The weather wasn’t at it’s best today compared to earlier in the week. Overcast skies and a persistent wind lowered temperatures to the point where coats were required – although I pretended to be a ‘postie’ by refusing to give up my shorts – come what may!
We had another slow morning which allowed me to begin the process of editing the massive backlog of pictures that I have from the past week (there’s no such thing as a holiday for freelances). In between I amused myself watching the continuing political meltdown of the Conservative party. I honestly can’t think of a more badly run and executed election campaign, or one that’s resolutely failed to move the dial. There’s now no question that Labour will win, now the only question is – just how badly will the Tories do?
But…
Please, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that – because the result is a foregone conclusion – you don’t need to vote. Our political system is ‘first past the post’ which means that someone can quite literally win by just one vote. It’s winner take all. There’s no prize for coming second. So, if you’re tempted to think that it doesn’t matter if you don’t vote as someone else will get your back – please, please don’t. Imagine how you’d feel if you woke up the next morning to see that a Tory has been returned where you live by just a handful of votes – but you’d never cast yours? Also, ignore those people who say that the election’s a ‘done deal’ so you can vote for whoever you like as Labour will still win – because they’re lying to you. That’s not how ‘first past the post’ works either. We vote in constituencies under FPTP, not for lists where votes are transferable to other candidates. It’s the myth the hard left peddle when they pretend Jeremy Corbyn somehow ‘won’ because he got more of the national vote. They deliberately ignore the reality of FPTP and the inconvenient fact he lost (twice) because it’s the number of MPs that matter, not a national number of votes for a particular party. Please, when you vote tomorrow, vote with your head, not with some wishful thinking. We need to see the back of the Tories and right now that has to be the only consideration. After that there’s everything to play for.
Meanwhile, back in Dorset…
We decided to visit Dorchester today, it’s a town I’ve not been to since 2003 whilst the other have never visited. At first the Platts were dubious as they didn’t realise how small it was (just 22,000 souls) whilst expecting something a little more picture-box. But, after I’d guided them around and showed them some of the history and sights, they warmed to the place.
Dorchester has an interesting political history, from the Monmouth rebellion and Judge Jefferies through to the very early days of the trade union movement and the Tolpuddle Martyrs.
Like so many UK towns it’s looking a little shabby nowadays (that’s what 14 years of Government austerity does) but it still has some lovely buildings and interesting side-streets, plus a good number of independent shops.
There’s redevelopment too. Whilst the ‘fam’ nipped into a local cafe for coffee and cake I nipped over to Dorchester South station to get some pictures – and explore the redevelopment of the adjacent Eldridge Pope brewery site, which is massive. It’s a mix of historic old buildings and new -build, and they’re not making a bad fist of it. It’s certainly a good gateway to the town from the station. Plus, brewing on the site isn’t entirely dead, even tho’ Eldridge Pope closed in 2003. Right opposite the station in one of the new buildings is the Copper Street brewery. As well as brewing their own range of beers they sell beers from other local and regional breweries, either in bottles, cans or on draught. There’s seating inside and out, so you can quaff a beer in comfort during your visit.
Inside the one-room Copper St brewery. Colourful Dorset beers…The new Brewery Square development forms the gateway to the town centre from the station.The mixture of new and old at Brewery Square. Original Eldridge Pope brewery buildings given a new lease of life.
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We’ve had another easy but interesting day here in Dorset. Dawn and I were up early as we wanted to buy some fresh fish for an evening meal. Despite Dorset’s long coastline and seaside towns, it’s not as easy as you’d expect. There’s not as many fishmongers around anymore and some we investigated don’t get great reviews. I mean – what the hell’s an ‘artisan fishmonger’ – apart from a poncy name used to charge you more money? The pair of us ended up going over to a fishmonger’s in Poole. It’s only 15 minutes away from Wareham, so didn’t seem to much of a chore. It was OK, but the prices were far greater than the service levels. Nothing was labelled and they didn’t do anything more than flog you fish. If you wanted it gutting or descaling, that was down to you. Despite that, we picked up four very nice Sea Bream. Which we had tonight with a vermouth, lemon and butter sauce.
