Chadwell Heath

[91104]

Coming through earlier I noticed what seemed to be a new turnback siding between the up and down electric lines just east of Chadwell Heath Station. Don't recall seeing this before anyone know anymore?

 

[dk1]

It's part of the Crossrail enhancements.

 

[Bald Rick]

Long awaited.

 

[pdeaves]

It's part of the Crossrail enhancements.

and was laid just before new year.

 

[Class 170101]

To be commissioned in May apparently by Network Rail.

 

[AM9]

It's part of the Crossrail enhancements.

That looks like an easy win. There must be room for a 300m train there where there was a siding years ago. Will it just be an emergency turnback then?

 

[dk1]

That looks like an easy win. There must be room for a 300m train there where there was a siding years ago. Will it just be an emergency turnback then?

Not sure what was there before resignalling in the 90s or before. Will ask around. I think it's planned as an emergency turn back.

 

[Class 170101]

Don't forget Ilford Platform 5 disappears with Crossrail so probably a bit more than an emergency turnback.

 

[AM9]

Not sure what was there before resignalling in the 90s or before. Will ask around. I think it's planned as an emergency turn back.

Well, I used to commute home from Ilford/Seven Kings eastwards in the early '70s. I distinctly remember the 306s pulling away and the trains not closing up to the up electric track until the train was doing about 45-50mph.
There were some sidings south of the main up which often had engineers' vehicles parked on them. The sidings originally served the Berger Paints factory there.
There was also a OHLE section break around there AFAIR (6.25kV ac), - maybe as that was there since the early '50s when the original 1500VDC was rigged, a decision was taken to leave the layout as it was, particularly as it was on the slow lines.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Don't forget Ilford Platform 5 disappears with Crossrail so probably a bit more than an emergency turnback.

Presumably as platform 5 is too short for a 345 and no prospect of lengthening it as the flyover ramp is too near. They could terminate at Ilford by using the first two roads in the car sheds if necessary (or even Seven Kings and reversing into the car sheds' roads). Then there is Gidea Park, used for normal turning for decades.

 

[LAX54]

will be interesting when Crossrail take over in full and their lines become 'self-contained' !

 

[306024]

The middle siding had been removed by the 60s as I can't ever remember track there. Before continuous welded rail the 306s used to make a racket there as the track was all non standard lengths, presumable where the pointwork had been removed.

Presumably as platform 5 is too short for a 345 and no prospect of lengthening it as the flyover ramp is too near. They could terminate at Ilford by using the first two roads in the car sheds if necessary (or even Seven Kings and reversing into the car sheds' roads). Then there is Gidea Park, used for normal turning for decades.

The route form the down I line to the down electric stays but that is all, the rest is needed to extend platform 4. You could terminate Ilford and run to Ilford Depot (there is no signalled route direct to no.1 road nearest the down electric line by the way), but getting out again is more difficult as you have to find a gap in the service on the down electric line.

will be interesting when Crossrail take over in full and their lines become 'self-contained' !

Ah that old chestnut doing the rounds of every mess room

Crossrail trains run on the electric lines (most of the time), but other traffic will continue to use them.

 

[dk1]

will be interesting when Crossrail take over in full and their lines become 'self-contained' !

We will all still chop & change between lines as the service & service disruption dictates.

 

[AM9]

The middle siding had been removed by the 60s as I can't ever remember track there. Before continuous welded rail the 306s used to make a racket there as the track was all non standard lengths, presumable where the pointwork had been removed.

They weren't exactly quiet on any track. The windows would rattle, especially the DMO, by just rolling along. Still have fond memories of them.

The route form the down I line to the down electric stays but that is all, the rest is needed to extend platform 4. You could terminate Ilford and run to Ilford Depot (there is no signalled route direct to no.1 road nearest the down electric line by the way), but getting out again is more difficult as you have to find a gap in the service on the down electric line.

Presumably, drastic action such as terminating down trains at Ilford in busy times would mean that there would be less traffic using the up electric line*.

* Unless of course the obstruction was not far east of Ilford on the down main, and the crossovers giving the main lines access to depot were used to squeeze all down trains onto the down electric line.

 

[306024]

No prizes for guessing 306s were my favourite either, light years ahead of their time for a London commuter train but yes those rattling windows

Ilford - I was thinking about a planned timetable rather than in disruption, when the job has gone to rats anything is possible.

Look out for a trailing crossover on the electric lines London side of Brentwood appearing later in the year too to help facilitate engineering work at Shenfield at a later date.

And the AM9s were my second favourite

 

[Alfie1014]

My understanding is that it has been provided for ECS out of Ilford EMUD after the full Crossrail service as it will be easier to run them out of the country end of the depot down to Chadwell Heath reverse in the centre road then on the Up Electric rather than using the slow speed connections the London end of the depot.

 

[Nym]

IIRC there are still plans to also have services running into Liverpool Street as well as onto Crossrail, perhaps these could use Platform 5 at Ilford still?

 

[306024]

My understanding is that it has been provided for ECS out of Ilford EMUD after the full Crossrail service as it will be easier to run them out of the country end of the depot down to Chadwell Heath reverse in the centre road then on the Up Electric rather than using the slow speed connections the London end of the depot.

You understand correctly, the only way to get all the sidings needed for Crossrail shoe-horned into Ilford Depot on the site of the current B shop is for them to face the country direction, which is where the majority of ECS want to go anyway.

IIRC there are still plans to also have services running into Liverpool Street as well as onto Crossrail, perhaps these could use Platform 5 at Ilford still?

Difficult when platform 5 disappears, besides that wouldn't fill them up. The extra trains running to Liverpool St come from Gidea Park

 

[hassaanhc]

Yesterday around midday there was a 321 pair stabled in P5 at Ilford

 

[306024]

As booked diagram, these will have to find a new home too.

 

[colchesterken]

It is going to be interesting to see how the platform lengthing works out, at Forest Gate- London bound there is a bridge at one end and a 10+metre wall the other and at Maryland the platform is between two bridges---looking foward to seeing what they do unless they so for selective door opening

 

[dk1]

It is going to be interesting to see how the platform lengthing works out, at Forest Gate- London bound there is a bridge at one end and a 10+metre wall the other and at Maryland the platform is between two bridges---looking foward to seeing what they do unless they so for selective door opening

Maryland is defiantly SDO. It was initially proposed for closure but caused a bit of a stir.

 

[AM9]

Yesterday around midday there was a 321 pair stabled in P5 at Ilford

345s are stated to be about 40m longer than two 321s.