Great Western Electrification Progress

[3973EXL]

Aldermaston to Ufton Lane: second set of updated photos taken today.

View E from Towney.
3 views between Towney and Ufton Lane.
3 views W from Ufton Lane.
3 views E from Ufton Lane. You can see some registration arms up E of the bridge.



Some masts still to go up, but nearly there in this area. Excluding stations, Racecourse to Theale looking good as well.
Not much west of Racecourse and Reading West to MP38 1/4. Also most masts from east of Theale to east of Calcot Mill crossing still to go up.

 

[steevp]

I noticed this morning that some installation of registration arms has commenced on the Didcot avoiding line and some more on the ground ready for installation - don't recall seeing them last Friday (but it was dark when I was there then)

 

[jyte]

I noticed this morning that some installation of registration arms has commenced on the Didcot avoiding line

It seems sometimes like NR is determined to take the project as far as Oxford sometimes!

 

[JN114]

It seems sometimes like NR is determined to take the project as far as Oxford sometimes!

My understanding is that electrification of the Didcot area will include the entirety of the Triangle to permit turning electric trains. There was a proposal after planning permission for sidings on the current DBC site were refused to commission stabling sidings for 387s at Appleford; don’t know how far that got...

 

[jyte]

My understanding is that electrification of the Didcot area will include the entirety of the Triangle to permit turning electric trains. There was a proposal after planning permission for sidings on the current DBC site were refused to commission stabling sidings for 387s at Appleford; don’t know how far that got...

This was what I was expecting yeah.

 

[reddragon]

It seems sometimes like NR is determined to take the project as far as Oxford sometimes!

The Oxford issue is Kennington to Oxford due to the planned enhancements, so any work south of there is doable now

 

[jimm]

The intention appears to be to complete wires on the avoiding line and west side of the triangle and on to the Oxford line as far as Appleford level crossing at some point next year - presumably after they have got the Newbury route and Swindon sorted.

Much of the steelwork needed was installed between Appleford and the A4130 bridge at the north edge of Didcot earlier this year. Some piling work was done along the avoiding line and a couple of the uprights fitted, but I think more piling is needed around Didcot North junction.

The uprights and cantilevers south of Appleford can be seen in this picture taken from the road bridge last week by Martin Loader http://hondawanderer.com/165109_165114_Didcot_North_Junction_2017.htm

 

[steverailer]

I noticed this morning that some installation of registration arms has commenced on the Didcot avoiding line and some more on the ground ready for installation - don't recall seeing them last Friday (but it was dark when I was there then)

Its only on the down in case of a wrong routing on the points, probably about 300m worth at the most at present

 

[Phil G]

Registration arms appeared overnight at Langley Burrell east of Chippenham, this is the furthest west on the BTM leg.

 

[jimm]

Sequence of pictures showing the wiring up at Grove taken today by Martin Loader, including 802001 and 802002 running on a test train to Taunton in 2x5 formation

http://hondawanderer.com/Recent_Additions.htm

 

[jyte]

How much work is still outstanding before the timetable change and the revenue usage of the AC between Maidenhead and Didcot [on that section of line]?

 

[JN114]

How much work is still outstanding before the timetable change and the revenue usage of the AC between Maidenhead and Didcot [on that section of line]?

Not much - some testing required. The main stumbling block is ORR sign off of the OHLE on this section.

 

[3973EXL]

Platform extensions at Bristol Parkway and masts around Swindon. All from today.

 

[3973EXL]

I noticed this morning that some installation of registration arms has commenced on the Didcot avoiding line and some more on the ground ready for installation - don't recall seeing them last Friday (but it was dark when I was there then)

Masts on the avoider, 4 x portals, 2 x TTC. Rest to Didcot East covered by existing all line structures.



Another mast hiding in the distance, probably been there a while.

 

[spark001uk]

...Because of the very different earthing and fault detection requirements of the two systems these common stretches of track are avoided as much as possible whether at Reading or Basingstoke or anywhere else...

TL manages half a mile of it OK in the core.?

