Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

[deltic08]

I've literally just been out down to Blackrod and spoke to some of the Carillion guys there who said the bridge is due for demolition this weekend but they had found some unknown live cables so Electricity Northwest were out tomorrow to try and sort them out so its 50/50 at present.

Hot footed it off to Horwich Parkway and as Joseph said there's mast bases appearing lol, witnessed about 8 Orangemen digging and doing stuff, froze mi butt off on the platform its a howling gale at the mo, got a few photos, as soon as LDECRexile gets the album sorted were off
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Busy weekend in store for the bridges on the route in Horwich and Chorley, at the moment 2 Baldwins 400 Cranes are sited at Adlington ready about to start replacing the deck at Skew Bridge with Carillion Orangemen everywhere its one massive bridge that cut out of the land, at Station Road in Horwich another Baldwins 500 crane is sited and rigged ready to replace that bridge once demolition starts at 07.00 Sat morning due to the closeness of properties at midnight all was quiet as I got some photos ready for posting later, I noticed that Network Rail had time lapse webcams recording stuff on poles, they seem to be into that sort of thing at the moment lol, good though to watch, those cranes are huge with about another 5 artics carrying ballast blocks.

There's no doubt that once these's are done I bet the mast and base teams wont be far behind from Euxton towards Lostock first, NR does seem to be on time doing this phase, things do seem to be moving rather fast now what with bases being put in at various work sites along the track aswell.

Is this lol nonsense really relevant or necessary on a rail forum site?

 

[ALX400]

Is this lol nonsense really relevant or necessary on a rail forum site?

Tut , behave yourself, in any case just for you I've taken them out.

 

[LDECRexile]

I am delighted that I have received two batches of photos relevant to Phase 4.

One set has been supplied by Phil Wieland. Phil is the author of the fine site

http://www.nw-sparks.co.uk/

and of the amazing

http://www.charlwoodhouse.co.uk/rail/livesig

facility.

His photos were taken between 2011 and 2014 and amount to an initial 'Then' set of several of the stations on the Phase 4 route. The experience of Phase 2 is that what was familiar very quickly begins to look like a forgotten world.

By contrast, ALX400 has sent a bang up to date set of photos of the work under way at Blackrod.

I have merged these two datasets into one as the first entries in the new flickr album
'NW4 Electrification 2013-6' which can be found here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157648767927083/

Thank you Phil and ALX400.

People who have seen the flickr album on Phase two will recognise the house style. The contents are presented in date order, latest first, grouped by subject matter. 'Subject matter' is typically locations, such as 'Blackrod' or 'Salford Central'.

The Phase 2 album can be found here.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157648494725811/

It shows where we can get to if plenty of folk chip in.

Let no-one be shy of sending me material. The simplest way is to send me a Private Message via this forum whereafter we can set up a means of passing photos, the simplest being as attachments to conventional emails or using Dropbox.

At the moment I don't know the line well enough to write even half decent notes to the published shots and films, so please send me notes with anything you send. I try to publish combinations of text and image which are self-explanatory to an intelligent lay reader in Timbuktu.

Finally, please give me views on a specific question. From the outset I have numbered this photos in album consistently with the Phase2 album so that if we ever merge to form a mega NW Electrification album it will be easy-peasy. More immediately, it enables me to include the stuff which already exists on Manchester Victoria and twiddly bits like Castlefield Junction.

Technically they aren't in Phase 4, but Blackpool-Salford Crescent seems a bit rum.

So, answers on a postcard please: shall I add in Manchester Victoria material?

As Sir Sam Fay used to say: Forward!

 

[deltic08]

Tut , behave yourself, in any case just for you I've taken them out.

Well done. Now, don't you feel better for that?

 

[ALX400]

Well done. Now, don't you feel better for that?

aye go on

 

[thealexweb]

Thank you to everyone who has been keeping us informed so far.

Does anyone know if the bridge demolition went ahead this weekend?

 

[ALX400]

Thank you to everyone who has been keeping us informed so far.

Does anyone know if the bridge demolition went ahead this weekend?

Yes Station Road at Blackrod went down Saturday morning, already the slabs are down as of 00.15 Sunday, I've just been down there and they are still hard at it one more slab to get in but its touch and go as one isn't lining up correctly and they have to start packing away at 2am ready to hand the track back at 4am, in any case next weekend will see it ready for some deck.


Had a lovely by chance meeting today with LDECRexile who id like to thank for setting up the volume for the photo's, great to meet you both wish I could have stayed longer but had to rush off to work, hope you got some cracking shots, plenty more to come .

