Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[stuving]

Perhaps IndustryInsider has an idea what to do about this.

II to the rescue... 

Though in truth I haven't had to do anything, but the old passwords still work if you visit www.lobstervision.tv, then click on the 'old lobstervision' link.  They seem to have stopped updating recently though, so on second thoughts that might not be much use...

Thank you for that. But with that link, I don't get their home page, but straight into the nrreading06 cameras - live. At least they are the most active ones at the moment, and otherwise not observable.

[ironstone11]

Perhaps IndustryInsider has an idea what to do about this.

II to the rescue... 
Though in truth I haven't had to do anything, but the old passwords still work if you visit www.lobstervision.tv, then click on the 'old lobstervision' link.  They seem to have stopped updating recently though, so on second thoughts that might not be much use...

Thank you for that. But with that link, I don't get their home page, but straight into the nrreading06 cameras - live. At least they are the most active ones at the moment, and otherwise not observable.

You are indeed most fortunate. I have not had such good luck.
This may be a quirk of your browser, as a few times when it was working I seemed to be able to view the cameras without having had to log on.

[FellowTraveller]

You are indeed most fortunate. I have not had such good luck.
This may be a quirk of your browser, as a few times when it was working I seemed to be able to view the cameras without having had to log on.

Bizarrely, I am still able to access the Viaduct set of webcams (in my Safari Browser in Mac OS^▸ (Ordnance Survey) X 10.9) without logging in as described by Ironstone11.

This still works when I've closed the window and then reopen later in the day.

However if I try to login in to lobstervision in Firefox I just get a message saying "incorrect username or password".

This suggest that some settings are cached. The question is will I lose these cached settings if I quit the browser or restart the iMac! I'll resist either of these situations for as long as possible!

[ironstone11]

You are indeed most fortunate. I have not had such good luck.
This may be a quirk of your browser, as a few times when it was working I seemed to be able to view the cameras without having had to log on.

Bizarrely, I am still able to access the Viaduct set of webcams (in my Safari Browser in Mac OS^▸ (Ordnance Survey) X 10.9) without logging in as described by Ironstone11.
This still works when I've closed the window and then reopen later in the day.
However if I try to login in to lobstervision in Firefox I just get a message saying "incorrect username or password".
This suggest that some settings are cached. The question is will I lose these cached settings if I quit the browser or restart the iMac! I'll resist either of these situations for as long as possible!

I think this may happen when you don't explicitly log out. The state of login or logout is possibly held in cookies. Unfortunately some cookies expire after a preset time. So it is probably this timeout which will end your ability to view the 06 site. 

[stuving]

One point of progress I saw yesterday - the retaining wall between platforms 9 and 10 is finished (at last). Or is there another word for a wall so low you'd struggle to trip over it?

Anyway, the RRVs^▸ (Road Rail Vehicle) have gone, and a bit of new ballast and sleepers are laid, but most of the old track has still to be taken up and replaced. The next time P9 is taken out of service that I can see is over new year - does it get left until then?

[paul7575]

Anyway, the RRVs^▸ (Road Rail Vehicle) have gone, and a bit of new ballast and sleepers are laid, but most of the old track has still to be taken up and replaced. The next time P9 is taken out of service that I can see is over new year - does it get left until then?

I think the last estimate for P10 to come into use was end of February, given in the article in the last 'station news', so there is presumably  some time to go before they desperately need to relay the track.  It should be achievable in a couple of days, having now seen the sort of timescales involved with the P7 re-lay, so New Year might be a good time to do it anyway.

Paul

[stuving]

I think the last estimate for P10 to come into use was end of February, given in the article in the last 'station news', so there is presumably  some time to go before they desperately need to relay the track.  It should be achievable in a couple of days, having now seen the sort of timescales involved with the P7 re-lay, so New Year might be a good time to do it anyway.

Now there's two lengths of rail on top of the old track. That seems out of sequence, even the track replacement is to be done little by little e.g. at night.

Also, an Ainscough crane has come to roost behind the station. Since few if any of us can see the relevant camera, I though I'd show you the semi-permanent perch that's been made for these cranes. Tonight's picture in the dark is pretty rough, but the previous one shows you the heap of timber balks in all its glory. Now I'd have thought that was a bit wobbly for a big crane to sit on.

[paul7575]

Those longitudinal timber baulks will only protect the surface from the wheels while the crane is manoeuvring into position, when it is working it lifts the wheels off the ground using its main outriggers, which are positioned over their own large support pads, also visible in the pics.

