This is the final stage of the major construction
work on the
Welsh Highland Restoration. The Cob is to be widened and a second
platform created at Harbour Station to accommodate the
Welsh Highland trains.
The
plan for reorganisation of Harbour Station as at 25th October 2011 has
now been published by the Construction Office.
Click on the
plan for a full size version::
20th October 2011
Work
was started today at Harbour Station to widen the Cob to
accommodate
the proposed WHR platform. A digger was in action today preparing the
ground, removing the wall on the seaward side of the railway and
creating an access ramp to the foreshore..
24th
October 2011
Preparatory work is under way at the Ffestiniog & Welsh
Highland
Railway Station at Porthmadog for its major Cob widening project. The
work is needed in order to improve the historic station – which dates
from 1863 – to enable it to be used by Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland
trains simultaneously. At present, the single platform layout precludes
a direct interchange between services from Blaenau Ffestiniog and
Caernarfon.
A temporary crossing over the rails and an access ramp from the station
siding area to the beach will allow access for the plant and some 5,000
tons of fill material required to widen some 200 metres of the 200 year
old embankment on the seaward side to allow additional railway tracks
to be laid at the Porthmadog end. Says project manager Mike Hart: "The
crossing will be completed in December ready for closure of the station
in January when the basic Cob widening gets underway. The challenge is
to have taken all the fill material over to the seaward side of the Cob
before start of services in March - although stone deliveries will have
to largely stop for the half term week services in
February. By then
we anticipate having completed most of the work to widen the Cob with
finishing taking another few weeks past then in finally shaping up the
embankment using material that will, by then, already be on site.
Opening up the wall along the back to of the station helps us access
the site over the next few days to dig some trial holes to double check
ground conditions."
When the widening work is completed, volunteers will start to lay track
on the new section of the Cob over next summer, which can be done
without interfering with passenger services. Track materials will be
delivered to site by rail. Winter 2012/2013 will then see the new
platforms constructed and the rest of the trackwork and signalling
completed. Report and pictures by Andrew Thomas
27th October 2011
The preparatory work has removed a section of the wall on the
seaward side of the station and created a ramp giving access to the
foreshore. A "Terrier" sampling rig was used on the foreshore
to
enable a ground investigation to be undertaken.
5th November 2011
No 6 Road at Harbour station was being removed to provide turning space
for
lorries delivering stone for Cob widening. Pictures
by Andrew Thomas
18th November 2011
Tarmac was delivered to create the haul road across the
tracks for stone deliveries. Moel Hebog was on hand
to create
flangeways while the tarmac was still soft. Picture by Andrew Thomas.
26th November 2011
On Sunday 13th November steam locomotive Gertrude had become the first
Gelert's Farm-based locomotive to travel over the F&WHR metals
from
Pen y Mount Junction to the Cob as she travelled over Britannia Bridge
en route from Gelert's Farm to Boston Lodge. The trip was to
facilitate Gertrude's outward journey to the Warley Model Railway
Exhibition at Birmingham's NEC. WHR Ltd director Richard Harrison was
at the helm, as the loco was towed by F&WHR diesel Criccieth
Castle, driven by F&WHR General Manager Paul Lewin.
The return journey was made on 26th November 2011, towed by SBR
Mallet No 9. The accompanying video by John Wooden shows the journey
and
incidentally gives a good view of the haul road across the tracks at
Harbour station, created in readiness for the Cob widening.
3rd January 2012 The contract has been signed for the works to widen the
Cob - see News
5th January 2012
Jones Bros have moved on to the site and set up their compound around
the haul road.
Picture by Andrew Thomas
11th January 2012
Rock deliveries for
widening the Cob started today. Andrew Thomas reports:
The first load of the 25,000 tonnes of rock needed for the Ffestiniog
& Welsh Highland Railway Cob Widening Project was delivered at
1250 today.
Jones Bros of Ruthin are the contractors for the first phase of the £1
million project which will see 260 metres of the embankment, built in
1811, widened to allow the construction of a second platform at
Porthmadog Harbour Station. This will enable trains from both the
Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways to use the station
simultaneously.
When the work is complete, in time for the 2013 season, the
improvements will allow the railway to offer a much-improved service
for passengers, with cross-platform interchange between Blaenau
Ffestiniog and Caernarfon trains.
The rock delivery phase will be completed by mid-February.
Pictures by Andrew Thomas
12th January 2012 Mike Hart explains: The basic plan is that a
trench is dug in the sand which is then covered with a plastic membrane
on which the rock is placed. During low tides the area of work will be
able to extend with further sections of membrane laid and sufficient
rock placed to get above most of the higher tide water levels. Then
when the tide is in work will move back to increase the height of
sections that have already seen that initial depth of rock cover.
Further stone deliveries took place today. The photo by
Andrew Thomas shows the situation on Day 2:
13th January 2012 Stone deliveries continued, pictures by David
Firth:
14th January 2012
The stone which had been delivered by the end of the first week was
being levelled. Picture by Andrew Thomas.
