UK CTRL Shots (Now 'Non Broadband' 56k modem User friendly)

basildd · Post by **basildd** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 9:45 pm

Following the discussions recently regarding the CTRL, I decided it was time to pay another visit to see how work is progressing on the route for myself - here are some shots.....

NB - Click on thumbnail to show full size - Thanks to Alan (asalmon) for the tutorial on how to do this!....

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Class 20 loco and 66's from GB Railfreight and Freightliner await their next turn of duty at Beechbrook Farm...

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Class 66 Loco's 66612 and 66712 at beechbrook Farm ....

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K&ESR Teddy Bear at Beechbrook Farm...

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This is the London end portal of the North Downs Tunnel....

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This gives some idea of the size of the bore, looking out towards the steep drop onto the Medway Viaduct....

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Another view of the tunnel....

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in case you were wondering how I got to take the shots, part of my responsibilities within Eurostar is as a member of the Operations Safety Group, responsible for writing and ratifying the rules and regs for the operation of the line - you can't just turn up and go wandering around!

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After exiting the tunnel mouth London bound, the line drops steeply onto the Medway Viaduct which is going to lead to a hair raising 'roller coaster' ride!

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This shot looking across the Medway viaduct shows the drop from the tunnel exit (top, middle of the pic) down onto the viaduct before immediately climbing back up the other side!

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This is the flyover at Ashford where the CTRL climbs behind the station up over the Maidstone branch and back down again, at 300kph!

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Freightliner Class 66, 66611 reversing a wiring train near Sevington...

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In this view, looking towards Dollands Moor and the EuroTunnel entrance, the line on the left (with the tamper) is the down CTRL line, the line in the centre is the reversible CTRL freight link into Dollands Moor yard and the line on the right is the CTRL up line, which has climbed up a bank and over the top of the Sandling Tunnel. Above the grey roofed Servicing Shed in Dollands Moor Yard, the Connex Lines emerge from Sandling Tunnel before going under the CTRL up line and then off towards Folkestone on the right.

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Reverse angle view of the above photo...

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Class 92 locomotives arriving into the Dollands Moor EWS Depot having worked a freight in from Calais Ville...

I hope some of you might have found the above pics interesting....

Goingnorth · Post by **Goingnorth** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 10:46 pm

Very interesting. Best thing since sliced bread if you ask me...with all the doom and gloom this is something to celebrate isn't it? A new (I can hardly believe it?) railway! Gosh!

Mind you the Gradients between the tunnel and the Medway viaduct look pretty steep..(1 in 50 isn't it?) Gonna be a hell of a rollercoaster ride! he he. Should be fun!

BTW how far is it away from completion..It looks 95-99% in some of the pics. I did hear a rumour that TGVs were bring brought across the do next runs soon...cameras at the ready!

southcoasttrains · Post by **southcoasttrains** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 10:53 pm

That must be some roller coaster ride down to the Medway Bridge...

Would trains be-able to hit over 200mph on that gradient?

What is that gradient?

For the rest of the pictures..... WOW

alot has been done since I went through Ashford and Dover back in March.

basildd · Post by **basildd** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 11:00 pm

The track is all in place with the obvious exception of the Junction at the London end of this phase, which goes in very soon and also the up line from the Tunnel has not been laid beyond where the Folkestone line diverges to the right, as yet, although this will only take a couple of days to sort out. Wiring is complete in the main, down to the area around Westenhanger / Sandling where the trains are currently to be seen working - worth a trip to Westenhanger at the moment as the 20's are working alongside during the day!

As for the TGV's - don't know who told you that but the test units are going to be the other two NOL Class 373's (the two not working on ECML) which are currently being refitted and having the test equipment fitted. testing is going to be fun as the trains will have to run at line speed plus 15% to test everything. I'll let you know what its like to do 212mph through Kent, next year!

basildd · Post by **basildd** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 11:02 pm

southcoasttrains wrote:That must be some roller coaster ride down to the Medway Bridge...

Would trains be-able to hit over 200mph on that gradient?

What is that gradient?

For the rest of the pictures..... WOW alot has been done since I went through Ashford and Dover back in March.

