Stevenage platform 5

[59CosG95]

By comparison with GW installations, the furthest mast looks to be positioned for the cantilever to go to its right, the hooks are facing the existing tracks and the holes for the securing pin are on the back.

To add to that, it looks from here like the TTC boom will be similar to the boom on the left in this picture, rather than the more substantial boom on the right. https://flic.kr/p/2gvC8QR

 

[swt_passenger]

To add to that, it looks from here like the TTC boom will be similar to the boom on the left in this picture, rather than the more substantial boom on the right. https://flic.kr/p/2gvC8QR

Yes, I expect there’s a range of fairly similar looking but scaled up or down sizes depending on the “reach” needed.

 

[edwin_m]

I'd hazard a guess they are going to replace the headspans by portals before they lay the new track. The more distant one may be a Twin Track Cantilever, possibly reaching over the new track to replace the Single Track Cantilever over the turnout.

 

[59CosG95]

Yes, I expect there’s a range of fairly similar looking but scaled up or down sizes depending on the “reach” needed.

Exactly. The positioning of the hooks & holes relative to each other on the mast is the distinguishing feature, I've noticed - when they're almost parallel, it'll be a smaller one, but if they're almost staggered, it'll be a larger boom.

 

[59CosG95]

I'd hazard a guess they are going to replace the headspans by portals before they lay the new track. The more distant one may be a Twin Track Cantilever, possibly reaching over the new track to replace the Single Track Cantilever over the turnout.

That's my assumption as well, although the number of replaced headspans is so far a mystery. The "Single Track Cantilever" is technically a Double Cantilever (as it has two overlapping wire runs).

 

[adamedwards]

View looking south today. Lots of piles along the route of the new track.

 

[malc-c]

Adam, you beet me to it. Went down today to video another update... Fantastic hour, three freight trains, including 66720 in its rainbow livery, and 91119 in the swallow livery.

As you can see, Adam wasn't wrong, and there are lots of piling going in to retain the embankments along the line. I was speaking to one of the supervisors whilst there, but could not get anything concrete regarding when the track work or OHLE was planned for installation. He did however confirm that it will be a single gantry system. But they still have two major parts to the project which is to modify six hills way and A602 bridges. That's going to be fun as the A602 bridge not only services the main industrial area, but Junction 7 of the A1(M). My guess is that they would do one at a time so each could provide the detour for the other, if not then Fairlands underpass would be the only option.

Anyway, here's update #4

 

[adamedwards]

Fab video. Interesting to see at approx 4m03 the two electrification masts which I assume are part of the new line? I could see them from the train in but wasn't able to photograph them (as my family ten pin bowling duties had to be the priority!).

I would assume at the bridges the track bed will be dug down to give clearance for the electric wires, rather than doing things to the bridges which would be massively expensive? (Plus adding new parapets to the side walls above the wires). I also assume the speed limit will be low so allowing for a bit of wiggling around the odd obstruction.

A final thought from the video is that the down Hertford line joins the down slow on a curve and modern good practice is to avoid this, so I don't think this is the case, but might the junction be moved north closer to the station to reduce point maintenance and possibly increase speeds? It wouldn't effect platform 5, as that would still be a siding. Looking forward to seeing track and platform going in.

 

[malc-c]

Adam, thanks for the compliments on the video.

To be honest I don't know how they are going to modify the bridges. The ground work at the A602 bridge stop just short of the bridge supports (red line on the attached image). From my conversations with the supervisor this new section of track is going to be connected via point off the existing Hertford loop line whilst still retaining connectivity of the Hertford loop to the ECML as it serves a s a relief line and most of the freight services are routed this way so as not to bottleneck trains between Digswell viaduct and Woolmergreen. Looking at the support pillars and existing equipment as indicated by the arrows in the attached image, a lot of work is needed if a track running parallel with the ECML is to merge with the Hertford line.

The six-hill bridge should be easy, basically just mirror the existing lines and drop the OHL to get under it. Looking at the bridge itself, it looks as if they planned for an additional track when they built it given the span. When they built the new town 70 years back it seems they expected the additional platform and track to be needed at some point in the future and left enough ground to do so.. (well that's my thoughts).

 

[hwl]

View attachment 67296 Adam, thanks for the compliments on the video.

