WHERRY LINES RE-SIG

LAX54 · 2 Feb 2020

Reminder that today (02/02/2020) is the last day, to travel under Semaphore / AB block between Brundall and Lowestoft, and Oulton Broad South and Lowestoft, Acle Single already 'closed' for the project from Friday night.
When it all reopens in a few weeks, will be under the supervision of Colchester ASC.

RailUK Forums

Icky Qualms · 2 Feb 2020

is that a temporary recontrol to Colchester as I heard that the control was going to be at Romford ROC

LAX54 · 2 Feb 2020

Icky Qualms said:
is that a temporary recontrol to Colchester as I heard that the control was going to be at Romford ROC

No, Romford has been a dead duck for a couple of years or more now, Colchester is now what is termed a sub-ROC, so we are there for the duration

Tio Terry · 2 Feb 2020

For me, personally, a sad day. Back in 1964 I started my railway career with the S&T at Norwich and all my formative years were around Norfolk and, in particular, what are now called the Wherry Lines. I spent 6 months with the Lowestoft S&T TIC unit and in later years got involved with installation works for the abolition of Lowestoft Coke Ovens Junction so a lot of what I did in Lowestoft Signal Box will now be gone. Similarly I was responsible for the planning and execution of a lot of mole ploughed cabling on those lines, the drawings in Acle signal box still bear my signature dated January 1971 for the cabling renewal, it was only supposed to last 10 years!

The end of an era!

TheEdge · 2 Feb 2020

Just finished my last drive under semaphores. Made sure to wave and toot each box as I passed!

Tio Terry · 2 Feb 2020

TheEdge said:
Just finished my last drive under semaphores. Made sure to wave and toot each box as I passed!

Wish I could have been with you!

306024 · 2 Feb 2020

Tio Terry said:
For me, personally, a sad day. Back in 1964 I started my railway career with the S&T at Norwich and all my formative years were around Norfolk and, in particular, what are now called the Wherry Lines. I spent 6 months with the Lowestoft S&T TIC unit and in later years got involved with installation works for the abolition of Lowestoft Coke Ovens Junction so a lot of what I did in Lowestoft Signal Box will now be gone. Similarly I was responsible for the planning and execution of a lot of mole ploughed cabling on those lines, the drawings in Acle signal box still bear my signature dated January 1971 for the cabling renewal, it was only supposed to last 10 years!

The end of an era!

Yes nothing lasts forever but I feel your pain :'(

The Wherry line signalling was full of character, and was where I learned to time trains under absolute block working.

superjohn · 10 Feb 2020

I was in Lowestoft at lunchtime so I popped in to check on the progress. A picture taken in the rather dismal light is below.

The semaphores have gone and been replaced by LED signals with YL prefixes. There has been some track relaying on the approaches but the lines in the platforms retain the very old looking bullhead rail. I suppose it is suitable for its purpose though. The derelict old sidings to the south of the platform were replaced by a couple of newly laid sidings a few weeks ago.

Aictos · 10 Feb 2020

What does the YL prefix stand for?

Freightmaster · 10 Feb 2020

Aictos said:
What does the YL prefix stand for?

"Yarmouth & Lowestoft", as far as I am aware.

Due to the size of the newly resignalled area, it will be controlled by two separate
workstations at Colchester, but signals are YL in both control areas.

MARK

Aictos · 10 Feb 2020

Freightmaster said:
"Yarmouth & Lowestoft", as far as I am aware.

Due to the size of the newly resignalled area, it will be controlled by two separate
workstations at Colchester, but signals are YL in both control areas.

MARK

Thank you

BS56 · 10 Feb 2020

That was quick they wasted no time there ! They have done a lot of work in a short time how are doing along the rest of the route ?

Trainfan344 · 11 Feb 2020

Semaphores completely removed, Lowestofts came down on Saturday, New signalling up and running, Level Crossings currently being replaced along the line. Wherry Lines twitter and facebook has pictures from network rail on of the works.

Mag_seven · 24 Feb 2020

First train to call at Berney Arms for a while has just done so - 11.36 Norwich to Great Yarmouth. Much activity on the platform for a minute or so.

dk1 · 27 Feb 2020

Not gone well. Multiple signal and level crossing faults including CCTV crossings. Points have kicked up at Lowestoft for the second consecutive day. Cancellations and delays of up to 45 minutes must be expected.

Tio Terry · 28 Mar 2020

Not heard anything recently, how's it all going? Started my railway career there, I can remember being on the down platform at Brundall a few days after I started back in 1964 and saying to the then DS&TE, Hugh Murray, that I guessed the splitting home signal for the Acle line would be replaced with a colour light before long. He smiled and said, there will still be mechanical signals when you retire. Well I retired in 2017 and that same signal was still in use then. But I guess it's gone now. How's it all working?

ge-gn · 28 Mar 2020

Tio Terry said:
Not heard anything recently, how's it all going? Started my railway career there, I can remember being on the down platform at Brundall a few days after I started back in 1964 and saying to the then DS&TE, Hugh Murray, that I guessed the splitting home signal for the Acle line would be replaced with a colour light before long. He smiled and said, there will still be mechanical signals when you retire. Well I retired in 2017 and that same signal was still in use then. But I guess it's gone now. How's it all working?

