On the guideway, the rails are bolted to poured concrete blocks (plinths). I assume the drilling is just to drill holes for the bolts for the fasteners to screw into.

The link to the EA document (which I provided some pages back) now leads to an unrelated document on the ML web site. Sic transit documentae.

- Paul
 
I wonder what "coring holes into concrete plinths into elevated guideway" involves? @ProjectEnd @crs1026 @smallspy

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While there are a multitude of different reasons why you'd want to core concrete, in this case I think they've mis-used the term. I stand to be corrected, but here they are likely not removing sections of concrete to check density or anything like that.

I'm fairly certain that what they are doing is drilling small holes for the mounting of the direct fixation track. Once drilled, a special anchor is inserted and an concrete-like grout is poured.

Of course, maybe they are actually coring the concrete plinths and not for the track - in which case I am fully stumped.

Any idea if they've cut in a temporary switch on the north end yet, or was this equipment placed on the track by crane (or trailer ramp)?

In any event, it's exciting to see something with rail wheels running on the new guideway. Thank you!

The equipment was craned or ramped onto that track. There won't be a temporary switch, but rather over the designated weekend they will cut the track to the old mainline and shunt it over to meet with the new one. This will happen at both ends simultaneously.

Dan
 
I am speculating that the orange tarps are covering the last stretch of concrete pours for the plnths, which then have to be bored and the track fasteners inserted. It also looks like there are bolts waiting for a second guard rail (hard to tell, but the first guard rail may already be in place, or maybe it's just the side of the plinths that I'm seeing).

I suspect it's just the edge of the plinth, which itself would act as a guard rail if a wheel dropped into the void between plinths. (Although one with much wider tolerance for horizontal displacement than a traditional guard rail, so maybe there are still some genuine guard rails yet to be installed.) Just armchair speculation from a non-railroading non-engineer...
 
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