Issue 65 - tre march 2010:Rail Engineer New Design 22/2/10 10:04 Page 3
march 2010 | the rail engineer | 3
welcome
Grahame Taylor's
Operating Notice
in this issue
For a magazine that seeks to provide a positive, Graeme’s other foray this month has been to tread
forward-facing take on railway engineering, we find in the footsteps of the stars…almost. Standing
ourselves this month in the awkward position of below a leaking, corroding viaduct on a cold
peering over our shoulder at challenging inquiry Manchester morning is enough to bring anyone Dynamism doubles Lugton's loop 8
reports. Eurostar’s pre-Christmas tribulations back to earth as the cast of Coronation Street will Overdue enhancement brings half-hourly trains
wrecked its well-earned reputation for excellent have long gone. Castlefield Viaduct is a dominant into East Ayrshire.
customer service, but what was the engineering presence on the west side of the city which might
background? Graeme Bickerdike takes a look behind explain its frequent use as a TV location, but it hasn’t Movement signals an era's end 12
the snow screens. seen a train for 40 years. Showing its age, work is As Reading prepares to be remodelled, the curtain
Meanwhile Mungo Stacy considers the collapse of underway to discover its true condition. is coming down on its PSB.
a bridge at Stewarton which, despite derailing a Chris Parker reports on the measures being taken
freight train in spectacular fashion, thankfully spared by Eurotunnel to contain the rail wear problems Behind the corrosion and snow screens 16
all life. This incident has a particular resonance for caused by traffic on Europe’s most intensively-used We peer beyond the headlines to learn lessons
me. Just five months before I started my railway railway system. In the tunnels, the heavy traffic leads from two events that challenged the industry.
career in the Woking District Bridge Office in 1965, to rolling contact fatigue damage and outside, in
the Clapham A Signal Box partially collapsed. The the turn-round loops, the tight curves mean that Let their be light 20
mood at the time was distinctly sombre as the there is very rapid wear of the rails despite the use of
District was directly involved. This was a very lubrication systems. Fundamental steel chemistry
significant incident and the enquiry report became comes to the rescue.
compulsory reading for all involved in the design I’ve been travelling regularly from Paddington
and maintenance of railway structures. For decades, over the past ten years but, even in this time, I have
it remained a seminal railway work to be read been completely unaware of the ‘missing’ roof vault
alongside reports such as that on the Black Harry over platforms 9 to 12. Perhaps missing is the wrong
Tunnel collapse of 1953. Their findings should be word - it’s still there but hidden above an all-
resonating even today. So, if you deal with enclosing crash deck erected 15 years ago to protect
structures, read RAIB’s Stewarton report and those the public from falling glass. But, by the end of this
I’ve mentioned if you can find them. But for now, year, all will be revealed again as major renovation
Mungo gives us an objective summary of the recent works to the roof are underway. As it heads towards its centenary, Paddington's
events, an analysis of the structural issues and the Brian Street’s piece on the original drain jetting fourth span awaits rejuvenation.
lessons that have to be learnt. train is pure wicked nostalgia. Cobbled together in
On a more positive note, Stuart Marsh has been the late Seventies, the train was built at a time when Rehab for the screen icon 24
north of the border to report on the successful relatively junior staff were able to pursue sound A rusting colossus has its place secured in
completion of the Glasgow to Kilmarnock route engineering ideas right through to completion. Manchester's cityscape.
enhancement scheme which involved the They were given support, encouragement…but no
installation of a ‘dynamic loop’ - a passing loop long money! It was up to them to beg, borrow and The deluge dilemma 32
enough for trains to pass without stopping - over acquire by persuasion. Perhaps this was much easier How the railway is responding to the strain placed
Stewarton’s reconstructed bridge. The effect on in an industry with fewer contractual barriers. As on its drains.
capacity has been dramatic. ScotRail is now running Brian predicted over 30 years ago, the jetting train
the long-awaited half-hourly service of 34 trains in would prove to be an invaluable track maintenance Birmingham bonanza 38
each direction every weekday. tool. What goes around, comes around! All roads lead to the Midlands as our leading
lights get ready for Infrarail.
Editor the rail engineer
Fatigue resistance extends life expectancy 40
Grahame Taylor Ashby House, Bath Street, Ashby-de-la-Zouch
grahame.taylor@therailengineer.com
Leicestershire, LE65 2FH
Production editor
Telephone: 01530 56 00 31
Graeme Bickerdike
Fax: 01530 41 21 66
gb@therailengineer.com
Email: contact@therailengineer.com
Website: www.therailengineer.com
Production and design
Adam O'Connor
Gemma King
Editorial copy
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production@therailengineer.com
Bainitic steel - aiming to bring longevity to
Engineer writers
Free controlled circulation
Eurotunnel's tight curves.
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