Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

[snowball]

Bolton News carrying an article about how Network Rail are upsetting the locals around the Farnworth Tunnel.

What surprises me is that the emergency services are tolerating a > 6 month closure of Cemetery Road bridge, given the spectacularly poor access to some streets in the area around Farnworth station. Most of the houses have nowhere where a car can be parked off-street, so most of the streets, narrow to start with, are made narrower by parked cars. With Cemetery Road bridge closed, access to the Railway Street area is tortuous, via the single-lane Rawson Street bridge and then round a series of corners. I wouldn't like to bet on constant accessibility for cars, let alone fire engines.

 

[LDECRexile]

Joe Callaghan has sent me this update from Farnworth today (Monday)

The big crane left in the early hours of this morning having done its job. the bridge is in position and awaits finishing, road making etc.

I include two pictures of the bridge and another two reinstating the road that supported the Heavy lift.

The thickness of the supporting cover can be seen. a good job well done.

I'm still working through the super material accumulated over the weekend. I'll add Joe's latest when I've done all that.

Thanks Joe
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Joe has also lent me 'Scenes from the Past : 38 More Recollections of a Bolton Engineman', by Markland, Jim (Foxline, undated)

This contains photo after photo of 'our' line, with scenes almost all in the 1950s or 1960s of settings many of which we've seen so many times in the Combined Volume.

It's also a good read.

I raise this because accompanying one of several photos of Farnworth Tunnel is this text:

Farnworth Tunnel, 295 yards long, was originally intended to have been a cutting. Construction was difficult with wet sand and expanding clay being encountered. The original tunnel to the right opened to the public in 1838, but by 1881 a new lining was needed because it had become dangerous. The later, narrower and un-ventilated Down bore was first used on December 5th 1881 and cost £19,500 to construct.

Plus ca change?
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I've now processed material taken over the weekend and today by Joe, Wrinkley and I.

I've added Joe's to his album here:

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

and added Wrinkley's to his album here:

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

I've added all our output to the Combined Volume here:

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

Thank you Joe and Wrinkley and extra thanks to people with property near the tracks who so kindly invited us onto their land and even supplied cups of tea. Thanks also to the manager at the Saturday demolition who sent a security officer to see if I was safe: nice touch.

What a smashing weekend, the jobs all seemed to get done on time with no-one hurt.

Well done all concerned.

 

[snowball]

What a splendid collection! I've only looked properly at about a third of them yet. Thanks to everyone involved.

 

[ironstone11]

What a splendid collection! I've only looked properly at about a third of them yet. Thanks to everyone involved.

I wholeheartedly second that.

What happened to the Cemetery Road bridge abutment on the West (small tunnel) side? I assume it was re-used and capped with a concrete beam. Presumably it was done overnight when nobody was about.

 

[swt_passenger]

I haven't been able to see all the videos as I'm on a slow connection today, but I didn't see if the eastern abutment was already complete but buried so that machines could be operated over it?

I assume the new abutment had been built in a pit (so mostly out of sight before now) behind the one demolished during the weekend?

As they say, here's one we prepared earlier...

 

[Joseph_Locke]

I haven't been able to see all the videos as I'm on a slow connection today, but I didn't see if the eastern abutment was already complete but buried so that machines could be operated over it?

I assume the new abutment had been built in a pit (so mostly out of sight before now) behind the one demolished during the weekend?

As they say, here's one we prepared earlier...

The northeastern abutment was piled down through the road behind the old one during the last three weeks . The southwestern abutment is the old one with a new pre-cast bearing shelf placed on it. The old northeastern abutment will be removed over the next week to allow the track formation to be laid.

Also note that this bridge deck has all the brackets pre-fitted for the OLE stovepipes to clamp to, so its arguably the first OLE main steel to go up.

On a side note, our colleagues have done pretty well with the look of the new Orlando Street bridge (it's currently in the car park)!

 

[ironstone11]

...the eastern abutment was already complete but buried so that machines could be operated over it?

I assume the new abutment had been built in a pit (so mostly out of sight before now) behind the one demolished during the weekend?

Yes, the piling for the eastern abutment was done in June 2015, see LDECR's pictures Here. (4456q)

I would think that the contruction has been carried out since then, but was not visible from any of the usual vantage points.

 

[swt_passenger]

Yes, the piling for the eastern abutment was done in June 2015, see LDECR's pictures Here. (4456q)

I would think that the contruction has been carried out since then, but was not visible from any of the usual vantage points.

