And, of course, us lot in the Diagramming Office would throw it all up in the air if there were any Reliefs running !Worked in the PSB at Euston 1974-79, busy times. There was a Station 'Simplifier' sheet laying out all of the workings In and Out. The booked Loco workings were all shown as to what they were programmed to do next. When a train arrived the Description in the Train Describer at the Buffer stops end was changed from the Incoming Train, to show the next working of the Inward Loco, 0G44, to work 1G44 etc. The Train Description at the country end would be put in for the outgoing train. All these numbers were put in manually. There would be frequent changes to the booked engine workings if they needed to be put on different workings, or visit Willesden DED, these alterations notified to the Box by the 'Engine Arranger' sat in the Yard Supervisors Office in the Parcels Dock. There would also be a Station Daily Orders sheet listing additional services or alterations to programmed movements.
Good to see the old chap.
Where did the 86 wait to come back on to the front of an up service? On the Down at Halifax I guess - not much else around for it to be in the way?
The normal method was for the 86 to sit in the middle road behind CO306. Up Norwich comes in, 47 goes up to Halifax Jn to crossover and return to the country end loco siding ready for its next down working. 86 shunts from middle road into the tunnel and back onto train. There must have been a shunt signal just in the mouth of the tunnel to allow that which has since been removed.
Shunting trains is indeed highly dangerous. But even with the American freight couplers they have to go in between to connect the brake pipes.That Ipswich video also illustrates how much safety practices have changed since then - the (human) shunter has no hi-vis clothing, no head protection and is standing in the '6 foot' between the train and a running line (the up through?) some of the time.
Having spent many hours watching loco changes at places like B'ham New Street back then, I often thought that being a shunter looked like one of the more dangerous jobs on the railway... (and one reason why the Americans mandated the use of automatic couplers over a century ago)
Yes, but at least the access to the brake pipes is easier/quicker/safer - no side buffers to duck under...But even with the American freight couplers they have to go in between to connect the brake pipes.
The entry to Kings Cross was known as the throat, for up trains, most of the platforms and aforementioned fuelling point had to be via the up relief. The up slow and main only served (from memory) York Rd and platforms 1 to 4. Deltics seemed to be more smoky in later years, the clouds of exhaust smoke in Gasworks tunnel....phewKings Cross in loco hauled days was the most cumbersome. Main line locos appeared unable to do a full day's work without refuelling, which was done at a small facility on the west side of the station. With the platform ends pretty hard up against the entrances to Gasworks Tunnel, it was not possible to even get there in one shunt from most of the platforms in the centre/east side of the station, from platform 1 say it was out into just inside one of the eastern tunnels, back into a convenient platform end, out to just inside one of the western tunnels, back into the loco spur, and to the fuel point. For the return train the reverse then applied. Class 31 pilots on stock also did the forward-back-forward-back to get between bringing one set of stock in, and then taking another out. Went on all day
Women were not permitted to be guards as well because in an emergency there might be the need to drop the buckeye coupling and use the emergency screw coupler insteadYes the safety aspects would cause concern today. Great Eastern practice was for loco coupling and uncoupling to be done by ‘secondmen’, working with a driver on the same diagram. Don’t think there were many, if any ‘secondwomen‘ in those days. The drivers diagrams were shown as ‘Dvr’ if single manned, but as ’Men’ if double manned, all very politically incorrect.
Locos would be driven from the rear cab to save changing ends, all accepted practice back then.
Slightly OT, but when the first woman SM (or similar) was appointed on the SR at Redhill I recall questions being asked about how she could do this task.Women were not permitted to be guards as well because in an emergency there might be the need to drop the buckeye coupling and use the emergency screw coupler instead
I presume you mean secondman rather than Station Master... I would have thought that dropping the buckeye would take less effort than getting it back up. Maybe you need to do an initial raise (with a shoulder?)Slightly OT, but when the first woman SM (or similar) was appointed on the SR at Redhill I recall questions being asked about how she could do this task.
