Why Is New Overhead Electrification So Ugly?

[XAM2175]

The Germans have long had a preference for lattice masts and structures, which also helps them look lighter.

And headspans too, over widths I don't think anybody in Britain has ever even dared dream of using

 

[zwk500]

And headspans too, over widths I don't think anybody in Britain has ever even dared dream of using

Brussels Midi has some quite remarkable headspans, especially with the track layout of the crossovers there.

 

[XAM2175]

Brussels Midi has some quite remarkable headspans, especially with the track layout of the crossovers there.

The set-up on the approach to Munich Hbf is the one that I remember finding especially fascinating, for much the same reason.

Then you have things like Maschen Rbf (Rangierbahnhof; marshalling yard) which is an entirely different scale again:

3254 Der Maschen Rangierbahnhof / Maschen Rbf ist der größte Rangierbahnhof Europas.

3254 Der Maschen Rangierbahnhof / Maschen Rbf ist der größte Rangierbahnhof Europas und der zweitgrößte der Welt. Der Bahnhof wurde 1977 eröffnet und im Oktober 1980 fertig gestellt. Der Rangierbahnhof nimmt bei einer Länge von 7.000 Metern und einer maximalen Breite von 700 Metern eine Fläche...

www.flickr.com

(and showing off the green-painted lattice masts as well)

 

[185]

Knowing this railway, it's because someone is getting very rich from a product way, way beyond the minimum one they actually need. Tsunami proof, in Staines.

Kinda like a council ordering The Albert Hall for a bus shelter.

 

[zwk500]

Knowing this railway, it's because someone is getting very rich from a product way, way beyond the minimum one they actually need. Tsunami proof, in Staines.

Is there any evidence for this? Is there a set of weather conditions where passengers will say 'oh, fair enough for the OLE to fail'? If you look at the document I posted upthread you can see that Series 1 was very chunky and overdesigned, but Series 2 is far lighter, neater and reasonable. Both have had to work within the constraints of rebuilding an active railway with neighbours all around.

Kinda like a council ordering The Albert Hall for a bus shelter.

If a council ordered anything for a bus shelter I'd be astonished! Nowadays you're lucky to get a bus.

 

[Snow1964]

Is there any evidence for this? Is there a set of weather conditions where passengers will say 'oh, fair enough for the OLE to fail'? If you look at the document I posted upthread you can see that Series 1 was very chunky and overdesigned, but Series 2 is far lighter, neater and reasonable.

I can't think of any incidents where a mast or metal headspan has failed (and I am not including cable type headspans). The poles have never been a problem, it's always the lighter bits bolted to them that cause problems.

Lattice poles have the advantage of being lighter, thus easier to transport and erect, and obviously let wind pass through so not so vulnerable in gales. Nowadays there are factories that knock out thousands of standard lattice poles with bolt bases that are good for lines upto at least 180 Km/h (just over 110mph).

I am not quite sure why a Welsh Valley line needs a bigger mast that is suitable for high speed lines.

 

[zwk500]

I can't think of any incidents where a mast or metal headspan has failed (and I am not including cable type headspans). The poles have never been a problem, it's always the lighter bits bolted to them that cause problems.

A significant proportion of the aesthetic complaints usually end up with 'why can't we have headspans instead' (Portal or Gantry is used to refer to solid beam structures across multiple tracks). And then people complain when the headspans come down in the wind...

Lattice poles have the advantage of being lighter, thus easier to transport and erect, and obviously let wind pass through so not so vulnerable in gales. Nowadays there are factories that knock out thousands of standard lattice poles with bolt bases that are good for lines upto at least 180 Km/h (just over 110mph).

Indeed, as well as other components that are mass-produced for 200kph.

I am not quite sure why a Welsh Valley line needs a bigger mast that is suitable for high speed lines.

Interestingly, immediately behind the lattice TTC is a fibreglass stanchion.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I can't think of any incidents where a mast or metal headspan has failed (and I am not including cable type headspans). The poles have never been a problem, it's always the lighter bits bolted to them that cause problems.

And the foundations, to be fair.
The route over the fens to Kings Lynn is particularly prone to masts sinking/leaning.
But I'm not aware of any of the WCML lattice structures failing.
That excludes the special situation between Crewe and Sandbach where there was brine subsidence for 50 years or so.
The WCML OHLE was also substantially upgraded for WCRM and 125mph, mostly using the existing 1960s portal structures.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

But I'm not aware of any of the WCML lattice structures failing.

Liverpool Lime Street approaches a few years ago. Extremely bad corrosion.

Here's what caused the emergency closure of Liverpool Lime Street station

Union leader tweets images of corrosion to gantry

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk

The pictures tweeted by Mr Tilley appear to show very severe corrosion on the gantry. The RMT official told the ECHO he was worried the damage hadn’t been picked up.