On out return we picked up Dee’s parents and headed off out for the day. First stop was Lulworth Cove, a place I don’t ever remember visiting before. I may have been here on a family holiday back in 1970, but memories dim after more than half a century – especially when I’d only have been 11 at the time! Lulworth was a lovely place, even though it’s touristy. One can ignore the people and all the tourist infrastructure that’s spring up to cater for them and simply enjoy the beauty of the cove and the geology that’s created it.
Next stop was nearby Durdle Door, another natural beauty. Whilst the light at Lulworth was lovely, it was mostly dull at Durdle. Even so, I managed a couple of half-decent pictures. Dee and I wandered down the steep path to Durdle but it was too much for her parents – hardly surprising at their advanced age – so we didn’t tarry. Instead, we moved on to Weymouth where we drove along the beachfront and visited the old harbour which took everyone by surprise. It’s a mix of active fishing harbour and yachty heaven, lined with eateries and bars. We all rather enjoyed it as we stopped for a drink and watched the world go by. John (Dawn’s dad) realised that it was here that he caught a ferry to the Channel Islands back in the 1960s. Sadly, the boat-trains, ferry and tramway are long-gone. The railway closed in 1987 but the tracks were only lifted a couple of years ago. Nowadays just a short stub is left in situ.
We’d have stayed longer, but we had other fish to fry. Well, not fry, but gut, descale and cook! However, we’ll be back later – this week or next. Here’s a few pictures from today’s adventures.
Lulworth Cove and some of the rock formations which make it such a fascinating place. The massive chalk cliffs and pebble beach at Durdle Door, along with the coastal path which runs the length of this part of the coast. The view’s looking West towards Weymouth. The only remains of the Weymouth Harbour tramway which closed in 1987. The area’s been redeveloped in recent years, but this reminder has been left in situ. A history board on the former platform of the old Weymouth Quay station shows how things used to look over several incarnations.
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We’ve had an easy first day here in Dorset, which has been good for me as it gave me chance to catch up on my sleep deficit after last week’s charity marathon. So, instead of having an action-packed programme ahead of us I suggested a day of gentle exploration. The Platt clan don’t really know this neck of the woods, so the morning was spent exploring the delights of Wareham, wandering the backstreets and discovering what the town has to offer in the way of sights, history and culture. The reality is – there’s rather a lot. Whilst the others took a coffee break in town I wandered up to the station to grab a couple of pictures and reacquaint myself with the area.
A pair of SWR Class 444s pass at Wareham station. The station has a lovely station building which seems neglected by SWR it appears to spend a lot of its time closed and locked-up due to ‘staffing difficulties’.
Having whet our appetites we drove down to Swanage via the delightful village of Corfe Castle. This was no in-depth expedition, more of a recce for the week ahead, showing John, Norah and Dawn what was on offer on our doorstep. Unfortunately, Swanage wasn’t at its best due to clouds and a cold wind, but they got a flavour of what the town has to offer.
On the way back the weather improved, so we stopped off at Corfe Castle for an hour and explored the town. Whilst the family explored the shops I made the most of the photographic opportunities and checked out a couple of the pubs for beer and food choices.
Back at Wareham and whilst Dawn prepared a fabulous evening meal and her folks relaxed, I went for a wander down the town Quay to get some more pictures in ideal light – and check out the pubs!
Here’s a few pictures from the day…
Corfe castle seen over the rooftops of the village.The Bankes Arms, a family run pub and hotel. Not only is it a great building, it also has good real ales and a fantastic beer garden at the rear which backs onto the Swanage railway – and has great views of the castle. The Quay on the river Frome in Wareham has a good selection of pubs and restaurants. Or, you can just sit, relax and feed the ducks…
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What a difference a decent night’s sleep and a shower makes! After two nights sleeping on the floor of a train having a bed was luxury. Mind you, when I first arrived at my hotel in Preston I thought I might end up sleeping rough. The place I was staying was a family business and unstaffed. There was a keysafe outside the front doo – but no key in it! A phone call to the number I’d been given by my hosts soon put that right. It turned out that another apologetic guest travelling as part of a group thought they’d been left two keys.
