Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

[LNW-GW Joint]

Thank you.
What do you mean by 'piles' in this context?
I've updated the Progressometer based on your new data and added new columns N and O to give numeric totals to go with the text notes on bases and masts.

Piles = metal ("Aspin") piles they use in difficult ground, instead of concrete.
If they follow previous practice the gaps in the current runs of concrete bases will eventually be piled.
They usually first appear as long tubes in the cess, ready for the piling rig - no sign of any on the L&Y route yet.

 

[LDECRexile]

Piles = metal ("Aspin") piles they use in difficult ground, instead of concrete.
If they follow previous practice the gaps in the current runs of concrete bases will eventually be piled.
They usually first appear as long tubes in the cess, ready for the piling rig - no sign of any on the L&Y route yet.

Are the current bases cast in cardboard formers?

Are the Aspin piles the ones we saw six zillion of on Chat Moss where they drive a steel tube into the ground then fill it with concrete and the necessary bolts for masts? If so, then we'll meet old friends!

On a related theme I was talking to a Railtrack Orangeman a couple of weeks ago near a Phase 4 site about progress with and approach to installing bases. He said he was on the ground contributing to the design of more difficult areas. The approach is to get on with it on the straightforward ones whilst designing and working towards the harder ones.

He said that by and large Phase 4 ground is expected to pose fewer problems than Phase 2. Touch wood.

Dave

 

[LDECRexile]

Yes Dave that's the one can see the green walkway over the line, I only found out about the bridge situation today i'd be surprised if its true and they had been put in to low but you never know, guess we will have to wait and see may nip to get a first hand account

Nice one, then the crossing in question is "Anderton Hall Level Crossing"

I've updated the Bridgeoscope as a result of your observations.

Thank you

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Are the current bases cast in cardboard formers?
Are the Aspin piles the ones we saw six zillion of on Chat Moss where they drive a steel tube into the ground then fill it with concrete and the necessary bolts for masts? If so, then we'll meet old friends!

Yes indeed, on both counts.
The concrete bases have the usual circular template ("toilet seat") for the bolts.
I don't think the piles normally need concrete as well, they simply screw a plate on top of the pile which has bolts ready for the mast.
I think those south of Carr Mill got some special treatment.
In some very difficult areas a different massive concrete design is used (as at Huyton and the Victoria viaducts, and over Chat Moss itself).
Phase 4 looks in general a bit easier than Chat Moss, but you are still dealing with 175-year-old embankments/cuttings with coal seams underneath.
Kearsley-Agecroft looks quite tricky on the slopes of the Irwell valley, with some steep embankments.

 

[ALX400]

Apparently Rawlinson Lane and Stump Lane bridges have sunk and required work will take an additional 3 months, at Skew bridge this mine shaft that's causing issues is going to take an additional 4 months to make safe I hope that doesn't delay the re opening of the road.

 

[LDECRexile]

Apparently Rawlinson Lane and Stump Lane bridges have sunk and required work will take an additional 3 months, at Skew bridge this mine shaft that's causing issues is going to take an additional 4 months to make safe I hope that doesn't delay the re opening of the road.

That's torn it. Thank you for letting us know.

Maybe Phase 4 won't be a doddle compared to Phase 2, after all.

I went gadding on Phase 4 today:

1. Broughton Road bridge: coming along, deck cast and painted blue!
2. Cock Robin bridge: nearly ready, but for this Friday? Hmmm... touch and go
3. Motorway Bridge Crossing: not started
4. Clifton Country Park Crossing: not started
5. Dixon Fold Bridge: stone end parapets being removed, coping stones appear to be being stored for re-use. Does anyone know exactly where Dixon Fold station (closed 1931) was?
6. Kearsley: crossover installed but not yet in use
7. Dean Clough bridge: now completely secured against gongoozlers. Preparatory earthwork taking place on NE corner
8. Ladybridge Bridge: tree and fence blown down at NE corner of bridge. It appears that this bridge is the 'diversionary route' for pedestrians who can't cross at Dean Clough bridge, so, presumably, it won't be closed until Dean Clough bridge reopens.
9. Bridge 77: definitely 14m 7 yards (not 7 chains as I suspect I wrote recently) from Deal St Jct, evidenced by the 14 MP (milepost, not Manchester Piccadilly signal!) 7 yards to its east. No work started except for a bit of de-veging (cutting down a few trees.)
10. Horwich Parkway: footbridge at the west end of the overflow car park now has anti-motorbike defences installed.
11. Red Moss Bridge Level Crossing: not started
12. Ridgeway Bridge: Orangemen doing small snagging tasks, such as cementing in holes in parapets. No entry-type signs removed, defensive fencing turned to one side, access unimpeded. Orangemen completely relaxed about me being there (I asked them.) It all looks very modern. Probably formally openeable in a few days.

