Steve Taylor Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 I've discovered the small selection of pdfs of weekly operating notices on the signalling record society website and gathered a few from other sources in researching for my model of Broomielaw. For those who freelance their locations and are bemused by my need for definitive information and history (thats not having a dig at you guys, probably more defensive on my part) I want to get as clear a record of the prototype as possible since I'd like to to do this project strictly to scale (or as near as) if at all possible. Delving through the NERA reproduction of the NER line diagrams and a few entries in WONs from the early 1960s I've answered a couple of questions and raised a few others. Firstly did the LNER issue weekly operating notices or equivalents? Does anybody have these or come across them for the 1923/24, 1934-38, 1941-44 for Darlington District. Additionally in the British Railways era I'm looking for info in 1952-1959. These periods cover years when I suspect there were infrastructure/operating changes. Secondly I have a semantics question, a sort of naming of parts question regarding the conventions of description used. The line diagram gives the mileage and a brief description for the route measured in miles and chains and with an interval distance between each signal box. When a WON records that a crossover is to be taken out of work and gives a figure, would that figure refer to the first pair of switches reached the midpoint of the crossover, or the second pair of switches as recorded on the mileage chart; or did they make this definition by using the figure for the A end of the crossover (the switches nearest the box as I understand it). This becomes a particularly important definition since it could fix the exact location for another crossover that the national archive BoT file/NRM engineers 1:500 OS/NERa line diagram puts in one place (all C19th documents) and all the photographic evidence (post WW2) places 187' further west. Could anyone shed some light on how these measurements were recorded/defined please and thanks for your time in helping and apologies if this begins to resemble a theology debate, I promise not to mention angels dancing on pinheads anytime soon. Cheers Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted May 2, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 2, 2012 I'm not sure of what the datum for measuring the distances would be BUT take VERY great care when believing everything in appendices, I would take distances with a pinch of salt, certainly the LMS/BR(LMR) ones are full of mistakes, where boxes have been replaced for example and the inter box distance is still the same, there are also instances of the appendix listing boxes which had been abolished ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted May 2, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 2, 2012 I agree with Beast on the matter of treating such things with care. Standards did vary between Companies/Regions but errors could occur in even the best regulated of circumstances and measurement standards I suspect differed between the various Companies/ Regions as well (e.g on the Western the mileage of signalboxes was normally measured to the centre point of the 'box thus the distance between them in the Sectional Appendix was signalbox centre to signalbox centre but a quick check for our local branch has revealed one figure which I think is about 80 yards adrift - so some inaccuracy appears to have even crept in on the Western ). If you want the most accurate distances for trackwork the best source for the Western was the Civil Engineer's single line diagrams and perhaps something similar was done for the area which interests you? But, once again, these are only as accurate as the people responsible for keeping them up to date actually did all they were supposed to do - and sometimes they didn't. The NER line diagrams are similar and some I have (computerised) copies of definitely include inaccuracies due to lack of updating. Probably the best source for running line information for the area you are interested in would be the Signal Engineer's drawings (if they were kept up to date - some I have copies of very definitely were updated - assuming you can find clear examples where the scale has not been distorted and distances are shown. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted July 23, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 23, 2012 If anyone wants the latest SA http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/10563.aspx Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted July 23, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 23, 2012 Tehehe, looks like I shall have to take up with Mr XXX as I see 'Acton' is in one table written as 'Action' - several times over!! (posts above referring to errors are clearly not out of date) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted July 23, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 23, 2012 Action? We've got Custom Bottom xing according to the SA! that might come as a surprise to the farmer at Couston Bottom Fm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Someone at NR has bought a spell checker! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted July 23, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 23, 2012 Tehehe, looks like I shall have to take up with Mr XXX as I see 'Acton' is in one table written as 'Action' - several times over!! (posts above referring to errors are clearly not out of date) Not only the SA - The access point contact board at Acton Bridge used to display Action Bridge Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted July 23, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 23, 2012 Someone at NR has bought a spell checker! Spell checkers aren't much use if you use the wrong word in the first place but spell it correctly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted July 23, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 23, 2012 I agree with Beast on the matter of treating such things with care. ............e.g on the Western the mileage of signalboxes was normally measured to the centre point of the 'box thus the distance between them in the Sectional Appendix was signalbox centre to signalbox centre but a quick check for our local branch has revealed one figure which I think is about 80 yards adrift During the original Birmingham Cross City scheme (the pre-electrification one in the 1970s) I went to Redditch North box to alter the signalbox diagram. As I was going to draw up a new office record plan of the line I wheeled out from the end of the branch to the Distant signal. The distances quoted on the existing plan and signalbox diagram didn't agree with what was on the ground by about 120 yards, so I wheeled back from the Distant to the point where the signal box should have been according to all of the documents. I did a bit of poking around on the bank, and found evidence of the site of Redditch Gas Works Siding box, which was replaced by Redditch North c1925. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.