As stated above - they will be trialled at 212mph (up to 215mph on test) and it will be pretty hair raising to say the least! I will dig out some facts and figures from the office next week.

markw · Post by **markw** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 11:05 pm

Fascinating stuff.

When I worked on the procurement for Midland Metro I got the chance to visit a number of light rail schemes under construction (Bank DLR for instance), the Jewellery Line in Birmingham and, for some reason (it being well out of Centro's area) Waterloo International (where I got to stand on the roof - now you know the real reason for the cracked glass problem - a 21 stone Black Country Planner), plus of course regular weekly visits to inspect construction of Line 1. You always get a different perspective of things than you do when built and operational, and the scale of the work involved. I found such things fascinating - the kind of trip as an enthusiast I would have paid money to do being undertaken for work...

basildd · Post by **basildd** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 11:09 pm

You would not believe how much bloody trouble that roof causes me!

Goingnorth · Post by **Goingnorth** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 11:20 pm

basildd wrote: As for the TGV's - don't know who told you that but the test units are going to be the other two NOL Class 373's (the two not working on ECML) which are currently being refitted and having the test equipment fitted. testing is going to be fun as the trains will have to run at line speed plus 15% to test everything. I'll let you know what its like to do 212mph through Kent, next year!

basildd · Post by **basildd** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 11:39 pm

http://www.ctrl.co.uk/route/tile4.asp?L=8

Doesn't show the gradient but gives an idea of the formation at the viaduct!

Timcourt1 · Post by **Timcourt1** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 2:16 am

Tell you what Dale, 212 Mph on that medway stretch, wow, would give my right arm for a go down there

With all these new Really high speed trains will we be subjected to new terms like "Extreme gricing" with new magazines like "Hot Train" "Extreme Railway Modeller" etc...

Any chance of the guys writing a route building tutorial, doing well there - no blue poles yet

jashton · Post by **jashton** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 6:41 am

So when is it scheduled to be uploaded?

ianm42 · Post by **ianm42** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 7:45 am

"...the test units are going to be the other two NOL Class ..."

I didn't know there were any 2-NOLs still around, and would be very impressed if they could do 215mph

(oh, and in the photos, which one was the bore? The guy in the hat?

)

(apologies in advance, its all tongue in cheek, I woke up in a very odd mood this morning)

basildd · Post by **basildd** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 8:14 am

ianm42 wrote:"...the test units are going to be the other two NOL Class ..."

I didn't know there were any 2-NOLs still around, and would be very impressed if they could do 215mph

(oh, and in the photos, which one was the bore? The guy in the hat? )

(apologies in advance, its all tongue in cheek, I woke up in a very odd mood this morning)

Very good! The only way a 2 NOL would have reached that sort of speed is if it was driven off Beachy Head - even then I doubt it would have been able to get above 60! As for the bore, if it was a choice between me telling you about it or the CTRL Safety Manager, I can assure you you'd opt for the former unless you had a week or so to take in details of every sleeper and ballast grain!

As you are here, I have something to be uploaded for your attention under the heading CIGs and CEPs which will go up shortly!

basildd · Post by **basildd** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 8:18 am

jashton wrote:So when is it scheduled to be uploaded?

In good old fashioned MSTS terms, not making any promises until the testing has been done, but expect to be able to travel over it in less than a year!

basildd · Post by **basildd** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 8:20 am

Timcourt1 wrote:Tell you what Dale, 212 Mph on that medway stretch, wow, would give my right arm for a go down there

With all these new Really high speed trains will we be subjected to new terms like "Extreme gricing" with new magazines like "Hot Train" "Extreme Railway Modeller" etc...

Any chance of the guys writing a route building tutorial, doing well there - no blue poles yet

Hehehe, well if the magazine has a 'pin up' section, I have one for inclusion.....

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This young lady stands about 2 feet high and looks out of her 'window' about 20 metres inside the entrance to the North Downs Tunnel. Apparently, she is the Patron Saint of Tunnellers and was put in by an Austrian work gang working on the tunnel, to protect it for the future. (It is common practice over in Mainland Europe). However, you will only ever see it if you happen to have come to a stand inside the tunnel for some reason as the line speed through there is 300kph!