A scheduled stop in the middle of nowhere..

[LNERGE]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nicholasy/28087201820/

 

I do have this in a working timetable somewhere too. Bridge 1579 is between Padnal and Shippea Hill on the Norwich - Ely line. Can you imagine this happening today? There is a picture in the Middleton Press book on the Ely to Norwich line of a railcar stopped at this location.

[Mark Saunders]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nicholasy/28087201820/

 

I do have this in a working timetable somewhere too. Bridge 1579 is between Padnal and Shippea Hill on the Norwich - Ely line. Can you imagine this happening today? There is a picture in the Middleton Press book on the Ely to Norwich line of a railcar stopped at this location.

This is a booked stop/amended diagram, to set down Divisional Civil Engineers staff!

 

This sort of thing does still happen as long as it is agreed by all parties involved!

 

Mark Saunders

[Bomag]

This was available when I worked with RCE Anglia in 1989/90. We used cars most of the time but there were locations which were otherwise difficult to get where the train to drop staff off - the middle of Thetford forest was always difficult. There was much more likelhood of getting one of the Ely-Norwich stoppers to get dropped off from - these were 1st gen units which were easier to get your equipment off than a sprinter.

[Glorious NSE]

There are places where a booked stop occurs away from a station, Tisbury loop for example...

(You can always tell the folk that have never used the train before, as they start getting more and more agitated about being stopped in the middle of a field with no explanation for "the delay"...)

[tamperman36]

I was once on a working weekend at the Keigthley & Worth valley Railway and whilst having a couple of hours break from working in the loco shed took a ride up the line. I was travelling in the guards compartment along with a group of P.way  department volanteers and a medium size pile of sleepers and tools. About half way between Howarth and Oxenhope we came to a stand and out got the P.way team, followed by the sleepers and tools. It was the best way to do the job whilst keeping the line running.

[Colin_McLeod]

Reminds me of Magheramorne loop on the Belfast to Larne line. The crossing point was not at the station itself and trains were often stopped there awaiting another train to clear the single line section.

[alaneggleston]

There are places where a booked stop occurs away from a station, Tisbury loop for example...

 

(You can always tell the folk that have never used the train before, as they start getting more and more agitated about being stopped in the middle of a field with no explanation for "the delay"...)

What does not help here is that the announcement that the next station stop is Tisbury is made just prior to the train slowing down for the loop. This announcement could easily be made whilst stationary in the loop considering all down trains now stop in the loop [unless running late and then the up train gets looped]. 

[Joseph_Pestell]

What does not help here is that the announcement that the next station stop is Tisbury is made just prior to the train slowing down for the loop. This announcement could easily be made whilst stationary in the loop considering all down trains now stop in the loop [unless running late and then the up train gets looped]. 

Or better, they could lengthen the loop and reinstate the second platform (or of course double-track throughout to Yeovil Jct).

[Zomboid]

Or better, they could lengthen the loop and reinstate the second platform (or of course double-track throughout to Yeovil Jct).

That would be far too sensible.

On the same line, Chard Jn loop lost its station a long time ago. Not sure how often it's used as a passing point though, I don't venture that far west generally.

Also on that route, is possible for an up train to be held just outside Templecombe whilst waiting for a down train, presumably only if disruption is occurring.

[royaloak]

Or better, they could lengthen the loop and reinstate the second platform (or of course double-track throughout to Yeovil Jct).

What about the former down platform that was sold off and is now a haulage yard?

[BG John]

What does not help here is that the announcement that the next station stop is Tisbury is made just prior to the train slowing down for the loop. This announcement could easily be made whilst stationary in the loop considering all down trains now stop in the loop [unless running late and then the up train gets looped]. 

I haven't read it for many years, but I remember there's a story in George Behrend's "Gone With Regret" about a passenger on, I think, the Cambrian Coast line, who asked the guard how many stops it was to the station he wanted to get out at. The guard replied that he couldn't tell him, as he might open the door in the middle of nowhere and fall out onto the track!

[Zomboid]

What about the former down platform that was sold off and is now a haulage yard?

Was the down trackbed also sold? If not, no reason why the hypothetical new platform would need to be opposite the existing one. If there's nowhere to put the track though, that would make things a bit trickier.

