February 2nd Update

Again not a huge amount to report.  Last weekend there was very little change due to the snow which must have restricted work considerably.   It looked as if cable ducting work was under way but I need to confirm this.  This week with the weather back to normal, more rail has been moved into place in readiness for the track laying machines's visit.  The drainage work next to the scrapyard is virtually finished.

Here the drainage work seen last time is covered over.  Some tidying up still to do.

The large drain pipe now capped with drain cover in place.  This is next to the recently constructed outfall by the River Hiz bridge.

 

 Some minor landscaping works using that most basic of construction equipment. the wheelbarrow.

A look above the Hiz bridge.  Ballast is quite thick at this point.

Looking north from the far side of the scrapyard, it appears that the guard rail work is substantially complete.  Just an odd bit missing here and there.  Brick rubble and other hard core has been piled up here since my last visit.  It appears to have been removed from the triangle of higher ground.  This is probably the start of landscaping the area and returning it to its original state.

Here is a small addition since my last visit.  It looks like a down pipe attached to one of the piers.  The area was so waterlogged today so I couldn't get any nearer.  There was another one further on so could be part of the drainage system.

This was taken last week in poor light from Hillgate.  It appears to be cable ducting being installed.

Looking slightly to the left from the same spot.

Looking to the right towards the junction with the Cambridge line.  The beetle bank seems to trap water at this spot.

Taken from the same spot this week, continuous lengths of rail can be seen all the way round to Hitchin East Junction.  I disturbed a flock of birds checking out the beetle bank which are in the process of taking off. 

A large stack of cable ducting waiting to be installed.

Looking right over to the junction, I could just make out a newly installed signal cabinet with a line of ducting stretching away from it. It is the grey object just left of centre.  It looks as if everything is set for the visit of the track laying train next Sunday.  I will try and get down and takes some pictures of it in action.  

Wintery scene at the construction site

Managed to visit the site on a very snowy day.  There were a few changes to report.   At the Cadwell Lane end there was drainage work underway next to the River Hiz bridge.  At the end of Wilbury Way, there were lengths of welded rail visible on the embankment waiting for the visit of the track-layer in February.  They were delivered this week by train using the new Hitchin North Junction onto the 200m. or so of track laid on the link from the ECML and the start of the viaduct. They were then pulled around the chord by excavator.  The track-laying train is scheduled to visit over three days, Sunday 10th to Tuesday 12th February.  The work will be carried out mainly during the night so will try and get some shots if I can. There was no activity today whatsoever due to the weather.  Hope this does not continue and impact on the completion date.

First picture shows the new length of track laid laid on to the short length of embankment between the ECML and the viaduct.  Taken from Bury Mead Road looking across the Anglian Water STW.

 A closer look shows the ends of the sleepers more clearly.

 Frozen drainage work along side the embankment.

 Pump being used to remove water from the trench 

 Next to it a very large bore drainage pipe.

 Looking from the other side by the scrapyard entrance.

 Looking north from the same spot, more materials for the drainage work is stored next to the dumper. Guard rail work has been completed here since my last visit at the end of December.

 It looks as if some landscaping work has been recently carried out here at the end of the viaduct.

More drainage supplies here as well.  New scaffolding access has been installed.  This is the far side of the scrapyard.  Guard rail work not finished here.

Zooming out from the same spot.

 Looking across the bleak scene at the Bury Mead Springs conservation area.

 Looking south towards the scrapyard.  I am sure the dead tree has moved closer, maybe getting a better look!

 Wintery view through the viaduct to the new junction.

Turning right a view across the frozen waste that I struggled to navigate today because of the water/ice filled tracks left by a large vehicle that accessed the area through a new hole in the fence seen below.

 A First Hull train heads north about to pass under the viaduct.

 Here you can just make out two of the concrete pads used to support the crane.

A final winter scene shot of the viaduct.

 Looking from the end of Wilbury Way, lengths of rail await the track-laying machine.

