Thats because from Adelaide to Brighton there is no wiring up yet just masts and portal structures though some some masts and portal structures do have some arms installed to them already for the wiring.

As for Woodlands Park Im almost 100% sure the reason they used portal structures over concrete masts is because of the fencing and the close vicinity of the fencing to the track so there wouldn't have been any room to install concrete masts and the cantilever arms on the concrete masts wouldn't have been long enough to stretch the distance assuming the concrete masts were installed just outside the rail corridor.

There may be other reasons like costs or portal structures being easier to manage at large stations when maintenance needs to occur. (You think it looks ugly now wait until it looks like Brighton station)

Or just thank your lucky stars the Noarlunga Line will never look like this mess
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/SunsetTracksCrop.JPG

No wires yet between Daws Road and Raglan Avenue, it's bare masts/gantries only on that section at this point.

They've done an excellent job of uglying up Woodlands Park station though, the old shelter in the middle looks quite out of place with the shiny full-width gantries running over the island platform instead of the plain concrete masts on the two sides only.

Eletrification work today between Clarence Park and Emerson, see photos below. Cantilever arms are starting to appear trackside  Also photo of Ascot Park shiny new shelter with shiny new gantry! Also got a shot of switching equipment in the Tonsley Jn switching cabin.  

Work at Gordon Rd ped. xing.


Work at Emerson Stn


Ascot Park new shelter


Tonsley Jn switching cabin


Alex C

Really? I thought I saw poles with colourful lights on them, which gives every appearance of it being tired old tech.

If we went straight to ERTMS Level 2 there would be no lineside signals outside of starters at major station platforms, and when it's all on the driver's in-cab HUD there would be no sighting issues with electrification equipment.

Old tech is not always bad.  Is it significant that almost all the installations of ERTMS Level 2 listed on the Wikipedia ERTMS page are on newly constructed lines?  Level 1 is more suited for implementation on existing lines.  Since the Noarlunga/Seaford is not totally separate from the rest of the metro system you would face considerable conversion issues with Level 2.

Alex C

On the weekend (22nd Sept), work continues at Wayville...

[img]http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s264/billd_photo/DSC_1912_zpsdcce1a9a.jpg[/img]

On the Seaford thread AlexC reported signals starting to appear on the Seaford extension.

Yesterday I took a drive beside the tracks between Ascot Park and Woodlands Park. I am pleased report that new signal heads are in (LED type) and the wheel/axle counters installed. The previous IJRs have disappeared. Progress is being made.

I can see little* progress on electrification north of Brighton. (* I am being generous, none actually)
Why is the progress so "stop go"?
Are Liang O'Rourke doing FIFO with a team from interstate?

Some masts will have to be removed and replaced with gantries due to signal sighting issues, see 532, 1531 as examples.

The LED heads and wheel detectors have been installed for several weeks now and no insulated joints were installed in the new track.  However progress is being made with the wiring into lineside cabinets which have recently appeared at Tonsley Jn, Marion Stn, Sturt River Bridge and Oaklands Crossover.  AWS ramps have also been appearing but no balises.

The sighting problem for signal 632 can be seen in the photos below.

From Fairfax Ave ped. xing.


From East Ave level crossing, 632 is partially behind the mast to the right of the digger


Alex C

62430: Thanks for those really interesting pics.

...

However progress is being made with the wiring into lineside cabinets which have recently appeared at Tonsley Jn, Marion Stn, Sturt River Bridge and Oaklands Crossover.  AWS ramps have also been appearing but no balises.

...

Alex C

I spoke too soon yesterday.  A visit to Brighton and Seacliff yielded the following photo.  Balises have appeared from Brighton Stn to Pine Ave ped. xing.  They are installed in pairs.  New signalling cabinets visible at Warradale, Hove and Brighton (Old Beach Rd).  Cabling work at Shoreham Rd.  

Victoria Ave level crossing was surrounded by orange vests today.  Boom gates now fitted and all signage present.  Work continuing at signalling cabinet.

Balises on Down line, Brighton at Signal 1631


Alex C

Not that I can post update all that often, I was in Adelaide last weekend, and had the opportunity to take some photos around Ascot Park and Daws Rd. I've posted them to my Flickr account - http://www.flickr.com/photos/98951543@N02/sets/72157635875788826/

There's a bit of overlap with the Tonsley Line Upgrade in the set.

Enjoy!

Gentlemen

Thanks for your pictures.

Alex, why are they working at Emerson and not progressing from Brighton in a linear fashion? It is almost like LO'R are trying to make progress difficult to measure. (I had a contractor try that trick on me once.)

Victoria Street LX signage now has it opening in October.

Ian

Gentlemen

Thanks for your pictures.

Alex, why are they working at Emerson and not progressing from Brighton in a linear fashion? It is almost like LO'R are trying to make progress difficult to measure. (I had a contractor try that trick on me once.)

Victoria Street LX signage now has it opening in October.

Ian

The construction works around Oaklands and Marion stations may be a reason as to why they aren't doing it in order or they are simply doing it in areas where there is least amount of other works going on which would be more beneficial rather than doing it in order.

Interesting according to this leaflet electrification works on the Noarlunga line will be fully completed by late December.
http://www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/115932/2013_09_26_RR_night_works.pdf

Cynical old me suggests that they will not reopen the line until electrification is complete.

Nobody has denied the assertion that the 3000s will not be able to get out of the Goodwood Underpass with wet rails.

I am happy to be proved wrong.

Ian

Nobody has denied the assertion that the 3000s will not be able to get out of the Goodwood Underpass with wet rails.

This has been mentioned before.

