General lamp and head code questions

[Andy873]

There are plenty illustrations on the Internet for the correct positions of engine lamps (talking steam locos here), but just how much they were enforced and who checked them. The same goes for head codes, e.g. changing a 3T46 to a 1T46 when starting as a passenger service from a particular station.

Let's look at an ECS (class 3) train running down to station X, here the lamps on the front of the steam loco should be changed to class 1 positions as well as the 3 on the head code to a 1.

Who was responsible for these changes?
If the lamps / code hadn't been changed, would someone in a signal box intervene? and if so how?

There is a photo of a steam loco (circa 1955) pushing a local freight train up a bank, curiously this engine has a letter L stuck on it at the top centre of the smoke box door, does the L represent what should have been a physical lamp? and was this common? I have never seen that before in a photo.

Red tail lights:
I'm told that signal men would watch for the red light at the back of a train going past, this should indicate that the train is complete, what would happen if the signal man spotted there was no red light?

The following (just over 1 minute) from 1993 shows an engine taking empties away from Padiham power station, when the video switches to show the rear of the train, the last wagon does not have a red light, why?

Thanks,
Andy.

 

[150219]

I'd have to check the General Appendix to the Working TT to be sure (which I don't have to hand), but IIRC it was the driver who was responsible for ensuring the train displayed the correct ID.

However I have seen lots of photos with incorrect headcodes/IDs. Absolute block communication via bell codes for train classification and routing obviously helped in advance of the signaller observing the headcode/ID anyway, so perhaps it wasn't too much of a big problem.

 

[edwin_m]

I'm told that signal men would watch for the red light at the back of a train going past, this should indicate that the train is complete, what would happen if the signal man spotted there was no red light?

This is a critical feature of Absolute Block signalling. There is no automatic detection of the train position so if the signaller doesn't observe the tail lamp, they must assume that part of the train is still in the section that ends at their signal box. There is a special bell code for "train passed without tail lamp" which is sent to the box at the start of the section instead of the normal "train out of section", and the block instrument is kept at Train on Line so a following train is not allowed into the section. Meanwhile the train will be stopped at the next signal box to establish whether it is in fact complete, and to get the tail lamp replaced or illuminated if necessary.

 

[Gloster]

Train class indicated by the lights was pretty effectively enforced. It was one of those details that might seem small, but a conscientious driver, and they all were, would check that the lights were correct. It was the way that signalmen knew which trains to give priority to and could check that they were in the order they were expecting. A driver who more than very occasionally made an error with the lights would find his prospects dim. If a train with an incorrect headcode didn’t get stopped anyway due to confusion over the routing, the driver would pretty soon get someone telling him.

With the four figure (0A00) blinds, the situation was similar, although this was after your line closed. However, on a dead-end route it was much less bothered about as if there is only one train, you don’t need to differentiate it from others. It has to be said that, except in backwaters, sloppiness over headcodes was probably pretty rare as it was one of those things ‘One does not do’.

With the letter L: are you sure that it isn’t the lamp iron? Except for very local movements within stations, headcodes were to be carried, although they could sometimes stretch things a bit with engines.

A red tail light is one of the absolute fundamental safety items on the railway. If a train passed without one the signalman would arrange to get it stopped, not accept a following train and not allow trains in the opposite direction to enter the section. It could be that the train has divided and part of it is sitting in the section somewhere, rolling down a gradient or derailed across the other line. (In practice we played it according to the situation, but we always played safe). (*) In this case there are possible answers: it could be that it is a siding movement, in which case it doesn’t need a light until it gets out on the mainline. Or somebody forgot/just hasn’t bothered and will put it on when they get up to the main line or into the yard (Naughty, naughty).

* - Even though it is nearly forty years since I was a signalman, checking for tail lamps is still automatic when a train passes. That, and looking for hot axle boxes.

EDIT: A further thought about the L. Is this just a letter L, or is it a white disc with a bit of paper on it with a letter L printed on it. If so, then the white disc could be the daytime equivalent of the lamp (this was standard) and the L could just have a local or ephemeral meaning: Trip duty L, pilot loco, train L of a series running for some special event (**), etc.