 

[LDECRexile]

Ann and I made our first visits to Blackrod and the Skew Bridge at Heath Charnock yesterday.

Whilst there we had the unexpected pleasure of bumping into ALX400.

Although I drove along the M61 frequently in 2001-2 I have never visited Blackrod before. We approached it via Aspull then down the slope from Blackrod Village and suddenly Wham! there was a thundering great crane dead ahead with Rivington Pike and Winter Hill Mast behind. What an entrance to the area and the line!

We explored the site for an hour or so then went north up the A6 in search of hot tea and toilets. This led us Whack! to two whopping great cranes at the Skew Bridge. After using the facilities at ASDA in Chorley (where Ann, heretically, ate an Eccles Cake) we spent a good hour exploring the Skew Bridge site and its two 500 ton lift cranes. No lifting had taken place for several hours because the wind speed at crane top remained stubbornly above 11 metres per second (mps.) The loads included steel-backed plywood shuttering which, according to one of the genial Orangemen, woudl act like a sail if lifted and spin and sway uncontrollably.

We repaired to Blackrod in seach of hot tea, a warm and whatever the 1000 ton lift crane was up to. We were rewarded with action on all three fronts, with a substantial concrete foundation piece being hoisted over the tracks and into position before our very eyes.

The trip was not only very enjoyable, but it also gave us the beginnings of bearings on the line, we now know which way is both up and Up at Blackrod at least.

I have added a dollop of Blackrod films and photos to the album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157648767927083/

I will add Skew Bridge material tomorrow.

I apologise for 1. the stiff necks you may get looking at the first film. I have set wheels in motion to try to get it set upright and 2. the lack of captions, I'll remedy that tomorrow as well.

A Grand Day Out.
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I've now captioned the Blackrod set and revisited AMX400's originals, most of which now make sense to me, but 3312j & 3312k have me puzzled.

 

[ALX400]

Those two photos Dave are Horwich Parkway, looking towards Bolton where they were putting mast bases in

 

[LDECRexile]

Those two photos Dave are Horwich Parkway, looking towards Bolton where they were putting mast bases in

Thank you.
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I have created an album containing photos submitted by ALX400, here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157651121057352/

This includes five taken on Friday night at Blackrod not previously published. They are all also in the Combined Volume.

I have also added:

1. Sunday's Skew Bridge (Heath Charnock) film and photos
2. Photos from a trip in search of Salford Central today

they are all here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157648767927083/

Dave

 

[ironstone11]

Thank you.
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1. Sunday's Skew Bridge (Heath Charnock) film and photos
Dave

A good selection of pictures once again, thank you.

That's a hell of a skew. Must be close to 30 degrees or 150 degrees depending on how you look at it.

Not sure how it is going to be supported, but I would have thought there was still a lot more decking to go on to achieve the road width across the skew.

 

[LDECRexile]

A good selection of pictures once again, thank you.

That's a hell of a skew. Must be close to 30 degrees or 150 degrees depending on how you look at it.

Not sure how it is going to be supported, but I would have thought there was still a lot more decking to go on to achieve the road width across the skew.

Thanks for your kind remark. Orangemen on site said that more delivery lorries were queueing off site, as Chorley Road was full. Maybe they included more decking, I don't know I'm afraid.

Talking of talking to people, one of the drivers was a volunteer on the Llangollen Railway and had learned to drive a crane there. On another tack, talking to locals reminded me what a wonderful thing language is, we were 20 miles by crow from Southport where most speak Scouse-ish, yet all locals we spoke to near the bridge spoke traditional Lancashire; a delight.

 

[LDECRexile]

I have received detailed info from close to the action as to the bridge works planned for Phase 4.

These fall into two sorts (three if you count Farnworth Tunnel, but we've all heard of that)

1. Bridges to be replaced, and
2. Crossings to be replaced by bridges.

I have pieced the spreadsheet below together entirely from public sources, given the list of works from my informant.

At least two works are under way - Blackrod and Chorley Rd Skew Bridge.
Others may be under way for all I know, some may even have been completed.

The footpath crossing at Kearsley is to be replaced in about ten days time.

I have no other info on 'when'.

The spreadsheet below does at least say 'where'.

I hope this will help us cover all bases.

 

[ALX400]

Off that sheet from what I have seen and know of is the following......

