6. CS's 0Z92-07.02.21

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2021 > 6. CS's 0Z92-07.02.21
I had spotted an unusual Caledonian Sleeper light engine movement on RTT and half expected it not to run. However, I was surprised when I logged on early Sunday morning to see that it had left Wembley ahead of schedule and that it was well on its way. As it was such a bitterly cold morning I wrapped up warm and walked smartly across the field from home and within a minute it had arrived and passed with me grabbing a shot over the parapet of the closed Ashton Road bridge. Later in the day, with it even colder, I popped out again in my perpetual desire to get my 10 000 per day paces up just as the water train was passing.
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Images 1-7 of 7 displayed.

92020, 09.10 Wembley IC depot-Polmadie (0Z92, 25E), Ashton Road bridge (closed) 
 With almost empty lines on a Sunday morning, the 09.10 Wembley IC depot to Polmadie light engine move made very rapid progress on the first part of its journey north. It nearly caught me unawares as it approached silently giving me just enough time to wrench my gloves off and raise the camera over the parapet of the bridge with the viewing screen facing me and hoping for the best! Luckily, it all came together and a reasonable photograph of 92020 in its smart GBRf livery resulted. 
 Keywords: 92020 09.10 Wembley IC depot-Polmadie 0Z92 Ashton Road bridge closed GBRf Caledonian Sleeper
Embankment reinforcement work, Ashton Road bridge 
 Work has been underway in this vicinity, just south of the village of Roade, for a year now to support the embankments either side of Ashton Road bridge to the east of the WCMLs. Work is now advanced on this section with the first of many tons of rock armour now carefully in place. 
 Keywords: Embankment reinforcement work Ashton Road bridge Roade
Road closure & embankment reinforcement work, Ashton Road bridge 
 Ashton Roade bridge just south of Roade has been closed for over a month now affording access to the contractors (Amco Giffen) to reinforce the embankments to the north side of the bridge. With the closure due to expire next Sunday (a week's time) I am not sure if the work will be completed. In this view looking towards Roade, with one of its two water towers dominating the scene, the temporary access road that has been constructed can clearly be seen. With a week left of the closure, I thought that a team may well have been at work today on what was, after all, a quiet Sunday with very little railway traffic given the COVID emergency timetable in operation. 
 Keywords: Road closure & embankment reinforcement work Ashton Road bridge Roade
Embankment reinforcement work, Ashton Road bridge 
 The installation of tons of rock armour on a re-profiled and supported embankment appears to be the go to method of preventing the slumping and collapse of cutting walls such as this example on the WCML at Roade. Now into the later stages of development, the rock armour is being carefully and evenly distributed on the embankment supported at the base by interlinking concrete blocks resembling overgrown Lego pieces! 
 Keywords: Embankment reinforcement work Ashton Road bridge Roade
Road closure & embankment reinforcement work, Ashton Road bridge 
 In theory, this road, that links the villages of Ashton and Roade in Northamptonshire, should be reopened in exactly a week's time. However, I suspect that the contractor for Network Rail, Amco Giffen, will have to apply for an extension of the closure as the work does not look like it will be completed by then. The delay to the embankment reinforcement work has been mainly weather-related as is to be expected during January and February I suppose. 
 Keywords: Road closure embankment reinforcement work Ashton Road bridge Roade
390046, VT 14.51 London Euston-Glasgow Central (1S78, RT), site of Roade station 
 With the down fast line (via Weedon) still shut all services heading north on the WCML are traversing the Northampton route to Hillmarton Junction just south of Rugby. During normal times this would prove chaotic but times are far from normal with the implementation of the emergency COVID induced timetable with services at less than seventy-five per cent of what they should be. 390046 passes Roade working the Avanti West Coast 14.51 Euston to Glasgow service on what is now a very dull and extremely cold afternoon. 
 Keywords: 390046 14.51 London Euston-Glasgow Central 1S78 site of Roade station Avanti West Coast Pendolino
66106, 11.06 Dollands Moor-DIRFT (6C24, 31L), site of Roade station 
 66106 leads the daily bottled water train through Roade passing the site of the village's former station. I had to sprint from the other side of the bridge to take this photograph as I realised just seconds before it came into view that I was about to be bowled by a Pendolino heading south - the roof of which can be seen passing the rear of the 11.06 Dollands Moor to Daventry train. The last time that I photographed this EWS liveried Class 66 was in a different part of the country a couple of years previously, see..... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/26273797404/x66106-10-55-knowsley-freight-terminal 
 Keywords: 66106 11.06 Dollands Moor-DIRFT 6C24 site of Roade station EWS

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