My only thought it that: How does the gradient on the new underpass compare to the gradients on the Belair line?  Are they similar - 1 in 33 or so?  And have there ever been issues with 3000's slipping on the Belair line on wet days - things like millipede or leaf litter slippage excluded.

This has been mentioned before.

My only thought it that: How does the gradient on the new underpass compare to the gradients on the Belair line?  Are they similar - 1 in 33 or so?  And have there ever been issues with 3000's slipping on the Belair line on wet days - things like millipede or leaf litter slippage excluded.

The 3000s have no trouble taking off from stations against a sustained 1/45 slope which goes for many kilometres at a time on the route to Belair, even during the most inclement weather or on the first train of a frosty winter morning. With the assistance of half a Jumbo's worth of power in each car and the dip down into the underpass to get a good run going, the little bump only a few metres tall should be conquered on inertia alone. I'm sure that our gloriously competent department has already scheduled tests to be conducted in the near future as soon as clearance tests on the underpass are done.

Of all the things that the department has refused to comment on, I think this probably falls into the category of "nobody has commented because it's absurd" rather than "we've got something to hide here."

Cynical old me suggests that they will not reopen the line until electrification is complete.

With the EMUs arriving at a rate of one every two months at the moment (and requiring an indeterminate period of commissioning, trouble-free mileage accumulation, clearance tests and maybe modifications followed by more commissioning runs) it looks like a full service might be able to run some time in 2015-16 if reopening with EMUs (as originally promised a year ago) did happen.

The 3000s will have to do until EMU delivery ramps up, it's either them or the O305 fleet.

2 brand spanking new signals have been installed at Oaklands station at the site of where the old signal gantry used to be. One inbetween the 2 tracks and the other on the left side of the city bound track

2 brand spanking new signals have been installed at Oaklands station at the site of where the old signal gantry used to be. One inbetween the 2 tracks and the other on the left side of the city bound track

Are they further away than the gantry was, allowing for a platform extension, or not really ?

Are they further away than the gantry was, allowing for a platform extension, or not really ?

Cant remember exactly all I know is they are parallel to one of the overhead wire portal structures. I think its actually closer to the platform im not 100% sure.

EDIT: Just checked an old picture of the signal gantry on my ipad with the OW gantry the new signals are actually now slightly closer to the platform and not further away.

...
Alex, why are they working at Emerson and not progressing from Brighton in a linear fashion? It is almost like LO'R are trying to make progress difficult to measure. (I had a contractor try that trick on me once.)

...

Ian

My thoughts are that now that Lonsdale-Seaford is energised, they are working in stages towards rather than away from the live section,  thus Brighton to Lonsdale rather than the reverse.  Looking at the project timetable in the Public Works Committee report on the Tonsley upgrade has the installation of the double junction at Tonsley Jn in the first week of January.  I would suspect that the overhead would not be done at the junction until after the trackwork.  I am also wondering whether they are establishing two separate crews Brighton to T Jn working out of Oaklands and a separate crew Goodwood to T Jn working from Edwardstown.  With the Marion underpass work this would have made sense but I saw on Friday that the track has been relaid over the underpass.  The Clarence Pk - Edwardstown section will require some closure of the Emesron level crossing over several nights.  There may also be juggling of daytime access for the electrification and the sig/comms work.  

Signalling work is continuing with signals in protective cages being fitted to the to Wayville gantries and to a newly installed gantry at the north end of Goodwood Stn.  Trenching has been done N of Chrysler Rd level crossing and above-ground metal troughing has been installed through H C Beach onto the Field River embankment.

Signals in cages awaiting erection at Leader St 2013-09-27

Alex C

Large group of orange visivests south of HCB yesterday.

Signal gantry at Oaklands, remember the picture, has been replaced by two single head posts.

The still seem to be tweaking the overhead between Brighton and Lonsdale.

Some of the air break switches on the sectioning masts appears to be missing, moving blades but no fixed contacts.

The 3000s will have to do until EMU delivery ramps up, it's either them or the O305 fleet.

The 0305 fleet currently consists of one bus. R588 and that is due to retire next month (October). The "N" service is currently being run by the remainder of the SG280 MAN Artics and the new CB80 Scanias, both rigid and artic.

The 0305 fleet currently consists of one bus. R588 and that is due to retire next month (October). The "N" service is currently being run by the remainder of the SG280 MAN Artics and the new CB80 Scanias, both rigid and artic.

Fair enough, I don't keep track of the buses too closely. I assumed that the articulated O305 buses would have transferred from the North Adelaide and Woodville runs to the N services (to replace the rather nice LinkSA buses which went back to school bus duty at the end of January) instead of being retired.

I didn't know that they had instead been retired from even train substitute use, but they had a pretty good run apart from a few self-immolation incidents in the last few years.

Signals in cages awaiting erection at Leader St 2013-09-27Alex C

They are now fitted to the gantries

Victoria Street LX signage now has it opening in October.

Ian

Guess what Ian, it's been changed again!!
Signs now read openning 1st October

Lots of HiVis vests, along with unmarked 4WD's parking where that please(sure sign of the fat cats) around the crossing just after noon.

Tony

That's good news. Getting to the Goodwood post office has been a real pain.

Ian

Guess what Ian, it's been changed again!!
Signs now read openning 1st October

Lots of HiVis vests, along with unmarked 4WD's parking where that please(sure sign of the fat cats) around the crossing just after noon.

Crossing protection operational this morning.

Guess what Ian, it's been changed again!!
Signs now read openning 1st October

Lots of HiVis vests, along with unmarked 4WD's parking where that please(sure sign of the fat cats) around the crossing just after noon.

So 1st October is the official Grand Reopening day for the Noarlunga Line?