Now I’m on the move again. I didn’t hang around in Preston, instead I caught Avanti’s 10:01Pendolino to Euston. Despite it being a Sunday morning it’s a busy train. Thankfully, as it starts from Preston I’ve managed to blag a table seat and set up the mobile office. Not that I’m planning to do much work. I’m still suffering from a sleep deficit so relaxing and catching up with the world is more the order of the day and I suspect this train’s going to get busy. We’ve just pulled out of Wigan where confusion reins as people can’t find their reserved seats. This may not be the relaxing journey I’d hoped for…
Still, I’m on my way to a holiday, joining Dawn and her parents down in Wareham, Dorset – so my batteries will get recharged eventually!
14:45.
As expected, the Pendolino was packed by the time we left the North-West. There was no point in me trying to do any work so I dozed most of the way instead. It being a Sunday the timings weren’texactly sparkling either. We arrived at Euston just a few minutes before 13:00, having sat for ages at Rugby and Milton Keynes.
I’ve now travelled across busy London to Waterloo. The capital’s weather certainly better than ‘oop North’ as there’s sunshine and a hike of several degrees in temperature. I’m in no rush to get to Wareham, so I might stop off en-route. Right now I’m on the 14:35 to Weymouth, waiting departure form Waterloo…
18:25.
It’s turned into one of those days! The train from London was packed all the way to Southampton central, which is where things went belly up. My train onwards to Wareham was cancelled due to a previous service hitting a bike which had been thrown onto the line at Christchurch near Bournemouth. Chaos ensued as services through Southampton rapidly fell apart with knock-on cancellations following. Nothing was running between Southampton and Bournemouth, with staff being unable to say when services would resume. Some passengers were getting stroppy and one young woman member of staff fled to her office in tears.
22:30.
Well, I *did* make it to Wareham in the end, but it was by taxi, not train.
I ended up being stuck at Southampton for a few hours as SouthWestern Railway effectively gave up on trying to run trains West of the city. Every time one arrived from London with the idea of it heading West it was cancelled by SWR control. Even the station staff were getting fed up of it. Thankfully, Cross-Country were made of sterner stuff and kept their Bournemouth bound trains running. I managed to get aboard a packed 18:50 which was standing room only. On arrival at Bournemouth I found SWR were running trains back to London but nothing was going West. After quizzing a couple of different members of staff myself and three other passengers were loaded into a taxi which took me to Wareham and them to Weymouth. Not the railway’s finest hour at all.
Thank you, Cross-Country, at least you ran trains to Bournemouth this afternoon. Here’s 221124 after depositing me, ready to leave on its return trip to Manchester Piccadilly.
Still, I’m here now and the holiday can begin…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
I’m not sure how rolling this blog will be because when we get to Cumbria phone reception will be patchy at best, but I’ll do what I can. Right now we’re winding our way along the North Wales coast after picking up the walkers at Bangor. The weather on Snowdon was windy but (mostly) dry and almost all of the walkers managed to reach the summit.
Those of us onboard the train were woken just before 04:00 as the train left Holyhead. A welcome cup of coffee was provided by the kitchen staff who were already awake. Now the train’s quiet as people try and get some sleep wherever they can before we arrive at Ravenglass at 08:47, where the next leg of the challenge begins. Here’s a few pictures from the train.
Breakfast’s already being prepared in the kitchen car.Walkers leave the coaches that have ferried them from Snowdon to rejoin the train at Bangor.Time to catch some sleep, bedded down wherever you can.
06:15.
We’re just North of Wigan now and whilst the walkers coaches look like someone’s set off a hand-grenade the kitchen car’s a hive of activity as the onboard crew have formed a production line to make and bag fresh sandwiches for everyone to take with them on Scafell.
Talk about a hive of activity…This is only part of what’s going on behind the scenes…
07:30.
