Great Western Coffee Shop

Not sure if this info is anywhere else???

Over the Xmas period the following significant changes to Signalling / Pway will be taking place between Reading and Southcote Jcn.

This is a summary only of the major points that I have been given by a driver.

The starting signals from Platforms 1 & 2 will be changed to LED Type (2 head / 4 aspect)

5 Brand New signals being installed over Hodsall Road Lane Bridge (36m36ch) > this is near the point work to the old Upper Depot. There will be 2 signals on up and 2 on down on a gantry. And one new signal from the exit of the Upper Depot (which is staying as a tamper siding)

The Down Westbury line is becoming bi-directional between Station and Reading West >>> As a result there will be a new main aspect signal (with a theatre box) on the Down Westbury Platform at Reading West replacing the current ground position light.

A new signal breaking the current long section between Southcote Jcn and down towards Theale (to increase capacity)

A new Junction Indicator on the signal on the Up Westbury Line Platform at Reading West and theatre box.

Both the signals on the London end of Reading West Station will have the ability to route onto the new Festival Lines when they are built / finished in 2015!!

Trains coming from the West Curve (normally freight / but some passenger during engineering or disruption)towards Southcote will now be able to run via the Up Westbury Line platform then cross back onto the down after the station.

All signals will be 4 aspect LED type (2heads) and will be prefixed Txxxx. All areas will also be Axle Counters vice Track Circuits.


Anyone has any questions I have all the "official" maps but can't post them on here, but will do my best to translate.

As an aside, there is a signal (TR379) affectionately known by drivers as Nelson's Hat because it resembles the hat worn by Admiral Lord Nelson. This signal is being abolished in the forthcoming changes.

Away from the scope of this work, but last Easter a pair of signals came in to service at the end of Kennet Bridge loop, and these are nicknamed Mickey Mouse (the taller signal) and Minnie Mouse on account of their appearance, so named signals will still live on in the Reading area!

With regards to this, will there be an Up Westbury to Down Westbury crossover south of Reading West, for trains to run through the Down Westbury Platform at Reading West? Or is the Down Westbury being made bi-directional for reversals from the Down Westbury Platform?

If that makes any sense.

At least they have got rid of (T)R36 on the approach to Platform 7.  A few times I was waiting when a train in the platform developed a problem and the train I wanted was trapped at the signal outside the station with nowhere to go!

And for those who haven't seen "Nelson's Hat" - here is its impressive array 
(http://photos.signallingnotices.org.uk/photos/readingarea/2%20Westbury%20Line%20Jn/images/R379.JPG)

(Picture taken from Danny Scroggins'  (http://photos.signallingnotices.org.uk/index.php) impressive website of signalling related photos)

'Feeder lines' surely?

Paul

South of Reading West is not changing, with reference to track layout. So yes only the Down Platform is becoming bi-directional for reversing movements. But in 2015 this will be more useful as the signal will route onto the new flyover.

How so?  Don't you mean it will route onto the feeder lines - hence through the underpass?

Paul

They are going to be called the Festival Lines.

There is also a lot of signalling work being done over Xmas between iver and Southall. Which I believe will include a new Trailing Crossover between Donw Main and Up Mian to allow Heathrow Expresses to use  the Down Heatrow line wrong road. The Down Main is currently bi-directionally signalled between Hayes and Southall East. The new cross over means any HEX running wrong road will gain the Up Main before Southall West thus considerably reducing the time it occupies the Down Main.

No they aren't.  The Festival Line (singular) is the bi-directional route to be used mainly by XC services to get from P3, P7 and P8 to the relief side.   It goes through an underpass adjacent to that which will takes the West Curve under the main viaduct.   It goes through a massive a concrete box, (the one previously shown being built in webcam06/02) which is called the 'Festival Line box'.

The new East Curve, consists of two lines from just north of Oxford Rd Jn, that pass through the unsurprisingly named 'Feeder Lines box'.  They are the 'Up Reading Feeder Main' line (the right hand line of two looking towards the station, that is mainly for trains heading to P11;  and the 'Down Reading Feeder Relief' line (the left hand line looking towards the station), which is a continuation of the P12 down relief loop.

This nomenclature is used throughout the planning drawings, and has been referred to regularly on the main Reading Station thread over many months.   More recently it was described this way in the Network Change Notice that supports the Stage J works, available on Network Rail's website here:


The remainder of the linked NCN gives the overall description of the work package already mentioned in this thread.

Paul

Wasn't this already subject of a separate thread here:  http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13221.0

Paul

Here is the Oxford Road Junction layout being referred to:

(http://cbrailways.co.uk/PhotoAlbumsPro/1379865632/Reading%20Stage%203-4.jpg?cache=0.3367638026829809)
Image (c)2013 SandT Engineer

I think there may be a misunderstanding.

The signalling changes that insider is referring to is to route a train to the Festival line (i.e. from Reading West station to Reading station platforms 12-15. From Christmas two PRIs are being installed on the Up Westbury, to be associated with new signal T2802. T2802 will be capable of routing trains towards Reading station straight on (as now), with just a main aspect and also number 0 PRI indications. Route number 2 and main aspect (and also number two PRI) will route trains around the existing down Reading West curve. Route number 1/PRI 1 will be out of use ready for when the Festival line comes in to play. My mistake for thinking the Fesitval line was two track though, I stand corrected on that one.

Well I'm still sure you are wrong, and it is only you who is misunderstanding.  The route you are describing (i.e. Reading West to P12-15) is known as the Down Reading Feeder Relief.  The Festival line is not involved in that routing. Did you read the linked Network Change Notice?

Paul

No - I read the Train Driver briefing notes. ;D No doubt when the Feeder lines are commissioned there'll be a correction briefed out by then.

Just to throw in another opinion, there is definitely a naming/definition error here.

No matter what you do at Oxford Road Junction can't get you to the Festival Line other than by doing a reversal in P3, 7 or 8.

The NR Network Change Notice reads
The word "Festival" does not appear in that document.

Just looks like the word "Festival" has been incorrectly used instead "Feeder" in the Driver Briefing notes.

Hmm.  Such an apparent error in their Train Driver Briefing notes doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the railways, does it?  ::)

Maybe as the new junction is useless until the embankment it will lead to actually gets built,  it might have been safer all round not to mention it yet...   ;D

Paul

Might be an idea to remove that copyright notice? Surely that's a NR diagram?

There is another diagram being used for drivers which is much clearer than the diagram on here. It shows signal T2802 at Oxford Road Jn as having currently two routes:

Up Westbury: Main Aspect
Dn Reading West Curve: Main aspect with Position 2 + D

The other feathers that will lead to the Feeeder lines are shown as "Out of use".