Great Western Coffee Shop

Just a little aside on another dull wet day, regarding the recent announcement of the electrification of the Slough to Windsor line.

Some of my railway enthusiast friends say you can't do that it will spoil the view of the Castle over the arches at Eton. One even suggested third rail.

Well the releif road already blocks the view from Eton Wick towards the arches so you can't see them so what's the problem?

It's the same problem with Crossrail at Maidenhead not only over the bridge but I get the impression that people just don't want an electric railway, certainly not with OHE.

You just can't please some people.

Good grief perhaps the line should be closed and turned into a cycle track.

Third rail is totally out of the question, even significant in fills are persona non grata.  The branches will use light weight OHL which is currently in development / product acceptance, the BR philosophy in the late 80's was one size fits all ie all built to 125 spec DfT have asked NR to develop other solutions even the GWML is using a lot of new type to the UK OHL kit

lets be honest the wires do drastically spoil the look of the railway! but its not about looks

Reading between the lines it sounds like the recently announced plan for wiring to somewhere in Scotland (Paisley Canal?) might also be using some sort of lesser standard of OHLE?

http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/alliance-cuts-cost-of-paisley-canal-line-electrification.html

Paul

Purely subjective  ::)  ;D

Agree entierly. It may be aphorical but it is said BR wired up a bay at York and took round the civic society who said you couldn't wire inside the trainshed. No-one saw it and they were very upset when it was pointed out. You've only got to look at Padd from the footbridge it's quite difficult to spot the wires.

What a tribute to Brunel that his line can be electrified with very little alteration to bridges etc. Be interesting to see how much work has to be done on the MML especialy between Leicester and Kettering which was built on the cheap and never intended to be a main line.