Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

[Chrisyd]

Having looked at Google Maps, would I be correct to say Fillie will be just over half way at that point?

 

[42626]

No, they aren't.
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Red Moss, will be a footbridge.

What's happening with the Anderton Lane crossing (North of Blackrod Station)?

 

[snowball]

I estimate the A666 crossing as being just past the halfway point.

Having looked at Google Maps, would I be correct to say Fillie will be just over half way at that point?

I did some measuring on a large-scale map the other day and I think the start of the A666 crossing coincides almost exactly with the half-way point.

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Then if the new bridge is limited to 44 tonnes, along with others, they should reduce the effectiveness of any increase in the maximum.

As furnessvale says, it's no different from hundreds of other bridges - all designed to the same code.

Note that the new Orlando bridge will still have walls between the road and the footways and they will provide stiffening on the long span.

 

[Joseph_Locke]

What's happening with the Anderton Lane crossing (North of Blackrod Station)?

Guess what ...

... replaced with a big green footbridge.

 

[CdBrux]

the big green footbridge factory must be running at full blast!!!

 

[snowball]

Plenty of work going on at Farnworth and Moses Gate stations, but I don't think they would have been ready for reopening on October 5 if Fillie had been on time.
There are still no platform buildings.

Possibly once the contractors knew about Fillie's delays, they diverted effort from station finishing, that can now be finished later, to other works that are dependent on the weekend closures, the last of which will be this coming weekend. Weekend trains are scheduled from Saturday 10th:

http://www.northernrail.org/pdfs/timetables/20151005/11.pdf

 

[LeylandLen]

So its estimated Fillie is about half way, so can someone give an estimated guess as to when it will finish ? Obviously everyone wants it to be completed before the onset of the Xmas shopping season and the Manchester Christmas Markets due to open on Sat Nov 14th that's 6 weeks time.!I've no direct interest ( resident or regular passenger ) , just curious !

 

[thealexweb]

I too am interested to know if there has been an update in the estimated completion date. I have a VTWC and connections AP ticket booked and I am booked on to use this train for part of my journey (http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y96596/2015/12/20). What are the odds it will run as a train and not a rail replacement bus?

 

[ironstone11]

I too am interested to know if there has been an update in the estimated completion date. What are the odds it will run as a train and not a rail replacement bus?

Although we made a guess as to where Fillie was on 21st of September, it looks as though they will have been achieving a tunnelling rate of about 2 metres per day by the A666 crossing. This is way short of the hoped for rate of 6 m per day.

For the final half of the bore, 2 m/day puts completion at 65 days from Oct 3, which I make about the 7th of December. Not very impressive, considering that they are now supposed to be in better ground conditions.

Fitting out and track laying cannot be started until Fillie has been completely removed, so railway operations by Christmas seem unlikely. Let's hope I am wrong!

 

[snowball]

My estimate of the current rate is a bit under 2.5m a day. However when Fillie breaks through, there's further work to be done, possibly a month or so, before double track working through the enlarged tunnel can start. The turn of the year is a good bet.

When the A666 lane closure is switched from the southbound left lane to the two right lanes, we'll know exactly where Fillie is.

 

[LeylandLen]

Thanks for that info. So no prospect of the special loco-hauled Saturday specials that Northern ran last Xmas between Preston & Manchester? Can't see them using the WCML. Also ,while the weather has been great recently to enable much work to be done, (dry and sunny for those not in Britain ..lovely Autumn !) I fear mother nature just might have a few tricks up her sleeve ...the ground cools quickly at night due to no clouds so making frost more likely ! So stay away Jack Frost !! or else ....

 

[Philip Phlopp]

Thanks for that info. So no prospect of the special loco-hauled Saturday specials that Northern ran last Xmas between Preston & Manchester? Can't see them using the WCML. Also ,while the weather has been great recently to enable much work to be done, (dry and sunny for those not in Britain ..lovely Autumn !) I fear mother nature just might have a few tricks up her sleeve ...the ground cools quickly at night due to no clouds so making frost more likely ! So stay away Jack Frost !! or else ....

