Parkstone Station Up Main Renewal 12th September 2004
Sunday 12th September 2004 saw 660ft (equivalent to 11 sections of 66ft jointed rail) of continuous welded rail (CWR) on the up Weymouth - Waterloo mainline at Parkstone. Below are a few pics of the event all taken in about the span of an hour.
By the time I got to Parkstone at around 09:30am work was well underway and the old track had been lifted out and already removed and awaiting transport to Eastleigh yard. Here looking North towards London, the ballast has already been laid and "levelled". The train on the right had flat wagons loaded with the concrete sleepers.
Looking South we see the rest of the train with an old OBA wagon in EWS colors. These wagons carry the white bags (to the right of the picture on the platform) Which contain all the bits needed to lay the rails including plastic mats that sit on the sleepers that the rails are placed on. All the enamel insulation pots and holders (if required) etc etc. To the left and top of the picture is one of the many islands thats dotted around Poole Harbour. To the rear of the island is the isle of Purbeck.
Taken from the footbridge looking towards Bournemouth one of the diggers makes its way down to the rear of the train. This will be lifting the concrete sleepers into place.
The digger pictured in the previous photo has now removed its bucket and is now being used to lift the sleepers into place. This will go along the whole length of the train lifting the required amount of sleepers into place. The train will move up accordingly as and when required.
With the first set of concrete sleepers lowered into place. 2 workers space the sleepers out with a metal jig, Oh yes its heavy jig as well!!! I asked how much it weighed and he passed it upto me to lift up.
Looking towards Bournemouth again from the footbridge with most of the sleepers in place, with the train moved up a little the three guys in the foreground now start aligning the sleepers up to the correct regulatory distance from the outer rail of the other line.
Looking South towards Poole we see where the new rail will be joined to the old track. Note the distance in height between the old and the new! Also of note is how the third rail has been "slewed" to one side. There is only one train on the Down line and this is top and tailed by 2 class 66 locos. This is full of ballast and when the time is right the train will draw along side the newly placed track and the diggers riding on the new line will lay the ballast over the rails. Then a tamping machine, which was sat in Poole yard will come up and "tamp" the track. The Top and Tail 66's were not due to leave the area until 03:00 on the Monday morning.
Looking towards Poole from Castle Avenue bridge (#11) we see there are still some sleepers to be correctly aligned. As well as at Parkstone some work was taking place over at Baiter in replacing some rails on the Parkstone side of the "bunnie", a bridge that should have been replaced in February this year with a new one that currently resides in pieces in the old Poole Yard, that goes across a stretch of water seperating Poole Park Lake from Poole Harbour. Also Southern Electric Contrators were wiring up a new Sub-station at Branksome to the National Grid to enable greater capacity on the network for Southwest Trains new Desiro units to operate at their full capacity.
Finally a shot of 66051 at the head of the works train taken from the Castle Avenue bridge (#11). Note the Dozer on the flat truck in the foreground, apparently these have the latest GPRS equipment on them to make sure that the ground is as level as possible.
This page updated:- 12th November 2006
www.Hentis-Rail.com , www.Hentis-Rail.co.uk & Hentis Rail © are copyright 2002 - 2006 Anthony Henley.
All Pictures unless otherwise stated on this web site have been photographed and are Copyright of Anthony Henley
and may not be used without prior permission from me.
By the time I got to Parkstone at around 09:30am work was well underway and the old track had been lifted out and already removed and awaiting transport to Eastleigh yard. Here looking North towards London, the ballast has already been laid and "levelled". The train on the right had flat wagons loaded with the concrete sleepers.
Looking South we see the rest of the train with an old OBA wagon in EWS colors. These wagons carry the white bags (to the right of the picture on the platform) Which contain all the bits needed to lay the rails including plastic mats that sit on the sleepers that the rails are placed on. All the enamel insulation pots and holders (if required) etc etc. To the left and top of the picture is one of the many islands thats dotted around Poole Harbour. To the rear of the island is the isle of Purbeck.
Taken from the footbridge looking towards Bournemouth one of the diggers makes its way down to the rear of the train. This will be lifting the concrete sleepers into place.
The digger pictured in the previous photo has now removed its bucket and is now being used to lift the sleepers into place. This will go along the whole length of the train lifting the required amount of sleepers into place. The train will move up accordingly as and when required.
With the first set of concrete sleepers lowered into place. 2 workers space the sleepers out with a metal jig, Oh yes its heavy jig as well!!! I asked how much it weighed and he passed it upto me to lift up.
Looking towards Bournemouth again from the footbridge with most of the sleepers in place, with the train moved up a little the three guys in the foreground now start aligning the sleepers up to the correct regulatory distance from the outer rail of the other line.
Looking South towards Poole we see where the new rail will be joined to the old track. Note the distance in height between the old and the new! Also of note is how the third rail has been "slewed" to one side. There is only one train on the Down line and this is top and tailed by 2 class 66 locos. This is full of ballast and when the time is right the train will draw along side the newly placed track and the diggers riding on the new line will lay the ballast over the rails. Then a tamping machine, which was sat in Poole yard will come up and "tamp" the track. The Top and Tail 66's were not due to leave the area until 03:00 on the Monday morning.
Looking towards Poole from Castle Avenue bridge (#11) we see there are still some sleepers to be correctly aligned. As well as at Parkstone some work was taking place over at Baiter in replacing some rails on the Parkstone side of the "bunnie", a bridge that should have been replaced in February this year with a new one that currently resides in pieces in the old Poole Yard, that goes across a stretch of water seperating Poole Park Lake from Poole Harbour. Also Southern Electric Contrators were wiring up a new Sub-station at Branksome to the National Grid to enable greater capacity on the network for Southwest Trains new Desiro units to operate at their full capacity.
Finally a shot of 66051 at the head of the works train taken from the Castle Avenue bridge (#11). Note the Dozer on the flat truck in the foreground, apparently these have the latest GPRS equipment on them to make sure that the ground is as level as possible.
All Pictures unless otherwise stated on this web site have been photographed and are Copyright of Anthony Henley
and may not be used without prior permission from me.