Forearm. Unless of very short stature it would be difficult to get your shoulder under it and even more difficult to pull it away to let it drop.I would have thought that dropping the buckeye would take less effort than getting it back up. Maybe you need to do an initial raise (with a shoulder?)
I have just come across film of the Night Ferry Sleeper train being banked by the empty stock loco at Victoria.At Glasgow Queen Street it would act as a banker for the departing train all the way to Cowlairs.
Indeed it was the forearm.Forearm. Unless of very short stature it would be difficult to get your shoulder under it and even more difficult to pull it away to let it drop.
The loco release crossover on P5&6 is still there - or at least I assume it still is as I haven't been there in the COVID era.I'm sure Manchester Piccadilly had some of them can't say if I ever saw them being used.
Used daily when I travelled in the 1970s for the Harwich Boat Train, which arrived at 13:18 (in 1977), stopped short, detached the diesel engine which then used the crossover to pass the stock on the adjacent track, then went on to the front of the 15:15 departure. So one platform was occupied for two hours and the adjacent platform had to be free for the loco movement.I'm sure Manchester Piccadilly had some of them can't say if I ever saw them being used.
No-one has mentioned release points (I think they are called). I am sure there were some at Bradford Interchange. Train pulled in, passengers got off. Loco pushed train back a little. uncouple. loco back to buffers, then over a crossover to the adjacent platform line. run round. back onto train and push it back to buffer stops ready for the passengers. Ideal for Bradford with few loco hauled trains.
The loco release crossover on P5&6 is still there - or at least I assume it still is as I haven't been there in the COVID era.
I do recall seeing it used occasionally years back. Turnover locos were the norm for Euston and Birmingham (and beyond) trains but if for some reason one wasn't available the loco would run round. I recall also seeing it used for a DVT set, presumably due to a fault on the DVT, to get the loco onto the Euston end of the set.
This might require a change to the booked platform as I only recall that one crossover although there might have been more in earlier years.
No-one has mentioned release points (I think they are called). I am sure there were some at Bradford Interchange. Train pulled in, passengers got off. Loco pushed train back a little. uncouple. loco back to buffers, then over a crossover to the adjacent platform line. run round. back onto train and push it back to buffer stops ready for the passengers. Ideal for Bradford with few loco hauled trains.
Interestingly enough, whilst one was provided at the later Bradford Interchange, when regular steam-haulage had been abolished, there were none at the former Joint Bradford Exchange, neither on the L&Y nor GN side.No-one has mentioned release points (I think they are called). I am sure there were some at Bradford Interchange. Train pulled in, passengers got off. Loco pushed train back a little. uncouple. loco back to buffers, then over a crossover to the adjacent platform line. run round. back onto train and push it back to buffer stops ready for the passengers. Ideal for Bradford with few loco hauled trains.
The one at Bradford Interchange was provided primarily for the locos of parcels trains to run round. At one time there was a huge parcels traffic at both the main Bradford stations - primarily for the Grattan's mail order catalogue despatches.Interestingly enough, whilst one was provided at the later Bradford Interchange, when regular steam-haulage had been abolished, there were none at the former Joint Bradford Exchange, neither on the L&Y nor GN side.
I'm not sure if it's still available, but a few years ago a computer signalling simulation called simsig was available. Some scenarios had to be purchased but some were free, among which was a superb Euston sim, emulating (IIRC) a timetable from the 1970s.
You could run it in real time over a 24 hour period and many of the points mentioned in this thread regarding Euston ops were covered. I soon found you needed to change the description for an incoming loco to identify it's next working, for example.
It took some mastering, but having managed a 24 hour shift (not in one go, I hasten to add; it could be saved at any point) it was very satisfying to complete it.
Two engine release crossovers were provided at Bradford Interchange, the one between platforms 3 & 4 (Bradford B GF) was removed only a few years ago although I think it had been officially out of use since the early 2000s or earlier.Interestingly enough, whilst one was provided at the later Bradford Interchange, when regular steam-haulage had been abolished, there were none at the former Joint Bradford Exchange, neither on the L&Y nor GN side.