Thanks for checking through and finding that, it has saved me some searching on a slow connection.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Well, despite not having a contractor, there are now 11 mast bases on the Down between Chorley station and tunnel.
The bus-stop shelters at Leyland have been demolished - maybe something a bit more sophisticated is going to appear.
Some track relaying evident north of Salford Crescent, steel sleepers replaced by concrete.

 

[ironstone11]

I wholeheartedly second that.

What happened to the Cemetery Road bridge abutment on the West (small tunnel) side? I assume it was re-used and capped with a concrete beam. Presumably it was done overnight when nobody was about.

Just noticed that part of the original stone abutment capping came off between pictures 5044e and 5044f. No picture of it actually happening.

 

[Joseph_Locke]

Well, despite not having a contractor, there are now 11 mast bases on the Down between Chorley station and tunnel.
The bus-stop shelters at Leyland have been demolished - maybe something a bit more sophisticated is going to appear.
Some track relaying evident north of Salford Crescent, steel sleepers replaced by concrete.

Leyland station AFA is an entirely separate project from the Hub.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Leyland station AFA is an entirely separate project from the Hub.

What project do the Leyland station works then come under?

 

[LeylandLen]

The £4.5 million pound project at Leyland station is being funded by the Governments 'Access for All ' scheme.Just coincidence its being done at the same time as electrification work. Work includes 3 new lifts for step-free access, new footbridge, 3 new staircases plus an access ramp.Hopefully should all be completed by next summer. Unfortunately the station only has 2 small car parks so no room or expansion there .It does have the British Commercial Transport Museum so hopefully more visitors can be expected when the work and electrification work is finished by next summer.

 

[LDECRexile]

Just noticed that part of the original stone abutment capping came off between pictures 5044e and 5044f. No picture of it actually happening.

We all thank people for kind and encouraging comments.

I also find notes such as the above helpful, as it is concrete and specific and in this instance shows a double error on my part, easily remedied. One of my top ten clips from the weekend shows not only that abutment block being removed, but also the exciting way in which it was manipulated to the waiting lorry for disposal. I simply missed it from the end selection by mistake.

I'm uploading it now and aim to publish it later tonight, along with other material I've been sent about Cemetery Road and Grimeford Lane.

I'm off out now, I've a first round cup match tonight!

 

[ALX400]

Fantastic sets of photos from all concerned, crackin on really well with Orlando Street Bridge and nice to hear the "first" bits of OLE is actually on a bridge bring on the steelwork there's loads of foundations needing fettling

 

[snowball]

Recent pictures on the Northern Programme Twitter feed include a one of the new Cemetery Road bridge apparently taken from above the tunnel, where the services bridge doesn't get in the way.

Also a bridge at Ashton for phase 5.

https://twitter.com/networkrailnp

 

[LDECRexile]

Bill Morton has kindly sent two shots of what looks like excellent progress at Grimeford Lane bridge. I've added them to Bill's album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157650900509369

Thank you Bill.

Joe Callaghan has asked me to replace 5044i with a longer, composite film which includes the original and adds more. He's called it 'Gentle Giants'.

I've been pleased to do so, in Joe's album here:

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

Thank you Joe.

I've renumbered film 5044e to 5044d and added a new 5044e which shows one of the concrete blocks being removed from Cemetery Road bridge's western abutment, together with its exciting lift to a disposal lorry.

All these changes and additions are reflected in the Combined Volume here:

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

Wrinkley has emailed me to say it looks like Orlando St bridge's new beam(s) may go in this coming weekend.

BUT

He's got a family wedding

AND

I've got company coming all weekend.

It should be a good show.....

 

[PDG1949]

What a splendid collection! I've only looked properly at about a third of them yet. Thanks to everyone involved.

Again - Congratulations on another superb photographic record of a major historical change in this area. Unfortunately a stomach upset prevented me from adding my sixpenn'orth this last weekend; Roll on Fillie (and hope that her given name doesn't mean any more 'fills'......)

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

This might seem like putting petrol on a fire, but seeing the rusty layout east of Bolton, it seems nothing is being done in this set of blockades to remodel Bolton ready for "Platform 5".
Is this part of the current work or is it at some unspecified time in the future?
It would have been a good time to lay in the new turnouts north and east of the station, even if the station work is later.

