Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

[WatcherZero]

The fourth platform at Manchester Airport remained unused for many months after it was apparently finished.

Was mostly completed a year earlier than planned though with the contractor merging it with the Metrolink platform construction for efficiency, platforms sat around for months physically complete before they even started on the signalling didn't it..

 

[Lurpi]

Surprised to see the apparent use of headspans in 7912i-k. I thought they were out of favour except for special locations such as Rainhill. And on mere double track too, where it's not obvious why pairs of single track cantilevers couldn't have been used.

You beat me to it - I was about to make the same observation.

Does anybody know why?

It's a bit worrying from a quality point of view. And from the point of view of being able to tell certain misguided curtain twitchers in the South Oxfordshire area to sod off...

 

[snowball]

Was mostly completed a year earlier than planned though with the contractor merging it with the Metrolink platform construction for efficiency,

Though still too late to avoid two separate rounds of building bridges under Outwood Lane.

 

[Joseph_Locke]

You beat me to it - I was about to make the same observation.

Does anybody know why?

It's a bit worrying from a quality point of view. And from the point of view of being able to tell certain misguided curtain twitchers in the South Oxfordshire area to sod off...

They aren't headspan masts - just fairly big STCs. I think you'll find that the track interval is so large that a single back-to-back cantilever would have too great a walkout for the Bonomi booms; you'd end up with two STCs anyway. Bolton Station is the same, through 4 and 5.

It will be a very cold day in hell before designers even suggest headspans, not that we would with standard portal booms coming in at 20m and non-standard ones up to 40m ...

 

[LDECRexile]

They aren't headspan masts - just fairly big STCs. I think you'll find that the track interval is so large that a single back-to-back cantilever would have too great a walkout for the Bonomi booms; you'd end up with two STCs anyway. Bolton Station is the same, through 4 and 5.

It will be a very cold day in hell before designers even suggest headspans, not that we would with standard portal booms coming in at 20m and non-standard ones up to 40m ...

Thank you. I've amended the captions accordingly.

 

[WesternS]

Thank you for all the great photos of the progress on this section.

One point though - whilst not being a botanical expert, I would respectfully suggest that the pink flowering plant referred to in your captions for 7904m, 7932i and 7936m is Himalayan balsam, rather than Japanese knotweed ? The former is equally a weed and seems pretty much out of control in the UK now, but it doesn't seem to have the destructive properties of knotweed (although I have only seen the balsam on riverbanks, canal banks etc). And tbh, given the relatively recent age of the works in 7904m, I would be surprised if knotweed had spread that fast, whereas the balsam would. Also at this time of year, there will be the usual rosebay willowherb/fireweed with its purple flowers. No doubt there's some of that about too in the photos.

 

[LDECRexile]

Thank you for all the great photos of the progress on this section.

One point though - whilst not being a botanical expert, I would respectfully suggest that the pink flowering plant referred to in your captions for 7904m, 7932i and 7936m is Himalayan balsam, rather than Japanese knotweed ? The former is equally a weed and seems pretty much out of control in the UK now, but it doesn't seem to have the destructive properties of knotweed (although I have only seen the balsam on riverbanks, canal banks etc). And tbh, given the relatively recent age of the works in 7904m, I would be surprised if knotweed had spread that fast, whereas the balsam would. Also at this time of year, there will be the usual rosebay willowherb/fireweed with its purple flowers. No doubt there's some of that about too in the photos.

Thank you for the correction, HB it is, but its scale disquiets me. It appears to crowd everything else out, friend and foe. Generalising, where Rosebay Willowherb was the railway plant, it is only here and there, with HB rampant by tracksides and Buddleia on buildings. Roads, on the other hand, seem to specialise in spreading Ragwort.

 

[WesternS]

At the risk of being shunted over to the buddleia thread, I would agree. Although on a recent trip to Alvechurch, I noticed that just to the south of Barnt Green station, for the first time the buddleia was not just the 'standard' mid-purple colour, but that there was also the dark purple and white varieties.

As for the roads, the salt now applied so liberally has also encouraged the very rapid spread (usually in the central reservations) of that white/pink Danish scurvy-grass that thrives on sand-dunes and gravel beaches.

But to come back on thread, I'm all a little intrigued by how it all seems to be progressing at different rates in different places along the line. No doubt there are good reasons for it, probably around possessions, contractual arrangements/resources and it's all part of Mr Locke's (and his minions) grand plan. Thank you to everyone who keeps this (and the Man-Liv) threads so well supplied with information and updates.

 

[snowball]

Drop-in event today Farnworth

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DGs-brgWsAAQvrK.jpg

 

[Joseph_Locke]

Mr Locke's (and his minions) grand plan.

