Single Line Working

[Sladefan]

I am an experienced exhibition modeller but I wonder if someone can explain single line working. I am aware of the token system. The line of my interest is the L&Y's Meltham branch in Huddersfield. There were three stations including the terminus at Meltham. Two of these stations had "medium" sized goods yards. To my knowledge there are no passing places. I am also not aware of any signal boxes other than at the junction with the main line. My question then is how did the passenger train make its' way down the line if the Pick Up Goods was already occupying the line.

Edited April 25, 2021 by Sladefan

[The Johnster]

The answer is that it probably didn't.  Not familiar with this branch, but if there were no passing loops or refuge sidings between the junction and the terminus it is probably worked on the 'one engine in steam' principle.  Only one driver can have the token for the branch at any given time and the driver of any other train requiring to work over it has to wait at the junction until the train with the token (it's a kind of magic, there can be only one) returns.  This is usually sufficient for shorter branches with light traffic; the pickup runs during the quieter periods when there are no passenger trains, usually mid morning. 

 

There are ways around this.  If the branch is worked by 'electric token' and the pick up accesses sidings by ground frames unlocked by the tokens, by which it can be 'locked in', off the running line, to carry out the shunting, a second token can be withdrawn from the instrument at the junction signal box to allow a passenger on to the branch, passing the pickup at the sidings it is locked in to.  The pickup crew are unable to release the ground frame with their token because the interlocking will not permit this until the second token, held by the passenger driver, is replaced in the instrument at the junction, nor can a third train enter the branch until the token is replaced, unless there are sidings at the terminus also accessed by ground frame in which case the passenger train can be locked in as well.

 

But this sort of working, while not impossible, is unlikely; one engine in steam is going to be the usual arrangement.  If there was a requirment for more traffic the chances are that there will be several signal boxes on the branch controlling passing loops put in at the intermediate stations, and hence shorter sections with their own tokens.

[LBRJ]

TL,DR

The  branches of the L&Y line from Huddersfield to Penistone were not really branches in the true sense

They were more like a mini suburban network centred on Huddersfield.

Any goods traffic would be pathed between passenger trains.

[Nick Holliday]

10 hours ago, Sladefan said:

I am an experienced exhibition modeller but I wonder if someone can explain single line working. I am aware of the token system. The line of my interest is the L&Y's Meltham branch in Huddersfield. There were three stations including the terminus at Meltham. Two of these stations had "medium" sized goods yards. To my knowledge there are no passing places. I am also not aware of any signal boxes other than at the junction with the main line. My question then is how did the passenger train make its' way down the line if the Pick Up Goods was already occupying the line.

Looking at the OS maps, it would seem that there were loops at both of the intermediate stations, associated with the goods yards which, like the terminus, were not immediately adjacent to the single line passenger platforms. These could allow passenger trains to pass whilst the goods train is shunting the yard, is suitably signalled as @The Johnster notes. The earlier maps do show a number of signals, including a pair on a remote stretch of line, and there are small buildings shown which could potentially be small ground frames, but none are labelled SB, as customary. However, a later one, circa 1927, marks a box at the Meltham terminus, but not at Netherton or Healey House.

[KingEdwardII]

The Meltham branch might have been a busy place.

 

Looking at this page:

 

https://huddersfield.exposed/wiki/Meltham_Branch_Line

 

it says "By 1934, the weekday service was eleven trains daily and fourteen on Saturday"

This was no sleepy branch line.

 

In addition, the area was fairly industrial. The brick works near the station on the map above was a pretty major establishment with 300 workers, as can be seen from this photo:

 

https://britainfromabove.org.uk/image/epw051990

 

It produced specialized refractory bricks from material mined in the hills above the town.

 

There were also various mills in the area, plus coal mines.

 

I suspect that goods working on the line was fairly substantial and it explains the large size of the goods yard at Meltham.

 

I suspect that "one loco in steam" was not the approach here and the presence of signals and signalboxes points to more complex arrangements.

 

Yours,  Mike.

[beast66606]

In the March 1937 LMS Sectional Appendix, Central Division, the following places were listed

 

$ = not a block post.

Distances are from previous place.

 

Lockwood No.2

$Netherton 1m 851yds

$Healey House 814yds

$Meltham Mills Halt 1741 yds

Meltham Goods Yard 355 yds

$Meltham Station 204 yds

 

Token working to Goods Yard from Lockwood No.2 and a round, black, staff controlled goods yard to station.

The points at Meltham station were controlled by the staff.

Goods yard to station was one engine in steam (using the staff)

 

[Nick Holliday]

Having realised that I have a copy of the L&YR Society's Branchlines book on the branch (No. 5) and, even more surprisingly, been able to find it on my shelves, I can provide a bit more detail. 

