Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[stuving]

The sloping roof section of P7 is now complete and runs smoothly into the service deck.

Le grand crane has also departed. I wonder if the remaining sections and trimming will all be done from platform level.

The most that could be done now would go about half-way along the front of the "heritage" station (earlier picture by Nosaj at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=6405.msg144071#msg144071), and the rest will have to wait until the other half of P7 is built. It would make sense to wait until then, and do the whole of this run in one go - it may need some rather careful handling machinery to put the canopy on so close to the old building.

[stuving]

From BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Berkshire

Reading's Station Hill plans approved

Plans for a ^500m redevelopment in Reading have been given outline planning approval.

Developers want to build 300 apartments, shops, offices and a sports pitch on the top floor of a car park.

Outline plans which would see the disused Friars Walk shopping centre demolished were approved by Reading Borough Council on Wednesday.

One councillor said the development was "critical" to the town following the ^895m redevelopment of Reading Station.

Councillor Tony Page, of Reading Borough Council, said: "You come out of one of the most modern station's in Europe and you look across at boarded shops and a vista of dereliction."

Work to knock down existing buildings on the site and the creation of a temporary events space is expected to start in the summer.

The redevelopment which includes five new buildings is expected to be completed between 2019 and 2024.

It's only outline planing, but that should be enough to start demolition.

[stuving]

. It seems a reasonable guess that it should support a terminating OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") crossbar, since I'm pretty sure all the wires ought to stop before they run under the roof. There is nothing like it on P2, though, which is odd.

Of course any end crossbar would need to span the P1 track too, assuming a cantilevered end (like the ones over the P15 track) would not take the cable tension. So perhaps there will be a another support over by the wall.

There is actually some evidence for this, in that some of the plans submitted for planning show what are labelled as "indicative OLE structures". (See RBC^‡(resolve) 10/01269/FUL files 00228521 or 00228518: hover the mouse over the live link (date received) to see the file number.) While "indicative" is true - there are some things shown that are obviously wrong - they do presumably give an idea what was intended. And there is something shown across the end of all three western terminating tracks.

Most of the supports shown run straight across all the tracks, supported at each platform. Oddly, at the other end the supports extend (at a slight angle) across P4-6 too. Now why on earth would that be there? All I can suggest is that the original design, which was done before GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) electrification was decided, had passive provision for OLE on all tracks, and that is what these (far from final)  drawings show.

[paul7575]

I had a look at this OHLE stuff today, concentrating on the West end...

I think the support you suggest might be needed 'over by the wall' of P1 may actually be going to be fitted outside that wall.  I recall some work just outside the temporary entrance gate some months ago, it looked like they were piling for something.   (I'll see if I can find it on the old webcam if it still goes back long enough...)

Looking at the gantries over the rest of the islands, I noticed for the first time that as installed they aren't actually continuous, (although they do look it at a quick glance), the sections over P12 are also cantilevers, and do not meet (or align exactly with) those over P11.  It also looks to me from the bolted joint arrangements as if the gantries won't be continuous over the middle of the P8/9 island, so across the station there'll potentially be at least 3 or 4 discrete sections.   So north to south just west of the transfer deck they'd be 15-12, 11-9, 8-7, and a 3-1 end beam of some sort on a different alignment, then the next gantry would have the same sections spanning 15-12 and 11-9, then possibly a single 8-1 section - IYSWIM...

Paul

[ironstone11]

Of course any end crossbar would need to span the P1 track too, assuming a cantilevered end (like the ones over the P15 track) would not take the cable tension. So perhaps there will be a another support over by the wall.
There is actually some evidence for this, in that some of the plans submitted for planning show what are labelled as "indicative OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") structures". (See RBC^‡(resolve) 10/01269/FUL files 00228521 or 00228518:

I have been wondering for some time how the ends of the OHLE were going to be terminated. I suspect that the nearest stantion in the picture shown in post #2487 is a support for the terminating portal. This looks a different design to the others with a plate on the top, which a 'normal' one does not have. The next stantion further away in picture is a normal one which I guess will be an end support for the portal above the lines serving P7 and 8.

My guess would be that the support for the other end of the P1,2 & 3 terminator could be between the P1 track and the wall. I think there is reasonable clearance between the trains and the wall.

Confirming Paul's observations, I notice that there are stubs through the canopy right at the ends of P1/2, P3/7 and P8/9 just beyond W H Smith. These are nearer to the transfer deck than the planning drawing suggests, but the ones already fitted on P14/15 are also nearer, although difficult to be sure.

[CCTV99]

The canopy roof sections that have been stored outside the north entrance for such a long time, have now gone.
They were lifted by crane onto low loaders Friday morning (between 9.00 and 10.30) and taken away. Destination unknown?