Sadly I was only a short-lived custodian of the grand plan at the concept stages: delivery focussed geniuses are now at work.

Another invisible determinant of construction programme is the ground investigation, trial holing and design phases.

My minions are now at work on other cunning plans ...

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Thank you to everyone who keeps this (and the Man-Liv) threads so well supplied with information and updates.

We work as a team - I live in the USA but when I make a trip home I nip out and check and photograph. Even my wife counted the number of masts on Tom Benson Way the other day on her way to the cinema.

 

[Elecman]

We work as a team - I live in the USA but when I make a trip home I nip out and check and photograph. Even my wife counted the number of masts on Tom Benson Way the other day on her way to the cinema.

Well done Mrs Gralistair

 

[Jamesrob637]

I'm wondering whether it's worth creating separate threads for Manchester to Euxton and Preston to Blackpool?

 

[Ploughman]

A piece from the RAIB website

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safety-digest-112017-kirkham

RAIB has today released its safety digest into a near miss between a tamper and steel pile near Kirkham, Lancashire, 15 May 2017.

 

[snowball]

I'm wondering whether it's worth creating separate threads for Manchester to Euxton and Preston to Blackpool?

It would seem a bit late to do so now, within months of completion, after five years with one thread. Aren't most readers interested in both?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I'm wondering whether it's worth creating separate threads for Manchester to Euxton and Preston to Blackpool?

It would seem a bit late to do so now, within months of completion, after five years with one thread. Aren't most readers interested in both?

I agree - for the sake of a few months - it would be a nightmare to split off. I vote we keep with one thread - even Dave's progressometer is for the entire route although split up still on the one spreadsheet

 

[wrinkley]

I'm wondering whether it's worth creating separate threads for Manchester to Euxton and Preston to Blackpool?

Definitely not!

 

[Joseph_Locke]

One of Swietelsky's 08-275 tampers parked / about to start on the new P5 line at Bolton at 0645 this morning - they must have brought it in via the new turnout at Bolton West as it is a full-fat rail only machine. Once they've tamped through work should start to place the copers on P5.

I also failed to spot the monstrosity that was MP514 at Agecroft (the one on the mahoosive cantilever) - did that go last weekend?

 

[castlefieldlad]

One of Swietelsky's 08-275 tampers parked / about to start on the new P5 line at Bolton at 0645 this morning - they must have brought it in via the new turnout at Bolton West as it is a full-fat rail only machine. Once they've tamped through work should start to place the copers on P5.

I also failed to spot the monstrosity that was MP514 at Agecroft (the one on the mahoosive cantilever) - did that go last weekend?

Happy 212th birthday, JL!

 

[Joseph_Locke]

Happy 212th birthday, JL!

Why thank you young man!

 

[Whistler40145]

You're wearing well for 212 years old Joseph Locke.

 

[42626]

Just seen a pic (on a FB page) of the new footbridge on platform 4/5 and a track laying machine on platform 5 at Bolton Station.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Just seen a pic (on a FB page) of the new footbridge on platform 4/5 and a track laying machine on platform 5 at Bolton Station.

Getting prepared for the fortnight's works no doubt. Let's hope they really crack on with things and have predominately good weather (this weekend doesn't look too shabby)

 

[Joseph_Locke]

Just seen a pic (on a FB page) of the new footbridge on platform 4/5 and a track laying machine on platform 5 at Bolton Station.

Its a tamper - it doesn't lay track (qv. linky)

 

[LDECRexile]

Wrinkley has kindly sent shots he's taken at Lostock.

I've added them to his album here:

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

and to the Combined Volume here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157661069863633

Thank you Wrinkley.

 

[PDG1949]

Just seen a pic (on a FB page) of the new footbridge on platform 4/5 and a track laying machine on platform 5 at Bolton Station.

Er, pardon my ignorance, but what's an 'FB' page ?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Er, pardon my ignorance, but what's an 'FB' page ?

My guess would be Face Book

 

[jonesy3001]

What page or group is this picture on facebook.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Went from Wigan Wallgate to Bolton yesterday, quick detour to the Wetherspoon there then on to Salford Crescent

Not much progress since a week ago but a few more masts so I wish the Orange Brigade all the best for the next fortnight!

 

[LDECRexile]

Went from Wigan Wallgate to Bolton yesterday, quick detour to the Wetherspoon there then on to Salford Crescent

Not much progress since a week ago but a few more masts so I wish the Orange Brigade all the best for the next fortnight!

Did you have a camera or mobile with you?

Were the few more masts scattered all over the place or in any particular locations?

Hear hear to your best wishes to the Orange Army.