Frozen ground could be beneficial to the re-boring project, there are a number of sites where unstable ground has been frozen by liquid nitrogen injection.

If you can imagine ground conditions where the soil has consistency like a milkshake, turning it into something like ice cream makes it much easier to tunnel through, excavate, pile into or build upon.

 

[froggy9]

Gillets has been closed for some months now, the crossing deck has been lifted.

Whistle boards remain for the foot crossing about 5 yards Adlington side of where the crossing was.

The foot crossing north of Adlington has also been removed, and the whistle boards removed (well on the up, the down remained for a while - I'm not sure if that has been removed).

So the only foot crossings remaining should be the footpath near where Gillets was, and the foot crossing between the M61 and Horwich, at least between Euxton and Bolton.

About 2 or 3 years ago a camera was mounted on a high mast at this foot crossing. My guess is that they were doing a pedestrian count to see if they could make a case for closure.

 

[ironstone11]

When the A666 lane closure is switched from the southbound left lane to the two right lanes, we'll know exactly where Fillie is.

By estimating the width of the road and NR's figures for lane closures we can get an idea of the rate of tunnelling that the Fillie team expects.

My guess at the road width is 26 metres based on the Highways Agency's design manual for Roads and Bridges for an 'A' road dual carriagway. (Assuming 2.5m verges on each side and 2.5m central reservation. (I know there is a lay-by at this point which I have ignored.)

The road is skewed with respect to the tunnel. I have assumed 45 degrees, which makes the effective road width nearly 37m.

Total minimum lane closure time is 7 days and maximum lane closure time is 10 days quoted by NR.

Therefore the tunnelling rate is between 5.3 metres/day and 3.7 metres/day.

This seems a higher rate than we have estimated based on progress so far but if we take the lower figure of 3.7m/d then breakthrough could be in about 36 days time. i.e. 5th of November. Fillie goes out with a bang?

 

[Class 170101]

I too am interested to know if there has been an update in the estimated completion date. I have a VTWC and connections AP ticket booked and I am booked on to use this train for part of my journey (http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y96596/2015/12/20). What are the odds it will run as a train and not a rail replacement bus?

Presumably at least one (and possibly more) weekend closure(s) will be needed to reconnect the 'new' tunnel to the rail network and disconnect the existing tunnel from the network - track signalling platform finishing etc.

 

[LeylandLen]

Also I presume the workforce, machinery , locomotives , etc will be already committed to pre-planned work over the Christmas / New Year holiday.

 

[Joseph_Locke]

Also I presume the workforce, machinery , locomotives , etc will be already committed to pre-planned work over the Christmas / New Year holiday.

The bigger item in planning terms is removing the temporary signaller's panel from Manchester Piccadilly and re-instating the old Train Describer arrangement - if necessary the crossovers could be secured normal and left for a few weeks if a crane wasn't available (Both layouts have been designed to be recovered, refurbished and re-installed elsewhere, so they won't be burnt up).

My prediction for the reversion is 2nd / 3rd January 2016.

 

[Codville]

I figure this article on the Blackpool Gazette website is related to electrification scheme, NR are planning to remove the junction to the disused Fleetwood branch line.

http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/n...work-could-end-port-rail-link-dream-1-7491282

 

[LDECRexile]

I explored the line from Frederick's ice cream parlour down to Farnworth station, rounding off a fab trip by meeting Joe Callaghan.

There should be lots of action this weekend and tangible progress within days, as follows:

1. Gillets Occupation Crossing: Signs removed, but poles remain. Phones removed. Footway decking removed. Oddly the gates were left closed and bolted, but unlocked.