Chorley Tunnel - Complete
Harpers Lane Chorley - Complete
Stump Lane Chorley - In Progress
Skew Bridge Heath Charnock - In Progress
Railway Road Adlington - Complete
Rawlinson Lane Adlington - In Progress
Grimeford Lane Anderton - In Progress
Station Road Blackrod - In Progress
Lostock Lane - Complete

There's also that one in the distance just before Blackrod which is a farm track bridge unsure which one on the list though.
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All seems quiet at present apart from what looks like mast bases appearing, every so often along the track there's black bin bag shaped squares which I assume is the concrete drying, nipped down to Blackrod today noting much to report, guess it will be all systems go again on this weekends closure and hopefully the deck will be in at station road.

 

[LDECRexile]

Off that sheet from what I have seen and know of is the following......

Chorley Tunnel - Complete
Harpers Lane Chorley - Complete
Stump Lane Chorley - In Progress
Skew Bridge Heath Charnock - In Progress
Railway Road Adlington - Complete
Rawlinson Lane Adlington - In Progress
Grimeford Lane Anderton - In Progress
Station Road Blackrod - In Progress
Lostock Lane - Complete

There's also that one in the distance just before Blackrod which is a farm track bridge unsure which one on the list though.
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All seems quiet at present apart from what looks like mast bases appearing, every so often along the track there's black bin bag shaped squares which I assume is the concrete drying, nipped down to Blackrod today noting much to report, guess it will be all systems go again on this weekends closure and hopefully the deck will be in at station road.

Great stuff

As a result I've added and populated a 'Progress' column to the spreadsheet ('The Bridgeometer') and also incorporated your helpful place names into the column to its left.

Heath Charnock has already caused some confusion. It looks like the modern HC is by the Skew Bridge, but the railways adopted the name Heath Charnock for a foot crossing almost at Chorley station. In those days HC may well have been a parish covering quite a rural area, where now it's extensively built on. I always have to keep reminding myself that many railway names were first created in the first half of the 1800s and they've stuck. Anyway, Heath Charnock to a local and to an OS Map are different from HC to a railwayman.

Electrics kick off on Liverpool-Manchester tomorrow (yippee!) so I'm off gallivanting there.

When that settles down I aim to build a Progressometer for Salford-Blackpool along the same lines (haha) as the one for Liverpool-Manchester/Wigan which will give us a way to pool progress reports into one picture, a key element being the noble art of scrape, base and mast spotting.

Kind regards

Dave

PS Don't let your camera go rusty.

 

[ALX400]

Great stuff

As a result I've added and populated a 'Progress' column to the spreadsheet ('The Bridgeometer') and also incorporated your helpful place names into the column to its left.

Heath Charnock has already caused some confusion. It looks like the modern HC is by the Skew Bridge, but the railways adopted the name Heath Charnock for a foot crossing almost at Chorley station. In those days HC may well have been a parish covering quite a rural area, where now it's extensively built on. I always have to keep reminding myself that many railway names were first created in the first half of the 1800s and they've stuck. Anyway, Heath Charnock to a local and to an OS Map are different from HC to a railwayman.

Electrics kick off on Liverpool-Manchester tomorrow (yippee!) so I'm off gallivanting there.

When that settles down I aim to build a Progressometer for Salford-Blackpool along the same lines (haha) as the one for Liverpool-Manchester/Wigan which will give us a way to pool progress reports into one picture, a key element being the noble art of scrape, base and mast spotting.

Kind regards

Dave

PS Don't let your camera go rusty.

Oh I won't I shall be out and about snapping this weekend

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Oh I won't I shall be out and about snapping this weekend

As will I when I am next home from the USA - though I will concentrate on Fylde Jct - Blackpool North.

 

[ALX400]

As will I when I am next home from the USA - though I will concentrate on Fylde Jct - Blackpool North.

That be great, don't think anyones been up there yet, need plenty pics for the album

 

[snowball]

Some pictures of a modified bridge in the Kirkham area were posted a long time ago.

 

[ironstone11]

Great stuff

As a result I've added and populated a 'Progress' column to the spreadsheet ('The Bridgeometer') and also incorporated your helpful place names into the column to its left.

Re:

Overline Bridge SPENCERS Not recorded Is this Bing Maps 53.633459, -2.609764 ?

I would say yes.

Bridge Overline Bridge RIVER CHOR AQUADUCT Not recorded Is this Bing Maps 53.664513, -2.628519 ?

I would say yes. This has the potential to be a problem. We don't know the clearance but obviously it can't be raised.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

That be great, don't think anyones been up there yet, need plenty pics for the album

Some pictures of a modified bridge in the Kirkham area were posted a long time ago.

