The front of the Balfour Beatty new track construction machine actually runs on a small pair of caterpillar tracks, I think it can automatically follow the painted centre line on the ballast, it’s only the back of the machine runs on the rails that have been newly installed on the sleepers. So although the front of the machine has arms handling the rails into a certain width, it’s not actually running on the rails at that point.
Balfour Beatty's two NTC machines were supplied by Harsco, and this is their brochure describing it. I think BB's two are modified a bit from this one, but it explains the principles.
If you have access to Apple Maps, the satellite photo has recently been updated. The HS2 route is now much clearer, particularly around Calvert where it crosses the East-West railway.
The remainder of the footbridge has now been placed.
Let's hope it stays there this time!
But won't be for the extent of new housing this likely will unlock.
Perhaps, but in the lifetime of the station building the town is expected to grow to rather a lot more than 5,000 people. It's also presumably expected to take a reasonable amount of Buckingham and Aylesbury railheading.
They were never justified. Having said that, although the only freight included on EWR is 1tp2h Oxford-Bletchley and the railway must be available for maintenance between 0100 and 0600 every night, if a FOC bid for a path overnight and there were no possessions booked then NR would more than likely offer it, so it's not impossible.
There will be plenty looking to use the Oxford Bletchley section, especially at it gives the opportunity to actually close Oxford Leamington overnight which you only get Saturday nights currently. Id imagine Northampton Gateway and DIRFT getting some traffic that way.
This feels excessive? How much of the existing network has this stipulated? Has it maybe been specified as a sop to local residents concerned that heavy freight trains could be thundering past their homes through the night?
It won't be every night, it will be cyclical section 5 blocks.
Being available for maintenance is not the same as closing completely. And, tbh, given it's primarily a commuter railway,
Oxford-Bletchley yes (and personally I'm not sure why it's 0.5 freight/hr rather than 1 given the rest of the timetable is an hourly pattern but there you go), although how much switches WTT and how much only uses it to divert will be interesting to see.
How loud are current freight trains? I'm imagining many folk are 'picturing' the sound of trains of scores of coal wagons clunk- clunk- clunking through the night. Maybe even the sound of marshallings of numerous trains, maybe train couplings tightening, clanking ...
That is rather offset by:
Of course, passing loops are only of value when there is a mix of passenger and freight trains using the line at the same time. So the absence of loops makes it more likely that any demand for freight will be met by running late at night.
A freightliner doing 75mph won't be holding much up, perhaps slower entering the line at either end but the passenger services will be stopping at Oxf Parkway and Bletchley high-level, so it may be near identical at the ends, and in the middle, the passengers stopping at Bicester and Winslow.
How loud are current freight trains? I'm imagining many folk are 'picturing' the sound of trains of scores of coal wagons clunk- clunk- clunking through the night. Maybe even the sound of marshallings of numerous trains, maybe train couplings tightening, clanking ...
I'm recalling picnicing at Didcot Railway centre and a train (ok a passenger train) just gliding by on the Avoiding Line without disturbing us at all!
Perhaps folk would prefer overlooking a line bounded by permanent continuous high fences (like the M25) rather than an occasional 'train in the country side'.
And that's without the 'environmental benefit' of less traffic on thetoadsroads
It has already been installed further east where housing is in close proximity to the line.
There were pictures here recently of Verney Junction station house with that - and fairly high fencing too. I'd be pretty disappointed to have high fencing installed blocking the view, think I'd have requested a viewing balcony instead..
Probably related to getting paths south of Oxford & north of Bletchley. It effectively aligns with half of the extra freight capacity through Oxford with the current extra through platform P5 scheme.
Diverting existing (in addition to some new services) would see more than 1tp2h.
Rather than the wagons, I want to say it depends on what’s hauling it, Freightliner’s 70s are particularly noisy in that respect!How loud are current freight trains? I'm imagining many folk are 'picturing' the sound of trains of scores of coal wagons clunk- clunk- clunking through the night. Maybe even the sound of marshallings of numerous trains, maybe train couplings tightening, clanking ...
I'm recalling picnicing at Didcot Railway centre and a train (ok a passenger train) just gliding by on the Avoiding Line without disturbing us at all!
Perhaps folk would prefer overlooking a line bounded by permanent continuous high fences (like the M25) rather than an occasional 'train in the country side'.
And that's without the 'environmental benefit' of less traffic on thetoadsroads
If there is a path every 2 hours then there is one hourly. I suspect its more to do with appeasing complaints. Clearly freight spending was binned as Newton Longville loop was removed from the scope.