19th January 2012
Pictures by Andrew Thomas
at low tide show the excavator digging the trench for the bottom layer
of armour stone. The trench is lined with a geotextile mat to avoid
erosion beneath the stones by wave action.
20th January 2012
Pictures by Andrew Thomas show the extent of the widening works so far,
with the
excavator engaged in positioning the armour stone.
24th January 2012 Work proceeds apace on the Cob widening with frequent
lorry loads of both fill stone and armour stone throughout
the
day. Around half of the stone required for the task has now been
delivered. Time lapse recordings of each day's activity are
being posted on the Festrail website. As a brief
overview of progress, a series
of stills from each day's video has been created.
The
picture by Andrew Thomas shows the current situation.
26th January 2012
Pictures by Andrew Thomas show the slope of the Cob beginning to appear
during placement of armour stone.
27th January 2012
The latest video from John Wooden shows the work in
progress, including the placing of armour stone on
the geotextile base. He explains that the extension is being built up
above the final
level to provide a stockpile for use during the half term week when
trains will be running.
5th February 2012
Stone for the Cob widening is now stockpiled to a level
well above the track. The picture by Andrew Thomas
shows the situation on 2nd February
Mike Hart reports: As at last Friday about
¾ of the material was already on site and we want to get as much as
possible of the balance needed to finish the job squeezed on site by
end of this week. Then, during half term week the contractor will
concentrate mainly on continuing to build the armour rock wall with
only restricted access available over the level crossing at Harbour
Station.
8th
February 2012 Mike Hart Reports:We have just
about squeezed in all in the general fill stone, plus a stock of armour
stone, that will fit on site for the moment. Most of the lorries you see now will be a limited
number bringing in more of the large armour stone for the seaward
facing slope so as to keep up with the usage rate. Once the slope is
finished we don’t expect more than a few loads of general fill will be
needed, with the embankment construction finished by end the month
9th February
2012 The latest batch of video
stills clearly illustrates the growth of the Cob
over the past month. The stockpile of stone and placement of the armour
stone on the geotextile membrane are clearly visible.
John Wooden's new video depicts the process
10th
February 2012 Passenger trains start again tomorrow for the half term
service. The first passenger stock since the beginning of the
year entered Harbour Station
today in preparation for the resumption of services. Pictures by Andrew
Thomas show the
haul road being cordoned off and the train entering the station.
11th
February 2012 The station is back in service for the half term trains.
The extent of the widened Cob is evident with the stockpiled armour
stone piled up behind
the barrier fence.
A set of points at the station is in the process of
being motorised, and an
indicator board has been erected.
23rd
February 2012
Andrew Thomas reports: Phase 1 of the Cob
widening should be complete around the end of next week (March 3rd). A
splendid effort by all concerned and helped immeasurably by the fact
that we have had no snow. 24th
February 2012
Pictures by Andrew Thomas show the final phases of placimg the
armour stone
28th
February 2012 The
new king point for Harbour Station is taking shape at Price's in South
Wales. The FR main line turns left, the WHR goes straight on.
Report and pictures by Andrew Thomas
13th
March 2012
The last delivery of armour stone was made and the last piece put in
position:.
Pictures show the Cob widening almost complete:
17th
March 2012
The following press statement on completion of the first phase
of widening the Cob was issued by the Company today:
Porthmadog, March 17th
2012. Phase One of the £1.1
million project to redevelop the historic Porthmadog Harbour Station is
now complete. Contractors
Jones Bros of Ruthin have placed almost 40,000 tons of fill material
and armour stone, sourced from nearby Minffordd Quarry, to widen 260
metres of the 200 year old Cob Embankment which stretches for a mile
across the Glaslyn Estuary. The
work will enable the construction of a second platform at the station,
which opened to passengers in 1865, enabling a cross-platform
interchange between Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland trains. At present,
both railways have to share a single platform, which places severe
operating restrictions on service levels. Although
most of Jones’ plant has now been removed from site, one excavator will
remain for up to two weeks to work on a separate Environment Agency
contract to carry out maintenance work on the original Cob beyond the
widened section.
Later
this year, when the widened section of the Cob has settled, contractors
will return to level the surface, remove the existing wave wall and
build a new one along the seaward side. Only then can a start be made
on relaying track in the station area and the construction of a new
island platform serving both railways. All
main line points and signals will be electrically-operated and a
prototype point motor has already been installed for testing purposes.
It is anticipated that work will be complete in late 2013 or early 2014
as the intensive service on both lines which starts at the end of March
effectively precludes any significant civil engineering work before the
winter. The
railway has produced a DVD – available from Harbour Station shop or by
mail order - detailing the project and including stop motion footage
covering the entire construction phase. For further information
contact andrew.thomas@festrail.co.uk or on 01766 516072
31st
March 2012
Work was undertaken to relay the siding which forms No 6 Road at
Harbour
Station. No 6 Road had previously been
removed to make space for the works
to widen the Cob. Picture by Hazel Prent
19th April 2012
The King Point for the revised Harbour station layout has been
delivered to Minffordd. Picture by Andrew Thomas
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