer.co.uk/Archives
has 3 pages about the Durham Coast resignalling, starts on page 10...

 

[142094]

Ryhope and Norton South IIRC now do the work of the other boxes.

 

[BOSCH]

Ryhope,as well as having its own signals also controls all the way to hartlepool,including Church street crossing,Greatham still has its own signals as does Billingham,Norton On Tees and Norton South,Norton East is closed(but does open on very rare occasions.
The signals between Ryhope/Hartlepool have the prefix NS on the plate which stands for Northallerton to Sunderland.