Single line working with tablets/tokens

[Ken H]

I remember watching token exchange on the Cambrian Coast line,the Conwy Valley line and the Cotswold Line.
RETB displaced a lot of this type of signalling so...

what lines still use physical tokens/tablets on BR?

 

[GW43125]

The Barnstaple, Okehampton and Exmouth branches all use physical tokens, operated remotely from Exeter 'box and collected from a token hut on the platform.

 

[Llanigraham]

They still change (physical) tokens for the Heart of Wales line at Craven Arms.

 

[Macwomble]

Last time I went to Stranraer tokens were exchanged at Barrhill, Glenwhilly & Dunragit.

 

[Esker-pades]

The Looe Branch operates some form of physical system but operated remotely from Liskeard signal box and collected from token huts at Coombe Junction Ground Frame and Liskeard station.

The Newquay Branch still has physical tokens.

 

[Elecman]

Rainford Junction, Rufford to Ormskirk

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

Conwy valley that you mentioned still does.... .the one day a year a train actually runs up the valley

 

[Pokelet]

Not sure if physical tokens are still exchanged on the Cotswold. Since the doubling east of Evesham there is only the Evesham to Norton Jct stretch of single line. Prior to the rest doubling the Morton to Evesham tocken would be exchanged for an Evesham to Norton Jct token in a cabinet at the end of the platform (and vice versa traveling east) the token from Evesham would normally be handed to station staff at Worcester Shrub hill as they had a token machine there. If there was a severe delay then the signaler at Norton Junction would meet the train and take the token so a waiting east bound could proceed.

 

[bramling]

I remember watching token exchange on the Cambrian Coast line,the Conwy Valley line and the Cotswold Line.
RETB displaced a lot of this type of signalling so...

what lines still use physical tokens/tablets on BR?

Some others not mentioned yet:

Nunthorpe to Whitby (token issued by Nunthorpe signalman, and remote token huts at Battersby, Glaisdale and Whitby, plus an intermediate instrument at Grosmont used by NYMR).

Pantyfynnon to Craven Arms with token huts at intermediate passing loops.

Sellafield to Whitehaven, controlled by signalmen at Sellafield and St Bees plus a token hut on Whitehaven platform.

Ambergate to Matlock (token huts at Ambergate and Matlock platforms)

St Budeaux Victoria Road to Gunnislake (train staff issued by instrument on St B platform supervised by Plymouth PSB)

Grain branch

St Erth to St Ives (train staff issues by St Erth signalman)

Treherbert branch (forget exactly where tokens are issued on this one)

Whitland to Pembroke Dock (token huts on Tenby platforms), and Whitland to Fishguard Harbour.

Tondu to Maesteg

Maiden Newton to Yeovil Pen Mill (issued by Yeovil signalman and token huts on MN platforms)

Maidenhead to Bourne End / Marlow (token machines at Maidenhead and Bourne End, plus train staff for Marlow section)

Morecambe to Heysham Port (token machine at Morecambe ground frame)

I think that covers the main passenger routes, there’s no doubt a number of freight branches too.

 

[Ken H]

thanks for the answers

 

[The Lad]

Most heritage lines also.

 

[Ken H]

Re the conwy valley line.
Do trains ever pass at llanwrst? Is the signalbox still manned?
surely it should just be run as one engine in steam.
and are there still signals protecting the crossing at Tal-y-Cafn. Used to be a ground frame there for them I think.

 

[mlambeuk]

The Harrogate to York line, between Poppleton and Hammerton & Cattal and Knaresborough.

 

[driver9000]

Rainford Junction, Rufford to Ormskirk

Rufford to Ormskirk was One Train Working with staff but I believe the staff has been done away with after some signalling work was done.

Midge Hall to Rufford is Electric Token Block.

 

[Ken H]

Not sure if physical tokens are still exchanged on the Cotswold. Since the doubling east of Evesham there is only the Evesham to Norton Jct stretch of single line. Prior to the rest doubling the Morton to Evesham tocken would be exchanged for an Evesham to Norton Jct token in a cabinet at the end of the platform (and vice versa traveling east) the token from Evesham would normally be handed to station staff at Worcester Shrub hill as they had a token machine there. If there was a severe delay then the signaler at Norton Junction would meet the train and take the token so a waiting east bound could proceed.

I think Evesham-Norton Jct does not now use tokens. Norton Jct signal box has gone too.

https://www.railmagazine.com/trains/current-trains/north-cotswold-at-the-double

 

[takno]

I think Evesham-Norton Jct does not now use tokens. Norton Jct signal box has gone too.

https://www.railmagazine.com/trains/current-trains/north-cotswold-at-the-double

Norton Junction SB was still there in September

 

[Old Hill Bank]

Norton Junction SB was still there in September

I understand that Norton Junction-Evesham is TCB with acceptance levers.

Stourbridge Town still has a Staff AFAIK.

 

[bramling]

Re the conwy valley line.
Do trains ever pass at llanwrst? Is the signalbox still manned?
surely it should just be run as one engine in steam.
and are there still signals protecting the crossing at Tal-y-Cafn. Used to be a ground frame there for them I think.

