PerthBox

3 hours ago, 25kV said:

Reminds me of the strange ScotRail HST turn last year - Aberdeen to Aberdeen via Inverurie Turnback Siding, which ran in the evenings empty stock.

That move was needed to free up a platform at Aberdeen for a Network Rail test train path, so it only had to happen when the test train was running (every 4 weeks from memory).

1 hour ago, Michael Hodgson said:

The ScR tokenless block was relatively late - first used in May 1969 I understand. 

 

The WR version used in the rest of the country preceded it, quite a different design and method of operation.  I believe the WR's objective was to allow token to be obtained without the signalling being there full-time, so that he could be freed up to do other duties such as selling tickets, whereas the Scottish version was more like Absolute Block and just did away with the need for physical handling of tokens.  The other advantage of Tokenless block was that the section didn't need continuous track-circuiting.

The ScR Tokenless Block first came into use in December 1965 between Montrose South and Usan, and preceded the English version. It has far more in common with Electric Token Block than Absolute Block (working as, effectively, a pair of tablet machines without tablets). But I'm dragging the thread off topic now.

20 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

However it was extremely unusual in the UK in the days of traditional signalling.

Bi-directional signalling was a feature of the mechanically signalled layouts at many crossing loops under Scottish Region Tokenless Block, such as Huntly, Dunkeld, Inveurie, Dyce, Aviemore, Dunkeld etc...

2 minutes ago, jim.snowdon said:

That's just a hydraulic spring.

Presumably in the same way that a car is just a petrol powered skateboard.

1 hour ago, 55020 said:

 

Dyce would also follow a similar pattern, but my impression was that the platform selection was a bit more random!  Perhaps it was a form of amusement for the signalman?

At Dyce they'd use the chip shop side unless crossing.

On 09/04/2024 at 12:46, Michael Hodgson said:

Radio Electronic Token Block used on some long remote single lines (like the Highlands) had spring loaded points so that trains always entered the left hand track at crossing places, the radio equipment having superseded physical tokens.  There was no longer a signalman to work the points and signals. Departing trains had to trail through the points set for the other loop, the flanges forcing the points blades over, which returned under spring pressure. 

RETB uses hydro-pneumatic self-restoring points. These use a gas filled accumulator which operates a hydraulic actuator; there are no springs involved. As noted above certain locations on the West Highland line (Garelochhead, Ardlui, Taynuilt, Bridge of Orchy, Rannoch, Spean Bridge) are set up for right hand running to make it simpler to shunt sidings.

On 10/04/2024 at 12:25, caradoc said:

At both Kingussie and Aviemore, if there is no Down train to cross Up trains use the Down platform which has easier access. 

 

Similarly at Dunkeld the main line is bi-directionally signalled, so Down trains use it if there is no crossing booked. Huntly is bi-directionally signalled for both main and loop lines, with trains typically only using the Down platform unless crossing.

47 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

@martin_wynne so what I am hearing is that the speaking clock was actually a doomsday device to tell us the levels of radiation but in peacetime it simply read the current time.

The UKWMO warning system, HANDEL, used the speaking clock circuits for distribution to carrier control points which would sound the attack warning - this website has a huge amount of detail about how it all worked.

How many wheels did the road bogies have, out of interest?

On 06/02/2024 at 11:01, Wheatley said:

With a few exceptions the plethora of signs and telephones mostly appeared after the Nairn collision in 1982. https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=802 . BR learned the lessons from that (eventually) and started a campaign to buy out the rights on accommodation crossings and close them, the amount offered generally being pitched somewhere below what it would cost to bring the crossing up to 'Nairn Standards' in terms of sightlines and gradients on the approaches. In a lot of cases where there were two or three adjacent crossings and all were now on the same landowner's property, one would be improved and the others closed.  The typical 'pre-Nairn' farm crossing* would be a 9 foot field gate (opening away from the track as previously stated), a timber deck (sleepers, originally 9' then 8'6"), a trespass notice and the 40 shilling 'close the gate' notice.  

 

On a point of pedantry, the crossing in question is “Nairn’s” - with an apostrophe as it was built for a farm once owned by one William Nairn.
User worked crossing names sometimes shift and drift a bit through time and that is now known officially to Network Rail as “Forteviot Farm” although most of the the old school railwaymen still call it Nairn’s.

4 minutes ago, Dutch-Traindriver said:

It might be interesting to find out in which countries a driving brake test is carried out (at a more or less fixed time during the journey), and in which a stationary brake test is considered sufficiently safe. It seems like an English custom to me.

Well, we do it in Scotland and Wales too.

40 minutes ago, Stevebr said:

Since 1995? running brake tests have been required on all trains following a driver stop. Is there a Network standard detailing how soon after the stop, at what speed and how much deceleration is required?  I have a copy of the RSSB document GERT8000-TW1 rule book but is is somewhat vague as follows:

The specific requirements vary from company to comapny and are set out in the professional driving policies of each individual TOC or FOC.

15 hours ago, Matt37268 said:

I’m going to sound like a complete numpty now but how was it operated? I’m guessing that lever by the cab door was operated by the second man? 

The tablet catcher is located under the driver’s window. There was a lever by the driver’s left knee which operated a simple mechanical linkage to lower and raise the catcher. 

On 24/12/2023 at 09:08, Rivercider said:

Yes, that was my understanding. A 'train' was required to update records when a wagon moved from one TOPS Responsibility Area (TRA) to another.

Each train on TOPS required three inputs, the wagon consist (AS input), power consist (A7 input), departure time (BN? input). All three computer entries are required in order to generate a consist at the 'receiving'  yard.

