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Felixstowe-Nuneaton

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a good off

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I wouldn't want the job as section manager for that line. It has always sunk and been hard to keep the formation flat and straight. My grandfather who worked the line from the 1930s told me that they really struggled before the advent of mechanised perway tools such as tampers etc. Even though this photo has been taken with a long lens, it does highlight the mammoth task that would be required to raise the line speed above its current limit.
 
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Trog

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And Network Rail continue to spin that maintenance and track quality has improved under their stewardship.

Thank you for a photograph to prove how laughable that NR spin is.


Given the huge magnification, the first yellow signal may be about 1320 yards from the camera, counting the CWR strings. I would suggest that this photo proves nothing of the sort.

It is an old trick to look at P Way through binoculars etc, as it shows up any faults in the top and line by foreshortening the image.

I once scared the s**t out of a PWSS by getting him to look at some jointed track through the telescope of a surveying level. The rail ends looked like conductor rail ramps under the magnification. <D
 

Hydro

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And Network Rail continue to spin that maintenance and track quality has improved under their stewardship.

Thank you for a photograph to prove how laughable that NR spin is.

There was nowt wrong with it when I ran the Track Inspection Coach over it 2 weeks ago.
 

Old Timer

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There was nowt wrong with it when I ran the Track Inspection Coach over it 2 weeks ago.
If you look though you will see it is long wave distortions of the sort that will not be picked up by a train.

That sort of track condition will eventually lead to short wave faults and track formation faults.

This is the problem with relying upon a train, it only spots faults in the 1/8ths. Nothing beats the human eye.
 

Old Timer

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Given the huge magnification, the first yellow signal may be about 1320 yards from the camera, counting the CWR strings. I would suggest that this photo proves nothing of the sort.....
I think on this one several of us would hold a contrary opinion.

Whilst I am fully aware of the optical issue you can clearly see a number of geometry faults.

If the photograph was translated to a heavy haul freight line then I would expect to be asked to go in and do a fairly heavy realignment and rectification job.

Although not quite as long in length, here is a photograph of a heavy haul line at a standard acceptable to the mining Company
Picture 138.jpg

And here is one which was marked up for renewal
Picture 150.jpg

A difference in standards, obviously.
 

mickoo

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Gents thanks for the interest in the photo, its a crop of a 300mm lens on a 1.6x frame camera (Eos40D) so I reckon in laymans terms a good 500mm focal length. I believe the distance from the Hundred Foot Washes bridge where this was taken to the bridge in front of the 170 is about 5.6Km or 3.5 miles in old money.

This photo here shows a different perspective
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32755955@N05/6167472610/in/photostream/
And another but at 105mm which shows more like the eye (usually equated to 50mm) would see.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32755955@N05/6112998731/in/set-72157623661804092

Kindest Michael
 

Windcutter

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The initial time frame was 2012 to account for the olympics but I suspect there is enough capacity via cross country to cope. There will be no significant increase in traffic from Felixstowe untill the new terminal (end of 2012 currently) is built and even then pathings is severly limited on the branch.

As for the curve at Ipswich, I don't think its going to be the saving grace people (inc NR) wan't it to be as alot of services will still need to run round via the yard which in its self is due to be "remodeled".

Hi, my first post.

I thought that some of the intermodals are already running this route, having seen one arrive at Nuneaton recently and have read that 4 tracking from Syston to Wigston in the pipeline.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Hi,
My first post

I thought the intermodals were running this route already, Felixstowe to Nuneaton, and that 4 tracking Syston to Wigston was in the pipeline
 

londonmidland

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Hi, my first post.

I thought that some of the intermodals are already running this route, having seen one arrive at Nuneaton recently and have read that 4 tracking from Syston to Wigston in the pipeline.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Hi,
My first post

I thought the intermodals were running this route already, Felixstowe to Nuneaton, and that 4 tracking Syston to Wigston was in the pipeline

Nope, only GBRF use intermodals on this route, the only time Freightliner have used it was for route learning. As for doubling the Syston - Wigston, I really hope that happens as I'm from Leicester and it would be great too see more freight go through there! I think it was mentioned in the RAIL magazine.
 

Windcutter

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Hi, Thanks for the reply, I have not a clue to posting, could not find what i had put, it went somewhere !!

I was hoping to see more freight through Wigston.
 

