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Signal Box Experience on the Watercress Line 05/03/2018 at 20:36 #106489 | |
bugsy
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kbarber in post 95008 said:JamesN in post 95007 said:bugsy in post 95006 said:I have received a gift voucher which gives me a whole day during which I can spend time in up to 4 of the signal boxes on the Watercress Line in Hampshire, doing what signalmen did in years gone by, throwing levers and setting signals and points.Go with the flow - they'll teach you everything you need to know. In the majority of cases there are "local" rules that supersede or modify the norm in some subtle way or another. Well, I’ve done the visit and it was a most interesting experience. Although the voucher said ‘up to 4 signal boxes’ I spent the whole day in just one, at Alresford, which is at the end of the single line from Alton. There was quite a lot to do, even though it was only a small box. The ‘on duty’ signalman explained what all the levers did, what the various dials were for and how all this related to the track diagram, which unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture of. If I remember correctly, there were 2 trains in operation and each made 3 return trips. This might not sound many, but there’s plenty to do believe me. The signalman allowed me to receive and offer trains via the bell-push on the Token Machine, set the points and operate the signals by pulling the appropriate levers, plus a whole host of other tasks, all under his close supervision. As mentioned in the post above, each lever requires a different technique, some being quite easy to pull, others more difficult. One in particular had a long cable and it took all of my weight to get it right over and into the locked position. I believe that the signal itself was about a quarter of a mile away! Had I been sent to other boxes, I wouldn’t have learnt nearly as much, as I needed an awful lot of time to become familiar with just the one box. At the end of the day I still had to think quite hard before remembering what to do next, sometimes needing a prompt from the signalman. This type of experience, although a little expensive, is something that I can highly recommend to any rail enthusiast. Bugsy. Everything that you make will be useful - providing it's made of chocolate. Log in to reply |
Signal Box Experience on the Watercress Line 05/03/2018 at 21:40 #106490 | |
DaveHarries
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I have done something similar on the SVR. It gave me the bug for doing it as a volunteer job and I now find myself training at Crowcombe Heathfield (WSR). The learning experience is proving to be a most enjoyable one. Dave Last edited: 05/03/2018 at 21:41 by DaveHarries Reason: None given Log in to reply |