Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[lbraine]

Yesterday sleepers had appeared from mainline to end P11 with ballest 1/3 the way along  the platform on the London side. Coping stones at platform 11 edge were still missing.

Also there was a DEMU^▸ (Diesel Electric Multiple Unit) in the depot area presumably doing more circuit checking.

The new depot area looks ready to go - all the minor tidy up jobs are completed, although some OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") is missing country side from the Washing Unit to the buffer stops at Scours Lane.

Stabilising piling is still going on outside station. Large blue and white wooden barriers mark the path of the new flyover, is is skewed quite away across into the old Network Rail sidings of the old depot - south of the old mainline path. The old mainline area is where the dive under from Reading West will surface.

Untangling these lines and introducing the new lines is going to be quite a feat. With keeping the railway going. Anyone here want to take a quess at the order or works for the untangling.......

[IndustryInsider]

The new depot area looks ready to go - all the minor tidy up jobs are completed, although some OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") is missing country side from the Washing Unit to the buffer stops at Scours Lane.

The western end OLE isn't being installed until later in the programme as some of the foundations can't be installed as the temporary main and relief line layouts next to it are in the the way.

[paul7575]

... Anyone here want to take a quess at the order or works for the untangling.......

You asked this before, (in post #1695 page 114), and I answered with the details from the planning application in the next post. That might be a reasonable start...

Paul

[paul7575]

Steelwork frames are now going up in what will become the circulating area at the head of platforms 1-3.  They extend towards P1, and I'm told that there are foundations (already prepared but hidden under boards) along most of the platform length, so we might see some visible progress there over the next few weeks.

Paul

[ellendune]

Steelwork frames are now going up in what will become the circulating area at the head of platforms 1-3.  They extend towards P1, and I'm told that there are foundations (already prepared but hidden under boards) along most of the platform length, so we might see some visible progress there over the next few weeks.

Paul

If you look in Camera 2 Tab 1 and zoom in you will see that it goes part way along Platform 1 before ramping down. From then on the you cannot see how far it goes because of the temporary lighting support, but you can see four of the new uprights in position particularly if compare with the same view a few days ago.

[paul7575]

If you look in Camera 2 Tab 1 and zoom in you will see that it goes part way along Platform 1 before ramping down. From then on the you cannot see how far it goes because of the temporary lighting support, but you can see four of the new uprights in position particularly if compare with the same view a few days ago.

Ah yes! - I missed those other uprights as there was a train in the platform - I should have changed to an earlier view.    I guess the 'ramping down' possibly deals with the change in levels between the main roof and that over the P1/2 section?

I'm assuming though that the platform canopy will be the same sort of height as P4/5/6 - but the main roof over the open space will connect with the bottom of the main transfer deck cladding, you can see the slight angles to the lower edges I think?  The central part will be the same translucent ETFE as used on the P8/9 canopies that are wider than the others.

Edited to add a screen grab from the planning drawing...

Paul

[stuving]

The support rail is complete, and ends level with P8's with a stanchion for the OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE"). The small slope down lines up with the invert of the staircase canopy. Here is a picture, with a close-up of the ends as well.

The slightly higher roof does indeed fill the gap up to the main building, and seems to run straight into it. What I can't see is anything for the electric warp to be tied off to. Presumably there should be a crossbar of some kind?

[stuving]

On another topic, there are some small yellow clamp-like objects that have just appeared on some of the sleepers of the line under the Southern underpass. What are they? (My camera failed to get a photo.) There are at least a dozen of them, on every other sleeper, about a sleeper's width long and maybe 10 cm wide.

[paul7575]

On another topic, there are some small yellow clamp-like objects that have just appeared on some of the sleepers of the line under the Southern underpass. What are they? (My camera failed to get a photo.) There are at least a dozen of them, on every other sleeper, about a sleeper's width long and maybe 10 cm wide.

From your description it sounds as if they are 'lateral resistance plates' (or anchors)?  They add a sort of adjustable 'keel plate' to the sleeper to help prevent it floating about in the ballast, used on curves tighter than a certain radius:

http://www.yorkareagroup.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/track-001-1024x768.jpg

Manufacturer's info here: 
http://www.vossloh-fastening-systems.com/en/produkte_2010/weitere_produkte/schwellenanker_sn/schwellenanker_sn.html

Earlier versions appeared as a plate secured to the very end of the sleepers, but the current type allow for repositioning of the track while fitted, by slackening the clamp during tamping etc...

Paul

[stuving]

[From your description it sounds as if they are 'lateral resistance plates' (or anchors)?  They add a sort of adjustable 'keel plate' to the sleeper to help prevent it floating about in the ballast, used on curves tighter than a certain radius:

I think they probably are. Mind you, that's not much of a curve, or even none. Maybe there's some other reason to worry about track stability - but surely not the reduced clearance to the scaffolding currently up at the South side of the bridge?

[paul7575]

I think they probably are. Mind you, that's not much of a curve, or even none. Maybe there's some other reason to worry about track stability - but surely not the reduced clearance to the scaffolding currently up at the South side of the bridge?

Educated guessing really, but it's possibly because the track in the underpass is either fixed slab track or is critically positioned with its ballast 'glued', so they won't want the track on the approach to move so much as is normally allowed.

Paul

[ellendune]

The slightly higher roof does indeed fill the gap up to the main building, and seems to run straight into it. What I can't see is anything for the electric warp to be tied off to. Presumably there should be a crossbar of some kind?

The warp would need to be tied off between the platforms. That would presumably be part of a structure at 90 degrees to the line we can see which has yet to be erected.

[stuving]

The slightly higher roof does indeed fill the gap up to the main building, and seems to run straight into it. What I can't see is anything for the electric warp to be tied off to. Presumably there should be a crossbar of some kind?

The warp would need to be tied off between the platforms. That would presumably be part of a structure at 90 degrees to the line we can see which has yet to be erected.

Exactly - but I had a good look, and there's no sign of any prepared position to bolt something to the support rail, nor to the back wall which seems too far back anyway.

[ellendune]

The slightly higher roof does indeed fill the gap up to the main building, and seems to run straight into it. What I can't see is anything for the electric warp to be tied off to. Presumably there should be a crossbar of some kind?

The warp would need to be tied off between the platforms. That would presumably be part of a structure at 90 degrees to the line we can see which has yet to be erected.

Exactly - but I had a good look, and there's no sign of any prepared position to bolt something to the support rail, nor to the back wall which seems too far back anyway.

My experience from looking at photographs of these structures at reading is that prepared positions are not very visible.  I am sure they will not have forgotten the need to tie off the warp.

[paul7575]

The massive structures seen at some existing stations when electrification has terminated in bay platforms are often completely over-engineered.  Possibly because they are effectively independent  and free standing and have been added in with minimal change to existing canopies etc.

In this case I'd expect something more lightweight which could easily be integral with something yet to be fitted, such as the west end girders of the higher overall roof?

Paul