 

[Dixie]

Great pictures. A big thanks for everyone's contributions.

Makes you realise how much work is going on to get it done and why it is all costing so much!

 

[reg]

This might seem like putting petrol on a fire, but seeing the rusty layout east of Bolton, it seems nothing is being done in this set of blockades to remodel Bolton ready for "Platform 5".
Is this part of the current work or is it at some unspecified time in the future?
It would have been a good time to lay in the new turnouts north and east of the station, even if the station work is later.

Planning application submitted by Network Rail to Bolton council( ref 93706/15 ) for new bridge shows new northern hub line on layout.When this will be constructed is not mentioned.

 

[Joseph_Locke]

This might seem like putting petrol on a fire, but seeing the rusty layout east of Bolton, it seems nothing is being done in this set of blockades to remodel Bolton ready for "Platform 5".
Is this part of the current work or is it at some unspecified time in the future?
It would have been a good time to lay in the new turnouts north and east of the station, even if the station work is later.

The little programme Pelican (like the Bluebird of happiness, but more ungainly) suggests early 2017.

 

[snowball]

Joe Callaghan has asked me to replace 5044i with a longer, composite film which includes the original and adds more. He's called it 'Gentle Giants'.

Does the new one have a different number please? I can't see a 5044i.

Also, has anyone been outdoors near the tunnel in the small hours when traffic noise is negligible? I've been wondering if you can hear Fillie at work.

 

[LDECRexile]

Does the new one have a different number please? I can't see a 5044i.

NB: it should be presented in correct sequence, not tacked on at the end, hope it is.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/20828604623

Anyway, here's a direct route.

Edit:

I've had a chance for a better look, it's there OK, in its proper place between 5044j and 5044h.

 

[ironstone11]

NB: it should be presented in correct sequence, not tacked on at the end, hope it is.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/20828604623

Anyway, here's a direct route.

Edit:

I've had a chance for a better look, it's there OK, in its proper place between 5044j and 5044h.

There doesn't seem to be a 5044i and the direct link above gives a 404 error, page not found.

 

[snowball]

For me there is no 5044 i, j, n or o.

This applies in both Firefox and Internet Explorer, and I believe I've cleared my cache in both.

The direct link takes me to a Yahoo login page.

 

[LDECRexile]

Well, now I'm discombobulated.

Going in as me I had and have 5044i there in all it's glory, which is why I couldn't see the problem.

I've now been in as Joe Public and indeed, 5044i wasn't there, nor was 5044j.

Most peculiar.

So I've reloaded copies as 5044jq and 5044i2q

Going in as me I now have all four in plain view where they should be in both Joe's album and the Combined Version.

5044i2q (Joe's favourite) is there when I go in as Joe Public, but 5044jq isn't.

All dashed odd.

However, we're half way there, but now TESCO calls.

Would someone please confirm or otherwise that 5044i2q is visible now?

As usual, they're in:

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

Thinks, you only noticed 5044i wasn't visible because I'd cited its number. How many others have there been over the months? Aaaaaargh......

 

[Philip Phlopp]

Would someone please confirm or otherwise that 5044i2q is visible now?

Visible and a fine demonstration of how to operate an excavator.

 

[ironstone11]

Would someone please confirm or otherwise that 5044i2q is visible now?

I confirm that 5044i2q is now there.

As per Snowball's earlier post, I confirm that j, o and n are missing.

Re: The comment about the debris being dumped in a disused quarry, I thought it was mandatory these days for demollition material to be recyled. i.e. crushed and used under roads, paths etc.
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A vigorous trade of spoil wagons sounds like good news.

New picture from NR on Twitter from inside the tunnel.

Unfortunately no statement of distance tunnelled.

 

[LDECRexile]

I confirm that 5044i2q is now there.

As per Snowball's earlier post, I confirm that j, o and n are missing.

Re: The comment about the debris being dumped in a disused quarry, I thought it was mandatory these days for demolition material to be recyled. i.e. crushed and used under roads, paths etc.

I'm glad 5044i2q has landed.

I've re-reloaded 5044j as 5044jq2, could someone please confirm it's visible (or not.)

It should be in its proper place in:

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

This is all rather puzzling.

j was indeed missing, but the good news is that there never was an o or an n.

The landfill comment was made by a lineside observer, not an Orangeman, so who knows? I rather hope you're right.

Thanks for your patience folks.