The train’s awake as breakfast is served. First course is orange juice and chocolate croissants and/or porridge.
Right now we’re heading along the Cumbrian coast, having just passed Arnside. The weather’s mixed here, with moody skies and the threat of rain. It’s certainly a lot colder than it has been which is no bad thing when you’re walking. Thankfully, there was only one minor injury amongst the walkers on Snowden so we should have a full complement on Scafell. But first we have to get to Ravenglass and a trip along the Ravenglass and Eskdale railway to Dalegarth, where the teams will walk 5 miles to the start of the climb up Scafell. When we reach Ravenglass I’ll lose contact for while, but I’ll be back this evening. with an update.
21:00.
I’m back! It’s been a long old day so here’s an update from the train as we head up the Cumbrian coast towards Carlisle.
Folks old and new enjoyed the trip on the Ravenglass and Eskdale railway up to Dalegarth. It’s such a pretty trip and for those who’d never explored this part of the world it was a revelation. That said, some of the old hands were very happy to use their cameras too (hello Sam D!)
At Dalegarth the teams were registered and their trackers logged in to Satlink, then they were off to walk the 5 miles to the start of the Scafell ascent. I couldn’t accompany them this year as it was arranged that some of the event team were bussed to Wasdale in order to set up the next tracking station. On the bright side this allowed my to climb Scafell ahead of the teams so that I could get pictures like this.
By late afternoon the weather on Scafell turned from dry to a series of showers and hail further towards the summit. Some teams got soaked, which wasn’t ideal due to the high winds and wind-chill. To add to the ‘fun’ many people (to their credit) made the trip ahead of time, but we couldn’t provide coaches to ferry them back to Ravenglass any earlier as the vehicles aren’t freed up until after the local school run. So, we got a double-soaking!
Back at Ravenglass the weather finally smiled upon us as we had a couple of hours of sunshine which helped people dray out. Well, mostly! Several people were reduced to wandering around in bare feet in order to allow their footwear to dry out!
Some people did pick up injuries – almost all minor, but safety comes first, so they weren’t always allowed to complete that days challenge.
Now, after a couple of hours rest and relaxation in the pubs of Ravenglass we’ve been fed and watered on the train and we’re heading for Ben Nevis – where the conditions are looking good…
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Having spent the morning completing household chores and giving the gardens a good soaking before I go it’s now time to begin my journey over to Crewe to join the rest of the Railway Children volunteers and prepare for the arrival of this years teams and the train that will be our home until Saturday night. The weather here in the Calder valley’s bright and sunny, but I’ve packed for all eventualities.
But first, I’ve got to get to Crewe. I wonder which way I’ll go? I’m not going to be walking far as I have a rather large kitbag with me as well as a fully-stocked camera bag. So, let’s see. Next stop, Halifax station…
12:30.
Dawn very kindly gave me a lift to the station which saved mucking around with taxis. I managed to make Northern’s 11:16 to Chester which was ‘fun’ as a stock shortage meant that it was formed of a single 2-car Class 195, so it was full and standing when it arrived. I ended up standing all the way to Manchester as there was no way I was going to get a seat.
By the time we left Rochdale it resembled a sardine-can but after leaving Manchester it was only around 20% full, so now I’ve time to blag a table, plug in the mobile office and relax for a while. Unfortunately, we’ve lost the good weather now. The further West we go the gloomier the skies are.
14:15.
I’m now in Chester. Yes, I know it’s a little bit of a detour but I was still working on the train at Warrington and decided to stay on to finish what I was doing. Plus, there’s method in my madness. I can catch a direct train to Crewe from here and hopefully sample of of Avanti’s new Class 805s in the process. Mind you, it’s all a bit shambolic here. One Holyhead train was 72 minutes late. Diagrammed to leave from platform 3, announcements were made it would leave from platform 4, so passengers and luggage traipsed over the footbridge to the new platform – only to have to traipse back at the last moment when the signaller decided it could leave from its original platform anyway! Here’s a few shots;
Schrödinger’s 13:25, simultaneously cancelled and on time…
Chester is the Southern outpost of the Merseyrail 3rd rail network. 197005 sits on platform 3 whilst passengers on the island wait for their next service.
