Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[paul7575]

You may have spotted the new concrete coping, still being fitted. Its striking feature is the slope across it. Now, is that to discourage walking along it, and falling off on the downstairs side? There a biggish drop.

Is it possibly arranged to divert rainwater to one side - perhaps with the lower height for it to drip to the ground?

Paul

[ellendune]

You may have spotted the new concrete coping, still being fitted. Its striking feature is the slope across it. Now, is that to discourage walking along it, and falling off on the downstairs side? There a biggish drop.

Is it possibly arranged to divert rainwater to one side - perhaps with the lower height for it to drip to the ground?

Paul

It is indeed if it was to discourage walking it would be that very pointed slope used on bridge parapets over electrified lines. 

[stuving]

You may have spotted the new concrete coping, still being fitted. Its striking feature is the slope across it. Now, is that to discourage walking along it, and falling off on the downstairs side? There a biggish drop.

Is it possibly arranged to divert rainwater to one side - perhaps with the lower height for it to drip to the ground?

Paul

It is indeed if it was to discourage walking it would be that very pointed slope used on bridge parapets over electrified lines. 

Like everything else, there's a lot of technicalities behind it if you look. Apparently keeping water out of the tops of walls is one of many aspects of building where twentieth-century practice is now found wanting. For masonry (including brick) walls you now need a damp-proof course under the coping, as well as a slope to shed the water. For this cast concrete wall there is no sign of a DPC, but I guess you'd still want a waterproof mastic seal between coping units.

Apparently it is usual for parapet copings to have this slope ("single weathered"), as well as a drip edge ("throating") each side. I can see that for a roof parapet, but I'm sure most times I've leant on a path or terrace parapet, even an old traditional one, it's been almost level. Hence my noting it looked odd in that location, and having leant on it is feels odd too. Maybe modern, uniform, best practice isn't just a return to tradition.

[SandTEngineer]

Some photographs of the new south-side station approach 'square' can be found here: https://www.flickr.com/groups/1945836@N21/pool/

Looks quite smart now (for Reading anyway ) but I do wish they would clean up that graffiti on the old Western Tower building (its been there for years now).

[paul7575]

One of the buildings that lets the whole area down is the GW^▸ (Great Western) Staff Association.   Wonder who the landlord is...

Paul

[ellendune]

Latest photos on Flickr show that the signalling is now powered on the viaduct. https://www.flickr.com/groups/1945836@N21/pool/

[eightf48544]

Having just done an article on the Reading Viaduct for my club magazine, it's struck me that Reading is actually becoming a real Hbf!

There is grade separation at both East and West ends of the  station and 9 through platforms

Now all we need is grade separation at Southcote Jn and 4 tracks from there to Reading West.

[stuving]

Having just done an article on the Reading Viaduct for my club magazine, it's struck me that Reading is actually becoming a real Hbf!

There is grade separation at both East and West ends of the  station and 9 through platforms

Now all we need is grade separation at Southcote Jn and 4 tracks from there to Reading West.

I'm not sure you could justify running a Reading S-Bahn - even with a station at Green Park.

[eightf48544]

Why not? The A33 is heavily congested at peak times Bramley has expanded with houses on the ammo dump and you could have a station where the line crosses the A33 in North Basingstoke to serve the retail park.

[4064ReadingAbbey]

An S-Bahn with two routes: Wokingham - Newbury and Henley - Basingstoke...

You read it here first!

[DidcotPunter]

With Crossrail Reading will be on the end of rather a long S-Bahn line. Not much use for the town itself though other than for a stopping service to Maidenhead and Slough.

[CCTV99]

I'm sorry, but I'm not going to trawl back through 195 pages to see if the info is there. So if anyone is able to answer my question i'd be most grateful.

Q. What are the new platform lengths for Platforms 7 to 15 ?

Many thanks in anticipation.

[paul7575]

I'm sorry, but I'm not going to trawl back through 195 pages to see if the info is there. So if anyone is able to answer my question i'd be most grateful.

Q. What are the new platform lengths for Platforms 7 to 15 ?

Many thanks in anticipation.

7 - 304m
8 - 307m (not sure if this is temporary, as it is expected it will be lengthened to the west alongside WH Smiths during the Christmas blockade)
9 - 303m
10 - 320m
11 - 306m
12-15 All 282m

Those are operational lengths as shown in the (09 Mar 14 update) online GW^▸ (Great Western) sectional appendix - as you can see from the P10/11 figures this can/will differ from the physical length of the platform island due to signal positioning etc.

HTH

Paul

[CCTV99]

Many thanks for replying Paul.

[CCTV99]

Only 4 weeks to go, before the blockade over Christmas and New Year.
Can anyone clarify the extent of all the work due to be completed over this period?

Apart from connecting up the viaduct lines, how much passive provision is going to be installed for connecting up the remaining phases at a later stage, e.g. the Feeder lines etc?