East-West Rail (EWR): Oxford-Bletchley construction progress

[a good off]

They will absolutely regret the decision to descope the bi-di and loops between Bicester and Bletchley.

 

[The Planner]

They will absolutely regret the decision to descope the bi-di and loops between Bicester and Bletchley.

Why? The only loop was at Newton Longville towards Bletchley and bi-di never survives. They both went very early on.

 

[a good off]

Because there is no contingency for when things go wrong! You’re a planner, I’m a controller who likes these bits of flexibility to get out of the s**t.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Jul 2022 ==

@The Planner, here’s a question for you. The Claydon loops, how long will they be and will they be able to be used for regulating purposes, or will they solely act as receptions?

 

[The Planner]

Because there is no contingency for when things go wrong! You’re a planner, I’m a controller who likes these bits of flexibility to get out of the s**t.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Jul 2022 ==

@The Planner, here’s a question for you. The Claydon loops, how long will they be and will they be able to be used for regulating purposes, or will they solely act as receptions?

800m + and they are a loop with a reception loop off that, both NR. You can run round on there off the main line if something ever needs to get to Calvert from Oxford.

 

[zwk500]

Why? The only loop was at Newton Longville towards Bletchley and bi-di never survives. They both went very early on.

No bi di or even Simbids does seem quite a shame as Claydon would have given you two quite nice sections to keep the service running in the event of breakdown or track failure.

 

[Trainee9]

I made a tour of some of the EWR works today. The Bletchley High Level station has looked the same for months.
Ist overbridge - Whaddon Road: a second pair of rails has been delivered to site (pics 1347-9 )
2nd overbridge - Swans Way: a second pair of rails has been delivered to site (pics 1350-1) The finished track appears to end under the next footbridge.
3rd overbridge - Mursley Road: underlay laid with a pair of rails positioned on top. (pics 1352-3)
Swanbourne Station site: the underlay and rails laid as far as here. (pic 1354-5)
Winslow Station: no trackwork yet. (pic 1356)

 

[a good off]

800m + and they are a loop with a reception loop off that, both NR. You can run round on there off the main line if something ever needs to get to Calvert from Oxford.

Thank you. So theoretically, one of the longest liners could go away there in times of strife. It’s a shame they’re not providing a Limit of Shunt on the Bicester side of the Up Bletchley at Claydon which would allow for a main line run round if the loop was occupied.

 

[DarloRich]

I made a tour of some of the EWR works today. The Bletchley High Level station has looked the same for months.

Most days there are people bashing and banging in there so something is going on!

 

[fgwrich]

I made a tour of some of the EWR works today. The Bletchley High Level station has looked the same for months.
Ist overbridge - Whaddon Road: a second pair of rails has been delivered to site (pics 1347-9 )
2nd overbridge - Swans Way: a second pair of rails has been delivered to site (pics 1350-1) The finished track appears to end under the next footbridge.
3rd overbridge - Mursley Road: underlay laid with a pair of rails positioned on top. (pics 1352-3)
Swanbourne Station site: the underlay and rails laid as far as here. (pic 1354-5)
Winslow Station: no trackwork yet. (pic 1356)

Incredibly, the NTC has since returned and the rails, and sleepers, have been laid today. Track now runs to Swanbourne.

https://twitter.com/marshrail/status/1544411476844216321?s=21&t=UCoZV_VFNPa5R9pOYyd2Cg

2/2 NEWSFLASH @eastwestrail & @SirPeterHendy!

Track now laid to Swanbourne station site over 5 miles east of Bletchley

New Track Construction Train on the case!

 

[Signal_Box]

Any idea which signalling centre, and traincrew base will work / operate the railway ?

 

[The Planner]

Any idea which signalling centre, and traincrew base will work / operate the railway ?

Rugby ROC and Bletchley.

 

[Signal_Box]

Rugby ROC and Bletchley.

That would make sense, thanks

 

[Roger B]

Incredibly, the NTC has since returned and the rails, and sleepers, have been laid today. Track now runs to Swanbourne.

https://twitter.com/marshrail/status/1544411476844216321?s=21&t=UCoZV_VFNPa5R9pOYyd2Cg

NTC stands for New Track Construction machine - is that so?

