"Bridge & Wheels Appeal" NYMR

Steven: thanks for the latest update.

Just out of interest, does some "authority" have to sign-off the bridge as fit for use? We have all seen those dramatic Victorian photographs of new bridges and viaducts with "several" engines parked on them so that "deflection" can be measured, does the NYMR have to submit the bridge to any form of formal testing as such by said authorities? Or is it all in the design being pre-approved?

 

You couldn't get more than 1 1/2 engines on the bridge anyway so lets hope its in the design approval process.

 

Agreed. I didn't really think we would see it done the old-fashioned way, but in this bureaucratic age it would be interesting to know how a new structure like Bridge 30 is passed for passenger use.

 

Until just a couple of years ago, "new" infrastructure needed to be signed off by HMRI although this was usually not replacement but things like extensions or new platforms. I thought this had changed but have read that the Weardale has recently been inspected by HMRI, so perhaps not just yet.

Effectively, the bridge will be signed off by "competent persons". The design has been done by independent experts and close out meetings with the main contractors will ensure that it has been built ton specification; actually, an ongoing process. I suspect it will ultimately be Nigel Trotter's signature on the dotted line - the fact he will be on the first passenger carrying vehicle to cross the bridge is always a good sign of his confidence in the project!

Steven

 

Very good to see the progress on the bridge, everyone deserves a really big pat on the back. What about the 'wheels' side of the appeal and progress?

 

He might be on the first passenger train.
But who will be on the crane laying the track or on the ballast train dropping the stone?

 

Steven can you confirme that Repton went over the bridge today to newbridge yard for a ballast working
i was told the she had done 2 loads
cheers
andy

 

Given the size of the gap while the track is being relaid, I would be very surprised! Indeed, even if there was a track connected, I would expect that one of the Type 2s at Pickering would be used for ballast workings. It is just possible that for some reason 30926 was used instead of 08 850 to work ballast up the bank (TV filming for example) but if that was the case, the working would be to just North of the Bridge. There will be plenbty such workings with something to get the ballast needed to get the track to the new level.

Steven

 

Update from John Bruce

On Tuesday, a cherrypicker was being used to grout the outsides of the
concrete sections. Today the handrails have been fitted. Another 160 tonnes
of ballast was loaded at the MPD Crossing and moved to site (requiring two
trips up the bank. Unfortunately the 08 for some major shunting on the MPD,
so a substitute was provided for the ballast work. It seemed to cope!

The answers to the question is included in the pictures!

Steven

 

So is it all done and dusted then Steven?

 

Trackwork not due to be completed until the weekend at the earliest. Then tip stone and tamping to follow.
S+T work reconnecting track circuits etc so probably mid week before completion.

 

Thanks Ploughman.

I was trying to be optimistic for a change!

Regards

46118

 

Film clip of state of play last sunday 14th

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLfe_mfG3hc&feature=player_embedded

 

Sorry for the gap in updates – and thanks to Bryan for updates on a couple of the forums where this is posted on the track relaying, now the big outstanding task.

Nigel Trotter reports:

Tuesday 09 March 2010
Access boom lorry on bridge for second day so that Waterseal can apply polysulphide sealant to joints in pre-cast concrete deck units and clean off surplus sealant etc. where it has squeezed out from them and the steelwork. CML were also cleaning the steelwork (big mop and bucket job!). The inside of the steel beams is also scaffolded out to allow access for the same reasons. They were going to work some overtime tonight to complete the job and avoid the need for an extra day’s hire of the boom lorry..

Tomorrow CML will be fixing the new handrails on the bridge itself. On Thursday they will be having more concrete on which to sit the step units on the Goathland side. Then the ballast ramps on either side will be dug out and re-compacted with a big roller now on site to avoid any settlement when the track is on them.

This stage is a series of small jobs that involve getting in the way of other jobs and using various items of plant that also get in the way of the realigned track. You will see that Gerry and the P Way gang are steadily working their way down to the bridge but cannot do more than another couple of lengths before they stop plant access to the bridge.

