64. Trackwork around Roade-16.11.14

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2014 > 64. Trackwork around Roade-16.11.14

Another foggy and dull November morning found the up and down slow lines between Hanslope Junction and Northampton closed for engineering works. It happened that one of the worksites was opposite my home in Roade. So, with hi-viz visible from the kitchen window through the murk I ventured across the field to capture the action.

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Images 1-6 of 6 displayed.

Class 390, VT 12.17 London Euston-Manchester Piccadilly (1H08), track workers on up & down slow lines, Ashton Roade bridge
With an acknowledging wave from one of the track workers, the 1H08 12.17 Euston to Manchester Pendolino passes a worksite between Roade and Ashton. With the up and down slow lines closed and in possession the fast lines were very much still in operation with trains at full line speed.
Keywords: Class 390 12.17 London Euston-Manchester Piccadilly 1H08 trackworkers on up & down slow lines Ashton Roade bridge Virgin Pendolino

Track workers on up & down slow lines, Ashton Roade bridge
Whilst two tampers wait track workers manually shovel ballast on an area of track between Roade and Ashton. There were a number of worksites on this murky Sunday morning in the vicinity all employed undertaking the same type of work.
Keywords: Track workers on up down slow lines Ashton Roade bridge Tampers

Class 390, VT 11.47 Manchester Piccadilly-London Euston (1B18), track workers on up & down slow lines, Ashton Road bridge
A Virgin Pendolino heads south on the fast line between Roade and Ashton working the 11.47 Manchester to Euston service. It is streeking past a number of orange-clad track workers undertaking some ballasting work to the up and down slow lines. It may be a dull day in November but the work on the railways still goes on along with a lot of trains on this very busy section of track.
Keywords: Class 390 11.47 Manchester Piccadilly-London Euston 1B18 track workers on up & down slow lines Ashton Road bridge Virgin Pendolino

Tamper, between Roade & Ashton
With the manual work of shovelling ballast around all but over out of sight to the right, the tamper is about to move in and do its stuff! This particular example, with another out of view to the left, is sitting on the down slow line between Roade and Ashton very close to one of my favourite spots, Victoria bridge.
Keywords: Tamper between Roade & Ashton

Class 390, VT 12.28 London Euston-Glasgow Central (1S67), track workers on up & down slow lines, between Roade & Ashton
I have used a slow shutter speed and relatively long focal length to emphasise the speed of the Virgin Pendolino passing, which appears to be, perilously close to a number of track workers who are going about their business between Roade and Ashton just south of Northampton. I had observed them for some time shovelling ballast about ready for a tamper to come and dress the stone for the track to then sit firmly in it. This is not a pleasant working environment and one that I would not want to be in especially on a Sunday morning!
Keywords: Class 390 12.28 London Euston-Glasgow Central 1S67 track workers on up & down slow lines, between Roade & Ashton Virgin Pendolino

66302, 11.00 DIRFT-Purfleet (4L48), track workers on up & down slow lines between Roade & Ashton
The Tesco Express (as it is dubbed) lives up to its name as it heads south between Roade and Ashton on this damp and misty Sunday lunchtime. Due to the trackwork, evidenced in this photograph, the regular 4L48 11.00 ex DIRFT has had to take the fast line south from Rugby to where it headed first before 66302 ran round. This DRS service completes this rather odd avoidance route on a number of occasions throughout the year with the up (or down) slow lines anywhere between Daventry and Hanslope Junction out of use for maintenance.
Keywords: 66302 11.00 DIRFT-Purfleet 4L48 track workers on up & down slow lines between Roade & Ashton DRS Direct Rail Services Tesco Express

Images 1-6 of 6 displayed.