** - “Which train is this coming in to the station? Oh, it’s got L on the smokebox. That’s the 17.25 to Buggleskelly (and not one of the twenty others coming out of the sidings)…Announcer, announce the 17.25 to…”

 

[Rescars]

Going back a century, in the pre-grouping era, the LBSCR, SECR and LSWR trains all carried complex disc/lamp headcodes which indicated their route with some precision - as an aid to signallers and others. It must have been the drivers' responsibility to ensure these were correct and no doubt the fallout would have been significant if they weren't. Other lines did similar things - the Caledonian for example used a double-semaphore route indicator, the use of which continued long after 1923. I assume GWR drivers were responsible for the three character codes carried by main line services.

 

[John Webb]

Regarding tail lamps, during demonstrations at the preserved St Albans South box we have an (empty and unlit) tail lamp upstairs by the lever frame and explain that the original trains up to the 1970s, including DMUs, had to carry one of these on the rear, unlike the modern EMUs and DMUs units which have tail lamps built in. We stress that a signaller had to check every train was carrying one and if it wasn't seen switch to 'emergency mode' on the assumption the train had split between the previous station/box and ours and carry out the necessary precautions. It's a part of the demo that often surprises the attending public and brings forth some interesting comments - even more comments arise from pointing out every train had six bell codes associated with its movement which had to be recorded with times in the Train Register Book!

 

[Andy873]

This is a critical feature of Absolute Block signalling. There is no automatic detection of the train position so if the signaller doesn't observe the tail lamp, they must assume that part of the train is still in the section that ends at their signal box. There is a special bell code for "train passed without tail lamp" which is sent to the box at the start of the section instead of the normal "train out of section", and the block instrument is kept at Train on Line so a following train is not allowed into the section. Meanwhile the train will be stopped at the next signal box to establish whether it is in fact complete, and to get the tail lamp replaced or illuminated if necessary.

I see, thanks. So the lack of a red tail lamp would be treated as a potential disaster waiting to happen and action is taken immediately (or as close as) to ascertain what's happened any why.

A red tail light is one of the absolute fundamental safety items on the railway. If a train passed without one the signalman would arrange to get it stopped, not accept a following train and not allow trains in the opposite direction to enter the section. It could be that the train has divided and part of it is sitting in the section somewhere, rolling down a gradient or derailed across the other line. (In practice we played it according to the situation, but we always played safe). (*) In this case there are possible answers: it could be that it is a siding movement, in which case it doesn’t need a light until it gets out on the mainline.

The video (just as a coincidence) was filmed on what was my old branch line, I attached it as I remembered there was no red light showing. It looks like it was classed as a sidings movement, BR renamed what was left of the line as Padiham CEGB sidings.

Train class indicated by the lights was pretty effectively enforced. It was one of those details that might seem small, but a conscientious driver, and they all were, would check that the lights were correct. It was the way that signalmen knew which trains to give priority to and could check that they were in the order they were expecting. A driver who more than very occasionally made an error with the lights would find his prospects dim. If a train with an incorrect headcode didn’t get stopped anyway due to confusion over the routing, the driver would pretty soon get someone telling him.

Looks like any self respecting driver (and as you say most were) would make sure the lights were correct. I remember seeing a B/W documentary possibly mid to late 1950's showing a driver and fireman clocking on for duty. The loco had the light engine lamp correct and drove the engine to a particular carriage shed, there they attached some empty coaches. Now the lamps were placed as an ECS class 3 train.

Finally, off the train goes to station X for the 08:25am (or whatever) to destination Y. At station X the lamps are again re-arranged to (in this case) a class 1 passenger train.

I would have thought the lamps including the red tail lamp took on a much greater importance at night time.

A further thought about the L. Is this just a letter L, or is it a white disc with a bit of paper on it with a letter L printed on it. If so, then the white disc could be the daytime equivalent of the lamp

No it's not a disc. it's definitely a white piece of paper or carboard with the letter L on it, but I can tell you the photo was taken during the day.