This is the extent of the rail with the snow covered chalk quarry behind.  The machine that will be used is a New Track Construction Machine.  This runs on caterpillar tracks at the front guided by an operator.  It drops sleepers at regular intervals fed by a conveyor which is in turn supplied by a self powered gantry that brings sleepers from the rear of the train.  The laid out rail is drawn in to the machine and dropped onto the chairs.  The rest of the train then runs on the track it has just laid.  It is an incredibly fast and slick operation.  Hopefully I will get some shots and maybe a video of it in operation.

First report of 2013

Again not a lot to report.  There was a considerable amount of activity along the former Bedford line embankment all week with machinery and construction workers moving back and forwards from the the former goods yard in Nightingale Road and the new Hitchin North Junction.  The work site and the west side of the main line has been scaled down considerably.  The site offices have gone and with them the generator that was always running.  There does not appear to be any access to the viaduct at this side now.  There still remain some guardrails to be installed here and on the link from the main line to the embankment.

 Site offices gone.  Guard rail still not installed along the walkway at this point.

 This is where the offices were located.  No guard rail at all here where the signalling equipment will be located.

Looking down from the higher ground.  Site is being tidied up.  I guess as soon as the weather permits they will landscape this area.

This shot was taken from the end of Wilbury Way.  Couple of new additions to the viaduct.  Not sure what they are for,  Apologies for the quality but the light was fading.

This shot shows the netting that has be added to the embankment this week along the whole length.

 Netting not quite reached the end.

 Permanent access staircase with security camera keeping an eye on the viaduct.

 I took this from the corner of the Centre Three car park.  This is the closest point to the new new embankment as it skirts around the end of the Wilbury Way industrial area.  There is a drainage ditch running along the edge of the car park.  The new culvert is just a bit too high at the moment to take the water from it.

 Looking to the right from the same spot, the embankment with its recently added netting heads towards the Cambridge branch.

 Finally a couple of closer shots of the quarry where the material for the embankment was taken

29th December

All quiet today with absolutely nothing going on.  Very little to report as all the focus of the work over Christmas was inaccessible.  The next big development will be the track laying in February.  It is now just over 25 weeks to commissioning if all goes well.  However I did take two pictures while I was there.  First shows some concrete ramps that have been installed next to the embankment retaining wall.  I wonder if these will form part of  a permanent access to the viaduct for maintenence.

This shot shows the underside of the viaduct now that the scaffolding boards have been removed.  There are two drain pipes in this section which I am guessing will be connected to a drainage system which will take run off to the reed bed ponds nearby.

Boxing Day and work continues apace.

I managed to find a bit of time to visit the west side of the work site where the work to install the new Hitchin North junction has continued all over Christmas taking advantage of the shutdown.  There were a lot of construction workers in evidence and quite a lot of equipment stretching all the way along the embankment from the Grove Road bridge to the start of the viaduct.  It certainly looked as if the junction was in place.  Unfortunately there are no immediate vantage points from which to photograph.   I took a number from the back of the scrapyard and some from Bury Mead Road.  I will edit these and put them up tonight.  Family commitments require my presence now unfortunately!

This a shot of the finished link between the ECML and the viaduct.  The River Hiz was running quite high and I was only just able to get under the bridge.  The Bury Mead Springs area was very sodden which is not surprising really.

Not a great location to take a picture, this shows the general area of activity from the edge of the sewage treatment works.

Looking back from the Springs, a mobile crane lowers a length of rail onto the link.

 Two more shots of the same machine from the higher ground looking through the viaduct piers.

 Here it is moving another length of rail into position.

 Rail dropped into place guided by a colleague.

 I had wondered if was rail mounted but this shot shows it was running on caterpillar tracks.

 This picture was taken from Bury Mead Road across the sewage works. 

 Looking a bit closer, this certainly looks like newly laid track.

 This final shot shows workers standing on top of the River Hiz underbridge.  The guard rail that can just be made out behind the two workers on the left is on the Great Northern three arch side of the bridge in Cadwell Lane.  The more modest Midland Railway single arch is protected by scaffolding just visible bottom left.   By the time I left the crane was moving rail onto the viaduct itself.