Pete 75C Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 I've recently seen some excellent present day modelling featuring the orange conduit passing underneath the rails between sleepers. Whilst this would be no problem to replicate, I guess using the orange insulation stripped from some wire with a thinner guage of black insulated wire passing through, I'm wondering from what era this dates? I don't ever recall seeing anything orange on prototype pics from, say, the 70s and 80s. Is this a post 2000 thing? Having said that, the cabling must have been there. If I set a layout in the early 80s, for example, I assume the orange would be completely out of place... Any thoughts? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Saunders Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 It was only introduced within the last ten years so that cables could be protected and tamper operators could spot them so as not to damage them. Mark Saunders Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete 75C Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 It was only introduced within the last ten years so that cables could be protected and tamper operators could spot them so as not to damage them. Mark Saunders Thanks Mark. I won't be replicating this in 1982 then! Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted December 30, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 30, 2012 When I first worked at Grove Park in 1976, the place had only recently recovered from a Crompton going straight through the buffers of No 1 reception siding, due to the Ashford driver thinking he was on the adjacent down local line instead. At about the same time, a predecessor of the orange pipe appeared, in the form of little wooden flags with the letter L on them, indicating to the On-Track Plant driver that he should lift at that point to avoid cables, and some of these were installed on the down local in the same location. There was a Section D Notice item about this, of course, but not everyone saw it - as usual. So when, in the drivers' mess room, someone asked what the little flags were for some bright spark offered "They're there to let Ashford drivers know that's the local line!" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jim s-w Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 It was definalty at New street in 1986 Hth Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete 75C Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 Now this is confusing! The picture is dated 1983 and I'm pretty sure (you've guessed it) there is some orange conduit... http://www.flickr.com/photos/kerryp28/7906851478/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngryMeerkat Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 They were definitely around the Allerton/Speke/Garston area in the late 80s, I remember them well as my dad had to explain what they were for. Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 I've modelled them before in OO with the tubes from cotton wool ear buds with the ends removed and trimmed down to size, then painted with a dayglo orange type paint. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John M Upton Posted December 30, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 30, 2012 There seems to be a new version appearing in the Gatwick Airport area at the moment to carry cables beneath running lines, no more the orange pipes but specialily moulded concrete sleepers with a trough through the centre and painted yellow. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 Definitely in use on the Eastern section of the Southern Region in 1988-89. I installed enough of it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 Hollow sleepers are the preferred method these days, but where they are not available we clip The cable to the sleepers and spray White. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 As I recall we didn't use them at Chester which was commissioned in 1984 although most of the cabling was installed before this. We did use them at Crewe which was commissioned in 85. From memory they are 120mm outside diameter which scales to 1.57mm at 1:76.2. They were originally known as Tampertect pipes which is a give away as to why they were provided!RegardsMike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norm81 Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 It was only introduced within the last ten years so that cables could be protected and tamper operators could spot them so as not to damage them. Mark Saunders I've also heard the cynical view that it was to aid their aim... I was going to strip some orange 16/0.2mm wire and use black thread to represent the cables, just pushing it a short way up inside the stripped insulation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete 75C Posted January 3, 2013 Author Share Posted January 3, 2013 I've modelled them before in OO with the tubes from cotton wool ear buds with the ends removed and trimmed down to size, then painted with a dayglo orange type paint. Just raided the ice cream tub full of junk in one of the kitchen drawers. Found a couple of cotton buds and snipped the ends off - what an excellent idea! If the original conduit is around 100-120mm, they scale perfectly in 4mm. Nice one. As a footnote, guess who neededed a cotton bud 5 minutes after I'd decimated all we had left? Chill, babe - I'll buy another packet tomorrow... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngryMeerkat Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Just raided the ice cream tub full of junk in one of the kitchen drawers. Found a couple of cotton buds and snipped the ends off - what an excellent idea! If the original conduit is around 100-120mm, they scale perfectly in 4mm. Nice one. As a footnote, guess who neededed a cotton bud 5 minutes after I'd decimated all we had left? Chill, babe - I'll buy another packet tomorrow... You better buy 2 packs - now you know about the secret of cotton buds you will use them a lot more than you think!! I use them for ....... Small bushes (tease the cotton out and add some paint) Weathering (they streak thinned washes of paint perfectly) Renumbering Cleaning (track, wheels, scenery) Insulation (for thin wires passing through a baseboard or the like, stops chaffing) Signposts And of course I NEVER use them to clean my ears as they actually cause more wax to build up further down the ear canal (however, olive oil applied for 10 mins prior to showering clears this, no need for docs!) Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Pound shop cotton buds are just as good as the "named brand" ones - particularly for modelling purposes - I think I got a tub of 300 for a quid. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete 75C Posted January 3, 2013 Author Share Posted January 3, 2013 Duly noted and added to shopping list! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyddrail Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Orange pipes were banned at least 5 years ago (for new installations), possibly longer. Split yellow ducting was used for some purposes after that. I can't remember why it was banned. We have used flexible black ducting in recent years to protect cables between sleepers. Cheers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 Anythings larger than a quad (2 pairs) is now supposed to use a UTX (under track crossing) which is dug out and has a round pit either side. Quads can still be clipped to the sleeper. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stadman Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 They were certain,y in use in the 80's when I worked tampers etc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium phil-b259 Posted December 27, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 27, 2014 Anythings larger than a quad (2 pairs) is now supposed to use a UTX (under track crossing) which is dug out and has a round pit either side. Quads can still be clipped to the sleeper. Except where the UTX has colapsed! On there BML we still have a line side 48 core cable surface run through orange pipe because the UTX collapsed and we were unable to run in a replacement (the original cable was causing earth faults - probably due to the collapse). 5 or more years on the 'tempory solution' is still there as nobody wanted to pay for sorting out the UTX and its all since been forgotten about. (Incidentally one of the desputes at the time - which has never been resolved - is which department actually 'owns' or has responsibility for troughing routes / UTXs. While such routes do contain S&T plus a few telecoms cables, neither department has the manpower or plant to sort out anything but the most minor of defects. While in theory, being inert objects such things shouldn't need any ongoing maintance as such, the reality is a little different) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff mcghie Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 In Scotland the trough is designated a Telecoms asset. Always fun trying to prise money out of them to upgrade troughing thats full of S&T cables. In theory (for renewals works) anything which is a multi-core cable has to be in a hollow on Cat 3 and above lines, although points heating have an odd definition of a multi-core. Jeff. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 The orange pipe burnt very well, perhaps that's why it was banned. Early third rail cable was encased in wooden troughing when lying on ballast. Rectangular section with a semi circular groove machined out. Two pieces made the troughing. Corner pieces were available. Need to find some pictures. I was told it protected the cables from damage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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