Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

absolutelymilk · 28 Jun 2018

Overhead Conditional Renewals apparently

RailUK Forums

edwin_m · 28 Jun 2018

Or perhaps these people are diversifying into examining wires...
http://www.ocr.org.uk/

OCR is a leading UK awarding body. We provide qualifications which engage people of all ages and abilities at school, college, in work or through part-time learning programmes.

CAF397 · 28 Jun 2018

Elecman said:
OCR wiring train is booked for end of next month

That’s fantastic news. Hopefully a final push on the missing masts in the next few weeks.

It *seems* like they are nearly ready for wiring. But then again, when you look at the entire line I thought they’d need a blockade, and this is what’s been announced to catch up.

ALX400 · 28 Jun 2018

My eyes have indeed deceived me whilst driving past, the mast on the platform at Blackrod hasn’t yet got its top half it’s the one behind it I caught glimpse of, will keep aclook out this weekend though

wrinkley · 28 Jun 2018

Things are moving on again at Lostock, the crossbar is up and another one has been assembled ready to go on the last portal. Orangemen are putting up four runs of HV cable duct between the substation and the station platform. Photos sent to Dave.
Mr Locke and others, I have sent a photo of a vent below P3 at Bolton, is this part of the subway, it seems to line up with the wooden sleepers on P1.

nw-sparks · 28 Jun 2018

I've lost track of what's been announced so maybe everyone here already knows this, but the Future Engineering Works notice on National Rail now shows weekend closures at Salford Crescent until 4 November.

CAF397 · 28 Jun 2018

Snowball posted a link on the previous page (admittedly I only found out this morning) confirming this. Weekend blocks continue until 4th November.

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/feeds...ay-upgrade-final-programme-of-work-confirmed/

snowball · 28 Jun 2018

Presumably closing Salford Crescent every weekend also closes the Atherton line, which does not have any other work going on? Are they actually working at Salford Crescent every weekend?

twpsaesneg · 28 Jun 2018

absolutelymilk said:
Overhead Conditional Renewals apparently

Nearly - Overhead Condition Renewals. Formerly the West Coast Route Modernisation OLE Alliance Wiring Train team, but now expanded somewhat and Network Railified.

GRALISTAIR · 28 Jun 2018

snowball said:
Presumably closing Salford Crescent every weekend also closes the Atherton line, which does not have any other work going on? Are they actually working at Salford Crescent every weekend?

It seems crazy - surely the line and overrun at Salford Crescent should have been wired up first so that at least Atherton line trains could run. I suppose there must be a method to the seemingly apparent madness.

CAF397 · 28 Jun 2018

The downpipes fastened onto the footbridge at Buckshaw Parkway have now sprouted registration arms, currently cable tied to the underneath of the bridge.

Earth wire now runs from Buckshaw Parkway to the beginning of the cutting for the Flying Arches. There is also an AT cable for most of that distance too, this is on the Down Bolton.

After Chorley tunnel again is a short section of earth cable and AT cable, stopping just short of the Rylands footbridge.

John Boy · 28 Jun 2018

Wow, thought my eyes where deceiving me when I first saw this. I took a 30 sec video so I didn't miss the brother of all bases. On Tuesday it was shuttered and steel in but no concrete.

Today it's been concreted and the shuttering has been removed. Yes removed.

The video is too large to load so I took a couple of screen shots.

GRALISTAIR · 28 Jun 2018

With current weather, no problem on the curing.

The_Engineer · 28 Jun 2018

GRALISTAIR said:
With current weather, no problem on the curing

Not so much "cured", as "baked"...….

And that's a magnificent lump of concrete!

GRALISTAIR · 28 Jun 2018

The_Engineer said:
Not so much "cured", as "baked"...…. And that's a magnificent lump of concrete!

True- in fact, water is required to cure cement/concrete. It will not reach its strength as quickly if water evaporates too quickly.

Inox · 28 Jun 2018

yeah, isn't it to do with the reaction of the chemicals in the concrete what means it's exothermic and you need water to chill it while it's curing?
saw something on the Hoover Dam where they used liquid/chilled CO2 to make sure it went off right.

themiller · 28 Jun 2018

The civils on projects at my place of work when laying a concrete road in hot weather would lay sacking on it before finishing for the night and hose it with cold water to stop it from drying too quickly.