[Nearholmer]

I was once surprised to have an Underground train "stop on request" for me, many moons ago.

 

At the line side on the East London Line, near Surrey Canal Junction surveying a proposed cable route for BR, well clear of the track.

 

Train heading towards New Cross Gate, driver whistled as he approached, and I acknowledged in the approved fashion - train then comes to stand.

 

I thought I was going to get an earful for some infringement that I didn't know I'd committed, but the driver opened the cab door and said "up you come then mate" ........ He thought I wanted a lift up to the station!

 

Both apologised for the misunderstanding and went on our way. Nothing more heard.

 

Very odd.

 

K

[Rivercider]

Cogload Signal Box, which had no running water, was supplied from Taunton,

the May 1975 local trip booklet  shows trip no.1 from Taunton to Bridgwater called each weekday.   

After 1980/1 ish, when the Taunton - Bridgwater trip was withdrawn, one of the morning DMU services

from Taunton to Bristol, called to set down a water can.

 

 

 

from the May 1975 trip booklet

 

edit the box closed in April 1986, did it ever have running water?, I guess not

 

 

cheers

[corneliuslundie]

There is a loop at Talerddig on the Cambrian main line which no longer has a station. I am not sure how many trains are booked to cross there but they certainly can and do.

And of course at the west end of the extended Welshpool loop trains can be held awaiting an eastbound service, well away from the station.

Jonathan

[Oldddudders]

Now then. About Tisbury Loop. Some of you may have read this tale before.

 

In early 1984 the Southern Region was given back the former-LSWR route from Wilton South to Exeter Central. The wicked Western Region had been owners for the previous 30 years and run it down remarkably. The first thing the Southern did was run an Officers' Special down the route and note the infrastructure. The minutes included stations at Wimpole and Pinhole. 

 

The reliability of the service had been diabolical for decades, due to a lack of resilience if anything went wrong. So any train or serious signal failure would banjax the service for the rest of the day. There was a call for a quick fix, a new loop somewhere east of Gillingham, please. I chaired an exploratory meeting in the summer of that year, and the Civil Engineer's chaps came up with the good news that Tisbury was do-able. 

 

My only concern is that the loop was intended to be an operator's loop, a bolthole if you like, not a timetabled recess, which it seems to have become. 

 

No doubt today's railway knows what it is doing.....

[alaneggleston]

What about the former down platform that was sold off and is now a haulage yard?

 

Was the down trackbed also sold? If not, no reason why the hypothetical new platform would need to be opposite the existing one. If there's nowhere to put the track though, that would make things a bit trickier.

The down platform was sold off and the up platform re-modelled for the class 159 line upgrade of 1993 leaving no room for a second track through the station and nowhere else for a new down platform.

[Zomboid]

The down platform was sold off and the up platform re-modelled for the class 159 line upgrade of 1993 leaving no room for a second track through the station and nowhere else for a new down platform.

So basically no problems that a new station wouldn't fix...

The west of England line seems pretty reliable overall, no doubt partly because the 159s are and have been for some years the gold standard for diesel unit reliability. And the 50s that they replaced were pretty much the opposite of that.

[The Stationmaster]

There is a loop at Talerddig on the Cambrian main line which no longer has a station. I am not sure how many trains are booked to cross there but they certainly can and do.

And of course at the west end of the extended Welshpool loop trains can be held awaiting an eastbound service, well away from the station.

Jonathan

 

Duly stopped there on the Up Cambrian Coast Express in order to detach our assistant engine - 9017.

 

Calling to deliver signalbox water cans was quite common in areas where there was no mains supply to the 'box.   The first Bristol - Weymouth train of the day stopped at Fairwoord Jcn, Clink Road Jcn, and Blatchbridge Jcn to drop off the water cans and notices etc.

Now then. About Tisbury Loop. Some of you may have read this tale before.

 

In early 1984 the Southern Region was given back the former-LSWR route from Wilton South to Exeter Central. The wicked Western Region had been owners for the previous 30 years and run it down remarkably. The first thing the Southern did was run an Officers' Special down the route and note the infrastructure. The minutes included stations at Wimpole and Pinhole. 

