Cotswold Line redoubling: 2008 - 2011

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks very much for that information, Itsme - and a very warm welcome to the Coffee Shop forum! 

Could you possibly let us know what LEM and PEM stand for - just so that I can add those abbreviations to our Acronyms/Abbreviations page?

Thanks again,

Chris. 

[ltsme]

Thanks for the welcome

How's your French?

PEM - Portiques Extensibles de Manutention

LEM - Lorry El^vateur Motoris^

[willc]

Hello ltsme here

The plant mounted on the new switch and crossing layout are called PEM's. They are basically lifting gantrys. They will be placed along the layout to lift and slew it over to the single line.
The layout will then be lifted. More plant called LEM's will be placed on the single line and positioned under the layout. The layout will then be lowered onto the LEM's  and transported to it's final location.
There will probably be 16 PEM's and 16 LEM's in total. They are all remotely operated by 2 controllers (1 on PEM's and 1 on LEM's)

Thanks. Suspected that might be the job they were there for.

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

At today's CLPG^» (Cotswold Line Promotion Group - about) AGM^▸ (Annual General Meeting) at Moreton-in-Marsh, David Northey of Network Rail told the meeting that the new footbridge at Charlbury station would be erected tonight with the bridge going up at around 01 a.m. on Sunday morning. Any volunteers to take photographs at this unearthly hour?

[IndustryInsider]

Will's your man!   

Sleepers have now been laid practically all the way to the new Evesham West Junction.  Rails and ballast only slightly behind.

[willc]

We'll see... especially as I was planning to go out to Evesham some time tomorrow.

Bumper update from West Oxfordshire this afternoon now online, including the first section of the footbridge to arrive, sitting on a lorry in the car park at Charlbury.

I'll scatter a few points from the CLPG^» (Cotswold Line Promotion Group - about) meeting around in appropriate threads, mostly things Mark Hopwood said on rolling stock.

In terms of redoubling-related matters, David Northey of Network Rail said they have worked up three options for a car park extension at Charlbury, with a view to getting money from the new ^100m station enhancement fund, and will be one e of the first bids made under the scheme. Mark Hopwood said FGW^▸ (First Great Western) is also looking at options for Hanborough parking with Oxfordshire County Council and a housing association.

Mark Hopwood is very keen to get the extra morning starter from Charlbury into the timetable from December.

[Richard Fairhurst]

Just got off the last train through to Charlbury tonight. Huge amount of activity going on: lights everywhere, sections of footbridge being marshalled round the car park, a long truck (with the footbridge deck on it?) being slowly led by hand down Dyers Hill. Wonder what there'll be to see in the morning...

[willc]

Having just got back from watching the early stages of the night's work, there should be the main span over the tracks, two of the landings and one of the ramp sections on the new platform, going by what was sitting on lorries, and possibly more of the supports planted.

Once the work on the bridge is done for the night, the crane looks like moving down to the bottom of the car park, to lift in a containerised electrical equipment cabin, which was on a lorry parked in the approach road next to the one carrying the main bridge span.

The signal posts for the junction signal south of Charlbury and AW 2408 at Shorthampton were on another lorry. One was loaded on to a track trailer towed by a road-rail excavator which set off west.

Rain started coming down after 2pm, so I called it a night at that point. I'll put up some pics later.

[willc]

Few pictures from the early hours now online at http://www.flickr.com/photos/willc2009/

Somewhat to my alarm I have just realised there are now more than 500 pictures in the redoubling set, with several months to go.

[Richard Fairhurst]

Yep - main span sitting there but nothing up as yet.

[bobm]

Somewhat to my alarm I have just realised there are now more than 500 pictures in the redoubling set, with several months to go.

That's the beauty of digital archives they are so much easier to store and appreciate than negatives or slides. I think your collection is a great historical record. If only we had such comprehensive collections of the engineering feats which brought our railways into being in the 19th century.

[willc]

Yep - main span sitting there but nothing up as yet.

I think the increasing strength of the wind must have defeated efforts to lift the bridge last night, as they actually removed the two supports I had seen being placed in the early hours and the ramp section seems to have gone away again on the lorry that brought it yesterday. Also attempts to place the signal posts were abandoned, as they were sitting at the bottom of the car park.

The electrical cabinet was lifted into place, however, and is on the concrete plinth at the south end of the station.

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, a windy night was probably the last thing they wanted.  It's by no means critical, but time is starting to get a little tight with a lot to squeeze in during that week long possession the week after next.

[Electric train]

Yep - main span sitting there but nothing up as yet.

I think the increasing strength of the wind must have defeated efforts to lift the bridge last night, as they actually removed the two supports I had seen being placed in the early hours and the ramp section seems to have gone away again on the lorry that brought it yesterday.

Or it did not fit!!!!

[willc]

Hope not, given all the GPS kit I saw being used being used to make sure the foundations were all in exactly the right place.