Even though it is nearly forty years since I was a signalman, checking for tail lamps is still automatic when a train passes. That, and looking for hot axle boxes.

Didn't know you'd been checking axle boxes, was there anything else you guys checked for?

Regarding tail lamps, during demonstrations at the preserved St Albans South box we have an (empty and unlit) tail lamp upstairs by the lever frame and explain that the original trains up to the 1970s, including DMUs, had to carry one of these on the rear, unlike the modern EMUs and DMUs units which have tail lamps built in. We stress that a signaller had to check every train was carrying one and if it wasn't seen switch to 'emergency mode' on the assumption the train had split between the previous station/box and ours and carry out the necessary precautions. It's a part of the demo that often surprises the attending public and brings forth some interesting comments - even more comments arise from pointing out every train had six bell codes associated with its movement which had to be recorded with times in the Train Register Book!

I only became aware of the importance of the red tail light a few years ago when I watched a signaller (as part of a documentary) from the Blea Moor signal box explaining (as a train went past) that he was checking for the red tail lamp and why.

 

[Taunton]

The Southern Region continued to the end of steam having indications on the front by disc, not lamp, and showing route, not classification. The funeral train from Waterloo for Sir Winston Churchill in 1962 devised a unique code of his V for Victory.

The Somerset & Dorset also for some reason had to the end in 1966 oddball non-standard lamp indications of their own for train classifications - one at the top, one on the left for a passenger train.

 

[Gloster]

Didn't know you'd been checking axle boxes, was there anything else you guys checked for?

We checked that everything was in order: nothing on fire or hanging off, doors shut and handles at the right angle, no strange noises, nothing pouring off, brake handles properly secure, right down to no ‘signs of alarm’. It was just something that you did automatically.

In daytime white discs could be used instead of lamps, but the pattern they were put in was exactly the same. Even though lamps were painted white, discs were more obvious.

 

[6Gman]

We checked that everything was in order: nothing on fire or hanging off, doors shut and handles at the right angle, no strange noises, nothing pouring off, brake handles properly secure, right down to no ‘signs of alarm’. It was just something that you did automatically.

In daytime white discs could be used instead of lamps, but the pattern they were put in was exactly the same. Even though lamps were painted white, discs were more obvious.

In the days when I worked in an office overlooking the Independent (Goods) Lines at Crewe some of us would take a quick look at passing trains (tough job, but someone had to do it) and on more than one occasion rang Control to tell them something was amiss (blood all over a vehicle, missing tail lamp, insecure load).

 

[edwin_m]

No it's not a disc. it's definitely a white piece of paper or carboard with the letter L on it, but I can tell you the photo was taken during the day.

I've seen pictures of these used to display the 4-character headcodes on steam locomotives that obviously didn't have the roller blinds - though I don't recall seeing it on any of the earlier diesel classes that only had lamps and discs.

 

[30907]

The L sounds like a code for a specific loco duty - am I right that some regions called them "Targets" - which allowed signalmen (sic) and others to identify the working.
It can't be a headlamp substitute becaus that would indicate a class B/2 passenger.

 

[AndrewE]

In the days when I worked in an office overlooking the Independent (Goods) Lines at Crewe some of us would take a quick look at passing trains (tough job, but someone had to do it) and on more than one occasion rang Control to tell them something was amiss (blood all over a vehicle, missing tail lamp, insecure load).

Snap, me too! It's (was) in the rule book after all...

 

[zwk500]

The funeral train from Waterloo for Sir Winston Churchill in 1962 devised a unique code of his V for Victory.

The V Code (2 Discs on the middle row of irons, 1 in the centre of the bottom row, the Southern having 6 positions rather than 4) was also used for Breakdown trains, IIRC.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

We checked that everything was in order: nothing on fire or hanging off, doors shut and handles at the right angle, no strange noises, nothing pouring off, brake handles properly secure, right down to no ‘signs of alarm’. It was just something that you did automatically.

