RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted July 20, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 20, 2014 Whilst starting to sort out my railway publications I had a quick glance through one and noticed the traffic information for Chester races during May 1931. I wondered if anyone would be interested in this and so - as a trial - I photographed some of the information. I have several books of information for the Birkenhead Joint lines and also some for the LNWR / LMS and I am happy to photograph more excerpts if they are of interest. The amount of trains running is extraordinary and must have kept the signalmen very busy - see the staffing pages - there were 7 signal boxes at Chester (1-6 and 3A) and for the period in question they appear to have needed some 18 signalmen per shift between them to handle the trains. 2 of the boxes were triple manned. Remember these are steam trains so the engines needed to be watered / coaled and possibly turned as well as the trains, and all using block bells, simple train describers and mechanical signalling - no colour lights in those days. Anyway - here are the photos. I know they aren't the clearest but the information is visible and the amount of trains is jaw dropping. The scene setter I have selected Wednesday May 6, 1931, as an example - the same levels of traffic were run on the Tuesday and Thursday that week, Where from ? and how disposed of ? Horse box traffic Local services Tickets please ! Goods traffic arrangements - an extract Staffing Destinations Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Makes my tedious and slightly more complicated than usual Sunday shift here look like a night shift........ in a closed box...on a closed line..thats been ripped up JF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AberdeenBill Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Hi Beast, Great stuff, thanks for posting this. Of course, horses as well as punters were transported by rail. One interesting point of many is that the inspectors (and their shifts) are identified by name. Please feel free to post more from what looks like a nice thick volume ;-) Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted July 21, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 21, 2014 Hi Beast, Great stuff, thanks for posting this. Of course, horses as well as punters were transported by rail. One interesting point of many is that the inspectors (and their shifts) are identified by name. Please feel free to post more from what looks like a nice thick volume ;-) Bill It was normal practice to still post special traffic notice details with Inspectors nominated by name well into the 1960s and on some (very special) notices it was still being done in the 1990s. The last one I did in that sort of (very special) line was in 1994 and not even on the Western - as an aside I think the colleague and I who prepared that notice were probably the two most highly graded folk on the railway ever to have actually done all the work on such a notice ourselves! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted July 21, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 21, 2014 Hi Beast, Great stuff, thanks for posting this. Of course, horses as well as punters were transported by rail. One interesting point of many is that the inspectors (and their shifts) are identified by name. Please feel free to post more from what looks like a nice thick volume ;-) Bill Hi Bill, thanks, I have 6 volumes from the LNWR / GWR joint - lots of interesting stuff but a lot of it is one-off, I'll see what else I can find which will make a few "pages" ( = photos) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 The freight train arrangements in IMG 0301 are interesting too - lots of coal sidings to be emptied out for coach stabling, and all sorts of other workarounds to give space for the race traffic Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium corneliuslundie Posted July 21, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 21, 2014 Great stuff. Very interesting. You should send a copy to Arriva!!!!!! Their train planners would resign en mass I should think! Seriously, I would welcome any more from this period in this area including the Birkenhead Joint lines and the line to Shrewsbury. Jonathan David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted July 21, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 21, 2014 The freight train arrangements in IMG 0301 are interesting too - lots of coal sidings to be emptied out for coach stabling, and all sorts of other workarounds to give space for the race traffic There were a couple of pages of cancellations and alterations which I didn't post - and the footnote "some or all of these cancelled / altered trains may run depending on traffic needs on the day" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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