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?
Rainford Junction, Rufford to Ormskirk
I think Evesham-Norton Jct does not now use tokens. Norton Jct signal box has gone too.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.
Norton Junction SB was still there in SeptemberI 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
I understand that Norton Junction-Evesham is TCB with acceptance levers.Norton Junction SB was still there in September
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.
View here of the ground frame which was taken out of use in 1993, apparently:.......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.
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.
Ambergate to Matlock (token huts at Ambergate and Matlock platforms)
Some others not mentioned yet:
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Maidenhead to Bourne End / Marlow (token machines at Maidenhead and Bourne End, plus train staff for Marlow section)
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That's "staff" as in "stick", not as in "employees". See http://sdrsignalling.com/Staff_and_Ticket.htmlInteresting, 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
Last time I went to Stranraer tokens were exchanged at Barrhill, Glenwhilly & Dunragit.
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.One of these sections still uses tablets rather than key tokens - not sure which!
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.Are the tokens at the Matlock end ever used seeing as normal services have it come back via Ambergate Jn anyway?
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.