Modelling a traditional parcels train

[acg5324]

One of my colleagues in Control put out a pager message to say that the trip wires had been activated, needless to say that generated a lot of panicky phone calls, even though it was the S&T that had set them off.

 

I always thought if a plane was low enough to hit them you would know about it!

[TheSignalEngineer]

Used to be a trip wire at Marston Green for Birmingham Airport. After electrification it was not much use as it was lower than the OLE. A plane flying too low would have caused a big blue flash as it hooked the catenary.

[The Johnster]

Ah, yes. A good idea to protect the railway if a plane is in trouble. Not so effin' clever when the wire is cut by a tamper, causing panic everywhere in the small hours.....

 

There must be a story behind this; do tell, Olddudders!

 

Used to be a trip wire at Marston Green for Birmingham Airport. After electrification it was not much use as it was lower than the OLE. A plane flying too low would have caused a big blue flash as it hooked the catenary.

Followed by a much bigger orangey coloured one...  

 

I always smile at the road sign warning of low flying aircraft.  If they're that low, what are you expected to do about it, duck!

[AngusDe]

From my memories of my late 60s onward trainspotting days around Glasgow, the most noticeable thing about modelled parcel trains is the lack of grime..... I've many a memory of being unable to tell if a van was blue or maroon or even green under the grime, lol!

 

Why did so many ex SR vans end up in Scotland?

 

Angus

[Oldddudders]

There must be a story behind this; do tell, Olddudders!

 

 

Followed by a much bigger orangey coloured one...  

 

I always smile at the road sign warning of low flying aircraft.  If they're that low, what are you expected to do about it, duck!

I think it was in 1967 that I recall a first occasion, and was never aware of whether the trip wire itself was severed, or it was a feeder cable to the tripwire that the tamper disturbed.

 

In my Control days, about 1972 I should think, I recall my Area 2 colleague John Dadswell reporting that the wire had been tripped, a suitable conversation had taken place between the signalman and the control tower, but no plane was in the air at the time.

 

In both cases the event occurred at night, but even so, causing any train nearby to get a G-R, which no driver will ever enjoy.

 

Southern also has tripfences at the bottom of the White Cliffs of Dover, to the west of that town, and these periodically trip due to a chalkfall, resulting in my day in a light loco being despatched from Dover to investigate what had actually happened. An expert report commissioned by the Regional Civil Engineer more than 30 years ago concluded that it was a case of when, not if, those cliffs would come down and the line between Folkestone and Dover would be severed - whatever mitigations the soil mechanics people put in place. The prospective resulting loss of service was rather more serious in that era, before the Channel Tunnel, although some locals would disagree!

[Porcy Mane]

I think it was in 1967 that I recall a first occasion, and was never aware of whether the trip wire itself was severed, or it was a feeder cable to the tripwire that the tamper disturbed.

 

 

Worse things happened at sea  Southend.

 

 

P

[Enterprisingwestern]

That's what happen when you don't set the points correctly for the RailAir link!

 

Mike.

[Porcy Mane]

That's what happen when you don't set the points correctly for the RailAir link!

 

Tortoise or Servo failure looked to be a regular occurrence at Southend.

 

http://saadonline.uk/accidents-and-incidents-at-southend

 

Scoll down and look for G-APAU to check out one of Freddie Lakers early attempts at combining Air, road and Rail travel

[The Johnster]

Not sure if it's still there, but back in my day, the early and mid 70s, there was a trip wire, if I can call it that, in the Severn Tunnel, about 4 feet off the ground on the down side wall.  It would, if severed, return all the signals to danger between Severn Tunnel Junction on the Tunnel route and Pilning, and trigger alarms in Newport and Bristol panel boxes.  It was designed to break easily in the event of a derailment in the tunnel and could be pulled apart by hand in an emergence with a sharp tug.  You had to sort of feel for it; everything down there is covered in black sulphuric acid slime and you can't see much.  The acid was strong enough to sting your hands after a few minutes if you didn't wash it off.

 

I do not know how long it had been there and what it's history was; perhaps someone here has the necessary erudition!  

