Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[paul7575]

Back to canopies ... I see that having almost filled the space from the existing canopy to the gap in the rail, the next three sections have gone at the far end. To my surprise, I found that the sections were just parked next to each other - some touching, some not quite, but with no bolts holding them together and presumably not fixed to the rails...

Reassuringly they are all bolted down to the rails as of today...

Paul

[Electric train]

Anyone would think the Reading project team are making it up as they go along 

I am sure they must at least have a meeting in the cafe on Friday mornings 



.
Everything (well almost everything) you see will have been thought through, even the sequence of the deliveries to site.  Railway projects work to a timetable, yes margins are built in because we don't want to over run as we know how important the 05: .......... oh my word is that the time train departure is

[ironstone11]

Discussions yesterday about the possible use of P10 are now academic, as not only are the signals bagged out of use as mentioned earlier, but almost the entire length of the temporary pre-fabricated platform structure has been removed.  Where the temporary surface IS still present, (ie towards the London end where it tapered away to nothing), the track has been removed completely.

I'll try and upload a few pictures later on once I've reduced their file size a bit...

Paul

Thanks for the pictures. Makes you realise how much work there is left to do.

BTW^▸ (by the way). Another two canopy panels delivered this evening.
 

[MVR S&T]

Yes, the demolition of old buildings, well other than relocating the signalbox to Didcot, and adding the new platforms is almost 'easy' it will always be converting what is there, becomes fun. While of course keeping the trains running, and any change to track layout requires signing off of track, full testing of all the signaled routes, and I guess the routes that have been taken out of use must be tested to make sure they DONT work.

[paul7575]

Last night's delivery of canopy stuff seems different, frames are being built up on the forecourt.  Any ideas why that might be?

Paul

[Electric train]

Last night's delivery of canopy stuff seems different, frames are being built up on the forecourt.  Any ideas why that might be?

Paul

A couple of thoughts why if I were involved, the whole or large sections can be craned in a oner to reduce or to fit into possession time, the complete sections are to big to deliver in a oner

[stuving]

Last night's delivery of canopy stuff seems different, frames are being built up on the forecourt.  Any ideas why that might be?

Paul

Surely this is the answer to the question " but what about the ones on top of the missing beams?" - as expected, the method used is not one I thought of. As there are four, I suspect they can pile the bare frames on top of each other next to the gap, put in the last two rails, then move the frames into place using stands or similar and finish assembling them. Of course there may be other reasons for not pre-assembling them.

By the way, had you noticed that you can see the crane putting the sections in place at the London end of P8/9? Look on camera 02/2, above the "heritage" station roof, to the left of the clock (or lantern), after midnight, from 23rd August. It's hard to work out exactly what it's doing, but it looks as it it has its jib extended, kept near vertical, and does move about a lot. I'm still not sure if it moves carrying a section, or puts it down and then moves, if the crane comes across the polystyrene bridge ...

[Jason]

Now that the temporary P10 surface has been removed I was intrigued to see what was beneath. Where the foundations for the new bridge have been sunk they have cut straight through the sleepers of the original track and removed just half of it.

In the same area, excavations have begun. Presumably these are footings for the new permanent P10 in line with the new track position.

[paul7575]

Now that the temporary P10 surface has been removed I was intrigued to see what was beneath. Where the foundations for the new bridge have been sunk they have cut straight through the sleepers of the original track and removed just half of it.

It wasn't really apparent earlier, but with hindsight they must have had to cut the sleepers.  Presumably because we couldn't see all the way back under the temporary deck, although the original platform track was always visible in certain places, most noticeably at the far west of the temporary P10.  This was subsequently removed when they started the permanent blockwork construction on the final platform alignment beyond the temporary section;   IYSWIM...

Paul

[ironstone11]

Last night's delivery of canopy stuff seems different, frames are being built up on the forecourt.  Any ideas why that might be?

Paul

By the way, had you noticed that you can see the crane putting the sections in place at the London end of P8/9? Look on camera 02/2, above the "heritage" station roof, to the left of the clock (or lantern), after midnight, from 23rd August. It's hard to work out exactly what it's doing, but it looks as it it has its jib extended, kept near vertical, and does move about a lot. I'm still not sure if it moves carrying a section, or puts it down and then moves, if the crane comes across the polystyrene bridge ...

Well spotted. The crane can be seen from Aug 19 to Aug 28. A very substantial crane it is too, with telescopic jib, not unlike the Ainscough used to unload the canopy sections. The crane can't surely be on the plaltorm. It must be rail mounted? Anybody spotted a crane in the sidings during the day?

The delivery last night included quite a lot of hardware in addition to the long beams, so the final canopies (those for the gap in the support beams?) are going to be assembled in place.

[paul7575]

Well spotted. The crane can be seen from Aug 19 to Aug 28. A very substantial crane it is too, with telescopic jib, not unlike the Ainscough used to unload the canopy sections. The crane can't surely be on the plaltorm. It must be rail mounted? Anybody spotted a crane in the sidings during the day?

I'm 99% sure the crane used is working from the island platform, there was one there on Monday within the hoarded off area. Will have to get a photo in due course...

Paul

[stuving]

I'm 99% sure the crane used is working from the island platform, there was one there on Monday within the hoarded off area. Will have to get a photo in due course...

I think so too - it does look like the small grey tracked crane that is kept there, despite its small base and apparent lack of weight.
I have this picture from a few days ago; not very clear but it does suggest about 5 extending jib sections.

[paul7575]

Ah, well done.  Saves me a few minutes.  I suppose the next question is how they recover the crane, but presumably that won't be much different to how they recovered the machines used to tear down the old footbridge.  In that case they drove them across temporary infill structures over the tracks towards the new platforms and used a big crane from the north side...

Paul

[coachflyer]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have posted some pics how they have moved the roof sections here.

http://bit.ly/147OeUd

[paul7575]

Remarkable.   Confirms nearly all of our accumulated guess work - just a shame no-one noticed the pics a week ago!   

Paul