Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[paul7575]

This suggests that P8 will be out of use until after Xmas - as I'm sure I remember someone here saying that the platform edging could not be laid because of the clearance needed for the temporay points connecting P8 to the down main ?

Perhaps these temporary points may disappear when over the weekend.

Difficult to tell from 'realtimetrains' if P8 will be closed or not.  It may be that they'll plain line the points and realign the platform track as part of the same job.  I was told a while ago that the other factor in the platform copings being left off was that the track was not at the final height either, in other words the clearance issue was three dimensional, rather than just due to the points.

Alternatively, all the services through P8 might disappear by Monday...

Paul

[a-driver]

This suggests that P8 will be out of use until after Xmas - as I'm sure I remember someone here saying that the platform edging could not be laid because of the clearance needed for the temporay points connecting P8 to the down main ?

Perhaps these temporary points may disappear when over the weekend.

Difficult to tell from 'realtimetrains' if P8 will be closed or not.  It may be that they'll plain line the points and realign the platform track as part of the same job.  I was told a while ago that the other factor in the platform copings being left off was that the track was not at the final height either, in other words the clearance issue was three dimensional, rather than just due to the points.

Alternatively, all the services through P8 might disappear by Monday...

Paul

From what I gather there's only 2 through platforms in use over the Christmas Period (28/12/14 - 03/01/15).

The current 20mph crossover Bristol end of platform 8 will be removed during is time and the barriers will be removed. 

Once it reopens in the New Year through services arriving from the Newbury direction will only be able to access platform 7 & 8.
XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) to/from the South will have to use the mains via the new high level section and will use the newly opened platform 3. 

[paul7575]

From what I gather there's only 2 through platforms in use over the Christmas Period (28/12/14 - 03/01/15).

I think the point lbraine seemed to be making was that if they are working on the outstanding length of P8 edge copings today, that closure might have to be a few days early, i.e. it might include Monday to Wednesday next week as well.

Another possibility is that they were just taking advantage of this weekend's closure to deliver the materials to the site, which would allow a quick start late on Christmas Eve...

...XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) to/from the South will have to use the mains via the new high level section and will use the newly opened platform 3.

I think that after Christmas it would be more accurate to say that some XC trains will use P3, because there's a similar number that will reverse in P8 (or occasionally P7).   The (public) timetabled departure and arrival times usually don't allow for all through XC services to use P3, if they stick to the usual timings there're a number of occasions when two trains are in that area of the  station within a minute of each other.

Paul

[stuving]

What I take to be the latest EAS says that P1, 2, 7-11 are closed 25th-3rd inclusive, P12 25th-28th, and P13-15 25th&26th only. P3 ought to come into use on 4th, though that's not in the EAS.

There's the following note for last weekend's possessions:
FOLLOWING THIS POSSESSION FROM 0430 MON,
THE UP WESTBURY LINE IS REMOVED BETWEEN
750B AND 763A; TRAINS USING UP WESTBURY TO
TRAVEL VIA 750A AND 763B - CAN APPROACH
PFMS 8/9/10/11 AS BEFORE HOWEVER TRAINS
ARE NOT ABLE TO DEPART PFM 8 TOWARDS
OXFORD RD.

And then for this weekend:
THE WEEK BEFORE, AND FOLLOWING THIS
POSSESSION FROM MON0430, THE UP
WESTBURY LINE IS REMOVED BETWEEN 750B
AND 763A; TRAINS USING UP WESTBURY TO
TRAVEL VIA 750A AND 767B - CAN REACH/LEAVE
ALL OF PFMS 8/9/10/11 AS BEFORE.

NOTE: PLATFORM3 IS OOU^▸ (out of use) ANYWAY.

Which isn't quite the same, but can be read to say that leaving P8 for Southcote is still not allowed and leaving P10 that end is not possible yet in any case.

[paul7575]

Did anything happen with Platform 8 by Monday, or was it just a delivery of materials as my last proposed option?

I haven't been through the station since but I see from RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) that P8 is still in use, looks like it is just like last week...

Paul

[stuving]

Did anything happen with Platform 8 by Monday, or was it just a delivery of materials as my last proposed option?

I haven't been through the station since but I see from RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) that P8 is still in use, looks like it is just like last week...

Paul

Yes it is - just as the EAS said - and otherwise not a lot of visible progress, though presumably the points etc. already positioned are being completed. You can see that the track in P3 and in line with P8 is barely clamped together and not finally aligned or anything. Incidentally, a week or two ago they took the copers off part of P3 and relaid them - maybe the clearance from the arriving track wasn't quite as it should have been.