When I worked in Control we used to very occasionally get requests from the FOCs to input a dummy VSTP schedule to allow ‘lost’ locos or wagons to be transferred correctly on TOPS. They would consist it and put in departure/arrival times as if it had run. 

On 22/12/2023 at 18:28, Blobrick said:

I ve been doing some research on the GNSR web site, (good site, well worth a visit) and noticed that almost all the diesel locos featured therein have Tablet Catcher equipment or the recess in the cab side for the provision of such equipment if required. I noted there were a fair few photos of BR class 105 Craven type two car DMUs featured, but l could see no provision on the 105 body work for Tablet Catcher equipment.  How did these units operate on tablet worked branches? Was the token passed manually when working these units, and via Tablet equipment for other suitably fitted stock? 

 

Bob C

The Cravens units used on the Aberdeen - Inverness line didn’t have tablet catchers but the class 120 Swindon units did. This was mounted within the guards van door and the guard was responsible for the exhange, there being a special buzzer code to communicate a successful exchange to the driver. 
 

There’s a photo of the equipment on the railcar.co.uk page for the class - 

https://www.railcar.co.uk/type/class-120/description

Edit - and here’s another - https://www.railcar.co.uk/images/19229

5 hours ago, Simon Lee said:

 

It was local French staff, there was a tie up dating back to 1927, that involved the ALA company see this link, the ferry St Eloi was shown as owned by ALA and carried that companies lettering  on the funnel, as opposed to the St Germain was a pure SNCF ship. Proir to the Eloi, the Twickenham Ferry known as "Le Twic" was the ALA ship.

 

https://www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk/category/pastandpresent/ferries/sealink/ala/

 

Jobs in the BR ticket offices abroad would appear periodically on the Clerical vacancy sheets, possibly the most coveted posting was the New York office ! Iirc they also employed local staff as well in these offices.

Thank you, very interesting. I've always been fascinated by the continental STANNOXes!

19 hours ago, Simon Lee said:

Something that maybe of interest/use, the fact that there used to be a TOPS office at Dunkerque for the Trainferry traffic, a very small scale operation run on a 2 shift (sort of) basis the clerk would "load" import wagons onto the system and then load the sailing details onto a consist and send it to us in Dover. The sailings being shown on TOPS as a train. 

 

In the days when the Ventek TOPS terminals were maintained by Ventek engineers on a monthly basis the Dunkerque office was a prized day out for them.

 

The Dunkerque office closed around 84/85 and the worked passed to us in Dover.

 

  

Out of interest, did BR employ local French staff for the Dunkerque office or did the clerks travel across (and lodge..?).

On a related note, am I right in thinking that BR had a handful of booking offices abroad and, if so, does anyone know how these were managed?

7 hours ago, Neil Urquhart said:

 

I'm aware that NR own TOPS, but I was wondering about the technical arrangements for running it. The IBM 370 hardware that it was designed around has long since been consigned to museums, so I'm assuming that it's running under emulation on something more modern.

The system is administered by Atos but I don't know what hardware is currently used. On Windows it runs in an emulator called WinVV, which I think was developed in-house by BR.

www.ontrackplant.com lists 80 P&T 07-16 universal tamper/liner machines, numbered from DR73200 to DR73279. They were built between 1971 and 1978. These machines were used all over the UK  but if you’re interested in finding out the history of a particular machine, a three month membership of ontrackplant.com costs £2.50 and will give you access to photos and sightings lists to let you build up a picture of where it operated.

1 hour ago, johnofwessex said:

Thinking about it, there must be / have been some interesting train registers in the signal box's

It’s all explained in the WON every year - 

On 08/10/2023 at 09:04, black and decker boy said:

there is the new Highland Spring loading point at Blackford

Highland Spring at Blackford is a containter terminal. Shipping containers are loaded and unloaded from trains by an large crane, there is no covered accommodation at all.

www.departmentals.com has lots of images and information on former Railtrack rolling stock. You’ll need to register to be able to search for particular types or number of vehicles.

On 25/10/2023 at 12:14, Steven B said:

The same wagon,

(Chaddy Goods on Flickr)

 

They were still in use in 1999, with EWS Class 56 for haulage: https://flic.kr/p/MhYWso 

 

They lasted a few years beyond 1999 - I have a photo somewhere of a set being tipped at Montrose in late 2003 or early 2004. I think they went out of use not long after that then they were stored at Tees Yard (if I remember correctly) for a few years before being scrapped.

20 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

Is NR headed up by engineers? ISTR Tim Shoveller is thereabouts, and he was involved w traincrew at Silverlink, I think, obviously not engineering. 

Tim Shoveller left NR after destroying staff morale and setting back industrial relations by years during the 2022/23 pay negotiations. An arrogant and unpleasant character in my view.

44 minutes ago, uax6 said:

The big problem is the formation being washed away, and you not being able to see its gone from the train....

 

Its a job stopper these days.

 

Andy G

Not necessarily. The current rules are that if flooding is up to the bottom of the rail head then trains can run normally. Trains may run at 5mph with water between the bottom and the top of the rail head. Flooding above the rail head or moving water that is likely to dislodge ballast (or that has dislodged ballast) requires trains to be stopped until it is inspected by a competent person. Certain companies, such as Avanti West Coast, have their own instructions for the traction they operate if it has its own peculiarities. 

I also have a large number of BR Scottish Region official photos, rescued from the bin when Network Rail moved out of Buchanan House. I'd love to put them online but I'm also worried about the copyright situation.