To be honest I don't know how they are going to modify the bridges. The ground work at the A602 bridge stop just short of the bridge supports (red line on the attached image). From my conversations with the supervisor this new section of track is going to be connected via point off the existing Hertford loop line whilst still retaining connectivity of the Hertford loop to the ECML as it serves a s a relief line and most of the freight services are routed this way so as not to bottleneck trains between Digswell viaduct and Woolmergreen. Looking at the support pillars and existing equipment as indicated by the arrows in the attached image, a lot of work is needed if a track running parallel with the ECML is to merge with the Hertford line.

The six-hill bridge should be easy, basically just mirror the existing lines and drop the OHL to get under it. Looking at the bridge itself, it looks as if they planned for an additional track when they built it given the span. When they built the new town 70 years back it seems they expected the additional platform and track to be needed at some point in the future and left enough ground to do so.. (well that's my thoughts).

The bridge modification may be as simple as adding impact protection* where the existing mast and equipment boxes under the bridge are given the track is being realigned.

* Lots of reinforced concrete to prevent a derailed train striking the diagonal support

 

[Skimpot flyer]

View attachment 67296 Adam, thanks for the compliments on the video.

To be honest I don't know how they are going to modify the bridges. The ground work at the A602 bridge stop just short of the bridge supports (red line on the attached image). From my conversations with the supervisor this new section of track is going to be connected via point off the existing Hertford loop line whilst still retaining connectivity of the Hertford loop to the ECML as it serves a s a relief line and most of the freight services are routed this way so as not to bottleneck trains between Digswell viaduct and Woolmergreen. Looking at the support pillars and existing equipment as indicated by the arrows in the attached image, a lot of work is needed if a track running parallel with the ECML is to merge with the Hertford line.

The six-hill bridge should be easy, basically just mirror the existing lines and drop the OHL to get under it. Looking at the bridge itself, it looks as if they planned for an additional track when they built it given the span. When they built the new town 70 years back it seems they expected the additional platform and track to be needed at some point in the future and left enough ground to do so.. (well that's my thoughts).

I’m sure when I commuted to Stevenage in the early 1990s, there was a siding and a set of buffers on the down side, before the Leisure Park was constructed, I think

 

[malc-c]

I’m sure when I commuted to Stevenage in the early 1990s, there was a siding and a set of buffers on the down side, before the Leisure Park was constructed, I think

It's still there - Langley sidings as it was back in the 1950's now servers the aggregate plant and can be seen at the end of my last update....

 

[Aictos]

It's still there - Langley sidings as it was back in the 1950's now servers the aggregate plant and can be seen at the end of my last update....

Only point I like to raise is those sidings that serve Redlands are on the UP not the DOWN side of the East Coast.

Hence why the Redlands freight has to propel into the sidings there upon arrival and run to Welwyn GC to run around before heading north.

Just to clarify the above posts you know.

 

[malc-c]

Only point I like to raise is those sidings that serve Redlands are on the UP not the DOWN side of the East Coast.

Hence why the Redlands freight has to propel into the sidings there upon arrival and run to Welwyn GC to run around before heading north.

Just to clarify the above posts you know.

I've been searching trough old OS maps on line and can not find anything that shows sidings on that side of the line... That doesn't mean there there was nothing there in the past.

My apologies for the UP / Down confusion....

 

[Aictos]

I've been searching trough old OS maps on line and can not find anything that shows sidings on that side of the line... That doesn't mean there there was nothing there in the past.

My apologies for the UP / Down confusion....

No worries, it's just I've never known any sidings to be on the Down Side at all just on the Up side which serves Redlands.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

I’m definitely not imagining it. There was some disused track on the down side at one time. A thought occurs to me, though. Did the down line from Hertford perhaps connect to the down main some distance north of where it does now? If the junction was moved south it may have left a residual bit of track in place?

 

[Aictos]

I’m definitely not imagining it. There was some disused track on the down side at one time. A thought occurs to me, though. Did the down line from Hertford perhaps connect to the down main some distance north of where it does now? If the junction was moved south it may have left a residual bit of track in place?

It looks like in 1960 so a good 59 years ago, there was two sidings on the Down side between where the Down Hertford burrows under the ECML to where it joins the Down Slow on the ECML.

It also seems that back then that it was possible for trains to cross from the Down Slow to the Up Slow/Redlands according to the track diagram I've managed to find.

https://www.signalbox.org/diagrams.php?id=342

Apologies but 59 years is a long time and it's all been developed since then.

 

[Aictos]

The two sidings served what I can see is classed as a Water Softening Plant.

 

[philjo]

When that 1960s plan was created, Stevenage station would be further north than the present one, nearer the Old Town. The present station opened in 1973.

