West Somerset Railway General Discussion

I can shed no light.

But Steve can be contacted via his own WSR website at www.wsr.org.uk

Robin

 

This appears to be his saying farewell...


West Somerset Railway Operations

 

Any idea what covers D6575 solo runs on Saturday?

 

Thank you Robin for posting the Blue Anchor signalling diagram. Much appreciated.

Cheers,

Julian

 

Given the diesel gala starts 2moro, there’s been no official announcement from the WSR regarding D6575 withdrawal other than posted news article on wsr.org.

 

The amended timetables are on wsr.org.uk for downloading

 

I am advised that some loco allocation changes may be necessary on Thursday and D6575 may now be used to deputise for the 73s as GBRF are unfortunately unable to provide a crew. Should be ok from Friday onwards though.

 

I am no expert on these matters at all, but if the Williton - Minehead train has been checked to a standstill at No.2 signal, then that signal lowered, then I see no reason why it should not then proceed, duly checked, to No.3 signal at the end of the platform before the crossing with the gates open. The previous distant signal would presumably be 'fixed' at caution anyway?

Repeaters could be added if No.3 cannot be seen clearly on the approach. The sectional appendix could cover all this ie No. 3 signal will always be assumed to be at danger and the train must approach and stop in the platform.

To my mind and way of thinking, the road crossing is just the same as an ahead rail junction for another line that crosses with all the same inherent dangers. Of the South Wales "Valley lines" of which I am most familiar with, Abercynon springs to mind when semaphore signalled, and the 1966 signalling of Ystrad Mynach with 2 junctions. You were checked on the approach by the home signal, and the starter would be at danger. All distant signals were fixed.

I have a pretty clear memory of the Portsmouth - Brighton line having lots of stations with level crossings at the end of the platforms and box and a train in the station and the level crossing being open to the road against a proceeding train waiting in the platform. Angmering springs to mind, and I could recall others such as Chichester, Southwater, and Bosham and Goring plus Shoreham.

Cheers,

Julian

 

Signalling principles define the overlap that must be available ahead of a signal with a level crossing ahead of it before a train can be allowed to approach it at danger. The driver may misjudge the brake, or a steel wheel on a steel rail that is damp, or contaminated by leaf debris or oil or just wet may not respond as the driver expects. At all the examples you give there is, in fact, a substantial distance from the platform end signal to the level crossing (or, at least, substantially greater than the 'no distance at all' at Blue Anchor).

Robin

 

I understood that after the accident at Milford it became standard practice to have the crossing closed whilst trains were approaching when there is a level crossing protected by a signal immediately before it.

http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=1122

This happened right before Christmas and the woman who died was the mother of a classmate at the local school. A terrible time.

 

It seems to me that the arrangement at Blue Anchor is nothing more than good old 'common sense' in particular given the geography of the area - limited visibility on a falling gradient

 

It could be altered by moving the signal back along the platform towards Taunton but that would mean a loss of platform and loop length for any train stopped at the signal.

Robin

 

Thanks for drawing my attention to that post; somehow I missed it. I'm sure you'll understand if I don't 'like' it.

This forum is now a poorer place.

 

Thanks for your post. D6575 has indeed replaced the 73s on the 10:09 BL to Minehead service. <BJ>

 

Are the crew and other staff shortages due to a shortage of volunteers as well as the reported illness?

 

Stop signals protecting level crossings are supposed to be at least 50 metres (preferably overlap distance) away from the crossing otherwise some means has to be provided for checking the speed of an approaching train such as Approach Control. It also says in the Rule book that if a stop signal cannot be cleared then an approaching train must be brought nearly to a stand at the signal in rear before it is cleared.
It surely is common sense to close the gates across the road before allowing a train into the Down platform at Blue Anchor.

 

The non appearance of the class 73s was due to the unavailability of a GBRf crew not WSR crew...

 

Who took the 73s down to the WSR if nobody could drive them today?

 

Maybe she was just having a bad day (Lord knows I've had my share, some of my loss-of-patience moments were fairly celebrated in the network technical community), maybe you can cut her a little slack.

After all, before deciding to become a lawyer, Robin actually worked for the big railway; and in addition to being a signalman now, she's also involved at a high level on several lines, and so with all that is a source of a lot of good info.

Noel