2. Heath Charnock Level Crossing: unchanged, no sign of action.

3. Fredericks Ice Cream Parlour: unchanged - superb .

4. Chorley Road Skew Bridge: parapets appear complete. Bridge to close 3/4 Oct to crane out the metalwork which protrudes over the tracks both N & S of the bridge. Should be a good show!

5. Bradshaw Fields Level Crossing: the site is now much more heavily defended against people climbing over or breaking through. Signs have also been reinstated. Trains still whistle on approach. Otherwise no sign of action.

6. Grimeford Lane Bridge: tremendous progress. Council Yellowmen were tarmacing the footpath on both sides of the roadway over the bridge in anticipation of the temporary footbridge being craned out this weekend, 3/4 October. The Council will then start shaving the top off Grimeford Lane from the A6 to several hundred yards east of the bridge, in preparation for resurfacing the whole stretch, not just the bridge. In anticipation of this another crew of Yellowmen were 'deveging' the footpath along the lane from the A6 to the bridge. The overall aim is 'new bridge, new path, new road'.Signs give projected reopening as mid-Oct, but I reckon they may beat that.

7. Anderton Hall Level Crossing: no sign of action.

8. Red Moss Bridge Level Crossing: no sign of action.

9. Ladybridge: stonemasons busy. Orangeman said they expect to reopen the bridge on Weds 7th Oct, though finishing off work will continue past then.

10. Orlando St Bridge: looks very impressive. Deck appears to be in place, but unsurfaced. The site was strangely quiet at my very brief visit.

11. Lever St Footbridge: being deveged (!)

12. Farnworth Station: lots of busy Orangemen. Several new station lights bent flat over their hinges. Base for a building on the southbound side in place. Unable to get a clear picture of specifics, but lots of effort being expended.

13. Farnworth Tunnel: spoil lorries looking busy.

Bridgeoscope below. Photos later.

 

[LDECRexile]

Photos wanged on the Combined Volume here:

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

 

[snowball]

Nice to see Orlando Street glowing yellowly under the clear Mediterranean sky!

The projections at Skew Bridge are part of the support for the formwork used to cast the in-situ sections of the deck, which has never been removed until now. There will be flat sheets of plywood to come out too.

I think the method used to build the replacement parapets at Skew Bridge was to put in the reinforcement, then build brick walls in front of and behind it, then pour the concrete in between, so that the brick (or block) walls served as both formwork and facing for the concrete.

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Two new Fillie pictures on the NP Twitter feed:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CQUpEnnU8AAB-4q.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CQUrYT4WoAAYb6w.jpg

The second one is looking forward from Fillie and you can see the outline of the old tunnel.

 

[ironstone11]

Two new Fillie pictures on the NP Twitter feed:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CQUpEnnU8AAB-4q.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CQUrYT4WoAAYb6w.jpg

The second one is looking forward from Fillie and you can see the outline of the old tunnel.

Unfortunately no indication of distance travelled or when the picture was taken.

The second picture looking forward towards the old tunnel, shows bales of straw on the left hand side. We saw straw in the earlier pictures when they were going through bad ground. What is the straw used for?

In the tweet showing the lined tunnel, someone has tweeted asking why NR doesn't operate a 24 hour shift system. i thought they were. In fact the tweet from NR dated 25 Sept. states just that, "Fillie runs 24 hours a day".

 

[LDECRexile]

I've now processed the photos I took last week at the Open Day of a brand new railway tunnel being dug in Bavaria.

I was impressed. As a layman I noticed a number of differences from the UK, but I hope others who know what's what will comment on whether the differences are real, imaginary, profound or trivial.

DB's website gives this coverage of the tunnel and the wider project:

http://www.vde8.de/---_site.news..ls_dir._type.press_cat.2_id.365_likecms.html

My photos are in this album:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157659392184741

Auf wiedersehn, Me Duck
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Darren_R has kept his word and sent eight evocative shots he took as a schoolboy in Bolton in 1984-5.

