"Bridge & Wheels Appeal" NYMR

Unfortunately, snow blowing in from the Moors has meant the A169 between Pickering and Goathland has been closed all day today and hence the preparatory work prior to the lift has not been finished. This is now planned to be completed tomorrow, with all staff - NYMR and contractors - accessing the site by train. The lifts of the old Bridge are now scheduled to start on Tuesday.

Trial cuts with the thermic lances have proved successful.

Radio York has reported on progress and the NYMR operations through the winter weather, which came to North Yorkshire on 17th December and have not let loose their grip since until today. It is now raining in the Vale of York and quite a thaw is underway but more snow is forecast for the Dales and possibly the Moors tonight.

Steven

 

Monday 11th January 2010

The Works train ran to the site leaving New Bridge at 08.00. Tomorrow, CML will drive to Goathland as they did not get to the site until about 09.00. The roads are "black" and as Nigel Trotter were leaving this afternoon, the National Parks contractor was clearing their car park.

Today CML have got most of the kit (dumpers, rebar, shuttering etc) they need onto the Grosmont side of the bridge. They will then start burning the old bridge and it is predicted that the first main girder will be lifted out at about lunchtime on Tuesday with the Up side deck afterwards. The next lot should be on Wednesday with finish either then or on Thursday.

Today, Nigel had his last walk over the old bridge - goodbye!

Steven

 

Not a very good day! Bridge 30 might not be totally intact but all of the metalwork still rests where it has been for the past 145 years!

This morning was lost to the cutting and lifting operation as CML had to fit the debris netting using their "working at height" staff. This afternoon, burning started and 4 cross beams were expected to have been cut by the time darkness fell. A further 10 to go plus the deck and girder ends before the first lift. Further thermic lances are to be brought in and it is expected the first lift (the Up main girder) will be around lunchtime tomorrow. Another 14 cross girder cuts, decking etc. are required before the Up deck can be lifted out. The target now if for all the deck to be out by Friday, the central girder being the last to go.

Gerry Carter and the PWay gang hve cleared a panel of track and pieces of equipment from the Goathland side to allow access by a tracked excavator, which can now be moved by road to Goathland as the roads have cleared of snow.

Nigel Trotter is hopeful of better progress tomorrow,

Steven

 

Well we have woken up to a very white World here on the Welsh borders!! Fingers crossed it doesn't get as far as the NYMR. At least by Friday you look to have the benefit of higher temperatures.
Fingers crossed again for you!

(Steven, are we due a "Moorsline" soon??)

 

There was a Moors Line in early December, so I am afraid there isn't another due for a while

Steven

 

Sorry, I was thinking of another heritage railway where the winter house mag is overdue. Slip of the pen!

 

The first girder is out! The lift of the Up Side Girder took place at 14:30 today. This is somewhat behind schedule!

Yesterday saw the first piece of decking removed - the triangular piece that attached to the Up Side Girder but not right cross due to the skew of the bridge. This was lifted out by the 22T excavator which arrived on site earlier yesterday. The majority of Wednesday was taken up with further cutting - a second thermic lance arrived on site which the original took as its queue to break down! Further lances were sourced and the Kirov crane attached to the first girder. Further cuts were required this morning to allow the lift just over an hour ago.

Cutting now continues (bolts holding the deck to the centre girder have emerged as metal has been cut away) and the Up Deck is hoped to come out tomorrow. Further cutting will follow before the process is repeated on the Down Side (which has carried the track in NYMR ownership).

The Side Girder weighed in at 27 Tonnes, well within the capacity of the crane at the required reach.

Steven

 

Some more details on what happened yesterday and what is planned for today.

As the attempts to dismantle have progressed, it is clear how much the bits of the bridge are "stuck" together (a technical term quoted from the Civil Engineer) by age - and bolts that look like rivets from the top!

The crane calculations were done on a weight for the side beam of 35 tonnes, although the best calculation was actually 29 tonnes. The crane can lift 41.5 tonnes at that reach, so the weights were well within. The actual weight registered when the beam was in mid-air was 27 tonnes.

The thermic lances put a lot of energy and heat into the metal and heat was still detectable an hour after cutting ceased!

If anyone thinks the fight the old bridge has put up means it wasn't life expired, Nigel Trotter has now been able to inspect the removed beam much more closely than any engineer has since 1865 and confirms that there is considerable corrosion that has reduced plate thickness, especially in the centre were tension stress is at the maximum. He feels we have judged it just right to get maximum use out of the old bridge!

Cutting is continuing this morning with the aim to lift out the UP Deck today. Cutting will then continue over the weekend on the Down Side girder and deck. There is a meeting with CML, the main contractor, today to reschedule work to get the new bridge finished in time for Gerry Carter and the NYMR Pway Gang to get the track back down for 27th March. Lets hope we have seen the last of the snow!

Steven

 

Thanks for your updates Steven, I think most of us dont fully realise what an undertaking this is, its only reading your reports that brings it home.

