I toured the england in 2013. Best day was spent in the signal box on Severn Valley watching the new guy and the old guard do their thing. Tea biscuits lots of trains. Nicest people in the world.
Good evening, it is not yet entirely clear to me whether those old electric block systems (Absolute block system, if I am not mistaken) with a wooden case were or were not influenced by the passage of trains for the purpose of occupying and freeing the section (block) towards to which and from which the train was respectively headed or from which the train came. Furthermore, it is not clear whether there is an electrical connection between the lever that controls the opening of the starting signal and the apparatus with wooden case. In other words, was it possible to pull the lever that activated the starting signal towards you without first having received electrical consent from the next station? However, it is common ground that where there is a token block it is possible to activate the lever that opens the starting signal even before having handed over the token to the driver, unless there is an error on my part. Thank you very much for your availability and collaboration
kae4466 The duster (rag), as we call it, is to prevent the levers from rusting due to sweat from our hands. Traditionally, lever frames and brass-work in signal boxes is kept polished.
Such a shame the whole lot's been turned into a computer clerk controlled abomination with the end goal of one signalling centre in Euston controlling the whole network and the end of the signalman. Closest me father worked to Horsham was Purley/Purley Oaks when he was reliefing out of Norwood or Gloucs Rd Jnc, he left BR in the 90's attaining the most passes out on the SR ending his journey at London Bridge PB and started his journey down the line at North Kent East Jnc... all gone, even LB has gone superceded by computers and I remember Tooley Street box as a nipper but the old man wasn't grade enough to work there.
Professor Pesca Yes, the train ID will then step from signal to signal, and into the area of the next signal box. If we need to contact the driver, we use the train ID to establish that it is the correct train.
it makes doubly sure that facing points can't shift under a train, such that the switch blade is halfway between positions, derailing the train, or part of the train ends up on another track. Equivalent to clamping the points when using a ground frame.
I could watch this sort of thing all day.
I use to love working Horsham box one of my favourites
I toured the england in 2013. Best day was spent in the signal box on Severn Valley watching the new guy and the old guard do their thing. Tea biscuits lots of trains. Nicest people in the world.
Nice shot. Increasingly rare to see the single line Tokens and working signal boxes in todays technology.
No, Horsham shut in '05. Dorking is tcb to Three Bridges p7 now.
I've been to Horsham county while I was working for BT.
Good evening, it is not yet entirely clear to me whether those old electric block systems (Absolute block system, if I am not mistaken) with a wooden case were or were not influenced by the passage of trains for the purpose of occupying and freeing the section (block) towards to which and from which the train was respectively headed or from which the train came. Furthermore, it is not clear whether there is an electrical connection between the lever that controls the opening of the starting signal and the apparatus with wooden case. In other words, was it possible to pull the lever that activated the starting signal towards you without first having received electrical consent from the next station? However, it is common ground that where there is a token block it is possible to activate the lever that opens the starting signal even before having handed over the token to the driver, unless there is an error on my part. Thank you very much for your availability and collaboration
Slam-door stock, yay! (Must upload my video of a Horsham-Dorking cab ride from 1994).
what was the purpose of the rag in one hand of the signal operator ? thanks in advance .
kae4466 The duster (rag), as we call it, is to prevent the levers from rusting due to sweat from our hands. Traditionally, lever frames and brass-work in signal boxes is kept polished.
Such a shame the whole lot's been turned into a computer clerk controlled abomination with the end goal of one signalling centre in Euston controlling the whole network and the end of the signalman. Closest me father worked to Horsham was Purley/Purley Oaks when he was reliefing out of Norwood or Gloucs Rd Jnc, he left BR in the 90's attaining the most passes out on the SR ending his journey at London Bridge PB and started his journey down the line at North Kent East Jnc... all gone, even LB has gone superceded by computers and I remember Tooley Street box as a nipper but the old man wasn't grade enough to work there.
Westinghouse A2 frame. 😀
Can I ask what you were tapping on the computer keyboard?
Professor Pesca Yes! I was inputting the train running number, into the ‘train describer’. Each service has its own 4 character ID.
Signalman .CBP thank you! Presumably that goes elsewhere so that the progress of the service can be tracked? Or is it for your benefit?
Signalman .CBP Excellent video by the way, very enjoyable
Professor Pesca Yes, the train ID will then step from signal to signal, and into the area of the next signal box. If we need to contact the driver, we use the train ID to establish that it is the correct train.
Professor Pesca Thank you very much!
what grade was the box ?3 4 5 etc ?
It was a grade 5.
The blue lever, hmmm
its a point lock
tbh i don't entirely understand the point of those, even when using them
the dopamine of flicking a leaver, perhaps
it makes doubly sure that facing points can't shift under a train, such that the switch blade is halfway between positions, derailing the train, or part of the train ends up on another track. Equivalent to clamping the points when using a ground frame.