10:05.
The adventure’s about to begin…
We’re on the way! Our train left on time at 19:14, we’re now on our way to Chester and the North Wales coast before a layover at Llandudno Junction, where we let a service train pass. We’ve 42 teams aboard comprising 190 people, from companies like Siemens, train operators like Avanti and SouthEastern, engineering companies like Volker Rail and others such as HD2 and RSSB.
For the railway enthusiasts amongst my readers we have 47593 on the front and 57311 on the rear of the train.
23:55.
It’s almost time for me to go, but here’s how things have gone so far. As we hugged the North Wales coast the walkers were treated to a hot meal prepared in the kitchen cars that’s part of the train. Here’s the staff busy serving the walkers with the first course of a two course meal (the second course was cheesecake, which was divine). As you can imagine, it’s a military style operation to serve hot food to so many people in such a short time – and on a moving train! Some of the servers were ‘newbies’ to 3 Peaks , which is a challenge in itself.
We dropped off the walkers at Bangor at 21:26. Eve though they’d already been fed and watered they were provided with plenty of snacks to keep ’em going overnight.
Snack anyone?
Just as soon as they were all off the train the empty (well, empty of walkers) train continued to Holyhead where the onboard crew had the train cleared of rubbish and vehicles tanked. Meanwhile, the kitchen staff prepared a second meal, this time for the onboard crew. Now it’s time to get our heads down for a few hours before we’re up at silly o’clock to head back and pick up the walkers. Before our train departs Bangor for Ravenglass at 04:37 on Friday…
The train at Holyhead earlier. A short break before a very busy day tomorrow.
Right, see you in a few hours…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
We’re being treated to glorious sunshine here in the Calder valley this morning, although I’m not going to be around to enjoy it as I’m on my way to Manchester for another visit to Manchester’s Newton Heath depot in order to get the pictures and info I need for a future RAIL article.
My fellow passengers on the 09:02 from Sowerby Bridge are all dressed for the summer as everyone’s making the most of the good weather whilst it lasts. Finally, the winter layers and rainwear have been discarded – for now at least. The Class 158 I’m travelling on is in summer mode too – all the windows are open as the air-conditioning is struggling already!
After my depot visit’s concluded I’ll be spending some time exploring the railways around Manchester and making the most of the sunshine. Feel free to pop back later and see what I get up to….
16:00.
Sorry for the gap but things haven’t gone entirely to plan! My visit to Newton Heath was excellent. I was given a full tour, learned a lot more about operations and future plans whilst also getting pictures of different depot facilities.
An empty ‘parlour’. This is the only part of the 1876 steam shed that remains. Note the WW1 memorial which has been installed at the end. Here’s a look inside the new St Mary’s building which is a world apart from the old steam shed.
It was only afterwards that things went a bit ‘Pete Tong’. I’d decided to make the most of the weather and explore the old ‘Oldham Loop’ rail line to Rochdale which is now part of the Manchester Metrolink tram network. I’ve not travelled this line for several years so today seemed like an ideal opportunity. I traversed Oldham on foot to get pictures then caught a tram out to an old haunt – Shaw and Crompton.
Tram 3097 calls at Oldham Central tram stop in Union St. To the left the old Prudential building is slowly reclaimed by nature. Tram 3139 leaves Oldham Mumps tram stop on its way into Manchester. There’s a lot of regeneration happening around here but the amount of empty commercial properties is depressing. The old mainline station was down the hill to the right. It’s changed a bit since I first got to know the area! The Metrolink station has been built to the South of the level crossing and site of the national rail station.
