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Manchester - Liverpool Electrification

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Billyblue

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I was away enjoying the French and Swiss railways last week!!
Today, I walked down the Huyton footpath at lunchtime and then later at 5pm ish.
As has been reported elsewhere all the wiring and connections appear to be in place from Huyton Station, eastwards.
I saw one, solitary, orange man who was checking a bit of track at Huyton Junction.
The woman overseeing the rail replacement buses said they were scheduled for 9 more Sundays!
 
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LDECRexile

LDECRexile

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Now for two naive questions:

1. can electric trains run under power if autotransformer (AT) wire is missing?

2. AT insulators generally stick out above or beside masts, including portals. Other wires are up. How does a wiring team physically get AT wires up with all that clobber, especially portals, in the way?
 
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steverailer

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LDECRexile said:
Now for two naive questions:

1. can electric trains run under power if autotransformer (AT) wire is missing?

2. AT insulators generally stick out above or beside masts, including portals. Other wires are up. How does a wiring team physically get AT wires up with all that clobber, especially portals, in the way?
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1. Yes, I was under the impression that the Wigan branch wasn't using AT

2. The wire is be run by a simple method of 2 MEWPS pulling it out and passing it to each other over the portals and around the back of the masts. Sometimes they pull a rope winch cable through rollers hung off the insulators then attatch the wire and winch it back. One firm I know use a mix of the 2 systems above i.e 1 team pulling the winch and 1 pulling the cable, join where they meet then winch the rest. Alot also depends on the thickness of the wire, and how keen the H&S guy is on the night :roll: The stuff used up there can be done without the winch, but some on the WCML needs the winch.

This is the way its usually run anyway. A decent team can run, tension, splice and clip in around 2000m in a normal mid week night possession if all the insulators are in place.
 
Joseph_Locke

Joseph_Locke

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Within earshot of trains passing the one and half
Loop & Link said:
Not sure of the technical in's and out's of the OHL proving but it was testing of the OHL.

My understanding the overnight runs will be 319's.
Click to expand...

Section Proving is the activity of opening and closing section switches and breakers in a laid down sequence to make the OLC live and seeing what goes bang, trips out or bursts into flames*. It's the last set of tests prior to the wires being energised for normal use.



* Rare, but not unknown. It can be quite hair-raising ...
 
LDECRexile

LDECRexile

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steverailer said:
1. Yes, I was under the impression that the Wigan branch wasn't using AT

2. The wire is be run by a simple method of 2 MEWPS pulling it out and passing it to each other over the portals and around the back of the masts. Sometimes they pull a rope winch cable through rollers hung off the insulators then attatch the wire and winch it back. One firm I know use a mix of the 2 systems above i.e 1 team pulling the winch and 1 pulling the cable, join where they meet then winch the rest. Alot also depends on the thickness of the wire, and how keen the H&S guy is on the night :roll: The stuff used up there can be done without the winch, but some on the WCML needs the winch.

This is the way its usually run anyway. A decent team can run, tension, splice and clip in around 2000m in a normal mid week night possession if all the insulators are in place.
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re 1. The Wigan Branch has Return Wires instead of AT, agreed. My question would have been better put as "Since the Chat Moss route is set up to use AT wiring, can trains use it with two stretches (Roby Jct -Huyton Quarry and Sankey Viaduct) missing?

re 2. Crystal clear, thank you very much.
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Joseph_Locke said:
Section Proving is the activity of opening and closing section switches and breakers in a laid down sequence to make the OLC live and seeing what goes bang, trips out or bursts into flames*. It's the last set of tests prior to the wires being energised for normal use.

* Rare, but not unknown. It can be quite hair-raising ...
Click to expand...

Characteristically clear, thank you. Has this happened successfully from Edge Hill to Earlestown yet?
 
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swt_passenger

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DJH1971 said:
That appeared to be booked for a diesel loco and not a 319.
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A test carriage that is measuring OHLE position, would not necessarily draw current. Think of the pan on the NMT for instance, an HST.

