Black Bridge, Nuneham: southern abutment failure

[whole diary]

[Electric train]

50mph TSR^▸ (Temporary Speed Restriction).

Is that likely to be there just until they’ve completely demobilised from site?

Yes, I would imagine so.  A short 50mph restriction from a 90mph line speed won’t cause too many problems.

Couple of things that may be the need for the TSR

The rail may need stressing, this where CWR^▸ (Continuously Welded Rail) is tensioned to the nominal temprature for 20deg C
Final Tamping and alignment needed
The stability of the replaced Southern embankment my need to be monitored for settlement
The new bridge abutment piles may need to be monitored for settlement 

[IndustryInsider]

Is that likely to be there just until they’ve completely demobilised from site?

Yes, I would imagine so.  A short 50mph restriction from a 90mph line speed won’t cause too many problems.

Well imagine that, I was wrong!  Back to linespeed from today.

[stuving]

Lest we get too carried away with appreciation for the work that rebuilt this bridge abutment, I was struck by this when I came across it. On 31st December 1862 part of a new viaduct on the Metropolan Extension Line near Clapham (now High Street) station sank into the ground! It's the nine arches beside Lendal (ex-York) Terrace. One of the piers was seen to move, and then "before long it had subsided upwards of four feet into the earth"!

The attached is from the Morning Herald (London) 20 January 1863, and the BL say is public domain. I can find no report to say the line did open on 1st February, nor that it didn't - but no news is good news, so I guess it did. So that's three weeks to clear the site, dig a hole to find out what is (or more importantly isn't) down there to support all these bricks, and build the new section. Then another week to lay the track and do whatever Victorians did to imitate a tamper, and presumably get it inspected.