Cheshire Lines Timetables

Humorist in post 129436 said:

Peter Bennet in post 129414 said:

What's a UTU?

Peter (a schoolboy)

Peter - thanks for asking. That's the trouble with TLAs, no-one has the balls to ask.

I do have a bit of a habit at work for stopping people in mid-flow to ask them what they are talking about!

Peter

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UTU's appear in many of the Simsig TT's, bugsy, and have been discussed in various threads in this forum so it was fair of me to assume many of you would know what one is (unless people run sims without knowing what some of the trains are),
<snip>

So how do you comply with table 'D' of the sectional appendix as a signaller if you don't what what the various component vehicles are of each train that you require to comply with your signals.

Paul

Phil-jmw in post 129462 said:

<snip>

UTU's appear in many of the Simsig TT's, bugsy, and have been discussed in various threads in this forum so it was fair of me to assume many of you would know what one is (unless people run sims without knowing what some of the trains are),
<snip>

A collection of traction and (sometimes) vehicles that passes through sections complete with tail lamp in obedience to the signals. Isn't it? Apart from class (for regulating) and destination/route (at junctions), what more does a bobby need to know?

OPPOS - Opposite line to be blocked to traffic.

Keith

Table D these days lists if a particular type of vehicle is authorised to run over a piece of track or if there are any restrictions in place. On Oxted I have used those tables to apply a speed of 10 mph (I think) over Oxted viaduct for any train that has a locomotive in its formation. While that is a fairly wide application, there could be a table D instruction for wagons that say a HEA can run at the maximum speed for the train, whereas a HEB can only do 15 mph and an OPPOS restriction is in force for the Reversible if the train is on the Up Main. Yes I know these wagon types may or may not exist.

For those not in the know :-

OPPOS - Opposite line to be blocked to traffic.

Paul

HEA does exist - it's a bogie hopper, air braked. HEB would be the same wagon with dual air/vacuum brake fitment.

Brilliant timetable, enjoying it, all the freight makes it even more of a challenge, road users must have been really frustrated as the barriers were raised for such a short time at Nav Rd and Deansgate during the peak looks worse than Brimsdown and Enfield Lock crossings, crossings I am familiar with in my home town of Enfield are during the rush hours now.

Glyn

geswedey in post 129867 said:

Brilliant timetable, enjoying it, all the freight makes it even more of a challenge, road users must have been really frustrated as the barriers were raised for such a short time at Nav Rd and Deansgate during the peak looks worse than Brimsdown and Enfield Lock crossings, crossings I am familiar with in my home town of Enfield are during the rush hours now.

Glyn

Thanks so much Glyn. It was, as you suggest, a somewhat tense atmosphere in rush hour around Navigation Road and Deansgate Jn. Reopening Deansgate Jn between trains was a real no-no in 1977 as the crossing gates were real, old-fashioned ones, controlled from a "ship's wheel". Navigation Road was full barriers with push-button control, but a much busier road and without breaks in traffic in the rush hour. Hard to do more than simply hit the down button and hope the traffic stopped clear.

Before 1970, there was also a level crossing on the main A560 at Altrincham station's throat, but that really was just too much for road and rail users to cope with by the late 1960s.

I'm just looking at some photos of the old Altrincham North SB on another site Peter (your photos actually), do you know why the corner of the box facing the crossing was cut off at an angle?

Phil-jmw in post 129919 said:

I'm just looking at some photos of the old Altrincham North SB on another site Peter (your photos actually), do you know why the corner of the box facing the crossing was cut off at an angle?

It was to provide an unobstructed view of the level crossing complex, which was not simply one road. On either side of the crossing there were T junctions with local roads. Traffic could (and did) queue to get in & out of the local roads. I'm guessing that you've found the picture attached which shows how the box's corner post was cut away and replaced in part with a thin steel rod to support the unchanged roof. How much difference it made I can't say, since the new road bridge (second picture) was built before I was around the area.