John Bruce has been told by Thompson's that we will be getting a cheque for the scrap which is slightly greater than expected (which is nice! – Steven)

Photo 5621 is looking through Darnholm overbridge. Did you know that they planned to build a bridge over the river here and have the railway on the other side of the valley and bridge 30 was to be a three span with an arch on either side of the main span and therefore no bridge 31? No, then you will have to wait for the book to find out!

Thursday 11 March 2010
These notes compiled from info from John Bruce and Nick Hensby of CML.
The joints between the pre-cast concrete deck units were all grouted and sealed on Tuesday evening. The cleaning of the steelwork continues as the first time around it was still dirty so a bigger mop, bucket and flash were used!
The handrails on the bridge deck were also completed so we only now have to decide how to deal with the ends as we do not want drivers falling off the bridge (no comments please). We will be finally deciding this tomorrow, on site. The step units at the Grosmont end are also now set onto insitu concrete and the hole alongside the Up side has also been filled with concrete and ballast.
John Bruce, aided by a strange shunting loco (30926), also loaded and brought up another 160 tonnes of ballast for the Grosmont side.
Tomorrow CML are digging and laying in the cross drain that goes under the track on the Goathland side so that will allow more plant to get out of the way so that Gerry can continue laying the track to its new alignment i.e. to fit onto the bridge which would be helpful.

Friday 12 March 2010
The cross drain at the Goathland side of the bridge is in up to the location of the proposed manhole to connect into the cess drain Gerry is laying alongside the retaining wall.

The handrails are complete across the deck and the ballast ramps onto the deck ends have now been dug out, compacted with the big roller and the ballast put back. We have finalised what we need CML to do at the four corners and this will start on Monday taking two weeks. CML will also secure the loose copes on the wing walls and on the retaining walls next week with men on harnesses. The large excavator will leave on Wednesday so don't go down Darnholme Lane that day as it takes several hours! CML should be substantially complete by next Friday apart from final tidying up and the stonework on the abutment tops.
But please remember there is a great deal of work for Gerry and co to do before we run trains. There is also several hundred tons of ballast still load, tip and place before the track goes on and then it needs tamping, more stone, more tamping etc. It is worth remembering that there will be 3 feet of ballast under the track to place and tamp plus sluing the track back to bridge 31 etc etc.

Monday 15 March 2010
On Sunday Gerry laid in another 3 lengths of new track but could not go any further as it would stop off the access for CML to the bridge. On Monday, CML took stone from the lineside at Darnholm and tipped it ready for building up the four corners to retain the ballast and people.
They are going well on the Grosmont Down side as shown in 5726 noting the handy size of the stones! The unloading ramp etc on the Grosmont side has been removed and the area roughly tidied up. CML are also cleaning up and re-securing the big stone copes on the sloping wing walls. They have also set back the copes on the high retaining wall using the big excavator. They still need drilling and pinning.

Gerry will lay in another two lengths of track tomorrow and complete backfilling the drain. He is more or less on programme but 26/27th is getting close, so fingers crossed.

Tuesday 16 March 2010
Work continues into an ever decreasing area! Gerry has laid the track as far as he can on the Goathland side without stopping road and plant access to the bridge. Photo 5738 shows work clipping up but the gap is actually narrower than shown. For those who have been there is a very large outcrop of natural stone in the Up Cess which restricts the clearances to the new track position. Gerry was then moving over to the Grosmont side this afternoon to start sorting out the bullhead track to be taken out and also that to be slued to the new position. He is then going to start spreading and compacting the ballast to try to fill in the 3 feet deep "hole". CML will help but are clearing the area near Darnholme using the big excavator as it is going tomorrow. The debris etc is being taken by dumper to the area near the cabins so it can be made into a natural feature.

CML are working well on the stonework for the Grosmont Down side corner of the bridge as shown in photos. It has taken them 2 days to get to the stage shown. They now need a load of ready mix concrete to provide a footing for the wall etc so that people don't fall down the embankment and then over the wing wall. The inside of the wall will have nearly 2 feet of stone placed up to it and there will be more Kee Klamp hand railing on top.

