Brian The Signal Engineer

The zigzag upon the top of rails in under used portions of lines is there to ensure the operation of track circuits and also used at the end of a terminus platform. It is called a Utectic strip by the S&T and PWay. As typical voltages for track circuit are below 20 volt and of a low current the stainless steel strip provides a clean surface to interface with the wheels of a vehicle. It's zigzag pattern ensures that somewhere along the vehicle the wheel will rest upon it. Failing to detect a vehicle can lead to incoming train formations overhanging a platform. Although I cannot say for definite, TCAIDS where not used at these locations, at least none I knew of on the Eastern Region and its successors. Also it was not required to be used upon the electrified rail in a three or four rail area. Traction voltages are at 750V with an available current of something like 3000 Amps, a little bit of rust would not that sort of energy.

I've known about Brunswick shed for a long time. My grandfather was a driver there. Attached is a plan dating from the 1950's.

Can anyone tell me why the model rail fraternity use the term FROG for the crossing of a set of points? Every time I read this in an article it makes my skin crawl. I am very happy with the likes of the amphibian creatures and even good old Kermit.

Signals placed at the out-going end of the platforms do not require AWS, incoming signals have AWS magnets placed at 200 yrd's before the signal. A ramp is placed in front of the permanent magnet to protect it from dangling objects. Location cases are placed as and when required, usually by a single signal or a group of them. They are also close to points, usually several points will be fed out of the same group of cases. Orientation of the cases have varied over the years, sometimes opening perpendicular to the rail but more recently in parellel to the rails to avoid staff being too close to the traffic. A compact location may have an equipment room where all the equipment in the area is fed from. Brian

Hi guys and gals, I have a Cowells drill press with a damaged motor. I'm looking for either a replacement armature or a complete motor. The motor is a SEW-Tric Ltd 240V model. Many thanks Brian

The absolute answers can be found in the series of books produced by the IRSE, Institute of Railway Signal Engineers, commanally known as the little green books. Number 1 deals with the layout of uk signals, particularly semaphore signals. Number 2 deals with interlocking. Other books have details of every type of equipment used by the signalling engineers, including SSI. These come up on eBay from time to time.

The A30 is before the dual carriageways, I'm assuming.

I've come across a drawing of a steam shed close to the A30. The place name is missing. I'm thinking somewhere in Devon or Cornwall. Possibly a five road shed, with 2x two roads of a similar length and a shorter single road. At the time of the plan, the turntable was removed but the base left in place. A water tank over coaling stage is shown but the track has been removed There is a concrete standing that could hold nine 12.000 gallon oil tanks but only three shown on the plan. A little to the east is an N.C.L. warehouse and probably a good warehouse behind it. Four sidings run to the south of the Goods facilities Its to the south of the A30 Anyone got any idea as to where it could be?so cannot load it on here. Also there is quite a lot of noise on the image which I want to clear up before posting the drawing Currently the file is a TIF Brian

I forgot to mention that when the RCPL is switched to manual, it releases the lever to allow the operator to select Normal or Reverse. You then hold the lever in the desired position whilst you pump the points over my the handle. Turning the switch back to Power, locks the lever in the central position. There is no detection for the pump handle. My first Sunday shift at Warrington PSB was spent doing an FPL test on Westinghouse Style 63 point machines. We started at the station and worked our way up to Action Grange. The Senior Tech was on the lineside phone to the signaller and filling in the required documentation, I was holding the FPL gauge in the switch opening and the other tech was winding the points. It was his first real go at FPL testing as well. Instead of getting the signaller to turn the point s on the key, the Snr Tech left it until the completion of the work. Unfortunately, we had not 'pulled the pin' as you do with 63's. We ended yp having to run back down pulling all the dam pins before we delayed any traffic. We never ever forgot to 'pull the pin' again.

When doing my training at the S&T school at Gresty Road Crewe, I got involved in fitting them to the schools point setup in the yard to see if they could be operated manually from a lever frame before conversion to a panel. This was in 1977. A little later I was involved in fitting them at Greenbank Northwich, for use by the then lever frame, before there panel was commissioned. A year or so later, I got involved with an idea to drive a semaphore signal using some of the clamp lock hydraulic equipment. As for operating semaphores, in the 1990's / 2000's I also got involved in fitting hydraulic motors from the mining industry to Distant Signals at Stow Park, near Lincoln. These lasted until the re-signalling of Lincoln.

