West Somerset Railway General Discussion

It must be pretty tight at Sheffield Park? In order to get 6 coaches in the platforms, the engine has to be fully off the end of the platform. There are dummy signals at the south end of each platform which you have to look out for to check the relevant one is off if you are arriving with a six coach train.

Tom

 

Points 2 and 3 were nothing to do with me.

As to point 1.... not seen that in either of the systems with which I was most familiar and the lack of warning note on the lead engine seemed to do no harm. Thanks for the explanation

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Could someone please tell me if any of the shops stock Cotleigh Brewery bottled old steamer for purchases upon reopened line

 

I don't think any of the shops or cafes are licenced, so they would not sell it. The on-train buffets would be the most likely places.

 

For a short period at KESR it was necessary for a train loco arriving at Tenterden Town to pass the Stop board at the Headcorn end of the platform. This was authorised by an "H bat", like a ping-pong bat, which ISTR was painted blue with a large white H. This gave authority to proceed towards the headshunt, passing the Stop board without pause.

Perhaps rather than handing over a piece of paper, a similar "bat" could be displayed by the signalman while collecting the token from the arriving train.

 

Sheffield Park has a crossover, though, so conflicting movements can be prevented. And you say, it is protected by signals, as well.

 

Deleted.

 

Bridgnorth is similar to this: standard procedure is that the down starting signal (which reads into the north end sidings) is cleared as an arriving train runs in, and the crew tries to stop the train with the loco but only the loco past the signal and the block joint; you have to get it quite precise with a train of the rated platform length particularly on P2. Doing this then stops you carrying out the same move in the other platform in a useful way, due to the signalling controls, although there is actually quite a lot of space before you would physically foul the other line.

Standard busy-day procedure is for one train to come in, hook off and run round (or go for coal), then the next arrival comes in on the other platform before departure. If an arriving train stops short they could foul the block joint at the south end after running round; if they overshoot they block their own run round because the crossover will be locked.

 

I seem to remember the Turntable Cafe selling beer, or did I just dream that?
Ian Coleby

 

Who started all this? As WSR footplate crew for over 20 years I can say there are no problems at all with token exchanges on our railway, and can I remind folk that this is a WSR thread, and can you now talk about something else please! I need to go and watch some paint dry.

 

My paint dried in the heat today even before I finished the job!

Given that 'token exchanges' are part of normal day-to-day WSR operations, I don't see the problem in talking about them here.....

 

Discussions about how terminal platforms on the NYMR should be signalled, though, is unarguably off-topic (yes, I know I contributed myself)

 

I wasn't sure so I checked the website and there's no mention of alcoholic drinks at the Turntable Cafe.

 

I'd gently suggest that discussion about token exchanges and signalling as a result of a video featuring the WSR is probably a more normal topic to find on a railway's thread than recent (i.e. th past 6 years' worth) discussion, even if it does wander off to other railways' situations.

 

So having dominant personalities that don't stop and listen, or take advice , is nothing new on the WSR it would seem .

 

We should be slow to make important rule book changes in general, where there is no particular pressure to make the change. Flipping rules back and forth like that within the space of a few years feels like a very bad idea, to my mind, whatever the nature of the change.

Did they also want to label all your trains as 2Mxx on the Down and 2Txx on the Up, because that's what the main line does?

 

I would agree. For many years there was a view that, while heritage railways might use only a small sub-set of the then British Rail rules and regulations, there was merit in keeping them broadly aligned - no sense in 're-inventing the wheel'. A key factor then was that many volunteers would be BR staff having a 'busman's holiday' and it could cause confusion if (say) the working of EKT on the ABC railway was done differently than what they were used to in their 'day job'. But now the situation on NR has changed so much that there is a danger of the 'tail wagging the dog' and heritage lines are moving towards 'big railway' practices which may neither be relevant nor practical.

At least - I think - we still have passengers not customers on WSR trains ?

 

For once there is a discussion on railway operations on this thread (see thread title) and someone complains about it! He must be too addicted to all the WSR political drivvle that predominates this thread and bores some of us out of our minds.
Lets have more operating discussion not petty politics please.

Peter

 

One of the many reasons that the NYMR eventually changed to carrying the token on the lead loco was the fact that our trains are often top and tailed, a method of operating that was very rarely seen in steam days. To my mind it makes sese to have the guy in charge of operating the train - the guy with the brake - to also have possession of the token, not have it at the rear of the train. If it is the responsibility of the lead driver why does any other driver need to see it? Is he not to be trusted? I sometimes think we love to overcomplicate matters for some ideal of historical accuracy without understanding the reasons why things were as they were in the old days.

Peter

 

Hells teeth! We get some real and interesting discussion going that is not related to other people’s personal agenda and you complain! As for thread drift away from the WSR, well that’s par for the course.