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Windsor branch signalling?

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rmt4ever

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Went to Windsor yesterday and have a technical question now. I noticed all the signals on the branch are bagged up unused. How are trains controlled ? And don't they have some a day from Paddington direct to or from Windsor?
 
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ainsworth74

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Do you mean you were at Windsor & Eton Riverside or were you at Windsor & Eton Central ? Riverside has services exclusively to Waterloo via Staines whilst Central has services to Slough and change there for services to Paddington/Reading (there are, as far as I'm aware, no through services).
 

Bletchleyite

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Went to Windsor yesterday and have a technical question now. I noticed all the signals on the branch are bagged up unused. How are trains controlled ? And don't they have some a day from Paddington direct to or from Windsor?

The branch from Slough is just "one engine in steam" I believe, no signalling needed. I suspect there is probably a train staff or similar.
 

Quakkerillo

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As there's one train in service, doing a shuttle service (takes 6 minutes), there's no need for signalling on the route itself. Only to/from the route from/to the GWML at Slough, it's controlled.
 

Nippy

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Not quite correct, there will be signalling but it wasn't ready in time for the Easter blockade. There is a train staff which the driver uses as his authority to travel
 

Bletchleyite

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Not quite correct, there will be signalling but it wasn't ready in time for the Easter blockade. There is a train staff which the driver uses as his authority to travel

Dare I ask what the point in installing signalling on the branch is? Surely just something to go wrong?
 

Nippy

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You still need the signalling to get on and off the branch, and there is a will be a siding as well. That isn't in place yet. It is a right old shamozzle getting the train on and off.
 

168lover

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The signalling system in place on the windsor branch is known as a token system. Only the train with the token is allowed on the line. This system has been around for years on many different lines. Heirtage lines also use it.
 

rmt4ever

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Interesting. The signal posts that were bagged up seemed not new, as if they had been in place for ages. Have they been used before? And I am SURE I got a train from Padd direct to Windsor Eton Central (but got off before the terminus somewhere) in the past, maybe about ten years ago!

Can anyone shed any light on this. How would this staff thing work for a train coming off the London line to the branch? Can anyone explain the process?
 

davetheguard

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Interesting. The signal posts that were bagged up seemed not new, as if they had been in place for ages. Have they been used before? And I am SURE I got a train from Padd direct to Windsor Eton Central (but got off before the terminus somewhere) in the past, maybe about ten years ago!

Can anyone shed any light on this. How would this staff thing work for a train coming off the London line to the branch? Can anyone explain the process?

Back in Thames Trains days (from mid 1990's) there was a direct Turbo, once a day, from Paddington to Windsor & Eton Central. I think it left London at about 10.00. There was no corresponding return through train - you always had to change at Slough.

It ran for a number of years, but I'm not sure when it was dropped, perhaps when Great Western took over the franchise?
 

rmt4ever

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Back in Thames Trains days (from mid 1990's) there was a direct Turbo, once a day, from Paddington to Windsor & Eton Central. I think it left London at about 10.00. There was no corresponding return through train - you always had to change at Slough.

It ran for a number of years, but I'm not sure when it was dropped, perhaps when Great Western took over the franchise?

The direct service made sense. The via Slough route is much faster than the riverside from Waterloo service. There are so many tourists going to Windsor for the day from London most of which use the slower more expensive SWT route I think cos the change puts them off. More through services especially in summer would be a huge step in the right direction.

Anyone shed any light on the signal post questions?
 

CarltonA

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Back in Thames Trains days (from mid 1990's) there was a direct Turbo, once a day, from Paddington to Windsor & Eton Central. I think it left London at about 10.00. There was no corresponding return through train - you always had to change at Slough.

The shuttle would work to and fro during the morning. When the direct train arrived at (Slough) platform two (down main) the shuttle would be locked into platform one.
It was possible to have two trains on the branch if a track machine was working at the Slough end as we were once held at a signal in the Eton area to wait for it to go into the branch siding.
 

Hornet

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Interesting. The signal posts that were bagged up seemed not new, as if they had been in place for ages. Have they been used before? And I am SURE I got a train from Padd direct to Windsor Eton Central (but got off before the terminus somewhere) in the past, maybe about ten years ago!

