MML Electrification: progress updates

[Flying Phil]

There are still no masts etc erected for 1/2 mile North of the Braybrooke Supply site.

 

[PJM]

There are still no masts etc erected for 1/2 mile North of the Braybrooke Supply site.

Yes, a trip to London yesterday confirms this and nothing north of Market Harborough station and Main Street Great Bowden.

 

[Edvid]

LinkedIn post on last weekend's substation activities:

Tom Walker on LinkedIn: Weekend 12 draws the major commissioning events of KO1a to a close. This…

Weekend 12 draws the major commissioning events of KO1a to a close. This is the culmination of a huge amount of works undertaken by the SPL team over the past…

www.linkedin.com

I've also attached a screenshot of what was Sandridge Road MPTSC; though the NS is now gone the associated headspan has been retained.

Almost forgot - as I thought there is indeed a mid-point anchor portal just southeast of Brent Cross West; that makes two of them before the OLE125 project adds more. (Sidenote - there's a longstanding MPA headspan behind the RAF Museum, which I've not seen elsewhere in Mk3b arrangements.)

 

[59CosG95]

Updates from the MMLE Map:

• Bridge SPC3-34 (Three Arches Bridge, Braybrooke) will now be demolished in October, with its replacement constructed in November. (Previously this was to take place in September.)
• Footbridge SPC3-28E (Great Bowden Footbridge) will now have its track lowering work undertaken in November (previously September).
• Bridges SPC3-25 & SPC3-24 (Warners Farm) will now both be demolished in July, with no apparent replacement.
• Piling to take place in Kibworth from 2200 Mon 10th of July to 0800 Fri 14th of July, between 89m 0ch & 89m 10ch.
• Piling to take place in Great Bowden from 2200 Sat 22nd of July to 0800 Sat 29th of July, between 83m 20ch & 84m 0ch. (This is through the "Great Bowden Gap".)
• Piling to take place in Market Harborough (act. Braybrooke) from 2200 Thurs 6th of July to 0800 Fri 7th of July and from 2200 Sat 8th of July to 0800 Mon 10th of July. (This is through the "Braybrooke Gap" - the map has the 2200 & 0800 times mixed up at my best guess.)
• Piling to take place from Newton Harcourt to Wigston (93m 15ch to 94m 70ch) from 2200 Mon 3rd of July to 0800 Fri 7th of July, 2200 Sat 15th of July to 0800 Mon 17th of July, and 2200 Mon 24th of July to 0800 Fri 28th of July. (This takes piles to just north of bridge SPC3-2, Bassets O/B.)

 

[John Webb]

There was an incident on the Down Slow 'in the Napsbury area' early yesterday morning in which unit 700027 lost a pantograph but was able to coast uphill to the City station - see https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/disruption-on-the-mml-25-06-23.250633. Not clear it this was near the new substation or elsewhere.

 

[londonmidland]

Electrification masts now being erected at Derby Etches Park.

 

[YourMum666]

Electrification masts now being erected at Derby Etches Park.

View attachment 138084

Does this 100% confirm wires will indeed reach derby ?

 

[Edvid]

That OLE is specifically for the depot. Its appearance there has no impact on the overall programme.

 

[zwk500]

Does this 100% confirm wires will indeed reach derby ?

No, it's there to test the pantograph before leaving the depot for the Bimodes.

Three bridges apparently also has a short length of OLE test track.

 

[Bald Rick]

No, it's there to test the pantograph before leaving the depot for the Bimodes.

Three bridges apparently also has a short length of OLE test track.

it does.

 

[59CosG95]

it does.

I believe entirely behind closed doors as well.
New Cross Gate TMD also has one.

It's definitely not "mainline spec" OLE; most depot wiring works use Mk3 "tramway" OLE where you have contact wire only.
Cardiff Canton TMD, Taffs Well Metro Depot and Kettering Electric Stabling are seemingly the three modern exceptions to the rule!

 

[Bald Rick]

And of course it’s not the first 25kV OLE in Derby…

 

[edwin_m]

And of course it’s not the first 25kV OLE in Derby…

The RTC certainly had a short section, which I think was energisable for at least some of its life, but not sure if it's still there.

The plates on the new OLE illustrated above seem to follow the convention of using the local milepost mileage converted to km, though I'm not sure what the logic is behind the "NS" coding. If they followed the old national scheme it would be something beginning with F.

 

[59CosG95]

The RTC certainly had a short section, which I think was energisable for at least some of its life, but not sure if it's still there.

The plates on the new OLE illustrated above seem to follow the convention of using the local milepost mileage converted to km, though I'm not sure what the logic is behind the "NS" coding. If they followed the old national scheme it would be something beginning with F.

Perhaps "North Sidings"? There's nothing on Railwaycodes about it yet - @pdeaves, this is one for you!

 

[pdeaves]

Perhaps "North Sidings"? There's nothing on Railwaycodes about it yet - @pdeaves, this is one for you!

Ooh, first I've seen of that! I will add to railwaycodes and see if there is anything else I can find out. Thanks.

 

[Bald Rick]

The RTC certainly had a short section, which I think was energisable for at least some of its life, but not sure if it's still there.

