Kearsley area pylons

[yv47r]

Hi All, a new year, a new set of places to try and visit. Starting with this long awaited fieldtrip to Kearsley. This is between Manchester and Bolton and the best place to see most of these pylons is by train between Manchester and Bolton. I visited Kearsley back in 1995 and only took a few photos back then shortly after one of the original terminal towers had been replaced by an L8 DT90.

We start with a view of a PL1B D30 tower seen from the upper deck of the number 8 bus heading along the A666 road towards Kearsley ;D - this is part of a 132kV circuit from Kearsley to Agecroft
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Once off the bus and on the footpath in the fields we see some more of the same PL1B D10/30 towers with the modified earth peaks tower J2
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This is the J coded line and terminates using a PL16 DT tower no. J1 across the fields. The circuit continues underground to the main Kearsley substation out of sight down in the valley below
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Looking the other way lurking amongst the trees is this tower - no match in the tower bible but could be J L Eve design??
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2011%2003%20Kearsley/DSCF2722.jpg

Originally there was another circuit on the spare side of the tower and this was a PL1B route that ran to Dumplington and was decomissioned during 1994 according to my notes in my old Pathfinder map.

Also terminating in the same vicinity is this L2 circuit of towers that operates at 132kV between Kearsley and Atherton/Westhoughton line code YA. My theory is that this was originally built for an intended 275kV line but operated as 132kV.

First tower is this L2 DT tower YA 2R, which actually replaced the original L2 D60 tower in the late 90s/early 00s when the line was truncated short and cabled under the A666 road. The original YA 1 DT tower was dismantled as was the YA 2 D60 tower and this tower erected in place
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The line was refurbished about two years ago and the original red ceramic insulators and dual conductors replaced with these new short 132kV insulators and dual conductors as shown on L2 D tower YA 3
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Walking further along and around what is locally known as Clifton Moss brings me to the footbridge that spans the junctions of the M61/M62 and A666 roads. And from the bridge these views of the YA line.
Looking south
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Looking north
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L2 D60 tower YA 5 alongside the motorways
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L2 D tower YA 6 in the fields alongside the motorways
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Walking back across the golf course and lane brings me back onto the A666 where we see for the first time the ZQ 400kV route from Daines/Carrington to Kearsley then Penwortham and Padiham.

We start with this L2 D30 tower ZQ 48 towering above the road - note the orientation of the tower to the insulators seems off skew
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2011%2003%20Kearsley/DSCF2742.jpg

The next tower is this low height L2 D60 ZQ 49 (maybe 49R??) viewed across some recent earthworks
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2011%2003%20Kearsley/DSCF2741.jpg

Then we come to the interesting towers

First up is this standard L2 DT tower with height extentions ZQ 50 (maybe 50R??)
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2011%2003%20Kearsley/DSCF2739.jpg

Then beyond is another L2 DT tower slighly different design ZQ 50A
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2011%2003%20Kearsley/DSCF2738.jpg

Then the next tower is well its L2 for sure but what the hell is it? ZQ 51
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2011%2003%20Kearsley/DSCF2737.jpg
Another view from further along the road
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2011%2003%20Kearsley/DSCF2736.jpg

More on these in a mo!

Moving on along the line brings us to this L2 D60 perched on the side of the hill just before it crosses over the railway line to head east then northwards towards the junction over the hills with the line to Padiham (L6s) and onwards to Penwortham (L2s with replacement L8s)
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2011%2003%20Kearsley/DSCF2743.jpg

Ok so what is this mystery tower then? Well looking closely at it and comparing it to a L2 D90 it looks familiar. Except in this case it has square end arms on each side of the tower unlike a D90 which only has them on the outside of the deviation with short stumpy arms on the inside. Secondly it has a angled peak like a D90 and not a pyramid pointed peak like the DT type towers have. So I'm gonna call it an L2 D90X for now. I can't recall ever seeing one of these before anywhere.
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2011%2003%20Kearsley/DSCF2745.jpg
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Over to the members and experts!

Part 2 to follow soon with more lovely L2s, a L8 and some L4s

Cheers Paul

[caldridge]

Some unusual L2 pylons if you ask me, what voltage are they?

[yv47r]

Ok Part 2!

Another quick look at the L2 DT towers already briefly seen from the A666 road

ZQ 50
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2011%2003%20Kearsley/DSCF2760.jpg

Then ZQ 50A
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2011%2003%20Kearsley/DSCF2746.jpg
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Walking back to the road and under the railway and then along the driveway/bridleway that goes past the entrance to the substation we see the following sign
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2011%2003%20Kearsley/DSCF2764.jpg

The first tower we come to is another L2 DT tower ZQ 50B
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Walking alongside the substation gives the opportunity for a nice panoramic view using the panoramic photo function in the camera
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2011%2003%20Kearsley/DSCF2773.jpg

Showing the two towers and the associated switchgear and busbars within the compound.