Likewise, drummed in to us at signalling school (Beckenham in my case), basic old school rules that are at the core of the 'trade' so to speak. How many people out there may have seen an external door handle on a SUB, EPB, VEP etc at 45 degrees and thought nothing of it! A basic sign the door was on the catch, and if on the 'off side' could quite easily be caught by the wind and a jolt, and swing wide open, as I witnessed from within the carriage on one occasion, at line speed.

 

[AndyPJG]

The Southern Region continued to the end of steam having indications on the front by disc, not lamp, and showing route, not classification. The funeral train from Waterloo for Sir Winston Churchill in 1962 devised a unique code of his V for Victory.
......

James Lester (fireman on the funeral train) has his reminiscences of the day recounted on the Nine Elms website, including about the head code; well worth a read.

WINSTON CHURCHILL FUNERAL TRAIN

When we left Nine Elms on that grey January afternoon we had a full boiler and 150lbs pressure and a small fire but adequate fire under the door. On arrival at the top of Waterloo Platform 11, the three of the special disc boards were removed from the tender and duly positioned in the famous Churchillian 'V' for Victory formation on the front of the locomotive.

 

[Andy873]

We checked that everything was in order: nothing on fire or hanging off, doors shut and handles at the right angle, no strange noises, nothing pouring off, brake handles properly secure, right down to no ‘signs of alarm’. It was just something that you did automatically.

Likewise, drummed in to us at signalling school (Beckenham in my case), basic old school rules that are at the core of the 'trade' so to speak. How many people out there may have seen an external door handle on a SUB, EPB, VEP etc at 45 degrees and thought nothing of it! A basic sign the door was on the catch, and if on the 'off side' could quite easily be caught by the wind and a jolt, and swing wide open, as I witnessed from within the carriage on one occasion, at line speed.

That's very interesting to me, thanks for that. Signallers were then the eyes and ears (so to speak) of the railway.

Question:
In the early 1970's Preston PSB was coming onstream and East Lancs was re-signalled and most of the signal boxes were demolished. With all these signallers gone / re-located was there an increased risk with regards to things like an incomplete train or unsafe load etc now there are less eyes around? And what happened to all those signallers around then?

With regards to forgetting to change a head code from a 3 to a 1:

It has to be said that, except in backwaters, sloppiness over headcodes was probably pretty rare as it was one of those things ‘One does not do’.

I guess my old branch line with only about five weeks to closure could be regarded as a bit of a backwater by then. I would have thought though by the time you pulled into Blackburn station some one would have pointed it out? or it was changed quickly when realised?

 

[Gloster]

With the old-style signalboxes gone you had lost one of the defences against problems. However, you now had continuous track-circuiting on which a divided train should show up. Otherwise, it was a trade off: losing the eyes of signalman against other improvements that made incidents less common.

The signalmen would have been made redundant under the railway’s agreements. Some, the most senior mainly, would have gone into Preston PSB, others would have moved to fill vacancies in remaining signalboxes near and (occasionally) far, some would fill vacancies in other parts of the traffic department in the area, while some would leave; the latter would be the most junior or more senior ones who didn’t want another job, either at all or just one that involved dealing with the b….y passengers. The railway had well-defined rules to decide who had preference for each job: basically it was seniority.

When I was made redundant by a PSB, although I was just on the edge of getting a place, I moved nearly a hundred miles to another signalling job: BR paid my house removals and legal costs. I was, I think, the only member of staff who moved away; the rest either took another job or went out. If I had stayed I might have got in the PSB as one of the old boys tried it for a while, but then opted for early retirement, which I think was a redundancy option then for those who were senior enough to be moved into the new PSB, rather than getting it as a promotion. Note: signalmen did not just get transferred to a new PSB as it was offered as a promotion. Men from outside the local area, but inside the promotional area, could get the new job if they applied. Men very local to the PSB would be automatically transferred in if they were of the same grade as the new PSB jobs, but otherwise it was just a promotional system.

