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Searching for a picture of the platform plunger at Bradford on Avon


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  • RMweb Gold

I’m searching for a picture or diagram of the plunger at Bradford on Avon that the conductor activates to release the starter towards Westbury.  It’s for a project I’m doing and would be grateful for any help.

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I think I should have some pictures  somewhere, give me a day or so please.  What the plunger actually does is activate the barrier sequence for Greenland  Mill AHB crossing. A proceed aspect is displayed once the barriers are down.  I don't know if it is a unique set up but it is certainly unusual.

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Such arrangements are quite common. It ensures that barriers at an AHB are not kept down for an unusually long time if a train is delayed during its station stop, thereby possibly tempting waiting motorists to zig-zag around the barriers. NOT a good idea anywhere, but certainly not next to a tunnel mouth !

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5 hours ago, bodmin16 said:

I think I should have some pictures  somewhere, give me a day or so please.  What the plunger actually does is activate the barrier sequence for Greenland  Mill AHB crossing. A proceed aspect is displayed once the barriers are down.  I don't know if it is a unique set up but it is certainly unusual.


Thanks for that, much appreciated.  I was aware that it actually activates the barrier sequence but I struggled to describe what’s real reason was.  The joys of getting old :D:D:D

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It is a legal requirement for AHB crossings that 80% of trains MUST arrive at the crossing no later than 37 seconds after the crossing operating sequence has been started. Therefore if you have anything which slows down trains such that the 80% requirement cannot be met then additional signalling controls are required to ensure compliance.

 

On my patch we have two AHB crossings a short distance either side of a station. The signaller thus has a 'stopping' and 'non' stopping' plunger which must be pressed (and triggers a delay for stopping trains) when they set the relevant signals to a proceed which ensures compliance with the AHB rules

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8 hours ago, phil-b259 said:

It is a legal requirement for AHB crossings that 80% of trains MUST arrive at the crossing no later than 37 seconds after the crossing operating sequence has been started. Therefore if you have anything which slows down trains such that the 80% requirement cannot be met then additional signalling controls are required to ensure compliance.

 

On my patch we have two AHB crossings a short distance either side of a station. The signaller thus has a 'stopping' and 'non' stopping' plunger which must be pressed (and triggers a delay for stopping trains) when they set the relevant signals to a proceed which ensures compliance with the AHB rules

I've seen a number of AHBs with stopping and non-stopping selection but Bradford is the first that I have come across with the additional train crew activation.  The others must have been further from a station or on the approach.  I thought it was unusual but now you say that you have 2 at the same location.  Perhaps it is not as rare as I first thought.  Thanks.

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21 hours ago, phil-b259 said:

On my patch we have two AHB crossings a short distance either side of a station. The signaller thus has a 'stopping' and 'non' stopping' plunger which must be pressed (and triggers a delay for stopping trains) when they set the relevant signals to a proceed which ensures compliance with the AHB rules

To be clear, is this a control operated by the signaler (which are reasonably common) or is there also one for the train crew to operate as at Bradford (possibly more unusual)?  

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1 hour ago, Edwin_m said:

To be clear, is this a control operated by the signaler (which are reasonably common) or is there also one for the train crew to operate as at Bradford (possibly more unusual)?  

I don't know if thins have changed over the years but back in 1980 there were two plungers on the platform at Bradford-On-Avon with either  to be used by the Guard of a train stopping there to indicate to the Signalman that the train was ready to start.  I don't know if this arrangement was continued when control was changed to Westbury panel.

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2 hours ago, Edwin_m said:

To be clear, is this a control operated by the signaler (which are reasonably common) or is there also one for the train crew to operate as at Bradford (possibly more unusual)?  

 

Yes its signaller controlled - but the principle is the same.

 

Edited by phil-b259
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