Travelled Southport to Man Vic and back via Bolton today.
1. Lots of kit and caboodle, much of which looks like drainage materials, on northern side of line from Lostock Jct to Ladybridge.
2. Lots of cabling materials, such as troughing, on the south side of the tracks.
3. Clobber next to track Bullfield Westish.
4. Superstructure going on the Interchange site at Bolton.
5. Lots of (mainly or entirely used) track panels and the like stacked east of the tracks in Moses Gate and Farnworth areas.
6. Southbound line speed (big, white & circular) read 75 but a yellow sign next to it went past too quickly to read, I judge (guess) we went through Farnworth Tunnel at 50mph, southbound the driver put his foot down as we passed Kearsley. Lack of joint sounds suggests both pairs of temporary points have been removed.
7. Lots of Orangemen beavering away in the fencing on Farnworth Station (Joe sent a note that he reckons they've nearly finished.)
8. Noticed lots of big white cubicles with fans at the end in the Manchester Exchange area. I haven't been keeping a count, but it seemed there were a lot more than before.
9. Orangemen conspicuous dotted all over the place Lostock to Man Vic, I imagine all doing prep work for electrification, track improvement and Ordsall Chord.
10. Manchester Exchange site shows remarkable change. As I have often experienced, foundations take ages, then superstructure goes up in a trice. Several storeys of a tall building now in place.
11. There is now a large crane on a building next to the tracks north of Man Vic. "Skyscraper City" really is looking to be the right name.
Photos later.
Dave
Do the 5 trial masts spotted at Adlington count 
