Alphabetical displays in theatre route indicators.

[Sad Sprinter]

Inane question, but what exaples are there of TRIs giving a letter instead of a number? One quaint example is a singal gantry near Elephant and Castle displaying a "H" for "Up Holborn".

 

[John Webb]

Theatre Route Indicators at platform ends will often show "M" (Main) "R" (Relief) "F" (Fast) "S" (Slow) to indicate which route the train is about to take.

 

[skyhigh]

Examples I can think of:
H at Bradford Interchange for route towards Halifax
N at Castleford towards Normanton
T at Leeds for through road

There's plenty more like that I can think of on routes I've signed.

 

[High Dyke]

At Grantham D24 signal on the Up Down Slow approaching the station shows

• B - Bay (P3)
• W - Western (P4)
• G - Goods Loop

Over the years I've confused a few 'newbies' at Doncaster PSB by talking about a 'train in the western'.

 

[30907]

I thought it was quite common to show letters, except at the entrance to a station!
The mid 30s signalling at Waterloo had double indicators which showed ML,MT etc. Don't know what the modern displays are.

 

[MarkyT]

Letters may be as common as numbers I'd say. Numbers corresponding to platforms are most common at large stations, particularly termini.

 

[PudseyBearHST]

As above, there are countless and extremely common.

 

[Ianno87]

Loads of example of letters.

Cambridge CA161/162 signals (Platform 1/4 mid-platforms) show 'T' for movements across the scissors to the Through Line.

Down starter signal on Platforms 1, 2 and 4 at Coventry show 'B' for Down Branch (towards Nuneaton)

Starter signsls at Euston will show A to E or X depending on departure line.

Some examples show U or D for Up/Down line (e.g. Ely Goods Loop, Oxford Rd towards Piccadilly) or even UF/DF etc (e.g. Up direction from Platform 4 at Preston)

I thought it was quite common to show letters, except at the entrance to a station!
The mid 30s signalling at Waterloo had double indicators which showed ML,MT etc. Don't know what the modern displays are.

I think Up direction signals at Sunderland show 'SH' for Metro moves towards South Hylton.

 

[Anvil1984]

I think Up direction signals at Sunderland show 'SH' for Metro moves towards South Hylton.

Sunderland has letters on the far ends of each platform

D, U on the down (obvious Down and Up)
SH, HL (and I want to say SG1, SG2 for the sidings but it’s been a while)

But I think it’s been summed up well that the norm (although there’ll be exceptions like approaching Bishop Auckland) is that it will be numbers for entering platforms and letters for leaving. There’s so many letter ones leaving stations it’d be pointless to name them

 

[MadMac]

There was a case many years ago at Braidhurst depot near Motherwell where a driver proceeded past a signal with an 'H' indication. He thought it meant Holytown: it meant Headshunt.....

 

[swt_passenger]

T for Tynemouth. Leaving Newcastle Central on the reversible line towards Heaton depot, presumably easier to leave it as “T” although the route to Tynemouth hasn't been available for nearly 40 years...

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Darlington, north and south. The platforms M is mainline, B is branch (Bishop Auckland or saltburn) however you get feathers for approaching the station even tho there are more routes available

 

[Dstock7080]

Gunnersbury; N (North London) or D (District) down to up reverse

 

[Cricketer8for9]

Departing London Victoria. I think A to G.

 

[Ted633]

Southbound out of Redhill:
Heading South - M - Main
Heading West - R - Reigate? Reading? or as earlier in the thread, Relief? (Not sure how that would work though)
Heading East - T - Tonbridge?

Have always wondered what they actually meant since I had to change at Redhill when I was at college

 

[QueensCurve]

At Carlisle W for West Coast (Lancaster over Shap), E for Newcastle/Leeds and M for Maryport.

 

[CC 72100]

Plenty in my part of the world - leaving Bristol you can get R / F / DF / M / DM

 

[driver9000]

Too many to mention really on the lines I work over.

