Cotswold Line redoubling: 2008 - 2011

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

Had a run over to Worcestershire to see what was going on today.

Will, I'm a bit confused over your picture of a new down starter signal at Moreton-In-Marsh, as I've seen no notices of any signalling alterations and that three aspect signal pictured just looks like the first home signal of Moreton-In-Marsh 'box in the up direction?  It's either got it's backing plate removed or is facing the wrong way (maintenance?) - though it's difficult to tell as it quite a long way away.  It would seem a strange place for a down signal round the corner and out of sight for a train sat at Moreton.

[willc]

Well I'll go and have another look at the weekend to see if it was wrong way round for maintenance - but there is definitely something looking like a signal now in place on the far side of the line behind the trees on the right of the picture. It's not a spot I like to hang around in, as I have to stand on a tiny strip of verge on the side of the road that lacks a pavement, with artics swishing past inches away!

In any case, I would be surprised if the starter signal for trains heading west remains where it is, as the removal of the single-line junction will mean it doesn't need to be at the platform end any more, where sighting is less than ideal, though obviously that doesn't matter at present, as everything has to stop to collect the token.

A position through the bridge would make it a lot easier for drivers to sight it from the far end of the station, especially as non-stop trains are likely to make a comeback, in the shape of workings to Long Marston or excursions - which have effectively been banned for the past few years due to the capacity issues and redoubling.

[Moreton134]

Regarding the signalling at Moreton.   Having looked on Monday afternoon this week I can confirm that the 3 aspect coloured light signal at the north end is the up line signal for entrance into the station (looks like it was turned opposite way for the engineering work).   I believe that this new signal post has been there for quite sometime installed after the line was realigned, looks like they used the existing signal & shunting heads from the previous post (on the right) possibly to keep costs down.  It may be a temporary location for the signal seeing that the old posts location is where the new upline will be built.

From Rail magazine article a few months back the existing down starter semaphore MM5 is to remain.   However, if it will be moved closer to or on the other side of the A429 bridge or if the previously mentioned colour light signal changes location remains to be seen. Not much other signalling work will be done around Moreton station all ground signals and the semaphore opposite the signal box will be removed (with the small sidings).  A new turnback semaphore and shunt disc will be installed (down platform south end) so trains arriving from Oxford can double back without the need to shunt onto the up platform which is current practice.

[IndustryInsider]

Regarding non-stop movements following the requirement to stop for a token being removed, I wonder what the speed limit through the station will be?  Technically it's currently 90mph, reducing to 75mph at the bridge, but I wouldn't fancy bowling through there at that speed without a bit of tamping!

[Moreton134]

Thats a good point industryinsider, currently as we all know everything has to stop because of the token exchange.  I expect they will put a new speed limit through the station area for any non-stop movements because I can't see anything going through Moreton at 90mph on that old bullhead track at the moment.

I have been told that the bullhead track with cross over points are to remain for the forseeable future, however they could pack the track area with a load of fresh ballast as this may help to stabilise the track.

[willc]

Okay, I stand corrected. But I'll go and see if I can see exactly what there is lurking next to the trees anyway.

I'm not sure the results would be pretty if you tried reballasting that bullhead track - the less that's done to it the better, short of getting rid of it like at Evesham. I would have though 50mph would be a sensible restriction through the curve, another un-Brunel-like feature, similar to Aston Magna.

Looking at some photos from the 1960s, pre-singling, MM5 had two forebears. One, protecting the point for the sidings where Budgens now stands, was in between the tracks, like the inner home signal which still protects the former goods shed siding points, while the outer starter was the far side of the Fosse Way bridge, just after the curve starts to sharpen, on a low, stubby post which put it at about the height of the cab windows on a steam loco, so both were easily sighted, and off-set, so both could be seen once a train passed the inner home.

[IndustryInsider]

Looking at some photos from the 1960s

There's some great photos, 30 or so, of Moreton-In-Marsh's former glory here: http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/moreton_marsh.htm

[willc]

Though I should point out that we're not in Warwickshire! Nearly, but not quite, and the same still applies with Oxfordshire, although boundary changes over the years mean that only three shires still meet at the Four Shires Stone http://www.flickr.com/photos/flash-of-light/179209668/ just east of Moreton - a 'detached' bit of Worcestershire was taken into Gloucestershire in the 1930s. The stone, sadly, usually does look like it's lost in a weed patch. Maybe no-one's sure who it belongs to, though I think that corner of the crossroads is officially in Warwickshire.

[Andypandy]

Sorry to drift slightly but does anyone know the situation of the doubling from Hereford to Malvern?

[willc]

The West Midlands and Chilterns Route Utilisation Strategy is due out some time in November, which may have something to say about the subject but as yet there are no firm proposals for doing anything at either Colwall or west of Ledbury.

Rails for Herefordshire are campaigning for something to be done, see http://www.railforherefordshire.org.uk/

[stebbo]

Is it my imagination or has the link to the updates on the redoubling work disappeared from the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website? Would be useful to be reminded about weekend closures as my son will want to use the service in November.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Is this it?

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=3501

CfN. 

[willc]

Fairly quiet day during the blockade, with most activity being signalling-related, with work going on at Aston Magna and Blockley. The deliveries of new rails west from Moreton-in-Marsh have now reached Aston Magna, although oddly, on the Oxfordshire section, none have yet appeared much beyond the Chadlington-Leafield road bridge, leaving a couple of miles to go to Ascott-under-Wychwood.

Few pictures here http://www.flickr.com/photos/willc2009/ but I apologise in advance that they are hardly masterpieces of art nor activity. I have always set out to record as much as I could of the project, however mundane.

Chris has indeed signposted the correct FGW^▸ (First Great Western) page - not  sure what happened to the email updates service though - and the late-night alterations mid-November are the only thing affecting train services before tracklaying finally starts in mid-December.

The CLPG^» (Cotswold Line Promotion Group - about) have a list of the key dates through to next August here http://www.clpg.co.uk/newsengineering.htm

Network Rail also has some info here http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/8640.aspx

[IndustryInsider]

In any case, I would be surprised if the starter signal for trains heading west remains where it is, as the removal of the single-line junction will mean it doesn't need to be at the platform end any more, where sighting is less than ideal, though obviously that doesn't matter at present, as everything has to stop to collect the token.

I quite agree that a more suitable position would be either just in front of the bridge, or just beyond it before the track curves out of view.  That would also mean that HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s in reverse formation could stop properly with the TGS platformed as well as providing a bit more of a SPAD^▸ (Signal Passed At Danger) margin for error should the driver get the stop a little wrong.  We'll see where it ends up!

[willc]

Not strictly redoubling but Martin Loader has posted an interesting picture of Shipton station from 1983 here http://www.hondawanderer.com/50021_Shipton_1983.htm

Anyone who knows it today will probably be taken aback by the lack of vegetation - BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) may not have had any money then but it didn't let trees grow out of control. You simply couldn't take a photo from this position today, only head-on from the bridge over the tracks. It also illustrates the potential of the former loading dock to the right of the train as somewhere you could provide a number of car parking spaces should anyone ever again have money for such things, or for platform extensions!