It was then I became aware of an issue with my footwear. I was wearing a pair of safety shoes with steel toecaps – sensible and required footwear for wandering around a depot – but I’d not worn them for a while as most of the jobs I do require safety boots, not shoes. As I walked along the platform at Shaw and Crompton I became aware of a flapping sound. Looking down I realised my shoe soles were very rapidly disintegrating as well as coming away from the uppers! There was nothing for it to head back home for a change of footwear and hope they’d last long enough to walk back in. Thankfully Dawn had a free moment and was a star. She drove down to Halifax station to deliver me spare shoes in order that I could complete my explorations. Talk about a life-saver. Needless to say, she now has even more credit in the bank!
I wasn’t expecting this!
Leaving Halifax I caught the local shuttle down to Huddersfield in order to check out TRU work. Since my last visit one of the platform shelters has vanished, while the scaffold and crash deck that’s being built under the existing roof has extended even further Eastwards. The wooden waiting room on the island platform is slowly disappearing too. It’s being dismantled piece by piece so that it can be stored before being re-erected on the station at a later date. The interior’s now been stripped out and the windows have all disappeared.
Notice anything missing?
Right now I’m on a TPE service back to Manchester to pick up where I left off. The weather’s changed with cloud building up but I’m optimistic I’ll still be able to get some good library shots.
22:15.
I’m back home after a busy but productive day. I did manage some extra library shots but for once the weather changed for the worse in the evening, meaning we lost the sun and gained low cloud instead so I called it a day earlier than planned and made my way home.
Having been transferred to Northern from the West Midlands, 323220 has become a common sight in Manchester. It was at Piccadilly this evening before working a service to Crewe.
I’ve still got over 27,000 steps in the bank, which isn’t bad when all I’d had to eat was 3 bits of bacon and an egg for breakfast and an apple for lunch. Mind you, I’ve been guzzling water like it’s going out of fashion, so that’s helped fill the gaps. I’m surprised (and rather relived) that my fasting regime isn’t more challenging, although I was looking forward to getting home and consuming my last allowance. I’ve found baked beans fill you up nicely – and so far, there’s been no unfortunate side effects…
Tomorrow I’ll be working from home all day and prepping for both 3 Peaks by rail and the holiday afterwards, so expect a picture dump and a few other bits on the blog. Until then, goodnight!
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
We’ve had a busy weekend here at Bigland Towers and it’s one that’s (finally) been blessed with good weather. There’s been several days in a row with glorious sunshine and lovely evenings, which is a first for 2024 as normally rain follows the sun as night follows day. Today both of us managed to get out for a long walk and enjoy an hour in the beer garden at our local, topping up on liquid refreshments and also vitamin D. The timing’s been excellent as I’ve got a very busy week ahead so having time to recharge both mentally and physically has been a Godsend.
Tomorrow I’m back in Manchester with another visit to Northern’s Newton Heath depot. I’ll blog about some of it but the rest you’ll be able to read about in a future edition of RAIL magazine. My fasting regime kicks in again tomorrow which should be interesting as so far I’ve only stuck to that when I’ve been at home. On Thursday I set off for another major event where fasting will not be part of the programme (I’ll need all the calories I can get) as I join the Railway Children’s annual ‘3 peaks by rail’ as the event photographer. Regular readers will know I’ve been volunteering every year since 2017, it’s a fantastic charity fundraiser but it’s hardly a walk in the park for either the teams or the volunteers who keep the whole event running. We finish next Saturday night after living on the train for two nights and two days. I’ll try and blog as I can, but you’ll be able to read about the whole trip in RAIL magazine.
I’ll need a holiday after that. But then I have one planned, because just as soon as I finish I’ll be travelling down to Dorset to meet Dawn and her parents as Bigland Towers is moving to that neck of the woods for a couple of weeks – so expect many more blogs with a travel flavour.
Right now it’s time to go as I’ve stuff to prepare for tomorrow. I’ll leave you with today’s picture, which is from a previous ‘3 peaks by rail’ adventure, 2021 in fact…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Here we are, halfway through June and on the cusp of summer and all the weather’s done here is rain! Only now, this evening have the clouds (sort of) cleared and the sun found some space to put in an appearance. There’s a pattern developing here, crap weather throughout the day that gives way to a nice evening – just to tease you!
