Great Western Electrification Progress

[Taunton]

My suggestion was thwarted by the fact that the "get-you-home" engines are not powerful enough to run to unwired parts such as Carmarthen and Weston super Mare at a reasonable speed and up Filton Bank.

I can't believe that the get-me-out-of-here diesels are unable to get the train out of the Severn Tunnel at a reasonable speed if the electricity fails inside there. Surely that's one place where it would be needed pronto.

 

[HowardGWR]

I can't believe that the get-me-out-of-here diesels are unable to get the train out of the Severn Tunnel at a reasonable speed if the electricity fails inside there. Surely that's one place where it would be needed pronto.

See bold double negative. Is that what you meant? I have an idea you meant the opposite.

 

[deltic08]

I think what he really meant was "bring back British Rail exactly as it was, including Deltic 8".

I wish I could go back to the days of Deltics. In 1982 I was briefly the owner of 55008 but due to circumstances beyond my control I had to cancel the sale. Nowadays I would have done things differently. I offered Porterbrook a six figure sum for purple 55018 when that came up for sale but somehow the owning group came up with the money to buy it back.

Watching the railway scene then was much more exciting than the boring stock we see now.

Standing at Pilmoor and listening to Deltics thrash up and down the ECML was amazing. Haven't been to watch trains at Pilmoor since the withdrawal of 47s on Cross Country.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

See bold double negative. Is that what you meant? I have an idea you meant the opposite.

Not so sure this is a double negative. He can't believe that 800s are unable to get home on diesel.

 

[snowball]

See bold double negative. Is that what you meant? I have an idea you meant the opposite.

My take on his post is that he meant it the way he wrote it. "Surely the designers haven't botched it so badly that they can't get a failed train out of the Severn Tunnel?"

 

[gsnedders]

I thought the Class 801's diesel engine was easily capable of climbing steep grades—just, it'll do it much like a Class 08 would: it'll get over anything, eventually.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Does the Severn tunnel have the option to power either track from either end of the tunnel?

 

[deltic08]

Does the Severn tunnel have the option to power either track from either end of the tunnel?

Should do. It was capable of this in the days of steam with facing and trailing crossovers at either end.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Does the Severn tunnel have the option to power either track from either end of the tunnel?

I think I've seen somewhere that the tunnel will be powered from the Newport end normally, but is capable of being fed from the Thingley end if needed.
The tunnel is also bi-di signalled.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Should do. It was capable of this in the days of steam with facing and trailing crossovers at either end.

Not sure they would help power the OLE in steam days.

 

[swt_passenger]

I can't believe that the get-me-out-of-here diesels are unable to get the train out of the Severn Tunnel at a reasonable speed if the electricity fails inside there. Surely that's one place where it would be needed pronto.

None of the GWR trains will have just the 'get you home diesels' as they are all bi-modes. Am I missing something in this recent discussion?

 

[snowball]

None of the GWR trains will have just the 'get you home diesels' as they are all bi-modes. Am I missing something in this recent discussion?

I think the discussion was in an alternative universe relating to a hypothetical suggestion.

 

[JamesT]

None of the GWR trains will have just the 'get you home diesels' as they are all bi-modes. Am I missing something in this recent discussion?

They are all currently specified for bi-mode, however at least originally some were specified as the 'electric only' type, and presumably if/when the electrification gets finished they'll remove the extra engines to go back to just electric.

 

[HowardGWR]

None of the GWR trains will have just the 'get you home diesels' as they are all bi-modes. Am I missing something in this recent discussion?

Yes, it was about Deltic08's suggestion that the IEPs now being ordered as bi-modes needn't have been, if his suggestion that the GWR all electric with get you home diesel had gone to VTEC instead. It was way back in the thread now.

 

[deltic08]

Not sure they would help power the OLE in steam days.

Yes, assumed bi direction running without reading what was actually asked.

 

[leomartin125]

Yes, it was about Deltic08's suggestion that the IEPs now being ordered as bi-modes needn't have been, if his suggestion that the GWR all electric with get you home diesel had gone to VTEC instead. It was way back in the thread now.

I can vouch for that. Although none of the trains produced by Hitachi's are 801's yet, even Virgin's 9 car set is a Class 800 (800101). The first GWR 9 car set was also a Class 800 (800301) but this set I believe was transferred to Virgin EC when the announcement came that GWR would be needing more diesel IEP's. This I cannot understand, as 800301 was already a Class 800, so had no reason to change ownership...

Can anyone elighten me here?

 

[deltic08]

They are all currently specified for bi-mode, however at least originally some were specified as the 'electric only' type, and presumably if/when the electrification gets finished they'll remove the extra engines to go back to just electric.

Unnecessary expense in the first place had HSTs been retained for a little longer on London-Bristol/Swansea and displaced from both Cotswold and West Country routes earlier for cascade to Scotrail.

 

[Clarence Yard]

Unnecessary expense in the first place had HSTs been retained for a little longer on London-Bristol/Swansea and displaced from both Cotswold and West Country routes earlier for cascade to Scotrail.

Was never going to happen. Agility units use specified depots - Laira and Long Rock are not in the TARA so the units have to revolve around North Pole, Stoke Gifford and Maliphant. That restricts the services they can run on and each of the IEP depots have a mandatory maintenance plan which the TOC has to adhere to.

