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East Kilbride/Barrhead electrification updates

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Falcon1200

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sannox said:
I don't understand why such a short section was left un-electrified!
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Presumably because it would have added to the scheme cost, and because it is operationally totally unnecessary except for the very few days when the route through Muirhouse is blocked; Even then route knowledge is a stumbling block.
 
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mcmad

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I believe the 2 road bridges on the chord (Pollokshaws and Victoria Road were both highly problematic and would have required extensive track lowers resulting in both junctions needing reworks which blew any realistic cost benefit. Suggestions to single the chord, which would have reduced the lowers significantly, were rejected by operators.
 
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sannox

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Falcon1200 said:
Presumably because it would have added to the scheme cost, and because it is operationally totally unnecessary except for the very few days when the route through Muirhouse is blocked; Even then route knowledge is a stumbling block.
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Route knowledge shouldn't be a stumbling block? There is daily EK ECS to keep knowledge.
 
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geoffk said:
Barrhead was electrified and has just one electric per hour, plus one diesel to/from Kilmarnock. Weren't there supposed to be two, with the Kilmarnocks running fast? I assume the reason was shortage of electric stock.
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I'm pretty sure the shortage of EMU stock is down to the option for the 10 additional class 385s not being taken up.
 
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Southsider

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gingertom said:
I'm pretty sure the shortage of EMU stock is down to the option for the 10 additional class 385s not being taken up.
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There does seem to be a lack of joined up thinking, they would have fitted in quite nicely. The 350/2s are becoming available but that would mean a small sub-fleet. It’s not as if there is an excess of 156s, instead of 6 car throughout the peaks there are short forms of 4 and even 2 car turning up regularly.
 
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GRALISTAIR

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Southsider said:
There does seem to be a lack of joined up thinking, they would have fitted in quite nicely. The 350/2s are becoming available but that would mean a small sub-fleet. It’s not as if there is an excess of 156s, instead of 6 car throughout the peaks there are short forms of 4 and even 2 car turning up regularly.
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Macwomble said:
...and why not; after all they did the same with 365s for the E & G a few years back.
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I am not in favor of small sub-fleets but given a choice -a small subfleet is/would not be a bad option the worst option. [edited]
 
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John R

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How small would a sub-fleet be? One unit for Barrhead, three for EK, and maybe one spare? That would be a very small sub-fleet, with all the disadvantages that give.
 
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Falcon1200 said:
Only until East Kilbride goes all-EMU!

Also, that would only retain route knowledge for the Traincrew booked to work it, ie Glasgow-based, not Ayr, Dumfries or Stranraer.
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Indeed. Here’s the point I’m making: I’ve been on a 1st Gen DMU ex EK when there was a problem in the Muirhouse area, so it was just diverted over to Larkfield and into Central that way. Now, if a similar situation arises, an EMU has nowhere to go and stops everything behind it.
 
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Falcon1200

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MadMac said:
Now, if a similar situation arises, an EMU has nowhere to go and stops everything behind it.
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You are right, and it would have been better if the Larkfield Curve had been wired (and sufficient trains were booked that way so as to retain route knowledge....) But it would of course have increased the cost of the project, although I am not sure why singling (to eliminate any overbridge issues) was not considered, bearing in mind that the line is hardly used - Unless the cost of the necessary signalling alterations was a factor?
 
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Wondering if a bit of lateral thinking could have been used here, the Sunnyside Junction to Whifflet line is wired and OOU, unlikely to be used again for electric traction. Could they have salvaged steelwork etc from here to wire that curve? It was done once before (Balloch singling used at Lanark)
 
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NotATrainspott

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d9009alycidon said:
Wondering if a bit of lateral thinking could have been used here, the Sunnyside Junction to Whifflet line is wired and OOU, unlikely to be used again for electric traction. Could they have salvaged steelwork etc from here to wire that curve? It was done once before (Balloch singling used at Lanark)
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The steelwork is cheap. It's the clearance work to raise bridges or lower the track which is expensive.

I recall reading somewhere that the link at Coatbridge Sunnyside is useful as a way to connect the WCML and North Clyde power supplies. If it weren't there, there would be a 25kV cable buried underground instead. There's only one bridge over the railway on this link, so the cost of clearance wasn't really a problem.
 
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NotATrainspott said:
The steelwork is cheap. It's the clearance work to raise bridges or lower the track which is expensive.

I recall reading somewhere that the link at Coatbridge Sunnyside is useful as a way to connect the WCML and North Clyde power supplies. If it weren't there, there would be a 25kV cable buried underground instead. There's only one bridge over the railway on this link, so the cost of clearance wasn't really a problem.
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One of the driving factors behind extending electrification from Mossend to Gartsherrie in the early 80s was the need to replace a cable like this that linked the North and South electrics.
 
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Received a leaflet in the post today from ’Scotland’s Railway’ stating that the overhead wires are to be energised. Doesn’t give a date, just ’in this phase of the project’. I guess it will be soon to allow for testing and adjusting before passenger services start in December.
 
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Southsider

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What are the vertical insulators with wires coming from them for? Taken from Church Road near Giffnock station.

IMG_0683.jpeg
 
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N1

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Southsider said:
What are the vertical insulators with wires coming from them for? Taken from Church Road near Giffnock station.
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They are line surge arresters to protect against overvolatge (typically from lightning strike or switching surges). Used near low clearance bridges to prevent arcing between catenary wire and structures in overvoltages. The vertical bit is the surge arrester itself, and horizontal is an insulator with an earth wire bypass that breaks if the surge arrester overheats and shorts, preventing a full short circuit.
 
d9009alycidon

d9009alycidon

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I had a look at RTT for December and it is very much a mixed DMU/EMU timetable, would think there will be negative comments in the press etc.
 
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