Today’s plans went out of the window for a couple of reasons, the weather being just one of them. A couple of days ago Dawn had ordered a variety of fish portions from the excellent ‘Sailbrand’ in Huddersfield, with the delivery date of today. Dee had to go out, which left me holding the fort until the delivery arrived. Sadly, this wasn’t until 15:30, Coupled with the pouring rain it meant our plan to escape and go for lunch somewhere was thwarted. Ho hum…
Instead, my day’s been one spent kicking my heels at home, although it’s not been entirely wasted as I’ve been busy researching my next RAIL magazine article as well as fulfilling some household chores. I even managed to get out for a walk and a swift couple of pints in our local, the Big 6 whilst Dawn kept herself busy in the kitchen, cooking up some delicious delights for Father’s day tomorrow as well as a great meal for tonight.
Now we’re kicking back, looking enviously at the evening sunshine and thinking ‘why weren’t you here this afternoon’? Ah, well. Tomorrow’s another day. Now it’s time for me to knock off and leave you with today’s picture. Whatever the weather, Yorkshire does produce some amazing skies…
Something wicked this way comes…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
*I originally wrote this as an article in RAIL magazine, where it appeared in April 2024.*
One complaint that’s levelled at the new HS2 railway is that it’s hardly going to be Britain’s most scenic rail journey! With 105km of tunnels on the section between London and Birmingham that’s no surprise. Much of the rest will be in cuttings. HS2 will be Britain’s most invisible railway. But there are a few structures that will afford views from the train (however fleeting) as well as provide iconic landmarks that can be admired from afar.
One such structure is the Wendover Dean viaduct which is being built just a few Km South of the town. In January RAIL was invited to take a look at construction progress in the week after the first 90 metre section of the deck had been pushed out onto the piers that will carry it. It’s an impressive structure which crosses above Durham Farm, a portion of Bowood Lane (which is being realingned) and parallels King’s Lane – which will allow views down over the structure.
A crane used to lift the infill panels into place. A stack of panels can be seen in the foreground. This view is looking South.
Built by EKFB with ASC (Arcadis, Setec, Cowi JV) as its design partner and Moxon as the architects the design has used as inspiration similar French structures like the Vicoin viaduct on the LGV Bretagne – Pays de la Loire high-speed line. When complete the viaduct will be 450m long, sitting on nine piers, some of which are 14 meters high, giving the structure a maximum height of 20 meters (not counting OLE masts). This method of construction is well known in Europe but it’s a first for the UK.
Traditional decks tend to use what is effectively a continuous block of concrete. A drawback of this is that concrete manufacturing is one of the most carbon-intensive parts of such structures. Instead of being constructed of concrete sections built in situ before lifted atop the piers then fixed together, at the Wendover Dean site, EKFB is using a pair of long ‘I’ beams of weathering steel sandwiched between two slabs of concrete with a hollow inner. These beams are constructed by specialists in France before being delivered to the Wendover site in 25 metre sections. They’re then welded together at ground level on the launching platform – a much safer method than having to do it in-situ at height.
This double composite structure is both super strong and lightweight. Compared to the traditional method (pre-cast concrete beams lifted into position with cranes) the overall carbon footprint gives a carbon reduction of 56% over the lifetime of the project. Most of this is in the materials themselves, with transport the next largest contributor. This method should save an estimated 7,433 tonnes of embodied carbon – the equivalent of someone taking 20,500 return flights from London to Edinburgh.
Another interesting aspect of the engineering is the nine piers that will support the deck. The foundations (piling began in June 2022) themselves aren’t unusual They consist of four piles between 38-45 meters deep. A steel cage is inserted into each borehole before being filled with concrete, then topped with a pile cap. Then, a steel cage is built above the pile cap with pre-cast concrete shells slotted over them. Finally, a hammerhead shaped shell is added as the final piece, with a steel cage dropped into it before the shell is filled with concrete. Having these pre-cast concrete shells made off-site at a facility in Northern Ireland is one of the ways that HS2 has managed to reduce disruption to the local area in Wendover as well as control the quality of the finish compared to being built on-site. It’s also a good illustration of how HS2 is generating jobs and income right across the UK, not just on the route. Northern Ireland’s contribution to the project amounts to £140 million in tier two contracts.
