Great Western Electrification Progress

[HowardGWR]

I think the point is that it's about today's 'American' legal environment. Just another import from there that I am sure we all welcome wholeheartedly.

 

[snowball]

Was discussed in this thread a couple of weeks back. Who knows what announcements were made immediatley prior to switch on with the WCML and ECML schemes. I recall some sort of news media safety campaign at the time, but cannot remember any posters or announcements made.

AIUI the safety distances are calculated to include the possibility of people raising umbrellas.

Umbrellas were also discussed a few weeks ago in the Blackpool-Manchester thread as they seem to be cited as part of the reason for new clearance rules which threatened to require unexpectedly the raising of an additional bridge at Bolton, busting the budget and timescale of the project.

 

[Trog]

Wise perhaps to give some warning while the wires are new, although umbrellas does seem a bit unlikely. Although I seem to remember hearing once of someone using a platform edge as a substitute river bank to try out the balance of his nice new carbon fibre fishing rod while waiting for his train home. Zapp.

 

[59CosG95]

Japan of course has posters everywhere on stations warning passengers not to use selfie sticks on the platforms...and for good reason!

 

[YorkshireBear]

Helium foil balloons are another big risk.

 

[Lurpi]

Network Rail are reporting the first earth wire going up between Challow and Wantage in south-east Oxfordshire. Pictures here.

Judging by Google Maps, that's a distance of roughly 4.6km. If it's only one wire run, and wire runs are 1.6km eah as I read somewhere, then I guess it's around a third of the distance between the two.

 

[jimm]

Cantilever arms and some autotransformer hangers now in place at Denchworth. Pictures from Tuesday, by Martin Loader

http://hondawanderer.com/66508_66544_66587_Denchworth_2016.htm

http://hondawanderer.com/43193_Denchworth_2016.htm

and some from last week at Challow and Sonning Cutting with steelwork in place

http://hondawanderer.com/43126_Challow_2016.htm

http://hondawanderer.com/66591_Challow_2016.htm

http://hondawanderer.com/165108_Sonning_2016.htm

 

[reddragon]

No work visible at Tilehurst over the last 2 weeks, maybe it will get done over the bank holiday as the relief are closed at night? Strange as some wires are part complete, you would expect them to finish a job before moving elsewhere!

 

[Phil.]

Was discussed in this thread a couple of weeks back. Who knows what announcements were made immediatley prior to switch on with the WCML and ECML schemes. I recall some sort of news media safety campaign at the time, but cannot remember any posters or announcements made.

AIUI the safety distances are calculated to include the possibility of people raising umbrellas.

With wires about fourteen feet nine inches high at the minimum, take off three feet for the platform and that leaves eleven feet nine inches. I'm 6' 3" and, at full stretch I can just - on tip-toe - reach to seven foot nine. Add on two and a half feet for an umbrella and that takes the tip of it to nine foot nine. Now, who walks around with an umbrella help up at full stretch?
There is sensible safety and there is stupid safety.

 

[alxndr]

With wires about fourteen feet nine inches high at the minimum, take off three feet for the platform and that leaves eleven feet nine inches. I'm 6' 3" and, at full stretch I can just - on tip-toe - reach to seven foot nine. Add on two and a half feet for an umbrella and that takes the tip of it to nine foot nine. Now, who walks around with an umbrella help up at full stretch?

There is sensible safety and there is stupid safety.

The safe distance for anyone, or anything carried by a person is is 9ft, so if the minimum is 14' 9" that leaves just 5' 9" of safe space underneath, without taking platforms into consideration.

 

[Tio Terry]

EN50122 requires a clear space of 3.5m between the closest part of unprotected electrical equipment - usually the end of the pantograph horn when considering a platform - and a person. In our case standing behind the yellow line where they are supposed to be. Anything less than that and you are required to place "obstacles" between the live equipment and the person to prevent anyone coming in to contact with the live parts.

 

[TheKnightWho]

With wires about fourteen feet nine inches high at the minimum, take off three feet for the platform and that leaves eleven feet nine inches. I'm 6' 3" and, at full stretch I can just - on tip-toe - reach to seven foot nine. Add on two and a half feet for an umbrella and that takes the tip of it to nine foot nine. Now, who walks around with an umbrella help up at full stretch?
There is sensible safety and there is stupid safety.

Because it is entirely possible such a situation may arise at some point. Calling that "stupid safety" just displays a lack of imagination.

 

[GazK]

Because it is entirely possible such a situation may arise at some point. Calling that "stupid safety" just displays a lack of imagination.

two words:

Helium balloons

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[contrex]

Although I seem to remember hearing once of someone using a platform edge as a substitute river bank to try out the balance of his nice new carbon fibre fishing rod while waiting for his train home. Zapp.