 

[philjo]

I passed Stevenage on my train home this evening. There is one section of the excavated land about halfway between Langley Junction and the station which now has the first layer of ballast in place.

 

[malc-c]

Well the camera batteries are being fully charged and I hope to gather more footage for a further update of this weekends activities. It would be nice if something major such as the commencement of track laying or erection of the OHL mast happens this weekend....

@Aictos, that's a fantastic find.. that drawing sows just how complicated / busy Langley Junction was in terms of track layout.

Whats always puzzled me is why the redland trains have to go all the way to WGC in order to get back to the down line. Given the bi-directional signalling, and the fact the train is top and tailed with loco's at each end, could they not go down the Hertford line to the trailing cross-over just passed Watton road, cross-over and then come back up the Hertford loop to rejoin the ECML at Langley junction ?

 

[Aictos]

@Aictos, that's a fantastic find.. that drawing sows just how complicated / busy Langley Junction was in terms of track layout.

There's plenty of other drawings on that site which are even more fantastic!

Whats always puzzled me is why the redland trains have to go all the way to WGC in order to get back to the down line. Given the bi-directional signalling, and the fact the train is top and tailed with loco's at each end, could they not go down the Hertford line to the trailing cross-over just passed Watton road, cross-over and then come back up the Hertford loop to rejoin the ECML at Langley junction ?

Unless they changed the operation in the last 3 years, it's always been a single loco hence why they stop just pass Redlands then propel in and why they go to WGC to run around.

I've never known that working to be top and tailed at all, the only such freight workings I'm aware of that do that are engineering trains which do need a loco at both ends for obvious reasons.

 

[malc-c]

Unless they changed the operation in the last 3 years, it's always been a single loco hence why they stop just pass Redlands then propel in and why they go to WGC to run around.

I've never known that working to be top and tailed at all, the only such freight workings I'm aware of that do that are engineering trains which do need a loco at both ends for obvious reasons.

The train in this video of mine taken in November 2017 had 66's at either end

I gather the reason for going to WGC is so the loco on a single loco train can run round the wagons and return via the cross-over just north of WGC station. But with a T&T arrangement the turn-around via the Hertford loop could be a lot quicker & saves mileage (all be it a small 15-20 mile round trip to WGC).

 

[57Tonic]

The 1964 map (old maps online) shows the siding on the signal box diagram ground frame 35 goes into Bowater's factory via a head shunt. the factory was replaced by the Gunnels Wood Ind Est, a later map notes a disused railway, and the water softening plant has a four road siding,

 

[Mcq]

I passed Stevenage on my train home this evening. There is one section of the excavated land about halfway between Langley Junction and the station which now has the first layer of ballast in place.

Wouldn't be an opportunity for a bit of track work whilst the lines are shut next weekend, would it?

 

[swt_passenger]

Wouldn't be an opportunity for a bit of track work whilst the lines are shut next weekend, would it?

Probably not. Testing the signalling following recontrol to York might just be more important...

 

[philjo]

Probably not. Testing the signalling following recontrol to York might just be more important...

It looked like some changes were about to made to the masts for the overheads as there were a couple of masts lying alongside the track .

 

[Aictos]

The train in this video of mine taken in November 2017 had 66's at either end

I gather the reason for going to WGC is so the loco on a single loco train can run round the wagons and return via the cross-over just north of WGC station. But with a T&T arrangement the turn-around via the Hertford loop could be a lot quicker & saves mileage (all be it a small 15-20 mile round trip to WGC).

That's interesting as I've never known that working to be top and tailed at all!

The 1964 map (old maps online) shows the siding on the signal box diagram ground frame 35 goes into Bowater's factory via a head shunt. the factory was replaced by the Gunnels Wood Ind Est, a later map notes a disused railway, and the water softening plant has a four road siding,

I didn't know that, what is that site about as I've never heard of them!

 

[malc-c]

It looked like some changes were about to made to the masts for the overheads as there were a couple of masts lying alongside the track .

Towards the end of the video (post #247) you can see what looks like the horizontal sections of gantry near the recently erected masts... Have checked open train times and unlike Kings Cross there are no freight workings shown around that section, so guessing no track is being laid just yet.

 

[malc-c]

Just got back from filming the work that's currently underway. Main focus is at the A602 end of the turnback where three new gantries spanning all lines have been erected.... video will be uploaded shortly - need a cuppa first as it so ruddy hot !