Blockade Day 5

We've reached the half-way point, and lunchtime on Wednesday found the track replaced on line 2 (Soon to be the Down Chat Moss Slow) but not yet ballasted.  Two rail-mounted cranes were operating on the new line 3 (Up Chat Moss).

Confused?  I posted a diagram in the blog last year.

Blockade Day 4

The Orange Army were hard at work when I visited Huyton this afternoon.

New signals have been erected.
A new shelter has appeared on platforms 2 and 3, matching the one which appeared on platform 4 last week.
Tracks 1 and 2 have been removed completely at the point where they pass over the subway.

It really is difficult to get a good view of what's going on without trespassing.  This is the best I can do, looking west from the east end of the station.

At the far end of the station you can just about see a giant signal gantry.

Returning to Huyton at about 19:30 I discovered a works train on the new third line with a class 60 on the front.

 

Later, on my way home from the pub at about half past ten, 70003 was doing the honours on a train carrying
new ballast which was being dumped on to the path of tracks 1 and 2.

 

Regular contributor David Hull was also out today, and he provided this shot of the new signal gantry at Roby.

David also provided this daylight shot of the missing lines 1 and 2.

Blockade Day 3 - Brief Update

Very little to report except for steady progress.  Huyton signal box is no more.

Blockade Day 1 - Now You See It, Now You Don't

Nine days to complete the work, and things are progressing well.  Central Huyton echoes to the irregular clanging and crashing of demolition.

Working from east to west, we start at Huyton Junction, where the up Wigan line has already disappeared.

On Huyton station itself, the shelter on platform 2 disappeared a couple of days ago.  The surface of platform 1 has been dug up.

The temporary bridge between platforms 4 and 3 has gone.

At the other end of the station, demolition of the box is under way.  At the time of my visit the top floor had gone but the frame remained in place, with the levers sticking up incongruously above the remaining structure.   You can just see a class 66 loco on a works train.




Unfortunately, the closure of the station means it's much more difficult to get good pictures of what's happening at Huyton.

Down the line at Roby platform 3 is nearly complete, while men were apparently dismantling the shelter on platform 2.  Amusingly, the loudspeakers here were still announcing trains.

Huyton Countdown - 12 Days

Things are moving on rapidly:

The "missing" steps in the public subway which were bare rebar on Tuesday night were being cemented on Wednesday morning.

The shelter on platform 2 has been demolished.

Ballasted track has appeared through platform 3 and onwards towards Huyton Junction.  You can see the temporary "bridge" between platforms 3 and 4 in the distance in this shot taken from the east end of the station on the new pedestrian access to platform 4.

Here's the same view as I showed last week and the week before, looking east along the edge of platform 3 from the temporary bridge.  As you can see, apart from platform edging and surfacing, it's nearly there.

Looking the other way from the same place, towards Liverpool.  There is a decided kink in the track which strongly suggests the signal box will be demolished next week.

 

Finally, the new subway staircase on platform 4.  I'm not sure why they've boarded over the hole.  Perhaps to keep the rain out until a roof is installed?








Elsewhere, new signals are appearing throughout the area, folded down or standing up.