TransPennine Wiring East Progressometer Post 10.0 - accurate to 17/08/21.
Route announced as 'to be wired' in CP6: Church Fenton - Colton Jct.
E1. Church Fenton North Jct (NOC/CFM 10m 36ch) to Colton Jct (NOC 5m 41ch/ECM4 182m 79ch)
Electrification work underway.
Southern limit of OLE confirmed to be short of Church Fenton Stn itself due to
a) HS2 Phase 2b works; and
b) the Common Ln Overbridge/Rose Lane UWC situation (i.e. "Steventon with S&C")
With completion scheduled for October 2022; steelwork up in May 2021 (Normanton side only) & wires up in Jan 2022.
Leeds side steelwork originally planned for Autumn 2021, but work has been brought forward.
Colton Jn - Colton Lane O/B:
- 3 S1 TTC pairs up (at a guess: NOC/09/07, NOC/09/09 & NOC/09/11 over the Normanton lines, with NOC/09/08, NOC/09/10 & NOC/09/12 over the Leeds lines), followed by a S1 Monoboom (NOC/09/13), a UKMS Std portal (NOC/09/14), another S1 TTC pair (NOC/09/15 & NOC/09/16 over the Normanton & Leeds lines respectively), a second Monoboom (NOC/09/17), then 4 TTC pairs to bridge NOC-12 (Colton Lane O/B) over both the Leeds & Normanton Lines. The monobooms signify an overlap. Monoboom NOC/09/13 has all its cantilever stovepipes, plus one of its 4(?) Tensorex stovepipes fitted now, possibly also its earth wire clamps. NOC/09/14 & NOC/09/15 have their stovepipes fitted for the Normanton lines (although 09/15 lacks mast brackets for the Up Normanton), and NOC/09/17 has all 4 cantilever stovepipes.
- Over the Normanton lines, all 4 TTCs south of the overlap are Series 1 (NOC/09/18, NOC/09/20, NOC/10/01 and NOC/10/04); the TTCs over the Leeds lines include a UKMS Std TTC (structure no. NOC/10/02) which also appears to cover the DL/UL crossover. The other 3 Leeds lines' TTCs (NOC/09/19, NOC/09/21 plus NOC/10/03) are Series 1.
- On the Normanton side, mast brackets for the cantilevers are now starting to appear - these will be of the Siemens "SICAT SA" type seen at Stevenage P5 & Paisley Gilmour Street - Gourock. The brackets are going up on the mast legs for the Up Normanton, and on stovepipes (where fitted). Earth Wire brackets are also appearing now.
Colton Lane O/B - Brumber Hill O/B (i.e. Colton South Ladder)
- All steelwork appears to have been installed between Colton Ln & Brumber Hill (i.e. over Colton South Ladder); the TTCs are all Series 1 except for two over the Leeds lines (NOC/10/06 & NOC/10/08) and one over the Normanton lines (NOC/10/18). NOC/10/06 - NOC/10/09, NOC/10/11 & NOC/10/13 all have their stovepipes, mast brackets & EW clamps fitted.
- Another structure on the Normanton side (NOC/10/11) has been fitted with a 'tongue' for a strut tie, and mounting brackets for Tensorex units facing towards Normanton/Leeds; its twin on the Leeds side (NOC/10/12) has them too, but facing towards York. This makes me think that Colton Sth Ladder might be tangentially wired rather than with a traditional "cross contact" arrangement. NOC/10/11 now has its backtie fitted.
- Immediately north of Brumber Hill O/B (NOC-13), a UKMS 'vierendeel' portal (similar to those used on the GWML in the 1990s) has been installed, possibly for MPA use.
Brumber Hill O/B - Bolton Percy O/B (Oxton Lane?):
- South of Brumber Hill Bridge, almost all S1 TTCs appear to be up and boomed as far as signals Y745 (DL)/Y746 (UL)/Y747 (DN)/Y748 (UN).
