Types of trains

[CaledonianYank]

A topic dedicated to types of trains, both passenger and goods/freight categories.

This wouldn't be under headcode train classifications, but rather terms such as "Boat Train" or "Stopping Goods"

This topic is for asking for help, which I will be unable to provide, but hope the larger community can

Edited March 30, 2023 by CaledonianYank

[AY Mod]

It's too wide a question - basically you're asking for the whole history of trains.

 

What do you actually want to know?

[Michael Hodgson]

It seems rather a pointless question - in a capitalist country ALL trains run to serve some particular traffic need, hopefully to make an overall profit, although if it isn't profitable the state may decide to subsidise in order to enable the overall economy to work.

 

You only run a boat train if there is enough demand for passengers to connect with shipping, a suburban train if there are a lot of people who need to go to town for work, a stopping goods if you have to collect/deliver goods at local stations.  When you've got the rolling stock needed for your required traffic flows, you may then also use that stock at other times on other marginal services where the stock would be idle and not earning revenue, such as mid-morning fairly empty trains and a football special only if there's a big match on.  You also have to return empty stock to wherever it's next needed and run engineering trains to maintain the network. 

 

It's ALL based on the needs at the time.

[Hal Nail]

5 hours ago, AY Mod said:

It's too wide a question - basically you're asking for the whole history of trains.

Ironically asking a simple question on here is likely to get replies covering the whole history of trains.

 

:)

[Gordon A]

As  already stated too broad a question.

You need specify what era, what region and what sort of train did you have in mind?

 

A trains safe progress was / is controlled by signal boxes. Trains were passed from one signal box to the next. If the box further down the line could not accept the train for what ever reason the train would be held, if need be in a siding or loop until the next box could accept it.

 

In the past communications between signal boxes was by bell code, I don't know how the current signal boxes communicate.

 

When you know what area you are thinking of, so find the list of bell codes for that region. They should cover every type of train that the railway company would expect to run on their lines, as well as some specials.

Any variations would be notified by Notices to all boxes along the route.

 

Depending when you are thinking of, the signal boxes were also connected by telephones which may be used to sort a problem out.

 

Gordon A

[The Johnster]

Perhaps what you are looking for is classes of trains for the purposes of signalling priority.  These can be found by googling ‘locomotive headcodes’ or ‘signal box bell codes’. 

[Gordon A]

What I forgot to mention is that passenger and freight trains ran to a timetable. 

 

Gordon A

[The Johnster]

Yes.  Working Timetables were not publicly published, but showed the arrival, departure, and passing times of passenger, workmens, booked empty stock, parcels, general merchandise goods, and mineral trains, and the light engine and engine & brake van movements associated with them; in fact, all the booked movements on running lines.  In addition to these workings, special workings took place authorised by notices; excursions, specials, charters, departmental/Per Way trains, and so forth, and in further addition Control and Stationmasters could authorise ad hoc relief trains and special workings. 

 

On top of this were breakdown train workings, organised in response to incidents, the priority being to rescue trapped and possibly injured passenger, remove casualties, and clear the line so that traffic can resume as soon as possible after the 'incident', complicated by the point that these often become 'crime scenes' in more recent decades.

 

Terms such as 'boat train' and 'stopping goods' are not really relevant to the discussion as descriptions in their own right.  'Boat Train' in general is a term used to describe a train that connects with a ferry or Ocean Liner service,  but is not completely defiintive; some boat trains are simply normal booked timetabled services running at regular booked time, but in some cases tidal restrictions of berthing and the irregularity of Ocean Liner or Cruise services mean that each one runs as a special under it's own specific instructions.  'Stopping goods' doesn't really mean anything as a definition; is it a 'goods train stopping in section', a precise definition in signalling terms? 

 

What is an express?  There are different types of services that could be included in this definition, from through non-stop trains to trains that merely miss out a limited number of possible stops.  I can remember when one train a day between Cardiff and Paddington stopped at Newport, Severn Tunnel Jc, Pilning, Patchway, Swindon, Didcot, Reading, and Maidenhead; a class A express passenger train in exactly the same way as the 'Red Dragon', non-stop from Newport.  A 'stopper' can be this sort of service or a class B 'stopping passenger train', and even those don't necessarily stop at all the stations.

 

For signalling and timetabling purposese, it is important the the correct terminology is used, and the train classification system enables that to achieved in a way understood by all concerned and in all areas of the country.