I remember one where the bloke lost both arms and both legs, and was quoted as saying he "didn't want to live any more". There was a pile of black shavings on the platforrm, and the metal drain cover he was standing on was melted in places.

 

[jimm]

All platforms at Didcot Parkway station are now wired, as are both the relief lines from the electrification depot at Moreton into Didcot, but there's no wiring between tracks at the pointwork at Moreton or in Didcot as far as I could see when passing through today.

 

[Lurpi]

Network Rail have published a press release about resignalling work in the Bristol area, which they describe as preparing the way for electrification and the Filton bank four tracking.

I am deeply intrigued by the main photo they use (I know the second one is not the great western at all). Are there really wires up around Bristol or is that just from somewhere else on the GWML?

 

[YorkshireBear]

Hopefully this will mean this particularly section of electrification will be easier and they won't hit the wires!
I just hope they have accurate as builts!

 

[edwin_m]

I guess the Bristol re-signalling will also involve some amount of re-modelling. In which case it would be pointless and probably not possible to do much electrification work beforehand.

 

[GazK]

Network Rail have published a press release about resignalling work in the Bristol area, which they describe as preparing the way for electrification and the Filton bank four tracking.

I am deeply intrigued by the main photo they use (I know the second one is not the great western at all). Are there really wires up around Bristol or is that just from somewhere else on the GWML?

That is either Goring or Cholsey, suspect the former. I'm sure I remember a pair of midpoint anchor portals at the East end of Goring, and one is visible in the photo.

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[Hartington]

Grant, a member of the GWR social media team, has just said (on Facebook and in answer to questions) that Henley and Slough will be using 365s from December 2017 and that Marlow will retain 16x.

 

[Domh245]

Grant, a member of the GWR social media team, has just said (on Facebook and in answer to questions) that Henley and Slough will be using 365s from December 2017 and that Marlow will retain 16x.

365s? I would hope that he meant 387s!

 

[MatthewRead]

365s? I would hope that he meant 387s!

So GWR will be taking 365's after all

 

[swt_passenger]

Marlow retaining DMUs is hardly news worthy...

 

[fgwrich]

Network Rail have published a press release about resignalling work in the Bristol area, which they describe as preparing the way for electrification and the Filton bank four tracking.

I am deeply intrigued by the main photo they use (I know the second one is not the great western at all). Are there really wires up around Bristol or is that just from somewhere else on the GWML?

That is either Goring or Cholsey, suspect the former. I'm sure I remember a pair of midpoint anchor portals at the East end of Goring, and one is visible in the photo.

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If it's the stock photo I think it is, that looks more like the GEML to me. The Grey Lampost is more Abellio GA Grey than either FGW Blue or GWR Black. Don't think there's any fences like that on the GW either.

 

[GazK]

If it's the stock photo I think it is, that looks more like the GEML to me. The Grey Lampost is more Abellio GA Grey than either FGW Blue or GWR Black. Don't think there's any fences like that on the GW either.

By George you're right. The cantilever is GEFF equipment rather than series 1. The gooseneck which runs down from the catenary is a flatter shape.

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[fgwrich]

By George you're right. The cantilever is GEFF equipment rather than series 1. The gooseneck which runs down from the catenary is a flatter shape.

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Had a feeling it was. It also certainly isn't Goring - The contractors are being allowed to work and not being mobbed by the locals / scenic Britain et all.

(tongue in cheek comment)

 

[reddragon]

The electrification gangs are busy at Tilehurst today.

Both reliefs are wired through the station now, but I'll have to wait for next week when the trains are back to check where things are actually completed to.

There are "limit of operation signs" for electric trains on the up end of the Tilehurst platform mains.

 

[Tw99]

The electrification gangs are busy at Tilehurst today.

Both reliefs are wired through the station now, but I'll have to wait for next week when the trains are back to check where things are actually completed to.

There are "limit of operation signs" for electric trains on the up end of the Tilehurst platform mains.

I noticed last week that the relief lines between Tilehurst and the start/end of the currently electrified main line section had had some work done, but there's still quite a lot of the small steelwork and other parts missing. On the other hand, some of the pre-installed portals on the flyover that were done as part of the Reading station redevelopment have now got parts attached. I'm still rather mystified by the work scheduling, but I suppose it must make sense to someone....

 

[fgwrich]

The electrification gangs are busy at Tilehurst today.

Both reliefs are wired through the station now, but I'll have to wait for next week when the trains are back to check where things are actually completed to.

There are "limit of operation signs" for electric trains on the up end of the Tilehurst platform mains.

They were busy at Didcot as well, with work on Moreton Junction and the avoiding curve, relief lines through the station and wiring on the West Curve / Chester Junction. As a result, all the XCs and GW Services were diverted through Didcot with a reversal at Foxhall Junction.

 

[Stefan44]

When will Exeter Central become electrified?