The Planner

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As for doubling the Syston - Wigston, I really hope that happens as I'm from Leicester and it would be great too see more freight go through there! I think it was mentioned in the RAIL magazine.

Unless they stick some fancy flyover in I cannot see how 4-tracking helps, you are still going to have a massive confliction point somewhere between the two.
 

Old Timer

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No-wonder our 66's shake about over that bit.:lol:

Would hate to see a video of a train down that,think i might slow down!!
There is nothing unsafe with the track there, but from a track engineering point of view there are the makings of various types of track defect, and I believe at least two that would be felt.

The short lengths of UK freight trains would not represent a problem running over track such as that where there is a distance between the various geometry changes but on a heavy haul line where trains can be up to three miles long, such track conditions will set up a lot of unwanted vehicle dynamic responses at speed which ripple through the train and cause a rapid deterioration to the track and its formation over time.

I work abroad and we have had cases where the dynamic response generated by even a relatively poor track geometry has resulted in the wheel flanges striking the crossing nose in S&C and hammering it to pieces. The resultant damage to the wheel tread caused the wheel to fail and the best part of 35,000 tonnes squeezed the wagon into a cube when it dropped off in the S&C at 80.

I would imagine you are experiencing sway and bouncing, with the occasional lateral "kick" ?
 

a good off

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I remember the up line in the shot at Black Bank being ripped up for about 2 miles in January 1992 by a derailed Redland self discharge train. The line was closed for several days whilst they relaid it.
 

Flywaver

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I'm about to head across the route with 1400 Cambs-Brum. If i haven't stayed upright. You won't hear from me again lol
The roughest parts seem to be the kick after passing over the half barriers...
 
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Damn, I didn't see this earlier, otherwise I would have said hi (presuming you worked all the way to Brum).
 

dk1

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I remember the up line in the shot at Black Bank being ripped up for about 2 miles in January 1992 by a derailed Redland self discharge train. The line was closed for several days whilst they relaid it.

Dont remind me. I rostered signalling staff in that area & had to man an extra 6 AHBs 24/7. The signalwoman at Chettisham thought the train was miles long by the track circuts lit on her panel. Didnt realise the de-railed rear wagons where ripping up the track & crossings as they went.
 

Old Timer

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Leaving tracks down behind and on an adjoining line is a classic indication of a vehicle running in a derailed condition. Why has such a basic tenet of signalling now apparantly been forgotten ?
 

a good off

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Dont remind me. I rostered signalling staff in that area & had to man an extra 6 AHBs 24/7. The signalwoman at Chettisham thought the train was miles long by the track circuts lit on her panel. Didnt realise the de-railed rear wagons where ripping up the track & crossings as they went.

I remember her. (She has long since left the railway)
 
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Flywaver

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Damn, I didn't see this earlier, otherwise I would have said hi (presuming you worked all the way to Brum).

Yep all the way. We aren't part timers at Cambridge! :lol:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Having read another growth forecast for this route i have to wonder if enough is being done... 34 freights a day via March to 85 a day by 2020 :o:o:o
I tried to warn the local council at Ely that the southern bypass plans are already too late. When they staged a viewing of various ideas...
There were plenty of loops back in the day between Ely and Peterborough that should be looked into bringing back.The guards van at Manea can't sit there forever although it looks like it has! :lol:
 

a good off

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The brake went inside at Manea with a hot box when working a Chesterton Jn - Whitemoor engineers train sometime around early 1989.

The only place that has ever had loops along the line is March. The rest of the locations such as at Stonea, Manea, Furlong Drove, Black Bank etc only ever had refuge sidings which required a time consuming back shunt to get something inside and out of the way. On days when Whitemoor had no room to accept any more trains these wayside refuges acted as holding sidings.
 

Flywaver

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Just had two Drivers tell me about 4L68 being poorly pathed at Peterborough in front of 1L44. What time is 4L68 booked through Peterborough? 1L44 is 1618 off there
 

The Planner

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If it is the Birch Coppice - Felixstowe, that is booked down the WCML to Wembley.
 

Flywaver

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I'm only going by what i was told so no doubt headcode is wrong.. Pretty sure the Class 4 has headed Up road off ECML..
 

swt_passenger

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Flywaver

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I must of passed at least 12 Containers on my shift between Ely-Nuneaton-Ely today.. A couple were running 10mins apart. I take it a new timetable has commenced or it's diversions?
 
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