- S1 monoboom NOC/11/03 now has in-running stovepipes over all 4 lines, and brackets have been installed on those over the DN & UN. Its overlap compadre (NOC/11/08), 3 spans south, is now fully boomed, but the strut on the Leeds side is still outstanding. Both NOC/11/03 & NOC/11/08 have Tensorex drop tubes attached for the DN & UN lines too.
- South of that overlap are 7 S1 TTC pairs, followed by a UKMS Std PF DC portal (at a guess) for a mid-point anchor (MPA). A further 2 pairs of S1 TTCs are up south of that, along with two additional S1 TTCs on the Leeds side (NOC/12/02 & NOC/12/04).
- NOC/12/02 & NOC/12/04's twins on the Normanton side of the line (NOC/12/01 & NOC/12/03) await installation; as far as I can make out, 12/01 is another S1 TTC, while 12/03 is a UKMS Std TTC.
- A handful of masts (UKMS standard I think) are up between the Normanton lines on the old site of Bolton Percy station; those adjacent to the Up Normanton (NOC/12/05; NOC/12/08; not NOC/12/11) are taller to allow increased Earth Wire heights over the RRAP at Bolton Percy. EW clamps have already been attached.
- The masts for the Dn Normanton (NOC/12/06; NOC/12/09; NOC/12/12) are shorter as they have no earth wire and will be bonded directly to the traction return rail. NOC/12/06 also has a back-tie pile north-east of it.
The corresponding masts for the Leeds lines are S1 TTCs (NOC/12/07; NOC/12/10; NOC/12/13). Another mast (NOC/12/14) is in next to the bridge, and will support OLE over the Up Normanton.
- From the MPA portal, SPS fitment (Earth wire clamps, cantilever bracketry and drop tubes) are complete on the Leeds lines south to Bolton Percy O/B.
Bolton Percy O/B (Oxton Lane?) - Ulleskelf:
- Between Bolton Percy & Ulleskelf, around 7 S1 TTCs, 5 S1 single track masts and a monoboom (now boomed) are up.
- Immediately south of bridge NOC-15 (Bolton Percy/Oxton Lane O/B)), there are two more structures presumed to have gone in; NOC/12/17 (probably a SSA mast for the Up Normanton) and NOC/12/18 (a monoboom for the other 3 tracks).
- Two UKMS Twin Cantilever masts (pre-fab double channels/PF DCs) are in next to the Normanton lines south of Oxton Ln; these are NOC/12/19 & NOC/12/20. A further two are up behind them; these are NOC/12/22 & NOC/12/23. On NOC/12/19 & NOC/12/22 (both Up Normanton), the brackets for the overlap cantilevers are in place. NOC/12/19 & NOC/12/23 (Dn Normanton) also have EW brackets.
- The two S1 TTCs opposite the Normanton Lines' pairs of Twin Cantilever masts (NOC/12/21 in line with 12/19 & 12/20; NOC 12/24 in line with 12/22 & 12/23) both have twin stovepipe assemblies for overlap cantilevers assembled for the Up Leeds line.
- On the Normanton Lines, south of signals Y741 (DL)/CF742 (UL)/Y743 (DN)/CF744 (UN) and north of the bridge over the River Wharfe (NOC/17N), 4 S1 TTCs have gone up (with booms). An additional one is up on the Leeds side (sans boom).
- South of the Wharfe, there are 4 UKMS Std STC masts acting as anchors; no's are at a guess NOC/13/23 (UN), NOC/13/24 (DN), NOC/13/25 (UL) & NOC/13/26 (DL). These are followed to the south by 2 S1 TTC pairs with overlap brackets on the mast legs; NOC/13/27 (Normantons) + NOC/13/28 (Leeds'), then NOC/13/29 + NOC/13/30 as above. A S1 Monoboom Anchor (presumably NOC/13/31, over all 4 tracks) completes the overlap.