Corroded structure inspected twice before Lime Street closure - Place North West

Network Rail did not identify severe corrosion on a structure carrying overhead lines into Liverpool Lime Street despite carrying out two inspections in the months running up to the station's emergency closure in January, according to information released to Place North West.

www.placenorthwest.co.uk

Network Rail did not identify severe corrosion on a structure carrying overhead lines into Liverpool Lime Street despite carrying out two inspections in the months running up to the station’s emergency closure in January, according to information released to Place North West.

The station was closed on the weekend of 7 January after engineers found “severe corrosion” on the structure, carrying overhead lines on the approach to the station. This meant trains were unable to pass underneath.

The discovery of the corrosion caused severe disruption, with all services in and out of Lime Street cancelled, before the station reopened on 8 January.

 

[Snow1964]

Liverpool Lime Street approaches a few years ago. Extremely bad corrosion.

Big difference between finding corrosion during an inspection (which gives time for repairs or replacement) and the poles and gantries actually failing unexpectedly.

There is also less chance of a bored concrete foundation moving than a cylinder pushed or vibrated into the ground (for same length). One is rough so has bigger surface area and fills every hollow so grips surrounding earth, one is smooth and to some extent slippery (otherwise would never be able to push it in).

With a concrete base also have option to use smaller auger and put 2 or 3 holes at different angles meeting at the cap. Useful for soft ground like fens, because much harder to move the foundation if it is more like 3 legs of a tripod than one single straight down foundation. Wouldn't normally do it as 3 separate leg like parts, but can open up the base of the hole to increase its lower surface area.

 

[QueensCurve]

Many comments were made about how ugly (& costly) the overhead electrification was when the GWR was wired. I now see that similar looking masts have been placed on the south Wales valleys (metro) electrification. Was this a ‘job lot’ left over from the GWR scheme? Why is foreign electrification with higher speeds and usually a more severe climate so less obtrusive? What are they using for the Trans-Pennine Electrification?

Photo below shows the City Line in Cardiff.

It isn't, or at least it needn't be.

The single track cantilevers used in the BR Mk3b are quite elegant - or at least they were until smeone added the unsightly addition to hold the autotransformer wires.
I don't accept that such designs are unsuitable for high speed since a similar design is used on "HS1".

 

[zwk500]

It isn't, or at least it needn't be.

The single track cantilevers used in the BR Mk3b are quite elegant - or at least they were until smeone added the unsightly addition to hold the autotransformer wires.
I don't accept that such designs are unsuitable for high speed since a similar design is used on "HS1".

The official advantage of Series 2 over Mk3 is given in the document I linked to in #25:

The Series 2 range was introduced by Network Rail as part of the National Electrification Programme to provide a reliable medium speed sagged simple OLE system which addressed the problems, limitations and performance issues of OLEMI systems. Series 2 provides Energy TSI compliance for multiple pantographs as part of the Master Series catalogue

The blurb given about the OLE Master Index (which includes Mk3b) systems:

Developed in the 1970’s due to demands for cheaper OLE build requirements. Developed by British Rail and now owned by Network Rail (over 1.300 drawings). Developed as a modular system where one component could be used for multiple functions. This range contains the Mk3,3a,3b,3c,4,5 and UK1 ranges. Refinements within the Mk3 range were associated with rectifying failure modes experienced in-service. Mk4 was designed for use with the Advanced Passenger Train (APT) but was never implemented due to failure of the APT project. Mk5 was a heavy current version of Mk3c and only used at Dollands Yard. UK1 was developed in the late 1990’s as part of the WCML modernisation and to raise WCML line speeds. This covered the upgrades of Mk1 and Mk3a equipment ranges to speeds of 200km/h and 225 km/h

 

[YourMum666]

the mk3b single mast is still the best looking OHLE i’ve seen on the railway

 

[Magdalia]

The route over the fens to Kings Lynn is particularly prone to masts sinking/leaning.

This resulted in an accident at Littleport on 5 January 2012.

In the accident the pantograph lost contact with the overhead line, struck a support structure, and fell from the roof of the train, breaking two windows.

The cause was a combination of movements of the mast foundations and a high wind.

 

[oglord]

And I remember seeing at least 1 Bonomi cantilever in the Newport area, as the radial load was too high for a F+F cantilever.

There is a run of them just east of Maindee East junction where they act as back-to-back triple-track and twin-track cantilevers through the five-track electrified section.

 

[McRhu]

the mk3b single mast is still the best looking OHLE i’ve seen on the railway

Absolutely. Mk 3 (My own particular preference was for the 3a version) has never been bettered for elegance. The epitome of OLE grace and poise was the Mk3 centre span mast. That Series 1 is hideously ungainly is simple truth and whether that is justifiable or not is a kaleidoscope of opinion. Series 2 single track cantilevers are upside down making the masts far too high. The zenith of OLE beauty is definitely Mk3.

 

[AM9]

The epitome of OLE grace and poise was the Mk3 centre span mast. That Series 1 is hideously ungainly is simple truth and whether that is justifiable or not is a kaleidoscope of opinion.

