Emergency Special Working or Temporary Block Working Rule Question Rule Question

[Step3 Star]

I understand that Emergency Special Working (ESW) & Temporary Block Working (TBW) can only be applied on Track Circuit Block (TCB) lines with two or more tracks & to pass two or more consecutive signals. Do the consecutive signals need to be stop signals or can it still be applied to TCB lines with the occasional distant signal or lines with repeating signals??

Thank you in advance for any advice given.

 

[SargeNpton]

ESW, TBW and TCB: care to explain those abbreviations so that we can all understand the question.

 

[Step3 Star]

Thank you for your reply.

ESW = Emergency Special Working

TBW = Temporary Block Working

TCB = Track Circuit Block

 

[theironroad]

I understand that ESW & TBW can only be applied on TCB lines with two or more tracks & to pass two or more consecutive signals. Do the consecutive signals need to be stop signals or can it still be applied to TCB lines with the occasional distant signal or lines with repeating signals??

Thank you in advance for any advice given.

Can't comment on repeating signals.

As for distant signals, they are an indication of their linked stop signal, they cannot operate separately.

As you can't pass a distant at danger, my understanding is that it only applies to stop signals, though best to check the RS signals handbook.

 

[12LDA28C]

As you can't pass a distant at danger, my understanding is that it only applies to stop signals, though best to check the RS signals handbook.

I believe this is correct. Two or more consecutive stop signals.

ESW, TBW and TCB: care to explain those abbreviations so that we can all understand the question.

Good point although if you're not familiar with the terminology it's unlikely you would be able to answer the question.

 

[Step3 Star]

Thank you all for your replies & sorry for the the abbreviations that I've since edited.

In the Rule Book it mentions when passing two signals at danger that there can't be a distant signal but no mention with the Temporary Block Working or Emergency Special Working.

 

[The Puddock]

Distant or repeater signals are irrelevant for ESW/TBW as - by definition- they cannot display a danger aspect, which is why they’re not explicitly mentioned in sections 5 and 6 of module S5. It doesn’t matter whether there is one repeater, ten repeaters or no repeaters in an ESW/TBW section.

Don’t get ESW/TBW mixed up with the recent Rule Book change (S5 section 7) to allow two consecutive stop signals to be passed at danger; that is intended to be applied in a different set of circumstances.

 

[Step3 Star]

Thank you for your reply.

Just to confirm as long as the stretch of line is Track Circuit Block and at least two stop signals to pass Emergency Special Working or Temporary Block Working could be introduced even if there happens to be distant or repeater signal in between some of the stop signals?

 

[endofthetunnel]

Thank you for your reply.

Just to confirm as long as the stretch of line is Track Circuit Block and at least two stop signals to pass Emergency Special Working or Temporary Block Working could be introduced even if there happens to be distant or repeater signal in between some of the stop signals?

Yes
There can be distants, repeaters, Position lights not associated with main aspects, sets of points…

There’s no rule about it needing to be a 2 or more track railway - I expect the confusion is it can’t be used on a bidirectional single line, but no problem with using it on a TCB signalled one direction single line.

 

[The Puddock]

Thank you for your reply.

Just to confirm as long as the stretch of line is Track Circuit Block and at least two stop signals to pass Emergency Special Working or Temporary Block Working could be introduced even if there happens to be distant or repeater signal in between some of the stop signals?

Yes, exactly.

The two-consecutive-stop-signals rule was an attempt to speed up degraded working where two signals are being held at danger by the same fault (for example a track circuit failure in the overlap of the second signal) but it wouldn’t be appropriate to introduce ESW or TBW in these circumstances because of the limited extent of the failure. However the conditions on its use are so restrictive that in practice it is rarely used.

 

[Step3 Star]

Thank you all for your help & advice.

 

[TurboMan]

I understand that Emergency Special Working (ESW) & Temporary Block Working (TBW) can only be applied on Track Circuit Block (TCB) lines with two or more tracks & to pass two or more consecutive signals. Do the consecutive signals need to be stop signals or can it still be applied to TCB lines with the occasional distant signal or lines with repeating signals??

Thank you in advance for any advice given.

Assuming you're a driver, everything you need to know during TBW or ESW is on the ticket that the handsignaller gives you, or the signaller dictates to you. As the rule book says,
'You must carry out the instructions shown on your temporary block working/emergency special working ticket'. It's someone else's job to work out what those instructions are.

