Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[stuving]

And how much more length do you want? I said there was less for southbound trains due to the junction with the end of the Feeder Relief Line, but there isn't a very strong reason to leave that clear unless it's going to be used. So there may be the same as for northbound trains, i.e. about 1 km. For reference:

West Curve as it is to the Main Lines at Reading West: 840 m (nominal, so less clearance for each end of block say 650)
Reading West to Little John's Lane: 411 m (most to be added to West Curve length - say 350 m)
Little John's Lane to Wigmore Lane: 460 m
Wigmore Lane to Scours Lane: 490 m.

I have found some more official information on train lengths.

• Network rail say this:
  

  Freight train loads and lengths
  This data is contained in a series of what are known as Loads Books, which show the maximum sizes of trains which can operate between different points on the network.
  
  Some of the data is commercially sensitive and cannot be made readily available so if you have specific queries please email our Access Coordinator.

  Commercially sensitive? Really? No, I don't believe that either.
• The sectional appendix contains this item:
  

  High Output Ballast Cleaner (HOBC^▸ (High Output Ballast Cleaner)) and Track Relaying System (TRS) Trains
  These trains are authorised to transit between their operating bases and engineering possessions in excess of
  the normal route length limits on Western Route provided that a suitable train path has been identified.
  The train identification used and maximum lengths (including locomotives) are as follows:
  HOBC 6Y11 127 SLUs 811 metres 887 yards 2659 feet
  TRS    6Y33 117 SLUs 744 metres 813 yards 2439 feet

• West Curve is nominally 43 chains long, i.e. 865 m (a chain is a shade over 20 m). I suspect this is measured between point ends.
• The "standage" on the up curve (southbound) is only 545 m, and down there is 684 m

[paul7575]

This short article in Railway Gazette:

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/infrastructure/single-view/view/reading-viaduct-ready-for-tracklaying.html

reports that the viaduct has been handed over for track laying, which I think we were aware of, but it includes an interesting aerial view of the viaduct from a western viewpoint; this is quite detailed if you magnify it in a browser or whatever:



Paul 

[stuving]

Wot no Festival Line viaduct?

[paul7575]

Wot no Festival Line viaduct?

Not planned to be finished yet AFAICT^▸ (as far as I can tell). The view from the Westbury line suggests that some of the girders are in, but definitely not all of them.

Paul

[DidcotPunter]

Wot no Festival Line viaduct?

Not planned to be finished yet AFAICT^▸ (as far as I can tell). The view from the Westbury line suggests that some of the girders are in, but definitely not all of them.

Paul

Deck beams for the Festival line in place as far as the east side of Cow Lane, when I went past last Wednesday, but not beyond that as the bridge piers on the west side of Cow Lane are still under construction. On the main viaduct some new track was in place on the western approach with the rest ballasted.

[stuving]

Wot no Festival Line viaduct?

Not planned to be finished yet AFAICT^▸ (as far as I can tell). The view from the Westbury line suggests that some of the girders are in, but definitely not all of them.

Paul

At first sight, it looked an odd critical path and can't be quickest to completion. However, on reflection, there are practical limits to how much of one kind of work can be done in parallel - labour, machines, space for deliveries and keeping stuff, just getting each others' way, etc. Allowing for that, doing all the main viaduct first does make sense. It also leaves much more time for photo-ops on it before the trains arrive.

[IndustryInsider]

Allowing for that, doing all the main viaduct first does make sense. It also leaves much more time for photo-ops on it before the trains arrive.

Another reason for doing the main viaduct first is that it's being brought into service over this Christmas.  I'm not sure that the Festival line is scheduled to be brought into use until the (final) blockade next Easter?

[stuving]

Allowing for that, doing all the main viaduct first does make sense. It also leaves much more time for photo-ops on it before the trains arrive.

Another reason for doing the main viaduct first is that it's being brought into service over this Christmas.  I'm not sure that the Festival line is scheduled to be brought into use until the (final) blockade next Easter?

I think that's a result of the order chosen, not a reason to not do things simultaneously.

The order is chosen because the current Main Lines have to be taken out to make space for the Festival and Feeder Lines to go in, following regrading.

[SandTEngineer]

......and here you will find a photograph of the Festival Line 'ski jump' (on the left hand side of the viaduct)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wirewiping/15060060211/in/pool-1945836@N21/

[lbraine]

Great shots. I hadn't appreciated from earlier posted track schematics that the London end of the Main and Festival Lines were so close - almost a single 'throat' into the station.

EDIT

Obvious now looking at track diagrams - the 60 mph between the Festival and Main lines must take place on the lower slopes of the joined viaducts

[lbraine]

A couple of observations this AM while going through Reading:

One complete track now in situ across new main viaduct. Northern main track. End is visable from Reading station

Festival line viaduct is now in place. Formwork for building walkways in place on Lobdon side. No progress AFAICS^▸ (As Far As I Can See) on earthworks to connect to country end of Festival line

Lots of Little Grey Boxes (S&T^▸ (Signalling and Telegraph)) appeared under the main viaduct.

Definite graded earthworks for freight line from Reading West to viaduct dive under. Gentle slope in place across concrete boxes for flooding defense clearly visible.

[ChrisB]

One complete track now in situ across new main viaduct. Northern main track. End is visable from Reading station

Indeed, there was an Engineers train on this when I departed Reading westwards last night around 1911.

[SandTEngineer]

There are photographs of the Festival Line viaduct beams being installed on 04 September 2014 here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/52834510@N00/14955069057/in/pool-1945836@N21/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/52834510@N00/15118625696/in/pool-1945836@N21/

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

One complete track now in situ across new main viaduct. Northern main track. End is visable from Reading station

Indeed, there was an Engineers train on this when I departed Reading westwards last night around 1911.

Are you sure?  I went past this morning, and although there appears to be a physical connection of the rails at the west end of the viaduct to the redundant trailing slip into the DM, there were quite a few sleepers missing. However, there is a new transfer ramp for road-rail vehicles at the west end, I wonder whether you perhaps saw one or more road-rail vehicles up on the viaduct?

[ChrisB]

No, there was a loco attached to engineering wagons. Made me check & look again....