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GCR Bridge Project

Cowley

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Nice to see the original abutment exposed after all these years. Good to see how quickly things are starting to move on too.
How many people are working on the ground at any one time do you think Phil?
 
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Flying Phil

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Nice to see the original abutment exposed after all these years. Good to see how quickly things are starting to move on too.
How many people are working on the ground at any one time do you think Phil?

I have seen there are about 6 - 8 people on site, but I think it varies as to what jobs are being done at the time.
 

Flying Phil

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The site was quiet today but more work has been done. The timbers are in place ready for pile driving on the North abutment site


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and the lowered top of the Preci Spark car park is a lot tidier.


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I also went to the North of L'bro shed and the clean up there has continued.
The next job I think will be the removal of the old 35025 Brocklebank Line shed.

455758e65a0b6939d.jpg
 

Cowley

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Phil - The photo with the bridge works, the 222 and Brush works in the background is pretty special. It's a moment in time photo when you think about it (like I seem to be doing :)).
One to look back on in a few years and place alongside a picture from the early 60s and a picture of when the first train crosses the new bridge in a few years time...
 

Flying Phil

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Glad that you liked the picture Cowley - Interestingly, just as I arrived, there was a short loco stock train going through which I only glimpsed, with three old diesel locomotives, possibly a 47, 31 and something else????
However, it would be really historic and iconic, if the bridge could be in use in March 2019 as that would be 120 years since the GCR opened to London for passenger trains. I doubt that the gap would be closed, but the bridge itself should be in, and could be connected to the North and so to the Chord to the MML.........
 

Flying Phil

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Exciting times!
There is now a giant pile boring lorry on the North abutment site and the steel Reinforcement bars are being made up for the deep piles. there is also another heap of spoil - ready to build up the embankment later?
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the Preci Spark site has been levelled further and is being made accessible for the boring lorry?

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Flying Phil

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More progress as more equipment is on site and more Re-Bar piling has been made
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This is the big pile of spoil mentioned before at the North abutment site.
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The South abutment has some of the Re-Bar work
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The Preci Spark car park area is having stone chippings laid to 20cm depth. This will be where the big bridge lift crane will be situated later on.
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No piling holes have been drilled yet though, possibly started by the end of the week.
 

Flying Phil

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After the Easter break there is more action on the "Gap" site. The Pile Drilling lorry is now correctly located and about to start drilling.
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The Preci Spark car park has been completely covered in chippings and the Pile Re-Bars are being assembled ready to drop into the holes (When drilled)

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Cowley

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Thanks for updating us Phil. The first photo gives a good impression of what needs to be bridged. It's a big gap looking from that angle.
 

Flying Phil

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On today's visit there has been no significant changes visible - apart from the Pile Drilling lorry - which has disappeared......One worker was busy checking levels(?) with a theodolite(??) from the end of the North embankment.
 

Flying Phil

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On today's visit there has been no change at all and nobody working on site.
I suspect the pile drilling rig has been employed elsewhere over the Easter/May day holiday period and will be back on the GCR at a slack period.
 

Flying Phil

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Visited again today- but nothing new on the North abutment site and only some more stone chippings ready for spreading on the Preci spark car park area.
 

Flying Phil

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On today's visit there was some action on the South abutment site with an excavater working alongside the mainline. On the North site there has been a fresh pad laid adjacent to where the pile boring load speading timbers were placed previously - but they have been moved elsewhere in the compound.
 

fflint

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Here's the info from the GCR Bridge site explaining the problems and asking for more funding:
BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE
Piling on the pressure
Physical work continues at the site of the new bridge over the Midland Main Line at Loughborough. However, the contractors have encountered an unexpected problem and we need your help.
As far back as January 2014 ground samples were taken around the site of the northern and southern bridge abutments. Now work has begun to drive concrete piles into the ground which will support the abutments. Unfortunately the piling machine has encountered water, which wasn't revealed in the test drilling.
This is not a technical problem but it does mean switching the current piling machine on site for a much larger one which can handle the previously hidden water. This - and the resulting short delay plus larger piles now needed - is likely to incur an extra cost of approximately one hundred thousand pounds.
Once again we need to ask you to help. Spread across the entire readership of the weekly newsletter and the members of Friends, this can be achieved with lots of small contributions, particularly when gift aid is applied. Please donate on line at the GCR website at www.gcrailway.co.uk/unify. Alternatively a new Bridge to the Future flyer is included with the next edition of Main Line magazine, due on doormats in the next week or so. Every penny we receive really helps us - and the reunification project to move forward.
Thank you for your support.
 

Flying Phil

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As per previous two posts, from BrunswickGreen and fflyint, there have been problems but the new bigger drilling rig is now on-site and about to start drilling the 16 bore holes (8 on each side of the MML). They hope to drill two per day then put the cages in place and pour the concrete.
 

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Flying Phil

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The big piling lorry is on site and its rig is up.
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However no holes have been bored yet as they are awaiting delivery of the new longer sectional cylindrical sleeves which line the holes for the rebar cages and concrete. There were 8 workers finishing off the rebar cages and getting the site ready for boring and they are now there until the job is finished.
 

Cowley

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That's an impressive bit of kit. Thanks for the update Phil.
 

Flying Phil

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The piling lorry appears to have drilled one hole but they have had to put some soil around the hole - possibly to control the water (that has come up by the auger turning?) and stop it running to the MML?
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Flying Phil

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On my visit today, the drilling rig could be seen to be busy - they were pulling out spoil which was running with water, then comparing the depth of hole to the length of the re-bar cage. It looks that four holes have been bored as four re bar cages have disappeared from view (see earlier pic of the site)
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jonathan01n

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It looks quite good. I must visit GCR for few more times to support them. Nice people and well preserved stock there. OT The MML is going to be electrified sometime and the scenery will not be the same anymore.
 

duffield

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OT The MML is going to be electrified sometime and the scenery will not be the same anymore.

I wouldn't hold your breath. Electrification to Corby is underway but I'd say whether it carries on further as originally intended is really up in the air again now. Some DOT/govt types seem to think hybrids are the answer to everything...
 

E50019

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Leicester station is the OLE blocker..


Literally.. not enough clearance, option 1 raise the building, option 2 lower the platforms and track, option 3 bumble along with no real decision for a few years...

same issue at Nottingham, be easier to electrify from the east and connect with the ECML in this instance.
 

Flying Phil

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A bit OT but I think duffield and E50019 are being a bit pessimistic re the continuing MML electrification. The detailed plans for Market Harborough £M46 rebuilding are with the Council and Nation Grid are having a public consultation re the Braybrooke feeder station.
 

IanXC

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Can I remind members of the title of this thread. I fear discussion of MML electrification more widely here may be a bridge too far. There is a dedicated thread already ongoing.
 

E50019

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pessimistic, yes, but accurate as i'm involved on the project.

Irrelevant not really, i take it that the GCR Bridge will provide clearance to OLE requirements for MML below, my question is does this introduce a 'sky jump' like the East Lancs Railway? I know there is plenty of land either side so it wont be too steep or noticable but does the design account for this and how much extra work/materials/time/money does this involve? as opposed to jus putting a bridge back to the previous clearance levels.
 

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