At Netherton, an early signal cabin, not a block post, was replaced in 1896 by three ground frames, at each end of the goods loop and at the end of the platform at the entrance to Netherton Tunnel.  Healey House, similarly, had a cabin replaced by a pair of ground frames, one at each end of the goods loop. Until 1896 the line had been worked by staff only,  but a new signal box was ten built at Meltham, Meltham Goods, when the electric tablet was introduced. According to the booklet, there was an L&YR notice board, which read "LIMIT OF ONE ENGINE IN STEAM WORKING" on the Huddersfield side, and "COMMENCEMENT OF ONE ENGINE IN STEAM WORKING" on the Meltham side, which seems contrary to @beast66606 comment, but makes more sense to me, who doesn't understand all the niceties of signalling.

Regarding operation, there were between 10 and 13 passenger trains each day, roughly one an hour, and, since the journey time to Lockwood Junction was only 10 minutes, that would seem to provide plenty of time for any shunting at the intermediate stations for the 3 goods trains a day.

According to Train Control and Passenger Working (L&YR Soc) the motive power, once the engine shed at Meltham closed around 1888, was provided by Mirfield shed.  I haven't got the equivalent goods working book, but interestingly, there was no dedicated branch loco, as many modellers think would be the case. Out of 14 passenger turns, all worked by 2-4-2 radials by 1921, 9 involved working the Meltham branch, most making just one trip down the line, although Turn No. 10 required the loco to be the "Goods Pilot" at Meltham (I think) 

[Michael Hodgson]

Don't forget that systems of working often changed from time to time. according to changes in traffic demand.

Just because a place wasn't a block post at one date doesn't mean that was always the case.  

OES working could be upgraded to Staff & Ticket or Electric Token working or downgraded to OES to save on signalmen's wages..

 

[beast66606]

56 minutes ago, Nick Holliday said:

According to the booklet, there was an L&YR notice board, which read "LIMIT OF ONE ENGINE IN STEAM WORKING" on the Huddersfield side, and "COMMENCEMENT OF ONE ENGINE IN STEAM WORKING" on the Meltham side, which seems contrary to @beast66606 comment,

 

That backs up the LMS info - one engine in steam from Goods to the buffers in the station, with the run round locked by the staff, from goods to Lockwood No.2 was token and not subject to OES - the sign would be the other way 'round probably, maybe just a typo in the book, or maybe the sign was actually the wrong way around on the ground

Edited April 26, 2021 by beast66606

[Pandora]

Single Line Working  and The Working of Single Lines.

Two different subjects in the Rule Book.

Single Line working is the very rare situation  when a double line is temporarily reduced (examples an emergency such as a failed bridge or derailment) from Up and Down to  a single line,  Pilotmen are involved with the task of organising and authorising the safe passage of  Right Direction or  Wrong Direction movement of Trains on the "Single Line"  open to traffic

The Working of Single Lines are the rules for normal operation of a  single line which can normally have bi-directional movements

Edited April 26, 2021 by Pandora

[Wheatley]

"The Huddersfield and Sheffield Junction Railway" by Martin Bairstow (1993) contains two photos of signalling interest. 

 

1. "Huddersfield - Meltham local entering Netherton", there is a lower quadrant signal at the entrance to the tunnel (reading towards Huddersfield. Undated but another photo credited to the same photographer (D Ibbotsen) has a 1931 date on it. 

 

2. "Last regular passenger train from Meltham takes the single line token to Lockwood, 21st May 1949". Timber signal box (with bobby and token hoop), LMS tubular post signal facing the other way with what looks like a UQ miniature arm bracketted off it. 

 

Regarding industry, the next photo dated 1954 shows brand new David Brown tractors occupying almost every part of Meltham station, I count at least 131 including some loaded onto Medfits. 

 

The line was only 3 1/2 miles long so they wouldn't have had to wait long for the previous train to get out of the way. 

Edited April 26, 2021 by Wheatley

[Nick Holliday]

1 hour ago, beast66606 said:

 

That backs up the LMS info - one engine in steam from Goods to the buffers in the station, with the run round locked by the staff, from goods to Lockwood No.2 was token and not subject to OES - the sign would be the other way 'round probably, maybe just a typo in the book, or maybe the sign was actually the wrong way around on the ground

This is the drawing from the book.

[beast66606]

3 hours ago, Nick Holliday said:

This is the drawing from the book.

 

I believe the text has got "Huddersfield" and "Meltham" sides mixed up - otherwise the one engine in steam applies where the signal box is able to control trains and it's a free for all at the station - but only the station.

[ikcdab]

4 hours ago, Pandora said:

Single Line Working  and The Working of Single Lines.

Two different subjects in the Rule Book.

Single Line working is the very rare situation  when a double line is temporarily reduced (examples an emergency such as a failed bridge or derailment) from Up and Down to  a single line,  Pilotmen are involved with the task of organising and authorising the safe passage of  Right Direction or  Wrong Direction movement of Trains on the "Single Line"  open to traffic

The Working of Single Lines are the rules for normal operation of a  single line which can normally have bi-directional movements

The film "single line working" is great and very informative. Shows how the emergency system was put in place. I guess it's easily found on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/F79R3Fg-pPY

 

Ian

Edited April 26, 2021 by ikcdab

[Sladefan]

Thanks for all your replies. They have all been a great help and given me food for thought when building my layout.