Tablet catcher recesses on diesel locomotives

[Edwin_m]

The rubber panel was a glass panel with a rubber surround. Glass is not very good at bouncing bits back.

 

Thanks for that - learn something every day on here...

[LNERGE]

The only place on the Highdyke branch to have lineside tablet catchers was Colsterworth Mines. This was a block post but not a passing place. The Highdyke - Colsterworth Key could be given up and the Colsterworth - Skillington Road key could be collected automatically. (and vice versa) to save reducing speed too much with a heavy train behind.

[AberdeenBill]

Perhaps it was this one, as shown in this photo on Flickr, and dated 1980.   https://flic.kr/p/wVwutv

 

And also to be seen in this photo but taken 12 years earlier.    https://flic.kr/p/dMz5Ug

 

 

Paul J.

 

So (presumably) the tablet exchange was carried out by the guard rather than the driver?

 

Bill

[Swindon 123]

Hi Paul

 

No DMUs were used regularly on the M&GN apart from the section to Cromer.

 

No East Anglia DMUs were fitted with tablet catchers.

 

The rubber panel was a glass panel with a rubber surround. Glass is not very good at bouncing bits back.

 

The panel was far too high for a Whittaker type apparatus, see where the tablet catcher is on a locomotive or an Inverness to Aberdeen Swindon Cross country unit. 

 

If anyone has a collection of late 1950s and early 1960s Railway Magazine or Trains Illustrated could you be kind enough to look for a short article where the use of the panel was illustrated. It was to display the stations the train was to serve between the two terminal places. It must have been a problem because they soon went out use. We had a copy at one of teh clubs I belonged to until one member decide that a way to raise funds would be sell the old magazines. I didn't get chance to photocopy it.

 

Photos of green liveried DMUs show a white panel, later painted green, or blue. I recall seeing few Cravens left in the early eighties with these panels where the paint was pealing off and the white glass was showing.

 

One last thing to think about there was the national time table and the laid back East Anglia time table. No passenger would moan if the signalman and driver stopped to have a chat when exchanging the tablets, it was part of life.

I can remember travelling in the cab of a 105 to Felixstowe and back whilst "route training" on my MP12, and collecting the token at Westerfield, and being surprised to find the panel behind the cab door on the 105. On asking the driver about it, he said it was a rubber pad for protecting the cab side when they used to pick up the staff hoops on the move originally. Although only travelling slowly they would give the cabside a hell of a clout if not protected. I distinctly remember he said it was rubber, which is also born out by the Railcar website on the 105's. ( http://www.railcar.co.uk/type/class-105/variations ). . I notice in photos that a lot of them lost the panel during later refurbishments.

 Talking of photos, here are some links to shots showing the panel, which is white. I can only assume the rubber was a white colour for some reason.

https://flic.kr/p/9zzWMC

https://flic.kr/p/9r86RE  The white is showing under the damaged blue paint.

 

Paul J.

[david ellis]

27006 at Crewe Works Open Day on September 20th 1975

 

http://www.derbysulzers.com/27006crewe75.jpg

[david ellis]

27001 in green again

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/63616124@N06/6349775077/

[AberdeenBill]

A few locos did make it into the Tops era with the recesses still intact, two which immediately spring to mind are 20 029 and 25 261. The plating over probably started in the late '60s, early '70s period.

 

Here is a picture of 25261, still in green livery...     https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffsimages/6859220761/in/pool-br_green_liveried_tops_locos/

[25901]

http://www.class25.info/photograph_pages/individual_photos/770904_25263_Birmingham.htm

[CloggyDog]

And even when the recesses were plated over, it sometimes became very obvious where they were...

 

20 034 Toton by Alan Monk, on Flickr

[stewartingram]

I can remember investigating that panel on a green 105 at Cambridge myself. It was pale green, (I thought at the time self coloured though?). I tapped it quite hard and prodded it. I was definately NOT glass with a cover. The driver told me the same story, that it was a panel to protect the bodywork from the token. It seemed to be a rubber panel adhered to the metal bodywork.

 

Stewart

Edited December 29, 2017 by stewartingram

[david ellis]

25267 on the 17:18 Kings Cross to Peterborough at Arlesey, August 1979

 

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/66585313

[Swindon 123]

25267 on the 17:18 Kings Cross to Peterborough at Arlesey, August 1979

 

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/66585313

Peterborough men worked that particular service. Kings Cross men didn't know 25's but Peterborough men did. All the other Parleys in the evening where worked by KX traincrew, only the 17.18 wasn't.

 

Paul J.

[brian daniels]

Here is 20029 on Immingham with most of the token catcher in place.