- South of the overlap above, two more S1 TTCs are up over the Normantons; the Leeds lines have a corresponding pair but I've seen no sign of masts atop them yet. No's are presumed to be NOC/13/32 (Normantons) + NOC/13/33 (Leeds') then NOC/13/34 + NOC/13/35 as above.
- Past the 14km mark, to the north of New Rd (B1223) O/B, there are 3 STC masts in the UN cess (NOC/14/01; NOC/14/03; NOC/14/05) - each of these has a partner 3-track TTC in the DN cess covering the DN and both Leeds lines (NOC/14/02; NOC/14/04; NOC/14/06).
- Within Ulleskelf itself, 3 single track masts are also in place for the Up Normanton; one between the road bridge & the footbridge (presumed NOC/14/07), one just north of the 'Wernick Hire' welfare units (possibly NOC/14/13?), and one opposite the green Murphy containers), and a pair south of the station that are very tall indeed (perhaps to give aerial clearance over the RRAP which they sandwich) - one of which is confirmed to be NOC/14/17. Two or three 3-track TTCs (masts by the Dn Leeds, booms over both Leeds lines & Up Normanton) are also up in the station now; roughly parallel with the STCs. Parallel to NOC/14/17, there is another STC (NOC/14/18?) for the Dn Normanton, and a S1 TTC for the Leeds lines (presumed NOC/14/19).
- There is also, in the 6-foot between the DN & UN, a mast for a UKMS Std Portal (probably another MPA) - the portal is now complete and spans the Leeds lines plus the Dn Normanton.
Ulleskelf - Church Fenton North Jn (Limit of Wiring):
- Between Ulleskelf & CF North Jn, around 20 or so masts (mainly S1 TTCs) are up on the Up Normanton side. Oddly enough, a standard UKMS mast (either a PF double channel or a UC - it's hard to tell from a telephoto shot) is up north of the current CF726/CF724 gantry. It is assumed that all the masts for this have now gone up, as photos of progress are thin on the ground!
- South of the MPA at Ulleskelf (see above), a pair of S1 TTCs are in; one between the UN & DN, the other in the DL cess. The former of these looks like it has mast brackets for 'back-to-back' registration of the UN, as well as registering the DN from its boom. South of that, a UKMS Std TTC is present (prev. mentioned above) - it gives adequate signal sighting for signal CF 738 (UN). A S1 TTC is parallel to it on the Leeds side.
Another pair of S1 TTCs are up south of the two structures mentioned above.
- At Church Fenton North Jn, 4 masts have gone up south of the signal gantry supporting signals CF726 (UN) & CF724 (UL); these are 2 no. Tensorex Monoboom Anchor masts sandwiching 2 pairs of S1 style hook-and-pin TTC masts. This must be for an overlap - potentially the southern limit of works. Both overlap monobooms have been fully masted & boomed.
Track Sectioning Cabin to be built in Church Fenton.
Compounds established at:
Church Fenton;
Ulleskelf;
Bolton Percy (Oxton Lane);
Braegate Lane;
Earfit(ts) Lane;
Copmanthorpe (Moor Lane);
Tadcaster Road, Copmanthorpe (by A64); and Dringhouses (Model Railway).
(N.B. All dates are subject to alteration, whether due to COVID-19 or otherwise)
E2. Leeds Departures (presumed Leeds - Neville Hill - Cross Gates) - Development of final scheme scope to GRIP 3.
E3. Cross Gates to Micklefield - Development of final scheme scope to GRIP 3.
E4. Micklefield to Church Fenton - Development of final scheme scope to GRIP 3.
Landowners in the area of Rose Lane UWC (10m 79ch from York), Poulters UWC (11m 14ch) & Adamsons UWC (11m 36ch) have been notified of details to close the crossings and build a flyover & associated new highway.
Other works: track renewals are taking place further along the Normanton route (currently in the Burton Salmon/Hilliam areas) to facilitate diversions during the main TRU works east and west of Leeds.
Do let me know if I've missed anything!