 

The reliability of the service had been diabolical for decades, due to a lack of resilience if anything went wrong. So any train or serious signal failure would banjax the service for the rest of the day. There was a call for a quick fix, a new loop somewhere east of Gillingham, please. I chaired an exploratory meeting in the summer of that year, and the Civil Engineer's chaps came up with the good news that Tisbury was do-able. 

 

My only concern is that the loop was intended to be an operator's loop, a bolthole if you like, not a timetabled recess, which it seems to have become. 

 

No doubt today's railway knows what it is doing.....

 

I hardly think the WR had 'run it down'.  During the 1970s there was quite a lot of relaying with cwr (the PW Supervisor at Yeovil Jcn was an ex Southern man anyway), the signalling was maintained in good condition (including some moderrnisation and capacity improvements such as Yeovil Jcn while Chard Jcn 'box was completely renewed, and the bad parts of the tokenless block circuits were completely rewired to improve reliability, while all the stations were generally well maintained and regularly painted etc.  The only real problems were the increasing age of the rolling stock and the difficulty the Class 33s had in keeping time with little in reserve even with the ETH turned off.

 

The need for a loop in the vicinity of Tisbury had long been recognised but there simply wasn't the money available to do it.

[Oldddudders]

Mike! The WR received the route as double-track throughout. It came back to Southern as a single line with occasional passing loops. My case rests.

[The Stationmaster]

Mike! The WR received the route as double-track throughout. It came back to Southern as a single line with occasional passing loops. My case rests.

 

Nothing to do with it Ian - it was a case of the Board asking for costs to be seriously reduced or the line closing.  A large amount of money was spent on the singling and many intermediate stations gained the best train service they had ever had with what was almost an all stations service.  And of course it wasn't the only route to be rationalised down to single line at around that time - the OWW was another example as was Swindon - Kemble plus the Largin & St Pinnock job in Cornwall as well as some in West Wales. 

 

It was very much a case of needs must when the devil drives.  And having managed a considerable stretch of the route for 5 years in the 1970s it was interesting in being wholly under local control although as a single line it was not as good in times of perturbation as it would have been had it remained double - but that would have greatly increased maintenance costs and wasn't really warranted by the train service.

[brianusa]

Sounds like another case  of 'making do' which the British are rather good at.  After the expansionist days of the Victorians and Edwardians, railways in the 20th century, especially after two wars declined at an alarming rate.  Money, or lack of it was the inevitable excuse and while it is wise to be prudent, taken to extreme it becomes a problem.  This has been exacerbated  in recent years by the wholesale ripping up of main lines and sidings only to find that it has been necessary to relay them in many instances.  Lack of loops and passing places mean that miles have to travelled just to run around and the lack of sidings mean that finding a place to park these days is as hard on the railways as it is for motorists.

 

Brian.

[stovepipe]

I seem to recall that Waterloo - Exeter came surprisingly high on the list of most remunerative Inter-City routes by around 1982/3? Like many places I guess the rationalisation might have gone too far, or did the pruning allow some new growth to occur?

[Rivercider]

I seem to recall that Waterloo - Exeter came surprisingly high on the list of most remunerative Inter-City routes by around 1982/3? Like many places I guess the rationalisation might have gone too far, or did the pruning allow some new growth to occur?

The line from Sherborne to Chard Junction was singled on 7th May 1967,

but was such a disaster that the double track was re-instated  between Sherborne and Yeovil Junction on 1st October 1967.

 

edit - and a number of stations have re-opened

Feniton (Sidmouth Junction ) in 1971

Templecombe and Pinhoe in 1983

 

 

cheers

[alaneggleston]

So basically no problems that a new station wouldn't fix...

The west of England line seems pretty reliable overall, no doubt partly because the 159s are and have been for some years the gold standard for diesel unit reliability. And the 50s that they replaced were pretty much the opposite of that.

Exactly, just throws oodles of money at it and problem solved.

Having been a regular traveller between Salisbury and Exeter (and every station in between) for the past eighteen years my own experience is that both the service and trains are extremely reliable and on the odd occasion when something goes amiss due to the restrictive nature of single line working the signalling lads are on the ball and pretty quickly get things back under control.