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Metrolink - Proposals

10M views 52K replies 763 participants last post by  Little Spoon 
#1 · (Edited)
In order to seperate progress on the extensions from other chat about Metrolink, am kicking off this new thread with some images of the work on the Chorlton branch which I've brazenly borrowed from some nice chap on flickr (called Andrew L. Roberts - bravo to you fella, :cheers: very well taken and informative piccies! This first one has Wilbraham Road Bridge in the background:



Looking north from Ayres Road Bridge:



Looking south from Ayres Road Bridge:


Anyone got any more???
 
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#18,542 ·
Here's a few more shots of training & testing on the Smedley to-day :-



The guy still has to clip and scotch the points from the depot and the crossover manually, and they seem to be still working on the Irk Valley connection :-



:banana::banana:
Yep, looks like the points are still under the control of MiOS rather than TMS :lol::lol::lol:
 
#18,544 ·
Cheers Martin, nice one! Fancy those platforms having now to stay there for four years before coming into use . . . still, the umbrello at Central Park has waited for at least seven.

In the June edition of 'To-day's Railways' they publish a similar photo which they describe as Martinscroft, but it's actually Benchill.

Meanwhile, over at the Electric Circus, Collyhurst, the Skids are playing 'Into the Valley' . . .



















:banana:
 
#18,545 ·
Good picture Martin and Johnny :cheers: hopely in three weeks time Oldham line will opened and we all be going up and down that line hopely:)

:banana:
 
#18,546 ·
Seems a few of us were out and about in the sunshine today - I had a walk into town along Ashton New Road before jumping on a tram to the Quays. Near Clayton Hall they were grinding small grooves in the concrete, alongside the rails. I just missed the actual grinding, they were brushing it clean when I passed. Any idea why they do this? The only thing I can think of is to give a bit more grip to car tyres when they are on the rails......



The famous Yellow Dots....



Section isolator near Velodrome, now completed and cables connected...



 
#18,547 ·
Seems a few of us were out and about in the sunshine today - I had a walk into town along Ashton New Road before jumping on a tram to the Quays. Near Clayton Hall they were grinding small grooves in the concrete, alongside the rails. I just missed the actual grinding, they were brushing it clean when I passed. Any idea why they do this? The only thing I can think of is to give a bit more grip to car tyres when they are on the rails......

I think its done to ensure that the concrete is below rail head level so the tram wheel tread does end up running on the concrete as the tyre wear slightly hollow. The Metrolink wheel profile does overlap the rail head slightly.
 
#18,548 ·
I'm glad they've left room for cyclists in the layout. You'd think it would be obvious, but not so for the designers/engineers in Sheffield. As a cyclist, Langsett Road is a nightmare - there's no room for trams to overtake you. So you have three options - cycle at 20mph to keep ahead, illegally pedal on the pavement for a bit or get a blast from the horn of doom...

Then you have the issue of the stops themselves, that mean the gap to the left of the rail narrows to a foot or so, or you have to bunny-hop over the rail.

Mini-rant over. :soapbox:
 
#18,550 ·
Clipping & scotching points

Points are clipped and scotched if they are not locked by the signalling system (in this case of course the signalling has not been commissioned). They are clipped and scotched to prevent the point blades from moving under the vehicle. The clip holds the point blade and the rail together and the scotch is a block of wood which keeps the other point blade and the other rail apart.
 
#18,551 ·
Points are clipped and scotched if they are not locked by the signalling system (in this case of course the signalling has not been commissioned). They are clipped and scotched to prevent the point blades from moving under the vehicle. The clip holds the point blade and the rail together and the scotch is a block of wood which keeps the other point blade and the other rail apart.
It's not a fun job. Much better to have a functioning signalling system.

Train Guard
 
#18,552 ·
Points are clipped and scotched if they are not locked by the signalling system (in this case of course the signalling has not been commissioned). They are clipped and scotched to prevent the point blades from moving under the vehicle. The clip holds the point blade and the rail together and the scotch is a block of wood which keeps the other point blade and the other rail apart.

IMG_1353 by carlf18, on Flickr

Great pictures Martin, Johnny and Vincent.
 
#18,556 · (Edited)
Cheers guys. Wonder how this will compare! Suppose I'll have to wait a few years for the answer....


Metrolink 2030 by Sparkyscrum, on Flickr

Martin not quite. There's too much space in between Newton Heath and Failsworth. Then again that's my eye for you.
Excellent map! have you thought about adding in the possible Marple tram/train route?, as that will no-doubt be operated by Metrolink, and was in the original plans all those years ago?

Although I wouldn't do the route to stockport via East Didsbury,(too long a Journey) I'd place it off the Marple route & follow the old alignment of the Trans-Pennine trail, Taking in Brinnington, Portwood (for TESCO & the retail park) & then road into Stockport.

apologies for rudely interrupting the flow.:)
 
#18,557 ·
Is a first time today that I seen tram on the Oldham line saying St Werburgh's Road on it, I was going to take picture of it but it shot off bye the time I got my phone out.
 
#18,559 ·
Although I wouldn't do my route to stockport via East Didsbury,(too long a Journey)
I believe the idea isn't for end-to-end journeys (which are already served by the mainline), but to open up Stockport for shorter journeys. Personally I'd have the Met running as far as Stockport rail station for fully-connected-up-ness (and we're venturing dangerously in the 'Metrolink future' thread territory)
 
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