Looking North from atop one of the piers. The haul road can be seen to the right of the picture. The red structure on the end of the girders is there to allow the permeant bridge to be guided into place. The first section after being pushed into place, with some of the infill panels already positioned.
The deck is being assembled in three stages ranging from 90m to 180m sections, with each one pushed out from the north abutment before the next section is attached behind it. This slow and painstaking process means that the weight of the deck will increase with each push, up from an initial 590 tonnes to 3700 tonnes by the end of the year. With the deck moving at roughly 9m/hour, the process will take most of 12 months with the finish point at the South abutment approximately 1.8m higher than start point. The deck is pushed out over temporary bearings, sliding across Teflon plates which are fed across the bearings by hand. Pushing power is provided by cable winches which are anchored to the massive Northern abutment which was specially designed for this purpose – hence its size and weight.
Looking South from the Northern abutment.
When you visit the site you appreciate just how constrained the layout is. The HS2 Hybrid bill defined the limit of land that could be used to built HS2. As you’d expect at a viaduct site, this is quite narrow with most of the site to the West of the viaduct. There’s just enough room to store the concrete panels that form the top and bottom of the viaduct as well as the plant and other machinery needed for construction, plus the offices and welfare facilities which are on a temporary site nearby. One difficulty is the need for a haul-road to pass by the site. This is to allow for the movement of spoil from constructing cuttings to the South towards Wendover where it will be reused. To do this an extra strip of land had to be purchased to the East of the trace so that wagons could traverse the site without interrupting work on the viaduct. This land will be returned to its owners once work is finished.
Looking South from atop one of the piers. The wood on the horizon to the left of the pier is the (in)famous Jones’ hill woods which anti HS2 protestors occupied whilst falsely claiming it had a link to Roald Dahl. Their abandoned camp still lies there, rotting, polluting the very woods they claimed to have been trying to ‘save’.
Our visit allowed access to the top of one of the piers where we had a grandstand view of construction and an impression of how the viaduct was set in the landscape. On the edge of the rise to the South-East corner is the (in)famous Jones’ Hill ancient woodland, the edge of which (0.7 Ha) had to be felled for HS2. This privately-owned wood had been occupied by protesters who falsely claimed it was linked to author Roald Dahl. Their camp still exists, abandoned and rotting, polluting the very land they claimed to be trying to ‘save’. In mitigation, HS2’s planted 4.1 Ha of mixed woodland, some of which is adjacent to Jones’ Hill.
Seeing the red-painted launching-girder attached to the bridge deck at eye-level is quite a sight, as is knowing you’re standing atop a pier that will soon be carrying high-speed trains between London and Birmingham. Our guides also took us to the Northern abutment to see the temporary bearings and show us the Teflon plates that were used as flat rollers, allowing the weathered steel beams to be launched Southwards. Once the completed deck is in place it will rest on jacks which will gradually lower the whole structure onto the permanent bearings that will support it thereafter.
One of the temporary bearings used whilst the bridge deck is pushed out. Demonstrating how the Teflon plates are used to slide the bridge girders along the structure.
After the main viaduct deck is complete the parapets will be installed along with derailment walling and noise barriers. The parapets will be creased rather than flat. The crease will create inward and outward leaning surfaces that catch light and shade making the structure much more interesting, attractive (and photogenic). Once the civils side is finished the structure will be handed over to the rail systems teams to allow track, signalling and overheads to be installed.
Finally, the adjacent historic field boundaries and hedgerows will be recreated to provide uninterrupted access for farmers and local residents, leaving little to no trace of the construction compound and years of activity.
I suspect this viaduct will become a popular site for photography as it’ll be one of the very few locations where HS2 will be able to be seen in the context of the landscape it passes through. The sight of 400m long trains whizzing through the Chilterns atop a viaduct at speed will be one not to be missed!
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Paul Bigland 