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Photo Album
Re-Laying Norwich Road
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Photo Album
Re-Laying Norwich Road
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Over the weekend of the 27th-29th September 2002, we had the opportunity to re-lay Norwich Road level crossing which had got into a bad state, causing irritation to road users. The original crossing was a hybrid with both sleepers and tarmac forming the road surface. Our crossing has been laid with tarmac throughout, and check rails to keep the road in place. This should provide a more consistent surface for cars and lorries. We also took the opportunity to install cable ducting under the road, allowing us to provide signals for the northern approaches to Dereham.
Thanks are due to the many people who helped out with this important project.
![Removing the Gates](javascript:toggle_image ("gates.jpeg", 200, 132, 550, 365))
Volunteers began arriving at 5:00pm to start the job. There was a great deal to do before the road could be closed at 6. The tools had to be brought to site, and we needed to remove some of the fittings from the old crossing. The gates had to be lifted off their hinges to prevent them from being in the way and to avoid damage; this was the crane's first job for the evening.
27th September 2002. Photo: Barney Stratford
![Destroying the Old Surface](javascript:toggle_image ("pecker.jpeg", 200, 150, 550, 414))
While the railway was dismantled, the highways contractors begin smashing up the road surface with their "pecker". Given the crossing's poor state of repair, we were surprised at how resilient the tarmac on top was. By the time the road surface was completely destroyed, it had become quite dark. Once the digger had removed the spoil, we were ready to lift out the old track panels.
27th September 2002. Photo: Barney Stratford
![Digging Out Tarmac](javascript:toggle_image ("digger.jpeg", 200, 132, 550, 365))
On the Saturday morning, we made an early start, arriving at 7:30. The first job of the day was to remove loose spoil from the bed of the level crossing. This is because of the need for a firm foundation to prevent the track and road from sinking once the tarmac is on top.
28th September 2002. Photo: Barney Stratford
![Smashing Concrete](javascript:toggle_image ("concrete.jpeg", 200, 132, 550, 365))
Once the tarmac was all gone, we discovered that the base of the crossing was littered with remains from the days when Norwich Road had been worked by a wheel from Dereham North Signal Box. There was a line of sleepers down the middle of the road that had once supported the timber decking of the road, and two enormous blocks of concrete that once housed the gate locks. All this needed to be removed as it was in the way of the cable ducts that we were planning to install.
28th September 2002. Photo: Barney Stratford
![A Big Hole](javascript:toggle_image ("hole.jpeg", 200, 132, 550, 365))
At last, everything was removed from in the road, and we could begin the difficult job of re-constructing the crossing. The shallow trench to the right of the picture is for the ducting that will eventually be used for signal cables.
28th September 2002. Photo: Barney Stratford
![Craning Panels](javascript:toggle_image ("crane.jpeg", 200, 132, 550, 365))
Because of the long reach to pick up the new track panels, we needed an 80-tonne crane. (80 tonnes is the weight it can lift straight up; the further out the crane reaches, the less it can carry.) The crane took up the entire width of Norwich Road with its outriggers, and it is seen here lifting the new track panels into position. These had been pre-assembled over the preceding weeks, and are equipped with check rails to hold the tarmac in position.
28th September 2002. Photo: Barney Stratford
![Bedding In the Crossing](javascript:toggle_image ("ramillies.jpeg", 200, 132, 550, 365))
With the panels in position, it was time to get out the Hilti hammers and pack the track to the correct line and level. Once the alignment was satisfactory, the track was bedded in by running 50 019 "Ramillies" over the crossing repeatedly. We then repeated the packing and bedding-in process until the ballast stopped compressing significantly under load.
28th September 2002. Photo: Barney Stratford
![Base of the New Road](javascript:toggle_image ("hogging.jpeg", 200, 132, 550, 365))
Having finished packing the track, we could hand over to the highways contractors, who began laying the base of the road. This consists of ground-up planings from worn-out road surfaces, and is known as "hogging". To prevent settling, it was packed down hard with a special machine.
28th September 2002. Photo: Barney Stratford
![Packing Track](javascript:toggle_image ("packing.jpeg", 200, 139, 550, 383))
Once the western side of the crossing had been completed, the eastern side received the same treatment. By the time this was finished, night had fallen once again.
28th September 2002. Photo: James Steward
![A Foggy Morning](javascript:toggle_image ("fog.jpeg", 200, 132, 550, 365))
On Sunday morning, everyone was extremely tired after the previous day's exertions, so it was fortunate that most of the work had to be done by the highways contractors. It was another early start to get the edging of the road positioned and pinned down before a lorry arrived with the new road surface.
29th September 2002. Photo: Barney Stratford
![Laying Tarmac](javascript:toggle_image ("tarmac.jpeg", 200, 132, 550, 365))
The final job for the weekend was to lay the new tarmac surface onto the road. The road was ready for use by the deadline of 6:30pm, at which time it was re-opened to traffic.
29th September 2002. Photo: Barney Stratford
![The Old Track](javascript:toggle_image ("oldtrack.jpeg", 200, 148, 550, 407))
The track that was lifted out of the crossing was in an extremely poor state after its ordeal of being hammered and bent. Many of the components had become corroded beyond use and a couple of the sleepers were quite rotten.
29th September 2002. Photo: Tony Hendry
![The Finished Job](javascript:toggle_image ("finished.jpeg", 200, 132, 550, 365))
Having finished the work, we had to test it out, and this showed that road traffic rides very smoothly over the new crossing. The gates were replaced a fortnight later when a work party spent the day tidying up the site. Everyone involved has a great deal to feel proud of: it was a difficult job carried out in a very short amount of time.
29th September 2002. Photo: Barney Stratford