Not sure if anything ever passes at Llanwrst now, I’d imagine with the loss of freight up the branch it would probably be only if an engineers train or rail tour ever ran up the branch.

However the signal box is very much still manned, and deals with the token exchange. There’s a token machine in the offices on the platform at Llandudno Junction, and another in the station building at Ffestiniog - the latter rarely used as little or nothing ever gets shut away nowadays. I’d presume the signalman at Llanwrst also supervises any UWC crossings and the like on the line.

Talycafn nowadays has no workable signals IIRC, just fixed distants and stop boards. The crossing keeper ISTR uses a green flag to authorise the driver over the crossing. The ground frame which used to reside on the platform is now redundant.

 

[John Webb]

.......Talycafn nowadays has no workable signals IIRC, just fixed distants and stop boards. The crossing keeper ISTR uses a green flag to authorise the driver over the crossing. The ground frame which used to reside on the platform is now redundant.

View here of the ground frame which was taken out of use in 1993, apparently:
Tal y Cafn Control !

© Copyright Alan Roberts and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

 

[androdas]

North Blyth branch from Freemans signal box to former alcan terminal. Fairly recently done to allow trains to use both the Alcan and Battleship Wharf terminals (Locking a train in 1 terminal while the other is used).

 

[krus_aragon]

Not sure if anything ever passes at Llanwrst now, I’d imagine with the loss of freight up the branch it would probably be only if an engineers train or rail tour ever ran up the branch.

That's correct. In practice, you'll only see trains pass at North Llanrwst on the few days a year that a railtour runs to Blaenau.

The last time the loop was used for passenger trains (i.e. not for Trawsfynydd freight) was the summer of 1989, when eight trains a day ran to Blaenau Mon-Sat. (see 2d53.co.uk) Tokens are still exchanged for every train, though.

 

[AshBod]

Ambergate to Matlock (token huts at Ambergate and Matlock platforms)

Are the tokens at the Matlock end ever used seeing as normal services have it come back via Ambergate Jn anyway?

 

[Jimini]

Some others not mentioned yet:

<snip>
Maidenhead to Bourne End / Marlow (token machines at Maidenhead and Bourne End, plus train staff for Marlow section)
<snip>

Interesting, thanks for that one. I used to use that line fairly regularly and didn't realise.

What's the reasoning for staffing between Marlow and Bourne End, something to do with the 'unprotected' level crossings? Cheers.

 

[krus_aragon]

Interesting, thanks for that one. I used to use that line fairly regularly and didn't realise.

What's the reasoning for staffing between Marlow and Bourne End, something to do with the 'unprotected' level crossings? Cheers.

That's "staff" as in "stick", not as in "employees". See http://sdrsignalling.com/Staff_and_Ticket.html

 

[Jimini]

That's "staff" as in "stick", not as in "employees". See http://sdrsignalling.com/Staff_and_Ticket.html

Aha, that makes more sense thanks!

 

[matchmaker]

Last time I went to Stranraer tokens were exchanged at Barrhill, Glenwhilly & Dunragit.

One of these sections still uses tablets rather than key tokens - not sure which!

 

[PeterY]

North Alylesbury to Calvert for the bin liner train and any shuttles up to Quainton Road.

 

[Highlandspring]

One of these sections still uses tablets rather than key tokens - not sure which!

Girvan - Barrhill, Barrhill - Glenwhilly and Glenwhilly - Dunragit use Tyer’s no7 tablets, the only tablet worked sections left anywhere on Network Rail managed infrastructure. Dunragit - Stranraer Harbour is Electric Key Token or OTW with Train Staff depending on whether or not Stranraer Harbour box is switched out. The only other EKT section in Scotland is Newton Jn - Mauchline. There are two other sections of OTW with Train Staff which are Inverkeithing - Rosyth Docks (out of use) and Keith Branch platform, the latter being only about 200 yards long.

 

[Tomnick]

Are the tokens at the Matlock end ever used seeing as normal services have it come back via Ambergate Jn anyway?

Trains are often shut inside at Matlock (so the token will be restored to the instrument to allow another train to follow over the single line), especially during the RHTT season. There isn’t enough time during the daytime service for a train to get to Matlock and back between the hourly service trains, so the only option is to recess it there to wait for a margin to get back.

 

[bramling]

Interesting, thanks for that one. I used to use that line fairly regularly and didn't realise.

What's the reasoning for staffing between Marlow and Bourne End, something to do with the 'unprotected' level crossings? Cheers.

Simply because it's a dead-end branch with no scope for a train to be shut in, so there's only a need for a train staff.

The Maidenhead-Bourne End section has an arrangement where a second train can enter ex Maidenhead if the first train returns the Maidenhead-Bourne End token and locks itself onto the Bourne End-Marlow section.

A few others to add to the list:

Fenny Compton to Burton Dassett (EKT with token hut at Fenny Compton)
Honeybourne to Long Marston (EKT with token hut at Honeybourne)
Newton Abbot to Heathfield (train staff obtained from instrument on Newton Abbot platform)
Oxenholme to Windermere (train staff obtained from instrument on Oxenholme platform)
Wareham towards Swanage Railway (token instruments on both Wareham platforms).