EGIP Work Site
I have used this is a coverall for a site that stretches, as from 20th March when Glasgow queen Street Station Closed for 20 weeks, through to Castlecary AP. A distance of 15.5 miles.
Travelling East counting Castlecary there are 3 AP's before Cadder Yard is reached and all are passed by train at line speed. Quite difficult to ID anything as you are passing as they are tucked away behind bushes trees and fences & you also have to know exactly where they are to ready yourself for them.
These 3 sites are very fluid as a unit can come onto the line, say from Castlecary, after the last train at night and work East taking it to Greenhill’s, which I have not covered, and it could finish its shift there. Or it could work West and finish its shift on one of the other 3 sites including Cadder Yard. These units are rotated, by the contractors for maintenance, on a fairly regular basis.
To that end the only way to be sure of a sighting and not an assumption is if someone has actually reported a _sighting by sight for that day by having feet on the ground_.
Spaghetti Knitting Machine ABC Wiring Train Based at Cadder
I was informed that this would be working from Cadder to Lenzie then doing the work that it was intended for. But as you Southerners were enjoying sunshine with some heat behind it we up here had to put up with the clouds sweating, so I didn't go out for it so cannot comment.
All the masts appear to be up between Castlecary and Lenzie but haven't seen any wires in place as yet.
Cadder Yard
The RRVs here change around quickly and a least a couple of them have migrated to the East Side of Scotland a couple of weeks ago
From my notes there have normally been about 6 SRS units on here. Since I’ve been taking sightings there has been a change over with 3 of them. So this can be a fluid site for plant
This is a secure site and unless you have permission the only way to get RIV Nos is from a passing train. The terrain and trees around the site, away from the Railway Side, make it virtually impossible to see a unit let alone ID it.
Lenzie-Bishopbriggs-Cowlairs NJn.
Mast bases installed. Any RRV work will be after last service train gone through
Cowlairs to Queen Street
This is one big worksite.
The track on the Cowlairs incline has been lifted and now re-laid as far as up to Cowlairs West Junction. Ballasting work & some drainage works are still being carried out so still not quite complete. New speed points have been put in at Cowlairs South junctions. A new AP was being formed on Saturday.
The bases for the Masts are in from CWJn. to the road bridge at Keppochill Road. Nothing on the incline as yet so the likes of Story or Aspin will have to come in to prepare these.
Viewing
Cowlairs AP.:-Some of this can be seen from passing trains and these are travelling fairly slowly.
If on foot you can climb a banking on the East side of the line
Viewing AP-Tunnel
There are over bridges at Gourlay St and Keppochhill Road & Pinkston Road. Public Transport is a bit sparse and the distance from Queen Street as the crow flies is just over a mile. Nearer 2 by foot uphill.
Tunnel
There is a lot of work going on within the Tunnel; this can be heard but not seen. This is because the vantage point from the over bridge is too close and too high to see in . The old concrete track base is being removed and a new concrete one being installed. Then the wiring of the tunnel can be carried out. Someone suggested that this maybe conductor rail as opposed to OHL.
I would imagine that there will be works also being carried out to the structure of the Tunnel itself to improve its shelf life.
Viewing:-
Obviously a secure worksite but portal entrance can be seen.
Plant will only be seen waiting to enter or leave
Station
TXM unit working in there on Sunday.
Don’t know if new points layout will be installed but no doubt new track will be laid. All platforms apart from platform 1 will be extended, towards George Square, to allow for the longer new trains. Next the OHL will be installed
Viewing this work.
Inside the station there is an 8ft high solid barricade in place around the sides & the ends of the platforms so the only viewing is from the over bridge or the Buchanan Centre car park walkway, through the glass. Both with limited views into the station.
The Normal service time table will resume on Monday 8th of August
Electric trains from Edinburgh will start to run from December
Autumn 2017 sees the introduction of the new Hitachi Electric Trains
I am not privy to the schedule of works but I have been told that there will be a flow of 10,000 tonnes of material each way out of and into the Tunnel. This obviously means plenty of engineers trains with the proportionate amount of OTP.
I would imagine also that some driver familiarisation would have to be carried before the time table resumes. Possibly 1st week in August
That would leave September/October/November so possibly the incline may not be wired until then. The distance from Cowlairs NJn to the tunnel is only 0.7 miles and if the masts and OH arms and hangers are in position it wouldn’t take long to wire it all in. I would envisage that there will be an OTP presence certainly up until into the New Year
So to anyone coming up for a visit Have some happy hunting.
Hope that this has helped in some way.
If I can be of help in any other please contact in the usual fashion
Sorry for any confusion or inconvenience caused by using the term “EGIP Work Site” that this may have caused and the work has now been completed in proportioning the actual locations to each machine or unit.
Hope that this of help to the honest amongst us.
Jim