 

[edwin_m]

With the old-style signalboxes gone you had lost one of the defences against problems. However, you now had continuous track-circuiting on which a divided train should show up. Otherwise, it was a trade off: losing the eyes of signalman against other improvements that made incidents less common.

Hot axle box detectors would be fitted at strategic locations - a technology imported from America where trains can run for huge distances with very little observation by trackside staff. More recently other automated detectors have been installed to monitor such things as wheelflats and pantograph defects. The elimination of elderly wagons, and the run-down in freight generally, has also reduced the risks from freight trains - though defects still cause accidents, as reported regularly by RAIB. Continuous braking also means that both parts of a divided train will almost certainly be brought to a stop. The almost universal fitting of power doors to passenger trains also removes some of the hazards that signallers would traditionally be looking out for.

 

[Rescars]

That's very interesting to me, thanks for that. Signallers were then the eyes and ears (so to speak) of the railway.

In my childhood I remember being stopped at Ivybridge by the signaller for a "stop and examine" because the steam heating pipe had failed at the end of the carriage in which I was travelling. The vestibule was like a sauna! Much flag waving to bring the loco to a stand opposite the box for shouted instructions and then tramping around in the cess to get things sorted.

 

[Taunton]

In the early 1970's Preston PSB was coming onstream and East Lancs was re-signalled and most of the signal boxes were demolished. With all these signallers gone / re-located was there an increased risk with regards to things like an incomplete train or unsafe load etc now there are less eyes around?

Writer in Modern Railways in the 1960s described how the power signalling on York to Northallerton, about 32 miles and mainstream 4-track, left signalboxes just at main crossovers etc, about 8 miles apart, and how supervision over trains, especially freights with older wagons, was badly reduced, given that boxes were not sited alternately on either side of the line, and even if something awry was spotted some did not even have control of a signal beyond them, the next ones being automatics.

About two years after this was written the major accident that destroyed prototype loco DP2, which hit derailed freight wagons from an adjacent line, happened right here.

 

[edwin_m]

I've often wondered how much use headcodes and lamp/disc codes were to signalmen in reality. By the time the train came close enough for them to be read by the signalman at a junction, he would already have to know which route it was taking to avoid delaying it. So was the box before a junction charged with identifying the train and communicating this by phone or by a special bell code?

Headcodes of any sort were no use to the power signal boxes that became widespread from the 1960s onwards, where the headcodes were displayed on the panel and a signaller could work an entire shift without seeing a train. Although when visiting Waterloo box in the 1980s they said that drivers were instructed to set their outward destination before they arrived at the station, so the signallers could read this with binoculars if the train describer went down.

 

[zwk500]

I've often wondered how much use headcodes and lamp/disc codes were to signalmen in reality. By the time the train came close enough for them to be read by the signalman at a junction, he would already have to know which route it was taking to avoid delaying it. So was the box before a junction charged with identifying the train and communicating this by phone or by a special bell code?

Didn't busy or complex boxes have routing bells? I can see headcodes being helpful in that scenario. Also at junction stations you might bring a train into the platform but not set the road immediately if you had a conflicting arrival. Having a reminder of the importance/destination of the train was presumably an additional aid especially in out-of-course running.

Headcodes of any sort were no use to the power signal boxes that became widespread from the 1960s onwards, where the headcodes were displayed on the panel and a signaller could work an entire shift without seeing a train. Although when visiting Waterloo box in the 1980s they said that drivers were instructed to set their outward destination before they arrived at the station, so the signallers could read this with binoculars if the train describer went down.

That wouldn't have helped Victoria! Out of interest, when were drivers supposed to set the outward destination? I thought trains showed 2 red blocks at the rear of the headcode displays on BR(S) trains.

 

[Gloster]

I've often wondered how much use headcodes and lamp/disc codes were to signalmen in reality. By the time the train came close enough for them to be read by the signalman at a junction, he would already have to know which route it was taking to avoid delaying it. So was the box before a junction charged with identifying the train and communicating this by phone or by a special bell code?

