I did a road tour today to photograph places where trains dont stop (plus a few others!)
I was excited to spot some orange near Sankey Viaduct as I passed. On investigation there was a crew of two teams; one was erecting scaffolding on the south side of Column 7 and the other was preparing access to the base of Column 4.
Not for the first time the crews were properly mindful of their and my safety then thoroughly pleasant and happy to talk about what they were doing, and with pride. In the ten months Ive been following this project I can count on one finger the number of Orangemen (and women) who gave me the what do f you want? look.
Apparently masts are to be erected on Columns 2, 4, 7 and 10 with the most easterly being Column 1. Column 10 is part of the Western end of the viaduct and doesnt appear as a separate column like the conventional nine. One of the photographs might make this a bit clearer. Column 7 is immediately East of the Sankey Brook itself and Column 4 is next to the public footpath. Column 10 is on private land and Column 2 is the worst to get at, being in a bog polluted with Japanese Knotweed.
The Access Team (my description) have to create stable access for staff and vehicles, prepare the ground for scaffolding and associated work then, when the job is done, put it all back as found (minus Japanese Knotweed, presumably.) Access to the worksite is opposite the end of Dingle Avenue.
The scaffolders were already well up Column 7, South Face. I believe the design of the work itself is 1. take out stonework from the top of the parapet down to a ledge near the arches, 2. Build concrete bases for masts in the voids created by removing the stonework, 3. Cut the away the backs of the removed stone blocks where concrete now exists, then 4. Replace the slimmed down stone blocks as found. The end result will be that the stonework looks like the original stonework because it is the original stonework. If I have this wrong it is my fault, not that of the person who explained it.
As I arrived at St Helen Junction a team was just packing up, having worked on substantial foundations to the TTC mast at the eastern end of the westbound platform. The extra work is to underpin the TTC to ensure it doesnt topple over northwards. The very pleasant and informative engineer said the job should be done in days. He confirmed that the base at the eastern end of the eastbound platform is redundant. When the TTC is set and solid, wires can be slung through the station. He also said that work should be starting on Carr Mill Viaduct with access from Laf**** Road, St Helens.
I toured other sites as per the linked Flickr, ending up at Carr Mill. I couldnt see an access point on Laf**** Road, nor any sign of activity on the viaduct, though I did learn from going up close that the viaduct must have been four track in the past.
On arriving home I found that start of work on Sankey and Carr Mill viaducts had been announced, so I can confirm 50% of that on the ground.
29 new photos here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157648494725811/