 

[fgwrich]

NTC stands for New Track Construction machine - is that so?

It does indeed. A highly impressive piece of kit that, produced by Harsco and operated by Balfour Beatty.

 

[Bald Rick]

NTC stands for New Track Construction machine - is that so?

It does indeed. A highly impressive piece of kit that, produced by Harsco and operated by Balfour Beatty.

yes indeed - a great piece of kit.

I was in attendance when it laid its first sleeper in anger. It then promptly failed.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Incredibly, the NTC has since returned and the rails, and sleepers, have been laid today. Track now runs to Swanbourne.

https://twitter.com/marshrail/status/1544411476844216321?s=21&t=UCoZV_VFNPa5R9pOYyd2Cg

That tweet claims Swanbourne is 5 miles east of Bletchley...

 

[fgwrich]

yes indeed - a great piece of kit.

I was in attendance when it laid its first sleeper in anger. It then promptly failed.

Ah

I was watching it from a few bridges along the A to B project (Airdrie Bathgate) a few years ago, fascinating to see how quickly the line can be laid (or relaid) when the NTC is around.

Fingers crossed the trackbed through Winslow to Claydon and Calvert isn’t too far away from completion. Then presumably it’s either the second track or the Bicester end to Calvert?

 

[Bald Rick]

I was watching it from a few bridges along the A to B project (Airdrie Bathgate) a few years ago

It is perfect for this sort of job, and on a good run can lay, line, thread rail and clip up at a rate of 8 sleepers a minute. The constraint of the system is supplying it with enough sleepers - the wagons they come in on have to be withdrawn when empty and fresh propelled in.

also A-B is more than a few years ago - 13 since the track was laid!

 

[swt_passenger]

Ah

I was watching it from a few bridges along the A to B project (Airdrie Bathgate) a few years ago, fascinating to see how quickly the line can be laid (or relaid) when the NTC is around.

Fingers crossed the trackbed through Winslow to Claydon and Calvert isn’t too far away from completion. Then presumably it’s either the second track or the Bicester end to Calvert?

There’s a post somewhere with the overall track laying plan, I’ll try and find it.

So here you go:

East-West Rail (EWR): Oxford-Bletchley construction progress

How far back does the video go? The crossovers are past the flyover on the Winslow side. I think looking at the back gardens it’s at least about a kilometre. Quite a long way round the bend I think.

www.railforums.co.uk

I think from previous discussions, if building a two track railway, although the Balfour Beatty NTC is the typical choice for the first track, there are other methods of laying the second track, as normal road rail machines can fairly easily lay a track alongside an existing one in a reasonable timescale.

A long welded rail delivery train can also position rail more efficiently working from the first track to go in.

 

[Neen Sollars]

Autistic Psycho has produced another drone flyover video of Bletchley High Level construction progress.

Good video thank you AP. Would love to see round the right corner to view the connection to Fenney Stratford. Assume it is all in and there is a switch from double to single track before the rail over bridge.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

yes indeed - a great piece of kit.

I was in attendance when it laid its first sleeper in anger. It then promptly failed.

Its been around, they have two, for 15 years plus and must have laid/relaid more than a thousand miles by now. It can relay 250 to 300yds an hour and its main constraint was running out of sleepers but NR's wagons for the HO trains will work with it so on job like this you just pull off the empties and propel another full set back in.

 

[swt_passenger]

Its been around, they have two, for 15 years plus and must have laid/relaid more than a thousand miles by now. It can relay 250 to 300yds an hour and its main constraint was running out of sleepers but NR's wagons for the HO trains will work with it so on job like this you just pull off the empties and propel another full set back in.

Does anyone have a ballpark figure for the number of sleepers the normal set of BB wagons can hold? I assume concrete and steel capacities will probably be completely different?

I guess in the general case for renewals elsewhere the trick is minimising the length of single track behind the machine - in this case it will still be quite a distance behind it before they can swap over the empty and full sleeper delivery sets, either at the first crossover in western Bletchley or in the vicinity of the high level station?

 

[zwk500]

I guess in the general case for renewals elsewhere the trick is minimising the length of single track behind the machine - in this case it will still be quite a distance behind it before they can swap over the empty and full sleeper delivery sets, either at the first crossover in western Bletchley or in the vicinity of the high level station?