Yes I sent a load to NW Sparks- Kirkham, Salwick, Treales, Darkinson Lane etc.

 

[ALX400]

Yes I sent a load to NW Sparks- Kirkham, Salwick, Treales, Darkinson Lane etc.

Excellent must have missed those, send them to Ldecrexile so he can put them into the photo album, infact he might be on with making a separate one for Blackpool i'm not sure.



I may be wrong here but I think the Chor Aquaduct has already been done, I'm sure Murphy's did that either when they were doing the Tunnels as that river runs near to the rear of B&Q or when Harper's lane was shut during the posessions not 100% though.

 

[ironstone11]

I may be wrong here but I think the Chor Aquaduct has already been done, I'm sure Murphy's did that either when they were doing the Tunnels as that river runs near to the rear of B&Q or when Harper's lane was shut during the posessions not 100% though.

Yes, you may be right. The planning application dated Dec 2013 is here:- http://planning.chorley.gov.uk/onli...ls.do?activeTab=contacts&keyVal=MXMZDEET08O00

It involves removing the central arch to achieve the OHLE clearance and fitting a new trough to span the gap between the two extended piers. In fact the whole length of the trough is replaced.

 

[snowball]

Network Rail press release last September:

"We also undertook significant work to rebuild three bridges at Harpers Lane (Chorley), Railway Road (Adlington) and Lockstock Lane (Bolton) as well as the River Chor aqueduct."

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/news/2014/sep/Chorley-Tunnel-reopens-after-key-improvements/

 

[LDECRexile]

Re:
I would say yes.

I would say yes. This has the potential to be a problem. We don't know the clearance but obviously it can't be raised.

Thank you, I'll update the spreadsheet accordingly.
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Excellent must have missed those, send them to Ldecrexile so he can put them into the photo album, infact he might be on with making a separate one for Blackpool i'm not sure.

I expect to do one album for Salford to Blackpool, to match this thread which covers the same range.

I've only ever travelled once from Preston to Blackpool South and return, and that was in 1985. I've visited Blackpool North station once, during the same conference (not a political one!) just for a look, so I'll need handholding chaps.

PS: I've been flying today, between Lime St and Newton-le-Willows. Altitude 0' 0''.

Yippee!!

 

[thealexweb]

Yes Station Road at Blackrod went down Saturday morning, already the slabs are down as of 00.15 Sunday, I've just been down there and they are still hard at it one more slab to get in but its touch and go as one isn't lining up correctly and they have to start packing away at 2am ready to hand the track back at 4am, in any case next weekend will see it ready for some deck.


Had a lovely by chance meeting today with LDECRexile who id like to thank for setting up the volume for the photo's, great to meet you both wish I could have stayed longer but had to rush off to work, hope you got some cracking shots, plenty more to come .

Thank you sir.

 

[deltic08]

Thank you, I'll update the spreadsheet accordingly.
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I expect to do one album for Salford to Blackpool, to match this thread which covers the same range.

I've only ever travelled once from Preston to Blackpool South and return, and that was in 1985. I've visited Blackpool North station once, during the same conference (not a political one!) just for a look, so I'll need handholding chaps.

PS: I've been flying today, between Lime St and Newton-le-Willows. Altitude 0' 0''.

Yippee!!

Not strictly true. You started at 40 feet and reached 115 feet at one point.

 

[LDECRexile]

Not strictly true. You started at 40 feet and reached 115 feet at one point.

Hmmm....

Have you added the height the platforms and mean height of the floor of the carriages, where appropriate?

As an heir to 60835 you oughta.

Whatever the height, it was electric, literally and metaphorically.

Good to hear from you.

Dave

 

[deltic08]

Hmmm....

Have you added the height the platforms and mean height of the floor of the carriages, where appropriate?

As an heir to 60835 you oughta.

Whatever the height, it was electric, literally and metaphorically.

Good to hear from you.

Dave

No, I don't have that data to hand and I didn't think of it. What is 60835 that I am going to inherit?

 

[LDECRexile]

No, I don't have that data to hand and I didn't think of it. What is 60835 that I am going to inherit?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNER_Class_V2

http://tracksrevisited.smugmug.com/keyword/60835/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/64215236@N03/sets/72157627233487481/detail/?page=40

or, of course, visit your original Combined Volume.

CH sh sh CH sh sh CH sh sh CH sh sh CH sh sh ... an engine sound like no other, as here:

http://www.steamsoundsarchive.com/12/audio/200305n07.mp3

Meanwhile, back to the 21st Century.....