By the way, for the purposes of the rule book, there is no such thing as a repeating signal - main aspects are either stop or distant signals.

 

[Annetts key]

By the way, for the purposes of the rule book, there is no such thing as a repeating signal - main aspects are either stop or distant signals.

To be clear, on a track circuit block line, multi-aspect signals can display red, single yellow, double yellow or green. These may be controlled signals or automatic signals. Occasionally you may find a semi-automatic signal.

When there is insufficient sighting of a signal due to a structure (bridge, tunnel, cutting, building) or where deemed helpful for operating reasons, a banner signal may be provided. This simply repeats some of the information that the main signal is showing and is not an independent signal.

Where line capacity is lower, or there are long distances between stop signals, then a colour light distant signal may be provided. The most common configuration of these can only display single yellow or green. There are some that can also display a double yellow aspect. They are sometimes referred to as a colour light repeater, as they are colour light signals that follow what the stop signal does. Again, they are not independent signals, as in the signaller cannot control them separately. They are provided to provide the train driver with a yellow caution aspect at service braking distance from the stop signal. Hence for the two aspect type, they display green when the main signal is showing a proceed aspect, otherwise they show single yellow.

 

[Efini92]

Distant or repeater signals are irrelevant for ESW/TBW as - by definition- they cannot display a danger aspect, which is why they’re not explicitly mentioned in sections 5 and 6 of module S5. It doesn’t matter whether there is one repeater, ten repeaters or no repeaters in an ESW/TBW section.

Don’t get ESW/TBW mixed up with the recent Rule Book change (S5 section 7) to allow two consecutive stop signals to be passed at danger; that is intended to be applied in a different set of circumstances.

I think (thought can’t remember off the top of my head) the rule book says 2 or more signals on a tcb line for tbw to be introduced.

 

[TurboMan]

To be clear, on a track circuit block line, multi-aspect signals can display red, single yellow, double yellow or green. These may be controlled signals or automatic signals. Occasionally you may find a semi-automatic signal.

When there is insufficient sighting of a signal due to a structure (bridge, tunnel, cutting, building) or where deemed helpful for operating reasons, a banner signal may be provided. This simply repeats some of the information that the main signal is showing and is not an independent signal.

Where line capacity is lower, or there are long distances between stop signals, then a colour light distant signal may be provided. The most common configuration of these can only display single yellow or green. There are some that can also display a double yellow aspect. They are sometimes referred to as a colour light repeater, as they are colour light signals that follow what the stop signal does. Again, they are not independent signals, as in the signaller cannot control them separately. They are provided to provide the train driver with a yellow caution aspect at service braking distance from the stop signal. Hence for the two aspect type, they display green when the main signal is showing a proceed aspect, otherwise they show single yellow.

From the perspective of a driver reading the rule book, which was the context of my post, there is no such thing as a 'repeater' signal with a colour light aspect, they are distant signals.

 

[The Puddock]

I think (thought can’t remember off the top of my head) the rule book says 2 or more signals on a tcb line for tbw to be introduced.

Yes but in practice it is almost never worth going to all the hassle of setting up ESW or TBW for a failure that is holding just two signals at danger. You’d either talk past them seperately or - if the conditions for module S5 section 7 permit - together.

 

[Annetts key]

From the perspective of a driver reading the rule book, which was the context of my post, there is no such thing as a 'repeater' signal with a colour light aspect, they are distant signals.

The rule book actially says this:

Distant signal
A distant signal is a signal which cannot show a stop aspect or indication.
Some colour light distant signals are identified by a white triangle or the letters 'R' or 'RR' on the signal identification plate.

Yes, it uses the term 'Distant signal'. I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm just clearing up some use of older terminology.

Note that that extract from the rule book also says that they may be identified with the letter 'R' on the signal plate.

If the stop signal ahead was called H56, then under the old standard, the distant signal for H56 would have a signal identification plate labelled as H56R. The 'R' standing for 'repeater'. Hence some older signallers, S&T or others may still refer to them by this term.

Note that the standards for signal naming have since changed, so you won't see distant signals with this type of signal identification plate on more modern schemes.

Also note that from a signallers or an S&T technicians perspective, colour light distant signals on track circuit block systems work differently compared to semaphore/mechanical interlocking distant signals.

 

[Step3 Star]

Thank you all for your informative replies.