GRALISTAIR · 28 Jun 2018

themiller said:
The civils on projects at my place of work when laying a concrete road in hot weather would lay sacking on it before finishing for the night and hose it with cold water to stop it from drying too quickly.

Correct or add retarder or even a chemical cure to the surface. This basically forms a thin film to stop the water evaporating. Water cement is an exothermic reaction so the last thing it needs is even more heat as per Hoover Dam

LDECRexile · 28 Jun 2018

Bill Morton has kindly sent a shot of foundations in place at Red Moss crossing/footbridge-to-be. As the caption says, it is due to be craned in this weekend.... I hope someone can get lens on, I definitely can't...

I've added Bill's shot to his album here:

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

As he mentioned above, Wrinkley has sent shots of encouraging development at severl sites.

I've added them to his album here:

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

With these Wrinkley has passed the 1300 images mark.

I've added both sets to the Combined Volume here:

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

Thanks to both of you.

Ploughman · 28 Jun 2018

An unlikely effect of work on the Ordsall chord was featured in the BBC Manchester web pages this week.

A water taxi service - or Waxis - for tourists and shoppers in Manchester has sunk after two years.
The temporary closure of the canal, caused by work on the Ordsall Chord rail link, meant the loss of a £1m grant to build access ramps, landings and pontoons.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-44601022

GRALISTAIR · 28 Jun 2018

LDECRexile said:
—, Wrinkley has sent shots of encouraging development at several sites. I've added them to his album here:

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

With these Wrinkley has passed the 1300 images mark.

That is a serious contribution. Thanks indeed to all.

lancastrian · 29 Jun 2018

wrinkley said:
Things are moving on again at Lostock, the crossbar is up and another one has been assembled ready to go on the last portal. Orangemen are putting up four runs of HV cable duct between the substation and the station platform. Photos sent to Dave.
Mr Locke and others, I have sent a photo of a vent below P3 at Bolton, is this part of the subway, it seems to line up with the wooden sleepers on P1.

Yes that is where the old subway was. Sometimes the only light you had in daytime was through those vents.

LDECRexile · 29 Jun 2018

I've added John Boy's shots of the Squeeze Belly cubes to his album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157669031974018

and to the Combined Volume here:

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

Thank you John Boy, keep 'em coming!

42626 · 30 Jun 2018

Crane at Blackrod this morning. Chatting to a couple of orangemen and it is for offloading Red Moss footbridge onto the rail for transport down to Red Moss. Stairs should be in this afternoon and span tonight.

42626 · 30 Jun 2018

Red Moss Footbridge staircase passing through Blackrod Station today after being offloaded just north of Blackrod Station

GRALISTAIR · 30 Jun 2018

Brilliant thanks for those photos. Footbridges are of course an essential part of electrification progress.

Class 170101 · 30 Jun 2018

With the warm weather in UK there i now a threat of hose pipe bans in parts of the NW looming (in addition to those declared in Northern Ireland). In terms of using concrete etc and water being needed what effect, if any, does this have in construction timescales of the OLE foundations and anything else requiring water?

The_Engineer · 30 Jun 2018

Class 170101 said:
With the warm weather in UK there i now a threat of hose pipe bans in parts of the NW looming (in addition to those declared in Northern Ireland). In terms of using concrete etc and water being needed what effect, if any, does this have in construction timescales of the OLE foundations and anything else requiring water?

I understand that hosepipe bans are usually for domestic user only, at least initially. Industrial uses should not suffer.

GRALISTAIR · 30 Jun 2018

Class 170101 said:
With the warm weather in UK there i now a threat of hose pipe bans in parts of the NW looming (in addition to those declared in Northern Ireland). In terms of using concrete etc and water being needed what effect, if any, does this have in construction timescales of the OLE foundations and anything else requiring water?

The_Engineer said:
I understand that hosepipe bans are usually for domestic user only, at least initially. Industrial uses should not suffer.

Is my understanding too. Also, there were from the last official report only 3 bases to do anyway on the scheme. Quite a few masts left to do though.

01jg · 30 Jun 2018

Orange army erected Another mast up at chorley station today ! There could be more .. but the second one was up at 2, as I was driving past

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