Headcodes of any sort were no use to the power signal boxes that became widespread from the 1960s onwards, where the headcodes were displayed on the panel and a signaller could work an entire shift without seeing a train. Although when visiting Waterloo box in the 1980s they said that drivers were instructed to set their outward destination before they arrived at the station, so the signallers could read this with binoculars if the train describer went down.

Trains were often belled from several boxes back with codes. Trains west out of Nottingham would probably use whichever of three different bell codes (for the same class of train) was correct depending on which way they went at Mansfield Junction and, for those diverging right, at Lenton Junction. These codes would probably have been started by the boxes at Nottingham station.

Headlamps, except on the Southern, only indicated the class of train, but it did help (you shouldn’t put an express into the goods loop). There were also situations like at Taunton, Exeter St David’s and Newton Abbot: a few boxes before the station a box would have the duty of changing from the straight four beats of an express to a code that indicated whether or not the train stopped and, in the case of Up ones at Taunton and Down ones at Newton, where it went afterwards. The Southern had a regional set of alternative bell codes, but elsewhere they were devised locally, although to wider principles.

The spread of panels was gradual so the use of four digit headcodes was still useful in areas where it had not reached right up to their abandonment. They were also useful for station staff.

 

[Rescars]

Trains were often belled from several boxes back with codes. Trains west out of Nottingham would probably use whichever of three different bell codes (for the same class of train) was correct depending on which way they went at Mansfield Junction and, for those diverging right, at Lenton Junction. These codes would probably have been started by the boxes at Nottingham station.

Headlamps, except on the Southern, only indicated the class of train, but it did help (you shouldn’t put an express into the goods loop). There were also situations like at Taunton, Exeter St David’s and Newton Abbot: a few boxes before the station a box would have the duty of changing from the straight four beats of an express to a code that indicated whether or not the train stopped and, in the case of Up ones at Taunton and Down ones at Newton, where it went afterwards. The Southern had a regional set of alternative bell codes, but elsewhere they were devised locally, although to wider principles.

The spread of panels was gradual so the use of four digit headcodes was still useful in areas where it had not reached right up to their abandonment. They were also useful for station staff.

I remember reading somewhere that the Cornish Riviera Express (in all its majesty!) was belled as a branch line passenger train through Reading West, to make it clear it was heading off towards Newbury.

 

[Taunton]

Trains were often belled from several boxes back with codes. Trains west out of Nottingham would probably use whichever of three different bell codes (for the same class of train) was correct depending on which way they went at Mansfield Junction and, for those diverging right, at Lenton Junction. These codes would probably have been started by the boxes at Nottingham station.

Headlamps, except on the Southern, only indicated the class of train, but it did help (you shouldn’t put an express into the goods loop). There were also situations like at Taunton, Exeter St David’s and Newton Abbot: a few boxes before the station a box would have the duty of changing from the straight four beats of an express to a code that indicated whether or not the train stopped and, in the case of Up ones at Taunton and Down ones at Newton, where it went afterwards. The Southern had a regional set of alternative bell codes, but elsewhere they were devised locally, although to wider principles.

The spread of panels was gradual so the use of four digit headcodes was still useful in areas where it had not reached right up to their abandonment. They were also useful for station staff.

The key box that advised forward for down services beyond Taunton was Norton Fitzwarren. The services from Paddington and from the North merged at Cogload, before Taunton, but were just sent on regardless, as on summer Saturdays in particular they would generally not be to time or (especially from the North) in the right sequence. They merged at various points but Norton was the last before the 2-track section, and fixed the sequence onwards. Trains also whistled a code there if they needed a banker from Wellington, which was also belled forward. I believe there were also bell codes from Wellington up to Whiteball summit for whether there was a banker on the back or not.

I remember reading somewhere that the Cornish Riviera Express (in all its majesty!) was belled as a branch line passenger train through Reading West, to make it clear it was heading off towards Newbury.

