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Victoria Signalling Centre circa 1990

You are here: Home > Forum > Miscellaneous > The real thing (signalling) > Victoria Signalling Centre circa 1990

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Victoria Signalling Centre circa 1990 01/08/2011 at 10:30 #18840
Osprey
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35 posts
Hi all, looking to pick your brains.Am I correct in saying that around 1990 this box covered between Crystal Palace and Beckenham Jn?.
Many Thanks

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Re: Victoria Signalling Centre circa 1990 01/08/2011 at 12:27 #18847
Lagertoe
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61 posts
Yes are correct Crystal Palace is worked by panel 3 and Beckenham Jn is controlled by panel 9
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Re: Victoria Signalling Centre circa 1990 01/08/2011 at 12:29 #18848
mfcooper
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707 posts
Of course it was still double track back then. Now only single due to the TramLink.

Oh, and Panel 3 is on the Central side (aka: Brighton or Sussex side), and Panel 9 is on the Eastern side (aka: Chatham or Kent side). As these are now separate jobs, no-one works both Crystal Palace and Beckenham Jn.

The signallers used to work every Panel in the box (yes, all 11 of them!). I don't know when this changed to working only the Central side (5 Panels) or the Eastern side (6 Panels, 1 of which (Panel 10) is double manned in the peaks).

Last edited: 01/08/2011 at 12:37 by mfcooper
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Re: Victoria Signalling Centre circa 1990 01/08/2011 at 13:52 #18853
Osprey
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35 posts
Many thanks,I was 99% sure.I am a now former driver and I have written my memoirs and I was involved in near catastrophic incident working a slam door train from Beckenham Jn to Vic Central,must have been 1990 maybe 91.Which finished up in an enquiry at Waterloo where apparently I was to be the sacrificial lamb but when all the facts emerged the signalman coped the flak.Iam now just checking the facts.Though I am sure the line from Beckenham to just short of where the line went down to Norwood Jn was single then.I drove over the line 1988-1992.I am that sure because the signal that was the main subject of the enquiry was on the disused up platform at Birkbeck Station.
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Re: Victoria Signalling Centre circa 1990 01/08/2011 at 15:18 #18860
Osprey
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35 posts
MFCooper I just noticed your title etc Are you a signaller at Vic? Does anyone still remember the incident?
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Re: Victoria Signalling Centre circa 1990 01/08/2011 at 15:20 #18861
cdoward
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24 posts
Looking in the Middleton Press book about the lines from Clapham Junction to Beckenham Jn (via Crystal Palace), it says that the Up Line was taken out of use between Bromley Jn and Beckenham Jn in February 1983. Looking at the picture of Birkbeck at the bottom of page 104, there is a signal on the used platform at the Crystal Palace end of the station(date of the picture is 1st July 1993).
Last edited: 01/08/2011 at 15:23 by cdoward
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Re: Victoria Signalling Centre circa 1990 01/08/2011 at 15:34 #18863
Osprey
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35 posts
Again many thanks for the info.The signal on the disused platform was a two aspect yellow and green signal.I thought the singling of the line was earlier as I seem to remember my driver being conducted over the route when I was a secondman around 85-86 ish,I wouldnt have bet on it though!!
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Re: Victoria Signalling Centre circa 1990 10/08/2011 at 13:56 #19307
kbarber
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1742 posts
" said:
Of course it was still double track back then. Now only single due to the TramLink.

Oh, and Panel 3 is on the Central side (aka: Brighton or Sussex side), and Panel 9 is on the Eastern side (aka: Chatham or Kent side). As these are now separate jobs, no-one works both Crystal Palace and Beckenham Jn.

The signallers used to work every Panel in the box (yes, all 11 of them!). I don't know when this changed to working only the Central side (5 Panels) or the Eastern side (6 Panels, 1 of which (Panel 10) is double manned in the peaks).

Speculation alert!!!

It might've happened at OfQ in 1991, when the newly-(re)created divisional managers took control of infrastructure as well as operations. Alternatively I'd hazard a guess at sometime around privatisation, when (again) there was a major effort to align & dedicate infrastructure resources to the boundaries that were emerging.

Incidentally, the reason it's called Victoria is that when it was built, the agreement was that all staff at Clapham Jc came under the management of the South Western Division. As the Brighton & the South Eastern wanted control of the signalling of their own main termini, they decided on the Victoria moniker to keep it out of Wimbledon's clutches.

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Re: Victoria Signalling Centre circa 1990 10/09/2011 at 14:54 #20837
Quizman
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276 posts
Found these interesting shots of Vic on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/innesross/133272815/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/innesross/133272816/in/photostream/

Interesting in that in each shot appears 'operatives rejuvenating apparatus' at the end of the desks

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Re: Victoria Signalling Centre circa 1990 26/09/2011 at 10:43 #21302
Woodhead Signalman
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64 posts
AKA - The Tea Trolley! Absolutely essential piece of kit!
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