[Prometheus]

Worse things happened at sea  Southend.

 

southendairportoverrun.jpg

 

P

 

Thinking that this may have been a Hermes, I 'Googled' Falcon Airways to check: their safety record was quite astonishing and, not surprisingly, they only lasted for a few years.

 

Tony

[Oldddudders]

Not sure if it's still there, but back in my day, the early and mid 70s, there was a trip wire, if I can call it that, in the Severn Tunnel, about 4 feet off the ground on the down side wall.  It would, if severed, return all the signals to danger between Severn Tunnel Junction on the Tunnel route and Pilning, and trigger alarms in Newport and Bristol panel boxes.  It was designed to break easily in the event of a derailment in the tunnel and could be pulled apart by hand in an emergence with a sharp tug.  You had to sort of feel for it; everything down there is covered in black sulphuric acid slime and you can't see much.  The acid was strong enough to sting your hands after a few minutes if you didn't wash it off.

 

I do not know how long it had been there and what it's history was; perhaps someone here has the necessary erudition!  

 

London's Underground had - may still have - a pair of wires on the tunnel wall. Pinching them together, as a driver might feel the need to do, would be the signal to cut off the current, enabling a safer detraining. I think he could also clip a phone to the wires and talk to someone important. 

[keefer]

Worse things happened at sea  Southend.

 

southendairportoverrun.jpg

 

P

I think that plane had a lucky escape - any further forward and I can imagine the OHL portals taking the wings off - the 1500V DC was sturdy stuff and not likely to come down in a hurry!

[TheSignalEngineer]

I always smile at the road sign warning of low flying aircraft.  If they're that low, what are you expected to do about it, duck!

  Thread drift warning.

 

I had a frightening run past Birmingham Airport one night in the early 1960s when the old cross runway was still in use. It was just at the point where the line leaves the cutting to the north of Birmingham International station and goes onto a low embankment. The runway was at right angles to the line and slightly below, starting only about 60 yards from the line.  It was liked by short haul flights from Europe as it was nicely in line with the prevailing wind.

I was half asleep returning from London late at night behind a Class 40 when the lights of an airliner suddenly appeared on my right about three coaches in front of me. I almost ended up on the floor and will never know how he didn't leave tyre marks across the carriage roof.

[Fat Controller]

In a few locations, RAF bases had a button on the Controller's desk in the tower, which allowed them to replace all signals on the adjacent railway line to danger if there was a risk of an overshoot. There was an article in the IRSE Journal about the one at RAF Valley. I asked a former colleague, who had been a Controller there, about this, and he replied 'Is that what it did? Can't remember anyone using it.'

[luckymucklebackit]

Co-incidentally the three major Scottish Airports all have a main passenger route right on the end of the runway under the flightpath, 

 

Prestwick  - Glasgow to Ayr Main Line

Glasgow - Glasgow to Inverclyde Lines

Edinburgh - Edinburgh to Fife Line

 

Do think any of these have alerts, mind you Prestwick and Glasgow also have a main dual carraigeway/motorway as well.

 

Jim

[Porcy Mane]

  Thread drift warning.

  I almost ended up on the floor and will never know how he didn't leave tyre marks across the carriage roof.

Cont/... Thread drift warning.

 

Did you check?  Best bit of advice me owld Granny ever gave me.  "Always check for skid marks before and after travelling. You never know what may happen".

[Ian Smeeton]

Co-incidentally the three major Scottish Airports all have a main passenger route right on the end of the runway under the flightpath, 

 

Prestwick  - Glasgow to Ayr Main Line

Glasgow - Glasgow to Inverclyde Lines

Edinburgh - Edinburgh to Fife Line

 

Do think any of these have alerts, mind you Prestwick and Glasgow also have a main dual carraigeway/motorway as well.

 

Jim

 

Glasgow certainly had a trip wire,

 

I remember it being shown to me on the panel at the first Paisley Power box

 

Regards

 

Ian

[johnlambert]

London's Underground had - may still have - a pair of wires on the tunnel wall. Pinching them together, as a driver might feel the need to do, would be the signal to cut off the current, enabling a safer detraining. I think he could also clip a phone to the wires and talk to someone important. 

