West Somerset Railway General Discussion

I believe it was common practice for the Local Instructions at terminal stations to permit assistance as far as the platform starting signal.
For every rule there is often an exemption in certain circumstances.
When assisting a train starting from a platform the normal wording permitted not-attached, but specified to remain in contact with buffers of train, if the assisting loco lost contact it was to make no attempt to re-establish contact.

As for assistance in rear in section, I believe as far back as the Board of Trade era assistance in rear of passenger trains was required to be coupled (other then getting out of the terminal platform as above)

 

The shove out of Victoria was still happening about four years ago as I watched one occur.

 

It is necessary for all heavy loco hauled trains out of there and is covered by the relevant Sectional Appendix. In this instance it is necessary not only for the train operation but also for the signalling arrangements relating to this manouver as the assisting loco is unattached.

Peter

 

7752 running round for the 12:00 Santa Special at Minehead this morning.

 

But not regular operations like banking on the Lickey, Shap, Beattock etc. Perhaps I misunderstood.

 

Like I said in a previous post, there can always be an exception authorised by local instructions/sectional appendix.

 

We have been 'shoved out of Battersby on the return Whitby-York top n tail trips in recent years. The Loco left behind wandering back down to the NYMR.

 

Pleased to say the the journal hit the doormats today, so meeting the "before Christmas" deadline.
The team would be grateful for all feedback on the content, layout and presentation etc. Email to journal@wsra.org.uk or feel free to post on here.
Ian Coleby

 

Wouldn't mind one to see my picture in there

 

Any news on the new DMU?

 

Join the Association and you'll be assured of every issue.

 

A merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year with grateful thanks to all the wonderful volunteers on the WSR.

 

Middle Son (11) & I went for a round trip today.

We arrived at BL just after 1.30 for the 14.40, sadly the Model Railway & Gauge Museum were closed but it was rather pleasant to enjoy an hour of quiet time. The shop looked rather good but they obviously had enough of the reports of a Land Rover in the car park with its lights on!

Odney Manor arrived late, it seems that the Pannier had some sort of upset and would not steam, delaying everything. That, combined with having to coal the loco made us late away, but with some brisk driving and rapid station stops we made up about 10 minutes of the original 18 min delay. At Williton the Panniers train was in the hands of a 'Thunderbird' 33 and the Hymek was in the yard on some ballast wagons.

Interestingly a large number of passengers were waiting at Watchet.

Thee was time to pick up drinks and ice cream at Minehead before returning in the gathering dark. Lights were only working completely on one coach and partly in ours. Fortunately the Labrador lying in the gangway was golden not brown.

@Robin Moira White was demonstrating her skills as a gymnast coupling the Hawksworth Inspection Saloon to our train at Williton on the return and the Pannier was back hauling the Minehead bound train.

As always the staff and volunteers made us most welcome. The TTI was walking through the train explaining the delays on the outward run and wishing us all a Happy New Year on the return.

The 2020 timetable leaflet was out and in a new format.

Another good day

 

The Gauge Museum will be closed for quite a while, there's a major project to redesign the interior to provide a better display area for the exhibits.

 

In the Minehead direction there is a home signal at the end of the platform. The line from the yard then joined the running line where there is a second home signal.

Does the second home signal allow trains from the yard to proceed onto the running line?

 

Are you sure they're both Home signals?

I'm not familiar with the WSR signalling, but nomenclature differs between former regions or companies. I believe the LMS and its successors referred to all Stop signals as Homes except the section signal which was a Starter.

I am more familiar with the KESR signals, where Rolvenden for example has Outer Home,
Inner Home, Starting and Advanced Starting signals. (A slight complication being that going Down the Main, the Platform Starting Signal is actually the Inner Home and there are two Down Starting signals before the Advanced Starter.)

 

The Pannier had some difficulty steaming today but all fixed and should play a full part tomorrow.

it was a fun day to solve the problems and get everything done despite the adversities thereby caused, and having some great railwaymen on hand to help made the day possible.

Not sure how much of a gymnast I am but I have been handling vacuum hoses for 40 years now.

There is a shunt in the yard which is the authority to come out. And fortunately a platform starter to hold the down train back while we nipped out to put the saloon coach on to the up train.

Robin

 

I'm not familiar with Minehead but normal GWR naming was:

* signals in rear of a box (e.g. the train passes the signal before the signalbox) are Home Signals. The first signal is always just the Home Signal and if there is another it is the Inner Home Signal - in other words the GWR didn't use the term "Outer Home"
* signals in advance of the box (ie the train passes them after) are "Starting Signals" (not "Starter") with a second being the Advanced Starting Signal.
* there are exceptions, particularly at terminus stations

If you were to strictly follow convention the "platform starters" at Minehead would actually be "Up Home Signals" because they're in rear of the box, but this may be one of the locations where an exception has been made. At Bewdley on the SVR all of the "platform starters" are actually either "Home" or "Inner Home" signals apart from the Down starting signal on P2, which is the Bewdley North "Up Main To Shrewsbury Starting Signal" despite being in rear of the box.

 

The naming of signals is one of those things which is simple in theory, but can be complicated in practice.

I have no experience of GWR signalling. The basic principles I learned when on the "big railway" but not as a signalman. The only line where I know the detailed practices is the KESR. Wittersham Rd for example, where both of the Down Starting Signals are in rear of the box, and there are no Outer Homes. Or Rolvenden, where the signal at the end of the platform is officially the Down Inner Home ( Platform Starting )and the next two signals are Down Main Starting No. 1, and Down Main Starting No.2., but the Down Loop Starting signal doesn't exist, just two preceding shunts along the loop, the next signal being the Down Advanced Starting Signal which applies to trains from either Loop or Main.

 

Oh indeed-that's why I just skimmed over the basics. Signalling is one of those fields where there are always exceptions to any sort of general rule