At the other end is the newish, well erected c. 1995 at least L8 DT90 tower ZQ 50C
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At the side of the main 275/400kV hall are some terminal towers for the 132kV circuits that originate here. There used to be a separate 132kV switching hall on the other side of the railway but this was abolished some years ago and presumably the feed comes from within the main 275/400kV hall and via underground cable to the terminal towers. There are four 132kV circuits that originate here, the YA and J circuits seen in Part 1 and these two an L7C set and a derated L2 set that supply Bolton and Bury respectively.
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2011%2003%20Kearsley/DSCF2783.jpg

L7C DT tower EJ 42R. As the tower ID number suggests this is a replacement tower and indeed the line originally ran across behind the camera and terminated at the original 132kV switch hall and thus tower 42 was originally an L7C D30 tower IIRC
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L7C towers EJ 41 and 40 both D30 towers
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L2 DT tower VA 1 terminating the 132kV line to Bury and ther short branch to Outwood
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Second tower on this line is this L2 D60 VA 2
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Note the short 132kV insulators and single conductors unlike on the previously seen YA 132kV that also uses L2 towers.

Walking around the back of the substation takes us past this interesting transformer - Bruce Peebles - Edinburgh
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2011%2003%20Kearsley/DSCF2795.jpg

Then to the 275kV side of the substation where the L2 route to Whitegate (near Middleton, north of Manchester) starts route code VJ. Here we see the first tower an L2 DT with some of the busbars tower VJ 1
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The second tower is this L2 D90 tower, which gives a useful means of comparing it to the mystery tower ZQ 51 L2 D90X
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View of the L2 D60 tower VA 1 and the L2 D90 tower VJ 2 going there separate ways
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Some of the substation equipment
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And finally.... walking back up the hill to the main road affords this view of the triangle of pylons formed of the two L2 DT towers ZQ 50A and ZQ 50 and the odd ball L2 D90X ZQ 51
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I hope you enjoyed this photo set! More to come soon when I get out an about again.

Cheers Paul

[yv47r]

Mar 17, 2011 18:25:25 GMT -5 caldridge said:

Some unusual L2 pylons if you ask me, what voltage are they?

Hi Christopher, those on the YA and VA routes are now operated at 132kV although I believe they were originally strung for 275kV when built sometime in the late 60s/early 70s.

The main ZQ route is operated at 400kV and has the heavier dual grey ceramic insulators on the Deviation towers as shown. And the other route the VJ is operated at 275kV and has slightly shorter insulator strings.

So same tower design all round but three different operating voltages.

HTH

Cheers Paul

[lesc]

Here we go - my £0.01's worth

ZQ 50
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/....ey/DSCF2760.jpg
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/....ey/DSCF2739.jpg


this is an L2 DTEC??? Note the earthwire.

This one:

Then the next tower is well its L2 for sure but what the hell is it? ZQ 51
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/....ey/DSCF2737.jpg

is an L2 DJ ED51185??? Or an L8 DJ? Doesn't have the usual graceful arc of the L2DT or DJ.

Don't L2 look odd on 132:

i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2011%2003%20Kearsley/DSCF2801.jpg

Les

[yv47r]

Mar 20, 2011 16:42:32 GMT -5 lesc said:

Here we go - my £0.01's worth

ZQ 50
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/....ey/DSCF2760.jpg
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/....ey/DSCF2739.jpg


this is an L2 DTEC??? Note the earthwire.

Could be its some sort of L2 DT tower - whats the EC stand for Earth C?? something I guess where the earthwire splits??

This one:

Then the next tower is well its L2 for sure but what the hell is it? ZQ 51
i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/....ey/DSCF2737.jpg

is an L2 DJ ED51185??? Or an L8 DJ? Doesn't have the usual graceful arc of the L2DT or DJ.

Definately of L2 origin and looking at the old Pathfinder map gives me some clues that suggests that the lines have been altered in the triangle of towers between ZQ 49 and ZQ 51.
I will look into it and report back my findings!

Don't L2 look odd on 132:

i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2011%2003%20Kearsley/DSCF2801.jpg

Les

Yep it looks strange seeing L2s with short 132kV style insulators.

Cheers Paul

[yv47r]

Ok hows about this for a quick comparison of an L2 D90 tower and the mystery L2 D90X tower?

i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2011%2003%20Kearsley/L2D90D90X.jpg

I've compared the same long side arms of each tower and to me they look identical in terms of build and the framework so my guess is that the mystery tower is a variation on the D90 tower. I didn't see any notices on the tower itself saying about it being a non standard design of tower as is sometimes displayed - think of the L2 DT90 tower at South Manchester substation I photod last summer.

Cheers Paul

[yv47r]

Revised album link s195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2011%2003%20Kearsley/