Can anyone shed any light on this. How would this staff thing work for a train coming off the London line to the branch? Can anyone explain the process?

I was at Slough during the 70's as a S&T Tech. During the quiet times me and my oppo would be up in the panel box usually maintaining the TD. Would set the route for the Slough to Windsor line at the behest of the Signalmen. Once the service had got to Windsor the route would then be set for the service back. IIRC it was the most regular of all the routes set on Slough Panel. (More than Platform 6 Arr/Dep and Token releases at Maidenhead/Bourne End). Used to walk the Branch once a month on Signal and TC maintenance.

http://photos.signallingnotices.org.uk/photo_index.php?pc=231
http://photos.signallingnotices.org.uk/photo.php?pc=231&p=S7305000.JPG
http://photos.signallingnotices.org.uk/photo.php?pc=231&p=S7305001.JPG
http://photos.signallingnotices.org.uk/photo.php?pc=231&p=S7305002.JPG

Windsor Branch on Slough Panel.
 
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Nippy

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In the past there was one direct train a day at 10:18, Padd to Windsor, it did a trip to Windsor and then back to Slough via the East Loop. The branch unit stabled on the Branch Line just outside Slough station then did an ECS move back to Reading. The reason the signals are bagged up is that none of the signalling is in use at present. The old signals will be recovered, and new ones installed. Before the Easter remodelling started, there were a number of signals that had been bagged up for years, these were Emergency Stop signals operated by buttons on the platforms at Windsor and Slough.
 
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davetheguard

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The direct service made sense. The via Slough route is much faster than the riverside from Waterloo service. There are so many tourists going to Windsor for the day from London most of which use the slower more expensive SWT route I think cos the change puts them off. More through services especially in summer would be a huge step in the right direction.

Anyone shed any light on the signal post questions?

There are also large numbers of tourists who use the route to Windsor via Slough despite the need to change. The Paddington area has large numbers of hotels, so obviously it is a convenient route for people staying there.

I've always thought it a minor shame that a London - Windsor Cheap Day Return ticket is only valid by the one route; it would be pleasant to be able to go out one way and return the other. But it didn't happen in NSE days, so I'm sure it won't happen now with each route having a different operator.
 

LowLevel

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In the past there was one direct train a day at 10:18, Padd to Windsor, it did a trip to Windsor and then back to Slough via the East Loop. The branch unit stabled on the Branch Line just outside Slough station then did an ECS move back to Reading. The reason the signals are bagged up is that none of the signalling is in use at present. The old signals will be recovered, and new ones installed. Before the Easter remodelling started, there were a number of signals that had been bagged up for years, these were Emergency Stop signals operated by buttons on the platforms at Windsor and Slough.

Was the provision of these signals something to do with the trial of DOO slam door trains that didn't last very long ?
 

CyrusWuff

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There are also large numbers of tourists who use the route to Windsor via Slough despite the need to change. The Paddington area has large numbers of hotels, so obviously it is a convenient route for people staying there.

It's a no-brainer really. Unless you're within spitting distance of Waterloo, Paddington - Slough - Central will almost always be faster.

Fastest journey time is 26 minutes, compared to 54 minutes from Waterloo - Riverside.
 

monsento

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once the winsdsor rail link starts construction ive wondered where the train is suppsosed to stop cant see any space for ten cars at slough
 

swt_passenger

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once the winsdsor rail link starts construction ive wondered where the train is suppsosed to stop cant see any space for ten cars at slough

It isn't about to start construction, and IMHO it never will start, because once the Western Access to Heathrow is completed, (which is known to be funded) much of the Windsor Link purpose is duplicated.
 

theageofthetra

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Interesing how this compares with the Bromley North branch which is fully signalled. I would imagine an issue with the present arrangements at Windsor is that NR can't send any railhead treatment (or other) train down there during timetabled operating hours? Its been years since I went Slough-Windsor- is it single track too?
 

QueensCurve

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The branch from Slough is just "one engine in steam" I believe, no signalling needed. I suspect there is probably a train staff or similar.

The same goes for the Oxebnholme to Windermere and Watford to St Albans branches.

The lack of locomotive runround facilities at Windermere has been controversial since it largely precludes excursion trains on the branch.
 
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