The signal you speak of has indeed gone. BL5 & BL7. First signal I climbed as a boy. Terrifying. I’m not on the front line anymore, but I gather things have settled down a bit after initial teething problems.

dk1 · 29 Mar 2020

All settled down pretty well. I've been doing at least two or three trips a day across either the Yarmouth or Lowestoft routes daily this week all punctual. Some of the crossings where locally monitored originally but maybe someone from NR can confirm where we are on that.

Tio Terry · 29 Mar 2020

dk1 said:
All settled down pretty well. I've been doing at least two or three trips a day across either the Yarmouth or Lowestoft routes daily this week all punctual. Some of the crossings where locally monitored originally but maybe someone from NR can confirm where we are on that.

Reedham to Gt Yarmouth now open? I don't suppose many people going to Berney Arms right now!

dk1 · 29 Mar 2020

Tio Terry said:
Reedham to Gt Yarmouth now open? I don't suppose many people going to Berney Arms right now!

Yes all fine. There's are not many people using ANY station :smile:

TheEdge · 29 Mar 2020

Theres a few persistent issues that seem to have something to do with phones on the fen towards Yarmouth but other than that everything has bedded in nicely it seems.

Tio Terry · 29 Mar 2020

dk1 said:
Yes all fine. There's are not many people using ANY station

I guess if you want to self isolate there are parts of Norfolk that are ideal! :lol:

TheEdge said:
Theres a few persistent issues that seem to have something to do with phones on the fen towards Yarmouth but other than that everything has bedded in nicely it seems.

Would that be on the Reedham route rather than Acle?

Tio Terry · 29 Mar 2020

A reminder of previous signalling upgrades in the area, not sure when Brundall-Acle Tablet instruments were replaced by continuous track circuits.

BS56 · 29 Mar 2020

Track circuits and direction levers were installed around 1959/60 as part of the line upgrade along with extra colour light signals in the down between Acle and Breydon junction in connection with the closure of Yarmouth Beach station.

Tio Terry · 29 Mar 2020

BS56 said:
Track circuits and direction levers were installed around 1959/60 as part of the line upgrade along with extra colour light signals in the down between Acle and Breydon junction in connection with the closure of Yarmouth Beach station.

So about 60 years since that Brundall - Acle tablet was last used in anger!

One of the jobs we had to do when I was training was to rebalance the tablets between Reedham and Breydon. They accumulated at the Reedham end and every month or so we had to take them out of the Reedham end and take them to Breydon and put them back in to the machine there.

LAX54 · 30 Mar 2020

dk1 said:
All settled down pretty well. I've been doing at least two or three trips a day across either the Yarmouth or Lowestoft routes daily this week all punctual. Some of the crossings where locally monitored originally but maybe someone from NR can confirm where we are on that.

Still have a caution for 3 crossings on the Berney, and I think we have one on the Acle, someone said the UWC phones are GSM-R type, or Satellite, not sure which, but they seem to be having 'issues', as are some of the CCTV's but they have an attendant there currently. one assumes they are working on a fix

Tio Terry · 30 Mar 2020

LAX54 said:
Still have a caution for 3 crossings on the Berney, and I think we have one on the Acle, someone said the UWC phones are GSM-R type, or Satellite, not sure which, but they seem to be having 'issues', as are some of the CCTV's but they have an attendant there currently. one assumes they are working on a fix

Would be surprised if there were any problems with phones on the Acle line, back in 1971 I mole plowed cables from Breydon to Brundall which I know are still in use (despite supposed to be only a 10 year stop gap) so I know they can be cable based and not GSM/Satellite. That's why I asked earlier.

Icky Qualms · 31 Mar 2020

Tio Terry said:
Would be surprised if there were any problems with phones on the Acle line, back in 1971 I mole plowed cables from Breydon to Brundall which I know are still in use (despite supposed to be only a 10 year stop gap) so I know they can be cable based and not GSM/Satellite. That's why I asked earlier.

Great times!

LAX54 · 31 Mar 2020

Tio Terry said:
Would be surprised if there were any problems with phones on the Acle line, back in 1971 I mole plowed cables from Breydon to Brundall which I know are still in use (despite supposed to be only a 10 year stop gap) so I know they can be cable based and not GSM/Satellite. That's why I asked earlier.

all been renewed, with a GSM-R style system, modern tech is not always better !

Tio Terry · 31 Mar 2020

Icky Qualms said:
Great times!

Indeed they were, I'd love the chance to do it all again, but with the benefit of hindsight, so I could do it better. Still, a job we did in 1971 that was supposed to be a 10 year stop gap that is still in daily use today, some 49 years later cannot have been such a bad job! Typical Railway Engineers mentality, make it last longer than you!

WHERRY LINES RE-SIG

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