Wednesday 17 March 2010
CML took the big excavator up Darnhome Lane, across the crossroads and it was finally loaded up and there it was gone! Our thanks yet again to the versatile Mr Bruce for now being traffic policeman as well as Station Master, ballast loader, community liaison officer, shunter and many other jobs!

Gerry is now working on the Grosmont side of the bridge sluing the bullhead to enable it to run into the new flatbottom when laid. CML took time off from the stonework and spread some of the 160 tonne ballast stockpile built up on the Up side and rolled it to start filling the big hole. As is normal when doing one thing, another goes wrong. No sooner had the big excavator left site than the smaller rubber tracked one developed a problem with its tracks. This was partly eased by the loan of Gerry's grease gun but another one is required tomorrow.

The critical item now is for Gerry to have enough help to lay in 11 lengths of new flatbottom and connect up on Monday afternoon. John Bruce is going to bring up the ballast hoppers from Grosmont so that Gerry can load some of the 300 tonnes of ballast in New Bridge, tip and tamp.

Edited by Steven

 

THE RAILWAY IS IN ONE PIECE AGAIN.

This afternoon saw the completion of tracklaying across the bridge.
York Groups Plasser crane being the first rail vehicle to cross.
Still a lot of work to do. Stone tip and tamping etc.
But well done to all concerned.

 

Bryan asked me to post photographs (which are from Nick Carter, one of our very long serving PWay Volunteers) - better definition copies to follow hopefully!

 

A few words from our Civil Engineer:

Sunday 21 March 2010
Eat your hearts out all you big steamers! The first train has run over bridge 30!! After all the effort, fund raising and all the huge efforts by you all, it was Martyn Canning driving the Plasser hydraulic crane.

After days of solid work, Gerry Carter, Martyn Canning and the full time P Way staff and four volunteers finally connected up today. It still needs a lot of work and no you cannot run trains over it tomorrow but it is connected!

A lot of work is still needed but it looks increasingly like we will open in 2010!

Our thanks to Gerry, Bryan Blundell and Nick Carter for letting me know for this diary.

More tomorrow, watch this space.
Nigel

Alright, maybe not very civil but I would imagine he is en route to cloud 9 at the moment!

Can I add my well done and thanks to all concerned!

If you want to ride over the first weekend, on line booking still available at: http://www.nymr.co.uk/tickets/Grand_Bridge_re-opening_Weekend.html

Steven

 

From John Bruce

The PW guys got the track across the bridge and connected up on Sunday. The new rails are already getting a bit of a shine on them! The 4 ballast wagons that have been in use from Grosmont were brought up to MP22 this morning, and taken to New Bridge for loading. There is about 500 tonnes of ballast to load, move, drop and tamp before Friday afternoon. CML continue to work on the stonework at the bridge ends and do other "tidy up" jobs.

Nick Carter and Bryan Blundell report that D7628 has today become the first loco across the Bridge.

Steven

 

A photo of the historic moment that a lcoomotive first passes over the bridge (by John Hunt via Nigel Trotter) - Driver Gerry Skelton with Pway's Martyn Cannings dropping ballast.

Plus a couple showing the amount of ballasting and tamping required before Friday morning.

The MPD are going all out to ensure that 45428 will be avilable for the first train on Saturday morning - seats still available via NYMR Customer Services on 01751 472508.

I believe a rail vehicle crossing the bridge is completion as far as North Yorkshire County Council is concerned, which means we will receive the final part of the £300,000 they have most kindly contributed to the project to help ensure the NYMR's continued contribution to the local economy. Many thanks also to the National Parks LEADER Project for their £90,000 contribution and to the many, many individual donors and fund raisers, who have contributed over £270,000 so far.

Steven

(Apologies that all but one of the photos from Sunday have had to be taken down - the new ones just about use my upload limit!)

 

Another stone train tomorrow morning, Wednesday, with 8 wagons loaded at Newbridge should make the loco cough a bit through Newtondale.