Meanwhile, I've got a revised theory about the P10 track situation now. When I was at the station yesterday, towards the end of the morning, a group of workers were cleaning the ballast around the tracked section manually with forks, shovels and industrial vacuum cleaners.

In my usual inquisitive way, I asked what they were doing.  They reckoned that the section with rails still fitted is significant, because this section was put in new in conjunction with the temporary P10 build out, and it is apparently already considered complete and is staying.  East of the 'central section', the track was the original P10 running line, cut and slewed out to meet the then new section - hence it has been completely rebuilt, because it is on a new route - remember that when the temporary arrangement was in use it had a sort of double bend across to the alignment of the old platform at the London end, and then it turned out again to meet the revised up main alignment.

So the new sections of rail lying in the four foot at the west end might be for the east end, in which case an RRV^▸ (Road Rail Vehicle) will just pull them along into position in due course.

Paul

[onthecushions]

Has Lobstervision changed the login usernames and passwords? I can't login with either the nrreading0x username and password or the nrreading0x# on the URL which used to bypass the password challenge.

I used the old site and the _06 login. It gives me full (2 cameras) pictures up to October 27, a month before the e-mail mentioned.

A big corporate like NR^» (Network Rail - home page) can't afford to be pilloried for running late, even if true.

We need to be careful about the inside, detailed information that we receive on this forum.

What a pity,

OTC

[paul7575]

But public access to the webcams was implied quite early on - using them to check progress was suggested in one of the early 'Reading Station News' leaflets, published on behalf of NR^» (Network Rail - home page) (amongst others)...

Paul

[stuving]

Meanwhile, I've got a revised theory about the P10 track situation now. When I was at the station yesterday, towards the end of the morning, a group of workers were cleaning the ballast around the tracked section manually with forks, shovels and industrial vacuum cleaners.

In my usual inquisitive way, I asked what they were doing.  They reckoned that the section with rails still fitted is significant, because this section was put in new in conjunction with the temporary P10 build out, and it is apparently already considered complete and is staying.  East of the 'central section', the track was the original P10 running line, cut and slewed out to meet the then new section - hence it has been completely rebuilt, because it is on a new route - remember that when the temporary arrangement was in use it had a sort of double bend across to the alignment of the old platform at the London end, and then it turned out again to meet the revised up main alignment.

So the new sections of rail lying in the four foot at the west end might be for the east end, in which case an RRV^▸ (Road Rail Vehicle) will just pull them along into position in due course.

Paul

Obvious really - it's not long since we were commenting on the old track being buried and (by me anyway) forgotten. The rails have already been dragged along, and are waiting to be clipped. There seems to be a short extra length at the London end too.

[stuving]

Those longitudinal timber baulks will only protect the surface from the wheels while the crane is manoeuvring into position, when it is working it lifts the wheels off the ground using its main outriggers, which are positioned over their own large support pads, also visible in the pics.

Exactly, but ... you need one layer of wood between the steel spreader and the uneven paving. But a stack of loose timbers must introduce extra play, to be magnified by the lever arm of the jib.

What did it bring? Well, P10/11 canopy now goes right to the end (as a bare frame at least). I think it was missing just the end section before, wasn't it?

This afternoon another Ainscough's Santa Claus has come - but this one's at the front. Surely this must be for part, at least, of the last "V" roof support. Its plinth is ready, and all the stuff covering where the top end bolts on has been removed.

So if you really want to see it, you'll have to get your flask (spirits or vacuum to taste) ...

[Jason]

Surely this must be for part, at least, of the last "V" roof support. Its plinth is ready, and all the stuff covering where the top end bolts on has been removed.

Correct, it was in situ this morning.

I didn't see it mentioned elsewhere, a large section of the P3/P7 supports and canopy went up over the weekend.

[ironstone11]

I didn't see it mentioned elsewhere, a large section of the P3/P7 supports and canopy went up over the weekend.

Are these the canopy sections that were stacked on the north side?
If only we had those cameras!

[stuving]

I didn't see it mentioned elsewhere, a large section of the P3/P7 supports and canopy went up over the weekend.

Are these the canopy sections that were stacked on the north side?
If only we had those cameras!

Obviously I wasn't being very observant yesterday, even with other things to catch the attention (and a train to catch).

Those waiting sections can only go on P7, as it's the only platform left canopyless. Were there 12 of them? If so, that looks like them. As you say, we now sadly lack the means to check up on how it was done (or even count them).