The IEP units run at a lower power rating than the 802 sets and until the bi-modalisation was authorised were still on the 700 mile limit for fuel with the smaller tanks. That means they couldn't knock out an HST on a "one for one" long train basis on the West Country services, even if they could've met the times in muzzled mode.

 

[HowardGWR]

Thanks Clarence_Yard*
TBH, if I were GWR TOC management, I would be breathing a sigh of relief at the delay, that has brought about the all-bi-mode policy. Having genuine bi-modes instead of get-you-home will enable a load of possible electrification teething problems to be overcome with much fewer delays. From a customer relations standpoint, they don't care what powers the train, as I opined earlier in the thread.

*there's one in Southend and one in Gosport. I am intrigued which is yours.

 

[Clarence Yard]

Thanks Clarence_Yard*
TBH, if I were GWR TOC management, I would be breathing a sigh of relief at the delay, that has brought about the all-bi-mode policy. Having genuine bi-modes instead of get-you-home will enable a load of possible electrification teething problems to be overcome with much fewer delays. From a customer relations standpoint, they don't care what powers the train, as I opined earlier in the thread.

*there's one in Southend and one in Gosport. I am intrigued which is yours.

North London. Just south of Finsbury Park on the downside - now a housing estate.

 

[Tio Terry]

North London. Just south of Finsbury Park on the downside - now a housing estate.

There was also a Clarence Yard in Norwich years ago.

 

[Mintona]

When I last counted a few weeks ago there were 35 masts erected in the Marshfield area between Newport and Cardiff. Today there were 71. Impressive progress there!

 

[deltic08]

When I last counted a few weeks ago there were 35 masts erected in the Marshfield area between Newport and Cardiff. Today there were 71. Impressive progress there!

Less than impressive. Works out about 5 per night. Pathetic. I thought the schedule was one completed wire length per night.

 

[Mintona]

Less than impressive. Works out about 5 per night. Pathetic. I thought the schedule was one completed wire length per night.

It's pretty impressive. The lines here aren't being worked on every night, they're being done every couple of weeks. There's still a fair amount of piling and groundworks being done at the same time. This section is a few years off completion so I'd say they're doing pretty well to get ahead and get on with it.

 

[steverailer]

Less than impressive. Works out about 5 per night. Pathetic. I thought the schedule was one completed wire length per night.

Thats not the schedule, thats what they said the HOPS could do every night !!!! A complete wire rune needs around 20 masts per side of track. Add in that the brackets for the booms will be installed as they put the masts in and any struts installed or laid out too and you're around the 5 mark per shift.

 

[fflint]

With all the talk of Bi-modes and the problems they cause, I came across a way of solving the diesel particulates issue and the ability run under the wires. From another thread. Originally posted by PDG1949:-

http://http://www.railforums.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=29695&d=1480645769

 

[snowball]

A couple of press releases:

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...e-reopens-on-time-following-extensive-upgrade

Bridge Street Road Bridge, an iconic bridge connecting Newport to its city centre has reopened to motorists today (from 12noon Thursday 1 December) following essential upgrade work.

The 105 year-old road bridge was closed in May 2016 while it was completely reconstructed to prepare it for electrification as part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan to provide a bigger, better, more reliable railway for passengers.

The original bridge was demolished in July and the new and improved structure was installed to accommodate the overhead line equipment required to power the new fleet electric trains.

The new bridge is able to accommodate heavier vehicles, to ensure it is fit for modern day city centre traffic and also has a wider footpath for pedestrians and improved road alignment for better accessibility.

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...n-as-railway-upgrade-in-south-wales-continues

A new platform at Cardiff Central station designed to help ease congestion will be unveiled in the New Year-all part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan.

The brand new platform 8 is located above the modern south-side entrance building at the station and will officially come into use on Tuesday, 3 January 2017 to passengers travelling on the Penarth, Barry Island and Vale of Glamorgan lines. It is all part of the £300m Cardiff area signalling renewals project to modernise the Cardiff and Valleys network. The works are the largest signalling project of its kind to be commissioned on the rail network and will be completed over the festive period.

The track for Platform 8 was installed this year and together with the new signalling system, as well as being bi-directional, it will enable trains to depart westwards from Platforms 7 and 8 simultaneously, improving the operational capacity of the line.

The project also includes upgrading track and signalling on the railway in and around Cardiff Central station, which will help to improve the reliability of the rail services in the area.

 

[jimm]

And in a further attempt to get this thread back on track, ie to talk about the actual electrification project rather than yet another circular discussion about bi-modes, a lot of the small steelwork is now in place on the portals through Reading station and a few randomly-located registration arms have also been fitted.

 

[fgwrich]

And in a further attempt to get this thread back on track, ie to talk about the actual electrification project rather than yet another circular discussion about bi-modes, a lot of the small steelwork is now in place on the portals through Reading station and a few randomly-located registration arms have also been fitted.

Which reminds me...

 

[fgwrich]

Mostly through platforms 11 & 12 at the moment, with some small steelwork appearing around the curve to Reading West and up and onto the Viaduct.

 

[jyte]

Mostly through platforms 11 & 12 at the moment, with some small steelwork appearing around the curve to Reading West and up and onto the Viaduct.

When's Reading due for completion?