Ok here is Part Two of the fieldtrip photos.
We start with the main 275kV substation at Stalybridge and a look at the signs and notices relating to the work that is going on to change the towers and circuits plus change from air to gas circuit breaker systems.
National Grid sign and ABB and HSE notice of works boards
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03645.jpgi195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03650.jpgi195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03653.jpgAnd now to the pylons - L2 DT tower at the terminus of the ZPA circuits from Rochdale and Elland.
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03641.jpgA short walk up the road and along the banks of the River Tame brings us to the rear of the 400kV substation where we see a D60 and DT tower on the incoming 4ZO route from Thorpe Marsh and Stocksbridge. More on the DTT tower later on....
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03669.jpgi195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03671.jpgWalking back towards the minor road and up a big hill brings us to the base of the L6 D60 tower 4ZO 250
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03673.jpgi195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03676.jpgLooking south-west from this D60 tower towards the main substation then north towards the next D60 tower
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03677.jpgi195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03682.jpgAnother footpath and walk through grassland brings us close to the next L6 D60 tower 4ZO 249
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03683.jpgi195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03685.jpgBack towards the minor road and I join the towpath on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, which runs alongside the two substations. Across to the east and at a higher level is the old trackbed of the Micklehurst loop railway line now in use as a walk/cycle/bridleway and both these paths provide excellent views of the towers in and around the substations
First up is the mystery L6 DTT we saw further up. Well, it would transpire that this tower has actually been altered with the recent addition of an extra set of cross-arms thus converting it from an L6 DT terminal tower to a DTT tee terminal tower.
Compare this image on the wikipedia page
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Hudders_Staly_Pylon.jpgAnd my photo from a similar angle but slightly closer
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03691.jpgSo the extra cross-arms have been added onto the east side of the tower and will eventually be joined upto the incoming circuit from Stocksbridge that has been temporarily stopped at the D60 tower shown above
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03692.jpgi195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03694.jpgi195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03696.jpgMoving along the towpath we come to the next little mystery. According to the OS maps and confirmed by the wikipedia photo link above there was a short 400kV bridging circuit running from the original L6 DT tower 4ZO 251B to L6 DT tower 251A and then down to a single armed L6 ST terminal tower located in the 275kV compound and presumably numbered 4ZO 252A. This ST tower has now been dismantled and no trace of it remains. However, in its place two new or reclaimed L2 DT towers have been erected. This was quite a suprise as I would have thought that they would use an L8 or L12 terminal tower, but no have a look on google earth at the older imagery and compare to the newer aerial images on ms multimap live
www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=Stalybridge&countryCode=GB#map=53.49172,-2.04316|19|256&be=42629233|North&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:53.48358:-2.051:14|Stalybridge|Stalybridge,%20Cheshire,%20England,%20SK15%202
So the first 'new' L2 DT tower is ZZC 1A, which once complete will bring the incoming 400kV Macclesfield - Stalybridge circuit and the revised 400kV substation to 275kV substation connector that replaces the original configuration as described above.
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03704.jpgNext is the second 'new' L2 DT tower ZZC 1B again with incomplete circuit wiring
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03706.jpgAlso running between the two substations is this underground 275kV cable bridge
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03705.jpgLooming up on the hillside is the now redundant L6 DT tower 4ZO 251A and it looked so imposing and almost threatening given its sheer bulk and look.
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03707.jpgi195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03710.jpgi195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03711.jpgThe Sentinel awaiting its final call to march across the landscape.... soon to be no more
Just over the hill was the other now redundant tower, this time an L2 D60 tower 4ZO 252B
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03717.jpgi195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03719.jpgIt looks very bare without its insulators and conductors. Again soon to be history.
Back down on the towpath we see the original terminal tower for the incoming ZZC route and the 275kV circuit from Bredbury. L2 DT terminal tower ZZC 1 - note the short stub cross-arms which will be used to take the incoming 400kV circuit from Macclesfield and cast off at right angles towards ZZC 1A and 1B.
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03725.jpgi195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03726.jpgFinal view over the rooftops of the two redundant towers at Stalybridge
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03735.jpgThe next tower on the ZZC route is this L2 D30 tower no. 2
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03739.jpgi195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03742.jpgAs you can see the incoming 400kV circuit from Macclesfield has been temporarily terminated at this tower and it will be soon connected upto ZZC 1 in the coming weeks.
The ZZC route hits the hills and starts of with L2 Suspension and D30 towers but changes for L8 Suspension and Deviation towers as it gets higher.
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/Pylons%20Fieldtrip%20Apr%202009/DSC03740.jpgI hope you enjoy this selection of photos. I will go back later this year and see what has changed. If you wish I will try and post a map of the various towers and the before and after alterations.
Cheers Paul
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out walking their dogs, these two were taken down towards the mid-end of June.