Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[paul7575]

I would expect that a lot of the internal detailed fit-out would be planned to be done somewhat nearer to the final opening anyway.  There's little point in laying final surfaces and putting up wall claddings and the like, until the transfer deck is no longer doubling up as access to the building site. 

The access ramps and steps to the south end of the subway should also happen fairly quickly now, a lot of foundation concrete is being poured at the moment, and it is the sort of structure that can be built rapidly.

Paul

[IndustryInsider]

Thanks for the update II, I think 2-4 April (not March) for P12-P15 opening. 

Of course.  My mistake.  Now corrected.

I don't suppose there is any chance that any of you who have the ability to take the odd snapshot could post one now and then for the benefit of we who are remote from proceedings, please?

Here's a few I took last Sunday:

[BerkshireBugsy]

Great pics II thanks for posting

[swrural]

II, thank you very much.  We've come a long way since I used to haul boxes of freight accounting paperwork up to the station from the Reading computer bureau in the Signal Works (1969 -ish) at some unearthly hour of the morning.
 

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

Interesting pictures, thanks II.  The first three pictures show no sign of escalators down to the platforms despite the fact that they're planned to be installed and in use by 29th March.  Tube users know how long it can take to replace escalators (sometimes years!).

Howvere, the last picture shows a mysterious package, marked Kone,  being transported across the ML's.  Kone make escalators, so it looks like the first bit of escalator is being moved across to the new platforms. 

Interesting way of getting them across to where they're being installed

[IndustryInsider]

Interesting way of getting them across to where they're being installed

That's what I thought - hence the photo opportunity.  As you say, that's probably equipment for the new escalators then.  There were several such movements taking place during the day requiring some pretty deft handling of those yellow transportation vehicles as there's not much turning space on Platform 7/8.

[Electric train]

Interesting pictures, thanks II.  The first three pictures show no sign of escalators down to the platforms despite the fact that they're planned to be installed and in use by 29th March.  Tube users know how long it can take to replace escalators (sometimes years!).

Howvere, the last picture shows a mysterious package, marked Kone,  being transported across the ML's.  Kone make escalators, so it looks like the first bit of escalator is being moved across to the new platforms. 

Interesting way of getting them across to where they're being installed

Escalators come prefabricated, site fit out is to fit the treads, side panels and some wiring and then set them up.  The ones fitted at Waterloo mezzanine recently were installed fitted out and tested in less than 2 weeks (each) the problem the Tube has is access and working on them while the station is open to the public   

[paul7575]

I think the main point is that escalator fitting and routine maintenance in normal circumstances (ie not on the deep tube lines) is nothing like as difficult or time consuming.  I suspect that there were some sort of fundamental design errors made in the early days on the tube, regarding long term access for both maintenance and replacement mostly to do with those inclined shafts, and perhaps nearly every escalator there is uniquely sized to the location. 

The Reading equipment is probably relatively standard equipment.

Paul

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

I take the point that installing new escalators in a purpose designed "enclosure" will be much simpler than replacing very old escalators on the Tube netweork.

But even so, I wonder if the escalators were late being delivered, as the first enclosures have been ready for some time and they have 16 (I'm assuming 4 per island) to install by 29th March.  And I would be surprised if the Project Plan was based on them being trundled across all the running lines as shown in II's picture.

[BerkshireBugsy]

I take the point that installing new escalators in a purpose designed "enclosure" will be much simpler than replacing very old escalators on the Tube netweork.

But even so, I wonder if the escalators were late being delivered, as the first enclosures have been ready for some time and they have 16 (I'm assuming 4 per island) to install by 29th March.  And I would be surprised if the Project Plan was based on them being trundled across all the running lines as shown in II's picture.

I was under the impression there were two per island and stairs but may be wrong

[paul7575]

It varies - P8/9 has 4 escalators, with a staircase alongside each pair, but the other 3 narrower islands have 3 escalators, 2 on the London side and a single one (with a parallel stair) on the other side.

Trundling heavy stuff over the running lines during an overnight block is a standard practice - those polystyrene blocks in the picture are man-portable and can be laid very quickly between the platforms, I've seen them in use on many projects in the south, eg to get plant over onto island platforms during SWT^▸ (South West Trains)'s current platform lengthening work. 

[swrural]

Here are some pics I took a few months ago.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152074737535459.899624.566580458&type=3

Ollie I forgot to thank you as well, pardon.  (And those captions??)   

[Oxman]

Webcam 3 of nrreading01 showed two lorry loads of Kone equipment, including four very large items, being craned onto the site today (using the tower crane). I guess these are destined for the new platforms, which might suggest its only the equipment for platforms 7/8 which needs to be brought in over the tracks.

[Ollie]

Here are some pics I took a few months ago.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152074737535459.899624.566580458&type=3

Ollie I forgot to thank you as well, pardon.  (And those captions??)   

You're welcome. I will do those soon... or I might remove the bit about me doing captions

[paul7575]

Webcam 3 of nrreading01 showed two lorry loads of Kone equipment, including four very large items, being craned onto the site today (using the tower crane). I guess these are destined for the new platforms, which might suggest its only the equipment for platforms 7/8 which needs to be brought in over the tracks.

That figures, because the weight capability of the tower crane will be much reduced at the radius needed for P8 and P9. 

(Which is presumably what you meant, because for P7 they'll be able to use the main entrance.)

Paul