Here's an old one that still tickles me. HELL The following is supposedly an actual question given on University of Washington chemistry mid-term. The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well. Bonus Question : Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)? Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant. One student, however, wrote the following: First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added. This gives two possibilities: 1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose. 2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over. So which is it? If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, "it will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you", and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number 2 must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct ... leaving only Heaven thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting "Oh my God!" THIS STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY "A".

I have just posted 106 of these switches on Ebay, having first made them available to MERG and Scalefour members Here is the eBay item number: 233652579978

Holbeck was used as the Leeds depot under Jarvis days for their maintenance guys. S&T, P Way, Civils, and overhead had staff based there. I was posted there in 1999 until 2004 as WSF investigation Engineer for the whole of Jarvis's east coast contracts. The loco shed were used as stores. There was still a rather large lath at the back which looked like it had minimal use. It was too big for my garage so I left it in place. The depot continues to be used as the maintenance depot for the Leeds area and due to the cost of the demolition of the shed buildings it was decided to convert them into offices. At least they are not being demolished! In the left hand building, the pits, with there were any had been filled in but in the righthand one there was a ramp down to the floor level at the depth of the pits, making it interesting when manoeuvring a 4x4 truck with a generator set on a trailer. Brian

Hi Michael Here's the other

Hi Michael, I've not found a plan of the sidings but have found these two drawings. I have to post them one at a time Brian LYR_Crofton_Hall_Sidings_Plan_Elevations_Sections_And_Details_Of_Office_copy.pdf

Hi guys Here's a drawing I found a while ago of the GNR Ground Disc Signal. G_N_R_Ground_Disc_Signal.pdf

During my time at Edge Hill as, first a P&M man (1970's) and then as an S&T lineman(1980's) , electric locos were stabled on the shunt neck and then placed on the front of an out-going train. There was no track circuit on the actual neck but if a loco rolled past the shunt GPLS it would lock up the whole of the station throat. As it was a "Stick Track", a lineman would have to be called to check there was no obstruction, a loco past the GPLS, he would then press a plunger (S&T speak for a push to make switch) located in the location cabin. I do recall that there was a series of apparent power failures which also dropped the stick track, causing delays. This was caused by a sub-miniature relay in the Genny set failing intermittently and caused much hostility between the P&M and the S&T. Genny sets were the "property" of the P&M. Staff on the ground were ok with each other but the department heads were the problem.

Hi Siphon, Here's a couple of drawings I found recently of Capenhurst. They are quite early, dating from the days of the Birkenhead Railway. B. BIRKENHEAD_RAILWAY__-_CAPENHURST_STATION.pdf BIRKENHEAD RAILWAY - CAPENHURST STATION_2.pdf BIRKENHEAD_RAILWAY__-_CAPENHURST_STATION_3.pdf

In the early seventies I worked for the Plant and Machinary Department at Edge Hill, Liverpool. I assisted in the recommissioning of the turntable by the signal box. The reason for this was that when a London bound train received a broken front windscreen from vandals in the London area, the London loco fitters would not change the windscreen but sent it back to Liverpool with the screen trailing. The Liverpool fitters than had to change it. The cost bourn by the Liverpool area, despite the breakage being in London. In those days there was no push-pull in existence so electric locos (AL1 to 7's) were released from their train when the stock was taken on by another loco. Liverpool turned the locos and sent them back with the broken screen trailing. Somewhat petty I know but the London fitters soon got the message!

Transponders were used on the ATP project and sat in the four foot (between the rails) and as the APT went over they transmitted certain information to the train, such as Line Speed.... These were powered by the train passing over and had no external connection. They were about 500mm square and about 50mm thick. With the Azuma's on the East Coast, (cannot said about the GWR) they used the term Balise. A track mounted spot transmission unit that uses transponder technology. Its function is to transmit/receive messages to/from the train passing overhead. I cannot comment on what the chap from RDG said as I was still in bed!

Hi Guys I found this Rating Plan of New Brighton recently. Whilst it does not give the actual signal numbers it does give their placement. Brian L.M._&_S.R._NEW_BRIGHTON.__RATING_PLAN._copy.pdf

Hi Guys, I came across some track plans of Ventnor recently. Not sure weather they'll be any good for you, considering the elapsed aeons Brian