A heck of a lot of water about. Weather squally and wild - dazzling sun, horizontal hail and rain in rapid succession.

Photos in due course.

Dave

 

[ironstone11]

That's torn it. Thank you for letting us know.

I went gadding on Phase 4 today:

Does anyone know exactly where Dixon Fold station (closed 1931) was?

According to RailMap on line it's at (or was at) 53.531,-2.343, 1m 33c NW of Clifton Jct.

 

[Darren R]

5. Dixon Fold Bridge: stone end parapets being removed, coping stones appear to be being stored for re-use. Does anyone know exactly where Dixon Fold station (closed 1931) was?

It was situated immediately on the Bolton side of Dixon Fold Bridge. (I'm assuming you mean the bridge over the railway, not the bridge under it that gives vehicular access to Clifton Country Park at the bottom of Clifton House Road.) Access to the station was by footpath only.

 

[LDECRexile]

I've added yesterday's photos to the Combined Volume here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157648767927083/
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

According to RailMap on line it's at (or was at) 53.531,-2.343, 1m 33c NW of Clifton Jct.

What a fabulous resource you've alerted me to, thank you.

http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php

Key in Dixon Fold, click on the place name below and yippee!

It works for Bolsover South and even shows the night soil tramway round the Model Village!

Oh boy, hours of fun here.

I've added the link to the haphazard worksheet you may have noticed at the right hand end of the Progressometer (please see below). I wonder if you could improve that crude Starter for Ten?

 

[LDECRexile]

It was situated immediately on the Bolton side of Dixon Fold Bridge. (I'm assuming you mean the bridge over the railway, not the bridge under it that gives vehicular access to Clifton Country Park at the bottom of Clifton House Road.) Access to the station was by footpath only.

Thank you very much.

I do indeed mean the bridge over the railway, as set out in the Bridgeoscope (please see below) and as shown in yesterday's photos and a set I published just over a week ago.

I've explored the road under rail bridge to C C Park but don't know it's name or number.

Do you know of 1. a database of bridges, ideally on line? 2. Any photos of Dixon Fold station?

Kind regards

Dave

 

[Joseph_Locke]

I've explored the road under rail bridge to C C Park but don't know it's name or number.

You mean Warrell Bridge, near Pilkingtons, MVE1/27, about 5m 300y?

53.525669,-2.323388?

 

[LDECRexile]

You mean Warrell Bridge, near Pilkingtons, MVE1/27, about 5m 300y?

53.525669,-2.323388?

No, t'other direction from Dixon Fold, at

53.532270, -2.347378

I went down Clifton House Road and under the railway when I first explored the area a month or so ago.

Have you any thoughts on what ALX400 has reported on bridge work in the Adlington and Chorley area?

 

[ALX400]

No, t'other direction from Dixon Fold, at

53.532270, -2.347378

I went down Clifton House Road and under the railway when I first explored the area a month or so ago.

Have you any thoughts on what ALX400 has reported on bridge work in the Adlington and Chorley area?

beat me to it was just going to ask the same

 

[Joseph_Locke]

beat me to it was just going to ask the same

Clifton House Road, MVE1/30, 6m 440 yards

As to the other I can neither confirm nor deny at the moment, but sounds unlikely...

 

[Geeves]

I didn't have my camera with me today, but there is a conveniently placed set of road works on the triple 6 above the Farnworth tunnel works. Vast amount of tree clearance and other construction work that I couldn't really tell what it was. I don't know if they are digging down as well as up but there is alot of equipment up top!

 

[Bevan Price]

It was situated immediately on the Bolton side of Dixon Fold Bridge. (I'm assuming you mean the bridge over the railway, not the bridge under it that gives vehicular access to Clifton Country Park at the bottom of Clifton House Road.) Access to the station was by footpath only.

At least until recently, there was a residual section of the (northbound) platform mound of Dixon Fold station.

 

[snowball]

I didn't have my camera with me today, but there is a conveniently placed set of road works on the triple 6 above the Farnworth tunnel works. Vast amount of tree clearance and other construction work that I couldn't really tell what it was. I don't know if they are digging down as well as up but there is alot of equipment up top!

I think the road works are relatively minor, maybe resurfacing, so if there's vast tree clearance it's probably something to do with the tunnel works.

