Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

[Trackman]

Fillie into the tunnel today (Not my photo)
Place your bets.

http://sioz.net/fw/upfw.jpg

 

[ironstone11]

Fillie into the tunnel today (Not my photo)
Place your bets.

http://sioz.net/fw/upfw.jpg

Good, yes looks to be well inside.

 

[snowball]

I don't want to be rude to Fillie but that's the best picture of her yet.

 

[Class 170101]

Words fail me as to how BB can describe NR as "difficult". NR are top-flight by comparison ...

Sounds like the classic non-meeting of minds.

Sounds like it indeed edwin.

If NR are top flight (and I think they are an extremely long way from that) by comparison I dread to think how bad BB were.

 

[snowball]

NR's Northern Programme Twitter feed shows a view looking out of the Kearsley portal.

https://twitter.com/networkrailnp


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

Well I entered a prize draw at work to go to the tunnel of joy and I won. So expect some close up photos of the tunnel and Fillie to be appearing next week! We are actually going inside the tunnel so be interesting to see how far they have got!

Possibly Geeves (aka Tony H1) has forgotten that it was on this forum that he posted the above! He's now posted a series of pictures from the visit on Skyscrapercity:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=126603218&postcount=8286

 

[Geeves]

Hi Snowball, I was thinking that LDEC might have linked up before me, Ive sent them to him for his collection and anyone else not on SSC . Quite happy with the new camera! We didnt get to inside due to paperwork issues! Pretty disappointed. I wondering if when it is complete and before the rails go down they might arrange a trip to walk through for the locals. Apparently if you are a resident they are more than happy to take you down if you arrange it.

 

[LDECRexile]

Hi Snowball, I was thinking that LDEC might have linked up before me, Ive sent them to him for his collection and anyone else not on SSC . Quite happy with the new camera! We didnt get to inside due to paperwork issues! Pretty disappointed. I wondering if when it is complete and before the rails go down they might arrange a trip to walk through for the locals. Apparently if you are a resident they are more than happy to take you down if you arrange it.

Dear Geeves

Please see my bewildering and embarrassing email in reply to you.


--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I've now received 24 fascinating photos from Geeves. I've also received two sets of in-laws, with children, so I have not yet been able to give the shots the attention they deserve.

However, I have added them to Geeves's album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157651833403490

and to the Combined Volume here:

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

I will strive to annotate them properly as family commitments allow over the next couple of days.

Thank you Geeves.

 

[snowball]

The rearmost part of the gubbins towed by Fillie is 11 concrete rings in, that's 15.4 metres. To that has to be added the unknown distance from there to the cutting edge - maybe 20m??? So maybe 35m progress in about 25 days?? So 235m still to go?

Or could the distance between the front of Fillie and the back of the towed stuff be significantly greater??

 

[GRALISTAIR]

The rearmost part of the gubbins towed by Fillie is 11 concrete rings in, that's 15.4 metres. To that has to be added the unknown distance from there to the cutting edge - maybe 20m??? So maybe 35m progress in about 25 days?? So 235m still to go?

Or could the distance between the front of Fillie and the back of the towed stuff be significantly greater??

It does not matter -it is behind schedule.

 

[snowball]

The new Modern Railways, p.14, on the subject of BB's departure, while quoting stuff about it being a mutual decision between NR and BB, gives the impression that NR sacked BB rather than that BB wanted out.

It says that the work will be handed to Carillion, which will redeploy its MML team, and Volker may get some.

Phases 3 (Blackpool) and 5 (Stalybridge) are described as on hold indefinitely in favour of phase 4. Concern about the Stalybridge feeder is mentioned.

 

[WatcherZero]

BB will continue to do the design side.

It was known BB had wanted out since last year, they were losing money hand over fist on railway contracts and the new Chief Exec had announced the company were going to withdraw from railway contracts completely.

 

[LDECRexile]

I've now tidied up my presentation of Geeves's photos.

Thanks once again Geeves, smashing stuff.

 

[Darren R]

I've now received 24 fascinating photos from Geeves. I've also received two sets of in-laws, with children, so I have not yet been able to give the shots the attention they deserve.

However, I have added them to Geeves's album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157651833403490

and to the Combined Volume here:

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

I will strive to annotate them properly as family commitments allow over the next couple of days.

Thank you Geeves.

Two sets of in-laws? hock: My sympathies!


More seriously: Geeves has provided some great photographs.

What is the square pit that is being dug just outside the northern portal?

(https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/20301009033/in/album-72157648767927083/)

 

[reg]

best guess is launch pit southern end,reception pit northern end to facilitate removal.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Two sets of in-laws? hock: My sympathies!

More seriously: Geeves has provided some great photographs.

What is the square pit that is being dug just outside the northern portal?

(https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/20301009033/in/album-72157648767927083/)

Has to be an extra large drainage pit one would assume?

And agreed - outstanding photos thanks to Dave et al for all the continued hard work. Great fun - great record.

 

[snowball]

What is the square pit that is being dug just outside the northern portal?

As reg says it's a reception pit for Fillie to arrive in when she's finished.

Look at how much lower her starting pit at the Kearsley end is compared with the adjacent track. The reception pit replicates that.