 

It is nice to be kept up to date on something that is a very difficult undertaking, I wish you good look with the project and hope that it all going smoothly from here onwards.

 

Latest NYMR TV footage showing the first girder coming out is now on line at:

http://www.nymr.co.uk/tv/e9-bridge-update/

 

Fascinating, its no small job thats for sure. The new replacement beams look immense, what do they weigh ?

 

The new beams weight about 37 tonnes, then there are conrete deck sections to go on top. The old side girder that has come out was 27 tonnes, so there will be less metal work in the new bridge.

I have some pcitures (thanks to Kev Yeoman) but unfortunately they are too big to upload!

Some pictures of the process can be seen here: http://www.bridgeandwheels.co.uk/gallery/

Up Deck out today - CML and Volker Rail working tomorrow - hope to have Down Girder and deck out.

Weekend working is set to add to the cost of the project - donations very gratefully accepted!

Steven

 

Some Pictures and video from 15th jan lift:

http://gravesphotography.photium.com/portfolio83191.html

Video footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADALPEYtADk

 

Work has continued today on cutting but by lunchtime it was clear the main part of the Down Deck would have to wait until Monday.

The waybeams and pieces of deck not attached to the side girder have been removed but the 2nd half of the deck poses a particular problem - it was attached to the centre girder (which is the underneath strengthener) by heavily rusted bolts and to the Up Side Girder but when the deck is cut from the side girder, this will be left more or less "balancing" on the abutments. In other word, as more of the bridge is dismantled, less remains to secure the rest until such time as it is lifted out. The angle of cuts between the Down Deck and Side Girder has needed to be carefully planned to ensure that the deck can come out without catching any remaining pieces. The Down Side Girder will be secured by steel ropes until it is its turn to be lifted. The crane is, of course, attached to the next section to be lifted before cutting starts.

Add this that all staff working on the cutting have to be attached to safety lines and harnesses and the steady rate of process is completely understandable.

The teams are having tomorrow off and the Down Side is now expected to be removed Monday.

Currently about a week behind. When the bridge is out and the abutments have been broken out to allow the modifications for the new main beams (150 tonnes of spoil are to come out), a better idea of how easily this will be caught up can be formulated.

Steven

 

No work yesterday as rest due for the staff concerned – naturally, the sum shone!

The Down Deck is now stripped of waybeams, end, triangular sections and some of the decking. Today will (hopefully) see this Deck and the Down Side beam lifted. During the Up Side lift, it was established that the side beams are not fastened to the abutments and stay on them by weight and habit. Hence, removal of the Down Side Beam (which will be the last part of the original deck to go) will need to be carefully undertaken.

The 1906 centre strengthening girder will hopefully go tomorrow and then the old deck will be out. In between the final lists, work will start on the abutments with the steel fixer gangs in attendance.

The work will then enter the crucial phase of breaking out the abutments and preparing the housings for the new beam. The ease or otherwise with which the abutments can be dismantle (where necessary) and what is found when they are will have a major effect on the overall programme.

PLEASE REMEMBER THERE IS NO PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE SITE OR FORMATION DURING THE WORK AND THAT ALL LINE SIDE PASSES ARE CURRENTLY SUSPENDED BETWEEN GROSMONT AND GOATHLAND.

Excellent views of the work can be had from public footpaths to the west of the line.

Steven

 

Steven: Is it fair to say that the contractors enter "unknown territory" when they start to excavate behind the present abutments to find secure ground on which to cast the new supporting beam? The concrete castings will presumably need to be a "wedge" shape to hold the new bridge, which doesn't take account of the skew, ie the ends will protrude slightly into the North and South embankments at an angle.

 

No major pieces lifted yesterday. Further sections of deck removed and more cutting in even more in accessible places. The real problem as previously mentioned is as less of the bridge remains maintaining the stability of those parts left, specifically the Down Side girder (which, based on the Up Girder, is not attached to the abutments other than by weight). This has been secured to the centre girde to provide stability during the deck lift (obviously, the crane cannot be lifting the Down deck and attached to the Down Girder). The intention is now to remove all 3 remaining parts today.

The two four man steel fixer/shuttering joiners/ concretors were on site and the first of the reinforcement cages for the step units/ballast retaining wall units well under way.

46118 is basically right about the "unknown" qualities of the abutment work. This is actually the most expensive individual elelent of the whole job, making up over 1/4 of the total at least. The cuts for the beams will be "gillotene blade" shaped for the reason 46118 details.

Steven

 

Hot news from site - the Bridge is out! The final part to go - the 1906 strengthening Girder, was lifted out under floodlights at approximately 18:35 and is probably just coming to rest on the ground as this is typed. It will remain attached to the crane tonight and then be moved further down the bank towards Grosmont (it will be rested north of Bridge 32) tomorrow.

Down Side Girder was 1 tonne heavier than Up (28T), decks about 10 tonnes and final, Central Girder 33 tonnes - whole structure about 110 tonnes plus.

Steven

 

Great gald to hear that it has been complated and with nobody hurt