View allAll Photos Tagged electrifying
Network Rail closed the line between Earlestown and Edge Hill and between Huyton and Springs Branch Junction, Wigan on consecutive Sundays in February 2015, so they could crack on with electrification works which were behind schedule.
During one of these possessions one of a road-railer's flatbed trailers is loaded with bags of ready-mixed sand, cement and gravel for use around fence posts.
Taken from Bridge Road bridge looking southwest.
Wrinkley kindly sent this photograph for publication.
Arms have been fixed to the masts immediately north of the Balustraded bridge.
Seen from Squeeze Belly Entry footbridge, looking south.
Copyright Wrinkley 2018.
Wrinkley kindly sent this photo for publication.
He added:
"A sudden spurt of activity after months of very little. Bases in on both side of Mayor Street bridge and also both sides of Dean Clough bridge. That explains the overnight hammering heard in Bolton.
Markers in place around the Ladybridge, but no piles yet."
Copyright Wrinkley 2016
Reg kindly sent this photograph for publication.
A new base between the tunnels and bridges north west of the station. It looks like a base for a signal or signalling item rather than for an electrification mast.
It is easy to forget that the project involves wholesale signal renewal as well as electrification.
Copyright Reg 2017.
"No relationship is all sunshine, but two people can share one umbrella and survive the storm together."
Welch, MN
Reg kindly sent this photograph for publication.
Platform 1 looking south.
Reg added: "Masts going up over the weekend at Bolton. Most platforms almost complete, apart from 5."
Copyright Reg 2018.
Engineering work was taking place at Weaver Junction over the 2015 May Day Bank Holiday, so Euston-Lime Street Pendolinos were diverted via Manchester and along the Chat Moss route. This has happened before, but has always entailed the trains being dragged by Class 57s. For the first time these trains were able to make the whole journey under their own steam, so to speak.
There are three triangles off Stephenson's masterpiece:
1. formed by Bootle Branch Junction, Edge Lane Junction and Olive Mount Junction in eastern Liverpool
2. formed by Sankey Junction (formerly Earlestown West Jct), Earlestown South Junction and Earlestown East Junction, in Earlestown
3. formed by Newton-le-Willows Junction, Lowton Junction and Parkside Junction in open country on the eastern edge of Newton-le-Willows.
The one-time Lowton station stood immediately north of the northern, Lowton Junction apex of this third triangle, and the Huskisson Memorial stands on the southern, Chat Moss, side. Stephenson's Chat Moss masterpiece has remained in good use since built, but the two other sides of this triangle have waxed and waned.
For some years up to December 2013 only diversions used the N-E side, but that changed dramatically following Phase 1 of the NW Electrification Programme when it was electrified and most Manchester Airport-Scotland services were re-routed that way.
The W-N side has no significant passenger services. A Monday to Saturday Wigan North Western to Liverpool Lime Street early morning stopper is routed that way, but as there is no northbound service it has limited passenger benefit. In the early hours some Virgin services pass this way, but the main purpose of these token services is retaining staff route knowledge.
During this diversionary period three Pendolinos were routed to run West to North, the rarest of all six track-directions, all were ECS to Preston. Two ran at night, but this train ran at a civilised time in daylight (and rain.)
Taken from the A573 Parkside Road bridge looking southwest.
The 'Low' in Lowton is spoken like 'cow' or 'how', not 'low' or 'so'.
The wires serving Platform 1 are fixed temporarily to the end post, they will be transferred to the auto-tensioners later.
ALX400 kindly sent this photo for publication.
66601 stands with a rake of empties near a big gap in the railway where the station subway is being altered.
Copyright ALX400 2016
Reg kindly sent this photo for publication.
The major signal gantry south of Bolton station is demolished.
Reg took this shot from Lever Street viewing platform (bridge).
Copyright Reg 2017.
Paul Gaskell kindly gave this photo for publication.
The to-be-reinstated Platform 5 at Bolton.
These shots were taken through or over the barrier separating Platforms 4 and 5, panning from north to south.
Copyright Paul D Gaskell 2016
Wrinkley kindly sent this photograph for publication.
"Stalactites" (roof fixtures to which to attach overhead wiring) can just be seen in the western end of Bullfield Tunnel's southbound bore, west of Bolton station.
Copyright Wrinkley 2018.
Baz123 kindly submitted this photograph for publication.
First contact and catenary wires over the Wigan-bound line.
The overlap continues for about half a mile from the junction, one aim being to ensure that when (if) the Wigan line is electrified it can be done with minimal need to mess about with the Bolton to Preston wires at Lostock.
Copyright Baz123 2018.
On a murky Friday 13th April 2018 Northern started running crew training specials between Preston and Blackpool North, the first passenger stock to travel north of Kirkham North Junction since before Christmas 2017.
One such whizzes past the junction, northbound.
Wrinkley kindly sent this photo for publication.
Electrification plant assembled in the car park at Lostock Junction.
Is something about to happen?
Copyright Wrinkley 2016
Chrisyd kindly sent this photograph for publication.
There has been discussion about the coding and numbering scheme for electrification masts and their relation, if any, to the Engineers' Line Reference (ELR) of the stretch of line next to which they stand.
The Mast references from Deal Street Junction, Salford to Euxton Junction are of the form MG nn xx where "MG" mnemonically refers to the Manchester-to-Glasgow line (Manchester to the WCML). nn and xx are typically pairs of numbers, so "MG13 21" means mast 21 in section 13 of the line MG". The ELRs for Deal St to Euxton Jct are MVE1 as far as Bolton then MVE2 the rest of the way to Euxton.
The debate then extended to the overlaps along branching lines, notably north west at Salford Crescent, north east at Bolton and west at Lostock.
The ELR of the Blackburn line north east from Bolton is BBB, but the few hundred yards of overlap wiring do not differ from the "parent" MG nn xx format, except, perhaps, by the suffix "A" as shown here.
Copyright Chrisyd 2018.
\i-ˈlek-trə-ˌfī, ē-ˈ\
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): elec·tri·fied; elec·tri·fy·ing
Date: 1745
1 a : to charge with electricity b (1) : to equip for use of electric power (2) : to supply with electric power (3) : to amplify (music) electronically
2 : to excite intensely or suddenly
Wrinkley kindly sent this photograph for publication.
He added: "I followed in the footsteps of Baz123 today, the earth wires are now on permanent fixings and tensioned.
Wiring starts on both sides on the Wigan Line, but the up line (towards Bolton) wire stops at the junction. The down line side continues to the tensioners just west of Dean Clough bridge, it’s tied off there but a coil of cable is still attached for the continuation.
There is what I think is an earth wire attached to the underside of the Ladybridge."
Taken from near Beaumont Road bridge looking towards Chorley.
Copyright Wrinkley 2018.
Wrinkley kindly sent this photo for publication.
Concrete setting on the replacement road overbridge.
Copyright Wrinkley 2017.