In fact, thinking about it an AC loco hauling a test coach such as Mentor would disturb the catenary that the test pan was trying to measure. So I expect diesel traction is essential for initial OHLE measurement checks.

Once the line is in use, an EMU with in service OHLE monitoring equipment built in would be comparing with as built state.
 
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driver_m

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If any of you happen to pass Stafford, the return wire around there is at the stage where it is being changed over to AT wire. Some of that is missing. Some sections don't have any return wire at all, Via Hixon and south of Hatch End on the west coast. I've always wandered what happens here in the event of problems with the OHL. Any chance of some enlightenment please Joseph Locke?!!
 
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Billyblue

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I forgot to mention that the steps up to Huyton Station are now in use. There's a temporary light fixed to the handrail at the top of the steps, until the lamp post is installed.
 
LDECRexile

LDECRexile

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marko31161 said:
This is due to happen this tonight. I know the horse!
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Neigh trouble then. Good luck to all concerned.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Billyblue said:
I forgot to mention that the steps up to Huyton Station are now in use. There's a temporary light fixed to the handrail at the top of the steps, until the lamp post is installed.
Click to expand...

Step right up and see 'em in Photo Series 3266.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I went to Manchester Victoria via Liverpool South Parkway today (as you do.)

Some progress on Sankey Viaduct stonework.
Eight senior-looking Orangemen in electrical contractor's overalls at Huyton, discussing matters of state
Handful of Orangemen at work between Earlestown and Sankey Viaduct
Little else on show, gaps in autotransformer wire confirmed as Roby Jct-Huyton Quarry and Sankey Viaduct
319 364 on training run to Crewe this morning in the sun.
All the changes reported at Man Vic on show.

Films and photos later.
 
DJH1971

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deltic08 said:
With all parts of the L&M covered plus new loop at Huyton/Roby and west to south curve at Earlestown, this looks suspiciously like a registration test train before overheads are energised.
Pendolino or Class 92 later in the week followed by 319s from the 2nd March as forecast?
Click to expand...

Looks like it's reached Warrington BQ
 
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Llama

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Looking at the OHLE on Saturday when I did a couple of trips over the Moss, it looked like the contact wire was continuous and tensioned / staggered for the entire route (Earlestown to Edge Hill). There were one or two places where jumpers were yet to be attached, at least one place where the AT cable was noticed to be on pulleys and there were several sections (mostly seen around St Helens Jn area) that were earthed.
 
PDG1949

PDG1949

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ALX400 said:
Been following it on RTT, has no one nipped out yet to get a photo :lol:

At Platform WBQ ;)
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Well, here's one for what it's worth ! Been at the Junction and I can assure you it IS the test train with its pant up going through P2 of St H Junct on its first (Lpl bound) pass 2 mins early. Had the video camera part of my phone set up for the second (Mcr bound) pass, but the thing froze just as it came down the incline fro Lea Green. Filled with anger, frustration and hypothermia in equal amounts I decided to call it a night....
 

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deltic08

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DJH1971 said:
And I witnessed it at a bridge near St Helens Junction. :)
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I am not local but I am really excited for you all over there.
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PDG1949 said:
Well, here's one for what it's worth ! Been at the Junction and I can assure you it IS the test train with its pant up going through P2 of St H Junct on its first (Lpl bound) pass 2 mins early. Had the video camera part of my phone set up for the second (Mcr bound) pass, but the thing froze just as it came down the incline fro Lea Green. Filled with anger, frustration and hypothermia in equal amounts I decided to call it a night....
Click to expand...

Couldn't quite read the number of the 47!
 
ALX400

ALX400

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PDG1949 said:
Well, here's one for what it's worth ! Been at the Junction and I can assure you it IS the test train with its pant up going through P2 of St H Junct on its first (Lpl bound) pass 2 mins early. Had the video camera part of my phone set up for the second (Mcr bound) pass, but the thing froze just as it came down the incline fro Lea Green. Filled with anger, frustration and hypothermia in equal amounts I decided to call it a night....
Click to expand...

Well done that man :lol:, simply cannot wait till the lines done Between Euxton and Salford :D, al be al over that
 
PDG1949

PDG1949

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