Page 1 of 1
Castle Cary blue signals 13/12/2024 at 16:41 #159459 | |
OJH
11 posts |
Does anyone have an idea what these two lights are at the eastern end of Castle Cary station (one mounted at ground level and one on a pole)? They seem like they have blue lenses and there's nothing on the panel to suggest they are controlled by the signalling. My only idea is that they are location lights for reversals in the sidings, but as far as I know these never saw regular use apart from engineering trains. I'm pretty sure these are non-standard? Thanks in advance Last edited: 13/12/2024 at 16:41 by OJH Reason: None given Log in to reply |
Castle Cary blue signals 13/12/2024 at 21:53 #159468 | |
Jan
909 posts |
They're probably the set back indicators mentioned in the Sectional Appendix. Those would be for trains coming from Taunton and then reversing back into platform three for the loco to run round and the train then to proceed towards Yeovil: Quote: "Set Back" Indicators. Propelling movements made from the East end entering the "Up and Down" Loop line via position light signal W782 prior to running-round must be brought to a stand immediately the locomotive has reached the Taunton side of signal W249. Two million people attempt to use Birmingham's magnificent rail network every year, with just over a million of them managing to get further than Smethwick. Last edited: 13/12/2024 at 21:53 by Jan Reason: None given Log in to reply The following user said thank you: OJH |
Castle Cary blue signals 13/12/2024 at 22:16 #159469 | |
TUT
545 posts |
Worth bearing in mind of course that a blue lens/spectacle can be used to produce a lunar white light, presumably with filaments lamps in particular. A blue-tinted spectacle of course was also traditionally used to produce the green light in oil-lamp-lit semaphores. Log in to reply The following user said thank you: OJH |
Castle Cary blue signals 14/12/2024 at 12:24 #159481 | |
OJH
11 posts |
That's very interesting, thanks for digging it out. Was this ever a common movement - I can't recall any freight flows down to Yeovil and it seems like more infrastructure than you would expect for the odd CE working?
Log in to reply |
Castle Cary blue signals 14/12/2024 at 15:16 #159485 | |
Stephen Fulcher
2089 posts |
There would have been a lot of shunting around those yards in years gone by
Log in to reply |
Castle Cary blue signals 15/12/2024 at 14:09 #159494 | |
AlexH
163 posts |
Idle curiousity - why is this set up needed here, but not in other similar locations? The SA quote provided says that a train has to be brought to a stand immediately after the locomotive passes WN249 and is not to be moved until the driver sees the illuminated shunting light. But from the photo, a driver would not be able to see the shunting light (looking forwards) having stopped immediately after drawing past WN249. These look relatively modern, what is the advantage of this over a pair of handheld radios and guard-to-driver instruction? Or even perhaps hand signals or fixed distance markers? You sometimes see stop boards for different train lengths in reversing sidings or locations. Log in to reply |
Castle Cary blue signals 15/12/2024 at 15:15 #159495 | |
bill_gensheet
1432 posts |
AlexH in post 159494 said:Idle curiousity - why is this set up needed here, but not in other similar locations?The quote above says the lamps are double sided. The design looks 1980's ish - same hardware as used for AHB and RETB loops. Would that predate common use of radios ? Suggests at the time of resignalling Castle Cary into Westbury PSB - 1985. Likely a concern that running round could propell too far and ACOA a train from Weymouth ? Before resignalling such a move would not be required / possible. https://www.flickr.com/photos/187334503@N06/galleries/72157714135574817/ Log in to reply |
Castle Cary blue signals 15/12/2024 at 15:43 #159496 | |
AlexH
163 posts |
Thanks Bill, for taking the time. I realise I made a geography error. I realise now when it says propelling from the Taunton end that the driver would be facing forward during the propelling part, and therefore able to see the shunting lights that are on the left. I would rely on others for the commonplace nature of back to back radios in 1985 - I was not born for another few years. The imperative for precision is made clear in the other part of your post. I assume this refers to triggering the signalling on the single line section to Yeovil. However, would the loco going to run round on the single line not trigger the same ACOA? Log in to reply |
Castle Cary blue signals 15/12/2024 at 21:00 #159504 | |
bill_gensheet
1432 posts |
A loco running round would be signalled onto the single - so would be properly interlocked.
Log in to reply |
Castle Cary blue signals 15/12/2024 at 23:01 #159506 | |
DaveHarries
1287 posts |
bill_gensheet in post 159495 said:Suggests at the time of resignalling Castle Cary into Westbury PSB - 1985. Thanks for sharing that photo link Bill. I wonder if these lights have been used since the 1980s? I wouldn't have thought so and their use would probably be non-existent now given that the only train to reverse at Castle Cary during normal operation (and when the Glastonbury Festival is not taking place) is GWR's 5L90 (1847 Axminster - Exeter TMD) which operates via. Yeovil Jcn to Castle Cary and then back to Exeter via. Yeovil and Axminster. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Y24097/2024-12-16/detailed On another note there are some of these lights next to the Up Relief near Lawrence Hill / Stapleton Road and also St. Andrews Road (Avonmouth) has signals of a similar type as shown at https://www.flickr.com/photos/jjm2009/53517706008/ Dave Last edited: 15/12/2024 at 23:09 by DaveHarries Reason: None given Log in to reply |
Castle Cary blue signals 16/12/2024 at 10:30 #159513 | |
kbarber
1764 posts |
AlexH in post 159496 said:Thanks Bill, for taking the time. Use of radios for shunting in this way was certainly not usual - and may have been entirely unknown - through to the end of the 1980s. In fact I don't recall any definite locations where driver/guard/shunter communication used radios up to the time I left the industry (1994), though I have a very vague memory somewhere of a SA instruction relating to radios being issued and returned at some location or other. Likely to be somewhere in Southern England if so, but I wouldn't even swear to that memory being accurate and I certainly don't know, if so, that the radios were to control shunting movements. Log in to reply |
Castle Cary blue signals 16/12/2024 at 10:52 #159514 | |
taffy
29 posts |
The lights at Lawrence Hill were for the propelling movement from the relief line into the Council Recycling Centre (dusty bins). Which no longer runs.
Log in to reply The following user said thank you: DaveHarries |
Castle Cary blue signals 16/12/2024 at 11:03 #159515 | |
bill_gensheet
1432 posts |
taffy in post 159514 said:The lights at Lawrence Hill were for the propelling movement from the relief line into the Council Recycling Centre (dusty bins). Which no longer runs.That format are usually shunting speed control signals, variously deployed in multiple colour / flashing variants.... http://www.railsigns.uk/sect10page1.html and following pages. The common themes are 'stop', 'slow speed to load/unload' and 'proceed normally'. Log in to reply |
Castle Cary blue signals 17/12/2024 at 23:00 #159544 | |
DaveHarries
1287 posts |
bill_gensheet in post 159515 said:taffy in post 159514 said:The lights at Lawrence Hill were for the propelling movement from the relief line into the Council Recycling Centre (dusty bins). Which no longer runs.That format are usually shunting speed control signals, variously deployed in multiple colour / flashing variants.... Thanks. They rather remind me of the signals used on tram routes as seen in this photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/barkingbill/28294684056/ Dave Log in to reply |