Speaking of the "Rivvy", with at maximum three separate slip coaches, each had a special tail lamp arrangement, advised to all boxes, so the signalmen knew if the train was as complete as it should be at their point - accidental failure of the slip coupling, with the main train carrying on unaware because of the self-sealing vacuum hose, was envisaged and taken very seriously. There were all sorts of precautions - the main train, after the slip point, also had a particular whistle code if they encountered gangers on the track, to denote slipped coach following - not that the ganger would not be fully aware.

 

[Gloster]

The key box that advised forward for down services beyond Taunton was Norton Fitzwarren. The services from Paddington and from the North merged at Cogload, before Taunton, but were just sent on regardless, as on summer Saturdays in particular they would generally not be to time or (especially from the North) in the right sequence. They merged at various points but Norton was the last before the 2-track section, and fixed the sequence onwards. Trains also whistled a code there if they needed a banker from Wellington, which was also belled forward. I believe there were also bell codes from Wellington up to Whiteball summit for whether there was a banker on the back or not.


Speaking of the "Rivvy", with at maximum three separate slip coaches, each had a special tail lamp arrangement, advised to all boxes, so the signalmen knew if the train was as complete as it should be at their point - accidental failure of the slip coupling, with the main train carrying on unaware because of the self-sealing vacuum hose, was envisaged and taken very seriously. There were all sorts of precautions - the main train, after the slip point, also had a particular whistle code if they encountered gangers on the track, to denote slipped coach following - not that the ganger would not be fully aware.

Norton had gone by the time I was done there, so Cogload was the important one for Down trains: it knew which of the Durston or Castle Cary routes the train came off and also had the train description from Bristol Panel. It would then start the box-to-box messages that would inform the boxes further down of any out of order running (“Boxer. 1B46 ahead of 1V28”). If one overtook another in Taunton station, then one of the boxes there would make sure that the message either stopped or was altered as appropriate.

If there was a banker on the train the BR signalling rules said that the signal 2-2 should be sent immediately after the Train Entering Section had been acknowledged (I think I remember that correctly). I wouldn’t have thought that Wellington would use different codes to the national standard.

 

[John Webb]

If there was a banker on the train the BR signalling rules said that the signal 2-2 should be sent immediately after the Train Entering Section had been acknowledged (I think I remember that correctly). I wouldn’t have thought that Wellington would use different codes to the national standard.

The use of 2-2 for each banking engine may have been introduced to the WR under Regulation 10 of the 1960 edition of the Signalling Regulations - the 'Green Book'. WR had their own edition (BR 29960/2) but I've not got a copy of either the previous GWR Absolute Block Regs or the more general BR 1960 one to check if 2-2 was a WR speciality!

 

[Big Jumby 74]

The use of 2-2 for each banking engine may have been introduced to the WR under Regulation 10 of the 1960 edition of the Signalling Regulations - the 'Green Book'. WR had their own edition (BR 29960/2) but I've not got a copy of either the previous GWR Absolute Block Regs or the more general BR 1960 one to check if 2-2 was a WR speciality!

Looking at the 1-10-1972 copy of BR 29960, the one I was issued with, there is no reference to any particular Region in Reg 10(a), although there is a covering 'header' in italics which reads "This Regulation only applies at the places where the use of assisting locomotives in rear of trains is authorised in the Sectional Appendix and as shown in Regulation 3". Was the Green book standardised for ALL Regions at some point? - typical WR to have their own version of...

 

[John Webb]

Looking at the 1-10-1972 copy of BR 29960, the one I was issued with, there is no reference to any particular Region in Reg 10(a), although there is a covering 'header' in italics which reads "This Regulation only applies at the places where the use of assisting locomotives in rear of trains is authorised in the Sectional Appendix and as shown in Regulation 3". Was the Green book standardised for ALL Regions at some point? - typical WR to have their own version of...

The Green Book was standardised, I understand, by the October 1972 edition. I've seen a copy of the more general BR29960/1 of 1960 but it's in the small library we have at St Albans South Box. If I get a chance I'll look later this week when I'm up there.