Have they been taken round to the south side, or removed from the station site?




     

[paul7575]

The canopy roof sections that have been stored outside the north entrance for such a long time, have now gone.
They were lifted by crane onto low loaders Friday morning (between 9.00 and 10.30) and taken away. Destination unknown?

Have they been taken round to the south side, or removed from the station site?

They aren't visible on the south side, but do bear in mind that isn't part of NR^» (Network Rail - home page)'s site, so they'd not expect to be able to leave stuff there.  If I were a betting man, given the time they've been sitting in the open I'd think it likely they've been taken into one of the sheds to be given a check over prior to installation.

Paul


     

[stuving]

Now I would have thought being able to stand being left out in the rain was a design requirement for a canopy roof ... In this case, I'm not convinced the plan is particularly cunning.

Anyway, I can see some logic in not extending the OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") support beams over more than two supports. Two supports gives extra rigidity over one, adding a third doesn't add any more - and means they all have to line up. Still, I'm surprised the beams are not bolted to each other over the support for extra rigidity.

Also, with two supports of P8 and P9 there is no value in a beam between them to support nothing. But from P8 over to P3/7 and P1/2 means three supports are available, and if only two are used together (from P8 to P3/7) how do you do P1/2? Well, it's not such a wide platform, so a double cantilever might be OK. Basically, that comes down to detailed design constraints, which I certainly don't know.

[lbraine]

Remaining country end canopy panels being craned into situ today (11am)
Also, between P1/2 and P3/7 canopy the fittings for the between canopy shroud (?) were being fitted. Could not see the should itself by the crane, which was parked next to P1 on Station Hill.

Also, the new pedestrian tunnel under the station is closed from 1st December from 11pm to 5am - anyone know why ?

[paul7575]

Also, the new pedestrian tunnel under the station is closed from 1st December from 11pm to 5am - anyone know why ?

That was explained as to do with craning stuff over the ramps and stairs on the south side - there was a Reading Council poster on the hoarding just by the site access door at the far west of the ramps. Possibly the crane being immediately outside the new entrance probably meant no access to the new gateline either - although the station would still be accessible via the old entrance.

The potential closure dates were not all expected to be used according to the poster though.  Probably coincided with the recent work on the main sloping roof, plus any spare dates planned for over-runs?

Paul

[lbraine]

Just a small update on the my last post. It seemed this AM that all the metal work to handle the canopy shroud between P1/2 and P7 were in place. Every thing but the plastic covers themselves.

Also, along P8B (the country end) the concrete pumping pipe sections have appeared again. Running from under the transit deck to (as far as I could see) along side the WHSmith on P8/9.

[paul7575]

Please find below this post a couple of pictures of the steelwork mentioned in the previous post, taken about lunchtime today.

Other observations made today, are that the recently laid P10 track heading towards the east appears to have been aligned properly at some stage over the last few days.

On P9 the copings and tactile strips progress a few yards each night, (just like on the P8 side of the main island they seem to be able to progress this gradually during the overnight periods while the platform is not in use), as of today they have completed from the west end as far as the first lift, so about a five car length is done already.

Paul

[Jonty]

Apologies if this has been answered before, but does anyone know why it appears that the platform height for 10 will be built up higher than 9...?

[paul7575]

I think the quick explanation, based on something I was told in a conversation a while ago now, was that the three 'all new' islands, which includes the fully rebuilt P10/11 as well as the obviously new islands for P12-15, were built to a certain level with respect to the new subway extension, i.e. building up from the upper surface of the subway roof you have a certain minimum ballast depth, then the normal 915 mm rail to platform edge.

On the other hand, the P7 side and the P8/9 island had to be left just as they were, because they were not going to be rebuilt, just re-surfaced; and the work (as we can now see) has nearly all been done while leaving the platforms in normal use.   Where the P9 track passes over the subway there is a short section of 'slab track' with cast in rail fastenings, I assume because there wasn't enough depth for normal ballasted track.

I suppose if they had decided to raise P9 to the same overall height as P10, then they'd have had to do the P8 side as well, and then perhaps the timescales for the whole job would have been significantly lengthened.

It also seems to have been expected in the planning stages, as there are various cross sections online on the RBC^‡(resolve) planning  website that show the distinct step up from old to new build.

Paul

[Jonty]

Cheers Paul.

One strange thing though - when I looked yesterday it appeared as though the tracks on 9&10 were now at the same level - previously 10 had looked higher, to match the higher platform.

Have they added ballast to 9 recently...? Or had I been drinking..?

I'll look again tomorrow!