I believe that pinching the wires together also turned on the tunnel lighting, which would also assist if you had to evacuate the train.

[The Johnster]

Pembrey bombing practice range is near enough to the SWML for some fairly low passes by the type of aircraft that look as if they mean business, and they are not averse to 'practicing' strafing runs on the trains.  I was once guard on a train of oil tanks that we'd relieved at Carmarthen (this was unusual, Canton men usually took over at Llanelli) which was subject to such an attack (this was in the early 70s).  The aircraft, they were still using Buccaneers in those days, big noisy b*stards, came in from the rear and, being in the back cab, I saw it coming; it roared over the top of our 47 flat out at what I reckon was about 30 above the top of the loco.  Frightened the bejayus out my poor driver!

[caradoc]

Co-incidentally the three major Scottish Airports all have a main passenger route right on the end of the runway under the flightpath, 

 

Prestwick  - Glasgow to Ayr Main Line

Glasgow - Glasgow to Inverclyde Lines

Edinburgh - Edinburgh to Fife Line

 

Do think any of these have alerts, mind you Prestwick and Glasgow also have a main dual carraigeway/motorway as well.

 

Jim

 

Yes. there are tripwires at all 3 of these airports. In my 32 year railway career in Scotland I never knew any of them to be activated by an aircraft, however activation by other causes (eg high winds) occurred and caused heavy delay as signals are automatically returned to, and held at, danger until repaired.

 

Off topic, but an incident occurred at Edinburgh Airport whereby a suspect aircraft was parked as far from the terminal and runway as possible, to allow flights to continue, however the location was next to the Edinburgh-Fife main line which we were instructed to block ! As you can imagine a strong protest was made. 

[45125]

Pembrey bombing practice range is near enough to the SWML for some fairly low passes by the type of aircraft that look as if they mean business, and they are not averse to 'practicing' strafing runs on the trains.  I was once guard on a train of oil tanks that we'd relieved at Carmarthen (this was unusual, Canton men usually took over at Llanelli) which was subject to such an attack (this was in the early 70s).  The aircraft, they were still using Buccaneers in those days, big noisy b*stards, came in from the rear and, being in the back cab, I saw it coming; it roared over the top of our 47 flat out at what I reckon was about 30 above the top of the loco.  Frightened the bejayus out my poor driver!

 

If it was going flat out there may have been a few broken windows in the area!.

[The Johnster]

Well, it looked to me as if they were going to be home by tea time at that speed...  What could they do, 600+?, that's 10x our speed!  I believe they had cameras that mounted where the guns would be in action to assess the results, but we were in fairly open country and I doubt any windows were actually broken.  They are used to this sort of shennanigans in the area!

 

Funnily enough I had another fright a year or so later with something airborne in almost the exact same spot, but on the down this time; I was riding in the front cab with the driver on a Western when we hit a swan that was innocently going about it's business, which, unluckily for it, involved it flying into our path.  It exploded very unpleasantly and messily and I thought that the cab window was going to come in on us, but it held.  I cannot for the life of me remember now what we were hauling, but empty tanks is the most likely.

Edited August 10, 2018 by The Johnster

[w124bob]

008- Moses gate by David Flitcroft, on Flickr47349 Crewe 11-04-1985 by fishpl8, on Flickr86259 at crewe 1985 by Tim U, on Flickr

Regarding 5J42 I think the train is coming towards Manchester, so could well be an ex Preston working. Several parcel trains ran as class 5 at the time although mostly in the form of DPU or DMU workings . The 23.00 to and 00.18 from Oldham Clegg st ran as 6J09 for instance. I've got a WTT for the area circa 1973, l'll do some research.

[The Johnster]

Presumably class 5 would denote an empty stock train of NPCCS.

[Metr0Land]

31/0 London Kings Cross [1982-010-001] by Brian McCulloch, on Flickr

 

73140 | Fanborough [1983-013-004] by Brian McCulloch, on Flickr

 

Jubilee on Parcels at Bristol Temple Meads by Patrick O'Brien, on Flickr