"That Series 1 is hideously ungainly" is also an opinion, - 'truths' are expressions of belief and not relevant to OLE aesthetics.

 

[William3000]

the mk3b single mast is still the best looking OHLE i’ve seen on the railway

Which lines does Mk3b appear on?

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Many comments were made about how ugly (& costly) the overhead electrification was when the GWR was wired. I now see that similar looking masts have been placed on the south Wales valleys (metro) electrification. Was this a ‘job lot’ left over from the GWR scheme? Why is foreign electrification with higher speeds and usually a more severe climate so less obtrusive? What are they using for the Trans-Pennine Electrification?

Photo below shows the City Line in Cardiff.

Obviously a matter of taste. The pictured OLE stuff doesn't look ugly at all to me. And definitely a lot more attractive than a motorway or a road full of traffic - or for that matter, a diesel train pumping out visible exhaust fumes.

 

[YourMum666]

Which lines does Mk3b appear on?

the East Coast, Midland and GW from Paddington to Airport Junction, as well as the fen lines and the GEML north of colchester

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Apr 2023 ==

Absolutely. Mk 3 (My own particular preference was for the 3a version) has never been bettered for elegance. The epitome of OLE grace and poise was the Mk3 centre span mast. That Series 1 is hideously ungainly is simple truth and whether that is justifiable or not is a kaleidoscope of opinion. Series 2 single track cantilevers are upside down making the masts far too high. The zenith of OLE beauty is definitely Mk3.

it looks a lot more visually pleasing for the railway, the Series one OHLE is such an eyesore, especially around the Goring Gap

 

[Halish Railway]

it looks a lot more visually pleasing for the railway, the Series one OHLE is such an eyesore, especially around the Goring Gap

But frustratingly this could have been so easily solved by just painting the boom / portal structure green, no specialist or old headspan design needed for areas of outstanding natural beauty.

 

[Lucan]

Is there a set of weather conditions where passengers will say 'oh, fair enough for the OLE to fail'?

A tsunami that sweeps them away ? Because that is what the GWR gantries seem to be designed to withstand

 

[JamesT]

A tsunami that sweeps them away ? Because that is what the GWR gantries seem to be designed to withstand

Whereas the existing Mk3 electrification is rated to withstand what, a light gust of wind? Most of the problems with wires on GWML I’ve seen reported have been with the old bit between Paddington and Heathrow.

 

[LLivery]

But frustratingly this could have been so easily solved by just painting the boom / portal structure green, no specialist or old headspan design needed for areas of outstanding natural beauty.

It does baffle me that this wasn't insisted on

 

[Agent_Squash]

Series 1 could do with some aesthetic tweaks, even just a lick of paint.

But there’s no denying it’s done it’s main job relatively well - support some rather heavy operating conditions (the 2x pantograph requirement will have been harder here compared to Europe due to our shorter high speed sets) whilst not falling down every time there’s a small gust of wind.

OLE will never be pretty, but it’s a far better engineering solution than what we’ve had before at the cost of slightly more visual intrusion.

Would be interesting to see if it could survive a direct nuclear strike though…

 

[quantinghome]

Why didn’t NR carry on the BR built mk3 if it was cheaper to use ?

By the time the electrification programme restarted in the late 2000s new engineering design codes had been published so the empirical design methods previously used for the Mk3 were considered to be non-compliant and the whole thing was redesigned from first principles. Little OLE design had been done over the previous 15 years and the DfT was working to a deadline imposed by the introduction of new electric trains. Lack of familiarity with the new code, loss of experience in OLE design and the unrealistic deadline resulted in a very conservative engineering design. Particularly the piles, some of which were 15m long for the GW project and couldn't actually be driven to the required depth (by comparison the Mk3 design typically had 5m long piles). The design wasn't properly joined up either resulting in lots of rework.

Lessons were learned: https://www.nsar.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/RIAECC.pdf and subsequent electrification schemes are a lot more efficient. But unfortunately the GW experience has cast a long shadow.

 

[stuu]

But frustratingly this could have been so easily solved by just painting the boom / portal structure green, no specialist or old headspan design needed for areas of outstanding natural beauty.

Surely it depends what the background is? A lot of the time they are seen against the sky, so green would be even worse.

 

[zwk500]

Series 1 could do with some aesthetic tweaks, even just a lick of paint.

The aesthetic tweaks to series 1 resulted in series 2...

 

[Halish Railway]

The aesthetic tweaks to series 1 resulted in series 2...

They’re completely different designs. Series 1 is made by Furrer and Frey and is an evolution of Swiss designs, whereas Series 2 is made by Bonomi and is an evolution of Italian designs.

 

[McRhu]

"That Series 1 is hideously ungainly" is also an opinion, - 'truths' are expressions of belief and not relevant to OLE aesthetics.

You are correct of course and my opinion remains as steadfast as an over-engineered 15 meter steel pile. Series 1, GWML style, assaults the eye of many beholders like Mike Tyson’s boxing glove.