How many axles behind the guard?

[The Stationmaster]

Right back to where we started with passenger trains and brining it further foward date wise.  When the General Appendix was reissued in October 1972 the position was that up to 20 vehicles were allowed behind the brakevan of a passenger or ECS train.  But only a maximum of 10 vehicles, which had to be immediately behind the brakevan, could be used to convey passengers.  

 

At some date between late 1972 and early 1974 the figure of 10 was increased to 13.   The maximum of 20 vehicles in total remained unaltered.   This did not change when the General Appendix was next reissued in June 1981.  

 

The final change came in September 1985 when the restriction ceased and the sole requirement became -

' A brakevan must be provided on passenger, postal, and empty coaching stock trains.'

 

Thus as far as the Johnster's  final point is concerned  a maximum of 20 vehicles was permitted behind the brakevan of an ECS train from 1968 until September 1985 when there ceased to be any restriction on the number of vehicles behind the brakevan,   In respect of the Guard riding in the rear cab of the loco if the brakevan on a non-passenger train had no heating that was included in the Rule Book by 1984 although I can't find the date when the Book was amended to permit that.

 

By the time the new Master rule Book, which incorporated the General Appendix, was issued in 1998 the only requirement which still existed was that a brakevan must be provided in a passenger train (Postal Trains are no longer separately mentioned) .   Brakevans were no longer required for either Class 3 or Class 5 ECS trains.

Edited November 13, 2020 by The Stationmaster

[roythebus]

Which then leads to the question how does one stable and secure a class 3 or 5 train if there's no brake van? Brakes have been known to leak off and things roll away. Presumably local instructions to use wheel chocks or scotches?

[The Stationmaster]

15 hours ago, roythebus said:

Which then leads to the question how does one stable and secure a class 3 or 5 train if there's no brake van? Brakes have been known to leak off and things roll away. Presumably local instructions to use wheel chocks or scotches?

I suspect that in the vast majority of ECS trains there was probably a van in the formation anyway as they would be going to/from a passenger working.  the real exception would be empty van trains but in the case of those many vehicles had handbrakes.  Otherwise as you say - try scotching them and cross your fingers (I say that having seen as many squashed scotches as ones fit for use  ).

Edited November 13, 2020 by The Stationmaster

[LMS2968]

3 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

I suspect that in the vast majority of ECS trains there was probably a van in the formation anyway as they would be going to/from a passenger working.  the real exception would be empty van trains but in the case of those many vehicles had handbrakes.  Otherwise as you say - try scotching them and cross your fingers (I say that having seen as many squashed scotches as ones fit for use  ).

But the remains were handy for lighting fires in the mess!

[The Stationmaster]

12 minutes ago, LMS2968 said:

But the remains were handy for lighting fires in the mess!

It was apparently much easier to get them going in a stove after they'd been squashed according to what I was told.  The same applied to brake sticks.