Not sure how much has been installed, but you could have wagons waiting on the Fenny Stratford line, bring the empties off towards MKC and then propel the next set in. The whole area from Denbigh Hall South Jn is a possession worksite.
Given the line isn't open yet, having long runs shunting the wagons probably isn't too bad a constraint to plan around, unlike when taking possession of a live line.

 

[Bald Rick]

Does anyone have a ballpark figure for the number of sleepers the normal set of BB wagons can hold? I assume concrete and steel capacities will probably be completely different?

typically 180 per wagon for concrete. (3 layers of 60). We did look at 4 layers but think there were issues with the gantries that move the sleepers around.

the issue is having enough wagons in the circuit between machine, stabling / holding area for replenishment, and the sleeper factory.

 

[DarloRich]

Not sure how much has been installed, but you could have wagons waiting on the Fenny Stratford line, bring the empties off towards MKC and then propel the next set in. The whole area from Denbigh Hall South Jn is a possession worksite.
Given the line isn't open yet, having long runs shunting the wagons probably isn't too bad a constraint to plan around, unlike when taking possession of a live line.

I am not sure the connection from the Marston Vale line is available. Pretty sure it has a stop block chained to the track. I think the only entry/exit point is Denbigh.

 

[swt_passenger]

typically 180 per wagon for concrete. (3 layers of 60). We did look at 4 layers but think there were issues with the gantries that move the sleepers around.

the issue is having enough wagons in the circuit between machine, stablin / holding area for replenishment, a.

Is that about 120m per wagon at typical spacing then, so a pretty good length per full trainload?

But, presumably the gantry is constrained by the ever increasing time taken to run down the train and back. Is it possible that I’ve seen a second gantry in use on the NR high output system?

 

[Bald Rick]

Is that about 120m per wagon at typical spacing then, so a pretty good length per full trainload?

But, presumably the gantry is constrained by the ever increasing time taken to run down the train and back. Is it possible that I’ve seen a second gantry in use on the NR high output system?

yes, 120m per wagon and yes there’s two gantries. I forget how many wagons are in a typical consist, but 8 rings a bell, with the possibility of doubling up to 16. That means 2k worth of new track, but when the team are on a good run they can do that in 5-6 hours.

 

[Trainee9]

Today I had a look at the Bletchley-Winslow works en route for Claydon House. At the first overbridge (Whaddon Road) I saw completed tracks extending in both directions. (pics 1358,9) Wow.
At the second overbridge (Swan's Way) there was one track, with train on it in the far distance to the West. (pic 1360)
At the third overbridge there was one track, with ballast train parked not far off to the east. (pic 1362)
At the former Swanbourne station there was one finished track running westward under the footbridge and out of sight. Also a new Works sign by a gate in the fence. (pics 1363,4,5)
To my inexpert eye, a lot of the newly laid track looks as though it is awaiting more ballast. (pic 1364).
At Winslow, no track. Just past Winslow was a road closure with a bridge getting some serious attention from EWR. I sighted other works en route to Claydon House via Verney Junction but did not stop.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Wow indeed. Great progress

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Today I had a look at the Bletchley-Winslow works en route for Claydon House. At the first overbridge (Whaddon Road) I saw completed tracks extending in both directions. (pics 1358,9) Wow.
At the second overbridge (Swan's Way) there was one track, with train on it in the far distance to the West. (pic 1360)
At the third overbridge there was one track, with ballast train parked not far off to the east. (pic 1362)
At the former Swanbourne station there was one finished track running westward under the footbridge and out of sight. Also a new Works sign by a gate in the fence. (pics 1363,4,5)
To my inexpert eye, a lot of the newly laid track looks as though it is awaiting more ballast. (pic 1364).
At Winslow, no track. Just past Winslow was a road closure with a bridge getting some serious attention from EWR. I sighted other works en route to Claydon House via Verney Junction but did not stop.

Standard practice to lay the sleepers on the ballast then run ballast for the tamper to work with. They could have significant issues with losing the alignment during next weeks hot weather mind you with ballast that low but im sure the track contractor will ensure the rails are splayed at ferquent intervals where the tarck isn't fully ballasted and stressed.