Cotswold Line redoubling: 2008 - 2011

[whole diary]

[paul7575]

One point I found the other day about steel sleepers is that their use has a distinct advantage if there is no need to rebuild the formation and reballast.  Because the sleepers cut down into the ballast, the existing ballast can just be 'scarified'.

But I can't explain why some recent new track such as Airdrie Bathgate has used steel sleepers - maybe as you suggest the difference between building an EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) only route and something designed for higher general route availability - such as HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train)? 

Paul

[CLPGMS]

Regarding the Honeybourne Bridge, the mileage on the one which was replaced was 100m 73^c (or that may have been 73^ - not clear on the Network Rail photo of it when it had just been removed). 

[D1072]

Many thanks for all the replies.

Does anybody know the mileage & chainage of the OWW^▸ (Oxford Worcester and Wolverhampton) bridge over the Honeybourne line? (For both lines, if possible.) Is it painted on the new bridge?

Mileage-wise, the bridge is just east of the 101-mile marker on the OWW line, sorry but can't be more precise than that. No idea about the old line underneath.

Regarding the Honeybourne Bridge, the mileage on the one which was replaced was 100m 73^c (or that may have been 73^ - not clear on the Network Rail photo of it when it had just been removed). 

I've found some pics showing the mileage painted on the bridge in two places: the end of the single-track girder and a brick abutment underneath. I think it is more likely to be 100m 73^c. I have seen ^ chain mileages on bridges, but not ^ chain ones.

Another query. Was the up platform at Charlbury widened in the 1970s, extending over the up line?

The platform at Charlbury was not widened, simply extended at the north end towards the bridge in the 1980s.

I thought I'd seen a photo in a book of a station with a single, very wide platform on the Oxford-Worcester line, but I must have dreaming.

Thanks again for the responses.

[willc]

You may be thinking of Finstock, just down the line from Charlbury, where what was effectively a new platform was built out into the trackbed when the line was singled and realigned in the early 1980s and will have to go should the rest of the line ever be redoubled, posing something of a dilemma, as it would be nigh on impossible to justify building two new platforms for such a sparsely-used halt. See http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/sjp/FIN/images/photos/800/o1837-0000011.jpg

[IndustryInsider]

The first weekday of the blockade seemed to go quite well, although there was a number of motorists trapped in the car park at Charlbury for several minutes due to the large number of buses parked up in there.

[willc]

Working on a hunch that the closure of the road bridge at Honeybourne today portended the arrival of the first sections of the footbridge, I headed over there after work, to find that the main span of the bridge had indeed arrived, along with a couple of the landings and the first ramp section. Oddly, although the rest of the station, including the new shelters, is decorated in blue and grey, the footbridge bears the same GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) light and dark stone paint as Charlbury.

The crane was leaving the site with its day's work done as I arrived but track work was in full swing just outside the station, with the old Long Marston branch connection taken out and plain line being laid, with just the remains of the point in the former single line yet to to be removed and replaced. Didn't have time to walk all the way round to the bridleway at the west end of Honeybourne to see if the new crossover is in place, although there was activity up there as well.

Double track is in place through Blockley, with the components for the new road surface on site awaiting installation.

At Moreton-in-Marsh work is continuing to remove redundant signal equipment and point rodding but no sign yet of work starting to replace the crossover.

Pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/willc2009/

[willc]

Work to lift the old crossover at Moreton-in-Marsh was under way this morning as I drove past just after 8am.

[willc]

Installation of the new crossover at Moreton-in-Marsh and track around it was nearing completion this evening, with the last track panel being put in place just after 7.30pm, with a ballast train and tamper waiting south of the road bridge. The up siding connection was severed during track lifting this morning. The rest of the old track in the station area will be replaced at some point in the winter.
Some pictures taken this evening at http://www.flickr.com/photos/willc2009/

A special mention must go to the members of the track crew, who hand-weeded and litter-picked the line between the station platforms and past the signalbox in between work on lifting old track and installing the crossover. All looked spick and span tonight. This gives an idea of what they were up against http://www.flickr.com/photos/willc2009/5837258369/in/photostream

[IndustryInsider]

'willc' posted a great link to some old pictures of Charlbury a while back at https://picasaweb.google.com/118090022386086946294/CotswoldLineOldies# - after speaking to my father he mentioned that he had a few photos of Charlbury from his own collection taken in April 1971 which was just before the singling of the line.  So, he dug them out and I thought I'd share them with you all, even though they are very similar scenes to the ones in the link.

CHARLBURY LOOKING WEST:  Note the white painted part of the road bridge to help the semaphore signal stand out for drivers.  You can still see the remains of the paint on the footbridge today.


CHARLBURY LOOKING EAST:  A good job all these coal yards at stations became redundant as who knows what parking issues we'd have at such stations nowadays!


CHARLBURY LOOKING WEST FROM ROAD OVERBRIDGE:  As a Hymek hauled passenger train approaches.



Also, there's a couple of modern comparison shots that I have taken this year from (virtually) the same location, showing the before and after shots of Charlbury's new down platform.  What a difference!

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks for those pictures, II!

Just as a matter of interest ... looking at the perspective of the photo 'Charlbury looking West' - wouldn't your father have had to be actually standing on the trackbed to take that one? 

[willc]

Would have been taken from where the goods shed loop line ran but the goods yard was not fenced off from the station approach back then.

Things moving along nicely at Moreton-in-Marsh, with the crossover ballasted and the new turnback signal in place. New LED lamps in the existing signals are powered up. Some pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/willc2009/

Have also come across a picture from Evesham on Wednesday, taken by Peter Tandy, showing the new junction point being assembled alongside the signalbox and new LED signals in place including the one allowing trains to turn back to Worcester from platform 2. The LEM and PEM transporter units to move the point along the line to the west can be seen in the yard off to the right. See http://www.petertandy.co.uk/66005_6W81_100811.jpg

There are a few other pictures showing engineering trains in the Vale on Peter's updates page here http://www.petertandy.co.uk/Recentpics.html

[IndustryInsider]

wouldn't your father have had to be actually standing on the trackbed to take that one? 

Probably.  This was the early 70's remember!   

[Chris from Nailsea]

I know. 

[Moreton134]

Things are really progressing well in the last phase.

I've heard that the present turn back signal at Moreton is a temporary measure (whence no back LED light), the new semaphore signal hasn't appeared in time.  Looks like they may have cut & chopped the old down semaphore which was by the signal box.  It looks like it needs a few coats of paint thou, lol!   Not 100% sure on this so it may/may not be replaced.

Any idea what the new equipment cabinets over London Road bridge is for, seems a strange location to put them.

[Tim]

One point I found the other day about steel sleepers is that their use has a distinct advantage if there is no need to rebuild the formation and reballast.  Because the sleepers cut down into the ballast, the existing ballast can just be 'scarified'.

But I can't explain why some recent new track such as Airdrie Bathgate has used steel sleepers - maybe as you suggest the difference between building an EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) only route and something designed for higher general route availability - such as HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train)? 

Paul

I think that steel sleepers are more tolarant in general to poorer draining ballast.  I suspect is it simply horses for courses, except perhaps on a 125mph main line where you would expect the ballast formation to be in tip-top condition and therefore not in need of the advantages provided by steel sleepers