Weird routing at Swanley

Hmm, I thought this got sorted while ago. I'll check back through the fault logging system and follow it up. I honestly can't remember if it is valid route or not.

There are two routes from VS253 to VS301: one via the Down Chatham Fast (default; straight line); the other via the Chatham Slow Lines (wiggle)

It is a legitimate route. Please attached PDF of the control table

I noticed just before the route called there was a train coming off the up Rochester line to the up fast so with flank protection the points from platform 2 at Swanley were reversed.
The only purpose for this route would have been to give 7O81 a clear aspect a couple of seconds earlier after the up train cleared the junction for Otford.
It may well be a legitimate route but as an ex driver I would have been less than happy to recieve the Maidstone road signal and find my train lurching to the left!

As a ex-driver on this piece of route then I would be fully aware that an alternative set of s&c exist that allow me to still access the line I require (in this case the Down Maidstone), however my route knowledge told me that this move is slightly out the ordinary so I would be driving in such a manner that if there were any issues (for example the facing s&c had me routed to the Down Chatham) then I could stop within the required distance and report the situation, I certainly wouldn't be inviting myself to a no tea and definately no biscuits conversation for delaying a train service while I questioned a perfectly valid route.

There are other locations where trains normally route via crossover x but can with no prior warning route via crossover y.

Paul

Tellingly, none of the committee members had ever come across a signal which used two different letters to indicate the same destination via alternate routes. I even contacted my colleagues in other parts of the country and none of them had ever seen such an arrangement either.

I was involved in a long, drawn out debate in a signal sighting committee a couple of years ago over an existing signal with a new alternate route through a new crossover. The SI showed the letter 'B' (for Branch) when the signal was cleared for the existing (now preferred) route, and for some reason the scheme plan designer had decided that the new alternate route should show the letter 'A' to indicate to the driver he was going to the branch slightly differently. Other routes from the signal got various other letters but no other alternate routes were provided. The linespeed was 15mph throughout.

Tellingly, none of the committee members had ever come across a signal which used two different letters to indicate the same destination via alternate routes. I even contacted my colleagues in other parts of the country and none of them had ever seen such an arrangement either.

" said:

Tellingly, none of the committee members had ever come across a signal which used two different letters to indicate the same destination via alternate routes. I even contacted my colleagues in other parts of the country and none of them had ever seen such an arrangement either.

I have a vague memory that either Cardiff or Newport has/had two theatres on each signal approaching the station, one giving the platform and the other giving the route through the layout to that platform.

" said:

Tellingly, none of the committee members had ever come across a signal which used two different letters to indicate the same destination via alternate routes. I even contacted my colleagues in other parts of the country and none of them had ever seen such an arrangement either.

I have a vague memory that either Cardiff or Newport has/had two theatres on each signal approaching the station, one giving the platform and the other giving the route through the layout to that platform.