 

[swt_passenger]

TL manages half a mile of it OK in the core.?

It does, but at a cost of many £millions, and huge complexity.

 

[jimm]

Another mast hiding in the distance, probably been there a while.

If it's the one I'm thinking of, yes. A couple of uprights appeared some months ago further round the curve towards Didcot North.

 

[jyte]

It does, but at a cost of many £millions, and huge complexity.

And because it offers significant benefits to operational flexibility in the event a unit cannot successfully change mode.

Also 3973EXL cheers for the photos.

 

[swt_passenger]

And because it offers significant benefits to operational flexibility in the event a unit cannot successfully change mode.

Agreed, however would add that because there are specific requirements of the Thameslink core, then that solution probably doesn't create a precedent for general use around the wider national network.

 

[Dixie]

There's an interesting cab ride made by Network Rail on You Tube from Paddington to Swindon, taken in October:

It doesn't appear to have been mentioned on here. It is very speeded up, but Network Rail have intimated that they might post a slowed down version in the future.

 

[7ftBroad]

Hi all, these questions might be already answered somewhere else

1 How are New trains performing?

2 When overheads come to Swindon before moving up the line, are overheads stopping at Swindon or RWB junction?

Thanks

 

[JN114]

Hi all, these questions might be already answered somewhere else

1 How are New trains performing?

2 When overheads come to Swindon before moving up the line, are overheads stopping at Swindon or RWB junction?

Thanks

Under current plans Swindon gets switched on as part of Didcot - Cardiff/Corsham switch on next December.

 

[snowball]

1 How are New trains performing?

The 800s have superior acceleration to HSTs on electric and at low speed on diesel, but inferior at higher speed on diesel. There's a thread about them in the Traction and Rolling Stock subforum. Likewise for the suburban units.

 

[jimm]

Some photos taken this week by sgp_rail showing the state of progress on steelwork installation at Chipping Sodbury and Old Sodbury. Plus some further down the page from Ram Hill, between Westerleigh junction and Bristol Parkway

https://www.flickr.com/photos/128859544@N03/with/38827573641/

 

[jyte]

Under current plans Swindon gets switched on as part of Didcot - Cardiff/Corsham switch on next December.

It seems like a huge section to switch on at once. I fear a repeat of the Tube Lines Jubilee line signalling mess.

 

[JN114]

It seems like a huge section to switch on at once. I fear a repeat of the Tube Lines Jubilee line signalling mess.

Why? It has to be extensively tested before signing into passenger use; and that testing will be done as it is completed. The “Switch On” from December 2018 isn’t literal. There will be sections completed and tested beyond Swindon before Swindon is done itself - the physical work isn’t being done linearly; it’s just the introduction into service that is seemingly linear.

 

[jyte]

Why? It has to be extensively tested before signing into passenger use; and that testing will be done as it is completed. The “Switch On” from December 2018 isn’t literal. There will be sections completed and tested beyond Swindon before Swindon is done itself - the physical work isn’t being done linearly; it’s just the introduction into service that is seemingly linear.

Whoops....brain fart on my part, sorry.

 

[edwin_m]

May be influenced by there being a feeder station at the western limit of OLE near Corsham, although it also has a separate feed to Wootton Bassett. However until the wire is continuous eastwards from there, any un-connected energisation further east will have to be fed through from the Reading direction. This may be pushing the capacity of the feeders somewhat.

 

[JN114]

May be influenced by there being a feeder station at the western limit of OLE near Corsham, although it also has a separate feed to Wootton Bassett. However until the wire is continuous eastwards from there, any un-connected energisation further east will have to be fed through from the Reading direction. This may be pushing the capacity of the feeders somewhat.

Corsham will be a feed point yes, but there are more further West to feed traction supply into the system. If, as has been mooted, Steventon is to remain a gap in the short term at least - then Didcot isn’t going to have to feed much West of it.

 

[edwin_m]

If I recall the next feed point is nearly at Cardiff. I assume if there is ends up being a gap at Steventon it would be bridged across by a 25kV feed cable.