Aligning the track from P8, to finally remove the wiggle, may require that the old signal TR.240 is taken out. New ones for P8 (T.1709) and for P7 (T.1707) are in place, so the old gantry can go too (needed for OHLE).  There is a big crane already lurking down the end of Abattoirs road, and this time it's not one of Ainscough's (Baldwins' instead)! Have they lost the contract, or was it never that exclusive?

[Electric train]

There is a big crane already lurking down the end of Abattoirs road, and this time it's not one of Ainscough's (Baldwins' instead)! Have they lost the contract, or was it never that exclusive?

Both are approved suppliers, there are only so many big cranes around

I have used both and there are other suppliers although these 2 do have most of the large Tonka Toys in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) to play with   

[paul7575]

Phone camera pic of the progress so far at about 1400 today, 27th Dec 14.

Down Main track from P9 appears to be connected through to the flyover, temporary crossover removed from the end of P8, but not yet plain lined.  Signal gantry that previously carried the P7 down starting signal now removed.  Formation being levelled ready for Up Main and Up Main Loop to be laid into P10 and P11 respectively. 

Will try and get some further pictures on Monday with decent camera...

Paul

[stuving]

This picture is from a little later today, and further to the right. You can see the Festival Line coming right down to enter P8. The engineering train hides the Down Main, but also proves the track is there underneath it. There is a little bit of Up Main in place, and another slab that seems to be been dumped and not aligned at all. There was a gantry here, which has also gone.

If you look closely, there are several bits of completed track that still need a good kicking to get them into their correct alignment.

By the way - that's not the big crane you can see, that's out of shot and having a rest.

[stuving]

A good sign - for once?

It looks as if the first operational milestone of the current major work has been met - P12 handing back this morning. That implies the heavy lifting to put the Up Main into P10/11 has been done, and the rest can be done with traffic in P12. Surprisingly, there isn't a succession of overnight closures of P12, just a complete blockade on Sunday morning. And it's all supposed to be in place for Sunday at 8:00 - so I guess they have almost a day to overrun into before crunch time on Monday 5th.

Better get this one right lads - the world's hot breath is melting the back of your orange rompers.

[paul7575]

A few phone pics to summarise the position at lunchtime today.

As far as I could see all the intended routes are physically complete, (i.e. the rails and pointwork is in situ even if not fully fettled and ballasted) including the crossover from the Down Relief (P12) to the Up Main Feeder.  First and second pics of three show the junctions leading to/from the Up Main and Up Main Loop.

The Down Main loop beyond P8 is now in and 'straightened', with the platform edge copings  being laid with reference to a gauge mounted on the track.   Track joint 'thermite' welding was progressing - presumably a good sign as this often seems to be deferred until follow up weekends.

Redundant signals appear to be all removed, new signals powered up and showing reds.   What seems odd is that the P3 starter signal and route indicator appear to be mounted at low level, in fact almost at ground level.   Can anyone think of a reason for this?

Paul

[Louis94]

What seems odd is that the P3 starter signal and route indicator appear to be mounted at low level, in fact almost at ground level.   Can anyone think of a reason for this?

I think it always used to be, presumably to reduce the chances of it being mistaken for the signal for Platform 7.

[paul7575]

What seems odd is that the P3 starter signal and route indicator appear to be mounted at low level, in fact almost at ground level.   Can anyone think of a reason for this?

I think it always used to be, presumably to reduce the chances of it being mistaken for the signal for Platform 7.

Thanks, that would make sense, especially if the overall curvature of the station would make it appear just before the P7 signal?

Paul

[paul7575]

Also took a trip out to Tilehurst and although the sun was causing a bit of a problem grabbed this pic off a phone video.  This is as far as the Main Feeder track goes, but hopefully it gives the idea that the formation is already lower than the Down Relief, and getting significantly lower as you go further west. 

The temporary main lines (the old relief lines) have been removed at least as far as the Feeder underpass box, and a number of excavators and dump trucks were in action, I'd guess the intention is to remove the old ballast and sub base to the right level during the rest of this closure.

CCTV99 in post #2931 was asking about this a few weeks ago.

Paul

[Louis94]

Thanks, that would make sense, especially if the overall curvature of the station would make it appear just before the P7 signal?

Paul

Indeed, it also maximises the length of the bay platform too.

In response to your picture, isn't that the (Down) Feeder Relief which then joins the Reading West Curve? The (Up) Feeder Main is the bit from Oxford Road Junction to Platform 11 surely?