I've woven his accompanying notes into the shots, but I could only smile at the delight he shows in rummaging, researching and reliving:

" I've had tremendous fun trying to date these photographs (I never bother to annotate them with any information, stupidly!)

....

These are all the photographs I have been able to find; I'll let you know if I find any more. I know that I definitely took more from Orlando Street footbridge, including of Bolton East Junction signal box. I'm also fairly sure I have one or two of Blackpool North taken at around the same time.

Ah, this has taken me back a few years! If they ever get around to electrifying through Darwen and Blackburn, I definitely have that covered!"

I've created an album for Darren here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157659397814752

and added them to the Combined Volume here:

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

Welcome aboard Darren_R!
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Bill Morton has kindly sent some shots he took at Skew Bridge and Grimeford Lane yesterday.

I've added them to his album here:

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

and to the Combined Volume here:

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

Thank you Bill

 

[Viscount702]

Has anyone got any idea when the electrification element maybe "unpaused" because I think we were all hoping that another contractor would have been appointed by now and work would be back underway.

 

[WatcherZero]

It hasn't been, the old contractor was kept on for design and the ones that were to be working on the MML were brought in on an interim basis until a new permanent contractor is assigned.

 

[Joseph_Locke]

It hasn't been, the old contractor was kept on for design and the ones that were to be working on the MML were brought in on an interim basis until a new permanent contractor is assigned.

The new permanent contractor is Carillion and it is waiting for the paperwork to catch up. BB will complete the designs for the sections they have started and then Carillion's designer will take over to complete the rest of phase 4 and all of phase 5.

Quite how the unpausing of the MML and TPE east electrification will affect this we shall see, as that was Carillion and VolkerRail, both of whom are (likely to be in Volker's case) involved the Northern Hub and Electrification works ...

 

[LDECRexile]

ALX400 visited Chorley Road Skew Bridge after Bill Morton and has kindly sent photos.

I've woven them in among Bill's shots here:

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

Thank you ALX400.

Bill has confirmed that the temporary footbridge at Rawlinson Lane has been removed, but he missed it going.

Bridgeoscope updated below

 

[snowball]

Has anyone travelled along the A666 over the tunnel recently? Better still, does anyone do so regularly?

The dates of the start and end of the lane closures will not provide a high-precision guide to Fillie's position, as NR could be intoducing the first closure before Fillie is directly underneath, or ending the last closure after she is directly underneath, as an extra safety precaution.

However the switch from the first lane closure configuration to the second, and from the second to the third, have to be precisely timed, as there is no overlap period when both lanes of one carriageway are closed.

 

[LDECRexile]

Bill has confirmed that the temporary footbridge at Rawlinson Lane has been removed, but he missed it going.

Er, for Rawlinson Lane please read Grimeford Lane.

Oops
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When Wrinkley covered the Orlando Street bridge lift recently he got talking to an engineer on site who kindly volunteered to seek out photos of Fillie's activities and of Orlando St Bridge works.

She came up with Fillie shots within a day or two, as can be seen in this album:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157657384006325/with/21409358659/

Now she's followed through big time with Orlando Street material, for which I've created a Murphy's album, in recognition of her efforts and the Site Manager kindly agreeing to release the shots, they are here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157659092571889

and also in the Combined Volume here:

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

Thank you to Wrinkley, the engineer, the Site Manager and The Murphy Group.

 

[ironstone11]

Has anyone travelled along the A666 over the tunnel recently? Better still, does anyone do so regularly?

The dates of the start and end of the lane closures will not provide a high-precision guide to Fillie's position, as NR could be intoducing the first closure before Fillie is directly underneath, or ending the last closure after she is directly underneath, as an extra safety precaution.

However the switch from the first lane closure configuration to the second, and from the second to the third, have to be precisely timed, as there is no overlap period when both lanes of one carriageway are closed.

It seems to have gone very quiet. I would have expected by now that the halfway point has been passed, yet no sign of a NR announcement to that effect. Suggests there may be trouble!