Carlisle; W for WCML, E for Eastern lines and M for Cumbrian Coast. GB, GC for Goods, B and number for the bays.

Edinburgh Waverley; W, X, Y and Z when departing west.

Glasgow Central; A to H.

Preston; G for Goods, P for Parcels, L for up & down goods loop. F for Fast line, S for Slow line and T for Through line (add U or D as necessary) and B for platform 3c and 4c although no distinction is made on the signal.

Numerous other examples across the network that would take all day to list!

 

[swt_passenger]

One that I see fairly regularly at Eastleigh is “XS“ which means a train is routed up the down slow on leaving the station towards Winchester. Combinations of letters introduce another layer of complexity.

 

[30907]

Darlington, north and south. The platforms M is mainline, B is branch (Bishop Auckland or saltburn) however you get feathers for approaching the station even tho there are more routes available

Presumably you have to have feathers above a certain linespeed?

 

[Ianno87]

Presumably you have to have feathers above a certain linespeed?

Correct.

 

[norbitonflyer]

I thought it was quite common to show letters, except at the entrance to a station!
The mid 30s signalling at Waterloo had double indicators which showed ML,MT etc. Don't know what the modern displays are.

From memory they were, until recently MS, MF, WS and WF for Main/Windsor Fast/Slow.

 

[Barnsley]

Leaving Leeds to go towards Barnsley, if you're routed on the F line, the route is UM for up Midland, if routed on the E line then it's DM for down Midland, and you cross back just after Holbeck

The other route at Castleford towards Knottingley is C, for Cutsyke

 

[edwin_m]

But I think it’s been summed up well that the norm (although there’ll be exceptions like approaching Bishop Auckland) is that it will be numbers for entering platforms and letters for leaving. There’s so many letter ones leaving stations it’d be pointless to name them

There are cases where letters are used entering stations too. Derby used to have numbers displayed for platforms except platform 5 which displayed B, presumably to remind drivers it was a short bay platform and should be entered cautiously (and not by long trains!).

T for Tynemouth. Leaving Newcastle Central on the reversible line towards Heaton depot, presumably easier to leave it as “T” although the route to Tynemouth hasn't been available for nearly 40 years...

It's been re-signaled since then there would have been no problem changing it. I've an idea that track is known as the Third Line but I may be wrong on that.

 

[Anvil1984]

There are cases where letters are used entering stations too. Derby used to have numbers displayed for platforms except platform 5 which displayed B, presumably to remind drivers it was a short bay platform and should be entered cautiously (and not by long trains!).

It's been re-signaled since then there would have been no problem changing it. I've an idea that track is known as the Third Line but I may be wrong on that.

In my defence I did say "although there’ll be exceptions". Others are like Bishop Auckland where you get a P for Platform, Darlington is slightly odd if coming from Boro as you might get a B for the line that bypasses 4A on the way into 4 etc etc

 

[Bald Rick]

Pre resignalling, Trains heading out of the southern end of Derby would get a W (for West to Birmingham), or S (for South to London). Although for years I assumed it meant Willingdon and Spondon!

 

[I13]

I'm pretty sure trains departing Coventry platform 2 routed for Kenilworth get a 'B'. Does anyone know what it stands for?

 

[Ianno87]

I'm pretty sure trains departing Coventry platform 2 routed for Kenilworth get a 'B'. Does anyone know what it stands for?

(Up) Branch.

 

[Snow1964]

I'm pretty sure trains departing Coventry platform 2 routed for Kenilworth get a 'B'. Does anyone know what it stands for?

probably branch

but may date from the days (pre voyagers) where many intercity trains used to swap electric > diesel locos there, and one would run clear before returning to other end of station

 

[I13]

(Up) Branch.

probably branch

but may date from the days (pre voyagers) where many intercity trains used to swap electric > diesel locos there, and one would run clear before returning to other end of station

Many thanks both.