There’s about 1.5km at Litchurch Lane where Alstom check all their new AC trains. I’ve been along it at 50mph, quite exhilarating! A stretch of it is right next to the old A6 opposite the RTC.

 

[edwin_m]

There’s about 1.5km at Litchurch Lane where Alstom check all their new AC trains. I’ve been along it at 50mph, quite exhilarating! A stretch of it is right next to the old A6 opposite the RTC.

Having occupied an office with a view over this while they were building it, I really should have remembered that! However the RTC one was there first, from sometime in the 1980s I think.

 

[adrock1976]

I believe entirely behind closed doors as well.
New Cross Gate TMD also has one.

It's definitely not "mainline spec" OLE; most depot wiring works use Mk3 "tramway" OLE where you have contact wire only.
Cardiff Canton TMD, Taffs Well Metro Depot and Kettering Electric Stabling are seemingly the three modern exceptions to the rule!

Regarding tramway style wiring, is Wolverhampton - Oxley MkIII or something earlier?

Returning back to the Midland, is it intended to wire the yard at Humberstone Road, Leicester? I was thinking that it would be somewhere to send any St Pancras - Leicester terminating trains if need be so as they are out of the way.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Regarding tramway style wiring, is Wolverhampton - Oxley MkIII or something earlier?

That dates from 1967, so is probably the same as the rest of the Stour Valley line.
The depot could be different, though, with its various upgrades over time.
Wolverhampton station will now have its separate Metro OHL as well.

 

[Bald Rick]

That dates from 1967, so is probably the same as the rest of the Stour Valley line.
The depot could be different, though, with its various upgrades over time.
Wolverhampton station will now have its separate Metro OHL as well.

Oxley depot, and the line to it, was electrified a few years after the main line though.

 

[alf]

How does Derby Etches Park get its 25kv ac supply?
Is a standard railway traction supply transformer used or is the power output very limited?

 

[Flying Phil]

In general, it appears that North of Great Bowden there are masts poles etc with insulators, earth wires and catenary wires all the way to Kibworth - no contact wires. North of Kibworth, it is piles and masts nearly to S Wigston with some overbridge "gaps". There are two road closures for the bridges around Wistow.

 

[bluelagoon8951]

anyone know why some of the cantilevers between kibworth and harborough are rotated 90° out? couldn't get a picture but saw at least 3 or 4 cantilevers parallel to the track direction (facing south), instead of over the track where you'd expect.

edit: several more between harborough and kettering

 

[59CosG95]

anyone know why some of the cantilevers between kibworth and harborough are rotated 90° out? couldn't get a picture but saw at least 3 or 4 cantilevers parallel to the track direction (facing south), instead of over the track where you'd expect.

edit: several more between harborough and kettering

Most likely the SPL team didn't have the temporary bolts to fix them over the tracks. It'll probably be rectified once they start running the cat/con.

 

[Southsider]

Most likely the SPL team didn't have the temporary bolts to fix them over the tracks. It'll probably be rectified once they start running the cat/con.

On the Barrhead line they’ve been left that way until wiring was taking place.

 

[BelleIsle]

There’s about 1.5km at Litchurch Lane where Alstom check all their new AC trains. I’ve been along it at 50mph, quite exhilarating! A stretch of it is right next to the old A6 opposite the RTC.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0019txm/inside-the-factory-series-7-trains if anyone is interested. 4th rail too for S stock.

 

[snowball]

Press release

Electrification work powers ahead on the Midland Main Line this July

Work continues this month on the biggest programme of improvements to the Midland Main Line since its completion over 150 years ago.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Work continues this month on the biggest programme of improvements to the Midland Main Line since its completion over 150 years ago.

On Sunday 9 and Sunday 16 July, engineers will continue work to prepare for an electrified railway on the Midland Main Line between Kettering and Wigston. This will help to create a cleaner, greener railway for passengers travelling along this section of the Midland Main Line in the future. These key upgrades include improvements to drainage systems as well as important work to bridges to provide clearance for new overhead line equipment.

These upgrades will mean a reduced East Midlands Railway (EMR) service between London and Sheffield/Nottingham, with diversions in place leading to extended journey times. These services will not be calling at Market Harborough, with buses replacing trains between Kettering and Market Harborough and Market Harborough and Leicester.

 

[The exile]

Oxley depot, and the line to it, was electrified a few years after the main line though.

And is, or was, I think, entirely tramway-style.

 

[59CosG95]

And is, or was, I think, entirely tramway-style.

Correct. It'll have to be rewired if Wolves-Shrewsbury ever gets the nod for OLE.

Back on topic, ICE members (if there are any amongst us here!) have access to this recorded lecture about making electrification more affordable: https://www.ice.org.uk/events/past-...s/affordable-electrification-midland-mainline

The MML features rather heavily in it!

During this weekend's blockade between Kettering & Wigston, the Up Main drainage is being replaced at Wistow Rd (SPC3-15) as a result of the recent track lowering. The Dn Main run (in the 6-foot) had been done previously.

 

[Trainben]

Some pics from this afternoon just north of Main Street bridge in Great Bowden.