 

[Darren R]

As reg says it's a reception pit for Fillie to arrive in when she's finished.

Look at how much lower her starting pit at the Kearsley end is compared with the adjacent track. The reception pit replicates that.

Yes, if I hadn't completely forgotten that Fillie is to be re-used after Farnworth, I could have worked that one out for myself!

 

[GRALISTAIR]

As reg says it's a reception pit for Fillie to arrive in when she's finished.

Look at how much lower her starting pit at the Kearsley end is compared with the adjacent track. The reception pit replicates that.

OK - That makes even more sense.

 

[Geeves]

I should have provided captions really!

The tunnel boring machine is a one use specially designed product and unfortunately there are no more tunnels being built in Manchester any time soon! The TBM will be scrapped and its reusable parts sold

As I said to Dave in my email I didnt know that the cutting was actually dug out, trench dug and had the earth dumped back on top, they must have had some real fun digging the second bore.

 

[snowball]

The tunnel boring machine is a one use specially designed product and unfortunately there are no more tunnels being built in Manchester any time soon! The TBM will be scrapped and its reusable parts sold

Seems a pity. The Rail Engineer article said it would be stored for possible re-use, and that would seem to make sense even though no specific project is lined up. I don't see why they have to confine themselves to Manchester.

Though given the slow progress it seems to be making they might want to change the design for the next one.

 

[WatcherZero]

They've made a big fuss with this one that after its done it will be stored/refurbished for possible future use not just broken up for parts like usual.

 

[NotATrainspott]

Fillie is more suitable for re-use than most TBMs since it lacks a rotating cutting head. Effectively all it is is a very sophisticated tunnelling shield, a derivative of the shield used by the Brunels to build the Thames Tunnel. The internal cutting head is of a similar design to the ones used to bore out tunnels too small or complicated for TBMs - e.g. the cross-passages at the bored Crossrail stations - so it can be relatively easily replaced in future. The rest of it is just the metal tunnel supporting shield, the hydraulic pushing rams and the picking and placing mechanism for the concrete tunnel sections. There would be no need to make it wider either given that it's already wide enough for two electrified W10/12 gauge trains to run at full speed through the finished tunnel.

 

[LDECRexile]

Wrinkley has kindly sent photos of Ladybridge and Soho St bridge.

I've added them to his album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157654034635234

Joe Callaghan has also sent some photos of Moses Gate and Farnworth - photos with a difference!

I've added them to Joe's album here.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157651953947345

Ominously, Joe adds that his tweeted request for an update on Fillie's progress, although acknowledged, remains unanswered. He's asked again.

I've added the above to the Combined Volume here:

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

Thank you Joe and Wrinkley

 

[snowball]

The internal cutting head is of a similar design to the ones used to bore out tunnels too small or complicated for TBMs - e.g. the cross-passages at the bored Crossrail stations - so it can be relatively easily replaced in future.

According to one or more of the the articles I've seen, each of Fillie's two cutting arms - one controlled by one operator for the upper half face, one by another operator for the lower half face - can have its cutting head switched around during the Farnworth drive if different types of ground are encountered. One possible head mentioned is described as an excavator bucket. The photographs I've seen don't include any showing the bucket, but I have seen one showing a device looking weirdly like a human hand, and another showing a fearsome device with teeth poking out at all angles.

 

[LDECRexile]

May I ask two related Dumbo questions?

I believe Fillie nudges along, one ring at a time.

1. Suppose the upper operator is digging away three feet or so ahead of her and the earth at the top of her face's circle changes to very loose; what is to stop it cascading down and leaving a void above, perhaps under the fast lane of the major road on top?

2. Suppose it does and this is not spotted, so Fillie places the next ring and nudges ahead, leaving a void above which subsequently collapses?

I hope the questions make sense.

 

[snowball]

Does anyone know what the shiny vertical stripes on the concrete are in pictures like 4928h? I've seen them at many other sites too.

 

[Whistler40145]

Any further news on replacement contractors for Balfour Beatty and possible cancellation of any of the different phases?

 

[Philip Phlopp]

Any further news on replacement contractors for Balfour Beatty and possible cancellation of any of the different phases?

Carillion and Volker Rail being named in Modern Railways. I heard Volker Rail being mentioned and Carillion were a bit of a no-brainer, as they've been fairly solid performers elsewhere (excluding GWML, which is complicated by the HOPS fiasco).

Carillion are now supposed to be moving their MML team and equipment over to the Northern Program, though there was (and may still be) a plan to send other equipment and people to the Great Western. Volker Rail will likely re-deploy staff and assets from the Trans Pennine project initially.

There are also issues (and delays) building with Balfour Beatty regarding CrossRail and there's a bit of interest in having them give up their work there too, whether or not that happens is anybody's guess at the moment, unless I'm behind the times on that, but the general consensus is BB are really not fit for purpose.

 

[Whistler40145]

Well, BB didn't do a great job running Blackpool Airport, so the electrification problems came as no surprise.

I do hope that all the proposed projects get wired and not destined for the dustbin!

 

[snowball]

I don't think there's any reason to fear any part of the NW electrification will be dropped, though some of them may get delayed further.