Night Two
The team didn’t gain access to the site the following night until 10:30 p.m. The pressure was on - the team had to have everything wrapped up by 4:00 a.m., when train services were set to resume. Cones were cut on each pipe and the pulling heads attached. The Flexi-Sliplining rig was assembled and put into position.
The initial pull involved the shortest of the three pipes, measuring just nine metres in length — a perfect test for the system’s compact battery-powered winch. The pipe ran directly beneath two active railway lines and while the access openings were limited, the team successfully navigated and positioned the equipment with ease. The first pipe was pulled into place by 1:27 a.m!
The second pipe, much longer at 31 metres was also pulled into place, and this one took just an hour and a half from cone cutting and set up to the completion of the pull and resting period for the pipe to settle. By 3:00 a.m. the second pipe had been installed. This ran underneath the railway lines, beneath no fewer than six active tracks, two double sided platforms and what appeared to be a disused siding.
Both Pipes were installed ready for the first trains running at 4 a.m. and the team were offsite by 4:30 a.m. and pleased with the progress.
