Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

Chaps, this has strayed quite a way from the L&B now, worthy of its own thread perhaps?

 

There are a couple of repro GWR slotted signals at Didcot.

Anyway, levering things back over to the L&B (boom boom), does the signal from Chelfham still exist at Clannaborough?

 

Indeed! When I wrote my comment in post 2727 little did I realise what a fascinating exchange of emails would be unleashed!
I am now going to draw readers attention to this news item on the L&B website https://www.lynton-rail.org.uk/story/progress-tablet-instruments-2020
Please do have a read, then think if you or anyone you know might have some of the required 'bits' tucked away somewhere. The L&B as a whole will be grateful for any help which you can give either in expertise or parts, so thanks in anticipation!

Mike

 

Facinating. Is there no end to the ingenuity of preservationists in their quest to recreat the past. How many Tyers tablet instruments are left in use on Network Rail now. I guess it will be no more than a handful. Here is a pair of them in use at Glenwhilly on the Stranraer line in October last Year


I wonder what spares they keep in stock

Peter

 

Indeed, some very nice work.

One small suggestion....rather than sign-write the Up/Down designations directly on the face-plate, I would recommend following the later practice of putting it on small rectangular plates screwed on the face-plate. In that way you can put a replacement instrument at either end of a section without needing to redo the signal-writing, just swop the plates around. Been there, found the problem in the past !

 

Did I see somewhre that some tablet machines had recently been withdrawn as a result of a signalling upgrade and were being overhauled for reuse down south?

Could it be from here:- https://www.railengineer.co.uk/major-upgrade-to-north-yorkshire-rail-route-complete/

 

What, and do a sign-writer out of a nice little job!?

 

Looking at the photo of the Tablet Machines, do they need to take the tablets with water?

 

Given how substantial they can be, you may well even get away with alcohol in a Tier 2 area But then I would go for the No 1 machines just to be, 'cos they are even bigger!

 

Well the text talks about token working. Admittedly 'token' generically covers tablet as well these days, but I would guess it was key token anyway.

 

No, but (s)he can do their nice little job on a nice little removable plate instead

 

The system on the York - Harrogate line used key tokens rather than tablets to achieve the same safety objective. Here is the token instrument at Hammerton on its last day in service last month


It has been replaced by a tokenless block system. A very similar key token system, although driver obtained rather than being issued by a signaller is in operation on the Esk Valley line to Whitby, while the NYMR uses the Tyers tablet system. End of another signalling MIC

Peter

 

Ah now, if we could get our hands on a couple of those they would be useful for Phase 2A

 

They'd be no good - the tokens would have the wrong names engraved on them ...

Tom

 

Easily rectified, at least more easily than having no actual machines !

 

As an aside, having the wrong names does not seem to have been a barrier in the past. In the days of the DVR at one time the official OES 'staff' for the Buckfastleigh - Totnes Riverside section was a key-token inscribed IIRC 'Newton Abbot East - Heathfield' and this was enshrined in the Rule Book

Meanwhile, to get back on track with ETT No 6 machines, for those who have never seen inside one:-

 

Just to give closure: I think you must be referring to London Underground. Memory is a bit vague, but as I recall, some Americans were involved, and they brought with them the Northbound/Southbound, or east/westbound nomenclature, though how that can work on the circle line is beyond me.

 

Well I understand that that is not going to stop Network Rail from reusing them down south somewhere.

Peter

 

Abbots Ripon

 

Talking of L&B signalling, (we were, honest!) The railway now has some original-pattern finials: https://www.lynton-rail.org.uk/story/chelfham-signals-and-finials-december-2020