Both sides of the A666 have laybys right over the tunnel though they may not currently be open to the public. When I was last there, there was a works access from the southbound A666 that appeared to be for the NR works.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

so if there's vast tree clearance it's probably something to do with the tunnel works.

The tree clearance is visible at the south end of the tunnel from trains running towards Bolton.
They seem to have cleared a path from the tunnel portal round to the north side and then up to the top of the hill.
Maybe it's how the TBM gear is getting down there?

 

[LDECRexile]

I understand that work this weekend will include:

1. footbridge parapet extension at Manchester Victoria

2. decommission Manchester North Signal Box and re-control to Manchester (ROC)

3. follow up works at Kearsley & Moses Gate

4. Farnworth Tunnel

5. platform edges at Manchester Victoria.

Manchester Victoria will be INACCESSIBLE ON SUNDAY, even to staff

I apologise in advance if I have misinterpreted anything told to me in good faith

Dave

 

[ironstone11]

Vast amount of tree clearance and other construction work that I couldn't really tell what it was. I don't know if they are digging down as well as up but there is alot of equipment up top!

There is a construction access/ventilation shaft about halfway along the tunnel. This could need some support as the TBM passes underneath. Also I understand that the tunnel is to be filled, presumably with soft or weak concrete before re-boring, so this shaft would be useful for inserting the fill.

There is a closed thread on this forum which discusses a glass dome having been at the top of the shaft. http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=92512

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Also I understand that the tunnel is to be filled, presumably with soft or weak concrete before re-boring, so this shaft would be useful for inserting the fill.

Also called weak mix- about 1 cement to 9 aggregate.

 

[snowball]

The air shaft can be seen on old-maps.co.uk at various dates. It appears to be directly over the up bore, immediately east of where the A666 is today, and immediately north of the lay-by on the southbound carriageway of the A666.

I can't see it on Google satellite view - too many trees.

Edit: Correction: The shaft is towards the south end of the layby and is clearly visible on Google:

http://goo.gl/maps/7gw4D

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

At Oldfield Road, Salford, the cables are being diverted back from the temporary footbridge to the rebuilt main bridge. There's still work to be done to raise the approach roads to the new deck level. The road closure is supposed to last until 29 May.

 

[LDECRexile]

I'm delighted that ALX400 has sent two shots of Farnworth, including the new trackwork.

I've added them to his album here:

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

and to the Combined Volume here:

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

Thank you ALX400, keep 'em coming!

 

[Class 170101]

Interesting that the signal in the background of this shot was not the one used for protecting the points in the foreground and instead the points pushed further back.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/17056924662/in/set-72157648767927083

 

[snowball]

Is it really the case that the temporary facing crossover, the mate of the temporary trailing crossover at Kearsley, is south of Farnworth station as the photo caption says? I thought Joseph Locke had said it would be north of Moses Gate. I also thought I saw half of it there a couple of weeks ago, the first half of the eventual complete crossover, and that it had then just been installed.

3686m and 3686k do not appear to show the same location. The latter is undoubtedly looking south from Farnworth station.

 

[LDECRexile]

Is it really the case that the temporary facing crossover, the mate of the temporary trailing crossover at Kearsley, is south of Farnworth station as the photo caption says? I thought Joseph Locke had said it would be north of Moses Gate. I also thought I saw half of it there a couple of weeks ago, and that the first half had then just been installed.

3686m and 3686k do not appear to show the same location.

Hmmm....

I fear you're right.

Have amended album accordingly.

Dave

 

[snowball]

Thanks for correcting the station name. However it still says taken from the southbound platform looking south. Both souths should be north.

 

[LDECRexile]

Thanks for correcting the station name. However it still says taken from the southbound platform looking south. Both souths should be north.

Indeed, I've also corrected the text to reflect the relationship of tracks to camera and the distance from the tunnel.

 

[Darren R]

Forgive me if this is a dumb question, but what is the purpose of the catch-points installed just before the Up crossover at the Kearsley end? Haven't they been installed at the end of the section of track that will soon be removed? I'm rather bemused!

 

[LDECRexile]

Forgive me if this is a dumb question, but what is the purpose of the catch-points installed just before the Up crossover at the Kearsley end? Haven't they been installed at the end of the section of track that will soon be removed? I'm rather bemused!

Not a dumb question.

On-track Plant, such as road-rail diggers and electrification cherrypickers will use the track before and after the rails through the tunnel are removed or buried. They might run away, as the Balfour Beatty electrification train did at Bryn a few months ago (mercifully hurting no-one) and as a trailer did in Westmorland (I think) not too long ago, killing people. Hence the need for catch points.

Thank you for asking.